<div class="floatright">(https://mfiles.alphacoders.com/402/402340.jpg)</div>A wave of exhaustion unlike any she’d ever known swept through Lesniya as she knelt in the muck and the mud of the rathole. She was going to be picking chunks of the mire from her curls for days, she just knew. Her body, however, didn’t care at the moment. She was going to need a few more moments to recoup before standing and moving with any sort of grace was an option. The ice action she’d performed had tapped her resources – exactly the thing Cerias had told her NOT to do. But the satisfaction at seeing it work had made a rare smile appear out of nowhere on her face.<br/><br/>That satisfaction had her reenergizing quicker than normal, as well.<br/><br/>Cerias’ voice got her attention – along with his boot-stomp-from-hell – as Sophie’s magic started some fireworks. The escapades had distracted the rodents left long enough that she was able to climb to her feet and do as the tank said, back up towards him. Only one stumble.<br/><br/>Okay, maybe two.<br/><br/>But survival had happened, her powers had happened, and she wasn’t feeling the least bit addicted to using them. Right? Wasn’t that how she felt?<br/><br/>Sophie was leaning against a nearby tree. Exhaustion had taken her breath as well. If they were going to continue to practice their talents, they were going to have to build up a tolerance to them, obviously. Like any other muscle, the girls were gonna need the exercise.<br/><br/>Curious, however, Lesniya crept out in front of Soph, towards the corpses of the four rats they had destroyed. She was slow-going. As if she was expecting the lifeless beast to inhale quickly and raise from the dead yet again. Her hand even reached out, glowing softly with unconscious power, ready to strike.<br/><br/>“Shit…shit…<em>shit</em>… Is it… Are we…??” She called out her half-questions as she bit her lower lip. One booted toe reached forward, crusted in slime and shmear, kicking the tail of one of the rats. As soon as it made contact, she jumped back with a soft screech. “<strong>IT MOVED</strong>. IT MOVED….”<br/><br/>“Wait…”<br/><br/>“No… fully dead.” Another blatant kick.<br/><br/>Her tell-tale hair was tossed over her shoulder as she looked back at Cerias and Sophie. “So now what?”<br/>