Varek coughed and winced as he pressed the bleeding cut along his ribs with his hands, but despite the pain, he grinned.
"Hah… look who it is," he said, tilting his head toward the man approaching.
Devic raised an eyebrow. "Careful," he said, stepping closer. "If you try to stand up alone, you'll tear half those wounds more open."
But Varek was stubborn. He pushed himself to his feet anyway. "Easy? I don't know the meaning of that word."
Devic smirked. "Still the same, I see. How are you holding up, old friend?"
Varek let out a short laugh which ended in a cough. "Almost dead… if you hadn't shown up when you did."
"Impossible," Devic said. "They were only warming you up." Then his smile faded slightly. "But tell me, Varek, what are the Ashanti doing here?"
Varek's own expression changed. "I should be asking you that you appeared just moments after they did… or was that just a coincidence?"
