Her Balance | Nikolai x Reader x Darkling

~ Chapter 17 ~

Hey everyone!! So I haven't updated in a while but is summer and as you all know my summer updates are honestly faster than the Flash.

Let's get into it.

First Person - Y/n

Combining the two armies was probably one of the best decisions that could've been made in our fight against the Darkling.

We had brought in armaments experts from Poliznaya to help familiarize the Grisha with modern weaponry and give them training in firearms.

Though the sessions had started out tensely, they seemed to be going more smoothly now, and we hoped that a few friendships might be forming between the groups of people. The units of Grisha and soldiers who had been assembled to hunt down the Darkling when he approached Os Alta made the fastest progress.

They returned from training missions full of private jokes and new camaraderie. They even took to calling each other nolniki, zeroes, because they were no longer strictly First or Second Army.

They were all the Ravkan Army. And although the name was simple, it spread like wildfire. Everyone was cheering for it and I had gotten word that there were daily parades celebration the birth of the Ravkan Army under Commander Oreli.

I'd been worried about how Botkin might respond to all the changes. But the man seemed to have a gift for killing, no matter the method, and he delighted in any excuse to spend time talking weaponry with Tolya and Tamar.

Because the Shu had a bad habit of taking a scalpel to their Grisha, few survived to make it into the ranks of the Ravkan Army. I had to personally train them since Botkin had refused to and we needed the people.

"Alright, I know you all are assassins and warriors but there is always something you can learn," I said staring at the group if Shu men and women in front of me, "This war is different but Ravka is different too. You all will need tk find your place in that."

"What is our first task?" asked one of the women.

"Being part of the Ravkan Army means being able to work with Grisha," I stated and my jaw clenched at the silent murmurs, "Each of you will be paired up with a Grisha that can be either experienced or in experienced."

"Your task is to learn to work in tandem with them and try and survive when you fight a competitor in one weeks time," I continued.

"Who is the competitor?" asked one of the men.

"Tolya and Tamar."

I saw their faces change into slight terror but it was going to only get worse for them.

"If you manage to outwit Tolya and Tamar," I continued and they all looked at me, "You will fight one more person...me."

"I suddenly want to lose against Tolya and Tamar," mumbled one of the women to the man next to her.

"There is no wanting that, it is a fact," said the man and I held back a laugh, "I would much rather lose to Tolya and Tamar rather than win and fight her."

"You are all dismissed," I said, "Your Grisha will find you."

They all nodded and left the training area as a familiar presence came up behind me and hugged me from behind.

"I wonder who that could be?" I said innocently.

"Take a guess," said the voice.

"The Darkling?" I asked with a mocking gasp.

Nikolai came in front of me looking offended and I laughed. I grabbed his collar and pulled him into a kiss that he happily returned.

"Just kidding," I whispered against his lips.