To decide what to do, we proceeded to a vote. Geros, me, Reain, Eisma agreed to stay close to where for at least a week, while Masov, Nila, Vreia, Rya and Helaena wanted to leave now to have more chances of finding the cavern. Since we had decided to let majority decide, we all finished by agreeing to leave to find the cavern, but we still needed to find some fresh water beforehand to have something to keep us hydrated along the way. The cold made it even more difficult to find water that was both drinkable and not frozen. In the worst-case scenario, we could take clean snow and hope it would melt fast enough in our bottles.

To try to find a water source, we decided to head West towards our main destination and to make detours if necessary to find things to eat and drink. Finding edible food would also be a problem, but we could try to find small animals like Duakns, they resembled small birds, except they were bigger and could feed most of us. We could try to find Flaims, although they tended to be more difficult to find and to catch as they were fast and strong, they usually moved in pacts, and it made it impossible to catch them if we didn't change forms. Those who could catch them were seen as great hunters as they needed to be faster and stronger than those beasts.

While we talked about food and water, Geros and Vreia changed forms and started climbing up the mountains to try to see if they could get a glimpse of water in the near horizon. The mountains created a tan wall around us and made it impossible to see beyond except if we climbed them. They created an impression of being imprisoned behind two barriers of sand, they blocked the sun, but accumulated the cold. It made it insufferable to walk inside, but to get out would necessitate energy we didn't have. As Geros and Vreia descended to join us, we saw our last glimmer of hope disappear into the ice. They didn't see anything in the horizon, not even a small pond. The snow that resided on the top of the sand like mountains was our last resort. We didn't know if it would contain any bacteria or if it would even melt fast enough for us to survive the two to three days trip.

Everything around us was ice, ice and ice, the only snow that didn't turn into water and then ice was the one place which could drain all our energy to reach. The top of any mountain was, unnecessarily pointy, its as if the nature decided to go against us at every chance it had, and that included us reaching the snow we so dearly needed. It was impossible to get up there unless we were to change forms, but many of us just couldn't, be it by lack of ability or because of our disguise. We may have been foolish or reckless, I couldn't say which one, but to us it didn't seem as extreme, since we could just do multiple trips.

We each chose a responsibility to make it easier. Eisma and I were going to help Khail and Rya break a path into the mountains to help Helaena and Vreia pass through. Nila and Geros changed forms and climbed to access the snow. During that time, Masov and Reain stayed down to put the snow we had brought them into the bottles we had brought, we each had our own bottle, but some of us, Geros for example, had brought a much bigger bottle just in case. In this scenario, I must admit it was a smart move on his part. 

He had thought of this before it had even happened, Nila and I, on the other hand packed more clothes, we brought two types of coats, one was a winter coat that could keep me warm even during a snowstorm, the second was a lighter yet adaptable coat that adjusted to my body temperature and was waterproof. I also had two different types of boots, the first pair was evidently snow boots that would keep me warm, and the second pair was a pair of hunting boots, they would stay quiet even if I had waked on cracked nuts, they could help me hunt animals, and flee from any form of danger.

My choices were based off the fact that we didn't know what was waiting for us in the mountains, and that I should be ready for anything that would come my way. After all, the Kuja mountains were known for their dangers and for all those who got lost and died while looking for its treasure, whether its literal treasure or simply the plants that hid everywhere on its territory.

The dangers were both physical and mental, those who were dehydrated tended to have hallucination, those who froze in the cold could die of hypothermia. The greatest mental danger we could face was losing our minds, after all even the greatest of Skisla hunters had lost their minds in the Kuja mountains, because of loneliness or of despair, no one would no. The only thing that remained of them, was their legend, their bones, and the other physical goods that they left behind them before embarking on their journey.

Some where luckier than other, and I certainly hoped we would be part of those, because otherwise, we would die or lose our chance of attending Witherlore. Those who failed the survival part of the simulation weren't seen as worthy enough to attend a prestigious and important academy like Witherlore, most years, less than fifty people were accepted into it. 

They probably try to lower the number of people accepted as to be able to create packs that imitate the power dynamics of the outside world. Witherlore only creates the best of the best, the ones that will later constitute the aristocracy or the rich commoners that dominate the trading world. 

Everyone around you in the academy will be somebody important, and the only exceptions get weeded out mysteriously at the beginning of their academic parkour. I didn't where I was going to end up, but I sure wasn't going to let it be a ditch. I don't know when the royal guards and the high generals started seeing deaths are normal and ordinary, but ever since we arrived, they didn't even seem to flinch while seeing some of us die.

They had a light green uniform, has if they were meant to represent the good and happy saviors of our society, truth be told they represented only the bad seeds of our world, not even the worst of our criminals could surpass the mountains of atrocities that the Resola guard committed. 

They were killers, thieves, and rapists all in one, combined, they created the peak of the worst in our Kingdom and probably in the whole world. Appearing from the shadows in their sophisticated uniforms, pretending to be there to help and maintain peace, they created chaos and death wherever they traveled.

They inhumanity seemed to know no bound. After all, I should know, killing doesn't only kill the victim, but also the killer. 

It sometimes can kill the families of both and even their village. The Resola guard, brought, most of the time at least, bad news, but sometimes, they brought good news. Being the ones that bring the most important news in the kingdom, they sometimes were revered. When they entered a village, some fear them, but others look up to them and hope to be the ones to receive the news, the news that they were the ones that were going to change cast. 

Those were called changing families, they were rare, but these occurrences did happen, after all, I was living proof.

A few nights after they had killed the three guys on the square, they came back storming in our normally calm village. My sister had passed the war simulation a few weeks prior, still we didn't have any news of her, and half expected her to have been kidnapped or worse killed like some of the other kids of commoners. 

To our surprise, she was alive and well, she had found a new post in Estol, at least that's what some guards from the Resola guard told us. After we overcame a wave of happiness and relief, the guards told us that she had performed well, and that she had qualified to become one of them, one of the aristocrats.

As we left our village, we could see the glimmers of hope, jealousy or even sadness in the faces of those I had lived with for the past fifteen years. I guess that's one of the reasons I can't bring myself to despise those who would do anything to win the simulation, after all the aristocrats really live a good and peaceful life.

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