Chapter 27: Fear of Death
The Uji River was an excellent source of freshwater. The forest and its trees were fit to be chopped down without disturbing the natural wildlife. Herbs and fruit were ripe and easily collectable. The main objective was uncomplicated and straightforward.
Sarah, Emma, and Pauline were given the task to gather herbs and water. Alex and Paul, men who chose to wield physical weapons, went to chop down wood. The four remaining men stayed at the school to help with cleaning.
Dasha couldn't use the axe unless he unequipped his metal gauntlets. He didn't mind the switch. The metal gauntlets increased his attack by four. The axe, called a masakari, increased it by ten points. As a single-edged blade with a flat side, it was suitable for precise cuts and shaping wood and not battle. The proper grip of an axe eluded him initially. After observing Paul, however, he fixed his grip.
"Alright men, plenty of space needed," Alex said. He definitely didn't know what he was doing and merely pretended otherwise. "I put quite a few points into strength. I'm pretty sure if I just..."
Alex drew in a breath. Dasha watched him throw all his body weight to and fro, using absolutely no technique and having as many holes in his form as swiss cheese, and managing to smack through three branches of the banyan tree. The banyan tree was special and its roots descended from branches, eventually reaching the ground and forming new trunks. These banyan trees were younger and smaller. There weren't many branches to chop down.
Alex, all of a sudden conscious of his strength, blinked and placed the axe down. "Uhh, is it okay that we chop down trees? Isn't it, like, against nature?"
"We're not committing mass deforestation. We're fine," said Dasha.
"You sure?"
"Yes."
"If you say so, man."
Alex grinned and let his axe loose again. Dasha walked away. It was like Alex said, space was required in order to effectively chop wood down.