Blood, after a while is the only thing you can smell, see, and hear. Although sweat is also present, the feeling of your blood rushing within your own body always seems predominant. Some of the cadets says the generals want to train us to death, I disagree. In my opinion they want to train us until we can no longer think for ourselves. After what seemed like an eternity, they told us to form a single line, after that, the only thing I could remember was the scorching pain I felt in my back.
Those who woke up were rushed to the main garden, a place that doesn't fit it's name, allegedly a place made for the late duchess, the king's private guard, but there was no way this place was made to commemorate someone precious to the king, as this was the place where they determined if we were suitable to protect the current duchess. The way the proceeded after the back burning consisted of making us train until we could no longer stand, and no one could escape the test. Not even the children of the said duchess or the children of the kind could avoid this stage, for those who passed the test, we were sent to the front, to "forge our skills" they said. I heavily doubt it, but it's like there's something to be done other than surviving the next five years on the front combating rebels.
Some tried to flee after arriving to the front, they tried different techniques, from hiding in the dirty clothes, to simply fleeing in plain sight after seeing the horrors of what was waiting for them if they continued to walk to the front. To made everything worst, we couldn't transform into our original form, we had to stay in a human form to make the travel. The generals said it was to avoid spending more resources than necessary. Rather than that, I think they know we would revolt, and who knows, maybe even win. The road that imposed before us was stained with blood spots and little bits of wolf fur every here and there, in my opinion the wolfs in command probably put those there, to filter the cowards out with fear. And to my biggest consternation, it probably worked, of the hundred cadets that survived the first two test, only seventy-five remained. The rest tried to flee as soon as we began setting camp for the night.
If I had to guess, I would say most of their parents didn't tell them it was a simulation, and that it would all be over in a year. The king prohibited all the older wolves from telling the younger ones, but I guess my parents didn't want the names of me and my siblings to figure on the list of those who fled in terror. It might seem like a childish act, but everything in this place, was made to assure our loyalty to the king, and see which ones of us could be of use to him in the future.
The training officers explained to us that we would have multiple opportunities to show our talents, and that the ones who would be the best, could be chosen to become the leader of one of the temporary packs that ruled Witherlore. The only negative point in this scenario, was that the ones with the best score were also the one who would pass the Gemsteps. I could already see alliances forming, and I could tell which one of my comrades do anything to get there. As I was waking towards the sleeping areas, I heard two guys mocking another person, although I couldn't quite figure out if the third person was a female or a male. As I began making my way to them, I felt something pushing me slightly on my right, and approximately three seconds later I heard a girl, I assume was my age, helping the person being bullied.
"What do you think your doing right now? The generals told us to go sleep, not act like stupid machos, and pressure one of the other cadets into telling his name!"
"Who do you think you are to tell us what to do? We aren't hurting him or anything we just want his name."
I could have sworn I heard the girl calling them dumb wits under her breath, but before I could try to confirm it, she leaped forward, and grabbed the bulk looking one by the collar. At that point I couldn't contain my amusement anymore and let out a small barely audible chuckle.
Clearly it wasn't as contained as I thought it was because the scrawny one, that I overheard is friend call Krul, gave me a stare, that was probably meant to scare or intimidate me. I guess I wasn't the only one who thought he looked dumb, because a sound of laughter erupted behind me. Whilst I turned around to see who the other person was, who found the situation as ironic as I did, I saw a flash of grey eyes, although I wasn't sure if they were pale blue and grey. Although I couldn't see the face of the person, I instantly knew that if his eyes were that mesmerizing, his face would probably be a piece of art.
As I shook that image of my head, I saw in the corner of my eyes, Krul trying to attack the girl that held his friend by the collar. I felt a wave of indignation rise from me, and before I could prevent it, I was sprinting towards Krul. With every intention to not raise attention on myself out the window, I felt my heart race with excitement at the idea of punishing that coward. I hadn't felt like that for I long time, for the best, and the worst.
As lost control over my senses I recall saying to Krul: "Next time you want to hurt someone with their back turned, check your own."
