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Leo was also sharing in the marshal’s laughter. “They are a stubborn bunch, aren’t they? I’ve started to like that ‘bout ‘em, though. They say what they mean. Don’t try to trick ya with pretty words.”

“Yes, I can certainly see the appeal,” said Graves. And he paused to give Leo another look. “I must admit, however, that I am quite curious as to how you ended up in their company, Mr. Leonardo. They do not strike me as the type to accept others into their ranks easily, even those with famous names such as yourself; nor have you ever struck me as the type to throw in with a group with such strict ideas about lifestyle and structure. I always thought you were more of a free spirit.”

Leo bobbed his head to the side. “Yeah, well, it’s good to try out different things, now and again, ya feel me? Much as we might like to think otherwise, this world of ours just keeps on changin’. If we don’t change with it, then what’s gonna happen, ya think? A clash. Between us and it. And that’s not good for anybody, now is it?”

Graves fell briefly quiet again. “An interesting perspective.”

“Yeah, I been doin’ lotta thinkin’. Maybe a bit too much, honestly. But that’s prolly ‘cuz it’s long overdue.” He broke for another chuckle. “But what about you, Mr. Hawk? How you feelin’ ‘bout your place in the world, hmm?”

“...Why do I get the impression that you’re trying to sell me something?”

“Mm? Dunno, man. I’m just genuinely curious ‘bout your state of mind, daddy-o. When’s the last time someone asked you ‘bout these sorts of things?”

“With respect, this hardly seems like the appropriate--”

“Nah, bro, this is important. Listen. It’s super easy for us ol’ fossils to end up all alone with no one to have real conversations with, y’know? I’m worried about it. And as a matter of fact, now that I’m really lookin’ atcha and listenin’ to ya, I’m actually startin’ to get some real concernin’ vibes from ya, pal. Like you’re tryin’ to avoid havin’ a very important and necessary conversation about your own well-bein’. ‘Cuz there’s always somethin’ else to distract yourself with, right? I know it, and I know you know it, brother.”

Where in the hell was this going, Diego wondered?

And judging from the look on his face, the exact same question seemed to be occurring to Field Marshal Graves.

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“Can’t blame ‘em for bein’ excited,” said Leo. “Not every day that such a big shakeup in the established order ‘o things happens, y’know? How many times have you clashed with some big name baddie and caused untold destruction, only for you both to walk away in the end, unscathed?”

Graves returned a nod. “Such is the nature of near-immortals being at war.”

“You said it. Really makes a guy think, after a while.”

“About what, precisely?”

“About the point of it all.”

That left a silence in its wake as the two men merely looked at one another.

Then Graves eyed everyone else, who’d just been listening quietly as they conversed.

What was he thinking right now, Diego wondered? He had a feeling that these two could’ve gone on for hours, just chatting away--and hell, maybe the Rainlords wouldn’t have even minded listening, either. It was really something, being able to hear what two old servants had to say to each other.

If only the battle for Ridgemark hadn’t still been going on.

“In any case, thank you all for coming,” said Graves, finally taking his seat. “As the hostilities here continue to wind down, I wanted to make one final attempt to convince you all to come with me to Czacoa. I know you said that you wished to leave as soon as Ridgemark is deemed fully secure again, but it seems to me that we could still be very useful to one another.”

This again, huh? Diego was mildly surprised. He thought the Hawk had already given up on that.

The Lady Rayen Merlo spoke up first. “Did the Lord Elroy not make our position quite clear the last time you asked?”

Graves made no response.

Perhaps because Zeff indeed had made it quite clear. Diego remembered the conversation well. Rarely had he ever heard Zeff sound so authoritative and unmovable.

Which was saying a lot.

Rayen kept going. “Or perhaps you were thinking that the rest of our minds might be more malleable with him not present?” Despite the bite in her words, she had a gentle, almost musical voice. Two of her sons sat on either side of her, Gil and Andre, and they were even taller than she was, making that side of the table look not unlike a fortress wall.

Graves chuckled. “I have never been under the impression that the Rainlords of Sair are--or might ever become--‘malleable.’ And I pity anyone who treats you as such.”