The next day came quickly, and Ash had somehow gotten ready to join his new training 'buddies' as Kruger called them. He wasn't given a day more after he woke up to rest and allow his body to adjust a little to itself before throwing him into a hellish training routine.
At this point in time, he had already become used to being put in a blender and ground until he couldn't feel his bones; that was why he was able to navigate through the drill that the others had been going through before him, while trying not to slow them down.
It wasn't easy, though: a five-kilometer run (twice), two hundred (plus) sit-ups, which sometimes depended on Kruger's mood, and a few other drills that were body-aching, and they had six hours to do this; if anything is added, they would be eating into the additional activities in their other timetable.
The second batch would have to choose one out of the Divisions that they would want to belong to, which are the seven main halls: melee, Marksman, mage, heavy artillery, engineers, healers, or have come to know them as their role seemed mainly in many other things apart from frontal confrontation.
The selection had been done long ago when this batch graduated to the second stage, and now he was somewhat late. And still, he was allowed to choose one of the halls where his training was going to take place. He had to consider carefully the kind of battle he was going to be part of because once you choose, there is no going back till after graduation.
" I don't feel like myself " Ash said his thought out trying hard not to collapse after the last part of the drill and everyone was going their separate ways, they had been given twenty minutes after the drill to rest before going to their required Divisions this time was also to eat so everyone was heading to the mass dining hall as all of them seem to be sharing one.
Sitting in a far corner, Ash looked at his food and the large crowd of people eating. He felt very odd, not in the sense that he was lonely, which he was, but in the fact that they had become very much used to the pain that they got from the morning training, having smiles on their faces. At the same time, his body ached, and he found out that the ones he did that morning were called 'morning drills '; apparently, the real ones were the ones done on Saturdays, starting from first light, lasting till evening. He couldn't really imagine the immense pain he was going to be going through because of that.
This information however was what he was able to get while eavesdropping in random conversations as people hadn't really noticed him yet most acting as if he was a ghost which he really grateful for or so he thought " I was very much sure that kids weren't supposed to be in the bastion " a female voice said to Ash who froze, not from fright he wasn't sure why but it could be most attributed to surprise.
He remained motionless as a young woman sat next to him with a smile on her face, he looked at the make shift seat he used which was a broken piece of concrete which wasn't too wide to begin was now overcrowded with he sharing with him " hope you don't mind " her voice sounded a bit joyful adjusting herself properly pushing Ash more to the edge, he still had space left to enjoy but it was still annoying neither the less.
He decided to let it go and enjoy his meal. "You didn't answer my question, though, " her annoying voice called out to Ash, who stopped with the spoon of what seemed to be an oat mixture halfway to his mouth. He turned to look at her, having a confused expression, and said nothing, staring at her before going back to his food. Just as he tried to take another spoon, she called out, "It's annoying to keep someone quiet. "Her words weren't harsh, but still bit hard, forcing Ash to give out a tired sigh.
"where I'm from we don't talk while we eat "Ash replied calmly, she tilted slightly giving him a horrendous expression which soon turned into a smile "I'm sorry …. oh, didn't quite notice the table manners the hall was observing "she seemed amused and Ash was not still having the same expression on his face "I'm not the hall "he said straight forward trying not to sound mean as almost anything could piss someone as he had learned the hard way in the bastion.
" but you are part of it whether you like it or not " she replied with the same smile that almost made him feel like an idiot, he actually regret saying the words as soon as it left his mouth and at this time couldn't correct himself, left speechless he turned back to his food to savour the remaining time he had remaining to rest, as he eat he felt her curious eyes bore holes into him, they didn't carry the same intensity that Kruger's hungry eyes had but more different but the same he didn't like them.
At some point where the silence became awkward, she asked again " why are you here ? you didn't answer the first time I asked ", this time he was already done drinking through the cup of odd shake, didn't reply this time staring at her before turning his attention to the exit where everyone were already leaving since their rest time was over.
" I don't really know, " he replied honestly before allowing his feet to touch the ground, making his way out. He had been pondering it since his last conversation with Kruger, and he now understood a little more of his predicament. It took a while to think, but he couldn't really get anything. His memories were clear, and he could recall almost everything from the thirteen years of his life, which seemed clear and fine. At the same time, he knew never to trust anything that seemed too ordinary, as they were usually out of the ordinary most of the time.