Refreshment & Reflection

Janet, Essie, and Cerissa stood side by side, looking at the ocean water with wonder. It really felt like they were at the beach, rather than the training hub they were residing in. Even the simulated beachgoers seemed like real people. The warm rays of the sun felt amazing on the skin that wasn't covered by their bikinis, and the scent of salt water and barbecue took them to a soothing place that was a far cry from the intense battle simulation that occurred not so long ago.

"Things may not have gone the way we hoped for in our fights, but this comforting place is quite the silver lining." Janet marveled. "Before we reflect on what we need to work on, let's enjoy a quick swim girls!"

The trio ran into the ocean with gleeful laughter. The water felt as refreshing and perfect as the beach air. Before long, a familar figure waded in beside them.

"Hello you three!" Wasila said in a friendly tone with a big smile. "I apologize for being so rough on all of you during our skirmish. No hard feelings I hope?"

"Not at all!" Cerissa replied with a smile of her own. "You and Tate provided exactly what we needed. A fight against incredible opponents that pulled no punches. I only wished I could have survived longer."

"Yes, but you saved me as a result." Essie said gratefully. "And thanks to Janet and Rick's sacrifices, I was able to power up my fire spell and save the Pirate from Tate. But.... if I had paid better attention to your abilities Wasila, I may have fared better against you."

"You were all very brave and selfless in the simulation." Wasila praised. "You all may have died, but Tate and I were also bested. Since it was not a true life or death face off, we are all thankfully here to still talk about it. I think there is some feedback I can give that we can all agree on though, isn't there?"

"Indeed there is." Janet chimed in, offering a grin of her own. "The next time we battle a powerful opponent in the real world, whether we win or lose, our team has to do all we can to avoid casualties amongst ourselves."

To be continued....

*****

Training World Arc

Prior stories/chapters from this plotline:

- Team Janet vs Team Sic - https://theprose.com/post/467594/team-janet-vs-team-sic

- A New Adventure Begins! A 20 Word Teaser! (Chapter 109) - https://theprose.com/post/469384/a-new-adventure-begins-a-20-word-teaser

- Coffee And Dreams (Chapter 110) - https://theprose.com/post/469464/coffee-and-dreams

- Infected City Arc Closure (Chapter 111) - https://theprose.com/post/470462/infected-city-arc-closure

- A New Dimension - The Training World (Chapter 112) - https://theprose.com/post/472712/a-new-dimension-the-training-world

- Training, Or Vacation? (Chapter 113) - https://theprose.com/post/476376/training-or-vacation

- The Hub (Chapter 114) - https://theprose.com/post/478137/the-hub

- Janet vs Leftover: Rematch? (Chapter 115) - https://theprose.com/post/481194/janet-vs-leftover-rematch

- Follow Up (Chapter 116) - https://theprose.com/post/484088/follow-up

- Catching Up (Chapter 117) - https://theprose.com/post/484441/catching-up

- Portal To The Next Fight (Chapter 118) - https://theprose.com/post/491899/portal-to-the-next-fight

- Clash of the Mages (Chapter 119) - https://theprose.com/post/499792/clash-of-the-mages

- Team Essie (Chapter 120) - https://theprose.com/post/502330/team-essie

- A New Trick (Chapter 121) - https://theprose.com/post/504534/a-new-trick

- Darn Mosquito (Chapter 122) - https://theprose.com/post/510059/darn-mosquito

- Playing Offense: Rick and Janet (Chapter 123) - https://theprose.com/post/533308/playing-offense-rick-and-janet

- Injured Musings (Chapter 124) - https://theprose.com/post/534943/injured-musings

The Ultimate Strategy of Team Essie (Chapter 125) - https://theprose.com/post/537929/the-ultimate-strategy-of-team-essie

- Victory? (Chapter 126) - https://theprose.com/post/538229/victory

- Final Preparations (Chapter 127) - https://theprose.com/post/541330/final-preparations

- Power Play (Chapter 128) - https://theprose.com/post/553141/power-play

Conclusion: The Battle Simulation Ends! (Chapter 129) - https://theprose.com/post/554469/conclusion-the-battle-simulation-ends