Coming Back Down

Acceptable Losses

  Madi was joining the novitiates with training today- Octavia had apparently learned that she was a true Natblida and not a synthetic like Clarke, Roan, and I. Clarke had advised Madi to hold back to avoid standing out, but I knew that would be hard with Madi's own attitude and the fact that for six years she had trained with strong adults rather than other children and teens.

  "Strike high. Defend." Gaia called out and each command was followed by clanking metal as I casually strolled into the room. "Strike low. Focus. Strong stances." I quickly spotted Madi near the middle of the room paired with a larger boy that looked to be around her age. "Again. Strike high. Defend. Strike low." I smirked a little, seeing how bored the girl looked as she went through the motions and met swords with the boy. "Defend."

  I tensed when the prick Madi was paired with suddenly tripped her, but remained where I stood and crossed my arms.

  "Hold. Ethan....why did you do that?" Gaia spoke in her native tongue while pointing.

  "Because she gave me the opening, Teacher....and she's not Wonkru." He replied but held his hand out to Madi to help her up. She went to accept his offered help, but the boy jerked his hand back at the last second and the kids began to snicker and laugh.

  With a calm expression on my face, I walked over to Ethan, and now their attention was on me. I looked down at the boy, and his smile fell as he swallowed. Gaia seemed tense, unsure of what was about to happen.

  The boy only blinked, and I grabbed his face before hooking my heel behind one of his legs, and I then pushed him down while tripping him. Looking down at him, I offered Madi my hand and pulled the girl to her feet.

  "We are all Wonkru. We are all one people." The others in the room had gone deathly silent as I glanced around. "I expected more from future Wonkru warriors. We will be at war soon," I rose my voice as they either looked at me or the ground. "and there is nothing funny about that. Some of you very well may die because you spent your time laughing at some prick's idiocy rather than learning to be unified."

  "Pakstoka, they are still learning." Gaia stepped forward, and my gaze locked on her.

  "You are their teacher, yes?" Tilting my head, I didn't even wait for her to answer before continuing. "There are times you must be firm with them. Teach them that they don't have the time to stupidly pick on others when any day now they could end up on the battlefield." Gaia looked me in the eye and nodded before glancing at the novitiates.

  "Get to class." And the young ones began to leave. "Not you, Madi. I must speak to you privately." My gaze lingered on Gaia before glancing at Madi. The girl was in no danger here, so I turned and left her with the woman.

  Going down the hallway, I saw the boy, Ethan, shooting me a dirty look until he noticed that I was looking right at him. Snarling at him, he flinched and hurried off.

~

  "That's sweet." I glanced over to see Octavia quietly entering the tent. My expression didn't change, and I turned back to what I had been looking at. The black-haired woman sat down next to me and kept her voice low. "I wanted to tell you something before someone else has the chance to and twist things."

  "Go on."

  "Those worms....the ones that reproduce in people....I've been having them bred in the bodies of those that were killed when they went for Diyoza's ship." Octavia told me, and I sighed through my nose before shaking my head. "I'm planning on releasing them in the valley to take care of as many of them as they can. Cooper has run some tests, and the worms will die out within a few days in the valley."