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At the sound of the fifth bell, Teran turned away from Mirra and Lina and looked towards the village.

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Teran: That's my cue.

Mirra: For what?

```

Teran held out the letter Bora had given him to Mirra who glanced over it then handed it back to him.

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Mirra: That's certainly an unexpected development.

Teran: Indeed.

Lina: May I ask what it is?

Mirra: If you must know, your odds of survival just changed.

Lina: *hard gulp* W-what do you mean?

Mirra: *playful smile* You'll just have to wait and see.

Lina: *pleading stare towards Teran*

Teran: Sorry, confidential until completed.

Lina: *dumfounded* B-but you just showed it to Mirra.

Teran: And what color is her uniform?

Lina: *epiphanic* Ah~Jsha, sorry.

Teran: No reason to be sorry, it's easy to forget things like rank amongst the Ankarok rammu. *reassuring smile*

```

After giving Mirra a quick farewell kiss Teran maintained a brisk paced run until he reached the village gates where he found a rather stunning average height young blond female wearing elegant yet functional light blue and tan leather clothing.

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Teran: Chyla Rooka, I presume?

Chyla: *gracious bow* It's very nice to meet you?

Teran: Teran Dazuba, I'm sure you've heard Kylola speak of me.

Chyla: I have not, I'm sorry...

Teran: *surprised* I-I see.

Chyla: *nervous* B-before you jump to any conclusions, you should know that I rarely talk to Kylola when she visits.

Teran: *relieved sigh* That does make me feel better. *playful chuckle*

Chyla: You're quite different from any of the senior rammu I've met thus far.

Teran: And who have you met thus far?

Chyla: Kylola, Enkoro, Carilon, Freone, and, of course, my elder father, Eldric.

Teran: When did you meet Freone?

Chyla: Not too long ago, he came to see my elder father. He was a very... somber man.

Teran: *somber sigh* That wasn't always the case... My former mentor was once amongst the lightest of hearts amongst the rammu.

Chyla: What happened, if I may?

Teran: I'm surprised you don't already know.

Chyla: I do live at the edge of civilization and my family is more or less obsessed with being cut off from as much of society as reasonably possible.

Teran: So, I have heard, but still, I would think you'd still read the news. My mother lives far more secluded than your family and yet still manages to stay up on village affairs.

Chyla: *curious* More secluded than--us?

Teran: *prideful smirk* Indeed, she refuses to live any closer to the village than the yellow zone, and even then only in the cold season.

Chyla: *stunned* Th-the yellow zone!?

Teran: *affirmative nod* Indeed, I've tried to get her to move to at least the light green zone, but she insists that she is a child of the deep woods and will remain so.

Chyla: How big is her union?

Teran: She would be considered a hermit... unless you count bears and other woodland creatures.

Chyla: *flabbergasted* Bears?

Teran: *affirmative nod* She lives amongst them during the warm seasons, so you could say she's in a type of union part of the cycle.

Chyla: I-I see...

Teran: Do you ever fantasize about an unusual union?

Chyla: *nervous* No.

Teran: Digressing, if you want to know what happened to my former mentor you should make a trip by the library and find some recent news about him.

Chyla: I understand. I'll be sure to stop by the library this evening once we're done.

Teran: *curious hum* Who said we'd be done by the end of the evening?

Chyla: W-we won't?

Teran: *playful chuckle* Probably, I just wanted to see what kind of reaction you'd give me. To tell the truth, you're already one third through your final test.

Chyla: *confused* I am?

Teran: *affirmative nod* Indeed, which means we can move to the question-and-answer phase.

Chyla: *hard gulp* I'm ready.

Teran: Have you eaten last meal yet?

Chyla: I have not.

```

Teran reached into his satchel, then presented a jar of food pellets to Chyla.

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Teran: Rammu don't eat processed food often; however, we do have these in case of emergencies.

Chyla: I've heard of them. May I try some?

Teran: Please help yourself. *inviting smile*

```

Teran enjoyed watching the mixture of expressions that washed over Chyla's face as she chewed through a handful of the food pellets.

