"So was them coming over to beat the shit out of us." , he pointed out. Rael noticed Nym lowering her head then proceeded to do the same. Little details matter. He kept his pacing at a decent speed, not too slow not too fast. Sort of like the planned speed-walking. "We might have to make a quick stop, but other than that we should be fine."
Right through another hallway past occupied cells then left, just as he said before. Here and there, he'd look at Nym making sure she was okay. That guard was an absolute beast making her head hit the wall like that. She sort of looked as fuzzy as he did a few moments ago.
As they approached the staircase, he stopped. He flipped over the keypad cover typing in the code. Eight eight three seven. The little light below the keypad lit up green making a tiny ding sound. "Ready?" Rael gently squeezed Nym's hand but then let go to take ahold of the door handle.
"As long as I get my jacket and knife," She said, nodding slowly, "And we get supplies for your face." She spared a glance up at him as they walked, wincing as noises from other cells reached the hallway. Of course, she was stupid to assume that all of the POWs were getting out. That was impossible. Still, it didn't make it any harder to bear the fact that she was getting out while they were stuck here. And she would more than likely never have the slightest chance to see them again or rescue them from their fate.
Pushing her wandering thoughts aside, she tried to go over the rest of the plan in her head. Assuming that they didn't die in the next few minutes, there was still a lot they had to go through. Getting down the stairs, outside, waiting for Rael to get the car, getting through the front gates without being stopped, and from there hundreds of other things, she couldn't even plan about. This was going to be hell. At least they were out though.
Nym looked up at him as she was thrown back to the present, then squeezed his hand in return. His words registered in her mind and once again she nodded. In reality, she was quite far from ready. Stairs felt like a challenge, but as he pulled the door open, she took to them anyway. One after another, step by step, she took the stairs, waiting for Rael's direction as to where to go.
"I already have your jacket and knife.", he stated, "But I did not expect we'd be needing medical supplies. We can check at my place quickly to see. If not, well, at least we'll be able to wash off before setting out."
Rael shut the door making sure he could hear the ding sound from the other side. For a second, he touched the hand railing holding it to help himself up as he went down a few steps. The echo made as his boots would touch the steps caused him to wince. He used his other hand cover his left ear. Now this headache started pounding in his head swirling with all the thoughts of the escape. Since they are a bit over a day late, the gate might manned by someone.
As he got halfway down, he stopped. His one knee bent down as he tried to fight against the light-headed feeling in him. Rael pulled himself up standing against the wall. Staying still, he tried to listen for anything. An alarm, someone speaking, sounds coming from outside. Nothing. Thank the gods and all the spirits above. Silence could mean anything, it might not mean anything in their favor, but somehow it felt pretty reassuring to him. He sighed deeply then looked up at Nym.
He continued going down while still fighting the urge to collapse till he got to the door. Rael hesitantly opened the door just a bit. With his other arm as support, he leaned to take a glance outside. The sky was gray as the summer heat persisted. Dead silent too aside from storm clouds booming nearby. Not a single voice though. Standing back, he gave her a thumb's up. "Just wait behind the bush, I'm going to make a run for it.", he said. And with that, he bolted outside over to his car.
Nym shot him concerned looks every time he stopped, barely registering how badly her head hurt as she waited for him. Even she could tell he was in bad shape. That meant he would need to at least be patched up before they left his apartment, at best she would drive until he was in better shape. But that was far off.
She squinted as she looked outside for the first time in a week, blinking even in the shade given by the angry clouds above them. Oh, how she didn't miss storms. The outside, yes she missed that; but storms…she could deal with those not existing. "Be fast, and safe," She replied as he finally spoke, watching as he made a break for his car. Following the plan, she slipped behind the bush she assumed he had spoken about and started to wait.
It was only a few seconds later that she decided to sit, doing so in a way that she could rest her head on her knees and count. As much as it was less inconspicuous than standing, it did help with the still-forming headache and overall throbbing of her head. She could also now feel the bruise and bump that were forming, both of which were enough to have her hiss in pain. At least she wasn't bleeding.
Every time he would drive over to the gate in the morning, a man at the gate checked his car. The trunk, the hood, and even underneath the vehicle. They never checked inside though, it wasn't strictly thorough as other inspections. Now after this escape, things are surely going to ramp up here for everyone else. Rael packed two backpacks: one for him and one for Nym. Both of them were tucked in the pouches behind the seats. He covered them making them look like extra padding.
