Viktor remembers first hearing the theory from Istredd--that the Summoned would eventually become gods. He'd dismissed it at the time, due to lack of evidence, but of course eight hundred imagined centuries has opened his eyes to it as a possibility, even if it's an unpleasant one. To cope, he told himself that such a future was only a possibility, and that he could prevent it from coming to pass.

Now, with the re-emergence of the Heralds, it seems more of an inevitability than before, though it's not something Viktor is prepared to accept. He imagines Istredd might be more resigned to it, but he's also the person who may have valuable insight.

"Who have you lost?"

The fluctuation of the domains is troubling. Viktor is fighting off incursions of his own, and though he's not purposefully seeking out Istredd, it might be good that they're crossing paths.