Ethan had known since Cedric had been taken away that the Church had been responsible. Yet he'd never fully understood why they had taken his mentor, nor why they had taken him for as long as they had. They'd encountered some resistance to their being Magi while traveling but never anything serious, nothing that would earn them the Church's aggression. Or so he'd like to think but clearly he was mistaken as they had been attacked several times now. That was because of Cedric? Or rather because Ethan himself knew Cedric? A pit formed in his stomach when he contemplated that and came to a rather unpleasant and disheartening realization: the Church had attacked them because of him. Or if not solely because of him he had given them reason to chase and exposed everyone else to the danger. How hadn't he managed to realize that before? He was such an idiot!

"Kid, I don't know what shit you've been spoon fed but the Saints aren't exactly benevolent sorts. They're up heck knows where watching while we scurry around like rats, killing each other over trivial shit," Taliya rebutted, "Don't be getting the idea that they're your friends. Yeah us Magi get our magic from them but that's where the relationship ends, got it? No praying or offerings are going to get them on your side, they're more content to watch us flounder about." That was the cold hard truth of the matter, no childish naivete was going to change that. At the end of the day Magi were no different from a regular soldier, they were given tools to fight and made to do so, like it or not. If one died then so be it, such was the cost of wielding their power. Whether the enemy was the Void, the Church or one of the corporations they were simply used to fight, nothing more.

Hearing that the Saints were so indifferent to them didn't sit right with Ethan either. Why would they bother granting anyone power if they didn't care? Why would they give people the ability to heal or protect others if they just saw mortals as ants? It didn't add up but he couldn't find it in himself to totally rebuke it either; the Church had been trying to kill them for some time and they had never gotten any help from the Saints, chances were they weren't even being watched right now. They were just some kids out in the world struggling to make it then huh? 

Even so they had gotten this far on their own and they had to keep going. They needed to find Amuné's parents, or at the very least what happened to them. They had to help Cecil discover who he truly was and find some peace of mind. Nymira had her clan's goals in mind and they could help her along the way too. Ethan himself needed to find Cedric and figure out what was going on with everything. Though his goal might not have to wait, not if there was someone right before him who had the answers. Swallowing back nerves he looked to Taliya and smiled nervously as she arched an eyebrow, uncertain how to even go about asking now that it was finally coming up.

"I'm uh... 18. And I haven't seen Cedric in... About a month, maybe a little more. He was taken away and when people started to talk I got worried and went after him." They had left in a carriage however and Ethan had been on foot, catching up to them was clearly not going to happen. With a massive head start and moving faster they were no doubt already in the inner cities while he was still out here, aimlessly wandering trying to pick up a trail.

"If you know where he's being kept please tell me. I can't just leave now that I found someone with answers," Ethan pleaded with a look between Kensen and Taliya both. Feeling a lump forming in his throat he tried to clear it, pushing a smile to his lips again as he moved forward. "If he's in one of the inner cities I'll keep going, I'll find a way to help him out. Or if he was accused of some crime then I'll help to clear him, I don't care what it is. Just let me know how I can get to him and-" The next few words made Ethan's voice catch in his throat and his heart nearly stop. He'd misheard, right?

"Cedric is dead, kid."

"D-Dead...?" Ethan repeated as though the words were utterly alien to him. Staring back at Taliya's stern expression he blinked once before letting out a nervous laugh, shaking his head in disbelief. "N-No way! Cedric wouldn't be dead! They have no reason to hurt him, never mind kill him! They have to be just holding him somewhere, waiting for a trail. Don't joke like that, tell me where he is!" No response came and an inaudible sob escaped Ethan's mouth as his eyes began to shine. 

"It's not a fucking joke, Cedric's gone kiddo. They executed him about two weeks ago." Taliya didn't like saying it anymore than Ethan wanted to hear it but he had to know the truth. The look on his face was a lot like her own had been when she'd heard the news, something between anguish and disbelief. It was better that he learn though than be allowed to believe a lie.

"The old man you knew wasn't exactly some homebody, some innocent old geezer who just sat on his fucking porch all day telling stories to brats like you. Before he lived in that dump you call home he was here with us. Hell he was the leader of this little group of ours." Rising to her feet Taliya approached Ethan and frowned at his emotionless expression. Growling in frustration she reached out and smacked him across the face, a look of disgust on her face as he whimpered and stumbled back. "Accept the truth kid, he's dead! He thought he'd have a comfy retirement off in the woods somewhere but they hunted his ass down and brought him back. He knew the risk when he was fighting against them but he did it anyways, and he paid the price."

"No! He's not dead! You're lying!" Ethan shouted as tears fell, shaking his head and trying to shove Taliya, only to have his arm grabbed and wrenched behind his back while he was pushed to the ground. "He's not... He's not dead! He can't be!" He just couldn't fathom it, Cedric being part of... Whatever this was, fighting against the Church. That wasn't the smiling old man he remembered, the one who cracked bad jokes and spent almost every afternoon teaching him how to use magic. The man who told stories to children in the town, the man who helped the town with is magic, no way could that person have done anything to earn his execution. Sobbing as he struggled against Taliya's grasp he groaned when his face was pushed against the floor, looking back up at the woman holding him. There was no sympathy there or understanding, only annoyance and disgust. 

"If he was your teacher too then why aren't you sad? Why aren't you crying too?!" Ethan shouted, choking out a sob and finally pulling free as Taliya released him. Settling on his rear he looked up at Taliya in confusion, visibly shaking as his emotions ran wild. "I don't... He can't... He..."

"He's dead. I don't care if you believe me or not but that's the reality of it. It's why I'm here in charge now instead of him." Scoffing as Ethan continued to cry she rolled her eyes and walked back to the crate she'd sat on, easing herself down onto it and running a hand back through her hair. "I had my grieving and now life goes on, time doesn't stop when someone dies. We owe it to Cedric to keep moving and not turn into a wallowing fucking mess like you are right now. Are you just going to give up on everything now that you know that? Come on kid, show me you've got some spine." Nothing, no response other than rattled sobs and the occasional unintelligible word. Shaking her head in disbelief she looked at Nymira then, seeing the Dimuran more confused than anything by the exchange. She didn't expect Nymira to get it, their type always were funny about people dying. So long as it had honor then there was no reason to be sad or something like it.