Rael ran as fast as his legs and mind would let him. As he got closer, he slowed down his pace to a casual amble. Barely anyone was out besides those at the gate, but they kept their eyes forward not really looking in his direction. He pulled out his car keys in his breast pocket pressing a button to open it then got in. The car hummed as he turned on the engine. Rolling down the window, he looked out making sure nothing was going on then put the car in reverse.
Two minutes on the dot. That is how long it took him to run over and drive back. If his numbers were right, that meant fifteen minutes since they attacked the guards and almost half an hour since the general left the cell. Rael parked the car a few feet from the bush. He did not bother getting out, he only opened the right side window then got over to make sure his whistle could be heard.
It was impressive how fast Nym's head shot up at the sound of the whistle, but her speed getting up was slightly less impressive. She still got to her feet quickly though and ducked her head while walking to his car, making sure her pace was brisk but not a run. Silently, she slid into the passenger's seat, glancing over at Rael while doing so.
He had been right on at two minutes from what she had counted, and that was surprising. Plus, as she slipped in, nothing stood out that would be caught in an inspection if one happened. All she was worried about was the drying blood caked on his face, as well as the fresh, still tacky drops that hadn't yet dried. Those would definitely be brought up when they tried getting out.
"Where should I sit?" She asked, turning to look over at him fully before looking around at the rest of the car, "And where are my things?" Nym rolled up the window quickly as she finished speaking, her leg bouncing quickly, "Last but not least…should I be concerned about the lack of alarms? Nothing went off inside the building, nothing sounded out now, and I doubt that everyone is just letting us get away with this free."
Rael reached in the back, lifting the backpack from its spot then setting it on Nym's lap. He went back again to open his pulling out a hat putting it on. "Bella, you're fine in the passenger seat; we'll make it work. Your jacket, knife, and identification tags are in there as well as your fake Bajhe ID. Also the clothes, a baseball cap, and some other things I thought you'd need.", he explained before pointing to the glove department, "In there is a plastic bag with face masks and I hide a hand gun underneath too. If you can get both of us one that'd be great."
Right alarms. Well he did get the code right, that might have sent a notification to the office. Possibility of someone being right behind that wall is there. "Those alarms should be going off any moment now. The general is either on his way to make the alarms go off or he's just finding out what happened. No matter what, I'm slamming this damn gas pedal." He looked off to the side letting out a cough as he struggled to get his ID pass out. The stupid piece of plastic almost fell out of his fingers as he managed to pull it out. "Bajhe likes to be silent about their operations just like with everything else.", he sighed having the card sit between his fingers, "Let's see how long we can go before they create some cacophony."
Laying back in the driver's seat, he rested his head staring straight ahead. The ringing gradually began to fade away. He tapped the card against the wheel waiting for a response. Rael moved the transmission back into drive beginning to drive forward slowly. He drove up to a parking spot closer to the gate than previously. Lowering the brim of the cap, he kept his eyes forward watching the one gate guard.
Visibly, she relaxed at the mention of her jacket being so nearby and without hesitation, she opened the bag. Nym paused when he continued speaking, following his directions to fish them both out a face mask. She tossed one onto his lap, pulling out her own, then finally the gun. It felt strange in her hands after so long of using different weapons but after a moment of fiddling, it felt as comfortable as any other weapon. Before Rael got the wrong impression though, she set it back in the glove box.
"I know I'll be getting these dirty pointlessly, but I need to change," She said, shamelessly using the time they were parked to slip out of her nasty prison uniform. Nym didn't even seem bothered by the fact that they were in a car, or that Rael was sitting not even three feet away as she changed into the clothes he provided. They were quite nice in her opinion too. A plain black shirt and a sturdy pair of pants, both of which were slightly big, as well as boots. She pulled it all on quickly, followed by her jacket, lastly tucking her knife into one of the pants pockets. Her scars were on full display but even that didn't seem to worry her.
"I'm ready to go, let's get out of here," She said as she finished tying the boots, settling back into the seat with a more casual appearance even if she was still heavily relying on the adrenaline coursing through her body. "As soon as we get out of those gates though and are leaving from your apartment, I'm driving. You very clearly need some rest."
