At the gathering hall at Golgotha, Squires and Lancers have the evening's meal, while the Champions eat in solitude elsewhere. Zoltan is accompanied by his fellow squires in Delta Training Lance: Arika Corban the Himarian Vartan (who has been appointed Training Sergeant), Cryptic the Paradysian white tiger-Sphynx, and Tor Sapphire the son of Den Leader Danae Sapphire.

Zoltan finds out about Tor's parentage, and his desire to join the Black Lance someday, under the Champion of Ashes. He also learns that Arika is from Himar, and that she wants to fight against enemies such as the Babelites who would drop a "Boomer" on Himar like that. He is moved when he learns that Cryptic was one of the Sphynxes on Paradys who had moved to block fiery darts from hitting the envelope of the Silver Bell – using their bodies to do so – in the bloody battle against Amenlichtli, Goddess of Death.

Thorn, of the Magenta Lance, congratulates the Delta Lance for coming in third place in the fake "attack" on the potatoes … a good placing for a newly-formed Training Lance. She also indicates that next in training will come riding lessons on drokars. (Zoltan muses that this will wear out the only part of him that hasn't been abused yet by the various training lessons at Golgotha!)