Wings of Avaloria

Chapter 8

EYLARIC'S JAW CLENCHED. "Nothing that concerns you, Telium," he replied coolly. Eylaric stood tall, his jaw tense and his shoulders squared, giving off the impression of a leader. Telium's disrespectful tone was not lost on him, but he managed to maintain his composure. I couldn't help but wonder why Telium was talking to him like that, as if he couldn't be taken out instantly. Telium's expression turned even harder, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. "I don't know about that," he said, crossing his arms over his chest. "It seems like something is going on between you that I should know about." Eylaric's nostrils flared in anger as he stepped forward, his towering figure looming over Telium. His mind was filled with a thousand thoughts, but he knew he had to remain calm. He spoke in a low, growling voice, "As a squad leader, what happens between me and my Cadets is none of your concern." Eylaric's words dripped with icy venom, warning Telium that he had better back off.

Telium didn't back down, standing his ground as he faced off against Eylaric. "I beg to differ," he retorted. "As the medic for this team, it is my duty to make sure that everyone is functioning at their best and that no distractions or conflicts interfere with our training." Eylaric interrupts Telium, "And I am your leader, first year. So you can drop the facade because I can end you in a heartbeat for talking to me that. If I address you, then you can talk to me." He said to Telium, his eyes darkening with every word he said. Telium took a step back.

"Why do you need to protect her when she entered the trails BY HERSELF," Eylaric emphasized, adding, "Yeah, I heard your conversation in the courtyard about protecting her. You don't need to protect her when she can protect herself." Eylaric added.

I stood there frozen, caught between the intensity of Eylaric and Telium's stare-down. The tension in the air was palpable, and I stood there firm, caught between the two intense personalities. Telium and Eylaric

continued to stare each other down, neither willing to back down from their position.

I couldn't believe what was happening. Eylaric had been so sweet to me moments ago, and now he was threatening Telium. And why was Telium so fixated on our relationship? "You both are talking about me, but I am right here," I tell them. Eylaric looks at me, and Telium looks past me.

"Listen here, Eylaric," Telium spat out, his voice laced with anger.
"I may be a first-year, but still a valuable team member. As the medic, I

must ensure that everyone on this team is healthy and functioning at their best. If you have something going on with Marcella that could interfere with her performance, then it is my job to address it." Eylaric scoffed.

"What could possibly be going on between me and Marcella that would interfere with her performance?" he asked mockingly. "I don't know, maybe because you were flirting with her when she's supposed to recover from her match?" Telium snapped back. Eylaric's face hardened as he took another step closer to Telium.

"Listen carefully," he said icily. "Marcella is perfectly capable of making her own decisions, whether it concerns her performance or not. And if I support her in any way, shape, or form, then that is MY decision as section leader." I stood there silently, feeling overwhelmed by the intensity of their argument.

This wasn't how I wanted things to go between us, so I finally stepped in.

"Telium, This is my first time conversing with Eylaric all day. He simply asked me how I was doing. Why are you acting like this?" I asked him. "

"I'm sorry, Marcella," he said, his tone gentler. "But as I said, it's my job to ensure everyone functions at their best. And with you recovering from your match, I just want to ensure that nothing gets in the way of your training." I nodded, understanding his concern but still feeling frustrated by the situation.