I've been utterly remiss in keeping this up. The usual suspects: work, travel, travelling for work.
Chapter XIII: Amenable
Dappled sunlight of the Qo'nos morning pierced the mottle of gray clouds. A hazy drizzle misted down from the skies and into Semil's lungs, as he awoke with a gasp. He had not quite grown accustomed to waking up disoriented as he supposed he could be.
He was back on the General's terrace, lain down on a settee. Pulling aside the gauzy sheet over him, he took notice of the crude but well-fashioned bandage around his thigh where the Kolar beast had thrashed him. It reminded him of the hot throbbing sting of his wound as he recognized the added bulk and heady pungent scent of a poultice of some kind on the wound. Though he knew better, his fingers pulled at the edges of the bandage, curious about the severity of the wound and the folk treatment applied.
"Good. You're awake." The voice came from behind Semil; he needed not turn to recognize it. "For some time there, it was not entirely clear you would awake at all. A Kolar beast's venom is quite effective when it penetrates so deeply." Semil could sense the General gesturing, probably at his wound.
Through cracked lips, Semil was not prepared for the dry rasp of his voice. "Vorta... are immune to most forms of poison. Comes in handy..." He trailed off, weaker than anticipated.
"Yes, yes. Engineered into you by your beloved Founders. Make no mistake, that was certainly not part of your genetic code we wished to alter." The General wheeled himself into Semil's view, recognizing the Vorta's inability to raise or turn his head. "Good thing you managed to keep out of those jaws. In my younger days, I've witnessed a Kolar bite a warrior in half."
"Alter...?" The words weakly hissed from Semil's lips, strained.
"In due time, all will be explained. For now, rest and heal." The General raised a cup to Semil's lips. A noxious, bitter, astringent taste met his tongue, doubtlessly related to the poultice on his leg. "I have a small favor to ask of you -- but later." The General continued to wheel himself back out of Semil's view, presumably back inside. "I imagine you'll find yourself amenable to it."
With that, Semil's eyelids drifted back down, the Vorta no longer able to will himself awake