Picking up the mask, he fiddled with the straps wrapping them around his dry blood-covered fingers. Mindlessly he hummed in response to whatever Nym said. Rael accidentally looked over once regretting not paying any attention. When he figured out that she was done, he glimpsed at her. "But-" He paused trying to figure out what he was trying to say. After a couple of seconds, he came to the conclusion that he totally forgot. How is he going to rest if she doesn't know her way around this place? "Okay…", he somnolently mumbled as the vehicle rolled over to the gate.
A different gate guard came out of his post walking over to the car. Rael rolled down the window then gave him the card. When he saw Rael with the mask on, he motioned for him to pull it down. Reluctantly, he followed the simple command only pulling it down below his chin. Everything still smelled and tasted like iron. It didn't mix well with the humidity in the air.
The guy stared at the card for a second then looked back at him with a confused look. Rael returned the expression only to assume it's all the blood. He chuckled, "I should've watched my temper around Lee, you know? Can't believe he's still a raging bull after all these years." Glancing over at Nym, he lifted up the mask as he continued with the fake laughter. The guard just shrugged giving an understandable nod then handed the card back. As he raised his hand, the gate began to open. Rael rolled up the window then drove away.
Nym tugged her mask on as Rael drove to the gate, stuffing her bag back into the backseat along with her old set of clothes. She hoped she didn't draw any attention to herself as she sat patiently, waiting as quietly as she could. Every word he spoke to the guard set her on edge, but she forced herself to not do anything more than pick at her jacket cuff. Anything else she feared would make the guard suspicious.
She glanced over when she heard him chuckle, clearly fake, but a chuckle nonetheless. Nym cracked a tiny smile and a hesitant laugh to add to whatever he was talking about, though the act dropped as soon as they were through the gate. "Gods mercy," She huffed, leaning her head back on the seat, "Remind me to never go anywhere near that building in my life."
Glancing over at him, she tugged off her mask, breathing a sigh of relief, "Now that we're past the most difficult part, getting to the border will be a piece fo cake. That is, if things go our way and your superiors aren't going to chase us to the edges of the country."
Rael waited till the prison was far in the distance to hit the gas pedal. The mirror above them was titled up. He didn't even bother moving it down or looking over the seat to check if there was anyone behind them. "They'll be chasing us to the ends of the world till we're all gone, but it all will be much better when we get you home.", he reckoned, "No need to worry about all those old men now. Let's just get through and out of Segow first." Even though they just got out of there, the last he wants to think about is all those above him and the general officer/admiral coming after them. It still feels like someone keeps bashing his head against concrete.
There was some adrenaline flowing through his veins, yet he felt so dejected nevertheless. Actively exhausted if that makes any sense. He pulled the mask down below his lips so it'd be easy for him to pull back up when they would get closer to the capital. Driving through it will be a ball with traffic; not to mention the rain as well as all of the soldiers that are placed around. Personally, he never understood why they would put so many men wandering around the capital. Of course there were spies like Nym, but you don't need a whole regime to be storming around the already bustling city.
Rain started to come down gently. The car's speed slowed down to avoid any potential slipping. The card to get into the prison still was in between his fingers. Rael glanced at it before rolling down the window on Nym's side. "Excuse me, my Bella.", he said. He simply threw it out of the vehicle and rolled the window back up again. Not like he'll be needing it again anyways.
"Correct me if I'm mistaken, but you seem quite eager to forget about the prison," She said, snorting as she watched him throw out his identification card. If there wasn't enough evidence to show that Rael was helping her, that card would be the tipping point. Not like it would matter anyway. His disappearance and the issue with the guards were more than enough to put them in the sights of the Bajhee government. "Not that it's a bad thing, but I don't think I've seen any soldier more willing to leave his position behind."
Nym glanced out the side mirrors as he drove, thankful that her pressing headache had died down slightly. At least she could think now. Her hand drifted to the pocket that her knife sat in as she studied the road behind them, but she didn't take it out. More she just ran her hand over the handle to calm herself down. It was a sign that she was finally heading back home after all, and that was comfort itself. Even if her thoughts strayed to what she would actually do when she was home.
There was no way she was going to stay around the country for long, that much was a set given. She couldn't be put out in the field again by the military, and so more likely than not they would put her on leave and she would be allowed to do what she liked. Meaning her plan to travel was going to quite likely become a reality. It would also mean she would have to do quite a lot of work to keep Rael from being interrogated though.
