Chapter 24: Casual Conversation
As the four of them sat down at the table, every hunter turned their attention to them, and without the presence of Damian, they weren't that scarred of the consequence of their action.
A tall and muscular hunter began to walk to their table, his hand resting on the sheet of his sword, clearly aiming to intimidate the four of them. "You freaks have no right to eat here with us. So I kindly advise all of you to scram, while I still ask nicely."
Orion shifted uncomfortably before he began to stand p from his seat, attempting to leave the canteen, but a hand was placed on his shoulder. "Sit back down, Brother." Said Quinn as he turned his attention to the hunter before them.
"Common, we are just trying to eat here, there is no need to cause a fuss here, is there?" Said Quinn, as his blue eyes changed their color for a single moment, almost shining in a barely visible otherworldly light while he still had a charming smile on his face. "So, I suggest, that you sit back down and continue your meal without a worry in the world."
The other three just stared at Quinn, beginning to regret ever going to the canteen for a meal. 'I swear to god, just like… Talon.' Thought Thorn to herself as she burrowed her face in her palms.
"It's alright, have a nice meal," the hunter said, smiling at Quinn, extending his hand for a handshake. Quinn returned the smile, offering his own hand for the handshake. And to everyone's shock, the hunter left their table after the handshake, and Quinn sat back to his chair, still smiling while the others just stared at him with a shocked expression.
"What are you all staring at? It was just a friendly greeting between to gentlemen. So, what should we eat?" Said Quinn, his smile turning mysterious as he began to lightly chuckle. "These expressions are priceless."
"Well... it never worked for him, so I guess it's not like him," Thorn chuckled to herself, struggling to contain her laughter. After regaining her composure, she replied, "We should try the lamb stew. Rokara said it's delicious, and Talon didn't shout that she's a liar, so I'm trusting that stew for now."
"I have no idea about the menu, so it will be a stew for me too." Said Quinn, and almost as soon as he answer, his brother muttered, "Then it will be a stew for me too." Because Aria couldn't use worlds, they heard a voice in their head, "If you guys are eating it, I don't see a reason to try anything else."
Jane who heard the conversation of the four, was positioned behind the counter in front of the kitchen, shouted to the chef, "It will be another four servings of the lamb stew." Almost immediately, the chef responded, sounding somewhat grumpy, "We already serve almost ten different things, this way, we're going to run out of the lamb."
Before Thorn could express her gratitude, Jane winked at her before disappearing into the kitchen, likely to converse with the chef.
Seated across from Thorn, Quinn voiced his curiosity, "Hey, I'm curious. How long have you known Talon? You both came here together, so have you two known each other for a long time?"
"Yeah, I've known him for almost six years now. We both lived in the slums of Dein for years, but it's not just Dein that we've been to. Because we were both gifted, we had to move around a lot. But yeah, we only trusted each other, and we somehow ended up here after we couldn't kill someone that figured out that Talon is gifted." Explained Thorn in an almost nonchalant manner. Her casual use of the word "kill" managed to shock almost everyone at the table.
"Yeah, I told you that he was scary." Whispered Orion to his brother, but Thorn managed to hear it crystal clear.
"Wait... when you say scary, you're talking about Talon? I've never met someone in my life who is less scary than Talon," Thorn burst out laughing.
"But he always stares in an angry way, and while looking at that huge scar on his face, it's just makes him more terrifying." Muttered weakly Orion which only made Thorn laugh harder.
"Every time we had to steal something, he was the one who felt the most guilty about it, even when it was me who stole the food."
"But if we only look at his appearance, doesn't he look just outright terrifying?" This time it was Aria who asked, her voice resonating in the mind of everyone at the table.
"Well, I don't really know. He never seemed scary to me in any way, on the contrary, he is quite lovely." Thorn said, her cheeks lightly blushing.
"But what about his scar? You have to admit he looks scary because of his scar. How did he get it, if it's not a problem to ask?" Quinn inquired.
"Well, he doesn't like to talk about it, so I can't tell you either. But it's always painful for him to discuss it." Thorn explained. "But yeah, I can see your point, it is quite scary."
"Anyway, what does those bastards want from him? He is always with Paul or Damian, running around to the huntsman bastards." Asked Aria.
"He is being sent to a fort in two months, and he has to stay there for a year. Those huntsman bastards are sending him to die." Said Thorn through gritted teeth as she grabbed a spoon in her hand, almost braking it in half before continuing, "So, he is probably trained by Damian right now, at least they are helping him so that he doesn't die in the middle of nowhere during a snowstorm."
"He managed to beat up Rokara, and she was trained in an orc stronghold. I don't think you should be worrying about him. Besides, Damian is the strongest person in Rondor, so if Talon is learning from him, he should have no problems," Aria attempted to comfort Thorn.
"Thank you…" Muttered Thorn with a light smile on her face as she said. "He is probably learning a lot right now.
***
With a thud, Talon crashed into the wall, his leg frozen solid. The spear in his hand was broken in half, and Talon only clutched the broken shaft in his hand, his ribs cracked from the impact while his body was beaten and battered, his face was black and blue, he barely managed to mutter a few words.
"Damian… you bastard… no wonder… the others left… I die before… the fort." He barely managed to mutter these words as his conciseness started to fade, but to his luck, the ring on his finger began to show it's worth.
Similar to Zachary's gift, the natural regeneration of the gifted was enhanced to an unnatural degree. Talon's wounds began to close up, and even his broken ribs were joining together in a visible pace, as a small, barely visible crack began to show itself on the ring.
Drained and utterly exhausted, Talon lay with his head bowed and his back supported by the wall he was sent flying into. Even after the wounds healed up, his exhausted body and mind prevented him from moving.
As a form of motivation, Damian conjured a cube of ice and hurled it into the neck of Talon, slipping inside his shirt and enveloping him in a chilling cold that almost froze his skin.
With a loud yelp, Talon jumped up from the ground, the cube of ice falling out from his shirt. The boy stared at Damian with the eyes of a dead man, barely keeping himself from falling to the ground in exhaustion.
"Damian, I can't keep going… I'm too tired. Please, can we continue our training tomorrow instead?" bagged Talon with shaking voice, the exhaustion washing over him .
"You don't have to worry, Talon. We're done for today. We'll need to make a quick stop at the forge, but after that, we're finished. You can go back to the barracks." Damian announced as he started to walk out of his personal training ground. With a wave of his hand, he signaled for Talon to follow him. The boy complied, dragging his own body, barely remaining conscious.
As they walked to the forge, Talon asked, "Why am I feeling so tired? Our fight was exhausting, but not in this manner." His exhaustion was still evident in his voice.
"It's because of the use of your gift; you used too much of it. Every time we use our gift, we expend energy. That's why it's crucial to have a healthy body and a healthy mind if you're gifted," Damian explained. The temperature around them began to rise uncomfortably, prompting Damian to activate his own gift to cool it down.
They spotted Makar standing next to an armor stand, displaying the new armor crafted for Talon from the remains of the Stone Ridge Wolf.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone