"I had to know, Thayva. It may have been a bit sudden, but it was better to get that out of the way now than to stay in suspense. Still, you may have a point." Serapis replied. "I... suppose that this and other incidents have been getting the better of me lately. Its always like this, one thing after another." 

------------------

Aurelian staggered back in the little ring. His opponent was a brown-skinned lizardfolk, about his size. Wrestling was just one of many sports available at the orphanage, especially for those who wanted to go into martial professions one day. The rules of the match were such that claws and bites weren't allowed, but almost anything else was fair game as long as it didn't lead to serious injury. He pushed against his opponent, sending the reptilian backwards, his clawed feet struggling to find purchase in the arena's sandy floor.

Track was Laura's least favorite activity in gym, if not the entire orphanage. Though she was quite fit for a female dwarf, her relatively bulky frame was far from ideal for the lengthy running required by the track. Stumbling over a tumbleweed, she was almost a lap behind Kia. By now, her feet started to burn, which was unsurprising given the friction of the surface underfoot.

Meanwhile, Jorn kept up his pushups, glad that Laura wasn't there to see that he was having a hard time with them.