Having that card has to be the equivalent to having a grenade. Something so simple and light fitting perfectly into your hand. Somehow in some way, it can ruin everything for you. Throwing it out felt liberating to him. Although it can get them caught, but they still could if he kept it on him. There was no use keeping that piece of plastic with him. It'd be embarrassing to hold onto it now and in the future.
Rael went along, laughing a little bit himself. A small frown took in place of a potential smile afterwards. That prison was just a hell-hole for everyone; it's not any better than being out on the battlefield. Actually he would have preferred being awake for hours on end shouting orders upon orders. "I'm very willing and desperate to leave this life as an army captain.", he sighed, "Actually I am very eager to forget everything, if only I could. Sure everyone else feels the same in someway, yes?" Forgetting all of it is not worth it even though he would do anything to forget it all just like the other thousands of soldiers. How would he be able to remember the brief moments that were actually worth saving?
The vehicle passed by a green sign telling them that they were only thirty miles away from the capital. Finally. Thirty miles isn't that bad. At this point it's safe to say that they are much closer to the city than they were to the prison. A minor success in progress, but he's internally grateful for it. The rain started to pour down more heavily. Rael giggled as he turned the windshield wipers on to the third setting. Thank the gods he's in this car with Nym and not stuck in a foxhole with four other men.
"You don't even know how much I'd be willing to forget," She mumbled under her breath, sparing a glance over at him and somehow pulling a joking smile onto her face, "Still, I have a feeling that you'll be missing the routine of army life soon enough. Always happens to soldiers. Trust me, days of this will feel like torture without having a set routine of when to wake up, when you have to eat, what you have to do."
Nym's joking smile was still partially visible as she glanced out the window, spotting the sign with much relief. As much as she despised the capital and the constant infestation of soldiers that made their nest there, it meant they had progressed. And that outweighed any feeling of hatred for the cramped streets and thousands of buildings. She glanced over at Rael once more, going to make a comment before she heard him giggle. In response, she couldn't help but laugh, the sound was not a noise she expected the male to make.
She quickly stifled her laugh, turning it into silent laughing that just made her body shake. "What was that for?" She asked once she got the noise under control, giving him an almost completely real smile.
Rael kept giggling till he realized that Nym was laughing too. Stopping right away, he stared at her for a brief second. She really is a Bella as much as she is an extraordinary spy. That smile surely distracted him. Wasn't long till he went back to laughing again. "Gods, I'm sorry.", he grinned before taking a deep breath, "It's just, I'm happy to be in this car with you and have my face covered in my own blood. Better than having mud up to my waist while I run around." Rain was something that he was always thankful for. He liked how the clouds would darken the sky then make the air cool. On the other hand, everything becomes damp and covered in mud. Also all the guys ran in circles trying to save everything before slipping and sliding.
As traffic became to get more congested, the car slowed down even more. It gently rolled as he took his left hand off of the wheel. Rael begun to think back to what Nym was talking about before. Waking up at four might be the only schedule thing he won't miss. Rest assured, if he makes it after this, he will find other things to do once he finds a country to call home. Sighing again, he shifted in his seat a bit to face her. He shrugged, "Surely I will miss is in some ways, but believe me I'll find something to keep me busy. Wouldn't you miss being a spy? Or do you plan on still working there even after all of this?"
Nym laughed again, shaking her head before grinning at him, "You'd really rather be in the car with an enemy spy whom you've only befriended less than a week ago than sliding in the mud? I'm honored scrawny." She turned her attention away from the rest of the world as she focused on Rael. Gods, he was already making her smile more than she had ever done in the past few years. At this rate, she was sure her cheeks would hurt from just the amount of smiling.
"There's no way I'll be able to go out into the field again after this whole ordeal…not with this appearance anyways," She replied with a small shrug, her face sobering up with the change in thought, "I'm not really a fan of having them change me into someone new anyway. So I'll probably take my leave when I get back. Gods, I'll miss it, but as you said, I'll find other things to keep me busy."
Being a spy wasn't really something that Nym had planned to like, but strangely, the rush of adrenaline that came with it, as well as the overall usefulness of the position were things she loved. She loved the feeling of being useful in a way not many people could be, and sneaking around was strangely exciting. The feeling of wandering streets in a place she didn't know, everything drew her to the position. Everything but the downside of being caught, possible death at any moment, and being alone mentally for long periods of time.
