"Kugas, I'm injured, not dead! Get out of my Mage Tower!"
While Medivh and the Spore Queen were dividing the spoils, Saruman was roaring inside a Mage Tower in Zaun City-State, driving another Seventh Rank mage out the door.
During the first landing battle on Sam Plane, Saruman was caught in the blast when the Indigenous Kingdom destroyed the Plane Portal. He had nearly been killed.
After the second landing battle succeeded, Saruman, gravely wounded and on the brink of death, returned to Zaun City-State through the Plane Portal.
Mages were selfish by nature. Throughout history, many had been gravely wounded only to have their friends and disciples forcefully claim their inheritance.
Noble knights were much better in that regard. If an old family patriarch was gravely wounded, his descendants would do everything they could to treat him instead of focusing on killing him.
When noble knights were injured, they had somewhere to recover in peace. Even if they were crippled, their families would provide for them and ensure they lived out the rest of their lives in comfort.
It was common for a noble knight in trouble to be rescued by other noble knights who braved the risks to come to his aid.
In the eyes of mages, that was foolish behavior. They would never put themselves in danger for another mage.
But when they themselves were cornered, they would envy those knights who never abandoned one another and wish someone would come to their aid.
Kugas and Saruman were mages from the same faction.
He claimed he had come to visit Saruman, but in truth, he wanted to find out whether Saruman had recovered.
If Saruman's recovery took too long, Kugas, his senior fellow disciple, would gladly claim his inheritance.
"The nerve of him!"
Saruman pounded the table