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Teran: What do you think?

Chyla: *unamused stare* I feel as though I was tricked into eating something that shouldn't be considered food.

Teran: *knowing chuckle* Good answer.

Chyla: That was part of the test too?

Teran: It was a question, and you gave me an answer. *knowing smile*

Chyla: This is nothing like I imagined it would be.

Teran: And what did you imagine it would be?

Chyla: I've spent the past five days undergoing rigorous written and physical tests. I was expecting more of the same.

Teran: I suppose I could do that too, if it would make you feel better.

Chyla: *nervous* N-not necessary. I'm enjoying your testing methods. *worried smile*

Teran: Afraid of a little hard work, eh?

Chyla: *annoyed scowl* Don't let my appearance fool you. I'm in no way afraid to get my claws dirty. *defeated sigh* I'm just getting a bit sore...

```

As Teran saw a couple of younger males walk by holding hands, he smiled.

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Teran: They're a cute couple, don't you think?

Chyla: *confused* I guess so?

Teran: Given how cut off from society your family is, how does anyone find love?

Chyla: We do still interact with our neighbors. My eldest brother has been "dating" our neighbor Laneh for so long they should be considered a union. Then you know that one of my mothers found a deep love in Eldric after they met in the wild.

Teran: *playful smile* I see, did you fall in love with a rammu too?

Chyla: *nervous* N- *hard gulp* I-I did...

Teran: I see, and is that what caused your sudden desire to become a rammu?

Chyla: *embraced fidgeting* I-it is...

Teran: Are you aware of the risks involved in being a rammu, or has Eldric spared you those stories?

Chyla: *stern* I am, and that's why I have chosen to become one. If something were to happen, and I did nothing, I could never forgive myself...

Teran: And what if something happens to your other siblings?

Chyla: If it's not too inappropriate, may I ask why you became a rammu before I answer that? Aren't you worried about your mother?

Teran: I am, but she is living the way she wishes. Furthermore, I am a rammu because my mother demanded it of me. As the story goes, when she retired from the rammu, she went into the village, had a merry time, then returned to the depths of the woods to raise her child to be a proper rammu.

Chyla: *somber* Then you're just like Kion... Do you resent your mother for forcing you to become a rammu?

Teran: I can honestly say that I have no recollections of ever resenting my mother. We have always gotten along quite well, as far as I'm aware. Which I say, as like most, I have a hard time recollecting the time I was a fluff, and mother tells me I was quite disagreeable during that time.

*short silence*

Chyla: W-would you have rather done something else with your life?

Teran: No. My mother demanded I become a rammu, not that I stay one. To be honest, I wasn't confident I would stay one at first. Having been raised in the deep woods, I was quite apprehensive of the idea of the many interpersonal aspects of being a rammu. *warm smile* However, my apprehensions faded rapidly as I got to know my fellow trainees.

Chyla: Thank you for answering my question, and now to answer yours. As a rammu, I can do more to protect my other siblings than I could ever do if I stayed with them. While my family prides itself on being self-efficient to a fault, I have learned enough from Eldric to know that they have only had such an opportunity because of all the work the rammu do to protect our lands as a whole.

Teran: *impressed smirk* It puts my mind at ease knowing that you have other motives to become a rammu besides wanting to repent for personal regrets or pursue taboo-ish love. To be honest, I was getting ready to reject you.

Chyla: *stunned* R-really?

Teran: *affirmative nod* Indeed.

Chyla: How come?

Teran: I'm afraid I'm not allowed to say. Anyway, now that we are done with the Q and A section, would you like to go on a date in the village? *charming smile*

Chyla: *dumbstruck* A-a date?

Teran: Indeed, I can't eat village food, but I'd be more than happy to take you somewhere and eat food pellets alongside you. Then we could stop by the library while we tour around the village for a bit. Perhaps play some games in the greens until dusk, then finish off the evening at a bathhouse before parting ways?

Chyla: *embarrassed fidgeting* I-I... I mean *hard gulp* *flustered* O-okay.

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