The FlameKeeper - Kaz Brekker

CH.01 - Felöt-objer skerden Fjerda

I want to thank each of you for reading this story so far, reading your comments has been one of the highlights of my day! I'm going to be writing for Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom this summer. It will take some time but I finally have vacation so let's go! 

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(GIF ISN'T MINE, CREDITS TO THE MAKER!)

'How long do we have to wait here?' the drüskelle named Daniel asked his leader.

Marren Bergkvist looked away from the fight and gave the young drüskelle an annoyed look. 'As long as it takes.'

They were sitting on one of the tribunes, watching a new prisoner stepping into the ring, ready to fight. The wall surrounding the fighting pit blazed with torchlight. Daniel's eyes were drawn to the blood on the floor, he crossed his arms as he searched the crowd again.

'We've been in this forsaken place for two hours, how do we know if he'll show up?'

'Let me give you some advice, Daniel.' Marren said as he briefly glanced at the door. 'Brum is one of the highest ranking druskelle there is, scratch that, he is the highest ranking drüskelle. If he wants a meeting with you, you're waiting.'

The two drüskelle had come to Hellgate for an important meeting with Commander Brum. They were sitting at the Hellshow, waiting for Brum as they observed the fights. The drüskelle came here often, speaking with each other about important jobs or just to see the fights. Hellgate was located on a tiny island named Terrnejel which was not far from Ketterdam. 

'What's the meeting about?' Daniel asked as he pulled his coat tighter around him.

'The topic is above your rank, Daniel.' Marren replied. 'We'll have to wait and see if Commander Brum wants you to stay or not.'

Daniel raised his eyebrow at him. 'So you can't even give me a hint?'

Marren observed the young man that he'd known for a year, Daniel had always been a good student, a promising drüskelle.

Marren lowered his voice as he leaned toward Daniel. 'Have you heard about the story about Arabella Opjer?' he whispered.

Daniel frowned. 'Who?'

'Two decades ago, a girl was born. A girl that was predicted to destroy all Grisha, if you believe the legend of the FlameKeeper.'

'Wait, The Flamekeeper?' Daniel asked. 'Wasn't that the girl who escaped the Ice Court?'

'No one escapes the Court, Daniel.' Marren scoffed with disapproval. 'That was a story made up by the Ravkans to weaken us, to weaken our cause.'

'But what happened to her then?'

'On the day of her so-called "escape", she was planned to be executed, but she got out of her chains and killed some of our bravest men, seventeen of them.' he said as his eyes flashed briefly with anger. 'Some of our soldiers, our people, believe that she somehow made it out, that she ran into the fold to find another life in Ravka, but those people are conspiracists, and a danger to our country.'

Marren's father, Lochlan Bergkvist, had believed that she'd made it out. He was the leader of the 17 men who died, Lochlan had seen it happen. Just the thought of the possibility of her escape had made his father mentally insane, it had ruined his reputation and it eventually killed him. He died alone in an old hotel in the same city they were currently in.

But even if she escaped the court, Marren thought, there was no escape for a monster like her, for other monsters were waiting for her.

'But if she's dead,' Daniel asked as he leaned forward, 'why would this meeting be about her?'