Physical descriptions are important

Glenin laid his elegant wooden cane on the foot of Cerlius's bed and stood at full height, a strange occurrence given his crooked spine. The few long strands of hair on the top of his bald head waved like a broken web. His beady black eyes seemed to bulge out of his wrinkled, liver spotted face. "Lance, you need to give me answers," his voice rattled out of his throat.

Meanwhile, Cerlius opened his mouth yet no words came out. It was hard enough maintaining his breath. 'Now if I don't lie, I'll lose Lance. No, he would stick to the rules in times like these. He would say the truth-'

"I'm sorry headmaster," Lance said. Cerlius wanted to punch him and hug him at the same time. The combination of blood loss, emotional turmoil, and the side effect of healing all added up.