"You flatter me." He laughs, this time with more heart in the sound, leaning back a bit in his chair. "No, there is naught that is impressive about me at all. It was simply a stroke of chance I ended up with the Phoenix's blessing." Or curse. One could call it that as well for many reasons.

"But you - you've trained ever so hard. You have the respect of the men who follow you and you have earned it from your character alone, not because of the dragon within you."

Joshua, instead, cannot claim to have earned much of anything. The Undying followed him because of his blood. Clive was his brother by the Founder's good graces, but even then he feels as if he doesn't deserve half the loyalty and affection he's shown him over the years.