Starius nearly choked on the food he was eating as he cast a surprised glance at Hiro. Tara too, was equally caught off guard. Starius hadn't been expecting Hiro to involve him like this.
"I... um..." Starius stammered. For a moment, a troubled expression crossed his face, but it quickly gave way to his usual cheerful demeanor. "Sure, My Lord."
He handed his half-finished bowl to Tara and made his way through the crowd. Hiro extended a hand to help him up onto the platform, before stepping back and handing over the limelight to Starius.
Now standing at the front of the stage, Starius faced the crowd. He looked a little less sure of himself, clearly not used to situations like this.
"Well... as some of you might've heard," he began, "Tara and I grew up as friends. I was an orphan who lived in the same neighborhood as her in Vigne."
