The Elementalists

51.

We started out with a couple of rounds of running on the beach. Rhaeya jogged beside us, and yelled encouragements, insults actually, to keep us moving. I didn't have a problem with it but I could see some people lag behind.

"Have you improved nothing of your stamina?!" Rhaeya screamed at the back, the anger in her voice made me take longer strides.

I could feel some people around me doing the same to get away from Rhaeya's anger. She kept yelling at the back. I didn't dare turn around for fear of tripping over my legs.

She finally told us to stop, right in the middle of the beach. The ones in front, including me, slowed to jog and then stumbled to a proper stop, breathing heavily as sweat streamed down our faces. My legs felt like jelly. Any chill I'd felt in the morning had vanished. We'd been running for an hour straight. The sun had risen, the sky decorated in shades of light pink. The moon barely visible as it dipped towards the west to make way for the daylight.

I placed my hands on my hip to get my breathing under control as people beside me shed hoodies and jackets. I tugged off my own shirt for the tank top I'd worn underneath.

Rhaeya set us all to another round of strenuous exercises for another hour, and pulled me away for a couple of them. I frowned to myself and regretted rewrapping my knuckles in front of her in the morning. The scabs had broken while doing push-ups, the spots of blood were visible through the white gauze. A thing I tried to hide so she wouldn't keep calling me up.

Wafi strolled up to us easily a few hours later. He earned a few envious glares as he watched us with amusement, and barked out a few orders beside Rhaeya before he softened to help some others who were running out of steam.

I got a sympathetic shoulder pat from as Rhaeya pulled me out again. "Some people would be happy to be in your place right now." He said in an attempt to comfort me.

"I know." I mumbled, a glare thrown up at his fresh face. "It's been a while since I've exercised this intensely. I'm actually enjoying it. Pulling me out each time is breaking my flow."

Wafi grimaced. "You enjoy exercise? I can't be bothered half the time."

I gave his physique an exaggerated glance. "Really?"

"I swim a lot. Also, have to keep training or I'll get rusty on my fighting."

"News flash, Wafi." I turned back to face my classmates doing push-ups. "That's called exercise."

It was almost ten when Rhaeya told us all to have a five minute break. I collapsed onto the sand beside the others, eyes on my sandy legs as I tried to fill up my lungs. I was coated in sand. Wrong. I'd been marinated in sand since the sun rose. There was sand in my hair, in my eyes, stuck all over my body. I couldn't even brush it off because— oh look at that— my hands are covered in sand.

The gauze protected my scabs from burning under the salt. But it looked nasty. It had turned a light brown because of the sweat and the sand, darker brown at the spots where I'd bled through.

"Alright, guys." Wafi called out. I looked up from my toes. "Time for some breakfast and then be back here in an hour."

There were groans of relief, me included. I pushed myself off the ground, to head first into ankle deep into the water to wash off atleast some sand. The water was nice and cool on my skin, rivulets of salty water ran down my face, sand and salt slipped into my mouth. I spat harshly, and wiped my lips before I headed towards the buffet breakfast being set up in the shade.

"Everyone head up and get your swimsuits once you’re done eating." Rhaeya yelled out.

There was some excitement and some groans from the others but I didn't bother to react. I wore my swimsuit under my clothes when I came down in the morning. I probably wouldn't take off my shorts, but I would have to get rid of the tank.