(𝐊𝐀𝐙 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐊𝐊𝐄𝐑 𝐗 𝐅. 𝐎𝐂)
❝︎Why didn't he see
it coming?❞︎
BORN A PRISONER, TURNED INTO
one of the best soldiers of the Second
Army was Vera Sokolov, a Fjerdan
girl born with Shadow Sum...
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HE FOUND HER tucked below deck in the hold behind wooden barrels, her body shaking from the cold, wet weather that raged unsympathetically against the ship.
The little girl couldn't have been even nine years old, her pale face hidden in between her shaking knees and unbrushed blonde hair. Her arms bent and hands resting against the top of her head, it was all she could do due to them being in wide wooden cuffs.
His heart swelled with both pity and anger, the desire to turn around and cut everyone on board into little pieces being hard to fight. But he was able to restrain himself. He called out to her, his voice purposely coming out quiet and kind, "Hello?"
It took a second for the little girl to look up, and when she did her body went cowering back further into the barrels. He was quick to reassure, "I'm not here to hurt you, I'm saving you."
The girl looked up at him, her eyes sharp as she glared forward. Saving? Her eyebrows furrowed slightly as she looked around the area of below deck. There was no one else in the ship currently—not that she was sure of this, but there was no one in sight or making noise—and the softer sway of the ship told her that they were docked somewhere.
Knowing he would get nowhere without gaining trust he let out a soft breath before he introduced, "My name is Aleksander, what is yours?"
The blonde continued to glare at him. But he was a patient man, so all he did was keep the staring contest going. Once the child blinked, she frowned and then shook her head lightly, her expression clearing immediately.
Kirigan felt himself grow even angrier, this child wouldn't allow herself to express any emotions, probably because it would get her in trouble with the Drüskelle. He made a mental reminder to make them pay for what they did to this girl. While he was planning angrily, he almost missed the meek voice that quietly said, "Vera."
Kirigan looked forward but found her mouth shut. He blinked, "Was that you?"
She nodded, "You asked my name. It is Vera."
He noticed that her words were pronounced with a Fjerdan accent. Now her blonde hair made sense. She was Fjerdan, born and raised. Kirigan glanced down at her hands, finding them clenched in small fists.
"It's nice to meet you, Vera." Kirigan gave the girl a small comforting smile, "Would you like to come with me to somewhere safe?"
"Somewhere safe?" She echoed, her eyes widening in hope.
He nodded slowly so as to not scare her by making a quick movement, "A place called the Little Palace, where people like you and I are welcome with open arms."
"Is it real?" Little Vera looked up, her eyes widening as she moved out of her hiding spot slightly, "A safe place?"
"It is." Kirigan reached his hand forward slowly, and offering of peace to the girl.
Vera reached forward slowly, opening up to the possibility of a safe place for her to go to. Once her small hand was placed in his own Kirigan looked down at it, finding lots of faded scars and new cuts inflicted on it.
He pushed back his rage to help Vera out of the barrels, telling her to be careful as she made her way out. He could now see her entire appearance, only to get hit with a sudden wave of emotions. The girl was incredibly thin, her hair long but knotted and her skin so pale he was sure she hadn't seen the sun in months at least.
"Follow me," Kirigan had told her as he walked towards the stairs leading to the top of the deck, still holding her hand, "and I'll lead you to the safe place."
The girl nodded, and he led her to the outside world for the first time.
Immediately he knew that this child, Vera Sokolov, would be under his protection for as long as he could. Even if it meant hiding the truth from her. He was fine with keeping her in the dark about his past, about the horrors of the Fold. She would be safe, with him in the Little Palace.
Someone who knew the truth he was hiding saw this behavior and knew she had to act upon this and get the child away from Aleksander before it was too late.
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AUTHORS NOTE !
Reposting this story (Even though I don't have a lot of it written)
