Hereafter (GxG) editing

Chapter 37

Preparation

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It has been quite a hell for the first month of the year.

Autumn, Athan and the others spent the rest of the new year in the country of the Noble Pioneers. It was a hidden country, unknown to any human but Autumn, and is protected by a spell not to be detected by what ever type of technology. Never to be seen, touched or heard by anyone unwanted near the territory.

It was mostly hell because of the energy draining training they have all been through. Even the vampires would complain of their sore muscles just because of the intense exercises Caleb ordered them to do while Maia made sure they all complied. However, while most vampires who did not practice witchcraft were focused to improve their physical strength, speed, agility, pain tolerance and tactics. Witches, werewolves, shape shifters, black dogs, dwarfs, fairies and others were of course trained in different ways according to the role they will play during the war and to their capabilities.

Witches were also trained for hand to hand combat but more focused on witchcraft. Maia lead all the practitioners and revealed all the spells she knows. Very few were able to grasp all of them but one student achieved it as if it never was a challenge. Autumn had been taking everybody by surprise. Some are openly proud to have her in their team, some are low key envious and wished she'd somehow flop and embarrass herself, because who is she anyway? They didn't know her well and long enough just to watch her brag in their faces. That's what they thought of her. Autumn guessed that no matter what creature you are or wherever and however mythical the place you are staying, there will always be someone wishing you the worse. But what made Autumn more concerned was the ones that were studying her with suspicion. She would catch some of the citizens that watched whispering and some of them were Nobles but Maia helped her ignore it. They were worried that maybe Autumn was the Traitor the Prophecy was talking about. By the time it was clear and known that Autumn is very powerful and becoming better and better every passing day she was under scrutiny.

Athan never failed to help her mind off the issue when she herself even doubted her loyalty, considering the possibility that someone might pop up and black mail her with her mother's safety. But Athan reminded that that is not the Autumn she know, the Autumn she love would never betray her friends and instead look for a way, no matter how impossible it seemed, to shred the blackmailer to pieces and off the face of the earth, or all the other realms for that matter.

The sun was up, it was hotter than most days but the tropical weather was just right. There weren't dress codes for them but they were required in clothes they are most comfortable. Ever since they started, Athan wore black sports bra and black jeans. Most days she preferred bootless spars with her cousins but today she decided against it just cos...she felt like it.

The green eyed vampire walked through the assigned clearing where the fairies were given tactics in different scenarios. They weren't going to fight but shall make sure everyone gets help when needed. They were to look out for possible unseen blows from the enemies and always make sure to send out important messages. Athan smiled as she passed through them. Some were shifted to their little form and fly steadily in mid air while some sat on the ground, all listening carefully to their trainer.

After a kilometer of trying not to be a bother in the forest, which by the way she chose to walk through than the village, she was surely late when a shape shifter bumped her side harshly trying to get away, wind blowing her hair to her face. She knew it was a shape shifter due to its smell, she was born long enough to know the different scents. Not far from where she walked towards to, an arrow collided deep into the sturdy tree's trunk.