"SO WHEN YOU MEAN LOSSES, YOU MEAN DEATH?"
Casselba averts her eyes and doesn't reply Ryan. Caden knows she doesn't want to confirm his question so he does.
"This is the world, son," he begins, offering his own reply. "I'm sure you know there's always the good people and bad people. Villains and heroes. Knights and Dragons, or whatever. The point is there'll always be such. Sometimes, these parties have to clash..."
Caden trails off, glancing to Casselba.
In the moment of their eye contact, Ryan becomes locked in his own thoughts. Of course he knew there were good people and bad people. He wasn't five. But what Caden was talking about is battle.
Storming right through the Woods of Los Padres to get to Hiram would lead to conflict. Conflict that could only end in one way. Blood.
Ryan could clearly see now what Phase Two meant. Phase Two meant war.
