Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
╭┈───────────── ೄྀ࿐ ˊˎ-
╰┈➤ ❝ [Then, the distance grows] ❞
"The skiff is still here. Travellers downstairs are complaining. They were due to cross this morning." Inej informed the two, removing her coats as she does so.
"Orders from the Black General. He plans to cross on it tomorrow."
"The General? Is that the same General who tried to...oh, yeah, kill us all and abduct our friend?" Jesper sourly said with a grimace on his face. "That one?" He shakes his head.
"he has the Sun Summoner... and Senia." Kaz said and lowered his head remembering the day he parted with the Grisha.
"Was this your plan all along? To have the General get her back so you can take her again? And Senia was just what? collateral damage?" Inej questioned Kaz, the disappointment and accusation linger in her voice.
"My plan is to get us across the fold. We aren't prepared for another fight." He explained but was saddened at what Inej thought of him when it comes to Senia.
"So you're not going to take another run at Alina? And you're really willing to let a million kruge go?"
"Jesper and I can't do it without you."
"Been saying that since day one." Jesper received an intense look from Kaz.
"So all you want is to cross the fold?" Inej asked him.
He nodded. "Well, I plan to get Senia back too. Once we land in Novokribirsk. It's your choice what you do next."
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*
The rumbling of the thunder from the fold was heard. Senia entered the tent wherein Mal was kept captive. She stood there at the entrance staring at her friend as he struggles to free himself from the metal chains.
"With all the training from the first army, you never found a way to free yourself?" Senia teased and walked towards the tracker, sitting at the barrel beside him her legs crossed.
"I never said I listened," Mal said back sitting on the ground in front of her. He looked up to his friend clad in red kefta, wondering how could she be someone she isn't? "How?"
"I escaped, Mal. When I and Alina tried to free you from the volcra we left ourselves unguarded. A volcra made its way to me and drag me away from the skiff, away from you. But I survived when Alina let her light out. It turned the Volcra to ashes in a second, you should've witnessed it, she was that powerful. Then, I escaped the fold, gone to Novokribirsk where I unconsciously used my power to heal my wound and... and I - well, I think I manipulated other people's consciousness back then." Senia looked into Mal's confused eyes for once.
"I'm not even that surprised to know about you being a Grisha but what do you mean control other people's consciousness? That was unheard of." He explained to her. Mal seeing the utter confusion in Senia's eyes chose to stand and embrace the girl. His heart beside Senia's ear hearing the steady rhythm lulling her to peace.
"I really don't know, Mal."
"You have to be careful of what you show other people, especially Kirigan. He might, no, he will take advantage of your power." He said playing his hands atop the girl's head. He was reminded of their peaceful days back at the orphanage where all they worry about is the other kid's unexplained hatred to them three.
"He can try. But we never really know, Mal. Are you sure he was only using Alina and not really trying to help Ravka?" Senia asked looking up to Mal.
"Senia..."
"No, Mal. I'm sorry but if he's the only way I can guarantee that Alina and I will never be the centre of hatred again because of our difference from this country then why not give it a shot?"
"Senia! A shot at what? For that wretched General to drag you to the hole he dug himself because of his selfish greed?" Mal looked at her mouth wide open. Slowly backing away from Senia's standing figure staring at him, the hardest part is that when he looked at her he cannot see evil but only the arduous intent for fairness. But there's a thin line between greed and will, and she might be leaning on the wrong path.
"Is that your way of telling me I'm selfish? For wanting peace and fairness?" Senia looked at Mal's eyes tears threatening to cascade down her pale cheeks, biting her lower lip preventing a sob from escaping her trembling lips.
Mal shook his head intending to say no but Senia saw it as a way of Mal opposing her views.
Gasping for air, she stood straight her sad eyes looking straight at Mal's. "Fine. I see where you stand, against me." She said once more and calmly walked out of the tent, she was greeted by the sight of the towering dark fold from the distance lightning crawling its way to the top creating the sound of booming thunder.
She closed her eyes savouring the feel of the cold from around her. She felt it, the whispers and if before she chose to ignore it from fear of the unknown. Now, she'll accept it, the power of the unknown.
She walked with the guidance of the whispers leading her. She found herself in front of the tent similar to where Zoya resided in back when she was just a first army. She saw Ivan shrugging of his robes when she entered the tent that made the man look up at her.
"Whatever are you here for?" He asked impatiently wanting to call it a day already but interfered by the girl.
"I'm here as a sign of acceptance."
"To what exactly?"
"Acceptance to what I am and what I can do. To obtain the power I chose to ignore for a long time, I can achieve that through you. So, teach me more of the ways of a Corporalnik, Ivan."
Ivan took back the kefta he had placed away. Two Grisha, both in red, feet touched the dusty ground outside the tent, both with new purpose to have the wretched world bend to their will. Because they're tired of letting the ordinary folk taunt them, ordinary is overrated.
