"I will take her to her room." Evangeline said to the guards. The younger Grisha paused and gave a look at the guards. "Please. I insist."
"A-alright."
"I know what it's like. Coming to a new home. Not knowing what to expect or what to do. And I kno...
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~•~
"The fold should've fallen by now." Nikolai said stressed. They group were walking down a hill towards where the Fold stood.
"Did she find the Firebird?" Tolya asked.
His sister responded, "Long story, it's Mal."
"I'm sorry, did you say Mal is a bird?" Jesper asked as they all walked down the hill.
"Still no sign of Kirigan." Evangeline sighed. Nikolai rubbed her back with the hand she held onto for his own balance. They eventually reached the fold. "We go in, we find Alina and Mal."
"And Inej and Nina." Eva interrupted. Kaz didn't stop staring at the black smoky abyss as he limped to the prince and princess. Nikolai eyes him.
"Here." Kaz said to him, holding his cane up for him to take.
"Don't you need it?" Nik asked, he stumbled a bit and Eva had to catch him before he actually fell to the ground.
"I've got more experience with pain." As he said this he looked at Eva. Nikolai took it thankfully. He watched as Kaz linked away from behind him. Eva would've helped him but he knew he doesn't like touch.
Tolya stepped forward first. He walked in with Nikolai as he too went through. Eva, being the worry bug she is, he chanced after him too. Kaz then the other two crows went in as well. Tamar then slowly walked in too. Then Nadia and Adrik went in.
"Follow me." Tolya instructed. They all followed after the Shu. A volcra growled with made Tolya hold his arms out to stop everyone from walking any further. They dashed into a room that got crammed quickly due to how many people and pillars there was.
"Metal hinges." Wylan noticed. "Jesper." The latter noticed then too and ran to the door to mend it shut.
"That should hold the volcra." Tamar nodded.
"We'll see." Eva shuttered. Nikolai moved to her and held her. Then, a hissing sound echoed.
"Everybody back!"
"Kirigan's shadow monster..." as Nikolai said this, it formed bigger and bigger.
Wylan started to splutter. "But without the blade, how do you kill a shadow?"
Eva stepped up from behind Nikolai. He reached out for her as did Kaz but she was too far from them and too close to the monster. "Back up further guys."
The group hesitantly backed away from the girl. She began to float up, yellow swirls and whirls surrounding her, stopping them from seeing her. The yellow slowly turned to a scarlet red. Her arms stretched out at her sides, long fingerless gloves forming. A crown materialized on her head, a red suit and corset took shape on her body. A train, pants, and boots appeared next.
She floated back down, the red surrounding her dissolved into nothing, revealing her to the others. She thrusted a red blast into the shadow monster. It shuffled backwards, the black particles collecting back together. "Shit." She muttered.
She again thrusted a ball of chaos magic at the Nichevo'ya. Nadia and Adrik conjured wind then blew it at the monster. Eva used her powers to hold the air and her own magic onto the shadow. It started to shining so they stopped, figuring it was defeated. After about three seconds it came back but bigger.
"Shield your eyes." Wylan exclaimed as he pulled out another bomb. "Don't move."
Eva made a field to protect the eight of them from whatever Wylan had created. He threw it at the Nichevo'ya making it dissolve immediately, blue covering it for the split second it had happened.
"Yes! My man." Jesper yelled, fist bumping the air. "We haven't really put a label on it yet, yeah? I mean, he did that."
Sadly, the thing just came back yet again. But even bigger than the last time. Tamar and Tolya took out their weapons. Jesper tucked Wykan closer to him in an attempt to protect him. Nikolai did so too with Eva. Kaz accidentally backed into them, causing Nik to let go.
"Well shit." Evangeline cursed. The group fought the monster for at least five minutes before the sun was seen.
"Saints! She did it..." Nadia gasped as she looked at the window holding onto her stomach.
"Why is it still here." Tamar's eyes widened. She clutched her axes tighter.
"The sun can't kill it!" Tolya observed. He charged at it with his sword but it only went through it. The now giant Nichevo'ya backhanded him to the wall. Tamar ran to his side. Nikolai ran to the shadow monster with Kaz's cane. He swung it at the monster but unsurprisingly, it went through it.
The Nichevo'ya gripped onto Nikolai. "Nooo!" Eva screeched. She ran in an attempt to help but Kaz grabbed her by the waist, holding her back.
"Stay alive. If you get too close you'll die. Think if your children." He convinced.
"If I don't help he might die!" Eva cried.
As she was about to wriggle out of his arms, Tolya ran over to try to hit the monster again. But of course, it didn't work because Nichevo'ya are made of shadow.
"Tolya!" Tamar called out. Nadia had to grab her. As the Nichevo'ya raised its hand to claw at and kill Nikolai, a yellow shine took over its body and disappeared. Nikolai fell to the ground and Tolya caught him. Kaz let go of Eva so she could sprint over to her brother.
He won't lie, it hurt to see someone happy with their brother. But at least it was her out of everyone he could see.
"Kirigan must be dead. It's the only way it could've died without the blade." Nadia said. Nikolai breathed heavily.
