Kael sneered at Josephine's jab and looked away like a petulant child. She agreed with him even if she wouldn't say it outright as he did. Every other trainee though the two of them the most capable and yet they were seemingly held back, why? For what reason would Master Edmund deny them actual training? Their purpose was to help find a means of saving everyone and yet they could do no such thing if they were never allowed outside of the Workshop. It came as something of a shock when Josephine agreed it was high time they should depart though not wholly unexpected: they had gotten the basics down and were ready to put it to practice. Their ideas of being in the field however varied greatly and left Kael feeling cheated. 'See how they act'? Who cared how beasts acted, they were beasts and nothing more, only meant to be put down like the animals they were. It was a waste of time to go and study them. 

"If you two are so adamant about leaving then we can go now. It's not as though time will pass outside these halls," Edmund remarked bitterly. "I'll fetch my tools, you two go and wait by the gates." Perhaps seeing the world for what it was would curb their enthusiasm and end this absurd idea of theirs. Both of them had been marked by the beasts and yet they though themselves prepared to face that sight again. The fact was very few ever could, many froze up in the face of the beasts and died for it, would they succumb to the same fate? Leading up to the workshop Edmund silently ascended the stairs, giving only a brief nod to other apprentices as he passed them by. Some day many of them may well be ready to take up arms and fight but that day was not coming soon. To prepare for what would doubtless be a lifetime of battle, however brief that life may be, it took a lot of practice. 

No longer did they possess the boon of the Dream either. Edmund had been capable of "returning" after dying and emerging unscathed, and while a rather unpleasant experience it had given him almost an immortality of sorts. In his younger years it was a blessing, for his naivete and lack of skill earned him many deaths. As he grew more experienced however his trips back to the Dream had become far and few between to the point where he'd not visited but to speak with the Doll. Heaven knows why, the thing never spoke but a few words and was not much for conversation. With a grim smile he opened up a chest and pulled from it his Chikage and Hunter's Pistol, placing each on his waistband. This was why he disallowed his students from venturing out: death was permanent, there was no "returning", not anymore. Were there not the threat of death hanging over their heads he may be more lax, but they couldn't afford to lose many more.

"I'm surprised you actually agreed with me. Usually you try to insult me and kiss up to Master Edmund at every turn." Teacher's pet as she was called, no doubt she had been much the same before she'd ended up in this mess. Why anyone would want a man like Edmund favoring them was beyond him. He was a bitter Hunter and curt, had little time for anything other than training and was insanely private. He spoke of being comrades and yet he was utterly enigmatic, the only thing they really knew of the man was his name and his profession. "Tell me, dear sister," Kael continued with a smirk, "Why the change of heart? Are you growing as tired of his games as I am?"

"Perhaps she simply wants to see you knocked off of your high horse," Edmund interjected from behind the pair, frowning as Kael jumped and spun around to face him. "Let's try to focus now, hm? Once we leave this place we'll doubtless be set upon almost immediately. Keep your wits about you and your weapons ready." Josephine's idea of observation was good but difficult to pull off, the area around the shop was not immediately inhabited by beasts, merely people driven mad by the blood. Just as dangerous yet not what they would be fighting, at least not the main threat. 

The walk from the workshop was a long one, following a winding trail that sat over a high cliff to the jagged rocks of a sea rise below. At the end of the trail was a door, the logistics of how this place was separated like a room was still a mystery to many. Edmund moved ahead and parted the heavy doors, stepping through and inspecting the area before waving his students along. On the other side the room was near pitch black, and while Edmund's eyes had long since adjusted the children no doubt would have some trouble. Reaching into his coat he withdrew a small orb and squeezed it in his hand, illuminating it before throwing it ahead. The orb itself rolled a ways before suddenly shattering and releasing flecks of metal which the light reflected off of, giving the area around them an eerily beautiful gleam. Using the glow of the small bomb they moved forward until they reached a second set of doors, this one leading to the world outside. 

"Now remember, do not engage the beasts unless you absolutely must," Edmund directed mostly to Kael, though he looked to Josephine for her benefit as well, "This is not a mission to try and kill as many as you can, its practice. Don't get ahead of yourselves." The lack of light was no longer a problem when the second set of doors were opened and light flooded the room. The pair were welcomed with a long bridge before them, its stones well worn and many parts broken, coated in ages old blood that discolored the very rock itself. High above the sky was ablaze with brilliant oranges and reds not unlike a flame, and set in the sky was the Blood Moon itself. It gave the world a deceptively warm glow. One might almost call the world beautiful if they didn't know the hellish truth that awaited anyone who dared step outside. "Move swiftly but quietly, and do not get too far from me," the Master Hunter warned before taking the lead again, crossing out over the large bridge, "Move out you two."

"[i]Move out you two.[/i] I can't wait until we're through dealing with him..." Kael grumbled beneath his breath as he too advanced, "I don't understand you Jose, how do you not get sick of hearing him all the time? He acts so high and mighty, like he knows everything. Arrogant bastard..."