Izzy's refutation of servitude struck a certain chord with Cerasus. However, he didn't get pissy and aggravated by it, as seemed to be his usual reaction. Rather, he laughed at the notion. It was an incredibly disconcerting thing, as this was the first time Izzy had heard him laugh. It was, in a word, gruesome. Like the bark of a hyena, or the call of some predatory bird. It resounded from the empty walls of the abandoned school, making it seem as though the sound was coming from all around Izzy.

"Don't be ridiculous," he said after he had finished laughing. "You are my servant, and I am your master. This basic premise is the foundation of all of vampire kind, the underpinning of our very race. Under normal circumstances, I would strip the skin from you for speaking to me in such an insubordinate manner. I should not even tolerate being addressed as an equal by a newborn like yourself." The cruel mirth that possessed his face a moment ago faded, but he still carried a calm, almost amicable expression. "However, I have not forgotten that you saved my life, and for that I owe you a certain measure of leniency." He seemed to sober a bit more, his mood winding down into what almost seemed like a melancholy. "I will have to rely on you, going forward. I am at my weakest, and I will have need of you. Very soon, in fact."