The Darkling X Reader - Blog Posts

Hiiii hope ur well

would u mind doing a darkling x moon summoner fix like she’s disguised as the queens gorgeous lady in waiting but she’s really the kings personal gaurd/assassin.

and aleksander finds out about her when she saves alina from the attack on the way to the little palace.

and of course u have free rein whether u want to continue this or have a jealous trope with Alina and I won’t shy away from smut lol (I’d love a scene where the moon summoner catches the contucdor at the winter fete and helps control his mind to get answers)

thank youuuu

SWEET ANON! i want to preface this with an apology, because it took me so long to write... and it is... a very long piece of writing. i hope it meets the mark though. it might be one of my personal faves that i've written. i love u <33

AS ALWAYS, PLEASE SEND IN REQUESTS <333333

warnings: canon typical violence, some angst

word count: 10.5k

The Dark Side of The Moon (aleksander morozova x fem! moon summoner! reader)

READ PART TWO HERE

He needed you.

No, he didn’t need you, he reasoned with himself. He just… really wanted you. 

His hands were still in position, but The Cut he intended to use was long forgotten and faded. You stood behind him and he gaped at you from over his shoulder. You looked as lovely as ever, but even more so now that power was thrumming just underneath your skin, so freshly used. 

The Fjerdan that had been a part of the ambush on the road back to Os Alta, lay over Alina with a smoking, gaping hole blown through his chest. 

The girl pushed the body off of her in a panicked manner, and you dashed past the Black General and grabbed onto both of her hands to pull her to her feet gently. 

“Breathe, breathe, Sankta Alina. You are safe.” You assured her and she stared up at you with wide eyes. 

“Who are you?” She asked, almost belligerently. 

You opened your mouth to answer her question and General Kirigan let out a low hum from behind the two of you. 

“Yes, Lady y/n. Who are you, indeed?” He asked, walking towards you as if you were simply his prey. 

He couldn’t help the glee that settled in his stomach when he looked at you and Alina. His Sun Summoner had finally been found. He could have gotten by with just her. And then there you were. 

His Moon Summoner of legend. No one knew for certain if there was to be a Moon Summoner one day or if it was just tales of a desperate man, but The Black Heretic knew for certain that now he was indefinitely unstoppable. 

“Are you insane, General Kirigan?” You asked angrily and he came back to the present moment to see that you’d wrapped your arms around Alina’s shoulders and pulled her against your chest while she let out sighs of distress.

You weren’t taller than the girl, if anything you were a few inches shorter, and this was an amusing sight for him to watch. You snapped a few times in his direction and you shook your head. 

“You could’ve gotten her killed! Why didn’t you ride off alone with her?” You demanded and then you let go of the girl and rubbed your forehead, “Saints, Kirigan. She’s the Sun Summoner.”

You and him had always gotten along nicely, truth be told. You posed as the Queen’s Lady in Waiting, and whenever there were large events that the General would attend, you two often had friendly conversations. But you weren’t really just the Queen’s Lady in Waiting. And The General knew this. You served as the King’s personal assassin. 

You’d never had to do much more than keep an eye on the man, thankfully, because in instances like that, you’d have to use your power. The power you tried to keep hidden. 

When The King had heard word of the Sun Summoner being brought to the Capital, he’d sent you off to make sure that she and the General and his Grisha made it home safely. 

He was right for that evidently. 

The General didn’t seem to like your outburst and he approached the two of you and he reached up to twist a bit of your hair around his finger curiously. Silver strands glowed in the aftermath of your vicious outburst of power and he dropped the piece of your hair.  

“Were you ever going to tell anyone that you are the Moon Summoner?” He asked slowly and you felt Alina’s eyes on your face. 

You glanced up at the girl in front of you and then over your shoulder at Kirigan and you shook your head. 

“No. Because I didn’t want to just be a saint. I’m much more than that, as you can see.” You said quietly and he hummed. 

“Indeed you are, Lady y/n.” He said lowly and then he nodded to Alina, “She rides with me. Did you ride here on a horse?” He asked. 

You gave him a nod and pointed at a white horse in the distance, speckled with grey. 

“Excuse me? Can someone please explain what’s going on here?” Alina asked desperately and the two of you turned to her. 

He beat you to answer her and he held his hand out for Alina, waiting for her to tentatively grab onto it. 

“I have found my two lovely Saints now.  All is right in the world.” He said with a grin and you felt a sense of unease in your stomach upon seeing his toothy grin. 

-

The ride back to Os Alta was mostly silent. You had gone off ahead of the two on your horse, determined to get to the Capital as quickly as you could so that you could hurry yourself up to the Queen and spend the rest of the day in hiding. You knew what would happen if you ever revealed yourself. You’d be thrown to the wolves. Everyone would know your name, everyone would want to use you. From a young age, you’d learned to keep your powers a secret, and to only practice them alone. 

As soon as your horse rode up onto the gravel path in front of the Little Palace, you jumped from your still moving horse and you gathered your cloak up and quickly ran towards the Grand Palace. You stumbled inside and slammed the doors behind you, despite guards trying to filter out to get outside to meet the General and the Sun Summoner. You pushed your way through a few guards until you got to the grand staircase and bustled up the marble stairs. 

Once in the hallway, you smoothed down your riding clothes and walked quietly towards the King’s study. You tapped the door before you opened it and you stood in the doorway, peering in at the King and Prince Vasily who sat inside. You bowed your head respectfully and cleared your throat.

“Your Grace, I’ve delivered them safely. There were Fjerdans, just as you predicted, my Prince.” You reported and the two men nodded their heads. 

“Thank you, My Lady. Please. Clean yourself up and return yourself to my mother’s side at once.” Vasily ordered and you didn’t protest. 

Within the hour you’d gotten yourself thoroughly cleaned up and dressed with the help of a few servants, and you faithfully returned to your Queen’s side. 

You didn’t mind the Queen. Not at all, really. She was a bit of an airhead and as vain as can be, but you much preferred her company to her husband’s or even Vasily. You didn’t even mind Nikolai, though you hadn’t seen the boy in many, many years. 

You sat in silence next to the Queen for most of the afternoon as she had tea and read through her books, and you felt relieved to be away from the Grisha. Away from Alina Starkov. Away from General Kirigan. 

Just as the thought of all three had slipped your mind, The General begged for your attention once more and you and the Queen both turned your head to the doorway of the Library to see Kirigan standing there. He bowed his head respectfully to the queen and he bent his knee ever so slightly. 

“My Queen. May I steal your lovely Lady away for just a moment or two?” He asked, and the Queen raised an eyebrow.  

“Why? What business do you have with her?” She asked and you wanted to swear under your breath. He was going to tell her, surely. 

The reveal didn’t come, and instead, he gave a simple excuse. 

“I think Miss Starkov needs someone kind and.. well… perhaps non Grisha to speak to. This new life must be hard for her and it’s even harder when there’s only reminders trying to soothe you.” He explained calmly, but you could see the way his fingers fidgeted behind his back from how his forearms flexed underneath his kefta. 

“I suppose. Have her back by the time we finish dinner please.” She requested and the General nodded once and held his hand out for you. 

“After you, Lady y/n.” He said primly. 

You looked down at the Queen miserably and stood up. You held the skirts of your dress up off of the ground as you strode towards Kirigan, and you politely took his arm. 

He led you away from the library, and as soon as you were out of earshot of the Queen, he cleared his throat. 

“So. I believe a discussion is in order about your… abilities.” He said slowly and you shook your head. 

“No. I don’t want to talk about them. I want you to forget about them. Please. They’re mine and mine alone.” You said softly. 

Kirigan placed a hand at the small of your back and he very gently nudged you towards the doors that would take you outside to the Little Palace. 

“You are a gift to this world, y/n. Why hide it? You, Alina, and I could accomplish so much. We could tear down the fold, we could further expand it, we could bring the sun and the moon down to touch the earth. Yet you deny Ravka of these wonders. Why?” He asked and stepped outside with you. He carefully guided you down a small set of stairs and you shrugged. 

“I don’t know,” you said cautiously. Or perhaps it was fearfully. You weren’t sure. 

“Well, you’d be doing a great service to this great country by embracing who you are meant to be… what was it you called Alina? Ah yes. Sankta y/n.” He finished and you shuddered at the sound of it. 

There was power dripping from the title he gave you and you would be lying if you said it didn’t appeal to you somewhat. But you quickly shook the thought away from your head and instead decided to become fascinated with a fraying bit of lace on the bodice of your dress. 

“I don’t know, General.” You finally replied as the two of you walked into the Little Palace. 

“You’re destined for great things, my Moonbeam.” He said softly and then took one of your hands in his, stopping you in the middle of an empty hallway, “You don’t have to agree, but I would encourage you to accept your Grisha side and come here to train with Alina. We three are destined for something ethereal.” He said gently and reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear.  

Little butterflies erupted in your stomach and your mouth was suddenly dry. 

“I’ll think about it.” You whispered, and he brushed a thumb over your cheek as he pulled his hand away from your hair 

“Good girl. I know you’ll make the right decision.

-

Whether it was the right decision or not, you did in fact choose to join Kirigan. When you told him, he was elated. In his own way. His dark eyes gleamed proudly and he had taken you by the hand and promised you greatness, and truthfully, you believed he’d deliver. 

But training was simply kicking your ass.

You knew how to handle your powers, that wasn’t hard. But to advance them and use them in ways you’d never even imagined? That was hard. 

Typically, you’d spend most of your time around Kirigan as he insisted that he was best to train you, but sometimes you were stuck going down to the training yard or to Baghra. 

Baghra was a woman full of disdain and had a certain distaste for you, it seemed. Sometimes it was as if she was trying to scare you away from your training entirely. 

Like right now, for instance. 

You sat with your legs crossed in a shabby little wooden chair while the old woman paced the room in silence. You wanted to ask her what she was pacing for, but you didn’t want to face her wrath. So you instead watched her go back and forth, like a slow, unsteady pendulum. 

Finally her eyes met yours and she stopped moving, her thin lips becoming even thinner as she pursed them together. 

“I’m no longer sure what to do with you, admittedly.” She said, her words slow and well thought upon. 

You arched an eyebrow curiously and she only shrugged and sat across from you, folding her bony hands properly across her lap. 

“You know what you’re doing. That’s more than Alina can say. But you aren’t great. You won’t hardly be successful or powerful. Do you know why?” 

You didn’t verbally ask her to tell you why. You only leaned forward a bit and held your hands out questioningly. 

She tutted at you and then she leaned back a bit in her chair.

“You’re doing this for all the wrong reasons, so when you’re faced with the reality of the situation, you are no longer motivated to use your power accordingly. I think that would have a lot to do with The General, wouldn’t you think so?” She asked, almost accusingly. 

“The finger pointing is a bit juvenile, isn’t it, Baghra?” You asked in a flat tone, “If you have an accusation to make, best be direct.”

It was her turn to cock an eyebrow now and she let out a little scoff. 

“Alright then, little girl, let me be frank. You are doing this because of your attraction to the General. Not because you want to tear down The Fold. Alina may not be good with her power yet, but make no mistake; she wants only to liberate this country. What do you want? A moment of approval from a man? A pat on the head like a kitten?” 

You slowly rose from the chair and you towered over the woman, shaking your head, your jaw setting tersely. 

“Preposterous. You cannot possibly fathom why I am doing this.”

“Correct, girl. I cannot fathom what motivates you. I never claimed to. All I claimed to know is what you’re doing it for. Tell me this: do you believe that this will bring you the affection you crave?” 

You stared her down incredulously before you shook your head.

“This is absurd. I am leaving.” You snapped and turned sharply. 

You stormed towards the door, your fingertips vibrating just slightly, and when you looked down, silvery light made your skin light up ever so slightly. You grit your teeth and pushed open her door and walked out, making sure to slam it behind you. 

You didn’t crave his affection. You didn’t want a pat on the head.

You walked off up to the courtyard, lost in angry thought. 

Come to think of it though, The Fold had hardly crossed your mind during the weeks of training you’d been subjected to. Kirigan never spoke of it when you two were together. Most of the time you’d spent with him was just… casual conversation between two friends. Sometimes he’d give you his hand and allow you to mess around with your power with the aid of his amplification. 

But otherwise, it wasn’t much else more. 

You slowed your steps until you were stopped entirely near the doors to the Little Palace and you blinked a few times. 

There was no way that Baghra was right. But she wasn’t really wrong, either. 

Why were you doing this? 

That was the question that kept you up that night. 

-

You laid in your bed across the hall from the Queen’s room and you tossed and turned for the whole two hours you were laying down. 

Your mind raced relentlessly, replaying what Baghra had earlier said, her words echoing like church bells in your head. 

You groaned frustratedly and you pushed yourself up out of bed and reached out in the dim light of the moon to grab onto your robe that hung from one of the posts on your bed. You tossed it around your shoulders and slid your arms into the thin sleeves and tied it up tightly. You moved your hair over one shoulder and slid on a pair of flat, slipper-like shoes, and you rushed out of your bedroom. 

You’d go wake Alina. That’s what you’d do. Talk to her about this entire thing, hear what she would have to say about it. You sighed quietly and walked down through the winding halls of the Grand Palace until you reached the double doors that led out to the Little Palace. You padded out over the grounds and you glanced around cautiously, chewing on your bottom lip. 

When you finally got inside of the Little Palace, you walked determinedly down the hallway towards Alina’s room before you stopped at a crossroads. There was hardly any light in the halls at this time of the night, yet down the hallway that held Kirigan’s room, there was a sliver of light under his door. You glanced back at the hallway that would take you to Alina and you thought for a moment before you turned and walked hurriedly through a hallway. 

You didn’t even think or have half the mind to knock before you pushed open the doors to General Kirigan’s room. 

If the much taller man was surprised to see you intruding in his room, he didn’t make any indication of such a feeling. Instead, he just eyed you from his position, bent over his war table. You took a step inside his room and closed the doors behind you, letting out a long sigh. 

“Do you do this often to The Royal Family? Or are unannounced intrusions reserved for me?” He asked and then looked back down at his table. 

When you didn’t answer, he flickered his dark eyes back up to you and looked you up and down a few times, and suddenly you felt very naked underneath his gaze, despite being clothed.  

“I just… I…” you trailed off and suddenly felt very foolish to barge into his personal chambers without so much as a knock and you looked down at the ground. 

“You just what?” He demanded, but his tone wasn’t harsh. Only curious. 

“I couldn’t sleep. I don’t know. I intended on rousing Alina but I don’t know what happened. I just… found myself here.” You answered, your cheeks heating up in embarrassment. 

He continued to stare at you for a while and then he shook his head once, reaching out to beckon you forward.

“Well. Are you going to stand by the doors for the remainder of the night? Come join me over here.” He suggested and you slowly made your way across the floor to him. 

You felt a pang of nervousness in your chest. A new feeling around him. Usually you felt much more at ease around The Darkling, but now you just felt so small. 

You finally rounded the table to stand at his side, and you met his eyes which had followed you from the door to his side. 

“Would you like me to make you some tea?” He asked and reached out to twist a piece of your hair around his finger, a habit that he had made within the last few weeks. 

“No, I don’t think that would help much. But thank you.”

He looked down at you and he let out a sigh, “I am not sure why you came to me, then. I cannot lull you to sleep, my sweet moonbeam.” 

His words sent you fumbling for your own and you blinked a few times. You only shrugged in lieu of speaking and looked down at his war table. 

You watched him lift his arm out of your periphery and nearly jumped when you felt his hand gently touch the side of your face. He carefully turned your face towards his and he cradled your face against his palm. His touch was gentle, and you wondered if he’d ever been this delicate with anything in his life before. 

“Would you like that? Is that why you came to me? Did you want me to lull you to sleep? Soothe all your worries away?” He asked slowly. 

Though his words could easily have been mocking, his tone was light and kind and full of something you placed between want and concern. 

“I don’t know.” You whispered and nuzzled your cheek into the palm of his hand. 

He clicked his tongue against the top of his mouth, “That isn’t really an answer.” He commented. 

You knew it wasn’t. And you knew he was far too sharp to think otherwise. You couldn’t fool him, and you knew that. He could read you like an open book, he always could, even when you two were simple acquaintances. But you couldn’t really call yourselves acquaintances now. Could you even say friends? 

He trained you often, and much of your time was spent with the General, much more than with the Queen these days. He knew so much about you. Some from being told by you, some from guessing and confirmation from you, but mostly what he knew about you went unspoken. He knew you were lonely, he didn’t need to ask you that. He’d deduced it quickly after your time spent with him. 

You only kept your eyes on his nose and his thumb idly brushed back and forth against the side of your cheekbone, the contact making your skin tingle underneath his touch. 

You finally closed your eyes and focused on the faint sweeping noises the pad of his thumb made across your skin and a little sigh escaped your lips pleasantly. 

“What keeps you awake?” He asked very quietly, and you let out an equally quiet hum. 

“Many things. Perhaps I just don’t belong here. I lack purpose. I’m better off how I was before.”

His fingers curled around the back of your head and he pulled you a little bit closer to him. 

“You lack no such thing.” He protested. 

“Then what is my purpose? To help you tear down The Fold with Alina? To become a living Saint? I don’t want that. I don’t want to become a bedtime story. I was meant for more. I was meant for the things they leave out of bedtime stories.” You whispered and you could’ve sworn you heard his breath hitch. 

“Your purpose does not align with the Sun Summoner’s. Indeed you are correct. You were meant for more. She walks in the light. She walks with the light. You wait in the dark, you strike from the darkness where no one watches. You and I are more alike than you could ever imagine.” He said just above a whisper, but the quietness of his voice did nothing to conceal the intensity of which he spoke with. 

“I don’t know what I am.” You breathed and opened your eyes only to find his just inches away from yours. 

