-- Aster --

Pulling out the jar I coughed and immediately tasted blood.

"That's not good."

I coughed uncontrollably as blood spilled out of my lungs. I fought to get the coughing under control, I ended up having to forcefully shove what little energy I had into them to keep them from filling with blood.

I knew I was in bad shape but strangely almost all of my injuries were internal and they seemed likely to kill me faster than when I was bleeding, and burned.

Now that I had the coughing fit under control I rolled over onto my back and looked at the jar of healing salve. That's when I encountered the first problem.

How do I use salve on internal damage?

I stared at the jar when it hit me. I have to cut myself open, don't I?

I let out a long-suffering sigh, I am not a masochist. Why do I keep having to do this crazy shit?

Before I could second guess myself I pulled out my dagger and sliced open my ankle. I was not skilled at doing this as I felt it hitting my broken bones causing the cut to be jagged. I pulled the top of the salve. Why didn't I open it before cutting into my leg?

I took a glop of the ointment and then began to straighten the bones and straighten it while putting the salve on it. I watched on as the healing felt like literal acid on my bones. I watched as the bones knitted together in front of my eyes, even the opening I made started to mend and heal together. Looking down at the jar I wondered how long this would continue to work.

I got to work repeating healing my other leg, only interrupted by fits of coughing. It wasn't long till I and the entire trash pile I was in was covered in blood. Looking around there was way more blood than should be in a human body, or eight. I should be unconscious or dead from how much blood I was losing. I could only guess that somehow the excess energy powering the nanites was creating more blood.

My legs were finally healed and I felt I could move if I wanted when I heard the voices.

"The tracker says he should be in one of these areas."

Fuck! They found me. Why couldn't they take another ten minutes,

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Even though I felt I could now move, the internal damage was still going to slow me down by a lot, if not kill me while I ran.

I had one last dumb idea and with time running out fast. I shoved the knife into my gut, while scooping as much salve as I could, and just glopped it inside. Immediately I felt the fire spread completely through my chest where it slowly worked its way through my body.

I really hope this doesn't backfire...well it's too late to do something else.

I stood and made carefully made my way out of the alley.

-- James --

That tracker said he should be around here somewhere. The guild had learned that one of the officers had launched him away, and he was most likely very injured. We had one of our best trackers try to locate him but could only give us a general area of where he might be. I was given this section to search through.

I felt I had plenty of time to search based on how injured he should be by now, going through all those spells and attacks, he had to be on his last legs. I was soon rewarded for my search with the tang of copper in the air. I followed the scent of blood as it grew stronger and stronger until I saw my quarry from around an alley. My jaw dropped. I saw a nebula laying on a pile of trash, as blood pooled all around its body, not a drop messing up its starry body. There was so much blood, how could a single person even contain this much?

I shook myself as I watched him desperately trying to heal himself.

What is he doing?

The shadow pulled put a dagger and stabbed his leg. Is he some kind of masochist?

He pulled out a jar of what looked like a healing salve, but it looked different from the stuff I've seen. What is that why is it so red?

I watched him put a hand inside his own leg. I wanted to throw up and realized he hadn't seen me yet. I pulled my sword, it would be better to end this now before he gets up. I was about to jump when I saw his entire leg begin to mend itself.

My headshot back to the jar wondering what that stuff actually was. Is that seriously a healing salve?

I shook my head, doesn't matter I need to end him. I slowly moved behind him raising my sword to strike when I suddenly stopped.

Why? Why do I have to kill him? What did he do to me? What did he even do to the city? Just because he dared to challenge the city? Just because he's a shadow? That doesn't feel like a good reason. I ran after him just because my guild did. They were so incensed that I didn't even question it. But why?

Because he's a shadow?

Because he's a threat?

I didn't even understand why my guild hated shadows so much. I stared down at the shadow and I felt I would be making a mistake by swinging my weapon. I had gotten my team in trouble by just rushing us in without any understanding and now...was that what I was doing now?

I lowered my sword and left. If someone was going to stop him, it wouldn't be me.

"The tracker says he should be in one of these areas." I heard a voice not too far away from the alley.

Maybe I can at least give him a chance. I headed to the voice I heard and found other members of my guild. When they saw me they signaled with their hands asking if I found him. I responded with no. When I got close they switched to talking low, "Any trace?"

"I checked all the alleys around here and nothing."

"We must have gotten a dud section. You wanna join us? We're gonna head to the south district."

"Might as well." I joined the team as we all ran away from where the shadow had been. I wished the person good luck.