Arcanus ❂ A Dream SMP Story

[19]

Techno's teeth chattered as he walked further north. He had expected the bitter cold and sting of freezing snow hitting his face but not the biting wind that nipped at his skin and the blinding brightness of the white snow. Snowflakes gathered in the folds of his clothes and clung to Tenebris's eyelashes and hair. Tenebris's kimono, or at least what was left of it, and Techno's sleeves were frozen, the fabric becoming stiff. Techno gulped, but his throat was dry and aching making it hard to swallow. He looked up and squinted his eyes, seeing the crude silhouette of his small cabin. 

Techno forced his legs to move faster, even though his feet and legs were completely numb. His face and hands were burning, as if they were splashed with lava. He glanced down at his friend, their skin was still warm. He hugged them closer, hoping it would keep them alive for just a few more moments. 

Reaching the wood door, Techno pulled it open and went inside. A wave of warmth swallowed the two and the door slammed shut. He sighed in relief, taking in the warmth of his home. He wanted to collapse to the floor, worn out and cold. But he walked up the stairs and let Tenebris down to lay on his bed. Rushing down to his basement, he grabbed rolls of bandages and grabbed three healing potions. His potions were no where near as powerful as Tenebris's but it'll have to work. 

Ripping away Tenebris's bloodied kimono, Techno rolled up Tenebris's ripped black sleeves. Even under their sleeves there were terrible burns. Wiping away the blood and dirt, Techno tightly wrapped their arms. Folding up their black cargo pants, they wiped away the blood and wrapped their legs. Techno grabbed a healing potion and sat Tenebris up. 

Twisting off the cap of the glowing red potion, his wrist buzzed. 

Dream whispered: Don't use healing. It won't work.

Techno hesitated, not sure he should trust Dream or not. Looking between the potion and Tenebris, he decided not to use it. Techno didn't want to do something that would hurt Tenebris even more. And now that he had gotten them into a warm place, their breathing had somewhat stabilized. It was a miracle that Tenebris was still alive. The blizzard had slowed their loss of blood. But it would still take a long time for them to heal and get back in shape. Putting away the potions, he heard a knock at the door. He headed down the stairs and opened the door.

"Phil?" 

"Hi Techno," Philza smiled at his old friend. Techno let him in, closing the door before too much snow could get in. 

"What are you doing here?" Techno asked, turning back to look at Philza.

Philza reached into his pocket and brought out a dark purple potion, "Dream gave me this to me give to your friend, he needed to be somewhere I guess. Apparently it's the only potion that'll work on them," Techno gawked at the potion, it was such a saturated indigo that it looked like ink. Taking the potion, he walked up stairs followed by Philza. Techno opened the door to his room, letting Phil in. 

Philza sharply inhaled seeing Tenebris. The majority of their arms and legs had been wrapped in bandages and their face was ravaged by scars, new burns, and fresh cuts. Their tattered kimono had been thrown in the corner, barely still even a piece of clothing. And their horn. Their horn was gone. Just two jagged stubs on the top of their head. Techno poured the indigo potion into Tenebris's mouth and made sure they didn't choke.

Tenebris softly sighed and their body seemed to relax. The burns and cuts on their face faded away, leaving no scars. The blood that had been soaking into the bandages stopped spreading and Tenebris's chest rose and fell as they breathed comfortably. 

"What kind of potion was that?!" Philza said, grabbing his hat before it could fall off. Techno shrugged, mesmerized by the effects of the potion and how quickly it healed Tenebris. Grabbing the empty bottle off the nightstand, he studied the bottle. Looking at the bottom of the glass bottle, there were two letters etched into the glass.