412 The Citadel

Arran's injury healed slower than he had expected, with the Desolation's suppression affecting his blood just as strongly as it did his strength and magic.

Where he would normally recover from even the gravest wounds in a matter of hours — less, if he had enemies whose strength he could rob — it now took him two full days to recover. And even then, the wound had yet to heal completely.

Kaleesh had little sympathy for his condition, however.

"A wound like that would have killed a commoner," he said with an indifferent shrug. "And even I would've taken weeks to recover. For you, it might serve as a lesson — that you're not invincible."

There was some truth to the captain's words. Arran had long grown accustomed to shrugging off even the most grievous wounds, and if he didn't believe he'd grown careless, exactly, perhaps he hadn't been quite as careful as he should, either.