In The Name of Shadows - A Darklina Story

Chapter 10: Welcome to the Shadow City

Publishing date: 03/13/2022

Alina hadn't visited Kribirsk for over a year and a half. Riding now between the military tents which had been set up on the outskirts of the city, the girl immediately remembered her time in the First Army. At this time, Alina had been still a map maker and it had seemed to her that she had been able to somehow contribute to Ravka's liberation. That she had might be useful for her country and that her drawing skills would enable Ravka to gain a military advantage.

However, later events had showed how much Alina had been wrong in her assumptions, having no idea that soon her life would so drastically change. That shortly after she would discover that she had not belonged to the world of ordinary otkazat'sya, but she had been in fact Grisha and – in addition – one of the most powerful of them.

"It's so nice to visit some familiar places, don't you think, my little Havoc Summoner?" The Darkling's voice took Alina by surprise, breaking her from the reverie in which she had been plunged into. Thoughts about constant war were suddenly forgotten.

The white-haired girl risked a glance in direction of Aleksander Morozova. Since the Darkling was still wearing his usual traveling attire, only someone who had ever seen him in person would recognize him. However, his upright posture undoubtedly attracted some attention, showing that Aleksander was someone of high birth. This was also indicated by the way the Shadow Summoner was riding rode on his black horse. There was a dark aura emanating from him, ordering to stay away from this gloomy man as far as possible.

Moreover, Aleksander's beauty distinguished him among King Nikolai's rank-and-file soldiers whom he was passing by. Busy with the preparations for war, the warriors looked at this handsome man with considerable curiosity, as if he was somehow familiar to them. Alina was sure that if she, the Darkling and Katya had stumbled upon people from the Second Army, the camouflage would be of no use to the Black Heretic. Everyone in the Second Army remembered what Aleksander Morozova looked like. Even the lowest-ranking soldiers could recognize his identity.

Suddenly Alina could see why the Darkling had taken a detour into the city center. The unfortunate events on the forest path leading towards Kribirsk must have already echoed among the local inhabitants of this part of Ravka. The death of so many drüskelle at once was something unusual. It took at least a group of several Grisha to eliminate so many Fjerdan simultaneously, especially if they were attacking their victims from an ambush. But Aleksander had been extremely insistent on remaining anonymous. The white-haired girl had no idea why he cared about it so much, since the Shadow Summoner had regained all his former powers.

But the Darkling hadn't wanted to reveal his plan to anyone yet. Instead, he guarded his old identity, warning Katya and Alina not to give him up under any circumstances, as it could end very badly for all of them.

"Not much has changed here..." Alina whispered as if to herself, unaware that this way she was answering Aleksander's earlier question. "These poor people have been still struggling with war, and I thought that if you died, it would all be over."

The Darkling looked carefully at the white-haired girl, then smiled at her from the corner of his mouth.

"As you can see, I was needed in Ravka. Even if you especially don't like this thought, I know you will agree with me."

Alina bit her lower lip, refusing to feed his pride, especially since the Darkling was forgetting the most important point – he was forgetting about death of all these people who had died just because the Shadow King had had such a whim.

How can you forget about that, you selfish bastard? Alina thought, but since Aleksander hadn't answered her, it meant that he wasn't listening to her thoughts for the moment.