Nile blinks softly, his pastel green eyes appearing to watch the ground. "Are we there yet?" He asks in a quiet hoarse voice.
Demure almost shakes his head before remembering, then replies, "No, I don't think so. I can't really tell with all the dust in the air though." He squints, debating, before adding, "We may want to look for shelter. The storm's getting worse."
Nile nods soundlessly and allows his sharp-eyed companion to pull him forward in search. His eyes still held level with the ground as if it could stare back, though if it could he wouldn't notice. The bright emerald once contained in his eyes had become a murky green, swathed in fog. They had lost sight, therefore losing purpose, and Nile wasn't one to keep purposeless things.
The still sore-looking scars framing his face were proof of this.
Demure glances back at the blind Egyptian as he ties his scarf over his mouth and nose, his eyes running over the cuts made by an ill, distraught mind. Nile had been so out of it, had become so distressed by this new darkness and the trauma endured at that place that he had tried to cut out his eyes, along with his life.
Even now Nile remained a changed person, scarred inside and out.
"Hey." Said companion murmers in his quiet voice. "I'm Ok Demure." This effectively pulls Demure back to the present.
"I know." Demure replies, a soft smile lifting the sides of his mouth. He'd forgotten how easily Nile felt stareing. He felt the atmospere around people and could distinguish emotions as well as seeing people too. However, Demure can tell even with the scarf that Nile doesn't return the smile, leaving Demure feeling heavy disappointment, as he hadn't seen his friend smile once in the last two years.
OK. But not fine.
The wind picks up, and the sand is buffeting them hard enough to knock away their breath. Nile chokes and stumbles, then quickly squeezes Demure's hand harder. Although he wouldn't admit it, Demure knew Nile was scared of being alone in his personal darkness. If he were to be lost, he'd have no chance, either mentally or physically, of survival. The way he was now ensured that.
Finally Demure manages to make out a cluster of boulders and pulls Nile to them. There was a tiny space between two, large enough to barely wedge themselves in. As it was, they were pressed up together and both could feel the heaving breaths of the other.
The storm lasts about an hour. Lucky. It wasn't as bad nor as long as it could have been, and both Africans were grateful for that. They needed to cover as much ground as possible in order to reach the building. As it was, they were very late.
They pull from the safety of the rocks and continue padding through the hot sand, their feet slipping and sinking under the soft dust.
Demure didn't need to be a mind reader to tell whenever Nile considered their destination. The Egyptian would become anxious, his breath hitching in his throat and his movements stiffer and jerkier. His grip on Demure's hand would fluctuate in strength, sometimes to the points where Demure would either grimace in pain or pause to make sure Nile's hand didn't slip from his fingers. Small, barely noticeable tremors would make him shiver, chills running down his spine despite the intense heat.
Demure was always careful to watch for the signs, ready to comfort or listen, despite that Nile hadn't opened up to him or anyone else at all. What went on at that place was a secret, and probably would remain that way unless either Nile or the ones they were searching for confided in them.
Despite his fears though, Nile continued to plug forward. He was the only one who knew the exact location, along with the basic layout. He was putting aside the trauma he'd expirenced to make sure another didn't face it.
As brave as it was though, Demure found himself continuing to wish for the truth. Nile had changed in that place, and scars don't heal by being ignored and picked at.
-.*
It was too dark to see when they finally stopped to rest. This had been a pattern they'd picked up, sleeping during late hours and midday and walking the rest of the time, in order to avoid getting lost or overheated.
Demure begins pulling food from his backpack, carefully making sure to abide by the ration limits they'd set prejourney. If they weren't careful about their food, they wouldn't have enough to make it back, especially since they planned on two extra companions.
Hopefully. They couldn't be sure that they weren't making this journey in vain unfortunately.
When Nile's portion was handed to him, Demure saw how he clung to it, bringing it against his chest possessively.
So he's still doing that...
Nile's odd defensiveness about food was likely stemed from all of lack of it and inability to defend what meager portion he received at that place. He had dropped several pounds and was still lower than healthy even now.
They eat in silence before Demure takes out blankets. As hot as it was during the day, the nights were borderline freezing. Though it might have been smart to sleep close to each other for the sake of warmth, Demure knew not to try. Nile wouldn't have it. More likely he'd squirm away with a snarl.
Demure sighs to himself. It hurt, seeing Nile like this. He had to push it away though, for the sake of the others and Nile himself. He needed to be patient with his traumatized friend, less he become overwhelmed and run off. Nile wasn't exactly prone to logic at the moment, acting on ancient gut instinct to keep himself safe. Even if it meant endangering his life.
After they picked up the other two, Demure would probably be tiptoeing over eggshells for a while. After all, if Kyoya and Benkei were difficult before, what would they be like now that they've faced what Nile has?