Looking out towards the windshield, he thought about it for a moment. Rael nodded right away without any hesitation. It's obvious is it not? He most defiantly would rather be covered in his own blood than a bunch of mud and sweat. Either way, there is a lot of risk in both situations. To him it just seems more worth it to be in this vehicle with a spy he'd only met mere days ago. Plus it's more funny to be called scrawny too. The nickname carries a new unfamiliar meaning to him.
He kept his eyes on the road and traffic while listening to Nym. Before slipping on the mask again, he took a deep exhale through his nose. It does make sense to not come back after going through this whole situation. Sending her back here too wouldn't be the smartest thing to do. Sure it does make you travel to places, but he doesn't want her to end up in another Bajhee prison. Him somewhere else while she was back in one of those hell-holes? Unimaginable.
"I know it's what people in your line of work do, but don't change. You are already strong enough, if not more than what I can believe. I'm guessing your family think the same thing too.", Rael smiled as he glimpsed at her, "Take that leave, you deserve it."
Although they were still a decent distance away, he could see the tall buildings of Segow far ahead them. Traffic came to a halt again, so he rested his foot on the break. Leaning back, he tried to reach for his backpack behind the seat. After struggling for a brief moment, he put the car in park. Rael pulled out a dark gray jacket and put it on. He was not sure if anyone would look at them and notice his uniform, but it was worth the caution.
(Very sorry it's shorter…I can't English enough to write a long response when I'm practically falling asleep as I type)
"Maybe I'll go back out in the field just to frustrate you," She replied with a grin, "They can cut and dye my hair and I'll go by a different name. And you can come with and be my soldier buddy, getting me out of all the trouble I'll inevitably get myself into." His mention of her family made her grin falter but she didn't bring it up, just watched for his reaction.
She leaned back in her seat while glancing at him, following what he did with his mask. It made sense to disguise themself in the city, but she didn't exactly like the mask. It did its job and that was all it needed to do in her opinion. She didn't need to like the fabric, just it's purpose.
"Here, let me drive, you can change," Nym offered as she saw Rael struggling, nodding to his bag, "You'll be less likely to be recognized if you're out of that uniform."
(No worries, you're good!
"Sure. So does that mean I'll get to become a spy too?", he wondered, "Cause if that's case, I want to get my hair dyed too. Maybe a dark red to match with my face right now. Or, how about we get the same color?"
Rael chuckled at what Nym said. A soldier buddy, that's a cute title. And if he remembers correctly, it was her who basically got herself out of the trouble. Sure he has been helping, but really she is the one who found the opportunity and used it effectively. His chuckle soon fell flat noticing how her smile faded. Staring straight ahead, he tried to figure out what it was. Was it the mentioning of family? Seemed so to his guess. They never really talked much about her family or anything back in that cell. With his head hung low, he reached over gently patting her on the shoulder.
A six foot one man trying to switch over to get in the back passenger seat with another person in the car. Plus, the case was already made she'd drive later too. Sounds extremely feasible. An hour ago, he thought maybe it'd be a better idea to just wait till they're out of the city and at his apartment. That way his shirt won't smell like iron for the next couple of days or whatever. But what Nym is also very true. "I got this.", he reassured. Rael waited till the traffic came to a halt again to unbuckle his seatbelt and get the backpack.
Getting dressed in a weird spot in a matter of seconds is just part of being in the army. He emptied out his uniform pockets then quickly got into the clothes he packed for himself. Really all he had that was good enough for whatever they might face was a black tank top and long cargo pants. "You said you'll drive right after we make a quick stop because I 'need rest'.", Rael pointed out while putting away the uniform, "And you need rest a little too."
"I suppose that would make you a spy," She said, tugging her grin back up, even if it was slightly more fake this time, "But on the condition that you'd definitely have to get red hair. I'd go darker, so we probably couldn't match though." Nym knew his pat on the shoulder was meant to console her, or even just act as a silent 'sorry', but she tried to ignore it. The last thing they needed was for her to slip into memories. That would just lead to trouble.
