Rethais’s neck as sore. Not all of it, just that awkward part between the neck and shoulder, where one’s normal armour collar would sit. Why his neck was sore, Rethais had no real idea. But the fact that part of him was sore and hurting was somewhat concerning.
Normally, pain was never a problem. After all, like all Rethavok, Rethais was trained to endure huge amounts of pain. Most other races were quite aware that shooting or stabbing a Rethavok tended to just make it angry. Rethais was no different. The many times he had been shot or stabbed in his life, the only things that stopped him from tearing his enemies asunder were godly intervention and self-preservation. But small aches, like the one in Rethais’s neck? That sort of thing… confused Rethais.
If anything, aches were somewhat uncommon. Most Rethavok barely felt aches. There was no need to, most Rethavok were fighting fit. Aches were something that only inactive or really old Rethavok had. This was what concerned Rethais, more than the aches and pains.
“I cannot be old…”
It was true, Rethais was not old at all. Sure, he was above middle-aged, nearing 90. But that was not old in Rethan terms. He still had a good 20-30 years before he was considered genuinely old. And thanks to his well-bred genetics, it was highly likely that Rethais could remain strong and active way past the average lifespan of 150 years old.
Rethais was not that inactive either. While he may have mostly been doing office work these days, he was still active whenever he could be. Rethais walked to and from work every day, a good 15km journey, and he always followed through with the mandated lunch-and-exercise breaks. In fact, Rethais kept a small peddle-machine underneath his desk, so he could peddle away as if he was on a bike, whenever he couldn’t get any proper exercise done.
Perhaps the real question wasn’t what the pain was, but why. As he sat at his desk, rubbing his neck, Rethais tried to think back, trying to remember what he had done to aggravate himself. Had he tripped or fallen or knocked himself recently? Not that Rethais was aware of. In fact, thanks to… recent happenings, Rethais had been extra careful in taking care of himself. Rethais was supposed to be an example of Rethan perfection, especially in these trying times.
Yet here Rethais was, with a pain in his neck.
Getting up from his desk, Rethais decided to head to the bathroom. He needed to stretch his legs anyway, so maybe a walk would distract him. It was just a small walk, anyway. As he washed his hands though, Rethais noticed his reflection in the mirror.
No, he wasn’t old. He didn’t look old at all. In fact, he looked rather healthy, despite his recent stresses. But something had caught his eye.
On Rethais’s neck, exactly where his weird ache was, a large, dark bruise could be seen. A black and purple blight on Rethais’s otherwise perfect skin. It was barely visible though, blending in almost a little too well. As Rethais gently felt around the affected area, it felt weirdly cold, unlike the rest of his skin.
“I should probably see a medic about this…” Rethais muttered to himself. “Illness is the last thing I need right now…”