Broken Providence

(13) Morning Drills

"Aleodei! I didn't know you'd be here!" Claire said smiling. Aleodei sent glares as she looked around her frowning underneath her mask. It was too early for this, the sun hasn't even come up. She didn't even want to be here, but one of Lady Monarchs generals came to her room in the morning and told her she had to go to morning drills with group A every week, or they'd kick her out. She hated waking up so early just to do foolish things she didn't even need. Morning training was apparently for everyone but they were separated into groups. Disciples, colonels, sergeants, officers, lieutenants, everyone except the generals, even the recruits. "We're group A, we get Monday and alternate sundays. There's seven groups so that not all of Trinity gets crammed in here, we're the highest ranking officer group starting at lieutenants and ending at disciples," she said informing Aleodei, she only nodded and made notes while squinting her eyes around. She put a note to get angry later on that she had to train with the higher ups because she was too tired at the moment. she just wanted easy drills and sleep.

General Tazxyi ran the drill and he was harsh, finding delight in the fact that his workouts were grilling and cruel.

The lieutenants dropped out rounds ago and it was just a few colonels and disciples left along with Aleodei. Everyone but the disciple Geo was sweating, Aleodei assumed that general Tazxyi was normally harsh and that their disciple was already used to the pain. Aleodei simply smiled remembering the harsh and imposible workouts her master would put her through, so harsh that this felt like nothing to her. General Tazxyi saw Aleodei continuing without a strain throughout his prized workout that it infuriated him and drove him to prepare four more rounds of pushups, sit ups, miles, curl ups and every painful thing he could think of. He opened his mouth to sentence when the drill sounded, ending the exercise for the morning. It had been four hours of pure, without rest, workout.

Aleodei stopped her mile and began stretching. The remaining officers who hadn't dropped out began dropping like flies on the floor. Aleodei only glanced and frowned. Were the higher ups really this weak? She asked herself confused. She felt someone behind her and swiftly turned. It was Claire offering a bottle of water and a towel.

"You did really good," she said. She seemed to still be flustered from the workout despite giving up halfway. Though she was a strategical lieutenant colonel, she was more about the brain than muscle.

"Thanks," she simply responded taking the bottle and the water and turning away to pat her neck and her hair.

"You must be really tired and hot with that mask on," she said observing Aleodei's mask with a glint in her eye. Aleodei's shoulders tensed and she narrowed her eyes at Claire.

"I'm fine," she responded curtly. Claire just nodded simply and looked around.

"Okay... I think I'm gonna go check how Belms doing," she said before walking off to Belm who was laying of the floor almost passed out. Aleodei scowled just before leaving to her room to rest, saying nothing to no one.