The last time she had thought about her family, or more correctly, her remaining family, she had cried for far too long. And it wasn't when she had spilled tears in front of Rael. It had been, thankfully, in the safety of her borrowed home in Bajhee, but even then, she had been vulnerable. She had taken hours to shake herself out of the memories to do even the simplest of tasks like sleeping. It was something she hated, the way she froze up at the topic, but after ignoring it for so long, she had learned to recover from it being brought up.
She politely averted her eyes when she saw he was changing, suddenly finding her knife extremely interesting. Not that it wasn't an interesting knife, as it clearly was just from the carvings and details, but it was also a very good distractor.
"If I remember correctly, you were the one that got punched in the face a worrying amount of times, not me," Nym pointed out, slipping her knife back away, "I think that means you get first priority on rest. Believe it or not, I can handle a half or full-day more of no sleep if it comes to that." She focused on the buildings coming closer every time they were actually able to inch a few more feet ahead in the standstill traffic, hoping that he wouldn't be afraid to ask her if he did need her to take over.
"You do need sleep, or at least that's what I think. Every morning it looked like you only got in an hour or so of it." , he assumed, "Rest for me can wait. Having my face covered in blood and my abdomen with new bruises is okay. I will make it to our quick stop."
Rael would not really mind talking about things like family. Despite it always being a topic he'd like to avoid himself, he would love to listen to her. Well, that is if she wants him too. He just wasn't sure how exact the chances are of them getting caught being stuck here. At the cell it was much different, even though talking about anything there was also risky. Although when they were there, he kept avoiding discussing a lot of things. Back in the army, he never really listened to anyone. Just give them some dry encouragement or support then go tell them to do something.
Doing so now is not going to work. Just as changing to a more relaxing position won't help with the sharp of pain he has. He bit the inside of his cheek while shooting back up. The top of his head hit against the roof of the car. Rael exhaled as he gripped the wheel. So much for saying he's perfectly fine. Would it be too much to ask? Given it might only take them half an hour or less to get out of the city, and they could switch from time to time as they keep going. Guess it will work.
"At the next red light, do you want to switch or should we just wait?"
She sighed as she glanced over at him, raising an eyebrow as she crossed her arms, "Rael, I'm human, I do need sleep, but I know I can last without it. There are certain things you learn as a spy and this is one of them." Nym settled into her seat once more, closing her eyes so she could focus. Or more specifically, she could focus on forcing all unneeded memories back into the back of her mind.
Her home life was a sensitive topic, and talking about it would take time. There were only two people that knew her past, and they just so happened to be her siblings. No one else had managed to pry out details past the fact that she had siblings. Mostly from the threat that she would break their jaw if they asked anymore about her past. The fewer people knew, the less she had to worry about in her opinion. Especially if it didn't concern them.
Nym's attention was drawn back to reality as Rael spoke again and she nodded, once again looking over at him, "Switching sounds fine. Might want to tell me where to go before you fall asleep though…otherwise, we might be resorting to taking the 'Nym style' drive around the city while I look for where to go."
"Seems like those guys in Outhila taught you a lot, Nym. Perhaps you should teach me some of those things so we can be the best duo out there.", Rael smiled. Forgetting about the mask he had on, he pulled it down briefly then put it back up. To be honest, he cannot exactly remember everything those old trainers taught him. Some things had to be taught when the situation brought it. Dealing with the lack of sleep only came with the responsibility of climbing up the ranks. Facing beatings from superiors was something he'd never expect to prepare for. Surely the training for Outhilaian spies is as extensive as the ones for Bajhee soldiers to a certain extent. Switch the uniforms and both parties will do a good job.
He stopped for a minute. Giving out basic directions is easy, but now it is taking awhile for his brain to load. His jaw got tense as he thought about it. "Okay. When we get to the second light take a left. There's a roundabout; just go up to it and turn right on Caers Street. For like the next couple of minutes, we'll be on that street until there is this huge sign saying 'Nuxvar Exit 287'. Get into the middle lane. At that point just follow through on that road, get over into the right lane since everyone here drives very fast. You'll know we're close if we pass by a park with a huge blue wisteria tree. My place is just a few minutes past that.", Rael paused for a second to breathe, "Got it? I'll explain it again or if you get confused, don't hesitate to ask. Segow is really easy to get lost in."
