Unmotivated Deity

To say that the children were upset was a gross understatement. The only two that were relatively calm compared to the others were Jien and Barret. Jien because, though he didn't want to be a part of such an expedition was already surrendered to it, knowing that nothing he did would change the decision. Barret on the other hand was simply as unreadable as always and not even remotely showing signs of concern about the matter.

On the other hand, Rosalind and Olivia were causing quite the commotion by questioning their parents about their motives and their moral standing among other things. They were a mix of angry, mortified and sad. None of the children had been away from their parents for such a long period, let alone in a strange location and having to fend for themselves. The two of them were angry that the adults would even consider such a training method, mortified about the fact that they were being sent "camping" with four boys they had only just met, barring Olivia's interactions with Lesley. On top of this they were sad that their parents were apparently throwing them to the wolves under the guise of "training".

These were all fair points but after a round of the children yelling at the adults regarding the choice they found themselves exhausted from trying to complain to what very well could be considered a brick wall. The adults were not having any part of the argument, appearing to have set their stance in stone. From their perspective this was a controlled way to ensure they were ready for the journey forward.

The world as they knew it was not at peace, it hadn't been for generations and it would likely not be for generations more, if ever. What they wanted was for their children to survive the ravages of the never-ending war. To do this they were willing to be a bit cruel to their children for short time if it meant their overall survival. They hoped that when the time would come their children would understand their reasoning, but even if their children came to hate them for it they would bear that pain knowing they had chosen the path they felt would give them the highest opportunity for survival.

Lesley and Bernard were not as vocal as Rosalind and Olivia had been, but they probed their parents as well to at least better understand the precautions taken and the reasoning behind this "bootcamp". The findings were simple and proved to assuage some of the children's concerns. They were not just being tossed away and told to survive under the tutelage of their mentors. They would instead be spending what equated to the "school year" of the academy in this training as a group. They would then return home for a short break of three months before being sent back.

This essentially would replicate the entire function of the academy in terms of working as a team, time spent away from family and tutelage in varying subjects. The difference would be in the lack of other students to work with, dedicated classes for subjects and the bloody battlefield that they would likely be dumped into some time after they were enrolled.

They were also informed that the method that they would be using to leave was teleportation, which described why it was not all that accessible to others. Teleportation was a high cost, high risk procedure that if done right was safe but if done incorrectly was too deadly to describe. Only those with strict knowledge could create a teleportation formation as they required a number of very precise calculations. Not only this but the materials to fuel such a formation were worth about as much as a city like Afrem could raise in a year. The only reason the parents were willing to do so in the first place was because over generations they had created a store of such materials for emergencies.

They were willing to use these resources in a joint pool to ensure their children's safety and also allow them to leave the forest when needed. The tutors would likewise be heading in as a larger group, but while keeping an eye on the children they would not interfere other than for lessons or an emergency. Once the "school year" was up they would all gather and return home for their breaks. They would be provided with a standardized survival kit equivalent to what the academy would provide, and their tutors would guide them through the first month or two of survival before taking a more hands off approach.

After all of the explanation the children were still upset from the very idea, but they knew that their fate was sealed. Even if they wanted to argue the point they would still end up on the trip unless they ran away from home, but where would they run? In the end they accepted this decision with lowered heads and sulky expressions as breakfast was served.

The meal started and ended in relative silence. The adults didn't talk, instead eating with a military level of professionalism, and the children weren't in the mood to talk either. Not long after they said their short goodbyes and separated after their first meeting. They had a month that they would use to make what preparations they could and steel their nerves for the trials ahead.