Fate and Destiny (The Fated Series, #2)

Chapter 68 - Lance - The Sky Mind As Well Be Falling

"That was rather pathetic."

Once again lying on the ground, I try not to scratch the deep itch to sock the old man in the jaw.

Cardio. Kietra is cardio - cardio that my father would've loved to torture everyone with in training.

We worked as partners, and I got partnered up with Nilsa - who, by the way, is very hardcore. I don't think there was ever a moment where she wasn't yelling at me. Sometimes it'd be to motivate me, to get me to sprint faster, or to work through the fatigue and pain. Other times it would be outright cursing and telling me that I was worthless. Either way, I pushed harder, all up until Lachester called time, and I finally let my legs give out.

She fell into the snowbank to my right, sinking beneath its depths to the point of which I can no longer see her. I'd check to see if she were okay, but seeing as her sisters aren't panicking, I leave her to cool down and slowly sit myself up to start stretching out the muscles that are near shaking. I can't even touch my toes without feeling like I'm going to pull something. And for Saint's sake, we all still have to get up and go see Morana. At least Darius and Fauna look just as exhausted.

While we did back-to-back holding squats and sprints and weird partner pose things that had my muscles oddly protesting to the simple movements, Lachester had them testing the limits of their powers. Fires erupted, clouds gathered and spurt lightning, and the grass grew and bloomed and then died again, all the while they answered Lachester's many questions about how many men were on the wall or in this room or that tower or in the town. It was hard to focus on Kierta when the moat was thrashing like the ocean during a storm only a few feet from where you were standing.

I smell like sweat, mud, filthy water, smoke, and some unidentifiable stench.

"If you all plan to fight in the war and win, I'd suggest you stop eating sweets and drink more water. If you can't handle this in mere clothing, then I don't expect you to go far into the battle with several pounds of armor on your body."

There's no way in heathens that I'm wearing more than the necessary protection. A chest plate, shoulder guards, thigh guards, and forearm guards maybe, but that's it. I fucking hate the armor. It's bulky and heavy and limits my range of motion too much for me to be as effective as I'd like. So no. I don't plan on wearing the Bhaltayr's stupid metal clunk. Not to mention that I'd rather not be teased by my sister again.

"Weight training tomorrow then." He gets a chorus of pained moans in response. "Oh, quit whining, you're not children who need coddling."

"Says who?" Gabe whines.

"Don't you all have somewhere to be tonight?" There are more groans.

"We, Sir Lachester," Darius corrects, walking up beside him with a slightly stumbling Fauna trailing him. I stand out of reaction to it, already walking towards them at a casual pace so as not to alarm anyone. "Clarice and I will need your help with something."

The trainer takes a glance at Fauna, also noting her shaking her head as if to get rid of something in it. "Are you sure it is wise to do so after expelling much of your energy?"

"I'm fine. It's just hard sometimes to get rid of the whispers from the elements after listening to them for so long," Fauna answers. I have no idea what she's talking about, but both Darius and Lachester nod, and she does look better, so I let it go.

"Well, I don't believe we are to be going anywhere if the rest of your guard doesn't get off their lazy asses," the man berates.

Several protests are voiced, but everyone else slowly starts to put their legs beneath them and stand. The snowbank where Nilsa fell doesn't shift, nor does she appear to be moving. I walk over to the pile and find her foot sticking out of the bottom, so I wrap my fingers around her ankle and pull. My body protests and I only get her knees out before I have to pause and catch my breath. Rohana, thankfully, walks over and takes her other ankle and we start pulling her out together.