“You are the silver flicker of light in the dark and then you are the darkness.” He answered earnestly. 

You closed your eyes again, and as soon as you did, you were swept forward into his arms. He pulled your head against the center of his chest and wrapped his other arm around your middle. There was something oddly protective about his embrace and he ran his fingers through the hair at the back of your head. 

“Let me lull you to sleep, little one. You need a reprieve from your mind.” He insisted. 

You gave him a permissive nod against his chest and he very slowly walked you away from the table and he sunk down into an armchair. He pulled you down onto his lap and he lifted your legs up over the side of the chair. You curled your head against his chest much like a cat and you wrapped your arms loosely around his neck, your legs dangling over the side of the chair. 

You took in his scent as you buried your face against his clothes and were comforted to find that he smelled of leather and something of embers, and then something sweet yet faint that you couldn’t place. 

You opened your eyes when he grabbed one of your arms away from his neck and laid it against your chest before he reached up with the same hand and traced his fingertips against your skin, and a warm feeling washed over you. Everywhere his fingers touched, a silvery blue trail of light followed underneath your skin. 

“Sleep, little one.” He cooed and you closed your eyes again, obeying him. 

The last thing you remembered before sleep overcame you was his voice above your head, muttering what you recognized as sweet nothings in his native Ravkan tongue. 

He had indeed lulled you right to sleep. 

-

In the days after you had fallen asleep on him, The General had been very insistent that you were with him for the majority of your day. He claimed your skill set was of use to him, and truthfully, he was right. Even before you were his Moon Summoner, you were the King’s assassin, and you didn’t need your power for the things you’d accomplished there. 

Around his entourage and Corporalki, you were treated as if you were his most esteemed soldier. But behind closed doors and away from prying eyes, his intense and hard demeanor was gone and he was softer with you, kinder. He always had been kind to you, but this was different. It was a different type of kindness. 

The morning after you had fallen asleep on him, you awoke in his bed, the black sheets tucked around you with care. He hadn’t been in the bed next to you, but you hadn’t expected that of him. He was an early riser. 

You wondered if he had slept next to you at any point during the night. You couldn’t remember. In fact, you didn’t even remember him moving you to his bed. You wanted to ask him if he had, but it seemed listless. Even if he had, it hadn’t mattered. Or did it? Sharing a bed was typically something you only did with someone you trusted, and Kirigan didn’t seem like someone who’d just open his bed up to anyone. 

It was the best sleep you’d had in quite a long time, that was for certain. 

It was just past noon when you finally emerged from The Grand Palace and made your way to The Little Palace. You had pulled your hair up into an intricate braid and you fiddled with the ends of it as you walked. Once inside, you spotted Alina walking down the hall and you hurried up to her and gently grabbed her arm and gave her a little smile. 

She didn’t return the smile, instead she looked anxious and unhappy. You pulled her off to the side and stopped walking, eyeing her with concern. 

“Has something happened?” You asked and she sighed, a long sigh that had sounded like it had been pent up for a long time. 

“I’ve been informed I’m to showcase my… powers in front of everyone during The Winter Fete.” She said anxiously. 

You raised an eyebrow and then shook your head a few times, “Who told you this?” You asked, feeling a bit of frustration. If Alina was to showcase her talents, then surely you’d be asked to as well, and that was specifically not something you wanted to do. 

“Kirigan. David, too. Genya. All of them. I don’t want to be presented like a show pony.” She stated and then you sympathetically patted her arm. 

“I understand. No one does.” You agreed and she let out a short laugh and pulled her arm away from your gentle grasp. 

“Well. Why don’t you work your magic and tell Aleksander to call it off.” She suggested. 

You blinked in confusion and then you tipped your head to the side. 

“Aleksander? I’m afraid I don’t know an Aleksander.” You replied, eyes searching her face. 

“Kirigan. It’s his name. Aleksander. Did he not tell you?” She asked you as if it was one of the most common things to have known. 

“No?” 

Ouch.

In all the time you’d spent with The General getting closer to him, he’d never once told you his first name. He didn’t talk much about himself, and when he did it was vague, ambiguous. Everything about himself was left up to interpretation. 

He liked it that way, you noticed. It left more room for mystery. It kept anyone from crossing the brooding man, because simply no one knew definitely just who he was or just how ruthless or constrained he could be. 

“Oh. Well then perhaps don’t mention you heard it from me. I’ve got to get down to Baghra. Please just… do what you are able to about this situation. I am not ready to be a spectacle in front of Ravka.” She pleaded and then walked off. 

You stood against the wall for a moment, listening to her footsteps echo until they were gone entirely. An eclectic range of frustrations began to make your fingertips tingle and you pushed away from the wall. You walked with intent to The General’s room, your brow knitting together in annoyance. 

His door was the only thing that made you come to a stop and before you could decide against it, you pushed it open and stepped inside of his room. 

He didn’t have to look up to know who it was. You were the only one that dared come unannounced, after all. 

He sat at his desk on the far end of the room with a thin parchment letter in his hand and he didn’t tear his dark gaze off of the paper as he held his hand out in your direction. He outstretched his pointer and middle fingers and curled them in the air at you in a ‘come here’ motion and you did. 

You stomped petulantly towards his desk and you laid your hand down firmly on the desktop with a quiet thump. 

Now, you had his full attention. He lifted his inky eyes towards you slowly and he took in your appearance before he slowly laid the letter down. 

“You are upset.” He observed and you simply scoffed and folded your arms across your chest.

“What gave it away?” 

“Perhaps the stomping like a child. Or maybe it’s the fact that you can’t hide your emotions on your face. Do you intend on telling me why you’re cross? Or did you have another reason for this visit?” He asked and leaned backwards in his chair casually. 

“I don’t know, Aleksander. Maybe I just wanted to come in here and pout.” You snapped. 

Now it was his turn to fold his arms across his chest and he looked up at you with amusement, the same kind of amusement a parent would watch a fractious child with. 

“Ah, you’ve been speaking with Miss Starkov, it seems.” 

You stared at him in disbelief. That was it? That was all he had to say? You nearly stomped your foot down on the hard floor but refrained, not wanting his amusement to grow. 

“Why wouldn’t you have told me your name as well?” You asked, and you hadn’t realized how stupid you sounded until just now, but you had no intention of backing down at this point. 

“Would that have pleased you, lapushka?” He asked with a little grin and you snorted, turning your head away from him. 

“I don’t care. It’s your name. You do what you want with it. I just figured perhaps we were closer than that.”

“Why do you figure that? Because you fell asleep in my arms like a little kitten? Or because you woke in my bed?”

You felt your heart drop to your stomach and you turned towards him, a frown covering your lips. You didn’t answer him, you simply stared disdainfully into his caliginous eyes. His words had hit you like a slap across the face, so real that you almost wanted to hold your cheek. 

“Don’t look at me like that. I didn’t say you were unjust in feeling that way. I just asked if that was your reasoning to figure we were close.” He replied once he realized you weren’t going to speak. He clicked his tongue and rose up from his chair and stalked towards you, reaching out with a hand to grab your chin. 

“My ambiguity is one of my greatest layers of armor.” He started. 

But you cut him off. 

“Right. But you’ll tell the first pretty girl that catches your eye your name and give up that ambiguity. Very selective of you.” 

He unfurled his finger from his grip on your chin and he tapped your lips to silence you. 

“Sometimes, to soften someone to your liking, you must strip away a piece of your armor. Miss Starkov is apprehensive at best regarding her situation. You require no such softening.” He explained and you took notice of the fact that he hadn’t bothered to move his finger away from your lips. 

“You trust me, and for that I am lucky and I am grateful. I needn’t reveal bits of myself to you just to make you trust in me. You simply just do. Little Moon Saint, I don’t need to take off my armors around you. You take them off for me whenever we are alone, whether you realize it or not.”

You shook your head just slightly and gazed up at him, warmth gathering under his touch on your face. 

“I know hardly anything about you.” You whispered, “How can I be removing your armor when I know nothing about you still?”

He shushed you and he leaned closer to your face, to where you could feel the air coming softly from his nose and you closed your eyes for a brief second before opening them again. 

“Most things about me go unspoken. I like it that way. You don’t need to know my history to know me. You don’t need me to beg you to trust me. You don’t question the deaths caused by my hands, and you know very well I don’t question the lives taken by yours. I told you. We are more alike than you could ever imagine.” He explained, his voice lowering, almost in reverence now, “Everything inside of me wants for you.” 

This, you weren’t expecting. 

And if that was a surprise to hear, it was even more of a surprise to feel his lips crash down against your own. 

-

The day of The Winter Fete came quickly. Thankfully, Aleksander had shared your sentiments in not wanting to have you display your power for the party. In fact, he was quite adamant on you being a secret kept from the rest of the world away from the palaces. You were thankful for that. 

You’d practically been inseparable from him in the weeks since he’d kissed you. He’d kissed you a handful of times in the time since then, too. Somewhere in the realm of the things that went unspoken but were simply known between the two of you, it had become evident that there were strong feelings between both of you. 

You hardly shied away from those feelings. If anything you were diving headfirst into them, which it seemed he was doing the same, because he’d insisted a handful of times in the last few weeks that you stay and sleep with him in his room. 

You liked to think that you cured his loneliness in the same way he had cured yours but you hadn’t had any confirmation on your daydream. 

So, there you sat, perched upon his desk while he nimbly unboxed a long, black gown for you. He held it up for you to see and you hummed approvingly. It was black with threads of dark blue and silver embroidered onto it in swirls and star like patterns. You smiled up at him and raised an eyebrow at him. 

“What? No kefta for me? Do you think me to be delicate?” You teased and Aleksander let out a slow laugh before he laid the dress down on his bed and walked to you. He gently pulled you off of the desk and turned you around. He undid the buttons on the back of the current dress you wore and he tapped the back of your neck. 

“You are anything but delicate. Trust me. As much as I’d like to see you in a kefta, this isn’t the time for you to be revealed. You must keep up appearances, Lady y/n.” He explained and moved back only a step once your dress was undone. 

You blushed a bit and held the loose dress up to your chest, hesitating to take off your dress in front of him. 

Aleksander sensed this and he placed his hands gently on your elbows, “Would you like me to give you the room so that you can change in privacy?” He asked kindly, brushing his thumbs against your elbows. 

You shook your head. It’s not like you really minded, but you still had a set of nerves at the thought of undressing in front of the man you adored. 

You let out a very quiet, shaky breath and you let the dress fall away from your shoulders and you slowly stepped out of it, leaving you in only your underwear before him. You didn’t dare turn around, for if you did, Aleksander would’ve seen the horrific blush that covered your cheeks now. 

His hands found yours as they lay at your sides and he gently interlocked your fingers before he leaned forward and pressed a gossamer light kiss against the nape of your neck. You shivered under his lips and you could feel them curl into a smug smile against your skin. 

“I didn’t take you for the shy type, little one.” He murmured and very slowly lifted his lips away from your neck. 

You didn’t respond to him, you simply gave his hands a light squeeze, but much to your dismay, he pulled away and you heard him walk away from you. There was a swish of fabric behind you and then he was back, gently placing a hand on your waist to move you towards him a bit. He didn’t turn you around, and you were thankful for that.

Instead, he reached around you and held your dress in front of you for you to step into it. You were used to being dressed, it was common practice for you and had been for years because of your place at court. But this felt different, and though he was dressing you, you couldn’t help but feel as if Aleksander was at the core of it all, stripping you completely naked. There was a different kind of vulnerability to letting him dress you. 

You stepped into the dress and he slowly pulled it up over your hips and you slipped your arms into the sleeves and he lifted the bodice of the dress up over your shoulders completely and pulled it taut before he began to button up the long row of buttons at your back. After the last button was done up, he tied the ribbon at your waist tightly and then he encircled you in his arms from behind, tugging you backwards until you were pulled flush against his chest. 

“I wish desperately that I could parade you on my arm all night. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a color look so lovely on anyone.” He whispered, resting his chin down against your shoulder. 

You leaned the side of your head against his and you placed your hands down on top of his wrists. 

“And I wish that you could kiss me breathless in a room, far away from the party, but alas, it seems we have duties to attend to.”

“Such a shame, isn’t it?” He asked playfully and with a hint of reluctance, pulled away from you. 

You finally willed yourself to turn around and face him. 

A look of reverence crossed his face and he reached out to cup the side of your face in one hand. The look in his lightless eyes was unreadable, but you got the sense his stare was altogether pleasant. 

“Tell me something.” He murmured and reached out to brush the pad of his thumb across your bottom lip. 

“Hmm?”

“Do you trust me?” He asked, though you felt like he was asking something entirely different. The look in his eye told you that he didn’t want to know if you found him to be trustworthy. His words unspoken were louder than the ones he’d verbalized. 

No, he meant to ask ‘do you trust me with your heart?’

You searched his face for a long moment before you finally nodded once and you watched as a flicker of relief splashed across his face, and for a second, you swore his eyes sparkled with tears that had been long since blinked away. 

He leaned in to kiss your forehead once and he dropped his hand away from your face and walked to the wardrobe next to his bed. He pulled on the rest of his clothing, save for his kefta, and you sunk down on a little sofa next to his bed, pulling your legs up underneath you as you watched him. 

He adjusted the collar of his shirt and as he did, the sound of footsteps distracted you from watching the man get ready. 

“Ivan. My kefta.” He called out, but once you looked past him, you could see that Ivan was not in the room. Only Alina. 

She took his heavy kefta off of his war table and approached him with hesitancy, not saying a word. 

When he turned around, his face changed in surprise and he shook his head once. 

“You’re not Ivan.” He remarked. 

Alina looked down at the kefta in her arms and shifted a bit. 

“Sorry to disappoint.” 

“Do I sense a little disdain for my Heartrender?” Aleksander asked, clearly amused now. 

You lifted your hand up to rest against the side of the sofa and moved close to the edge, perching yourself to stand. 

“You know, once you get to know him, he’s actually quite funny.” He added and you very slowly rose to your feet, your dress swishing. 

It didn’t rouse either of their attentions. 

“I bet you find volcra hilarious.” Alina quipped, eyes transfixed intently on Aleksander. 

He gave her a smile and she nodded to the kefta in her arms. 

“May I?” She asked, unfolding the thick garment. 

“Thank you.” He replied and turned around, allowing the Sun Summoner to slide the kefta around his shoulders. 

You eyed them warily and stayed silent, your teeth searching for a bit of your cheek you could bite down on. 

“I hear you were able to focus and split light without the gloves.” He spoke, eyeing you as he got his kefta on with her help. 

“I appreciate the gesture, though.” She responded, and you pressed your lips together. 

You stepped in front of Aleksander and pulled the lapels of his kefta forward to adjust the coat, your brow furrowing only slightly. You didn’t miss the amused smile that made the corners of his lips curl upwards before he turned back towards Alina.

“Well, they were only a safeguard, really. In case of nerves.” He informed her, and you watched as the girl leaned slightly closer to Aleksander. 

Half of you had made peace with the fact that you and Aleksander didn’t make it incredibly public knowledge that you… were together? Was that even the right way to describe your situation? You didn’t know how to answer that. Yet, the other half of you, despite clarification on where you stood with him, wanted to pull him backwards and stand between the two of them. You almost gagged in spite of yourself. Or maybe it was in spite of them.

“I imagine there are few gatherings in Keramzin that involve such… spectacle.” He commented down at her and you wanted to speak up. Make them aware that you were still in the room. 

No. Don’t. You told yourself. 

“None, in fact.” Alina answered. 

She peered over his shoulder and caught your eyes. You weren’t sure of what your face looked like, but she widened her eyes and quickly moved away from him.

“But I’m actually not that nervous! I may have considered throwing myself down the stairs to get out of it once or twice.”  She left his bed chambers and much to your antipathy, he followed her. 

You stood back for a moment as they continued to chat before you gathered the skirts of your dress and walked through the doorway of his bed chambers and brushed past the two of them, squaring your shoulders as you passed by. You slipped out of the room with a sigh of annoyance and you walked down the hallway. You listened to the taps of your boots against the marble floors and you puffed out your cheeks. 

Jealousy wasn’t something that came naturally or easily to you. You’d always been sure of yourself, aware that you were likely the prettiest face in the room, confident in your abilities and powers. You were almost sick to admit that perhaps you were jealous of Alina. 

She got to be by his side tonight. She got to wear a kefta just like him. She got to be shown off to the rest of the world as Ravka’s saving grace. 

You didn’t want that for yourself. Not really. But you didn’t want it for her, either, selfishly. 

Did you even have a right to feel jealous? It’s not like Aleksander had explicitly said that you were his and he was yours. You felt fair in assuming such, but then again, you’d always been a little too sure of yourself. 

You simply shook the thought away and headed off to report to the Queen. 

-

“Oh, it’s nothing, moya tsaritsa. Only a little headache. I’ll be off to find a healer and back to the party before you know it.” 

Lie. 

You felt bad lying to the Queen as you rose from your seat next to her and scurried out of the room. You’d made yourself scarce all day, with the exception of being with the Queen, and you planned on keeping the pattern. 

You just didn’t want to watch Aleksander and Alina. 

You walked out to the courtyard and weaved around horses and guests until you were on the outskirts of the palace grounds. You were thankful that you could finally breathe without sharing the breath with someone else in your proximity. The cool evening’s air swirled around what skin of yours was exposed and it chilled your cheeks, tinting them pink. You flexed your fingers a bit and tapped imaginary points in the air at your sides, little fissures of silvery light appearing underneath your fingertips. 

You tried your best to be apathetic about everything that you’d felt during the day, and you kept walking, approaching a thick bramble of trees.

