Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The Making at the Heart of the World
Os Alta, East Ravka
MAJA HAVEL COULDN'T STAND THE LITTLE PALACE. They knew something was wrong long before she was forced into their gates, though at the time the why of it wasn't obvious. Now it was. The never ending schedules. The caste system they were forced into, where Maja herself was instantly devalued because she could create instead of destroy. Every moment of the entire day was planned out for them. And not even to their preference. Did they really believe Maja wanted to be forced into a lab to make weapons for them? Nothing new happened. The biggest event was when new grisha students appeared, and even that instantly disappeared when they were absorbed into their own groups and seemed to have never existed at all.
So when something did happen, Maja heard of it quickly. It was the power of always watching. She had explored all of the Little Palace — or at least all that she could access — and found the perfect listening places.
When the General arrived with a young girl in tow, Maja saw. She watched as guards hurried her into one of the large rooms, kept for special visitors, not grisha. Not even corporalki, for all General Kirigan preferred them, got out of staying in their usual barracks. This, along with the heightened security around the girl, made Maja suspect there was something different about her.
This was all but confirmed by the rumors the next day. The grisha from the fold had returned, many with stories of a Fjerdan attack the first time they tried to transport the girl. She was the sun summoner, they said, and no one had ever known it. She had just been hidden away in the First Army's cartography corps, like she was no one.
Maja had scoffed at their surprise. The Little Palace's arrogant belief that all grisha wanted to come to them left them naïve. The truth was, for all they pushed their 'safest place for grisha' narrative, the truth was out. More and more grisha knew it was just a training camp for child soldiers. It was growing more often for them to find older grisha — either adults who'd finally been worn down into desperationj or teens they had finally captured. Maja herself hidden from them until she was fifteen. That wasn't even counting foreigners would couldn't escape their countries at young ages.
The last to arrive was the king. That sealed the deal did Maja. General Kirigan was planning something with the girl. Either she was the sun summoner, or for some reason he believed he could pass her off as one.
When they were called for a presentation, Maja was among the very few completely unsurprised. She almost considered not going, since she already knew so much. The only question was if it was true or a scam. Which was also the most important part. That was the only thing keeping Maja interested in their little ordeal.
