Ry'kanos sat up slowly as he looked around. Something about the minimalist setting of the living room seemed familiar to the elf. As his eyes drifted over to the mantle above the fireplace he saw pegs set in the stone of the wall. The pegs would fit a spear. He reached up to grip Raida's hand on his face, something sparking inside of him at her simple touch. Instead, he focused on the dawning horror of where they were. Gently detaching Raida's hand from his face, he groaned as he moved to stand, catching himself on the mantle. Somehow, in his free hand, he still gripped the haft of the spear that had been given to him and he closed his eyes to taking a shaky breath. In his other hand, he held on to Raida's hand tightly as he realized where they were.<br/><br/>Slowly, he placed spear on the pegs and stepped away. This was not just an empty house. This had been the home of Heston. He looked over at Raida bleakly at the realization. He let go of Raida's hand and gripped his face in both of his hands, taking a shuddering breath as he did. Gods, how he wished he could take back the death of Heston. But that was over and done with. He took another, more steady breath, and ran his hands up to run them through his hair before his hands fell to his side and he groggily sat down on the couch nearest the fire. He slumped in the seat and stared in to the fire.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff0000">"Now, they decide our fate." </span>He said quietly in the ensuing silence that had fallen. He looked up at Raida, still standing before him before his eyes were once more drawn to the fire.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff0000">"You should have let the humans catch me Raida." </span>He said quietly.<br/><br/>He sat forward, placing elbows on knees. His hair cascaded forward to conceal his face as his hands came together to clasp each other and so to keep the shake in them being revealed. When he spoke it was in a detached voice.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff0000">"Heston's brother was one of my lieutenants. He followed me during the war along with the company under my command. He was captured alongside me at the Last Battle and was forced to fight me in the Arena."</span>He looked up at her.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff0000">"I had no choice.." </span>That was more of a half truth. He could have fallen on his blade rather than slay one of his best friends. However, he had wanted to live. And he had felt the guilt of surviving and wanting to live so strongly that he had killed his friends and his own kind.