All the men were split into ten groups and taken to ten different rooms.
Leomere, Joz, Parele, Eldermar, a set of twins and two other guys were put in the same group.
"Gentleman get acquainted with one another." The royal guard advised.
"I feel like I'm being held captive in an evil queen's dungeon." Eldermar blurted out.
Parele gave him a sarcastic look. "Its all part of the training, I guess?"
The room was quite small, but just big enough for each of them to reserve a small spot. Though it had two large windows, the breeze wasn't generous.
Most of the guys seemed well off. Why go through all these just for a contest.
Leomere was starting to think the royals used subterfuge to obtain contestants.
"Do these people think we are dogs or something? Two mats, a mangy looking blanket?? Disgusting." Eldermar kept on complaining.
Although he was starting to feel he was was the only one complaining, he had no regrets.
"Being stuck in a room with such people is torture." A red hair in the room, he looked like he was in his late twenties. Probably older than all the men in the room.
"Exactly!" Joz growled
"The name's Lustros."
"Joz."
"At least I'm not the only fang here." Lustros hooted.
"Oh good lord!" Eldermar screamed, which made everyone give him an intense stare.
"What the heck are you doing?" He asked, with eyes almost bulging out of their socket.
Lydan blinked feeling confused. "I'm hot, so I'm taking my shirt off..."
He stared at his friend Parele with raised eyebrows.
Making sure he wasn't the only one seeing this.
"Yeah Eldermar, why are screaming? Are you okay?" Parele asked.
Parele swallowed thinking of a reply and trying his best not to show his undying embarrassment.
Eldermar let out a nervous laugh "...its nothing perry, sorry guys."
"Weird." Parele mumbled to himself.
"Hey!" Joz barked as he pinned Eldermar to the wall.
He frowned, his brow furrowing. His face only a few inches away from Eldermar's. He stared deeply into Eldermar's eyes. Eldermar who was profusely sweating, felt like his face was being pierced. Joz stared even more, till he saw some sparkle in his eyes.
"Who are you?" He asked after some time. Everyone one could see Eldermar was in discomfort, but no one dared to intervene. Leomere wanted to, but he didn't want any involvement with a fang.
Tensed, Eldermar stood silently mulling over Joz's words.
"Joz!" Lustros called out. "Quit wasting your time, let him be."
Joz didn't want to, but he couldn't disobey lustros's order as he was much older than him.
Joz sat quietly at the corner lost in thought.
Eldermar was smaller and shorter than an average man.
"A man with a full grown beard wouldn't have so many complains." Joz thought. He's so immature and naive. Eldermar couldn't be less than thirty with a beard like that.
Joz groaned throwing his head backwards
"There was something about those eyes... Bullseye!" Joz finally solved the puzzle.
Joz didn't have taste for such trivial matters. But this particular one intrigued him.
"No surprise he's got the scent of ivy." He added.
It was all clear to him now. Glimpses of Eldermar's face tightened his chest.
"Oh my fiery hair!" Joz said as his eyes turned red.
How on earth would anyone try such treachery?
"Could Eldermar be a girl???"