Auron had remained sitting where he was until a city official had discovered him and brought him back to Medwin's estate.

"We were worried!" he said testily.

Auron looked away, a little ashamed. Perhaps he had been ungrateful… but Amira's cruel comments were enough to send anybody over the edge.

"I do not wish to punish you, as you are still settling in, however I must insist that you go back to the Temple immediately!"

Auron simply nodded.

He wouldn't want to be any closer to Amira than necessary. As he was escorted from their enormous house, Auron noticed the little girl staring at him from her window with an odd, distant smirk. He scowled and looked away, once again focusing all he could on what lied ahead of him.

It was a few days later; although Medwin had since forgiven his behavior, Auron could not help but feel… well… watched. His first training session at the Temple was both a relief and a punishment. The Master there was unmerciful, cruel, even. Auron did not like him much, but refrained from saying so. The man seemed capable of actually enjoying beating a child, but he didn't want to find out for sure.

"No, you brats! You're doing it completely wrong! Position A!"

Immediately, the entire group knelt down on one knee, staring at the floor. Auron stared determinedly at the Master's shoes as they got closer and closer to where he was kneeling.

"You!"

Auron looked up into his face with a willful glare. The Master frowned even more deeply.

"On your feet, maggot!"

Auron remained where he was.

I am not a maggot! he thought. The Master bent down to be near to Auron's level. He could smell him – sweaty, angry, and reeking slightly of booze.

"Did you hear what I said?" he whispered dangerously. "To your feet!"

Auron clenched his jaw, thinking quickly. He continued his stare at the Master, but did not rise. Immediately, he took a large stick and swung at Auron, who ducked and rolled away. The pole hit the child who had been kneeling next to him instead, a rather chubby boy with a scared face and beady eyes. Auron leapt over to help him up, but the child looked in horror as a shadow fell over them both. He had just enough time to look up and see the pole come down at his face. Auron tried to back away, but the stick hit him in his left shoulder and he cried out in pain. The chubby boy cried for the Master to stop as the other kids looked on, too frightened to move, but fascinated at how this would turn out. Auron kicked the pole as it came at him again, and it went sailing out of the man's hands. The boy charged the Master before he could hit Auron again, but he knocked him aside and grabbed Auron by the scruff of his shirt, pulling him to his feet. He dragged him over to the other boy, who he also yanked up.

"The rest of you brats! OUT!" he roared. The children did not need to be told twice; they jumped up nimbly and ran immediately out the Temple doors. The Master kept a hold of the two troublemaking boys and led them into a smaller, darker room, where various weapons and other intimidating devices hung on the walls. He threw them down to the ground and slammed the door.

"Alright, you shits, you think you can beat me? Then go ahead!" He gestured widely to the instruments around them, but neither of the boys moved. Auron scowled with hatred at this man, not bothering to hide his furious loathing. The boy shaking on all fours beside him merely kept a submissive gaze at the floor. The Master scoffed.

"Well, since you're calm now," he said, in a lighter - but still dangerous - voice, "I think you'd agree to take the punishments for your impudence." He said the last work a little hastily, and Auron suspected that he didn't really know what it meant.

"You, chubby."

The boy looked up, his eyes wet and shining in the dim light.

"You know the price for insubordination. Teach the new kid the ropes around here."

He nodded, his thick neck jiggling a little above his tight collar. The Master walked out of the room with his head held high, and Auron felt another surge of anger rush through him. A minute or two after the despicable man had left, the chubby boy rose and sniffled, wiping his nose on his sleeve. He held out the same hand to Auron, who only looked at him.

"Ugh, sorry," he said, offering his left hand instead. Auron took it, trying not to picture what might have "graced" that arm. They stood in awkward silence for a moment before the boy spoke up again.

"I'm Wen. Wen Kinoc."

"Auron."

Wen forced him to shake hands again, looking excited.

"You're the new boy I heard Lord Medwin talking about! Is it true that your parents were killed by Sin?"

Auron flinched at his blatant question, scowling still more deeply, an expression that, as the days went by, had already turned into a natural habit. He wondered if, because the city had not seen an attack from Sin in many, many years (had they ever?), the people living here were unfazed by it. Perhaps they thought that their money and power could protect them? Auron shook his head lightly in thoughtful frustration as Kinoc looked on, a curious expression on his face.

"What?" Auron snapped.

"Y-you tried to help me… back there. When Master Mahlah was…"

"He was trying to hit me, not you," Auron interrupted, suddenly impatient. The boy was annoying.

"But you still tried to protect me!" His eyes were full of tearful admiration; Auron felt a strange mix of disgust and flattery.

"I did what any respectable person would do. Protect, and defend."

Wen's wide cheeks flushed red.

"But you don't know what it's like, being beaten, and made fun of, and worked like a dog… At least dogs get some sleep."

Indeed, when Auron looked at the boy, there were dark rims beneath his watery, bloodshot eyes. He sighed.

"And everyone's too afraid of him to complain!" Kinoc continued. "He'll beat us even more if he finds out we told, because nobody ever believes us!"

"He'll get his," Auron muttered. "But it is not up to us to decide his fate right now." He suddenly felt adult, in control. Was he advising this boy? Who was he to tell him what to do, or feel? He rubbed his sore shoulder distractedly. Kinoc furrowed his eyebrows.

"We'd better get on those chores if you don't want a twin of that," he said, pointing to the area Auron was rubbing. When he lifted his hand, it was to see a wide, dark bruise already spreading across his shoulder. He made a soft little snort.

"Then let's go," he said, Kinoc leading the way to the back of the Temple, their footsteps echoing in the empty hall.