(Back to the present. They’re in front of the castle. Shroud is looking away from the others)
Stoic: And it all happened right here in this castle.
Baron: Damn…your eye! That must have hurt like crazy!
Stoic: To be honest, I forgot it had even happened once I heard the news.
(Baron looks at Shroud)
Baron: Shroud, are you crying?
(Shroud jumps)
Shroud: No!
Baron: But how did Volrath die? You made him sound like a one-man army!
Stoic: It was his advisor, Sandrahar.
Laurel: He had manipulated Volrath from the beginning. Saw his anger at Arcadius and fanned those flames in order to suit his own purpose.
Stoic: I see Dasani made sure you were well-read. Yes, that was the situation. Sandrahar convinced Volrath that if they combined their skills, they could cast a powerful spell that would draw upon Perditia’s dark strength. He promised Volrath this power would give him the strength to crush the Solendians for good.
(pause)
Stoic: He had been inside the castle the entire battle…fighting off a group of warriors who had teamed with the knighthood. One of them was a childhood friend…in that way, it was almost exactly like Enkur and me. But they didn’t want him dead, they just wanted to stop him from casting that spell.
Shroud: Did they cast it?
Stoic: They did…just as it was complete, Sandrahar turned on Volrath. He wanted the power for himself. Somehow the others in the castle were able to defeat him.
(pause)
Stoic: I didn’t even find any of this out for almost a year after the battle.
Baron: It goes to show….pick your friends carefully!
Shroud: Is the necromancer we’re after trying to get his hands on whatever power that elf found?
Stoic: ….Believe it or not, I hope that’s what he’s doing. But if it’s what I fear, that it’s much worse.
(ENTER THE CASTLE!)