The others offered their rebuttals to Sorin, but the ancient vampire merely sighed and shook his head, brushing his white hair out of his face. He couldn't get too frustrated at them, he had to remind himself. They were practically children, after all. Not enough worldly experience to understand anything beyond their own, narrow view, and no perspective outside of their tiny, isolated worlds. Perhaps he had been similar, long ago. Now, though, he knew too much. A black thought, a solemn reminder of his mission, resurfaced in Sorin's mind. His expression darkened as he remembered his true goal in having been brought among these people.

Sorin stepped forward, toward the door of the armory, his amber eyes, alive with passion, sweeping over the small crowd assembled. "Speak all you like of ideals, and how very much they mean to you. I have no doubt you mean what you say, but reality is rarely kind enough to allow such pure intentions." He looked at Saber, though with a strange look in his eyes, as though he was speaking to someone he knew well. "Of course, slay the monster, and whatever follows it. But what of the monster that comes next? And the one after? Will you have the strength to stop increasingly greater evils? Will you have any strength left at all? When your back is against the wall, and you have no choice but to run, what will you do?" Looking to the man in the suit, he added on, "When the ship is sinking, and and there is no rescue."

He then turned to face Vash, his eyes cold and hard. "Will your ideals save you then? Perhaps they will be broken on the shield of truth. Perhaps you will break them, yourself." Once again, he turned back to Saber. "Will you still do what is 'right,' young 'king?' Even if your people scorn you for saving them? Cast you out merely for seeing what they cannot?" Sorin took a step back, eyes cast to the floor, with his hair hanging over his face forlornly. "These trials shall come to you in time, rest assured. When the day dawns that you must face the truth..." His voice dropped into something between an angered growl and a disquieted whisper, "Hope to have allies as I have had."

With that, he turned on his heel and left the armory, exiting back out into the schizophrenic city. The sun was out, and Sorin growled in irritation. He had quite enough light for one day. He hiked up the hood of his armor, letting the more agreeable shadow shield his eyes from the oppressive sun. This had been a trying day, and even the magical revitalization he was granted after the trial hadn't helped his current emotional tiredness. That, and such a great expenditure of energy had woken the hunger in him. He needed to find a dark, isolated corner to hide in, and a strong, healthy neck to bite down on.