To say Lloyd was in pain would be a major understatement. He was in agony. He was awake, yet barely conscious. He saw everything through a hazy fuzz. He couldn't even breath most of the time. The Green Ninja was on the brink of death.

He was vaguely aware of the metal door slamming shut, and the sound of angry hissing. He wanted desperately to sleep, but knew if he did, he might not ever wake up.

Lloyd didn't even try to stop the cry of pain when the blue blur also known as an enraged Scales in front of him punched him the chest. He suddenly stopped being able to breathe as his broken rib was shoved further into his already damaged lung. The hissing continued.

After thirty seconds of gasping like a fish, Lloyd finally was able to take a deep, shuddering breath, which quickly turned into a coughing fit. He couldn't take much more of this. His body wouldn't be able to handle it.

When his coughing subsided, he heard the door slam shut again. He closed his eyes. He wanted to sleep so badly.

Lloyd shook himself awake. No, he couldn't. The door opened again, but didn't shut. He expected to hear Scales again, but what he got frightened him much further.

"Hello, little boy," came the deep, gravelly tone of Skalidor. "I hear Sssscalesss has marked you asss belonging to hissss tribe. Well, I want my shhhhhare."

The weak Ninja knew exactly what the Constrictai General meant. He knew what was coming next. He tried to brace himself, but nothing could prepare him for the burning sensation that ran through his blood once more. He couldn't help but scream, even in his weak, delusional, and oxygen deprived state.

After many long and agonizing minutes, Lloyd now sported the triangle of chain links that represented the Constrictai Tribe on his back.

He though he couldn't breathe before. That was easy compared to this. His whole body was screaming at him to do something, to stop this torture. He couldn't, though. He was trapped, with no way out. He was dying, slowly.

The Constrictai General left, and Scales came back in, acting a lot calmer, but fury still blazed in his eyes.

"It appearssss that the Ninja have learned that we're in one of the Serpentine tombssss," he hissed. "But by the time they dissscover which one, we'll be long gone."

No! If we move, the others won't be able to find me in time. That was my one chance of maybe making it through this alive. Now, I'm as good as dead.