The sun had barely started to rise and Ben was already awake before it even had a chance to shine in through the window. It was a gray and weak light that finally did shine through the window. It seemed as if the light itself was tired. He had slept enough, and his body was anxious to start moving again. He also wanted to get to the showers before any of the other boys started to filter in. His body felt like it was filled with a nervous energy and movement would be a way to channel that energy.
He had timed it just right, he had finished his morning shower was pulling on his clean clothes just as the first boys started to walk in. He nodded at them and hurried outside, not giving any of them the chance to strike up a conversation. Luckily there was no sign of Cavan, Thara, Hilab or anyone else that he was on a conversational level with. Peace and quiet was something that he was still craving. If he went back to his room and just stayed there all day would anyone even come to bother him? They probably would. He had been locked up for too long, he needed to get his body back in shape if he was going to be ready for what was ahead of him.
The morning air outside was strangely still and there was a light fog that hung in the air, giving a muted look to the surroundings. He hoped that the fog persisted all day, it helped to hide him and he felt more at ease.
The first part of his day was to find some breakfast. He had not eaten since last night and he was paying for it. His stomach was growling angrily at him. Food was not something that he intended to skip today. The walk to the cafeteria was quick and uneventful. He was also the first one there. The downside was that the cooking staff was still preparing the morning meal. There was nothing else to do but wait until they were done.
He sat down and stared off into the distance. The fog was deepening and he wondered what that would mean for the rest of day. Would the training be canceled? He hoped not, he wanted to do some physical training today. Despite the sickness that had over taken him, he was thinner because of it; but he could feel the new muscle beneath his skin. It made him feel powerful. He stretched his arms over his head, stretching, and his whole body was still shaking with nervous energy. There was a feeling in the air of anticipation. He felt the need to act, on anything, if only to prove to himself that he had done something besides being useless or sick.
The fog was even heavier now. It was thick enough that he could not see the temple from where he sat. People would get lost in this he was certain. Hopefully everyone was familiar with their surroundings by now. As the newbie the person who would get lost most easily was him, so he would need to stay close to the places he was familiar with. The thought of getting lost and wandering back in to the forest was not one that he relished.
A few minutes passed he was aware of people moving through the fog towards the cafeteria. He could just make out their forms in the fog as they walked closer. He grimaced a little, he was enjoying the solitude and he didn't want anyone to break that up just yet. But there was no helping it now. He sat and watched as the figures kept getting closer. As they finally made it out of the fog he saw that it was Cavan, but the rest of the students he did not know.
Cavan smiled at him and walked over to join him at the table. Inwardly Ben groaned but outwardly he gave a halfhearted smile and wave back at him.
As he had feared Cavan came and settled next to him at the table. Cavan smiled at Ben with his handsome face and lightheartedly clapped him on the back.
"You look much better today. Do you think you're up to some more training today?" He asked curiously. Cavan brushed his hair away from his face and gave Ben another smile.
Ben nodded eagerly, actually looking forward to the prospect of any physical activity. "I am. I think if I don't get some exercise I might lose more muscle mass." He said in a sudden burst of honesty.
Cavan looked over Ben with a critical eye. "I don't think that you look like you lost any muscle. But you are thinner then when you first arrived," He said almost apologetically.
Ben just shrugged. There was no denying the truth in that. He would need to take better care of himself from now on.
"Do you think that you would be up for sparing today?" Cavan asked him enthusiastically. But his smile faltered as he looked around at the thickening fog. "If this keeps up we might not be able to train. We won't be able to see anything." He said with sigh.
Ben looked around as well, taking in the thick fog that now nearly encompassed the whole temple and the surrounding grounds. It was thick enough that he could no longer see more than five feet in front of him. From the looks of it the mist was set to only get even denser. It was beautiful in a way. There was never fog this thick on his home world. He liked it actually, he felt more at ease knowing that it would be harder for others to see him.
"We should still train. Just the two of us. This could be good experience, it would prepare us. Not all fights will happen in the light of day with a clear line of sight," Ben said softly. It was true of course. And he was itching to try his sparing skills, and the fog might actually work towards his advantage against the more experienced Cavan.
Cavan looked back at him as he spoke and he smiled again. "You're right. We should use this as an opportunity to prepare our fighting skills." He even looked enthusiastic about it.
Ben gave what he hoped was an equally enthusiastic smile, but inwardly he kept his true thoughts to himself. If he managed to wound Cavan in their sparing fight, he could incapacitate him so when the Knights of Ren arrived; he would be less of a threat.
Or I could just kill him, make it look like an accident. In this fog everyone might believe me too, he thought to himself. His pulse quickened at the thought of it. But no, he could not kill a student, not yet. If there was a death his Uncle would surely come running back. And any trust, or at least polite indifference, that he had earned from the others would be lost. It was better to just wound him. He could finish the older boy later.
While he was lost in thought others arrived at the table, and they all lost themselves in conversation. Ben tried to follow along if only to seem less distracted. The food was finally ready and they all ate it quickly, trying to finish as fast as they could as the fog kept growing thicker and thicker. By the time the meal was cleared away visibility was down to less than a foot. It was perfect for what Ben had planned.
Ben turned to Cavan and spoke, "I don't think I can find the training area in this fog, I'm going to have to follow you."
It was true, with the visibility so low he knew that he could not find anything in this fog. Even finding his way back to the temple might be impossible in this fog. If he did not know which direction to go in he would easily get turned around.
Cavan looked around at the surrounding fog and his brow furrowed as he concentrated. "As long as we head in that direction," he pointed to a direction behind Bens' head, "we should hit the training field. There should still be sparing equipment on the field."
He turned and looked to see where he was pointing. Maybe he wouldn't need to follow Cavan after all. He vaguely remembered where the field was, and if he kept walking in a straight line he would be alright. Finding his way back would be more difficult.
Ben was eager to be off, and he stood up and stretched, still looking at the direction that Cavan had pointed. The fog was so thick that it seemed like it could be cut with a knife, it made the air feel wet and heavy and it had an unhealthy feeling as he breathed it into his lungs.
Behind him the other students muttered to themselves as they all surveyed the fog. It seemed that no one would be joining them today. It suited him just fine. Let the others walk back to the temple and stay safe in their rooms. The fog made him feel strangely at ease, it was comforting and concealing.
He started walking in the direction that Cavan had pointed and didn't look back to see if he was being followed. If he did not follow then Ben would continue on alone, but just a few seconds after he disappeared in the fog he could hear the footsteps of the other teenager behind him. Even the sounds seemed oddly muted in the fog, he realized that he could not even hear the sounds of the animals that usually ran freely in the woods. The fog had put the whole world on mute.
His body was still brimming with energy, and he found himself smiling in the fog. It felt safe to do so as no one could see him. He felt at home in the concealment of the heavy mist. Part of him hoped that this would last for days. Until then he would make the most of it.