Waiting for the perfect time to get out of the seat is frivolous. By the time the traffic stops and you try to do anything, it will start back up again. The next light was about to come up very soon. He adjusted his seat to go far back then he took off his seatbelt. Rael stopped as all the other cars in front of him did so. After give a glance over at Nym, he pointed to the seat before scrambling to get in the back. His plan was for him to get in the back, then wait for her to get in the driver's so he could get into the passenger seat without any trouble or extra injuries. Both of them already had enough of pain for today.
She snorted then shook her head, "The best I can do for teaching you anything is going to be horrible. I may be a good spy, but I'm not a good teacher." It was a half-ass excuse clearly, or at least in her mind, it was clear. But it did the job of hopefully steering clear of what the Outhilian commanders considered training. To say the least, after one particular training session, Nym was sure she hadn't slept for three days straight. Out of terror or stubbornness, she didn't remember.
Nym went silent as he rattled off directions. She could deal with directions. Second light, left, roundabout, right, straight until 287, middle lane, right lane wisteria tree. Simple. She nodded after he finished, forming several questions in his mind until she saw him scramble into the back. Following his directions, she slid easily into the driver's seat, adjusting how everything sat before glancing over at him. "I think I know what to do, but I'm going to wake you up when we reach the tree. Then you can tell me how to get the rest of the way there."
Gods above, she couldn't remember the last time she drove a car. She hoped that it didn't show though as she gave herself a mental run-through of what to do. It wasn't long before her skills were put into gear though as the light changed and she was forced to follow traffic. And just as quickly, she realized that she was going to have road rage because of the sheer amount of cars on the road. Silently, she scowled, then focused on driving.
"Of course anything could be horrible. Look at us, we've put a lot of time into what we do best and now we are together in this car trying to escape from domineering military officials.", Rael chuckled, "Those who've gone through experiences like this are the ones who end up being the best to learn from."
When Nym got into the driver's seat, he slid back in the front to the passenger seat. "Okay, good luck.", he nodded. He adjusted the seat to go back then clicked the seatbelt in. Shutting his eyes, he tried to fall asleep. Rael tried to force himself to get some rest yet his mind would not let him do so.
His eyes watched as soldiers were trudging along the sidewalk. Their uniforms and raincoats completely drenched by the heavy downpour. Some of them looked more eager than others. After ten plus years of being in service, it was easy for him to tell who was new and who wasn't. Of course the more energetic ones were the newer ones while the others who had a slower yet direct pace were older. He could not figure out many details from being in the car. Perhaps some of the older ones were guys he fought along with or were part of his regiment. Weird how the new ones are most likely the age he was when this whole conflict started.
Rael did his best to relax in the car seat. Slouching in it was not something he was used to. Given his bruises, it was not the best thing for him to do, but he felt so exhausted from the beating to the escaping. Sure he could go longer than a couple of hours and kept driving. Although to him it seemed as if Nym sort of wanted to drive. Like it would be some form of distraction to whatever is going on in her mind. They both could use some relaxation and distractions from this.
Eventually the sleepiness got to him. He felt his eyelids getting heavy. Letting the feeling take over, Rael began to fall asleep.
(Quite sorry this is short…I'm a little low on motivation)
Nym glanced over at Rael as he settled into the seat, about to answer his comment until she saw his eyes close. She nodded to herself at this, then turned back to her task at hand. He needed sleep after all, and her bothering him wasn't going to help him do that.
She drummed her fingers against the steering wheel as she stopped with traffic again, scowling at the car in the rearview mirror. It was practically bumper to bumper with them, and the last thing she wanted was for them to get into an accident. That would draw more attention than anything. So she turned her head back to look out at the cars in front of them, purposely ignoring the sides of her vision. If she knew anything, it was that there were going to be guards there. And she was inevitably going to freeze up if she saw them.
Thankfully though, the driving roped her attention back away from them though, and within several torturous minutes, she was at the second light. Things from there went good, besides the amount of quiet cursing that she may or may not have done when cars narrowly cut her off. The exit was something she was thankful for though, and as soon as she pulled onto it, she was more confident that they weren't going to get caught. After all, this far into the city, and she hadn't even seen a guard look at them suspiciously.
(It's all good! I appreciate it. :D Sorry my response is very late.)
