The rattle of chains slowly faded as Solaris began to open his eyes. As he was brought back to reality, the frigid air was still unmoving, and a faint sight of smoke was stagnant above his head.
Slowly sitting up, he surveyed his surroundings before a shock of pain emerged from his side. Moving his hand, he felt the source of the pain, a hole, in his flesh. As he felt the blood seeping onto his fingers, he retracted them and pulled his shirt up to look at the extent of the damage.
A small bandage sat on the wound, and a question was raised as he saw this.
"Did Ember have medical supplies?"
"Yeah, you think I'd just carry cigarettes and weapons?"
Caught off guard for a moment, Solaris looked around and found Ember sitting behind him.
"kinda, heh."
A small chuckle escaped his lips before a surge of pain attacked his side.
"The wound on your leg wasn't bad, basically just a flesh wound, so you don't have to worry about that. still might hurt though, so be careful."
"Thanks."
Luckily for Solaris, the bandage was not a typical piece of medical supplies; due to Sami, they had been able to develop bandages that could actually heal, and not just stop the bleeding. Albeit slower than Sami's pure healing, it was still much faster than normal.
"I only have three of those left, so try not to get hurt anymore."
"Yeah, I know, can you start a fire? It's really cold in here."
Taking a puff of his cigarette, Ember simply snapped his fingers, and a small fire illuminated the room around them. A warming feeling emanated throughout the room.
Solaris's stomach growled as he sat up and began leaning against a wall.
"Any chance you have water?"
Ember simply shook his head.
"Sorry, but I don't."
"Did you find anything after I passed out?"
"No."
Seemingly, Ember began growing irritated by all the questions.
Groaning Solaris stood up and began making his way towards the door. They had been held up in a small, well-maintained house.
"We have to move. I won't last much more. I probably can without food, but definitely not without water."
Seeing Solaris taking the initiative, a slight smile appeared on Ember's face as he stood up. The fire disappeared as they left the house. Solaris walked with a slight limp, his leg still in pain and his side slowly recovering; he could feel the muscle fibers reconnecting; the rebuilding process was not fast or comfortable.
After some time had passed, Solaris had once again placed shards onto his feet. By using them to levitate slightly, it took a lot of the strain off his wounds. As they traversed the land, they eventually left the city and began their way through a desolate land of grey.
The moon and sky were the only things that broke the endless grey. As they traveled, Solaris grew more and more thirsty, his lips drying and his throat burning, not even mentioning the hunger he felt.
After what felt like an eternity, they finally saw something besides the grey landscape.
A grainy, pained voice escaped as he spotted the small shift in the land.
"water?"
Solaris willed the shards to move forward. As he grew near, he found it a small oasis, with an equally small amount of water, yet before he could drink, he had to make sure it was safe.
Calling forth the shards, he was able to form them into a slight cup, the shape of a triangle, as he did, Ember made a fire in his hand. The cup floated under the water and pulled a small amount up, before floating above the fire.
Moments passed, as the fire boiled out any bacteria, before Solaris let it cool, and finally, after days, took a drink of the sweet water.
The still slightly warm water quickly hydrated his body, and a feeling of euphoria spread across his body.
His voice still slightly grainy, he looked over to Ember and motioned the cup.
"Here, I'm sure you're thirsty."
"I'm not."
"Huh?"
"I do not require water, or even really food for that matter."
"What are you talking about? No way are you actually a machine, I know I've joked before, but."
"WHAT, no. My body is like a fire, and as long as it has oxygen and is not put out I will remain living. In other words, I don't require water or food. I prefer to consume them as it keeps me in better condition, but it's not necessary."
"Really? That's cool."
With that, Solaris shrugged and took a generous sip,
Since the cup had only used a few shards, he made another and was in the process of boiling it as he drank greedily. Now that his thirst was quenched, he only needed food.