Another month and a half had almost passed by, and there was an air of tension that hung over our community.

The deadline would end tomorrow, and whatever challenges the Academy was going to unleash on us would be let loose.

Right now, we were all assembled in the main hall for a briefing that Sia had called for.

We stood talking to each other as we laughed and cracked jokes to let the tension fade away… while Sia talked to the heads of the other 6 teams.

I say 6 teams because the cooking head team was yours truly, and I had already briefed Sia on the situation before.

Finally, Sia strode forward while the team heads stood in a line behind her.

Reluctantly joining the rest of the heads as Sia shot a glare at me, I waited as Sia cleared her throat and spoke; “Maidens. Three and a half months have already passed, and tomorrow is the day that we face our next challenge.”

The Maidens fell silent before someone shouted out, “That’s three and a half months that they’ll regret giving us!” and a cheer sounded out as people agreed with the person.

Laughing along, Sia said, “Yes, they will! Because do you know what all we have accomplished in this period?”

Silence fell, broken only by the occasional smile and the words, “Here it comes. She’s going to tell us how amazing we are.”

Grinning, Sia said, “Baling right, you are. I am going to tell you how amazing we are. Urbano, if you may please.”

Stepping forward, the wiry head of construction, Urbano, spoke; “We started out with nothing. No furniture, no buildings, no materials. Nothing. Now we have 5 log houses, each capable of containing a dozen people with the essential furniture inside. Plus, we have this…” and he gestured around the main hall in which we stood with a smile.

Continuing, he said, “The first log house we built. Large enough for all of us, and now serving as the main hall. Along with all this, we have a material warehouse which can store everything that we have currently amassed. The finishing touches are the smaller buildings for the tailors, weavers, and the kitchens which each of the other teams can use freely.”

Pausing, he said, “We’re also working on a watchtower, to give us advance warning over any ‘surprises’ that the Academy may spring on us.”

Ripples spread through the Maidens as they nodded gravely, remembering the hounds that had attacked us before.

Bowing, he stepped back, and Sia spoke out. “Heads of the hunting teams, Apollo and Celsus.”

Shooting a reproachful look at her, Apollo strode forward with a grinning Celsus who shrugged a ‘sorry’ at Sia.

Clearing his throat, Apollo said, “The hunting team is doing extraordinarily well. Yes, extraordinarily well. The end.” and he turned around only for Celsus’s arm to wrap around him and keep him in place.

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Celsus, still grinning, said, “I’m not very good with words. So, I’ll be letting Apollo here speak everything else.”

Glaring at Celsus from Celsus’s waist, Apollo spoke, “Fine. There are two teams of hunters, yes? Well, we have hunted enough food to last the 50 of us for the entire year as of now. We have also stockpiled a lot of furs, skins, teeth, claws, and other unsavory objects which will be used by the tailoring department. So, let me ask our Chief Maiden to take over,” and then dramatically flinging his long golden hair, Apollo walked off while Celsus again shrugged a ‘sorry,’ at Sia.

Shaking her head, Sia walked forward and said, “Our tailoring team has worked very hard, just like the other teams, to produce two uniform sets for every student here… and we have close to a dozen spare uniforms per person. We have also created bedding for all the Maidens, along with spares for future expansion. We’re right now working on two major areas.”

Pausing, Sia looked at the Maidens and, raising her fingers, she said, “One is camping equipment. Tents, bedrolls, and the like. Two, is combat equipment. We have already started on the second one, with the training uniforms being our first project that has been completed. Now, we are moving to clothing that offers a little bit of extra protection to us.”

As murmurs rang out, Sia grinned as she said, “All of this could not be possible without the weaving team! I would ask the head to come up, but she’s shy, and so I have the pleasure of telling you... that we have no more bales to weave! We have used up the entire quota that the academy has given us!”

A huge cheer rose and the head of the weaving team blushed as she hid behind Celsus, who was himself cheering.

Smiling, Sia raised her hands as the cheers died down, and said, “Our cooking team has also done a fantastic job in keeping us all fed.” Glancing at me, she continued, “Faustus says that the assessment by the hunting team is correct, and that we have enough food for the year. A big contribution of that has also come from Marana, who has fished up all the fishes they place in the 10 fish pond.”

We all cheered again as Marana waved quietly at all of us.

Then Sia turned back as I whistled softly to grab her attention and them as I mouthed a word, Sia slapped her head and spoke; “I forgot to say! Since tomorrow might be a tough day… We are having our celebration feast right after the combat and training team briefs us. Marrok and Iole, if you please?”

Stepping forward, Marrok and Iole stared at each other. Then Marrok grunted, and Iole heaved a sigh as she turned to face the Maidens.

“We have six people who are part of the main force, and right now, they can cut apart almost anything under silver rank with ease.” Iole, the second in command of the combat and training team, said as she waved her fist in the air.

Silence fell in the main hall, as people whispered to each other, before someone weakly said, “Under silver rank?”

Smiling, Iole said, “Under silver rank. We have hunted a few beasts that, given time, would reach Lord rank for sure, and we have their heads as trophies!”

Silence. Absolute silence. Before the hall burst out in a cacophony of noise as people yelled and whistled.

Grinning, Iole spoke again, “We also have 12 sets of armor and weapons for the combat and training team that are separate from the ones that the Academy has provided us. Those have been given by Faustus.” Pausing, she looked at me and nodded.

Continuing she said, “As our Chief Maiden has said, we also have enough training uniforms for all of us to train in for the next two months straight… even if you rip one every day. As for other arms and armor, we can fully outfit the hunters, and the others will be partially kitted out with the main pieces present and one weapon each.”

Stepping back; she looked at Marrok, who grunted again, and in exasperation threw up her hands before walking away, followed by Marrok, who smiled faintly as I winked at him.

Laughing, Sia walked forward, and raising her fists, she shouted out, “Now, it is time to feast, and tomorrow? Tomorrow is the time to raise our fists!”

The Maidens all looked at each other, and a roar that shook the main hall sounded out.

“Hooah!”

And the feast began, and we forgot about the coming day for a brief time.