Dragoncrest Cliffs We can bow 'cause our music's warmer than blood

Yeah, me and a whole host of other people, kid. But it did no good to argue. Seriously, what good would it do? Maybe a while ago, he would have gotten kicks from yelling at a kid. Now, he was getting way too old for this shit.

Ephraim asked his permission to leave--well, at least in words, if not in intent--which amused him, though he didn't let it show. He shrugged, affecting dispassion. You do you, bro, Verx replied, glancing over to the coywolf. And then he turned, staring, hoping he would meet his eyes before he went.

Hey, Ephraim, he said, his voice serious again. About the thing with Blackb--uh, Easy, he amended, shaking his head. It's okay. Everything, really. It's all gonna be okay. War fucks you up for a little while and then you heal over.

He didn't know why he said it. Maybe just to not let his friend leave on such a sour note. But he felt he had to. He already felt sorta bad for getting all douchey just a moment before, though Ephraim totally had it coming. And even when the boy left, Vercingetorix watched him go, his chest tight. All this, even before he learned Aure was pregnant with his kids.

Man, he was gonna be a shitty father, wasn't he?