And it sure did take a long time.
By the time he was done, Rhian felt like he'd scrubbed off a layer of skin. But at least the blood was gone.
His uniform was soaked, clinging to his skin and still heavy with water, but it was better than being covered in green.
He stood, adjusting the wet fabric, then looked down at his left hand.
He pulled off the glove.
The skin underneath was a shade darker than the rest of his body. Slightly scaly in patches.
The texture wasn't human, grey and veiny, and he noticed a bit of scales feature on it.
He crouched again and rinsed the hand carefully, rubbing water along the edges, watching as the pale color shimmered in the light. Then, without thinking much about it, he slipped the glove back on and sighed.
"Are you dressed? Can I come in?"
Nia's voice came from the edge of the trees.
He cleared his throat. "Yeah, it's fine."
She stepped in, brushing a branch out of her way. Her eyes briefly scanned the lake, then fell on him.
