Callum   I could answer this rather easily given what they all did to bring me back. All of them sacrificed something for me, and the echoes I heard across the planes convinced me I'm among friends. Something I didn't think I'd have this many of in a long time. But there's more to it than that. Things happened before my resurrection that stand out too.   Regulus: "Got a death wish?" And who would have thought that would be something we'd jokingly yell to one another for both inspiration and as a call to battle? The mighty Leonin surprised me with how quickly he was willing to trust me, and it all started with those words.   Atka: I know I wasn't in the best state of mind when she asked me about my dealings with devils and how it might apply to her, but the fact that she trusted me, even in anger, was something that resonated with me. It's not the first time we've confided in one another, but that felt even more personal.   Angus: The many things we've shared...Always he's been there. At the summit, at the summit again, promising to take care of Zora...But truthfully, the moment that stands out the most was when I first showed my face to him and told him my past. The first thing he offered to do was help me break free of Hell's grasp. No hesitation. Not judgement. He'd face down the Infernal Legions beside me without a second thought. No wonder he's my brother.   Kal: I've had many reasons to trust him since we first crossed paths, and as the days have passed, his intelligence is a marvel to me as well as how he applies it. But the moment that stands out was when the Wandering Spirits was attacked and Sadachbia had been wounded by the bone claw. Before I could step out the door, he gave me the means to not just stand a chance, but to win. "Don't hold back." He knows who I am, and he stands beside me for it.   Illidrex: Ours is an interesting dynamic, and one that I'd like to think has grown on another in a way that need not be spoken. At least not to one another. And as we've adventured together, it seems we have that mutual understanding despite whatever misgivings we might have. Shaking hands at the tower despite our views proved to me this man is worthy of respect.   Sadachbia: Again, lots of moments jump to mind, but I don't think I'll forget what started our friendship. When I asked for discretion after I revealed my true nature in the sewers, he didn't blink, didn't think anything of it. That moment began a series of confidences in one another, and one I'm glad to share with the man who I still believe to be some kind of prophet in his own way.   Honorine: We've worked together several times to great effect, but at the tower, when we both learned a truth about one another we wished kept secret, and the mutual understanding of our plights...There was something that needn't be spoken there, and one I've come to understand brought us closer to one another and reinforced the truth that Honorine is someone I'm lucky to call friend.   Orion: The Imp...what else can I say that hasn't already been proven? Long before fate brought us back together, he's shown me he'll always be there for family. The fact that he was willing to put aside my hasty judgment when he revealed Imperious reminds me to be better as a man, but also as a brother, as well as a warrior of Heaven.

Journal Entry   Random Thoughts - sometime before the blue hour   Date in question: 20-some days ago   -------------   The bonds of trust have been challenged, unmade.   My foundations of reliance upon their helpfulness and dependence is cracked. I cannot nurture the garden bed when the roots have been cut out so thorough that their lack will now deny the growth and nourishment of the budding plants anew, and discard the long-term fertility within the soil (yes, I was raised on a farm; plants are second nature). If they would all blatantly disregard someone in their favor's desperate plea to help them--to help us all, what would they dare do to "help" me?   Shame on the lot. Shame on me.   ~ Atka Marduk