Sleeping was never a favorite of his for years now. He always worried about getting night terrors then not being able to stop the shouting and drastic moving. Something about being awake constantly is much more appealing to him. Of course in this moment it's much different from being out in battle having to not sleep for seventy-two hours. In the small moments where Rael was falling asleep, there was this tiny urge in him trying to wake him up. His eyelids tried to open up, but he forced them to stay closed.
Suddenly Rael was taken into a dream. Pulled in whether he liked it or not. It was a memory from six years ago. Twenty-three hundred hours. The regiment he was in was placed up in the north after a battle they'd won a week before. His captain put him on for night watch alone. Only armed with a rifle, he wandered around the area he was assigned to. Back and forth and back and forth. A wall was built around where they stayed, it used to be the enemy's before they took it. Crack. Right as Rael turned around holding the rifle up, someone appeared behind him. Hesitantly, he glanced back at the person trembling. Suddenly, a sharp blade went through his abdomen then everything turned pitch black.
Just as his eyes opened, he sat up in the seat. Frantically, he looked around checking his surroundings before remembering everything. Rael gazed over at Nym then stared out the front window. Looks like they passed the exit. Guess he wasn't asleep for so long. Quietly, he took a few deep breaths as his heart began to settle. As he rested back into the seat again, his hand put his hand over the left side of his abdomen.
"Having fun over there?"
"Asshole," She ground out under her breath as she was once again forced to slow down because of a car cutting in front of her, thoroughly focused on driving. Driving had the desired effect on her memories, she no longer could give a crap about any of the memories in her mind, driving and not dying was now a much bigger priority. The only downside was that she remember just why she had refused to drive in any large city. Traffic was enough to make her want to bash her head against the steering wheel.
Nym glanced over at Rael as she saw him shoot upright in the corner of her vision. Something in her wanted to ask if he was alright, but another part told her that it wasn't her business. After all, the same thing happened to her whenever she tried to sleep, and it was no one's business then. This wasn't any different. Instead, she snorted at his words and rolled her eyes. "I'm clearly having a blast, Rael. Definitely don't want to smack sense into any of these drivers."
She couldn't help but chuckled after she spoke though, finally mustering up the courage to ask in a much less stressed voice, "How was your nap? Did you get any sleep?"
With the back of his hand, he placed it over his mouth. His shoulders lightly bounced up and down. Traffic is always good, but Nym's reaction to it is even better. Doesn't really surprise him all of Segow's wonderful traffic is making her agitated. Rael still could've done it; now he is happy that he decided to switch over. "Good to know.", he chuckled, "My Bella deserves nothing but the best, yes?." He kept laughing for a while till he had to turn to the side to clear his throat. Shaking his head, he pat her shoulder again. "You're doing just fine, good thing we haven't been pulled over or anything."
He pulled down the face mask below his chin. The inside of it was covered in dried blood. Rael sighed in frustration. At least it is not too far from his place. Thankfully all the bleeding stopped awhile ago too. Now all that was staying with him after the beating is all the sharp pain. Everything he could smell was nothing but iron still. Squeezing his right fist, he stared down at his shoes trying to keep himself mentally occupied so he does not have to think about what happened those few hours ago.
That short nightmare still played in his head. It wasn't even what actually happened that evening. The faces of those two people were fuzzy. He couldn't figure out in slightest who it was or any features. Rael bit the inside of his cheek. When Nym asked him about his nap, his head shot up to look over at her. "It was great when it ended. I had enough to tie me over till the evening. Thank you.", he smiled, "I can drive after the quick stop if you want me to. It's alright."
"Your Bella much prefers driving somewhere sane, like small towns and country roads," She replied, scowling at the road though she clearly wasn't mad at him, "These sorry excuses for drivers are going to drive me insane." Nym couldn't help but offer a tight-lipped smile at his laugh, quite a fan of the sound. At least her frustration was making someone happy.
As they passed the tree Raek mentioned, Nym leaned back in her seat, glancing at him, "If you can drive until we leave the city, I can take over the next portion." She shrugged, studying his face and shaking her head, "Before we go anywhere though, we're getting your face cleaned up as well as iced and I'm going to attempt to shower. Feeling like a human being will significantly help raise my mood."
She could feel the lack of sleep getting to her the longer she drove, but it was something she could handle for now. If she managed to get some sleep while Rael drove, it would be enough to tide her over for a while. At least until they were somewhere that she felt safe enough to get a solid amount of sleep.
