The sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach is masked by the intensity of emotion already writ large across his face. "So that's how much you..." He can't quite finish the sentence, dropping his head and shoulders trembling with his own shaky breath in.

It wasn't just because of that, and if it had been, was that so wrong? To hope for a little good favor from a prestigious sect when he had nothing? And to see what he had thought was a true brotherhood grow from it?

"I won't ask it again, Brother," he vows when he looks up with tear-streaked cheeks. "I give you my word that none of those things will happen again. Why... why would they, why would I have reason to? I regret it all. All I can ask is that you believe it." his voice hopeless at the end.