"Hold your breath. Don't let anyone hear the sound of your breath!"

"Remember, you need to blend in with your surroundings completely. You become rock and rock becomes you"

"You useless trash!! You can't even hold your breath for that much longer? How do you expect to do so when you are sneaking into someone's house?! Its just practice now so you need to show better results otherwise you are out of here! We don't need free loaders! "

" Walk on the wooden corridor on tip toe. For every sound it makes, you get 10 whips"

"splash, splash, splash...."

"Again!"

"splash, splash (whipping continues)"

" Alright that will be all for today. Your performance was terrible,Again.You don't get any

bread,Again.If you continue like this, I fear you won't last till this year's months of demons are over. " Only after dusk neered did he seem to give it a stop.

This man in charge was called Joaquim, a ring leader of rats of this region in Ironclad stronghold, Port town. This could be said as a Stronghold only in name as there was hardly a 3 meter high wall around the front and side whereas river on the back. If a war were to break out anyday, it would be a far-fetched thought to hold the enemy, even possibility of running away would be questionable. This wasn't the first time he was harsh on someone and Liza knew he could not be blamed for it either. Survival of every individual is always hanging on a thread for all pebbles especially if you are a rat. And to train a 12 year old girl like her among so many others in survival skills on top of distribution food time to time could even be called magnanimity. She wrapped her waists with her arms and dragged her aching body to the nearest shed.

"You should wash those wounds. If they start infecting on top of hunger, even God can't save you" A girl about 2 or 3 years older than her in similar clothes as her but neat and less tattered came near her and after examining those wounds sighed deeply . Joaquim could really go too far sometimes.

"Hah! God! Alicia, if there really was someone like that watching over us, there would be no differences between nobles and the poor and so many people wouldn't die of hunger everyday"

"Liza!! You mustn't talk like that about God!! I am sure he is watching over us and he will send someone to save us someday"

"You talk as if you have seen him. Sob sob.."

Unknowingly tears started rolling down her cheeks. Even though Liza was stronger than most of the girls around her age, she was only 12 years old after all. After getting into such a tattered state and with an empty belly anyone would break down.

" Now now, don't cry." seeing the youth who had always been strong minded crying, Alicia seemed to go a little soft. She hugged the poor thing and said "Here, Let me help you patch up"

Alicia gently pulled the clothes up from Liza's back, Dripped her sleeves with water from a nearby stable and cleaned the swollen and scarred skin. She took out some herbs she collected for emergency, pasted them on her palm with saliva and applied them on the back. She had a vague idea about disinfecting herbs but it was all from the knowledge of elders in the slum after all, so their credibility wasn't too high.

After applying the paste , the little girl twiched her mouth as the stinging sensation overlapped her but soon she seemed to have felt some comfort after the sting and closed her eyes with a smile easily missable.

"You sure those herbs weren't poisonous right? Those sting quite a lot"

"I don't think so... Ahem. I mean no of course not. I have confidence in my herb knowledge. Rest assured."

"If you say so." Little Liza's mouths twitched a little "Why did Alicia sound more like she was reassuring herself" she thought.

After a while Liza was fit enough to sit on her own somehow and saw Alicia passing over half a bread. Seeing the bread she started drooling immediately but soon controlled herself. It wasn't the first time Alicia offered her food. At first she would just gulp it down as she was too naive to understand about the food scarcity around her but as she knew more she started to feel guiltey and would strongly reject the offer ever since. She was going to reject today too but Alicia pushed it onto her with a glare. "You are in no condition to reject the food today. Are you planning to die? Eat up and return it back to me some other day when you are able."

In the end Liza ate the bread obbidiently. Night was falling and they sat under the shed alone. Liza was finally starting to feel the fatigue she accumulated through the 'training' today after something entered her stomach. She lay on the hay stack nearby and turned towards Alicia and said "You should definitely become a nun. You are kind and helpful. You could save hundreds of lives if you become a nun"

"A nun? Although the idea isn't bad, I have something better in mind. Have you heard of Judgement army?"

"Judgement army? What's that?" Liza was bewildered hearing the name for the first time.

"Its an army made for the church only. They fight against all the evil in the world and save people. Its my dream to join them one day. They say you need to have absolute faith in God to join them"

After a little pause Liza replied "Well if you believe in God so much I guess I could try believing in him just a little."

Alicia was surprised a little and turned to say something but realized that the little girl has already fallen asleep with a peaceful smile on her face.