Chapter 89: Morning Shower

After the meal, I felt stuffed and wanted nothing more than to take this suit off and find a nice place to sleep in. Instead, we started walking in the heat. Since all the water was in the ground, it was always clear and sunny outside, so it didn't take long for us to get back to the same detached feeling.

This time, there were no monsters. Instead, we were taken to an area not far from the village, and I was given a wooden sword. Dresnal pointed to a shed and asked Kyrina to go change and shift. Once she was back in her tiger form, Dresnal began to explain what he wanted us to do; it was simple, hit him.

Something nostalgic about the moment hit me, and it was a fresh burst of life into me. The memory was of the world we left behind for reborn. Now, because our lives were over there, there was way back, but that wasn't the point. It was a reminder that this was all just a game designed, and the idea was placed here by someone else. This world or game was one of the more intense maps that I had played on, and I kept slipping into the idea of this being real.

I looked to Kyrina, pushing back those thoughts; they were unneeded for something like this. Hopefully, something can be done about this guy, but I think this will be a learning experience. Kyrina nodded to me, and we ran around to come at him from both sides, trying to flank him, but he was too fast and nimble.

I had to roll to the side to prevent hitting Kyrina because Dresnal had jumped and spun in the air to avoid us, and now he was standing off to the side. I got up quickly and tried to go high this time, but he just ducked the stepped to the side to let Kyrina sail by harmlessly. This was getting us nowhere, but we weren't allowed to stop.

This went on until far after dark. Finally, we were able to sit down at nearly 22:00. Kyrina and I leaned into each other, trying to no fall asleep. We were exhausted, and it felt like we had got nowhere other they point out our flaws, and maybe that was the point.

Dresnal was a straight shooter, so if that's what it seems like, then that's what it probably is. He brought us over the rest of the food and forced us to eat and then walk back to the camp. By the time we got back and into bed, it was almost midnight, and we both fell into bed when our suits were off.

I wake in the morning feeling ran over and left for dead. Kyrina was beside me, but she was also groaning in pain, probably feeling just as bad as me. This was going to be something else today; how were we even supposed to get out of bed.

Our answer came with water, and far more water than one person alone should have been able to produce. Then I heard giggles between trying to gasp for breath and cover my face to stop the torrents gushing down on us. It turned out that Dresnal had enlisted the help of the other girls to all get large pails of water and drench us to the bone.

A cruel world we lived in! I stood up cold and shaking, soaking wet. I wanted to get mad, but it wasn't the girls' fault, but I was sure that they hadn't put up much of a fight.

Luckily the suit had smelled bad, so I had put them outside, and they wouldn't be wet. I helped Kyrina up, and she did not look impressed as she stormed out. When I got outside, Dresnal was there waiting with a broad smile on his face.

Maxine brought each of us over a towel to dry off. I took mine, and she gave me a warm smile. It was nice to see that smile, and I was reminded of my promise to her.

"Hey, is there one of the sand baths you were talking about around here? Or is that only in the Centra?"

"I think there is one out here, I will find out, and maybe we can all go as a group if you guys don't get back so late this time! He is really working you too hard!"

"Yeah, but we need the help; I think we spent six hours trying to hit him, but trying was the keyword because we couldn't do anything. We couldn't even touch the cloth surrounding him. It was getting a bit frustrating near the end, but he started to point out little things in the last hour. After that, we still couldn't hit him, but it felt like we had improved."

"This is his way to help you guys, I guess. Instead of trying to tell you all the wrong things, he waits until he thinks you will be able to best use it and absorb it. I don't think he is a bad teacher; you just have to keep focused and not get frustrated. Watch him, Dave, he is a master in the sea's of Xeno, Dresnal Thunder Crest, leads the fight against the Xenowraiths."

"No wonder Sasha is so invested in trying to help; her father is the leader of the cause. Though, I'm just not seeing why were are so special. Why doesn't he just deal with them?"

"You would have to ask him about that. Honestly, I'm not really sure why he doesn't just do it himself, but there has to be a good reason, or none of this would be necessary."

"Yeah, you make a good point."

"Yeah, she does."

Jeez! He snuck up on me again without me even noticing him! How was a guy as big as him so quiet?

"Okay, so if you got time to gossip, then you must have the time to do some extra running!"

"Don't we get to eat first? What about all this talk of making me big and strong?"

I was tossed three meat skewer, pulled from behind Dresnal's back, but he was wearing no pack.