The One True Commander [BOOK 1]

Chapter 17: Prepare

An uncomfortable silence filled the sacred room around me, no one spoke, no one did anything, we just stood there in our own thoughts about what was about to happen, the conclave. The very event we had been preparing for our whole lives, the time has come where we had to fight to the death. With my head still hanging low, I looked around at the other natblidas, once I saw them as family, now I see them as my enemies. As much as I didn't want to accept this, I had too if I wanted to survive.

The doors to the room opened and Titus stood at the entrance, he looked at us solemnly, "natblidas, the commander is dead, you must prepare for the conclave. But first follow me, you must start the purification ritual."

We all lined up in single file, I looked to Ivory who was standing beside me, she looked so sad. Then she rushed up to me and embraced me in a tight hug, "fight hard and may the spirit of the commander's choose you." I hugged her back and felt tears threaten to fall. "If this is goodbye, I want you to know that you have changed my life for the better and that I love you with all my heart," Ivory spoke in a broken voice.

"Thank you for being with me too, I would have never been the person I am without you," a tear fell from from my eye. "Goodbye Ivory," I let go of her embrace and got back in line.

I glanced over to Nala and Yara, they both gave me a stern nod and left the room to return home. Before Ivory left, she said goodbye to Cree and gave me one last smile. Titus leaded the way out of the holy room and through the streets of Polis. As I followed, the horn that signified the commander's death echoed through Polis and red smoke from various checkpoints rose high in the air letting people know from far away that Heda was dead. People stared at us as we marched past them to the tower and I could see guards sectioning off some of the streets as the battle ground for the conclave.

Soon we reached the tower and we all squeezed into the lift that would take us to the throne room where the purification ritual will begin. As the lift took us up, me and Cree exchanged glances of worry and uncertainty, but it soon stopped when the lift doors opened and we shuffled out. As we walked down the corridor, I felt a hand intertwine with mine, I looked up and saw Cree, my nervous mood eased a little when I saw him.

"Don't worry, I know you will win," Cree whispered.

I smiled, but I wasn't really that worried about if I won. Don't get me wrong, I wanted too, but I was more worried about Cree. "I'm worried about you."

Cree gave a warm smile, "don't worry about me, worry about yourself, I'll escape without anyone noticing."

I nodded, but the feeling still resided in me.

The doors opened to the throne room and we all walked in and sat down by the commander's body. I looked around the candle lit room, the twelve ambassadors sat in one corner, looking to us novitiates. The commander's body was covered with a white sheet and candles and flowers decorated the table she lay on.

"Malia, start the ritual," Titus ordered.

Malia got up and paid her respects to the fallen commander. Everyone did this until it was my turn. I got up from my seat and walked over to the body and I grabbed a handful of red sand from a pot

"Hofli Keryon kom Heda na sad ai op." (May the spirit of the commander's choose me). I spoke while sprinkling the red sand over the body of the fallen commander.

I returned to my place and awaited further instruction.

***

We all stood outside in the moonlight on the platform that Heda once stood on. Now, she lay dead on a decorated, well built pile of logs, ready to be burned. The ambassadors, Titus, guards and the people of Polis all joined to see Heda off.