A loud scream escaped your lips when you felt a cold hand clasp around your wrist and you yanked your wrist back, stumbling backwards on the uneven path. You fell back and caught yourself on your elbows, preparing your hands to summon the moon. Your eyes settled upon a head of white hair and you furiously widened your eyes.

“Baghra!” You yelled and looked down at your dress. It was dusty from the dirt and you could feel a little tear in your sleeve, just above your elbow, “What is the meaning of this?” You asked angrily. 

You climbed to your feet and stared down at the old woman, your lips tugging downwards in a heavy frown. 

“Don’t look at me like that, girl. You need to get away from here as quickly as you can.” She stated venomously and you gaped at her. You shook your head with a dry laugh and you went to speak but she cut you off instantly. 

“You are being used, you stupid girl. Aleksander. He is using you. Just the same way he is using the sun girl. I am warning you, y/n, please. You must go. I will tell her the same thing but hear me now-“

“What are you going on about?” You asked snappily, your eyes narrowing on her. 

“You and Alina Starkov are but pawns in Aleksander’s game. He does not mean to liberate Ravka from The Fold. He does not mean to create heroes out of the three of you. Has he promised you otherwise?” 

“No. He hardly speaks of The Fold to me.” You replied defensively. Your hand formed fists at your side and you could feel your fingers begin to thrum with the electric feeling of the moon pooling within them. 

“No? Perhaps he’s just too busy distracting you with sweet words and little touches? Keeping you from your lessons, insisting you don’t need them, only to drown you with his attention. Making you feel special and perhaps even loved?”

You didn’t respond, and your silence became her indication to keep speaking. 

“Trust me, stupid girl. He’s making Alina feel the same exact way.” She finished and then she shook her head, “Do what you will, Lady y/n. You’ve always known this to be your home. I understand it must be hard to fathom leaving, but if you want to live free of chains, you’ll go. I’ve arranged safe passage out of Os Alta tonight. If you wish to join Alina, then you’ll meet her and I down the hill behind The Grand Palace. Half past midnight.” 

You stared at her in disbelief and you wanted to argue, but she had already turned and retreated back into the trees, and you swore that you watched shadows engulf her.   

-

You were only human at your very core. 

That’s what you kept telling yourself as you cried into your hands on your balcony. Only human at your very core… right?

Who knew if Baghra was right? At least about Aleksander’s intentions. This isn’t what bothered you. 

“He’s making Alina feel the same exact way.” Her words echoed in your head and only made you cry harder, and you let out a frustrated groan and you hit the side of your head with the heel of your hand, as if the impact would knock the thought right out of your mind. 

It would explain her behavior earlier that day. It would easily explain how she, too, knew his name- and before you. It explained the way she gazed up at him; dreamily, as if she’d fallen head over heels already. 

You weren’t going to leave Os Alta, that was for certain. You couldn’t. You adored your Queen and you hadn’t known a life outside of the Ravkan Capital. You’d just learn to avoid Aleksander. Perhaps that was a good thing. It would cease your distractions from the Queen and King. 

“I’ve never seen you cry before. I don’t like it.” 

You jumped at the sound of Aleksander’s voice behind you and you wrapped your arms around yourself and you shook your head. 

“Go away please.” You whispered. 

You didn’t really want him to go away. Not deep down, at least. He probably knew that, too. He knew you better than anyone.

Hands gently grabbed your arms and coaxed you away from the iron railing of your balcony and you were being turned around before you could protest it. You didn’t meet his eyes when you were moved to face him. 

“I have been made aware that Baghra sought you out. I don’t know what was said, but I’m sure I can only assume it had something to do with planting doubt in your mind based on the way she was sure you’d have run far away from here by now. But you aren’t a runner. I know that.”

His words made more tears spill over your cheeks and you still refused to look at him until he tapped underneath your chin and tilted your head backwards slightly. 

“I care not about your intentions with The Fold, Aleksander. I said I trusted you and I meant it. Perhaps that’s where I went wrong though. Because I do care that you were stringing me along at the same time as Alina. If you needed something of me, it would’ve been best to lay it out on the table. Not bury me in your sweet kisses and words until I was nothing but a mindless slave with no questions for you.” 

“Is that what you believe you are to be to me? A mindless slave?” He asked and you simply shrugged. 

You expected an angry outburst, you expected him to chastise you loudly, but it never came. Instead, he took your face in his hands and he swiped his thumbs underneath your wet eyes to rid you of the tears on your cheeks. 

“You are strong and you are intelligent. No one could make a mindless slave out of you. Not even I. My kisses and gentle words are reserved for you and you alone. Not Alina. Never Alina. You, however. Oh, how do I begin? Ever since I watched you kill that Fjerdan, I knew that I had to have you by my side. One way or another. Though, as a lover was preferable.

You are disarming in the most wonderful way, and though you may not know all of my secrets yet, you have already released them from their chambers. I’m tempted to call you a thief with the way you’ve stolen my heart away, but if I’m to be honest with you, y/n, I’d be lying if I said I didn't hand it to you willingly.” He murmured earnestly. His eyes shone with his own tears, and though they never fell, the message was still there. 

You fell forward over his chest and laid your head on the center of it and his arms weaved around you protectively. Defensively. Adoringly. 

He showered kisses atop your head and you two stood in silence for a very long time like that. 

Perhaps you’d be burned for trusting him this way. In every way. Perhaps you wouldn’t. Only time would tell. But in that moment, all that mattered was that he was there. Questions about Baghra’s words could wait. They weren’t meant to be spoken now. No words were meant to be spoken now. 

Until he did finally speak. 

“My love, I do hate to ruin such tender moments,  but I’m in desperate need of your help. There will be plenty of time for me to make up for every single tear spilled from your pretty eyes this evening, and that I promise you. However, your skill set is needed.” He said softly, his tone apologetic. 

You stayed against his chest for a while longer and then finally nodded, “Of course. Whatever you need, Aleksander.”

-

You walked hand in hand with The Darkling down the candlelit hallway, deep within the Palace, and you two were accompanied by one of his Squallers, Zoya. 

Aleksander had filled you in quickly. Alina had been kidnapped and there had been an attempt on her life. You couldn’t help but feel relieved that you hadn’t been the one on his arm all night now. They now held a man associated with the crime deep underneath the Palace, and they needed him to talk. 

That’s where you came in. 

“Has he talked?” He asked, his hand tightening around yours in a manner you could only imagine was protective.  

“A lot of lies,” Zoya answered, “Ivan’s with him.” 

You entered the room with him and Zoya and your eyes fell upon Ivan’s intimidating figure standing tall behind a small, pudgy man who was bound to a chair. 

“I’ve been swindled,” The man said simply, desperation twinging his words, “hoodwinked.”

Aleksander didn’t seem to care and he squeezed your hand once more. 

“My guards tell me that they caught you fleeing the scene of the crime.” He spoke. 

You rolled your shoulders back and stood tall, carefully releasing your hand. If you were to get answers out of this man, he had to fear you. You didn’t much command fear while clutching your General’s hand. 

“Yes. I followed them.” The man insisted. 

“Followed whom?” Aleksander prompted, lifting his head curiously. 

“They come from the other side of The Fold. From the start, they seemed, just, a bit off to me, so when they left our stage, at the fete, I followed them. To see what they were up to, and at the time that I walked into that room, they were gone and… Saints, it was… unspeakable. So I ran… I…” 

You snorted and then you stepped forward, “No, that’s not the truth.” You interjected and then looked to Ivan with a raised eyebrow. 

“He did cross The Fold with the others,” Ivan began, “The rest were lies.” 

You gave a satisfied nod and you looked up at Aleksander who swept his hand out for you, inviting you to step closer to the man. 

The man began to insist that he wasn’t lying, but you and everyone else in that room knew, you couldn’t lie to a Heartrender. 

You stepped behind the man and you laid your hands on his temples, “Do you want to tell the truth to The General?” You asked lowly. He didn’t respond. 

“Do you know we keep records of everyone who crosses The Fold?” Aleksander began, and then rattled off the known passages for the evening. 

“You didn’t cross with them. Did you?” You asked, leaning down close to his ear. 

He shuddered but he didn’t answer. You looked up at Aleksander who nodded and you closed your eyes. Your fingertips began to glow and they grew so cold that they burned, you pressed them tightly against the man’s skin and he clenched his teeth. You eased off a bit and then cleared your throat. 

“You have another way across The Fold. What is it?” You asked slowly. 

“I don’t know what you mean.” He protested, but Ivan cut him off. 

“He does.” 

You sighed and brought forth your power again, this time a bit more and he winced sharply as the bitter cold from your fingers cut into his skin and left it frostbitten. 

“I’m an entertainer!” He exclaimed, “Oskar, Oskar Krepkov!” He shouted as you pushed more of your light forth, watching his veins turn white and stony underneath your touch, just as they’d been filled with moonstone. 

You eased off when Aleksander came towards the two of you and lifted up the man’s sleeve. 

“Well that is certainly entertaining. You are The Conductor,” he said darkly, revealing scars of tallies up his inner forearm, “Arken Visser, are you not?“ he pulled away from the man and gave you a nod again as he walked away.

“You smuggle Grisha out of my palace! You help them abandon the war effort.”

“No, I deal in-“ he was cut off by a sudden sharp pain in his head, caused by you pressing the heels of your hands to the hardened veins over his temples. You closed your eyes tightly and worked to spread the unforgiving cold of your light through his head, feeling it spread through his veins while Aleksander questioned the man about a woman named Nina. 

You zoned back in as Aleksander finished, and you opened your eyes to look up at him. 

“…might that have something to do with you, Mr. Visser?” He asked, in reference to Nina’s disappearance. 

“No.” He answered shakily, his teeth now beginning to chatter. You were lowering his body temperature by now surely, and his lips began to glaze over, tinted with blue. 

“I don’t!” He protested again, his voice shaky. Ivan confirmed this and the man let out a shaking sigh, “See?”

“May I interject?” You asked and looked up at Aleksander who nodded once. 

“By all means, Darling. Speak your mind.” He said with a little grin licking at the corners of his lips. 

“You might want to begin talking, Mr. Visser. Your heart is slowing and you are freezing from the inside out. The light of the moon is a cold one.” You whispered and you felt him stiffen under your hands. 

Aleksander had a proud smirk on his face and he glanced back down at Arken. 

“My guess, you struck a deal with these three thieves to kidnap Alina Starkov. But you have a stronger relationship with a certain West Ravkan general, who has notions of ruling his own country. So long as The Fold separates him from us- darling, I think you’re being too gentle with him,” he added for you, and then walked around the chair, brushing past you gently, “So you made another deal. You put on a disguise. And you played at being assassin.”

You took a deep breath and summoned more of your power, the beams of light from your hands beginning to sear into the skin of his temples.

“That’s right!” He cried, in obvious pain, “The prize to bring her back to Ketterdam was a million! Split four ways. But Zlatan offered me the same number… to kill her, so,” he let out another scream as you tightened your grip on his head and Aleksander’s eyes widened, “you give me half that, I’ll get revenge for you. I can get close to Zlatan!” He tried to bargain, but he didn’t have much left to bargain with. 

Aleksander looked at Ivan and Zoya pointedly and they began to walk away. 

“No.” Aleksander answered and then looked up at you, “I think I’ll handle that myself. And I think… I’ll let my lovely Moon Summoner handle you.” 

He gave you a short nod and stood with his hands behind his back and you nodded back at him. 

Arken began to scream and protest between the chattering of his teeth and you rolled your shoulders back, and just like the Fjerdan that attacked Alina, you shot a bright beam of silver light through his temples and let go, watching as his head fell back limply on his neck. 

Aleksander stepped towards you just as you stepped away from the now dead man, and he grasped your freezing wrists, pulling you to his chest.

“Promise me,” he began, leaning down close to your face, “Promise me that you’ll stand by my side forever. We will be revered, formidable. I will give you a crown, I will give you my love, I will give you whatever you ask for, if you promise me forever.” He pleaded and stared down into your eyes desperately. 

There was nothing that you wanted more in that moment and you studied his black eyes for a long time, searching for any sense of trickery within them, but all you found was the same want that you wore within your own eyes. 

Perhaps you’d be burned for trusting him this way. In every way. Perhaps you wouldn’t. Only time would tell. All you could do was accept his offer now, and give him your payment in the form of three words.  

“I promise. Forever.”

Moon Helios

a/n: Omg I’m so excited. So much happened this chapter and my Aleksander’s here. Finally took me long enough 😬. The main series starts now! I would like to remind everyone to look at the trigger warning now. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK. Always please enjoy.

꓄ꃅꀤꌗ ꎇꂦꈤ꓄ ꀤꌗ ꎇꀭꍟꋪꀸꍏꈤ

Word Count: 5,439k

Series trigger warnings:Child abuse, anxiety, religious trauma, racism, manipulation, division of canon, Alina hate?, trauma, ptsd, bullying, insomnia, self-neglect, mental health issues, guilt tripping, cult theme, blood consumption, cannibalism?? Lost of murder, talks of SA in other characters, S/A, Sexual acts, future smut, predatory behavior(not from Aleks) and all other shadow and bone stuff

Act II : The Fold

Chapter Eight

It was nightfall, the clouds has blocked the moon from view. The letters lay heavy in her lap. There was only one she truely wanted to open. Her lovely Drazan who had never once swayed from her loyalties. The letter on tea stained paper smelt of pine. Opening the letter it read.

     To my beloved amber,

The days grow shorter every day that I am not in your presence. All is well enough here, worry not. I’ve taken charge of the youngling’s classes as you requested. Niko has been helping me a great deal. He misses you, I think he still blames himself for your leaving. Lord Egon is still devastated and unmoved. He refuses to join in any of the celebrations. I suppose he only ever enjoyed them because you did. He runs council adequately enough.

 I fear for him sometimes, the other masters grow more brazen with each passing day. Master Kai has demanded my sister’s hand. Arabella has tried to sway our father but to no real avail. I will soon plead my case to Lord Egon, I know he would act in our favor. Master Kai is relentless in his pursuit of her, my little rose bud. I fear for her sometimes, that I will awake and she will be gone. 

I don’t truly know what to do, it would be easier if you were here. You’d fixed this whole thing and probably kill Kai for us. On a happier note Adam has found himself a bride, she’s quite the gem. They are due to be married in the coming year. You would like her, she rather feisty, and always challenging him. She never wins but it gives us all a good laugh. 

Kheli is all the same, he still teaches the youngling’s dance class. He was always more particular about dance than our blades. He has yet to ask Adara to dance with him. It’s rather pitiful to watch. She is always staring right at him too. It’s amazing how much a coward some can be. How I can be

Nevertheless almost everything is well. I fear you will be called back soon. I know you’re busy in the ravkan army. Why you decided to join will never be understood by the others. I hope Alina and Mal are well. I’m sure you’re all still catching up a ton. How’s Maja? I’m sure she misses the smoked meats I would bring her. I miss you greatly. I’m sure we will see one another soon. 

         With all my Love, your Devoted Helios

                                 Drazan Vlaev

Y/n sighed into the air of the night. She too missed Drazan, he was a rare light in her life. The saint herself must’ve sent him to her. She looked about the camp without a care. All these soldiers knew nothing of her faith.

They all looked down at her, like she was less than them for it. A faith they didn’t understand. Cultist they all whispered as she walked. Like she was a mad for believing in a higher power. They had saints, why couldn’t she have just one. 

The Sol Saint was one of prophecy, they had to believe in a being that didn’t exist yet. All Helios were bound by blood to this saint. No one would deny her faith. She bled, She killed she loved, and she would betray anyone for her saint. Those were the sacrifices of a Helios. 

But deep within her  mind, she pondered . Could she sacrifice Alina? Could she sacrifice Mal? Could she sacrifice all those she cared, dear to her heart? For something she wasn’t even sure it was real. Would she do it? This was the kind of question she should be asking herself. She was a Helios first before anything. Before a sister, before a daughter, before a friend. 

She had earned the title that had been bestowed upon her . 

The Blood Helios, none who ever encountered her had left with their lives. She bathed in their blood by herself. And then offered it upon the altar of her saint. 

She was the Blood Helios, and no one would deny it. 

She stood next to Mal as the Skiff was boarded. Maja sat obediently as her side, her snout raised high in the air. Y/n rolled her soldiers hand off her gun to Mal. She pet the soft curls of Maja’s white fur. With the soft roll of her shoulders the armor poured down her body.

From her neck it came like silver tears, slowly enveloping her body. Mal raised his brow as she took the gun back. He stares in awe along with the others whom had never seen the cultist in her armor. Y/n moved to the front where Natacha stood, the Inferni in charge of this skiff.

“Looking as lovely as always.” Y/n smiled at the dark skinned woman before her.

“You’re not to shabby yourself.” The words were soft. The pair had become akin to friends. They often flirted softly with one another, truly it was all playful banter. Y/n turned her head, Alina was on the skiff. What in the world was she doing her. 

Y/n quickly moved over, her small family was arguing quietly. Maja’s eyes followed Alina and Mall tenderly. 

“Alina get off this fucking Skiff.” Y/n grabbed into the girls arm. Alina smirked triumphantly and moved past her. 

“Tell them you’re too sick to go.” Mal pleaded.

“I’m never that sick.” Alina argued.

“Lie if you have to!” Y/n gripping tightly into Alina.

“And what’s your lie? I’m with you.” Y/n shared a look with Mal. She gently pushed her sister it to his side.

“Mal, fix this.” Y/n then turned around, her blood boiling. She smelt the smirk coming off his sister. How stupid could she been. She could all but feel the vibrations of anger coming off the other cartographers. What has her sister done.

Natacha sent her a small look of concern as Y/n stood back by her side. Y/n’s eyes never left Alina’s. She clicked her tongue, Maja moved to her side. The large wolf sat down and growl at any soldier that got too close to her. Natacha clapped her hands moving forwards, Y/n followed suit. 