I can still remember him turning to face me with surprise painted on his face before I smashed my fist into that stupid face of his. When I pulled back, I saw the guy from earlier with a smirk one his face, and a glitter of amusement in his eyes. I looked down at her feet, only to see the bulk looking guy from earlier face against the earth. As she passed by next to me, she said:
"Thanks for that, although I probably could've handled him too."
I couldn't stop myself from replying, even though I had told myself I should not interact with other people to much during the simulation.
"You're welcome, Krul got what he deserved, he wouldn't have taken his shot if you were facing him. I'm Makya Rioa, you?"
"Thanks, I guess, I'm Nila Tolerro."
Before she could say anything else, a rumbling noise came from behind us. As we turned to see what made the noise, we saw the guy from earlier walking towards us, and as he came into the light, his features became clearer. He had brown hair and brown eyes, he seemed of medium height. His walk although affected by his back burning seemed confident, and he looked like he could've easily beaten up the other two guys from earlier. I guess he had his reasons for not wanting to fight with them, it was probably linked to the fact that it was one of the first days on the front, and not wanting to make enemies. Which if I'm honest isn't off to a great start for either me or Nila.
Before I could continue analyzing his demeanor, he stopped before us and introduced to us as Masov. The bells rang across camp to tell us it was time to get into our sleeping quarters, as they were separated for female and male, we had to separate but Nila and I, promised Masov that we would meet him for breakfast.
While making my way to the sleeping quarters, I couldn't help but try to find the grey eyes I saw earlier. To put a face with them or just see the person they were associated with, I wasn't sure, but I couldn't see them in the ranks. The person may have been put in the section that was going to fight us in a few days, and either way everybody changed some of their body features, because of traits that were recognizable and that were associated with their family. Take me and my siblings for example. We changed both the color of our eyes and of our hair. Instead of the color we were born with, we wore a dark brown in both our eyes and hair. We were then assured that absolutely no one could recognize us, the only thing could make up drop our disguises were if we shifted or used our aura, two things which were forbidden in this stage of the test.
Being settled in the tiny bed they gave us to replenish our energy, I couldn't help but wonder what was going to happen in the morning, were the generals going to make us battle each other without preparing us? Obviously, I would be fine, I trained for this all my childhood, but if they did a pretest of the Gemsteps, I... I would probably have to leave. In the real test, they give us a choice public or private, those who chose the first one have to walk in front of all the other cadets and when the powers of the Gems become too intense, they fall in pain as if they had been burned with fire. For those who chose the second option, they are publicly announcing that they are weak, it's a measure that's supposed to prevent intimidation, but it only increases for those who choose to do it privately. If they did a pretest, they wouldn't bother to ask us they would just push us towards the degrading blue gems path and tell us to walk. And that, I couldn't have. It would ruin my plans to pass anonymously, and to live without my reputation, or my family name overshadowing me.
In the next few days, everything seemed to become normal, we all went to training some rose and some fell in the rating the generals had established to determine who was the best in the two sections. After a few days, I could see a pattern forming in both the sections, some of us, me included, didn't transform in our wolf form even when we were attacked by those who did change forms. I could then see who had a reputation to hid either it was their own or their family's. After approximately two weeks, I was happy to see another pattern forming, upon arriving to the battlefield simulation, I would battle a few people but after approximately one or two hours, a guy appeared, we didn't talk so I didn't know his name, but he didn't transform either. After a few similar occurrences, we started to treat each other more like comrades than enemies, we fought in silence for a few minutes, then went our separate ways, and again two hours later we would cross paths and start over. I have to admit liking those silent fights, it was different then the other ones where my opponent would try to make me transform by insulting me. Krul and Eyol, whom I learned was the name of the bulk looking guy that tried to intimidate Masov one the first day of the simulation, almost did made me crack and rip his organs from his body. I nevertheless regained control of my body and prevented my change.
Anyhow, after another two weeks we went to training as normal but when the daily battle simulation ended, the generals seemed extremely pissed by something, although we couldn't quite figure out what. That is until the next morning, while walking to the battlefield after eating we saw the guards surrounding some strange looking thing. While approaching, I realized I could only be one thing, a body, the cadet looked as if he had been killed by a sword cutting in the middle of his stomach. I think it's at that moment, everyone realized it wasn't just a game, we could be killed, and nobody would know who did it.
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