Halonar

Failure

Jack woke to a banging on his door. He heard Marina yelling his name. He sprang out of bed, throwing on whatever happened to be in his wardrobe, and stumbled to the front of the house.

He threw open the door. Marina stood right on the desk. Over her shoulder was Halson.

He was bleeding.

"I'll be alright." Halson said cheerfully, as they laid him on a wood plank in the backyard. But his voice sounded weak.

Jack took off Hal's coat to reveal the injury. A gash in his side coated in dry and fresh blood.

There ain't any bloody doctors no more." Halson coughed.

Jack took a step back. "Forget a doctor, you need a healing mage!"

"Marina! Go get help!"

"I already told a bunch of people! A hero is on the way."

"I'm sorry Jack, I shoulda listened to your rant about how the Adaraians would deal with it."

Jack winced. "I'm sorry for not helping you. If I did, well... You wouldn't be stabbed."

"Or apologizing." Halson chuckled, but quickly devolved into coughing.

A guy ran towards them. He wore green armor. He had a badge of Rorin on his chest.

"Hey, what seems to be the problem?" He announced in an unnaturally optimistic tone.

Marina raised her head from her hands. "He's bleeding out! Help him!"

"Jeez, Miss freakout over here, huh? Anywho, you say he's bleeding? Is it a slash or stab?" The guy responded, still somewhat cheerful. "By the way, I'm Greg."

Are you going to do something? Jack asked, raising his voice.

"Yes. First let me get out my trusty sewing needle, then-"

"Wait, why not use a healing potion?"

The guy scoffed, as if Jack had actually just asked a stupid question. "What? You want me to waste a health potion on this guy?"

"His name is Hal, and yes, why not?" Jack was beginning to dislike Greg, despite him being there for just over a minute.

His wound isn't that serious, we have people on the brink of death, and uhh, health potions ain't exactly cheap." He explained, matter-a-factly.

Jack said nothing. And with that, Greg proceeded to sew the wound closed.

Halson yelped.

"Oops, sorry. Maybe I shoulda paid more attention in class, oh well."

Jack stared at Greg.

Greg looked back at him, then snorted. "Wow, none of you have a sense of humor."

Jack again, didn't say anything. He just wanted it to be over.

"Alright, looks like he's good to go. Pretty good job for someone with no experience, eh?"

"What?" Jack asked.

Hal groaned.

Greg froze in place, fidgeting with his hands. "There was another guy who was supposed to come, but he wasn't there, so they sent me.

Jack was exasperated. "He's going to be okay, right?"

Greg resumed swinging his arms. "Yeah, yeah, he should be okay."

"Owww..." Moaned Halson.

"Wait, before you go, can you at least give him just a few drops of a health potion to eas his pain?" Marina asked.