(New scene. A crowd of Volrath’s knights are gathering on the roof of the castle.)
Stoic: Eventually, the real world began to creep into this hideaway we had created for ourselves. I still vividly remember one afternoon when we had a visitor. 
(The group turns to see a tamed griffin land on the roof. A man steps off)
Stoic: This was Miles Stormblade, who at the time was Deputy Grandmaster. He had arrived on behalf of the current grandmaster, Drake Ramzad.
Stormblade: Afternoon, folks.
Fiona: Did you get lost?
Stormblade: Quite the opposite. I’m glad to have found my way to your establishment. I request a private audience with your leader.
(Volrath speaks from off-stage. His theme plays and we’re on a timer)
Volrath: Anything you have to say to me you will say in front of them.
(He walks out from one of the turrets)
Stormblade: If you wish. The Grandmaster has asked to make an appeal to you. Solest is certainly big enough for two knighthoods, but we are all concerned about the falsehoods you are spreading about the Solendians.
Volrath: Falsehoods? Can you name any?
Stormblade: The Grandmaster would not appreciate me getting distracted by petty details. We humbly request that you tone down your rhetoric.
Volrath: I’ll do no such thing. Now get out.
Stormblade: What is this crusade of yours really about, boy? Anyone can see through this ruse of giving out knight status to any fool who asks…that’s not the reason you’ve done this. 
Drikk: Hey, just wait—
Volrath: No, let him finish.
Stormblade: You’re angry, Volrath. You’re angry at your peers, angry at the Solendians, and even angry at Arcadius, if what I have heard about your speeches is true. You can’t create a knighthood simply out of rage.
(pause)
Volrath: You’re out of your element, Deputy Grandmaster. Here “anger” is not a dirty word. We do not view emotions as an inconvenience the way you people do. But that doesn’t matter…because you’re wrong. Someone so covered in the corruption that seeps through Solendus could never hope to understand what we plan to achieve here.
(pause)
Stormblade: Don’t do this. You may be misled, but you are driven. You could go far in the right environment. Leave this crowd of misfits and return to the city where you were raised. You could do great things. If not….things could become very ugly.
(long pause)
Volrath: You insult them, and you insult me! You think I would leave behind the true companionship I have found here to return to a role as a mere tool used to operate your self-serving machine?! You will regret this, Stormblade. You haven’t even begun to see what we can do.
(pause)
Stormblade: Young fool. You have no idea how the world works.
Volrath: Oh, I do…and it’s a disgrace.
(Stormblade and the griffin fly off. The screen becomes black and white)
Stoic: Looking at his eyes as Stormblade left, I caught my first glimpse of something I had only heard about from others at the compound. Those of us who knew Volrath as our leader…or sometimes, our teacher….saw mostly compassion, but Stormblade was not entirely wrong. There was also anger there. Anger that ran deep. His expression wasn’t some dramatic grimace….totally the opposite. That cold stare made everyone around uneasy, even though it wasn’t directed our way. Once in a while I would hear bits of conversation between others talking about how unnerved they were in similar situations. So far he had been able to hold all that anger inside…but if he ever lost control of it…..nobody wanted to think about what he might be capable of.