𝕬𝖗𝖘𝖔𝖓𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖘 𝕷𝖚𝖑𝖑𝖆𝖇𝖞 - [𝗞𝗮𝘇 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗸𝗸𝗲𝗿]

𝐱𝐱𝐱𝐢𝐯. 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘦

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐘-𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑 — welcome to hellgate

━━━━━━━

 Alina's plan was simple... but very much the opposite. She already had the stag's antlers around her neck, she'd slayed the sea whip and secured a fetter made of glorious scales around her wrist; the firebird and it's feathers were all that was left.

 Aleksa had been told as much from the moment they'd met once more. The Heartrender twins had tried to silence Alina; they didn't trust Aleksa at all... but Sturmhond — Nikolai — had sat there, observing... strange considering that Aleksa soon found out that the man beneath the privateers mask wasn't one to ever stop running his mouth.

 Prince Nikolai Lanstov had slapped on a false persona. From prince to privateer all so that he could sail the ocean waves. He was an attractive man, Aleksa could certainly give him that... from his structured face, warm brown eyes and glorious golden hair. He was a flirt, just like her... the problem was... Aleksa could always tell when flirtatious comments were put in place to smother real feelings — she was rather talented when it came to such a skill.

 Nikolai Lanstov wouldn't take his eyes off her, not when she'd rolled her eyes at his witty little comments, nor when he'd tried to offer Alina Starkov an engagement ring. Aleksa knew that the poor fool felt something more for her even after a mere month of her presence at the palace.

 But All Aleksa could think of when he'd saunter forth and wag his silver tongue... was Kaz. The boy who was the complete opposite of the prince that so many would swoon for. Kaz was the human personification of the night, while Nikolai Lanstov was the crack of dawn. Kaz's form glinted with obsidian cracks while Nikolai's golden hair and broaches glimmered like sunlight.

 Mal Oretsev, the tracker Aleksa had met back on the skiff, was placed at the head of the plan; he was to look for any little clue pertaining to the whereabouts of the firebird while Alina and Aleksa stayed back to train their rag-tag army.

 Alina draped herself in white the moment she finally stepped into the role of Sun Summoner, a commander. Her white Kefta glimmered like fresh snow, and the sleeves and lapels were dotted with golden embroidery, some depicting little bursts of sunshine and beams of light fluttering down. It suited her perfectly.

 Aleksa had received her own, for the very first time. This one was black, and it looked so very similar to the one Aleksander would wear. The embroidery was scattered, swirling lines of black thread crawling over the surfaces... but Alina had been sure that this one was different to Aleksanders. There was a little sun on either lapel, a sun that wasn't drowned by shadows, but nor were the shadows banished by sunlight. They danced as one, and showed everybody that Aleksa was to be trusted, she had the Sun Summoner's loyalty as well as her trust and friendship.