"How convenient." He laughed, an edge of bitterness to the sound. "It's as though it's all a front for something else. Such a surprise."

And an inconvenience. Oh yes, they were allies now, at least until such time it was beneficial to be otherwise. "Are there guns to be found here? My magic, since arriving, has proven...unreliable. Perhaps it's a byproduct of the transfer." Or his death, but that needn't be discussed.