Ares awoke to the evening sun with the sky just turning purple. He stared up at the sky for some time before Emerli leaned over to obscure his vision. Ares' eyes met hers.
"Good evening," Ares said. "I see I'm not dead." Ares sighed. He wasn't feeling anything in particular at the moment, other than heavy.
Emerli brought up a small vial and then Ares began to feel something else. His eyes grew wide, his brow was growing a sweat, and he turned his head to one side.
"I'm up, I'm up," he said as he tried to sit up. With some effort he managed to get onto his elbows as he looked out to see his fellows nearby, with Saykkera keeping the Reptai away from him.
He looked down to see that he was almost entirely nude, but at least they had allowed him some dignity as they covered his crotch with a blanket.
More alarmingly he could see a black gash against his stomach, which flowed out into black rivers of decay.
