Vincent watched with keen interest as he observed Maribeth go through the process of de-petrification. He found the magic at work to be interesting. The result of the magic he found to be pathetic as she curled up into a ball after going through the phases of panic. He sighed and crossed his arms over his chest while he stared down on the weak maid. He felt he should say something, but all he could think of was how vulnerable she looked. He [b]hated[/b] that.

He turned away from her considering who to rescue next when he finally said. "Take your time. Gather your wits. You are safe here now." He cringed internally at how forced it sounded to him. He prided himself on being smooth and articulate, but his frustration with her being so pathetic made him sound more like Father. He had mixed feelings about it. While on one hand using such a tone made him feel somewhat empowered. The other hand left him feeling bitter that he could speak in such a manner. He wanted to surpass his father not become him.

As he went from person to person he found the variation in their recovery fascinating. Vincent began to take mental notes for future reference, and began to consider the variables for the qualities of each person's soul. The cook's apprentice had an accent that nearly made him wince, but her passion and willingness to fight left him grinning instead. He responded with a quick nod and a "Yeah."

Once all eight that could be revived had been he heard Randy say:

[quote]"When this is over," said Randy in a careful tone, "and we've saved the world, may I remind you that you left me atop the Wall." [/quote]

Vincent rolled his eyes as if it were obvious. "Well, duh. As if I could forget that. You were the first person I saw become petrified. Not to mention you were cramping my style with lovely Kat. Ugh, I hope she's alright! Screw this day! Screw the damned Grit!" He threw a punch at the wall in frustration. Finally, all the stress that had been building up - the stress he was not aware he had until now - came to the surface. He kicked over a nearby chair and then just glowered at it while taking deep breaths.

As he calmed down, one question arose in the back of his mind: where was Father? Why was he not here?