aftermath

After two days, things were still grim. Although they might have acted tough in front of the instructor, they were all really shaken.

It took a while for them to realise that nobody that had died was coming back, some people who hadn't showed up for he adres from jester had starred crying before others.

Unfortunately for them they knew what they'd signed up for, they knew how this training was going to be they knew that friendships were only going to be a burden at the end of the day.

At least most did.

Kris was visibly shaken a few of he remaining elves tried to talk with her but she told them she was fine.

They'd come to show her reason because amongst elves reason always trumps emotions but what they didn't know was that her state of being wasn't caused by emotions it was caused by her own reason, her own logic.

In her mind she was stuck in a cycle, she wasn't going to give up, wasn't going to leave nor try until she figured out a way, a way to have saved everyone.

She wasn't going to be satisfied with saving a few, she wasn't going to be satisfied until she has figured out a way to have prevented any casualties.

It was impossible but she was going to try, she was going to make the impossible make sense and she was going to save everyone and come to peace with it.

Nathan was tired, he was so tired of the mask he wanted to let go of it, to show the world what was in his mind but he wasn't he had to keep up his facade for everyone to see. For them to believe he was cool and calm. Not just because he needed to give them hope and re assurance it was also because they couldn't see it, he would never let them know the true him and how that him felt.

He had been assigned as a corpse collector.

The job was grim in and if itself but it was the people, the people and the expressions on the corpses he couldn't stand.

Other corpse collectors broke after their fourteenth to thirtieth body but he kept going.

It was ridiculous to him.

It was funny to him.

It was annoying to him, but he kept going.

' it's a lie, people don't get peace when they died, I've seen too many faces to believe that. The thoughts that flash through ones mind creates whatever feeling they express and get at the end. Although most people come to terms with death when it happens so many others never get the chance. Their lives to gruesome or regret filled or short. They never finish watching it replay before their eyes before they die and so in the end they're those who are scared, annoyed, ashamed, angry, wistful and those who are just tired.

In the eyes of dead people I see so much ridiculousness that I'm annoyed myself. Argh! I need to release this pressure of emotion so my mask doesn't break '

He was the fearless leader, the strongest person amongst them and the image of a shade, unfeeling and logical. That was what everyone believed. If he had a closest friend they'd know that he wasn't most of those things.

Nathan walked to the back of a building, his private little hub.

He looked around without being suspicious then after confirming no one was else he let go.

He was laughing, screaming and punching stuff.

It was soo much that he'd have to leave soon but for now he could release his hate, his rage, his annoyance and his humour.

Reagan was one of the few people who genuinely didn't give a shit. He didn't have any friends and that was intentional.

He knew what this place required of you and he was ready to pay the price soo much so that he never needed to.

Cly couldn't be bothered with grieving or not grieving he was stuck chopping wood.

' how cruel can that man be'

He had been chopping for the past day and he would continue chopping till there were no more need for wood.

' how they do these chore roosters I don't know. This doesn't make sense'

Amongst the remaining people their were twelve dwarves.

So cly felt that it was cruel that he had to cut down trees with his skinny muscles while the truly muscular ones were doing something else.

But if cly was being honest, the chopping of wood wasn't at the top of his grievances.

He glanced to his side.

Nahashka was using a saw to split the wood into planks.

He couldn't believe it, the girl who had killed his prey was the person he was paired with to chop trees.

" Hey can we swap now?"

He asked her for the fifth time.

The pairs per area could swap with each other if they got tired but Nahashka didn't budge. Although she was obviously stronger than him she was reluctant to swap. She preferred the precision work of cutting boards for some reason.

Cly dropped the axe he'd been given to the ground and walked to were she was standing.

" Why not"

He looked at her with determination.

' I'm going to ensure equality right now. No compromise!'

She looked back at him and for a moment he almost fainted.

Her beautiful, odd eyes looked at him as if observing a mouse. It felt to him like she was going to kill him.

She sighed.

" Quit whining it's not like I don't want to, I just can't"

She got back to slicing planks.

As cly watched he noticed she was finding it difficult.

He wanted to ask her why she couldn't swap but then she used her claws to scratch at her back as if trying to tear something off.

He noticed a tiny bit of dark skin fall to the ground.

He had an idea now of what was going on.

" Do you need help removing it?"

It wasn't a very smart thing to ask as most shouki were very touchy about shedding but he felt obliged.

He had known plenty reptile shouki from where he grew up. It was only right he helped out this one.