As the week slowly went by, with his new team accompanying him nearly everywhere, Tareo swiftly felt less lonely. Usually, it would be a good(-ish) thing, but he now felt constricted, like he was never alone. No matter where he went, obeo f them was there. Whether it was Blae stacking cards on top of each other, before kicking the table over if it was ruined, to Kiera-Zane appearing suddenly from the shadows, saying hello, before disappearing almost just as silentlyc and quickly, it was overwhelming.

But at the moment, they sat at the wide and lengthy dinner table, digging into a delicious roast, with many baked potatoes, carrots, lettuce and onions. Most often, it would only be Algumn and Tareo. After all, the old scottish man had raised Tareo in this very temple. But now? Now it was different. Eleazar and Desai constantly sat next to him, trying to get to know him, and Blae sat across from him, staring him down for half the meal, them mocking him for the other half. The only ones that respected him seemed to be Kiera-Zane and Algumn, but even they could be obnoxious.

"So, 'Reo - you mind if I call you that? Cool - why did you start training at the Creif?" Desai asked offhandedly, but you could see the curiousness in his dark, stormy eyes. The Creif was - and still is - the largest combat edification grounds in the four quarters of the realm, where all warriors learned to battle, and where one of the first lessons you were taught was either do or die. They had made everyone jump off a bridge, which was deep, dark, and seemingly endless.if you didn't, they would shoot you straight through the heart with an arrow. If you jumped, you ended up with broken bones and fresh hot wounds all over from the sharp but not deadly, rocks at the bottom.

"Uh, I was kinda forced, I guess? My friends all wanted me to come with them, so I just - y'know, went? But it was fun... if you like being stabbed every twelve seconds."

"My Ehtra, that sounds... distasteful, to say the least." Kiera-Zane exclaimed, putting a hand over her mouth. "Stop usin' posh person talk, We're all idiots here!" Blae sniggered.

"Shut up, Blae! I'm super smart!" Eleazar shouted, grinning. "You can live in hope, bud," she muttered under her breath. anyways, 'Reo. How many times did they nearly kill you? I hope they did, and you're just a ghost."

Algumn sighed. "Tareo wasn't chosen for no reason, las. He was strongest at that godforsaken Creif. He's not to be tested." His voice was level, but you could feel his agitation and see as his dull blue eyes flashing with a dangerous anger.

"Eh, whatever." Blae retorted, her mouth full of baked potatoes.

Algumn sighed. "You are all dismissed. Go to your sleeping quarters. Tomorrow is a big day," he coughed loudly, "Not you, Tareo. I need to talk to you."

Tareo and Blae looked at each other. Tareo's face flashed with a lookof fear, and in response, Blae saluted deviously, but she was chewing her lip, and her eyes ratted her out, revealing her worry for the hero of the four quarters of the realm.