One person admonishing him was bad enough, yet another was simply too much. Vidic’s words, cold and dark like ice, reminded Ernst that, yes, he was around people who were completely out of his league. His mind came to a stammering halt the moment Vidic expressed his relief at the thought of him dying as there would be one less person to share the gold with. 

[i]“These people are not the killers I’m used to,”[/i] was Ernst’s biggest thought, one that loomed over his mind which was ablaze with an ocean of ideas, responses and counter-arguments he could shoot the rune mage back with, and yet halted by sheer intimidation and indecision.

“But…,” was as far as his jaw went, till being met with a loss for words. Eyes still widened and focused much of the time on Marco, Ernst was now silent.