[Suzerain of Sheol]

Shealtiel is surprised at the wisdom in the warrior's words. He'd figured him for little more than a brute. "Indeed," he answers. "Look at the mighty Cherubim, who once sat before that throne. Hiding, every one of them. And who wouldn't? Eternal life is a precious, precious thing."

Falling silent to consider for a moment, he nods and meets the man's eyes once more. "There's a statement, somewhere, in the behavior of the Saints, a pervasive human truth. Most of us want to be slaves, and the thought of having something to die for, well..." He chuckles. "We all have our hubris. Honor is theirs. The martyr's delusion. Let them have it, I say. Let them humble us all. We're the ones who are left standing in their wake, the ones who have no use for honor. The survivors."

He takes several steps forward, pointing with his cane. "Wise words. True words. Well said."