“Here’s how it goes. We go into the Fold, it gets dark but we like it dark. That keeps us from drawing attention. That’s how we travel. The only light we use is the blue one at the mast.” Y/n kept her eyes on Alina. She looked so defenseless standing alone.

“It’s weak but safe.” Natacha continued. 

“But you’re an Inferni, right? So why are you here if we’re supposed to keep things dark?” Raisa asked. Y/n rolled her eyes at the stupid question, cartographers were the smartest. 

“For when the dark comes to keep you.” Raisa raised her brow. 

“And what’s about the Cultist?” Y/n turned her gaze to the cartographer leader. 

“For when we cannot defeat dark with fire, we send in someone who will devour the darkness.” Natacha’s voice carried an emblem of anger. The other soldiers turned to her with fear in their eyes. Y/n saw the small smirk that was sent her way. 

Natacha never ceased to amuse her, and to feed into the cultist, rumors that many believed about her.

“Where’s your general? Kirigan?” Mal asked. Y/n blinked a few times at the mention of the Darkling. He could stay in the dark where he bathed. The skiffs sail was released and the  skiff jutted forwards.

“That’s our cue.” Natacha and Y/n moved in sync. Y/n now stood at the front of the skiff and Natacha by the blue light. From above the squaller began to move the skiff towards the fold. 

Natacha sent a small nod towards Y/n, with a smile the Helios moved towards her sister’s side. Y/n stood in front of her as the small ribbon holding her hair back came loose. From the front the sergeant began to speak, but these words did not matter in her mind.

Alina was on a skiff, Mal was in this skiff. The two people she never wanted to see the inside of the fold. The heavy winds blew her hair back, the ribbon followed off. Y/n barely turned her head to look at it. Alina’s scarf had too come off. 

She watched the two pieces of fabric float through the wind. Her eyes followed them till they passed the dock. On the dock a man stood, shrouded in black. He watched the skiff so intently, Y/n knew he couldn’t she see herself staring back at him. 

It didn’t matter, as Alina sough out her armored hand. Y/n clutched it softly as Mal. came to her side.

“I’m pretty sure this the first time I’ve seen you all armored up.” Mal’s words should’ve brought a smile to her face. It didn’t.

“In we go.” Natacha mumbled. Y/n reached to her side, pulling out the small cuff. It was of pure gold and has a sun rested in its middle. She placed it in her forearm. The metal infused with her silver armor, a soft glow embroidered it. 

From her hand a crossbow of light emerged, an arrow already knocked in it. The glow died down quickly as she raised the crossbow. She took in a deep breath and closed her eyes. Alina and Mal were now her top priority. All others could be forsaken. 

The darkness enveloped her body, it as oddly warm to her. It encased her, welcomed her home as it always did. Opening her eyes she listened to the growling of the Volcra that flew around them. She could feel every vibration they caused. Terror coated Alina’s face as she clung onto Y/n. 

As the skiff moved slowly, Y/n watched the darkened sky’s. When the first marker approached she rolled her shoulders. The holy cuff didn’t shine as it did in the sunlight. It was muted now, but no less dangerous.

“Marker one.” Natacha voiced as she passed the two sisters. Alina looked behind her to the Inferni.

“How many more are there?” Y/n opened her mouth to soothe her sister. Not many Y/n would lie.

“Thirty seven.” Natacha said walking away. Y/n sighed softly as she watched Alina’s face drop. Mal looked back at the two sisters. With a nod from Y/n he tore his gaze away. The anger Y/n felt was all the same, Alina should not be there. 

The volcra above screeched and growled as they flew. The rhythmic vibrations of there wings was enough to lull Y/n to sleep. It seemed to push at her eyelids, to force them down. She could never listen to closely to the volcra or she would sleep.

Raisa’s accusatory gaze found Alina’s as they passed a fallen ship. A particularly loud growl frightened the gunman into to ready positions. Y/n remained where she was. She pushed Alina to sit on the floor as she joined the grisha. They moved about the skiff quietly, but no where near as silent as Y/n. 

With all the armor on she was still as silent as snow. Slowly the blue light began to go out. Natacha moved to it quickly, hitting the glass. Y/n quickly moved next to her and opened the lantern. She sprinkled in a soft blue powder from a small pouch at her side. She blowed softly on it, the blue flame caught once more. 

Natacha and Y/n shared a calm look for a few seconds till the sound of a lighter interrupted the peace. Y/n whipped around to see one of the soldiers holding a lit lantern. A tremble seemed to be through the air. 

“Blow it out! What are you doing?” Natacha whispered, there was a tremor in her. From behind the boy came growling. Horrible, gut wrenching growling. From behind the boy a Volcra rose to its full height. Y/n shot out the golden arrow from her bow quickly. 

The Volcra screeched and flew away with a limp. It was all too late though. Another Volcra swarmed down, grabbing the boy. It bit down onto his leg and flew off no matter how many arrows she shot. The lantern fell down, its fire quickly emerging across the wooden boards.

From all around the Volcra growled. Y/n looked back at Alina, she was crouching next to the fire. Y/n stood in front of her sister, crossbow knocked with another arrow. Like the demons they were the Volcra swept through the skiff. The squaller moving the skiff was gone next. 

Y/n began to fire automatically, each golden arrow erupted in sunlight when piercing the flesh of the Volcra. They reappeared after every shot fire. Raisa was gone next, the Volcra having taking a bite of her shoulder. The blood drips onto her face as the Volcra carried her away. Y/n dropped down, shielding Alina as the side broke down in flames.

Y/n stood back up her hands going back to her cross bow. She fired each arrow as a body fell next to her. Alina’s vibrations were quivering as she shrunk away from the man’s still moving corpse. Y/n coughed as smoke rose up. Her helmet slowly infused into her neck.

Y/n pulled the thing off, she needed to be able to see Alina. Her eyes drifted for a seconds to Mal. A Volcra swept over him dangerously close. Y/n shot out an arrow. It wasn’t fast enough. Mal ducked before the Volcra could grab him. The crossbow disappears in a buff of gold as she reached down. 

She pulled the twin daggers from her side, lodging them into a Volcra that swept too close to her. They cried out in pain as she raised her hand, the daggers flying back to their master. This was a suicide mission and Y/n knew it. Not many would survive this. 

Y/n looked down at Alina for a seconds. She knelt down and handed her sister a dagger.

It was a subtle plead.

“Don’t move.” She commanded as she moved away. She couldn’t let all these people die, it would be a shame to her abilities if she couldn’t save them. Her dangers flew from her hands and came back. It was like a dance as she moved quickly around the skiff, killing any Volcra in her path.

Maja barked wildly, attacking all the Volcra in sight. The ones that got to close to her and Alina that was. Her teeth were coated in black. 

“Come at me! Come at me you cowards!” Natacha screamed as a Volcra took her by the shoulder. Y/n threw herself forward towards the Volcra. Her dagger flew into its neck as she tore its head from its body. It’s blackened blood sprayed all over her as she caught Natacha in her arms.

She was breathing hoarsely, there was a hold in her neck. Y/n pushed her hands into the large wound on her shoulder. Tears flooded her eyes, this wasn’t happening. Natacha had always been kind to her. Didn’t care for her extreme faith. 

“No no no no no no! NO! Don’t close your eyes!” Y/n held her friends tore body as she died. Her blue kefta was destroyed as she laid down her body. This wasn’t supposed to happen, not to them. Y/n stood up and her daggers formed into large swords. They sliced the Volcra clean in half before two grisha.

Y/n heard screaming, Mal’s screams. She turned around, sweat and blood dripping down her face. She threw herself forward quickly. Blood seemed to envelope her vision as she stabbed into the flying demon. Mal’s body dropped down as Y/n pieced its wings. The stupid animal dropped down, its blood all over her. Y/n coughed as the blood dripped into her mouth. 

She crawl desperately over to Mal, who was held by Alina. She hadn’t protected them like she promised. She failed them. She gripped into Mal’s other hands as the chaos continued around them. She could feel his vibrations, they weren’t as strong as normal. 

She failed.

Tears covered his face as she whispered his name, “Mal?” Maja whined softly and licked the side of his face. 

The fire flickered around, its lights illuminating her face. The two sisters clung into him as nothing else seemed to exist. Her mouth tasted of iron and rot. She could help but sob as she held him. Her family, her small family was about to be smaller.

His vibrations echoed in her ears as she sniffled. Alina cried at her side as they held him. They two refused to let go of him. Her armor fell she clung to him, his skin to buzz. She felt a ringing in her ears, like a twinkle. 

“I’ll meet you two at the meadow.” His words froze her sobs as he spoke. She couldn’t let such a thing happen. She cried softly as she felt wind blow around her. Alina was pulled up, a volcra’s claws around her waist. No……

Y/n still clutching Mal’s hand threw herself up. Her bare hand caught into Alina’s, fear and panic all over her face. It was warm, as she clung into her family her body became warm. A light began to grow out of her body and she clung to them. 

Light exploded from her body, the overwhelming sensation grew as another source of light grew with her. It surrounded around the skiff, throwing the shadows back from the world. Then her world was blank.

Everything was foggy, her vision, her hearing her mind. She could feel every vibration around them. The heavy hands around her, as her legs laid limp. They dragged her to gods know where. She was bleeding, somewhere in her body she was bleeding. Probably her leg, it felt like it was on fire.

Where was Alina. 

Where was her sister…..

Well her saint she supposed. She watched it happen, her sister could summon light. Alina has saved them all. What was left of them she guessed. 

She could hear the loud and quickly movement of the guards, the healer that ran next to them.

“Mal…. Lina…..Maja….” She coughed as she felt a bone boop back into place. 

“Careful! Are going to hurt her dragging g her like that!” The healers voice was timid but loud. The men dragged her didn’t listen as she moved. Her ears rung, she could feel the blood dripping down her ears. Her armor was covered in a thick layer of blood.

Maja barked loudly as she followed. The men tried to kick at her. Y/n jerked away ready to kill them for trying to hurt her wolf. Maja growls as she followed them. Her fur was covered in black. Y/n knew how much she hates to be messy. She would give her sweet girl a nice hot bath once this was over. 

She opened her eyes to a fuzzy worlds. Grisha moved out of her way, dread coating their faces. She must’ve looked like animal, wounded and bloody. Her hair fell, covering her face. 

“Where is she?” The healer squeaked at the sound of her voice, rough and dangerous. The young healer and blinked a few times as she held her hands together.

“Behind us,” She paused looking at the man dragged Y/n. “Stop dragging her like that! You’re going to break her arm.” They did not listen as the healer followed them. The black tent was moved aside and she was forced in. Her knees hit the ground, her armor clanking. She coughed for a seconds and took in a breath.

She focused herself, listening to the vibrations of the world. A hush has fallen over the tent. It opened once more and she felt Alina. Her eyes jumped open as she felt her sister pull away from the guards. Alina’s trembling hands wound around her shoulder. The cold bits of armor touching her sister’s skin.

Y/n hugged her sister tightly, her hand resting atop her head. Alina smelt of smoke, not the normal scent. Her legs and body was weak. But she smiled at Alina as the girl pulled back. 

“Bring them closer.” Her eyes snapped to the voice before her. He stood, back to them as guards grabbed into the girls. Her elbow forced its way to a guards face when her tried to grab Alina. She stood on her shaking legs, hiding her sister behind her.

She took a small step for them, Alina clung to Y/n. Her smaller frame hidden behind the grime covered armor of her sister. Y/n would not let this man anywhere near her sister. Her…. Her saint. 

Slowly the man turned, her eyes went blank. It was him. The Darkling, The black general, the shadow summoner. He was the man who plagued her dreams. His dark eyes were the ones that she would think about. 

Alina grabbed onto Y/n’s hand, her armor now covered her once more. Y/n glare at him, piecing into those dark eyes like she never had.  If only looks could kill. 

“Closer.” His words were like honey to her ears. All she could feel now was him. His vibrations were steady, like an unmoving mountain with the force to shake the earth. Y/n would not submit and move closer.

She remained right where she stood. A pillar of strength and might. A Helios ready to slaughter any in her path. Alina gently nudged her, obviously afraid of reprisals. Y/n took a small step, Alina followed behind.

“Well?” He asked. The glare did not leave her face. She studied him, he was perfect. At every angle he was perfect. Just like in every dream he was perfect. He was taller than her, like in her dreams.

“Well what?…” After a few seconds Alina timidly added, “Sir.” 

She hated the way Alina sounded so afraid. The way she hide behind the strength that her sister held. Her hand trembled still.

“What are you? His gaze wasn’t on Alina. They two stared deeply into the other. Y/n’s e/c eyes refused to break away. His dark origins watched her every move. Like a hawk he stared at Y/n.

“Alina Starkov, Assistant Cartographer, Royal Corps of Surveyors.” Alina trembled. She didn’t speak, she didn’t owe the Darkling the luxury of her name. His eyes didn’t leave hers. He just waited in silence for her name. Glaring at him she relented.

“Y/n Starkov, Private Commander, Royal Corps of Combat, Blood Helios of the First Army” His lips perked up at the sound of her voice. She didn’t like that at all. 

“They’re all gone.” Alina mumbled.

“It’s our fault. That’s why we’re here ain’t it?” She whispered clinging into Y/n’s hand. The Darkling raised his hand suddenly. 

“Answer the question.” Why was he speaking like that. Why was he staring at her. They way he spoke, moving like he was trying to coax a frightened doe towards himself. Is that what he thought her? A scared doe? And not the blood thirsty beast. Maja growled as the Darkling slowly leaded against the table behind him. 

“What are you?” Y/n felt Alina flicker, she was confused.

“A mapmaker, sir.”

“A Helios.” They laughed. A growl came from Maja and Y/n in sync. They dared to laugh int here faces. Where was the honor in this grisha.

“Quiet.” They all went silent. Maja too quiet down and sat by her side. He hadn’t even raised his voice an ounce. He made Maja just sit down by her side. No one had even done such a thing to her wolf.

The Darkling stared at her, his eyes trailing down her. He tore his eyes away looking around the tent. 

“So who actually saw what happened?” There was a hush over the crowd. His eyes turned to the dirty Suli girl at there side. She was one of the grisha whom she decapitated the Volcra in front of.

“Zoya? You manned the main sail.” His voice was a bit more harsh now. A twinkle of anger was on his face.

“We were attacked barely two markers in.” Zoya swallowed and continued. “Someone lit a lantern.” His eyes trailed back to Y/n’s. 

“And?” 

“The Volcra went after the ruffle man and our Inferni first, the Cultist tired to kill most of them but-

“Cultist?” He asked. She moved her eyes to Zoya, they seemed to darken. Y/n had saved her life. Ungrateful fucking girl. Cultist they still called her. After she saved them they would still call her cultist. 

Zoya frozen back a little upon the question. She looked back at Y/n and the Darkling seemed to make the connection.

“The armored one was killing the Volcra.” Zoya restated. She couldn’t even be bothered to call her what she was. Helios, was it that hard to remember. The Darkling nodded in her direction, his eyes never leaving Y/n.

“And then there was a searing light, one white and other a more silver color.” Zoya finished.

“It was them.” The other voice rang out. Y/n glare at the man who spoke. Alina hid further behind Y/n.

“Our Helios and mapmaker.” He tilted his head.

“Is this true? Can you both summon light?” Alina shook her head in shocked. The Darkling followed her motion mocking her. He mocked her sister. Her saint! The fear that radiated off Alina was enough to make Y/n want to kill this Darkling. 

“Where did you grow up?” Y/n wasn’t sure how to answer. For her first twelve years it was in Keramzin, but after that it was in the sanctuary. She wouldn’t tell him where her home was. She didn’t need to.

“Keramzin.” Alina muttered, The Darkling’s eyes remained on her own. Like he expected a different answer. He would get none. 

“And when were you tested.” Never, that was only answer. They hadn’t been properly tested. The scars on their hands were proof enough.

“You don’t remember?” He asked. She pushed Alina further behind her body as the Darkling moved towards them.

“Well let us just make certain.” Every step he took was a personal attack. He removed his ring and pushed a small claw like blade from it. She felt Alina quiver in her grip. Her heart sank to the bottom pits of death as she took a step back.

“Lift up your sleeve,” He paused looking at her. “Remove your armor.” He stood right above her. She didn’t think, the dagger manifested before she could stop herself. It pressed into his stomach as she clutched it. 

“Move closer, and I will gut your intestines out and shove them down your throat.” A collective gasp rang through the tent. The oprichniki took a step towards her, the threat that she was. He simply waved them off, like fussing children.

“Why do they call you cultist?” He softly asked, the faintest of smirks on his face. She twisted the blade in her grip. 

“Because I have killed and will kill for my faith.” He hummed once. Her heart began to beat loudly in her ears. Its intensity changed, beating harder with every pulse. She choked in her breath as the dagger hit the floor. 

She stood there as she felt her body begin to shift. Her gaze tired to the other grisha, the ones in red kefta’s. One of them had his hands together, he was messing with her. It wasn’t enough to shake her though. She coughed softly as she took long slow breathes.

Another soon joined him, then another, and another till all the Heartrender’s stood firm. Her body sank to the ground as she fought the effects. Blood dripped down her nose, mouth and ears. She coughed as she tried to force her way back up. 

The Darkling took small steps around her. His eyes never leaving her fighting crumpled form. She watched in horror as he grabbed onto her sister, her Alina. Maja growled and barked loudly, piercing through all their ears. However the wolf refused to leave Y/n’s side as she tried to fight.

The room began to buzz as she hands shook. The vibrations of every living thing amplified. The heartrender’s hands began to shake as the dark room began to shift. Slowly she lifted her body, fighting there manipulations of her body with her own. 

