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Abruptly, Caster puffed his chest out and shouted. “Lord Darksteel of Warrenhold! I come in peace! Please, let us speak! There is much I would say to you!”

And they waited.

Loren watched as Hector slowly descended toward them, though the armored man never actually touched down and instead remained hovering in the air.

Caster was the one to break the silence again. “Do you recognize me?”

“Caster Egmond,” said Hector. “The Marauder of Calthos.”

“We crossed paths at Dunehall, as I recall,” said Caster.

“We did.” Hector descended a bit further. “But that’s not the entire story, now is it? Caster Egmond is who you were, but is that still you? You’re different now. I can tell.”

Oh, Void. Loren tried to ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach.

“Aha. I have undergone some changes, yes. As have you, it would seem.”

Hector made no response.

“I know we were on opposite sides during that conflict, but we need not be so now,” said Caster. “Now that I am with the Fellowship, my obligations to Abolish are significantly altered. And yes, it is also true that I have had certain changes in... matters of the heart. In fact, forgive me if I am being too bold, but I feel that I may now have more of a kinship with you than with all my previous comrades in Abolish.”

What in the world? Where the hell was all this coming from? Loren didn’t understand.

Hector took his time. “...This cruise ship,” he said. “You’re the one who intervened the other day.”

“I am. Apologies for not announcing myself then. The situation was rather chaotic. It didn’t feel like the appropriate time. We both had our hands full.”

“What did you do with the passengers?”

“Did my man not tell you? They were taken in for medical care. Sadly, not all survived the ordeal, and many were injured.”

Why was Hector asking about that again, Loren wondered? Ah. Double-checking their story, maybe? Trying to see if Loren and Rezolo had lied to him.

“How did you make the ship disappear like that? That’s not like any kind of power I saw from you back at Dunehall.”

“Heh. Of course you are curious about that. And if we become allies, then perhaps I will tell you more. But until then, I’m afraid that information shall remain with me alone.”

“...And what exactly was it that caused this ‘change of heart’ of yours?”

“Perhaps that, too, would be best left unsaid. After all, you already know the answer, don’t you? Or at least have some idea, yes?”

And again, Hector made no response.