"Perhaps," said Anton with a frown, "or perhaps I have misjudged Wreath, though I wouldn't have thought it likely. Our first meeting left very little to misjudge." Then again, surprises abounded and even someone as experienced as Anton met them every now and then. After a moment he returned to the same task.

"There is a great divide between sorcerers and those without magic--mortals. Some would claim there isn't, but even most of those who view mortals fondly see them as people to be protected rather than equals." Corrival Deuce was one of them. Among the greatest men Anton knew, and among the least condescending men Anton had ever known, yet he saw the power of magic as a tool to be used from the shadows in mortals' defence. He didn't believe they could handle the truth.

"The effects of magical longevity fade when a sorcerer stops using magic. Some make that choice willingly, but they are few. For most sorcerers, the application of actively binding chains deny them a vital sense of identity while reducing them to an inferior class of person." Anton glanced over at Raine. "Necromancers seek immortality, and they define themselves by their magic even more than most sorcerers. It is ... surprising ... that Wreath would willingly give up the only thing which currently lengthens his lifespan."