The first grisha who stood to stop her glare, his harsh eyes trying to force her back down. It was too late now, her armor had deflected most of the others. Her vibrations only grew as others covered their ears. 

The moment she stood up right a wave of light hit her. She body froze as she watched. From the small cut came a blaze of light. It was the sun ten fold. Her mind was blank. Alina really was her saint. The very saint she was supposed to protect with her life. 

She fell to one knee in shock as the lights slowly faded away. Alina’s eyes drifted over to Y/n’s so fearful of what she was. The two sisters didn’t have words. What words could they express.

Alina was her saint. The being she’d been worshiping since childhood. A saint that was prophesied to come. No one knew when, it was an old tale. 

Y/n had killed for her, in the name of her sister. Her saint that she never knew about. How could she now know. Before the globes, before she left she held Alina. Held her hand, her body so many times. 

The two were always cut up, maybe that was why. She couldn’t move as the oprichniki grabbed into her. She watched for a few fleeting seconds as they dragged her sister away. 

Her body flew up trying to follow. A right hand gripped into her arm. She looked back and there he was. The Darkling. Her natural enemy. What was she to do now. She pulled away, she wiped at the blood. 

“Where are you taking her!” He tilted his head. 

“What are you.” Again with such a stupid question. 

“Where is she going?” He stared down at her, marveled at what we before him. She blinked a few times, unsure. 

“Let your armor fall.” Scoffed out loud, her eyes rolling back. She would sooner die, she would sooner kill every single person in the tent than let him any closer. Maja barked loudly, he sighed once. 

The same heartrender from before held his hands up. Whining Maja slowly laid down, her eyes fluttering. She felt his arm tightly around her. She jerked away, trying to reach her wolf. 

“Stop it! What are you doing! STOP IT!” She yelled. He just looked at her, like a predator would its prey. He has no idea she was the apex in this situation. His gaze was so strange as she jerked her arm. 

“Lower your armor.” She didn’t stop, he froze for a moment then added a gentle, “Please.”

She sighed as the armor slowly rang back up her body. Her uniform was tattered and blood seeped through the pants. Her pulled her closer, his grip around her sleeve. She could smell him, it was intoxicating. She looked up at him, her mask breaking for a moment.

She was afraid, angrily she was afraid. What kind of soldier was she to be afraid of her enemy. That was how wars were so often lost. His hand gently grabbed her broken sleeve pulling it up. 

His bare hand went to regrab her. She shock for a few seconds, terror engulfed her. It was like the water was forcing its way down her lungs once more. Her secret was about to be exposed to her enemy. Her breath left her body in pieces.

“Please… don’t.” She’d never begged before. His eye softened as his bare fingers brushed against her flesh. They just stared for a while. Something inside her changed, like a small switch was flipped. His grip became more prominent and there it was. Shadows erupted from him, casting themselves all over. 

And then without so much as a prick she was glowing. Her body was warm as silver began to spread out of her body. It was like a ragged inferno that only grew. Around them the shadows mixed with her silver, twisting and braiding together. 

Gasps came from all those in the tent, it was like eating the formation of a star. She didn’t move, didn’t breathe as it all stopped. A real smile came onto his lips as she stood horrified. 

Blasphemy…. That was what her life now was. She was blasphemous. 

“A moon summoner…” He paused and then there was a softer voice. “And an amplifier.”

She was ruined now, nothing would save her now. 

Divider create goes to @astralnymphh

Moon Helios

Act I : The Sanctuary

Cast

Y/n Starkov

The broken

“If I can still breathe, I’m fine.”

Isla Vernio 

The beauty 

“Burry me with the roses so I’ll always be pretty but I’ll always have my thorns.”

Niko Dubinsky 

The cruel 

“You stink of blood half-breed.”

Alina Starkov

The sister 

“We’re both misfits, me half Shu, you Fjerdan Y/n.”

Malyen Oretsev

The friend 

“I don’t think it’s a bad thing, you just need to learn to not be so angry all the time.” 

Egon Waldow

The teacher 

“Be careful child … Just because you are winning does not mean you’ve won.” 

A Helios

A weapon 

A warrior made and broken from birth

A warrior for the sun summoner

A warrior ready to kill 

A warrior made to die

There only job to be loyal and ready to protect there sun summoner no matter what happened.

Our only job is to kill and be kill in service to our greatest saint. 

A Helios is nothing with our saint.

I am nothing without my saint

Divider create goes to @astralnymphh

A/n I decided to make this a little neater then how it was before. I think it looks better like this.

Moon Helios

a/n: we start the actual series with this chapter. This will also be the end of act one. I will post the act two characters later tonight or tomorrow. Enjoy and READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.

꓄ꃅꀤꌗ ꎇꂦꈤ꓄ ꀤꌗ ꎇꀭꍟꋪꀸꍏꈤ

Word Count: 4,162k

Series trigger warnings:Child abuse, anxiety, religious trauma, racism, manipulation, division of canon, Alina hate?, trauma, ptsd, bullying, insomnia, self-neglect, mental health issues, guilt tripping, cult theme, blood consumption, cannibalism?? Lost of murder, talks of SA in other characters, S/A, Sexual acts, future smut, predatory behavior(not from Aleks) and all other shadow and bone stuff

Act I : The Return

Chapter Seven

The snow hadn’t stopped, if anything it only raged on. Y/n stood overlooking the sanctuary. Her armor glimmered under the sunlight. A bag was slung over her shoulder, golden circlet in her hair. Her hair woven into a braid with the comb from Ville as she stood next to her grey horse.

It nudged its nose into her metal stomach as she pet its mane. Maja laid on the ground sleeping soundlessly. Footsteps came up behind her.

“You’re really leaving?” He sounded hopeful, maybe this was a joke. Turning around she met Niko’s brights eye. She stared at him for a while. 

“I have to go. I promised I’d be back.” Her eyes were blank, hardly softened at the sight of him. He scoffed softly kicking at the snow. The snow bounced into Maja’s coat and she growls softly. He mockingly growled back at him. 

“Will Egon even let you leave?” She nodded her head soundlessly. She didn’t care whether or not he would let her. He couldn’t stop her even if he wanted.

“Alina is going to join the ravkan army, I can’t let her do that alone.”

“Bullshit! Mal will be with her won’t he?” Slowly she turned her gaze back to the snow wrapping itself on the ground. 

“It’s been five years Niko, I have to go back.” He glared sharply at her back. Niko couldn’t understand it, the want to go home. He hated his home, and he had a real one. He knew the orphanage was not her home.

“Why? You are home!” He yelled grabbing at her shoulder. She shrugged him off as her armor slowly fell. The thick wool cape cascades down her shoulders. Her thick black gloves embroidered with roses held tightly onto the ropes.

She attached the small cart that would hold Maja and a few trinkets of hers. Her palace wasn’t to far, she would drop the stuff off before leaving.

“How many years have I suffered for our saint.”

“We suffer always for her! It is our sacred duty as Helios.” He uttered. Y/n moved Maja into the small cart so that she could sleep. She covered her wolf in thick furs to keep the snow off her.

“I was twelve when they took me, when they took me from Kermazin. When they took me from Alina and Mal.”

“I was twelve when I was blinded. I was thirteen when my flesh was burnt and cut, the scar is still as red are the poker used. I was fourteen when I bite off a chunk of my friends hand.” She told him as she turned around. Her gaze was hardened. 

He couldn’t speak, what could he say to combat her words. He too had be scared by the life of a Helios.

 “I was fifteen when I was sent to Fjerda, forced to kill the boy I loved for a fake ring. I was sixteen when I murdered my best friend.” She trembled as her words left her throat. She mounted her horse, her hands gripping the harness. Niko grasped into her gloved fingers, a single tear falling down his cheek.

Slowly she reached her hand down, the soft leather brushing the water from his face. She held his check for a few seconds, her eyes softened. 

“I was sixteen when my friends tried to take the bones from my body. And now has a seventeen year old I have murdered countless I have become something truly ruthless. And I am afraid.” She uttered. 

She pulled back, her face hard once again. Adjusting her cloak she pet her horse, Tidal’s mane. 

“I am afraid because I have enjoyed it far too much.”  She turned away from him, the horse slowly pulling away.

“You’ll be back? Sooner or later?”

“Later, I believe.” With that she was gone. Her horse sped off into the storm of snow. 

The ravkan camp she’d been placed in was less than ideal. Alina nor Mal was with her. She was late, too late to join in and become a mapmaker with Alina. 

So now she was a simple soldier, a gun for hire. Y/n walked down the path with a humming softly. Her mind wandering as she dropped down a piece of bread to Maja. 

The hungry wolf as she was ate every bite growling happily. Y/n smiled as she watched her beloved pet run forwards. 

“The Fjerdan bitch has graced us today.” She groaned softly as she turned around. The others in the battalion had always like to use that on her. 

“How can I help you boys?” She asked with a smile. The trio behind her smiled softly. 

“Guess what?” The taller one, Lief said with a smile. She cocked her head to the side.

“We’ve just been assigned to guard the cartographers, your sister is in the group we’re going to protect.” Her eyes widened at his words. 

“What?” Her voice was barely there.

“They’re due to go to the camp near the fold. Generals worried about all the grisha with fire around our maps.” The short red head answered slinging his arm around her shoulders.

Her head tuned to him, her eyes baring down at him. A low and hateful growl came from Maja and she moved near Y/n. Quickly Roam the red head moved away. 

“They are called Inferni, and they are a part of this army. They’re not gonna destroy our maps.” She uttered softly.

“Yeah well we’re going to guard them so pack up your bag please.” Driud’s told her with a smile. Y/n sighed softly as she picked up Maja, keeping her white paws out of the mud.

She held tightly into her wolf as she walked about the camp. Maja all but purred as her legs dangled in the air. Placing her down in her tent Y/n begins to pack up. Her mind drifts to her true north.

Alina and Mal.

Y/n stood, her breath quivering as she saw her. Her sister, her Alina. She stood with a smile on her face. She was laughing at whatever Mal had said.

Mal, he was safe. He was safe with her. Her eyes swelled with tears as she took a step forwards. They were both dressed in ravkan army uniforms. 

“You two look ridiculous.” The pair froze. Slowly turning to Y/n. Like a firework Alina shot off towards her sister. She tackled her to the ground, hugging her tightly. Y/n had become a mass of tears as she fell with them. 

Mal’s arms were more muscular than when they were children. Alina was just as slender as she left. She could hear the whispers from behind her family, along with Maia’s soft growling. 

Slowly Y/n sat up with them both in her arms. Hesitantly she raised her gloved finger to Alina’s cheek, brushing away her tears. Mal laughed softly as he helped the two girls up.

“You’re back!” He laughed as he crashed into her again, his arms tightly wrapped around her. She went stiff for a few moments then nuzzled her head in his neck.

She inhaled him deeply, he smelt of pine and dirt. Ever her tracker. She pulled away with unshed tears in her eyes.  

“You both look hideous.” She whispered quietly as she pulled away. Alina rolled her eyes softly as she took a step towards her sister. 

She was different now, taller and stronger. Her eyes harder, her smile halved. She sighed again as Maja came to her masters side. Maja sat patiently as her calf as she stared at the strangers in front of her.

“You have a dog now? You never mentioned that in your letters!” Mal asked as he bent down. He reached a hand out to pet Maja. Like a puppy the war dog hide behind Y/n. She growled softly from between Y/n’s legs. 

Maja cast her blood eyes up to Y/n with a quirked look. Y/n slowly pet the soft white fur with a gentle smile. Mal frown softly as Alina laughed. From behind there commanding officer called to them. 

Y/n watched their eyes fall and she took a step forward.

“What are we waiting for? We have a country to protect yea?” Alina and Mal shared a looked. Then Y/n ringed her thick cloak from her body. She too was dressed in a first army uniform.

The trio laughed softly as they began to walk towards the camp once more. Y/n lingered behind for a moment. The more she stared at Alina the more she looked like Isla. Wide eyed and soft.

Y/n would do anything to make sure it stayed that way. 

Y/n walked to her commanders tent with a groan. She knew what this was about. It was always the same thing. She hasn’t gotten into any fights the last month. 

Well she has but it was a betting ring so that didn’t count. Maybe it was because before the messaged came to her she was on her way to a fight. She didn’t care much as she entered the tent.

“Lieutenant Bohdan, you asked to see me.” She answered as she stood stiffed. The older man cast her a glare as he threw a letter on the table. Its wax seal of the Lantsov line, double eagles. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

“They’ve sent another letter requesting your presence in court.” He answered to her as he held a look or annoyance on his face.

“Tell them like every other time that I am busy with the safety of this glorious nation.” She mocked softly as she sat down. Bohdan groaned softly.

“You cannot deny a summons from the king for much longer. He desperately wishes to meet you, the Blood Helios of the Ravkan army.” She rolled her neck and sighed.

“You are the first of your kind this word has truly seen, your cult doesn’t like outsiders. Yet you joined his army.” She scoffed again. Cult. What did they know of her way of life. Cult, the word was sickening.

So they devoted their lives to a saint. Others had done the same yet they were call cult. Even now, so far away from the Helios court she still prayed. How could she not, her…… her rose was now with her saint.

“He thinks he is blessed. Arrogant would be a better word for him.” She mumbled. Bohdan cleared his throat. The Lanstov was still king she suppose. 

“You are closest thing he has to a weapon on this side of the fold.”

“And yet I always cross the fold.”

“Every shipment you e even been on had made it both ways. It is no coincidence your name is always pulled.” He answered. She could feel the guilt in his words. 

“I will not go, burn the letter.” Her Lieutenant groaned softly taking the letter. He threw it over a candle and let it burn. 

“The next letter will not be denied, you will go.” She scoffed again and stood.

“I owe to no allegiance to your king, I do not serve him. I stay in her army because my sister is here. Nothing more or less.” Bohdan nods his head.

“The king will not be pleased.” He answered with a tight look. She shrugged softly as she stood up.

“Tell him that I had already crossed the fold too late for him.”

Bohdan sighed softly taking a deep breath. Y/n wasn’t a soldier to him. She served her own caused whatever that may be. 

“Honestly Bohdan do you really think the King is sending these letters? I bet it’s his little apparat who sent it, or maybe even his black general.” She amused. Bohdan raised a brown. 

“It matters not who sent it, the next one will not be brunt by me.” Y/n looked at the ashes and sighed.

“Very well, I will burn the next one then.”

Then she turned and left, Maja followed her. Summons from the king, please, she would ignore it. She didn’t need his approval to do anything. She was the Blood Helios of the first army, but she had not loyalty to Ravka’s king.

He was pig, greedy and glutinous. Some king he was, he wouldn’t even march into battle with his soldier. He didn’t plan any attacks or even show real support for his men and women.

No, he simply sat on his throne get fat next to his wife. A queen who spent the ravka’s money. As she pulled off her coat and entered the tent of sweaty men she grimaced. 

Her hands were bandaged as she found a challenger. Battles for coin were simple enough. Always helped get the blood pumping. As she finished her match quickly, earring some neredi. 

As she stared down at the currency of Novyi Zem she knew who she had to send the money to. As she turned to leave she caught Mal’s eyes. Her own glazed over him as he fought. 

She smiled and stepped towards him to watch. She could feel the disapproval of his eyes as she stood holding her small bag. 

As he own matched finished she handed him a clean rag. The brothers cheered at her side as she felt the vibrations of another move. 

“I’ll take a turn. How about it? Just you and me.” With the flick of the man’s wrist, the dust swirled at them. On instinct Y/n’s armor flashed in her body. Her arm pulled at Mall as she shield him from the dust. 

As her helmet fell she met the squaller’s eyes with her own. Mal rushed forwards to fight but was held back. 

“If you lose, you'll be in the medika. If you win, they'll throw you in the brig.” The older soldier announced holding Mal back. The arrogant squaller all but laughed as he swirled the winds again.

“Come on! Anyone!” Stepping forwards Y/n let her armor fall. Her wrist were bandaged yes but not fully covered. As if injured she wrapped them up completely, leaving no skin showing. 

“Anyone?” She asked with a blank look. The squaller turned to her with a wide smile.

“I’ve heard of you haven’t I? The cultist of the first army.” She smiled stepping towards him. Mal moved out of his friend’s grip and grabbed at her wrist. 

“Y/n,” He started but she wasn’t paying him any mind. She was almost glad her reputation proceeded her.

“You asked for anyone, don’t tell me you’re afraid now?” She mocked gently. The tent had gone all but silent. The older soldier in charge stared at Y/n. She never was one to turn down a fight. 

“Y/n we need to go find Alina.” Mal interjected attempting to pull her back. She sighed softly allowing him to lead her out. She pulled back her hand and let it fall.

“Fjerdan scum.” Before Mal could think she’d already whipped around. She move faster than the squaller could see. Her fist ached into his face as she collided with his body. 

Scum? She was not scum. She had not made a name for herself as the Blood Helios to be called scum. It took seven soldiers to pry her off the bleeding man. Mal has quickly grabbed onto her shoulder and leaned her away.

Her bandaged were coated in crimson as she left. Speckles of the red dripped down her face. She didn’t think much of it, wasn’t the first time, wouldn’t be the last. 

“You never can back down from a challenge can you.” She was silent as she walked next to him. Mal would never understand her. Alina could never understand her. But they saw a change within her.

They couldn’t hold her as easily, she pull her arms away. She wouldn’t sing to them anymore. She could hardly bring herself to draw when with them. 

“I’m sorry.” She answered. Mal chuckled softly as nudged her shoulder quickly. 

“I don’t think it’s a bad thing, you just need to learn to not be so angry all the time.”  She hummed softly. Her anger had protected her for the most part.

Maybe Mal was right, maybe she should control her anger. However what good was her anger if concealed. 

