Many of the memories lost to the Xaelan following his awakening had seen themselves returned to him after having been left alone to his thoughts the night previous. It was odd, he thought. That something so important could have been so easily forgotten; a concern he had later rationalised as merely being the result of a head injury - though even while accepting such reasoning, a part of him continued to dare wonder if it were truly the work of a weaker side within him, a side that was still clinging to the idle hope that what he had experienced were merely vivid fragments of a ruthless dream.
"......."
That night was a sleepless one. Even after his initial antagonism, the Xaelan found a surprising lack of initiative to take his leave under dark the cover of the night. He had of course noted the presence of a pair of guards that had taken residence just outside of his door over the course of the night, though neither that nor the likelihood of being caught in what would likely be a dizzying attempt to vacate these lands had truly warded him away from the idea. What was there to achieve by leaving? What was there to earn by staying? Neither question had a promising answer for the warrior, and so, perhaps that was the only reason that Yura had come to greet him within his room now rather than have her gaze meet with that of his worthless corpse.
The fading remnants of the evening light shyly glanced upon his features, creating a rather somber scene as he stood before the single window within his room, a window, through which, revealed unto him a very different world from the one he had always known. A strange world where the values he and his kind had been taught to hold above all else did not seem to apply. Though still appearing proud and dutiful in their daily tasks, the Raen in this settlement seemed to be in possession of a lifestyle that almost seemed completely devoid of worry and suspicion. It was a curious existence to behold, something which left Nhogai unable to decide whether he should loathe or envy them.
Deepening shadows reached across his face as his focus calmly turned upon the doorway now, the fading veil of orange continuing to cast a thin, but bouncing light upon his nearest cheek as his eyes ventured away from the diluting gradient of the evening sky to meet with Yura's, greeting her with the same silence she would with him as he awaited her to make her intentions clear.
"Would you allow me to check your wounds? she asked rather forwardly with the same, distinct voice that seemed completely devoid of all emotion.
Nhogai blinked slowly as he watched her for a moment, his expression giving the impression of neutrality, though with all else easily giving away the fact that he had up until now still been lost to his own thoughts.
"You needn't concern yourself with me" was his initial response as his gaze returned outside of the window. His tone, though flat and dismissive was anything but defiant this time around.
"It's not as though I will be around much longer for you to see your efforts come to any sense of value anyways."
![[Image: ecec20e41f.png]](https://puu.sh/xvMxb/ecec20e41f.png)
Characters: Andre Winter (Hy'ur) / K'nahli Yohko (Miqo'te)
