The emotion had been drawn out of the noble's face, and even as the visor was lifted away from his head, he found himself reliving the past few moments of the battlefield. The sheer energy coming off the vibroblade as it sung through the air, and how every inch was the difference between life and death. He swore in those moments that he could feel the blade enter his own chest, and how the raw feeling of adrenaline through his veins made everything feel electric. He had survived even that, only to be made broken and shattered, left to do nothing but point his rifle at the enemy. He had made a cocky statement, but it was a hollow one, empty of emotion. He was helpless to fight an enemy that he couldn't even see, and the way it felt—God, the way it felt in those last few seconds of consciousness—to have your body light up in response. There hadn't even been time to process pain—just pure energy across his entire body, heating up and heating up, and then, nothing.

He hadn't even been aware of the brief moment Elora had stood before him. The words had not gone unheard but unnoticed in Arrish's stupor. Perhaps it was later in the dead of night that he would remember the haunting words she said about how it was better to leave her for dead.

There was something in his thoughts that was nagging him as he relived his death over and over—a sudden perception that he had been unable to see. That was when Arrish became aware that someone was speaking to him, and his empty eyes raised to see the most beautiful angel in front of him saying something that sounded like gibberish. No, his brain reminded him, that wasn't quite right. [color red]"Aurora."[/color] The words came off his lips almost like a reminder to himself, rather than addressing the woman in front of him. What had she said? What was she babbling about? He struggled for a moment to understand, as the words came to him in little bubbles in his mind.

[quote=@Shifter_Master] [color=6ecff6]"Arrish ... A moment ... Apology ... Duel ... Argent ... Command ... Victory ..."[/color] [/quote]

The words then flicked into the now, the present tense, and he found himself listening to the rest of her apology in silence. She had been apologizing to him?! Surely, he and the rest of Team Apple had failed her command on the battlefield. The line of scrimmage was broken by his rallying call to save Elora. Everyone—nay, everyone—save Aurora and Jake had gone on to surround themselves around the fallen member of their team; well, also save Rhylaen, but she had already been well and out of the fight by that point. Had Arrish really been worth the apology for failing?

[color red]"Aurora"[/color] he said again, the name feeling more familiar with every passing second.[color red]"Chaos colors every battlefield; if we apologize for every mistake in the heat of battle, then I daresay that we would never stop."[/color] He looked up at her and remembered how to smile. [color red]"Your apology is as sweet as you are, yet as far as I'm concerned, there is no animosity between us."[/color] He cleared his throat and began to stand up, finding himself wobbling a little bit. There was an ache around his waist, but none so strange as to be unfamiliar. He had spent a lot of time in VR replaying battle after battle. He told himself it was no different from his time reliving the Duvallian Folly. Though, perhaps, given the intensity, it was not undue of him to ask for a bit of help.

[color red]"I uhm, don't suppose it would be uncouth of me to ask for your arm? I'm finding it a little difficult to walk straight at the moment."[/color]