Y/n smiled softly as she allowed Alina to pull her into a ground hug. She hadn’t wanted to but gave her sister this. Alina has been on the road for a few weeks now. 

Whether she likes to admit it or not she missed the smell of her sister. Charcoal, paper and sweat. She smelt of the drawing room Egon helped her craft in her palace.

Egon.

They hadn’t spoken much since she left. It had only been a few months but the distance was jarring. She missed her ꎇꍏꀸꀸꍟꋪ. He’d always been next to her.

When the hunger of fasting took all her strength, he helped her stand. The sword became to heavy in her arms, he trained her to lift it. When she wept over Ville, he had held her tightly. When she sat as her roses grave, he tied the blue ribbon for her.

From Niko’s letters Egon wasn’t much better. He was gloomy and rarely partook in the celebrations anymore. He would hardly smile when the young and older Helios would dance together.

Niko had been begging for the past week for her to go back. If only for the lighting of the barrier celebrations. Y/n knew she would be able to go. Bohdan would understand.

She just couldn’t go.

There was something deep, primal gnawing at her core. It had kept her rooted in place, in the first army. Something was about to happen. She could all but feel it in the vibrations of the world. 

The earth itself was trying to speak to her. Try as hard as she could, Y/n didn’t know what the words were. The song the earth played was off key for her.

“Come on Y/n, the bells just rung.” Alina smiled softly. Y/n blinked at her sister with a smile. Alina tugged gently as her hand. Her normal back gloved with roses on them protected her.

Y/n followed behind her sister, the innocent look on her face brought a smile to her own. It was times like this Y/n felt like the older sister. In reality the sisters didn’t know.

They had arrived at the orphanage the same night in two baskets. 

Each basket had a small note stating their names and nothing else. They chose to believe themselves twins by different fathers. 

By the time Bohdan has begun to speak Y/n was already done. She left Maja back at her tent, so the others crowded around her. She watched Alina’s gaze move to the poster. The propaganda that ravka has made against the Shu Han.

She reached down and squeezed Alina’s hand. Alina’s chocolate eyes bore up at Y/n’s harden e/c eyes softly. Y/n looked down for a moment and gave her a slight smile. The cold leather was peaceful against Alina’s skin.

There was a Fjerdan poster too, it simply didn’t bother Y/n as much. She was Fjerdan, that would never change. She learnt the language, learnt her peoples customs. There was a beauty in the great ice land, not grisha but to her.

The snow was cold and fierce. The air thin and made you cough. The people unamused. They were everything she was in one way or another. Fjerdan has her heritage, nothing could ever change that. So why would she bother. 

“Gunman Y/n Starkov and Tracker Malyen Oretsev.” Y/n head perked up, her eyes on Mal. 

“Did he? But you’re in our unit.” Alina mumbled her eyes on Mal. Y/n scoffed softly, Bohdan had to be wrong. Mal was to stay with Alina since she would be crossing the fold.

“It has to be an error. It has to be.” Mal uttered.

Scoffing Y/n replied, “It better be.”

“Didn’t sound like an error, Mal.” Alina answered dropping Y/n’s hand. Her gloved hand returned to her side as she stared down at them both. As they were dismissed Y/n stepped forwards towards Bohdan. 

“Mal?”

Well, if it does work, I'll get to visit Ketterdam.” He amused as she walked away.

The skiff placement was in fact not a mistake. Bohdan’s hands were tied in the issue. The Darkling wanted a tracker in the other side of the fold to look for something. Rage boiled inside of Y/n.

They had stuck a deal months ago. She would go into the fold as many times as need to ensure her family stayed together. Twelve times has she journeyed through. Twelve times had Bohdan kept his promise.

She wanted to scream at the sky. Her family wasn’t safe ever. If she prayed more to her Sol saint then she already had, she would look mad. Extremist, cult girl, fjerdan bastard. She could the names ragging war in her head. 

She could keep Mal safe, no doubt in her mind. Something was just off now. The world was trying to warn her, but she could not hear. Hearing had never been her strong suit. Blood first questions later. 

Her rose was much better than hearing. She had to hear. With no voice or eyes, to hear was her only vice. When twig crunched, she would hear. Every secret and lie she heard. 

It was her roses gift from there saint. Y/n wondered what her saint would think of her now. Was she a disgrace? She’d left her saints temple. Her saints army to join one of a false king.

Her saints was a holy one, made of the sunlight that could burn and break as well as glow and shine. Did her saints admire her devotion. The blood she’d spilt in her name.

“I thought I’d find comfort here.” Y/n smiled faintly as she watched Alina sit next to her in the perch. The entire laid before them.

“Planning a coup?” Alina giggles. Y/n shook her head softly. 

“Hate to burst your bubble Lina, the only coup I would dream of planing is the ravkan kings. Not this base.” Y/n countered with her most gentle smile. Alina stare at her sister for a few moments.

“You weren’t at dinner.”

“I wasn’t hungry, plus the cook doesn’t like me.”

“I know the feeling.” Y/n’s brows curled upwards at her words. It was no secret many didn’t like the two sisters. Y/n didn’t understand it.

“I could sacrifice the cook, like how everyone thinks I worship.” Alina laughed brightly. Her smile reached both side of her face, showing off her pearly white teeth. Even coated in sweat and dirt Alina was still beautiful.

There was an innocence to her face. Round like a child in a way. A small bit of baby fat, the smallest amount. Meals were an odd thing in this army. Y/n was trained for hunger, Alina less so.

“Do you even wonder how our life’s would be if…. If you never left.” Y/n hummed softly.

Such a word would never exist. It couldn’t. Y/n was hand picked by her saint to become a warrior.

“I am nothing without my saint.” She whispered so low Alina could not hear. It was a confession she only dare to utter with other Helios. It was a chant she would sing into battle in her saints name. 

“What was that?” Alina asked, her voice calm. 

“If I’d never been taken I would still be here. Not as just a gun for hire but more. I’d like to think I’d be a commander by now. With money so you and Mal would be with me. You could draw as much as you want and Mal… Mal could find and keep as many bunnies as he’d like.” 

Silence engulfed the pair. Alina’s eyes were 

strictly on Y/n. The soft shadow the lights brought to her face. The hallow bags under her eyes. The gentle shimmer to her skin under the moonlight. The single hair out of place. The way her e/c were muted so slightly.

“I think I would’ve liked that.” Y/n then looked back at her. Their eyes met, neither sister looking away.

“I doubt I ever would’ve gotten so far here, not with my fjerdan side so prominent. Maybe I could’ve been a pirate instead.” Alina laughed again as Y/n let out a small giggle. Alina smiled more so, the tiniest laugh has escaped Y/n.

“We’re both misfits, me half Shu, you Fjerdan Y/n.” Alina mumbled. 

“Finally found you both.” Mal’s distinct footsteps came up behind them. Y/n stood and grabbed her satchel.

“That is my queue to go.” Y/n said standing up. Mal furrowed his brown and went to grab her arm.

“Why?” She raised her shoulder. 

“Maja needs to be fed, before she eats Lief. She has been eyeing her muscles.” Her family laughed at her words once more. Laugher, the most addictive drug. 

As she left there laughed was gone. Like any drug she would protect and covenant it. 

Divider create goes to @astralnymphh

Moon Helios

a/n: My god did I take forever to make this chapter. Whoopsies. Anyway this is the last chapter till the actual plot. I’m so excited to write the actual plot now. Lots of triggers in this so READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.

꓄ꃅꀤꌗ ꎇꂦꈤ꓄ ꀤꌗ ꎇꀭꍟꋪꀸꍏꈤ

Word Count: 3.461k

Series trigger warnings:Child abuse, anxiety, religious trauma, racism, manipulation, division of canon, Alina hate?, trauma, ptsd, bullying, insomnia, self-neglect, mental health issues, guilt tripping, cult theme, blood consumption, cannibalism?? Lost of murder, talks of SA in other characters, S/A, Sexual acts, future smut, predatory behavior(not from Aleks) and all other shadow and bone stuff

Act I : A Helios is Born

Chapter Six

The wind whipped furiously around the sanctuary. The banners marked by a raging sun blazing across the silks. It was cold, it’d been fair to cold. 

As Y/n’s grey eyes trailed over the younger Helios in trainings, the blinding ceremony had just commenced. They were clumsy as tripping over their own feet. 

You never really knew how much you needed your eyes till they were gone. Although sight allowed one to see again it wasn’t the same. Colors were dulled, lights were less. 

“Enjoying the snow?” Egons voice came from behind her. She didn’t turn to him as he went to her side. His large hands pressed again the railing. 

Maja growled softly from where she sat. The snow dressed her coat, almost blending in. She didn’t like Egon, she’d almost bit his fingers more times than Y/n could count. 

“No.” Egon couldn’t help but frown. Her answers had been short and never in full sentences anymore. That silver comb was  laced in her hair by Isla no matter what she was doing.

“Ready for the ceremony?” She didn’t answer just turned away. Her armor was cold, the metals almost froze in the snow. Her cape, long and lined with wool danced behind her. 

“꒒ꀤꈤꃅꂦ꒒ꂵꍟꋪꋪꍟ, be ready for your ceremony.” He urged her. Her hands went to her neck, pulling off her collar. She held it out for him to take.

“I’m not permitted this.” Egon gently took her armor. She was right, in the trial the children would be allows one dagger as there weapon. 

His eyes fell on her smaller frame. As she moved inside he watched her. He watched Maja and his ꒒ꀤꈤꃅꂦ꒒ꂵꍟꋪꋪꍟ disappear into the sanctuary.

In truth he worried, there was the small chance she would never survive this. It was a fight to death after all. 44 in training, only 22 would survive. 

He held confidence in her, she was trained by his hand. But her opponent would not be one she would be able to kill, he knew that well enough.

It was warm in the arena. The sand was heated slightly by one of the Inferni whom had kept their powers. Y/n stood, digging her feet in. 

If she was to die then she didn’t mind it to be her. She was the last ceremony of the night. Everyone who survived had killed a friend tonight. In turn they had regained their eyes.

Would Alina be able to live with her death. Mal had answered her letter, he and Alina were well. Underfed but well. The guilt festered deep within her. While her sister and best friend were underfed she slept on a full stomach overnight. 

Alina, she missed her sister’s dark eyes. The tree bark colored eyes were just brought enough to tell where the irises stoped and pupil began. How Alina’s thick locks would blows gently in the breeze. She missed Alina…. But did Alina miss her as much.

“Announcing Y/n Starkov, ward of Egon Waldow.” Aratha’s voice was mellow. Y/n supposed so many years of conducting these fights would do that to a woman.

“And Isla… Isla Vernio, ward of Egon Waldow.” Y/n froze, her blood going cold. Slowly Isla’s blurred frame came into her sight. 

Isla.

Why was Isla in the arena with her. This wasn’t supposed to happen like this. Niko had checked. 

She was supposed to kill a random boy, Avich or something. It been easy to kill Avich, he was weak hearted. To kind for his own good, not bad with a sword but horrible with a dagger

“ӄɛɮɮɛռ ready!” Aratha yelled. Y/n couldn’t move. Isla moved into her stance. Her breathing picked up as she dropped her knife. It hit the sand, not a sound echoed around her.

“No… wait !” Y/n uttered finding her voice but from above Kanos nodded his head. 

“FIGHT!”

In seconds Isla was charging towards her. Isla’s blue knife sliced through the air as Y/n dodged. 

“Isla!” Y/n yelled as her friend attacked her relentlessly. Isla was quick, always had been. Her vibrations were all over the place, it made it hard for Y/n to track her.

Y/n began to move around, turning and dodging very moved Isla made. 

“ISLA! STOP!” Isla’s movements became sloppy, frazzled. 

Y/n caught her friend’s arm, twisting it and pushing the knife out of her hand. Isla slammed her head back and Y/n backed away. 

“Isla stop this! I’m not going to fight you.” Y/n could keep the quiver from her voice. Not this. She couldn’t do this.

She could softly hear Niko’s voice screaming. Niko was alive? Had he lied to her? Of course he’d lied to her. Her mind raced as she went through everything.

Maybe Niko had never been her friend. Only tried to gain her trust in order to get her killed. Maybe it was all a lie. Everything was a lie.

Before she could realize her back was against the sand. Isla’s knife inches from her face. Isla’s knife was in her face.

“Isla…”

As the knife inched closer to her throat she couldn’t see anything. Her vision was turning colors. Her hand moved before she could stop it.

GRAB THE BLADE! 

DRIVE IT INTO HER CHEST!

She felt the cold metal dig into her skin and then it was gone. The sound of flesh being pierced echoed through her mind. The choking on blood invaded Y/n’s ears as she caught Isla. 

“No no no no no no no!” Y/n repeat as she clung to Isla. The tears burned down her skin as she sobbed.

Isla clung onto her arm as she choked. Y/n looked up at the perch. Her eyes filled with terror as all the blood began to soak her. 

Egon wasn’t there.

He was supposed to watch all the fights.

Kanos stared down at her, eyes blank as she stared up at him. His eyes…  were those tears. 

Kanos never cried, he couldn’t. What had he done that he was crying?

……………………

…………………………

……………………………….

He couldn’t have? Could he?

The moon moved over the arena as Isla shook Y/n. Her eyes slowly moved down as she sobbed. Isla’s eyes were dulled and she could see. All the colors, everything was so vibrant.

Y/n’s eyes began to dart around as she saw everything. Isla’s blood was a deep crimson and it soaked through her ceremonial clothes. 

Isla’s vibrations were slowed, almost gone. 

Her hands moved slowly, covered in her own blood. 

“Burry me with the roses so I’ll always be pretty but I’ll always have my thorns.” 

Y/n held her face as she watched the lights in her chocolate eyes left. Her beautiful chocolate eyes were now visible her. Her soft skin lost its warmth, leaving not a trace of life. Y/n felt her breath stop. Her eyes stared down at the blood in her hands.

She could feel herself shake, she could feel her own vibration were everywhere. She could hear her surviving trainees screaming yelling. 

She could hear Egon yelling faintly. She could hear everything faintly. The ringing in her ears grew louder as she held onto Isla. It became so bright as her own screams entered her ears. 

Her scream didn’t sound like hers. Her screams sounded like something else. Like the screams of the volcra or ʊռʊɖɛǟɖֆ. Or the wailing of a banshee. It was so bright, there was light all around her. She left a pair of arms around her as she screamed.

The light only grew as she screamed and then…………..

Nothing, just black.

There was too much snow, the pale pink roses were covered in frost. The dug up ground covered in snow. Niko’s bright crystal eyes stared over at her. 

She was knelt down tying the blue ribbon to the post. A large sun at the top of the wood. In her hands she held tightly into Isla’s collar. 

As per tradition the winner of the fight would take the dead’s collar. Melt it down and add it onto your own armor as a sign of respect for the dead. But Y/n had left the grave in three days.

She merely sat in the snow covered ground still in her bloody clothes. Her hair was become dirty. The bloody was racked under nails. Her own collar had not yet been given back to her. Egon knew she would be far to dangerous with her armor at the moment. 

Niko stood behind her, his crystal blues full of unreleased tears. Rosica stood to his left, her blonde locks flowing in the breeze while Zan stood on his right, his arms crossed. 

“She hasn’t left her grave.” Niko whispered as the snow whipped around them. Zan sighed gently, looking over at Rosica. The emerald eyes girl nodded her head as she gripped into Niko’s arm.

“Niko, I’ll take her for a walk or something. Clear her mind.” Niko scoffed softly. Y/n would not move from the grave. Her body was too weak, it was by the saints grace she didn’t have frostbite yet.

“And do tell me how you’ll move her?” Niko snapped his cloak blowing in the wind. Rosica smiled gently as she held onto his face. She leaned up and placed a gentle kiss on his plush lips.

“Don’t worry about it, I have an idea.”  She pulled away from him keeling down next to the unmoving girl. She pushed away some of Y/n’s h/c hair and leaned down in her ear.

“I was think of getting some winter roses for the grave. Isla would like those wouldn’t she.” Y/n’s dead gaze slowly tracked to the girl at her side. With a slight nod the blonde pulled Y/n to her feet.

Niko’s eyes widened at the sight and moved over to her. His arms found there way around her form. She seemed so small now. Her fire was gone now, not even a spark left. 

He pulled his cloak off, wrapping the material around his shaking form. Rosica’s eyes faltered and she shot her gaze over to Zan. His eyes did not meet hers as she moved back to Y/n.

“There’s some flowers at the border, come.” She whispered in the emotionless girls ear. Rosica attempted to lock her hands in Y/n’s but Y/n pulled her hand out of the other’s grasp. Rosica smiled softly at her as she watch the dirty girl curl around herself.

Her brain was blank yet so many thoughts raced all at once. This had to be false. Isla wasn’t dead, she was simply sleeping somewhere. Or hiding away from her. 

Maybe this was all another test for her. But Y/n’s mind kept pulling her back to the blood. She never been covered in so much blood.

With Ville it was different, she still wasn’t sure if she loved him. Did she love him? Or had she been so convincing in her own lie she had known.

He was kind, and strange in a way. His face had been etched into her memory. The way he stared up at her had been different. He stared up at her with love in his eyes. Even as his blood began to cover them his held the same expression.

Isla didn’t.

Was it fear that she felt in her final moments? Did she fear her when she died.?

Did Isla fear herself in her final moments.

“Look at all the roses.” The blondes words brought her from her thoughts for a moment. She turned to the pale and frost covered roses. They bordered on a lake that was partially frozen over. She brought her tired legs over to the edge of the pond.

Her knees hit the snow covered ground without a sound. Rosica stood over her as she dug the flowers out of the ground. The weak and cold dirt caked under her nails as she pushed the earth away. The blondes eyes darkened as she stared down at Y/n

She never been cruel to her. She stuck by Isla. She was kind enough, helpful enough. But the spell she casted in Niko was too great. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair that a girl he hated for so long became the object of his heart before her. 

