Master Zoaraym ' s Tale , Part 2 Content . " I stifled back my gasp at the mer ' s impertinence , to even suggest that he would be worthy to fight with those of us who had trained so hard . To my surprise , the archpriest agreed , adding the name Taren Omathan to the roster at the beginners ' level . I was eager to whisper the news to my fellow elite students , but my first bout was scheduled to begin in a few minutes ' time . " I fought eighteen competitions in a row , besting all . The crowd gathered in the arena knew of my prowess , and gave polite , unsurprised applause at the end of each fight . As much as I focused on my own battles , I could not help noticing that other competitions were receiving more and more attention in the arena . The spectators whispered among themselves , and more began drifting away to see something that was evidently more spectacular and unusual than my unbroken string of victories . " One of the most important lessons we teach from the Two - Moons Dance is the lesson of rejecting one ' s vanity . I understood then the importance of achieving a personal synchronicity with one ' s body and mind , of rebuffing outside influences of no importance , but I admit I had not accepted the lesson in my heart . I knew I was good , but my pride was hurt . " It came down to a contest of champions , and I was one of the two . When I saw who the other fighter would be , my mood turned from one of wounded dignity to complete disbelief . My adversary was the servant , Taren . " It must be a joke , or some final philosophical test , I reasoned . Then I looked into the crowd , and saw anticipation of a great battle to come in every eye . We gave one another the sign of respect , I stiffly and he with great elegance and modesty . The fight began . " Initially , I sought to end it quickly , still thinking that he was unworthy to be cleaning the arena , let alone fighting in it . In retrospect , I was being illogical , as I must have known he had bested as many students as I had to reach that final level . He offered simple counterblows to my attacks , and responded in kind . His style was expansive , encompassing sophisticated arcane foot play one moment and simple jabs and kicks the next . I tried assailments intended to dazzle , but his face never showed either fear or contempt of my abilities . " The fight lasted for a long time . I don ' t recall when I realized I was destined to lose , but when it ended , I was not surprised with the outcome . With a sense of unusual and true modesty , I bowed to him . But I could not resist asking him as we left the arena to the sound of thunderous applause how he had so secretly grown to become a Master . " ' I never had a choice to rise in the Temple , ' Taren replied . ' Every day , I cleaned the training chambers of the elite classes and then the beginners ' . So you see , I never had the misfortune to forget those early mistakes , lessons , and techniques while observing and learning the ways of the Masters . ' " He left Torval early the next morning to return to his homeland , and I never saw him again , though I ' ve heard people saw that he ' s become a priest and a teacher . I became a teacher as well , for children just beginning their training in the Two - Moons , as well as the elite . And I make certain to bring my best pupils to see the how the unlearned fight , so that they might never forget . "