When it was time, Lyren followed Kai and Jason out of the cabin. Kai's plan sounded solid, so he simply agreed to it. Ready for anything at any moment. That was rule one of monster hunting, never let your guard down. That's how people got killed. He didn't have to wonder long what it was that Kai wanted to talk about. The other mage slung an arm around the Dark Mage's shoulders, forcing him to hunch over a little bit. Lyren instantly tensed up, not sure what to expect. For all he knew the other mage meant to kill him. But no, it was worse than that. It was yet another, it isn't the magic but the mage speech. Though Kai used the wrong word during part of it. Consume. Lyren could have just brushed it off, if not for that word.
Lyren paused in his steps and Kai moved away to give him some space. "It isn't me you have to give that speech to. Its everybody else. I didn't say that to the old man for my sake, but for his. I'm the only currently living Dark Mage who still has their mind and sanity. People don't trust me and they never will. The past would consume me? My own freaking magic would if not for this." Lyren pulled his shirt to the side, showing Kai the rune that protected him from going insane. Lyren went silent after that, wondering how the others would react to that. Only Dark Mages and those who knew Dark Mages knew the true. This was one case where it really wasn't the mage, it was the magic. Lyren was trying his hardest for people to ignore the magic and see the mage. But with his reputation it just wasn't happening.