“You know Y/n, I never really liked you.” Her words made Y/n pause. Something was wrong. There were no birds singing. No a sound was present. Something was wrong. 

She slowly placed the rose, roots in all on the pile of other roses. 

“Is that so?”

“Yes, I just never really liked you. You were always so… brutish, not to mention bloody.” Rosica snarled as she stood over Y/n. This was wrong. She shouldn’t have gone with Rosica, Y/n barely knew her. She was Niko’s lover if anything at all.

Niko had almost never brought Rosica around her. She wasn’t sure why but now in the moment she knew that this girl was not her friend.

“Niko used to hate you, I don’t know why it changed. You aren’t very pretty, so you couldn’t have made him fall in love that way. Your personality is nothing special either, you’re just cold.” She continued. The bushes began to shake as another figure approached.

“What is this?” Y/n asked not looking back at the pair.

“Your death.” Zan voiced. She turned her head to him. It didn’t really surprise her, Zan should have don’t something like this ages ago. She’d disfigured him after all, no amount of kind words could change that.

“You are a special breed half-breed. I never would’ve know had Kanos not placed me in that arena with you. Your power is astounding!” His face was as manic as his words. 

“The only powers I have are the gifts of Helios. I’m no grisha like you.” She snapped as she glared at the pair.  Zain’s smile curled up, showing off his perfectly white teeth.

“Adam felt it, the power in your bones that day in the arena. I never got close enough to touch your skin but he did. I gather so did Kheli but he wouldn’t give us many answers.” She furrowed her brows at his words. 

This made no sense, not a single word spoke to her made sense. After the ceremony she had gain powers. Strength in the flesh, mind and spirit, but all helios’s were granted these powers. 

“You’re an amplifier.”

The words sent chills down her spine. She wasn’t sure what an amplifier was but it sounded familiar. Like a concept she was in the cusps of grasping 

“Took me some time to figure it out but,” he paused laughing crazily. “They hid it so well. All of them. You have NO IDEA! No idea how much that council protects you!”

Her eyes faltered for a moment. Staring down at the snow covering the woods. She should have never felt Maja in her room. She should’ve brought her war dog with her. 

“What are you talking about?” She asked her tone surprisingly gentle. Rosica’s harden gaze faded for a moment. This wasn’t the viscous girl she was ready to kill moments ago. 

“An amplifier is a creature whose bones grant more power to a grisha. You amplify us. At least you will once we’re done with you.” She curled up her lips. He was wrong, he had to be. Niko was a grisha and he never once brought this up. 

A few moments of pure silence past as they all stare at one another. She could hear the snow falling into the ground. Niko had never touched her skin. He was afraid of his own powers. Saints grace….

Niko had only ever grabbed anyone by their clothed shoulders or arms. After the arena fight Kheli refused to touch her. He was reject her hand at every turn and grasp onto her clothes back instead. 

His way of showing love was touching. He enjoyed hugs and hand holding more than Isla ever had. Yet he’d never touch Y/n, every memory of her experiences with grisha had been the same. One touch then never again.

“Where’s Adam? He told you of this?” Her words were soft, quiet, small.

“He’s a fool, he wanted nothing to do with this.” Perhaps that was what hurt her more. Adam was more a stranger to her than Zan. She killed someone she cared for she he and the others could escape the village in fjerda. She never done such a thing for Adam. 

She didn’t react as her entire body was pushed into the ice waters. She flared around as the pair grabbed onto her legs, arms and body keeping her down. The corners of her vision became darkened as she thrashed. 

The water enclosed upon her as its cold waters filled her lungs. She screamed and gagged as she tries to break from there grips. But she was weaker, tired, and broken. Y/n had to admit that they were rather smart to choose now to kill her.

GET UP!

It was that voice again. It was different this time. His will voice was deep, harsh but there was a sense of fear she’d never heard before. She continued to thrash about as through her blurred vision she saw a blade. 

Her jerking slowed as her vision began to blacken. Her lung became heavy as she inhaled the salty lake water. It burned down her throat as her fight began to diminish.

THERE’S A BLADE AT YOUR SIDE! 

GRAB IT!

Quickly obeying the strangers voice her freezing hand reached to her side. The cold metal cut at her fingertips. She knew there was never a blade on her. She wrapped her hands around the hilt and brought it up.

The blade slashed around….

It planted dip into flesh. Red filled her vision as her body was pulled from the icy waters. Her eyes faded in and out as screams entered her ears. A pair of cold wet hands held tightly onto her.

She was rolled on her back, her head falling limply to the side. There he was. A mass of muscles, taller than any man she’d ever seen. His body covered in thick bounds of metal that curved around him. His sword was ginormous, the hilt alone was bigger than her hand.

Water was pulled from her throat as she gagged violently. A pair of gentle and delicate hands pulled her head into there lap. Her eyes shut for a while.

The world was too loud to ignore. 

“No! Please! We didn’t mean any harm!” Was that Zan? Begging?

A dark chuckle echoed through the cold air. 

“Then why did you try to kill what was mine!” His voice was deep and cruel. It echoed like a famine that would slaughter thousands. Like a battle that saints knew would be bloody. 

Zan’s screams would quickly cut off as the sound of metal meeting flesh entered her ears. Slowly her eyes opened, above her was the most beautiful woman she ever seen. With perfect blonde hair that flowed elegantly around her shoulders. Her beautiful crystal eyes stared down at her worriedly.

Slowly her own eyes drifted away, going to the side of her. Rosica laid on the ground by the lake. Her throat slit in two as the crimson pooled around her.  

The roses she’d pulled from the ground were coated in blood. They seemed to drown in the puddle of it. Her eyes flickered, she’d seen this before. Those bloody flowers were the same in her vision.

Alina, Y/n, and Mal all laid in the meadow field as they hid from grisha testers

Blood covered flowers 

A white stag standing in a snow covered forest

A pair of piercings eyes so dark they looked black peering down at her

Black armor covering her as a strange light admitted from her hands

After her head injury those images had been planted in her head for the past few years. They had been burnt into her very soul. 

“Will she live?” His voice held that touch of fear she was so used to. Another man she hadn’t seen nodded his head gently. His long locked curled around each other like gently ocean waves. His bright blue eyes stared down at his calmly. 

“You’re are certain?’ The blonde women who held her sighed softly.

“Ares, my love, she will live, her memories of this will be fogged.” She could hear yelling, so much yelling in the distance. 

“We must go nephew.” The ocean eyed man said as he stood. The blonde who held Y/n kissed her cheek softly, her eyes began to drop even more. As her body touched the cold floor she felt a warm large hand in his face. 

“Be bloody, be ruthless…. My little blood Helios.” With that, they were gone. And all faded to black. 

Divider create goes to @astralnymphh

I Have a Dream

a/n: This is a little future blur of Helios!reader and Aleksander’s future cause I’m bored. It can be read as stand alone I guess but they’re gonna be some people you wouldn’t knows

Warning: Spoilers for main series,

Aleksander Morozova x fem! Reader

ɪ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍ, ᴀ ꜱᴏɴɢ ᴛᴏ ꜱɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ʜᴇʟᴘ ᴍᴇ ᴄᴏᴘᴇ, ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ

Aleksander had never thought he’d be able to listen to her voice so frequently. He’d hear Y/n sing in multiple occasions but never in his wildest dreams would she be singing to their children.

He leaned into the doorway to the nursery that Kheli had built for the twins. It was beautiful, with stars, and bright moon painting over the walls. The two cradles hand made by his wife’s closest friend.

The twins slept in the same cradle at the moment, still not used to being apart. The oldest, a black haired boy with e/c eyes laid dreaming upon his mother’s shoulder. Some drool streaming from his open mouth. His little Eryk.

And then there was his little Isla, her big doe eyes wide with curiosity. Her h/c hair wind from laying. She stared up at her mother eyes as she sang to her.

ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ꜱᴇᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏɴᴅᴇʀ, ᴏꜰ ᴀ ꜰᴀɪʀʏ ᴛᴀʟᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴀɴ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴜᴛᴜʀᴇ, ᴇᴠᴇɴ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ꜰᴀɪʟ

Y/n supported her little stars neck gently as she sang. She rocked her daughter gently, making sure to keep Eryk in her shoulder. Aleksander’s heart wanted him to help her with the babe but his body would not move.

He could only stare as she held their children. Their children. His little star and shadow. His mind raced with the events of the war that raged on. So many tragedy’s and haunting moments had already occurred. The war still continued even now.

Feeling a soft tug at his sleeping pants he looks down with a smile. Fabian, the pairs eldest adopted child tugged gently on this pants, rubbing at his crystal eyes. Slowly crouching down he scooped the boy up. Fabian laid his head on his father’s shoulder, yawning softly.

“Can’t sleep my little wolf?” He whispered to his son as he heard the small pattering of another child. Sleepily Isabella reached her hands up for him. He smiled down at his daughter picking her up as well.

“What about you my rose?” He kissed her cheek as she laid herself upon his chest. Her jade eyes falling as he held the pair. Neither child was his by blood, but what did blood matter. They were his. His and Y/n’s.

ɪ ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴇ ɪɴ ᴀɴɢᴇʟꜱ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ɢᴏᴏᴅ ɪɴ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ɪ ꜱᴇᴇ

He turned his gaze to his wife, her eyes were in him. She slowly moved to him, the pair nothing smiles at one another. Leaning his neck down he kissed her lips gently.

Fabian’s tiny hand pushed Aleksander away causing the couple to giggle softly. Eryk stirred slightly then returned to his deep sleep.

”What are you all doing up?” Y/n whispered as she placed Isla on her hip. Aleksander smiled softly at his little girl, placing as kiss in her forehead. Isla’s eyes began to drop as her others softly humming.

“I heard you, and these litter critters followed me.” His words brought a breathtaking smile upon Y/n’s face.

“Then we should get them to sleep.” Slowly the couple moved to their own bed. Eryk and Isabella had much trouble sleeping outside their parents bed. It was not easy being a child during the Saints war. Both children seeing horror that Y/n blamed herself deeply for.

No matter the words that slipped from Aleksander’s mouth she would never forgive herself for what her babies saw. It’d been her fault for being weak, believing that her sister would not be so cruel.

Setting the older children on the bed, Aleksander took the peaceful Eryk from his wife. The babe scrunched his nose in displeasure till he was against his father’s chest. Aleksander could not help the smile that he made every time his children would do that.

“They get it from you.” Y/n paused her humming as she laid down, Isla in her chest.

“What?”

“Scrunching their noses, they’ve seen you do it so much they copy.” The moon summoned smiled at her husband as he laid down in the other side of there children.

Fabian laid next to Y/n and Isabella next to Aleksander. Both parent having a twin stop there chests. The couple stared at each other. Not words could truly express the joy they felt. They were together now. They were safe for now. That was all that mattered.

ɪ ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴇ ɪɴ ᴀɴɢᴇʟꜱ ᴡʜᴇɴ ɪ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ɪꜱ ʀɪɢʜᴛ ꜰᴏʀ ᴍᴇ

ɪ'ʟʟ ᴄʀᴏꜱꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴛʀᴇᴀᴍ, ɪ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍ

Moon Helios

a/n : Oh boy was this hard to write. I’ve had major writers block because I’ve been trying to write Y/n’s character in this was a struggle. There’s one more chapter before we get into the real plot. I’m so excited. There are a lot of triggers in this chapter. I don’t wanna give anything away but READ AT YOUR OWN RISK. Other than that please enjoy.

꓄ꃅꀤꌗ ꎇꂦꈤ꓄ ꀤꌗ ꎇꀭꍟꋪꀸꍏꈤ Word Count: 9.2k plus

Series trigger warnings:Child abuse, anxiety, religious trauma, racism, manipulation, division of canon, Alina hate?, trauma, ptsd, bullying, insomnia, self-neglect, mental health issues, guilt tripping, cult theme, blood consumption, cannibalism?? Lost of murder, talks of SA in other characters, Sexual acts, future smut, predatory behavior(not from Aleks) and all other shadow and bone stuff

Act l : The motherland

Chapter Five

A cold air whipped around Y/n as she forced herself off the ground. The snow covered ground caused her skin to go cold and the falling snow invaded her cloudy eyes. Y/n heard the soft groaning of Isla, Niko, Zan, and Kheli. Y/n pushed her body off the ground as her sight kicked in. 

Y/n ran to Isla and quickly helped her up. Isla shook from the cold, Y/n quickly removed her cloak and wrapped it tightly around the smaller girl. Niko helped the other boys up and turned to Y/n.

“Where the hell are we?” Zan yelled as snow whipped around them. Niko groans and rubbed his arms. As he did so he found a small note in his pocket. It read.

𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬

𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝. 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐨𝐥. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞.

They all groaned in frustration as they looked around. They were in a snow covered area with no people in sight. There’s a lot of snow, too much snow. Trees covered in snow, the forest was large and vast. 

“How will we know who speaks the language? We don’t even know where we are!” Zan yelled. Kheli sighed softly and dusted snow off his pants. Niko walked over to him and grabbed Y/n’a shoulder. 

“I think we should find a village of some sorts. Maybe we’ll find this ring of Sol there.” Niko suggested.  With a small sigh they all began to walk through the snow covered ground. Y/n tied the blue ribbon tightly around Isla as they walked.

As they all moved through the woods Y/n surveyed the area around them. It was quiet far to quiet for Y/n’s liking, all she could hear were there steps on the snow. Every minute or so Y/n would count everyone’s steps. She’d count five pairs of footsteps all together.

The winds whipped around the ground, messing with there hairs, the dry air causing Niko to cough a few times. Y/n felt the vibrations around them. There were more then there group. Y/n froze her eyes darting around. That’s when she saw it, some men dressed warm fur cloaks, dressed in black uniforms, and weapons.

ꀸꋪüꌗꀘꍟ꒒꒒ꍟ

Y/n grabbed tightly onto Isla and dashed away. Niko, Kheli and  Zan followed after her as the pair ran. The snow pools around their feet as they run, a village came into view. 

Their feet were heavy against the ground as they panted. Isla’s soft hand tightly knitted into Y/n’s calloused hand. The group runs into the bustling town, narrowly avoiding people as they run. 

“ꌗ꓄ꂦꉣ ꓄ꃅꍟꂵ! “ A booming called out from behind them. A giant of a man grabbed into Isla yanking her, causing Y/n to hit the ground with a thud. The blue ribbon around his wrist causing Y/n to be dragged. 

Niko and Zan stopped running and turned back ready to activate their armor. Kheli was grasped onto by a giant blonde made of pure muscle. Y/n raised her hand motioning them to stop. Fjerdan, they spoke fjerdan.

She understood there language, she was in charge. A rough hand picked her up and her sight allowed her to see his face. He was taller than any man she’d ever seen. A large scar traced down his face from his eyes down to the bottom on his chin. His eyes were icy and sharp, peering into Y/n’s cloudy ones. 

“ꌗꂦꂵꍟ꓄ꃅꀤꈤꁅ ꀤꌗ ꅏꋪꂦꈤꁅ ꅏꀤ꓄ꃅ ꓄ꃅꍟꌗꍟ ꉓꃅꀤ꒒ꀸꋪꍟꈤ! ꓄ꃅꍟꋪꍟ ꍟꌩꍟꌗ ꍏꋪꍟ ꍏ꒒꒒ ꉓ꒒ꂦꀎꀸꌩ.” He spoke his voice booming all around. Isla struggled in his grip.

“꒒ꍟ꓄ ꃅꍟꋪ ꁅꂦ.” Y/n demanded. The ꀸꋪüꌗꀘꍟ꒒꒒ꍟ looked over at her, and furrowed their brows. Who was this tiny girl. Why were her eye’s and her companions eyes white. 

“꓄ꃅꍟꌩ ꂵꀎꌗ꓄ ꌃꍟ ꁅꋪꀤꌗꃅꍏ ꅏꀤ꓄ꉓꃅꍟꌗ! ꌃꀎꋪꈤ ꓄ꃅꍟꂵ!” An older woman with a hunched back and cane yelled. Isla’s eyes widen in distress and she tried to pull away but to no avail. Niko and Zan stood frozen as two more ꀸꋪüꌗꀘꍟ꒒꒒ꍟꌗ nabbed them into their iron grip. Kheli struggled and the blonde dug his nails into Kheli’s skin.

“ꌗꃅꍟ ꌗꉣꍟꍏꀘꌗ ꂦꀎꋪ ꒒ꍏꈤꁅꀎꍏꁅꍟ. ꀤꎇ ꌗꃅꍟ’ꌗ ꁅꋪꀤꌗꃅꍏ ꓄ꃅꍟꈤ ꅏꍟ ꂵꀎꌗ꓄-“ The man holding Niko began but Y/n interrupted him.

“ꈤꂦ! ꉣ꒒ꍟꍏꌗꍟ! ꅏꍟ’ꋪꍟ ꈤꂦ꓄ ꁅꋪꀤꌗꃅꍏ! ꅏꍟ’ꋪꍟ ꂦꋪꉣꃅꍏꈤꌗ!” Y/n screamed. Niko, Zan, Kheli and Isla paled and lowered their gaze away. The fjerdan’s all froze and the one holding Y/n lowered her to the ground. 

“ꍟꊼꉓꀎꌗꍟ ꂵꍟ?” He questioned as he set Isla onto the winter ground. Y/n quickly pulled Isla behind her. Niko and Zan were placed on the ground. 

