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The argument between the wardens reached a suddenly heightened pitch, prompting Vanderberk to start paying attention again.

"There must be recompense!" said the vice-warden in Valgan. "The prisoner must be made an example of for all to see! Cell Block Y will not settle for anything less! They are already our most volatile guards! If we do nothing to soothe their anger, this problem will worsen!"

Recompense? For what? Oh, were they upset at his treatment of them, Vanderberk wondered? Fragile little egos for fragile little men. A tale as old as time. But wait. Who then was this prisoner they wanted to punish?

"Such a request is improper and unwise!" said the warden. "Cease your blustering! There is a bigger picture here!" He turned to Vanderberk. "Forgive my vice-warden, sir. He speaks out of turn and knows not the level of respect that you and anyone in your custody deserves."

Oh, were they talking about the Rainlord kid over there? Vanderberk snickered. They wanted to make an example out of him?

Ah, that was right, wasn't it? The kid did make all of their veteran guardsmen look like fools, after all.

Idiots. Throwing a fit after the fact wasn't making them look any better. But perhaps the vice-warden was exaggerating their frustration. Middle management had a tendency to behave that way. Professing to do something for the sake of those below them, when in reality those below them couldn't have given less of a shit.

No telling. Vanderberk saw Marda eyeing him, silently waiting for permission. Vanderberk gave him a nod.

The vice-warden spoke up again, but he didn't even make it through his first word before Raga Marda's thick hand found his neck. The vice-warden clutched at the hand, vainly trying to free himself as Marda dragged him out of the office and out of Vanderberk's sight.

This was far from the first time that Marda had handled things in such a way. Honestly, Vanderberk wasn't even sure what the Tiger did with all the people he'd dragged off like that over the years. At first, Vanderberk had thought he was just throwing them out like a typical bouncer, but he'd recently heard some rumors from the men that Marda was actually chopping them up and eating them. Or flaying alive. Or collecting their brains in jars as gifts for Morgunov. Or all of the above, perhaps.

Vanderberk might have to ask him about that later.