Alen, Mordain, and Varkos had never trusted the Dark Guild. Even as they worked alongside them, the unease was always there, lingering in every glance and every exchange. To them, the Dark Guild was not a partner, not truly. They were an ally forced upon them by circumstance, bound together by the weight of a larger, more dangerous goal.
For soldiers of the military, trust was not given lightly. It was earned on the battlefield, forged in the fire of combat and the bonds formed by fighting shoulder to shoulder against a common enemy. That was how soldiers grew closer, through shared wounds and shared victories.
And in the recent clash with the Cerebus Guild, the Dark Guild and Mordain's forces had stood together. They had endured the same attacks, faced the same deadly spells, and spilled blood side by side. For that brief moment, after the taste of victory lingered in the air, Mordain had allowed himself to lower his guard.
