Eric took a flight out east to The Temple of Pain to visit Grand Master Toa. Eric had trained as a Blademaster, as did most Lightchildren; but his instructor was named Xu Ching, a Yellow Tribesman who was now five hundred Standard Years old, a Ranger and a studentof Toa. Eric wrote his teacher a letter pleading for a recommendation to visit the Grand Master. Xu (pronounced like “zoo”) granted the request of one of his favored students. Though blind, Eric showed himself an apt student of Blademastery – one of the best in this era, as far as Xu was concerned. Xu was pleased to write Toa on behalf of Eric. His letter granted Eric one visit, so Eric knew he had to use it well.

The Temple was indeed beautiful (or at least that is how Malachi described it), with its white stone, rectangular training hall, the balcony held up by large pillars, and the golden domed roof engraved with exhortations in Adamic and Easterner.

Many young Lightchildren were training on the lawn, outside watched over by elder students; the Grand Master was inside. Eric entered unmolested; it was as though these people feared nothing. No one asked who he was. No doubt the Guardian floating over his shoulder was a dead giveaway as to *what* he was (as if his Guild uniform’s insignia – a running gazelle surrounded by a circle of twelve stars – wasn’t enough).

“I am here to see Grand Master Toa,” Eric informed the large White Tribesman at the door. The man nodded and pointed to the open door. Following Malachi’s lead, Eric stepped through the door into the open hallway. Toa was sitting in the center of a group of ten year old children, drinking tea while they were going through basics.

“Grand Master Toa?” Eric asked softly.

“You are the visitor Xu told me of. Welcome. Sit and have tea with me while we talk.”

“You are training the children?”

“Yes, I am; I prefer the humble minded children to their more egotistical elders.” Toa paused to study Eric. “You thought I would be teaching the more advanced students?”