Vangelos listened quietly to Violet's tale. His staff, dull and quiet, lay on his knees. He thought back about the light that had flashed in the room and receded without even the faintest glimmer. Vangelos had not been able to summon it again. He wished he could; with so many shadows lurking over him, the magic would have been a welcome companion.<br/>"You've had a very difficult past." Vangelos said after Violet finished telling about her past, "But I admire you in that you didn't let it overcome you. Being abandoned by one's parents and then seen as an abomination... there are no words to describe the suffering that is caused by that."<br/>For a moment Vangelos remained quiet as if deep in thought.<br/>"My story is similar in some respects. I became an orphan at a very young age. Too young in fact to even remember their faces. I was told they died, but no one can honestly say for sure. I was taken under the care of an orphanage. One that was infamous in it's ways of brainwashing children and subjugating them to experiments. It burned down about 11 years ago. I fled and was taken care for by a wizard named Adriel. Through his wisdom I learned that the world was not a dark place to be feared, but that there was love, kindness, and joy to be had. He taught me a lot. Not just about life but magic too. He was always smiling no matter what. Never had an unkind word to say...." By now tears were welling up in Vangelos' eyes, but he managed to keep them from trickling down his face.<br/>"I miss him."