Onyx

[ CH 7 ] - Storm

A sharp, searing pain in Kory's mind and shoulder slapped his consciousness back. Slowly, he pried his eyes open, staring up at the dim, leafy green lights circling the cave..

His mind was in a haze as he sat up. Recent memories were a blur, washed away like ink on wet paper. He reached for his potions. Thinking was impossible with his brain scattered like this

When he reached for his vials, he felt something sharp and wet. Bringing his hand close, he saw cracked glass and potion on his fingertips. He frowned and placed the liquid on his temple, feeling the headache fade slightly.

Better than nothing, Kory sighed mentally and stumbled to his feet. His legs felt like noodles, wobbling as he collapsed against the wall. He restabilized himself and managed to stand. A quiet grunt slipped through his lips as he looked around..

His party leader was nowhere to be found, seeping worry into his cloudy thoughts as he wobbled along the walls. The rough stones grazed his hands, guiding him.

The thought of his friend's safety dug into his psyche with every step in the dark cave. The sound of his shoes kicking against the hard rock filled the air, raising his anxiety with every passing moment.

Dust kicked up, filling his senses with the smell of dirt and sweat as his worries grew. Jon had been loud when comfortable, so the silence unnerved him. He stuck like glue once you earned his trust, refusing to leave unless told. For that presence to be gone?

It was... frightening, being all alone in the dark like this.

Each step amplified, pounding in his eardrums. Dim lights filled his vision, eyes darting for signs of life before...

He spotted what looked like a fallen body against a wall.

"Jon...?" Kory's heart sank. Tripping over his own feet, he approached, finding his friend in bad shape. Blood oozed from Jon's head, cuts on his palms.

"Come on..." Kory winced, digging into his friend's pouches. They were shattered like his own, contents dripping.

All except one.

Kory watched his shaky hands rip the cork off, seeing cracks already on the container. Carefully, he carried it over, Jon's mangled hands stopping him..

"...Split." Jon grunted, his brown eyes looking dull as he looked at his friend with heavy breaths.

"You're worse off, don't be stupid." Kory grimaced as Jon scoffed, gently smacking his side. Pain shot through him; looking down, he saw a rock in his hip.

That couldn't have been there, not this whole time, he thought, since it didn't hurt until Jon pointed it out.

Jon's voice was firm, despite his weakened state. "Split." He demanded, while taking half of the potion for himself before corking it again and held it out for Kory to take.

"...A head injury is worse."

"Split." Jon repeated. "Hurry up... I'm getting sleepy."

"Don't you dare fall asleep." Kory hissed, a pessimistic thought plaguing his mind of a corpse caused his heart to twist before he grumbled. "Fine. Help me with this." He gestured to the stone as he prepared himself to down the miracle medicine.

"...Go." Jon shot out as Kory raised an eyebrow, soon gasping as he saw the stone get ripped out without so much as a warning.

A quiet curse at his friend slithered out of his mouth before chugging the rest of the potion, making Jon laugh weakly. Blood was still seeping from his head, much to his companion's dismay.

Kory dug into his pouches, ripping out some bandages of his own before wrapping them around his friend's skull. Though, a tearing feeling still ripped at his shoulder.