Winter nodded, and started to work on the wood, taking out a knife and starting to carve. The blade rasped along the wood, sending curls of wood shavings to the floor of the vehicle.
The tablet took a moment, then info began to fill the screen. An image of Winter, looking soulless and almost dead inside, those blue eyes frighteningly empty. The words beneath labeling the image as one "Jameson Prinz. The Wraith". This was followed by a list of missions, and below that, a list of accidents. There was some images of tattoos that had been inked into the man's pale skin. A pentagram, and words of binding and control. Demonic symbols.
Mycah's eyes widened and they glanced quickly at the back of Winter's head. Could this really be true? Their eyes flicked back to the tablet and they started reading, soaking up the information as quickly as they could. Yes, this was very sneaky and they probably shouldn't be doing it, but who cared what they were and weren't supposed to do. As soon as they'd scanned over the last words, Mycah cleared off the search and turned the tablet off. Things were starting to make sense now. They tossed the tablet into the back and looked back at Winter. Could they go to sleep knowing what they knew now? Uh… yes, they could. So what if they got killed in their sleep? At least they might be able to see Pan and Allx again.
Winter, having no idea what Mycah was doing, simply continued whittling, the space silent other than the sound of the knife rasping on the wood, sending those slim curls of wood pieces drifting down to the floor. His white hair hung down into his face, and he brushed it back again in a gesture that was so human, it was easy to forget that he had a demon inside of him.
Mycah knew they needed to go to sleep, but they couldn't stop staring at Winter. Even knowing that there was a demon possessing him, Mycah still couldn't see it. Sure, he was a bit ruthless, but then again, so were they. They let out a breath and ran a hand over their eyes. All this thinking wasn't doing them any good.
Winter glanced back at him. "Go to sleep, Mycah." he said in a low voice. "You're going to need to be on your best later." he turned back to the carving he was working on, digging the point of the knife in to chop away some wood, rather than those curls.
Mycah sighed softly and turned so their back was facing Winter. It still took them a long time to fall asleep as their thoughts slowly turned away from Winter and towards Allx and Pan. They finally managed to send all thoughts out of their mind, and fell into a restless sleep.
Winter continued to carve as Mycah fell asleep, the knife cutting away slips of wood, to leave behind a slowly forming design. Occasionally, he would stop and clean up the shavings, throwing them out of the vehicle. The car soon developed the sharp, but not unpleasant odor that wood gives off when it is cut open.
Mycah woke up a few times, usually with a sharp gasp. They'd thought that the nightmares were over, but that didn't seem to be the case. It was probably the news that their entire family was dead now that triggered the dreams again. At least, that was the working theory. It made them mad more than anything.
Winter glanced back when he heard the gasps, but didn't otherwise make a move to do anything. He figured that Mycah would ask if they needed anything from him, and he didn't want to butt in on someone else's business. So he simply kept carving, smoothing out the knots and splinters from the wood, a design slowly rising up.
Mycah finally fell into a deeper sleep and for the first time that night, they had good dreams. Allx and Pan drifted in and out, but it was mostly just Mycah and the pond. They really needed it after all the stuff that had happened, and it gave them a sense of peace, even for a few minutes.
Winter was quiet, letting out a soft breath as he continued to carve. The piece of wood began to look like a celtic knot, twined and twisted into itself. He was silent as he worked, focused on the task at hand.
Mycah woke up for good as the slightest hints of dawn were appearing in the sky. They sat up and stretched as much as they could in the cramped backseat of the car. "Did anything happen?" Mycah asked, pulling the hair tie out of their hair and running a hand through it.
Winter looked up. "No." he replied simply. He had slept for about two hours at one point, but nothing had happened. He had also finished the carving. A Celtic knot sat in his hand, formed of a pale wood, the edges smoothed and slim, free of splinters.
"Good." Mycah turned to look in the back. There has to be some sort of rations or something back there. After a few minutes of searching, they found a box of bars. Not the ideal breakfast, but it would have to do. They gracefully climbed into the driver's seat, catching a glimpse of the carving as they did. "That's pretty."
Winter shrugged slightly. "Thanks." he replied. He leaned forward to set it on the dash, putting his knife away. The constant carving had dulled it, and he would need to sharpen it at a later time.
Mycah dipped their head slightly at Winter, then unwrapped the bar they grabbed and took a bite. They'd temporarily forgotten about what they had read about Winter, but it was coming back to them. And they still couldn't believe it all.
Winter let out a slow breath. "So. Where are we heading to now?" he asked, looking over at Mycah. "Same route as yesterday?" he tipped his head slightly, those blue eyes studying Mycah.
"Yeah." Mycah nodded, clicking the seatbelt into place and turning the key. They glanced at Winter, their eyes meeting his for a few seconds. He couldn't have a demon in him. Mycah looked ahead, checking for cars before pulling out into the road.
Winter nodded slightly. After a moment, he buckled up as the car began to move. He sat cross-legged, though, which generally wasn't a very safe idea to do in a car. Either he didn't care, or he didn't know. Given previous behavior, the first option was more likely.
The road ahead was clear, as was behind them, which allowed for a lot of thinking time. Crin would most likely be in one of the government buildings, trying to get the country in order. All they had to do was get a good vantage point and she was done for. But… Which building and when? "Winter, there should be a radio on this thing. Could you turn it on and listen for any news on Crin? Maybe about her whereabouts or her plans or something?" Mycah asked, looking over at Winter.
Winter nodded. He searched around, found the radio, and turned it on. "There." he said simply. He crossed his arms, leaning his head on the glass pane of the window to watch the countryside go by. He let out a soft breath.
The radio was mostly full of chatter about cleaning up or doing something or other. Mycah listened intently, though, for any code words or secret meanings. They checked the rear-view mirror frequently, and glanced at Winter every once in a while.
Winter was silent, watching the scenery. He wondered if he should warn Mycah about the demon. About how if Winter's eyes turned white, then Mycah needed to run. Run or he would be killed.
After about an hour of useless talking on the radio, Mycah finally heard something that might help them. "Did you hear that?" Mycah looked over at Winter, their face lit up a little more than usual. "Crin's organizing a party for high-ranking military-types. To celebrate her 'victory.'" They wrinkled their nose. "We might be able to sneak in." Mycah frowned, wondering if Crin had revoked or flagged their rank. Could they use it to get in? "This might require stealing someone's ID, though. I don't know if mine will work."
"Ugh." Winter sighed softly. "I…might be able to get us in. It hasn't been long enough for them to flag my ID." They might be waiting for me to report back. He shrugged, not looking at Mycah.
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