“ꂦꀎꋪ ꎇꍏꂵꀤ꒒ꀤꍟꌗ ꓄ꃅꋪꍟꅏ ꀎꌗ ꂦꀎ꓄. ꓄ꃅꍟꋪꍟ ꅏꍏꌗ ꍏ ꎇꀤꋪꍟ ꍏꈤꀸ ꅏꍟ ꍏ꒒꒒ ꒒ꂦꌗ꓄ ꂦꀎꋪ ꍟꌩꍟ ꌗꀤꁅꃅ꓄. ꂦꀎꋪ ꎇꍏꂵꀤ꒒ꀤꍟꌗ ꎇꂦꀎꈤꀸ ꈤꂦ ꀎꌗꍟ ꀤꈤ ꀎꌗ ꍏꈤꌩꂵꂦꋪꍟ ꍏꈤꀸ ꉓꍏꌗ꓄ ꀎꌗ ꍏꅏꍏꌩ.” Y/n lied smoothly. Niko quickly pulled Zan towards Y/n and they all stood behind Y/n.

The blonde kept his grip on Kheli. Y/n looked over at Kheli, and with a small shake of his head Y/n turned back to the ꀸꋪüꌗꀘꍟ꒒꒒ꍟ in front of her. The scared man stared down at her, a mix of pity and anger in his icy eyes. 

“ꅏꃅꌩ ꀸꀤꀸ ꌩꂦꀎ ꋪꀎꈤ?” The scared man questioned. Y/n froze, she thought quickly. Her mind raced with possibilities.

“ꀤ ꃅꍟꍏꋪꀸ ꌩꂦꀎ, ꀤ ꅏꍏꌗ ꎇꋪꀤꁅꃅ꓄ꍟꈤꍟꀸ. ꅏꃅꂦ ꅏꂦꀎ꒒ꀸꈤ’꓄ ꋪꀎꈤ ꂦꈤꉓꍟ ꓄ꃅꍟꌩ ꃅꍟꍏꋪ ꌗꂦꂵꍟ꓄ꃅꀤꈤꁅ ꀤꈤ ꓄ꃅꍟ ꅏꂦꂦꀸꌗ. ꀤ꓄’ꌗ ꈤꂦ꓄ ꒒ꀤꀘꍟ ꅏꍟ ꉓꍏꈤ ꌗꍟꍟ, ꀤ ꅏꍏꌗꈤ’꓄ ꌗꀎꋪꍟ ꅏꃅꍏ꓄ ꀤ’ꀸ ꃅꍟꍏꋪꀸ.”  

“ꌩꂦꀎ ꃅꍟꍏꋪꀸ?”

Y/n nod softly, she held back the want to attack the man who held onto Kheli as Kheli groaned in pain. The scared man turned to the blonde and sent a chilled look to him. The blonde dropped Kheli to the ground and stood straight. Kheli rubbed his neck, crescent moon marks from the blonde nails were dug into his skin.

Y/n held her hand out for him but Kheli just stood. He stood behind her, not taking her hand. Y/n furrowed a brow but the sound of the scared man clearing his throat brought her attention back to him.

The scared man moved towards Y/n and in instinct she backed up, her group followed suit. The scared man watched them with curious eyes. They moved in sync, like they were all intoned to the same brain. They stood tall even though they were surrounded on all sides by strangers.

Slowly the scared man knelt down to Y/n’s height. Surprisingly he was still a bit taller than her. He stared at Y/n, it was obvious to him she was the leader. The alpha of this small pack of children.

“ꀤ ꍏꉣꂦ꒒ꂦꁅꀤꁴꍟ ꓄ꃅꍏ꓄ ꌩꂦꀎ ꅏꍟꋪꍟ ꎇꋪꀤꁅꃅ꓄ꍟꈤꍟꀸ. ꀤ ꀭꀎꌗ꓄ ꉓꍏꈤ’꓄ ꀤꂵꍏꁅꀤꈤꍟ ꃅꂦꅏ ꌩꂦꀎ ꅏꍟꋪꍟ ꍏꌃ꒒ꍟ ꓄ꂦ ꃅꍟꍏꋪ ꀎꌗ?” He stared but Y/n could hear the slight accusatory tone. Y/n tilted her head, making it seem as though she was trying to find the right direction of his voice.

ꀸꋪüꌗꀘꍟ꒒꒒ꍟ  were known for being able to walk in snow, keeping silent. Y/n studied the scared man’s face. He had a dark beard, peppered with white. His hair was longer than the others, he was in charge. Only ꀸꋪüꌗꀘꍟ꒒꒒ꍟ who’d achieved officer status could grow a beard.

“ꀤ ꃅꍟꍏꋪꀸ ꍏ ꓄ꅏꀤꁅ ꌗꈤꍏꉣ.”

The scared man’s eyes look to the blonde. His face was the youngest, he seemed a bit worried.

“ꌩꂦꀎ’꒒꒒ ꃅꍏꃴꍟ ꓄ꂦ ꎇꂦꋪꁅꀤꃴꍟ ꃴꀤ꒒꒒ꍟ, ꃅꍟ’ꌗ ꍏ ꈤꍟꅏꍟꋪ ꀸꋪüꌗꀘꍟ꒒꒒ꍟ.” The scared man said. Y/n nodded softly. Ville the blonde that had held Kheli rolled his eyes slightly. A low growl came from the scared man’s side. A large white wolf growled softly as it walked near children. 

They all stifled back, the boys cowering in fear when the ꀤꌗꍟꈤꀎ꒒ꎇ neared them. The ꀤꌗꍟꈤꀎ꒒ꎇ growled at Kheli and Y/n moved in front of him. The ꀤꌗꍟꈤꀎ꒒ꎇ stopped its growling and tilted her head. Her ivory fur blowed slightly in the breeze. The scared man gasped softly as the ꀤꌗꍟꈤꀎ꒒ꎇ nuzzled itself into Y/n’s stomach. 

“ꂵꍏꀭꍏ ꉓꂦꂵꍟ.” He called out, with a small whine Maja his ꀤꌗꍟꈤꀎ꒒ꎇ moved back to him. His scared hand gently pet through her ivory fur. Y/n kept her gaze on the wolf.

She was much larger than any wolf she’d ever seen. She was large with powerful legs and a shaggy tail. Her eyes were crimson and had a ring of brown in the center. 

“ꌩꂦꀎ ꌗꉣꍟꍏꀘ ꂦꀎꋪ ꒒ꍏꈤꁅꀎꍏꁅꍟ, ꃅꂦꅏ?” He questioned. Y/n bit back a remark and kept her friends behind her.

“ꂵꌩ ꉣꍏꋪꍟꈤ꓄ꌗ ꅏꍟꋪꍟ ꎇꀭꍟꋪꀸꍏꈤ.” Y/n stated softly. It wasn’t a pure lie. Either her mother or her father was fjerdan. He gave her a small nod and through her sight she saw a woman with blonde hair, and bright blue eyes.

The woman placed a soft hand on his shoulder. Her hair in a braided crown and a thick cape lined with fur is around her.

“ꁅꀎꌗ꓄ꍏꃴ?” The women asks but the scared man, now known as Gustav ignored her. His gaze was strictly on Y/n.

“ꌩꂦꀎꋪ ꎇꋪꀤꍟꈤꀸꌗ ꍏꋪꍟ ꈤꂦ꓄ ꎇꀭꍟꋪꀸꍏꈤ, ꀤ ꉓꍏꈤ ꌗꍟꍟ ꓄ꃅꍏ꓄. ꓄ꃅꍏ꓄ ꌃꂦꌩ ꀤꌗ ꌗꀎ꒒ꀤ, ꓄ꃅꂦꌗꍟ ꌃꂦꌩꌗ ꒒ꂦꂦꀘ ꋪꍏꃴꀘꍏꈤ, ꍏꈤꀸ ꌗꃅꍟ ꒒ꂦꂦꀘꌗ ꒒ꀤꀘꍟ ꌗꃅꍟ ꎇꋪꂦꂵ ꈤꂦꃴꌩꀤ ꁴꍟꂵ.” He announced. Y/n kept herself firmly in between her friends and the ꀸꋪüꌗꀘꍟ꒒꒒ꍟ. 

“ꂦꀎꋪ ꃴꀤ꒒꒒ꍏꁅꍟ ꉓꂦꈤꌗꀤꌗ꓄ꍟꀸ ꂵꍏꈤꌩ ꀸꀤꎇꎇꍟꋪꍟꈤ꓄ ꉣꍟꂦꉣ꒒ꍟ. ꓄ꃅꍟꋪꍟ ꅏꍟꋪꍟꈤ’꓄ ꀭꀎꌗ꓄ ꎇꀭꍟꋪꀸꍏꈤ’ꌗ.” Y/n admitted. Maja howled and a few other wolves howled back. The women came closer but Gustav held a protective hand in front of her.

Y/n raised a brow, was he …. Afraid. Isla clutched on to Niko’s arm as Zan and Kheli stood around her. The winds whipped around blowing cold air at Y/n. A shiver erupted through her skin uncovered due to giving her cloak to Isla.

The women gently pushed aside Gustav’s arm and she knelt in front of Y/n. She stared into her eyes and examined her face. Her hands were soft like rose petals, and Y/n flinched back when her hands gently held her face.

“ꉣꂦꂦꋪ ꓄ꃅꀤꈤꁅꌗ, ꌩꂦꀎ’ꃴꍟ ꌃꍟꍟꈤ ꍏ꒒ꂦꈤꍟ ꌗꂦ ꒒ꂦꈤꁅ.” She mumbled softly. Y/n didn’t understand this strange feeling in her chest as this woman held her face. 

“ꈤꂦꋪꍏ ꅏꃅꍏ꓄ꍟꃴꍟꋪ ꌩꂦꀎ’ꋪꍟ ꓄ꃅꀤꈤꀘ, ꌗ꓄ꂦꉣ ꓄ꃅꀤꈤꀘꀤꈤꁅ ꀤ꓄.” Gustav growled but the woman Nora. Nora glared back at him and gently wrapped her cloak around Y/n. Nora looked back at the other children with a motherly gaze. She couldn’t help but notice how close they seemed.

They all huddled together, forming a small diamond shape. Y/n in the front, Kheli and Niko at her sides, Isla directly behind Y/n and Zan in the back. The boys looked ready to pounce. Nora has seen how they followed Y/n’s movements. Where she moved they moved, when she so much and moved a finger they copped it.

Nora reached her hand for Y/n to take. Y/n moved back in confusion. She seemed kind,  it could be a lie. She could be trying to trap them, hurt them. Y/n wouldn’t let that happen. 

“꓄ꍏꀘꍟ ꂵꌩ ꃅꍏꈤꀸ, ꉣ꒒ꍟꍏꌗꍟ.” Nora sighed reaching g her hand further out. Y/n kept herself firmly between this woman and her people.

“ꅏꃅꌩ?”

Nora furrowed a brow but kept her hand out. Gustav stared at his wife in confusion, he kept Maja ready to pounce. The other ꀸꋪüꌗꀘꍟ꒒꒒ꍟ watched there leaders wife with a curious expression. Her kindness knew no bounds, but to extend that the strangers.

“ꌩꂦꀎ ꍏꋪꍟ ꍏ꒒꒒ ꉓꂦ꒒ꀸ, ꌗꂦ ꀤ ꅏꀤ꒒꒒ ꁅꀤꃴꍟ ꌩꂦꀎ ꅏꍏꋪꂵ꓄ꃅ. ꌩꂦꀎ ꍏꋪꍟ ꍏ꒒꒒ ꃅꀎꈤꁅꋪꌩ, ꌗꂦ ꀤ ꅏꀤ꒒꒒ ꎇꍟꍟꀸ ꌩꂦꀎ. ꌩꂦꀎ ꍏꋪꍟ ꍏ꒒꒒ ꓄ꃅꀤꋪꌗ꓄ꌩ, ꌗꂦ ꀤ ꅏꀤ꒒꒒ ꁅꀤꃴꍟ ꌩꂦꀎ ꌗꂦꂵꍟ꓄ꃅꀤꈤꁅ ꓄ꂦ ꀸꋪꀤꈤꀘ. ꌗꂦ ꓄ꍏꀘꍟ ꂵꌩ ꃅꍏꈤꀸ.” Nora voices her tone sweeter than any honey the group had ever tasted.

Y/n felt a warmth in her body she’d never felt before. It’s was fuzzy, like sitting at just the right place next to a fire. After a moment Y/n took Nora’s hand. Nora’s smile brightened and she lead the group through the crowds of people. Gustav went to stop his wife but instead he watched.

The crowds parted for Nora like she was royalty. The crowds stared down at the children with a mix of curiosity and disprove. A few children younger, older, and around their age stared at them till their parents pushed them back. 

Gustav looked over at Ville and followed his gaze. It was set on Y/n with a curious expression. Gustav stood next to him in a matter of minutes.

“I want you to watch over those children, especially that girl.” Gustav whispered while looking at Y/n. “Something is off about these children.”

With a small nod from Ville Gustav walked toward his wife, Maja followed closely behind. Ville stared at them as the crowds gathered as each child left his view.

Y/n kept her grip firmly in Nora’s. This women was kind, too kind. That would be her fault, her kindness to these children. They were no ordinary children. They were Helios in training, and they had a job to do.

Snow flurried down from the grey sky as Y/n left the home of Gustav and Nora. For the last two weeks her and her fellow trainees were staying with the leader of this Fjerdan town and his wife. Gustav agreed that the children could stay as long as they lived in the attic and help around.

So there Y/n was, holding a basket, and a small huddle of thin cookies for her to snack on. Y/n journeyed through the town towards the town center. The children playing stopped and stared at her. Their eyes filling nothing but distrust.

Another pair of eyes followed her. Ville’s pale eyes followed her as she walked and snacked. Y/n felt his gaze but didn’t turn to look at him. Ville followed behind her as she walked. Y/n stopped and turned, Ville stumbled slightly and glared down at her.

“ꌩꂦꀎ ꀘꈤꂦꅏ, ꌩꂦꀎ ꋪꍟꍏ꒒꒒ꌩ ꌗꀎꉓꀘ ꍏ꓄ ꎇꂦ꒒꒒ꂦꅏꀤꈤꁅ ꉣꍟꂦꉣ꒒ꍟ. ꀤ ꉓꍏꈤ ꃅꍟꍏꋪ ꌩꂦꀎ.” Y/n answered as she bit into the cookie. Ville grumbled and began to walk next to her. Y/n rolled her eyes as she held tightly onto her basket. She handed Ville one of the cookies, no words were exchanged.

“ꅏꃅꍏ꓄ ꀤꌗ ꀤ꓄ ꌩꂦꀎ’ꋪꍟ ꀸꂦꀤꈤꁅ?” Ville questioned as the pair weaved their way through people. Y/n picked up spices and Ville would add things to her basket. 

“ꁅꀎꌗ꓄ꍏꃴ ꀤꌗ ꃅꍏꃴꀤꈤꁅ ꍏ꒒꒒ ꃅꀤꌗ ꎇꋪꀤꍟꈤꀸꌗ ꂦꃴꍟꋪ ꒒ꍏ꓄ꍟꋪ. ꈤꂦꋪꍏ ꌗꍟꈤ꓄ ꂵꍟ ꂦꀎ꓄ ꓄ꂦ ꁅꋪꍏꌃ ꍏ ꎇꍟꅏ ꓄ꃅꀤꈤꁅꌗ ꎇꂦꋪ ꃅꍟꋪ. ꅏꃅꍏ꓄ꍟꃴꍟꋪ ꁅꀎꌗ꓄ꍏꃴ ꃅꀎꈤ꓄ꌗ ꀤꌗ ꅏꃅꍏ꓄ ꅏꍟ’꒒꒒ ꉓꂦꂦꀘ.” Y/n answered as she paid the stall owner. Ville nodded softly, he was going on the hunt with the others. 

Y/n picked up some bad grain and Ville sighed. He took the grain from her hand and handed her a better bag. Y/n thanked him silently as she paid with the krydda. 

Ville’s eyes trailed after Y/n wherever she went. Y/n’a braided hair flowed in the cool breeze. Nora had been doing Y/n and Isla’s hair for the past two weeks. It was customary for unmarried women. 

As they began to walk back towards Gustav’s home Y/n hummed softly. Ville listened intently as the soft sound entered his ears. From afar Gustav ready Maja to hunt, a few other men with him. Gustav watched as Ville brought Y/n home with an almost knowing gaze.

Ville opened the door and allowed Y/n inside. Gustav called him and Ville turned to leave. Ville began to walk down the snow covered path glancing back at the closed door of the home. 

“ꉓꂦꂵꍟ ꃴꀤ꒒꒒ꍟ, ꓄ꃅꍟ ꆰꀎꀤꉓꀘꍟꋪ ꅏꍟ ꃅꀎꈤ꓄ ꌗꂦꂵꍟ꓄ꃅꀤꈤꁅ ꎇꂦꋪ ꈤꂦꋪꍏ, ꓄ꃅꍟ ꆰꀎꀤꉓꀘꍟꋪ ꅏꍟ ꎇꍟꍏꌗ꓄.” Gustav cheered with a right smile and a pat on Ville’s back. Ville flinched slightly at the roughness of Gustav. As the other men went into the woods, Gustav grabbed Ville’s thick cloak.

“ꀤꎇ ꌩꂦꀎ ꅏꍏꈤ꓄ ꓄ꂦ ꅏꍏ꒒ꀘ ꅏꀤ꓄ꃅ ꃅꍟꋪ, ꋪꍟꂵꍟꂵꌃꍟꋪ ꌩꂦꀎ ꈤꍟꍟꀸ ꍏ ꉓꃅꍏꉣꍟꋪꂦꈤꍟ.” Gustav growled softly, letting go of Ville. Ville stuttered over his words. No, he didn’t want Y/n, she was a stranger. She was odd, and her friends brought distrust into his home. Gustav merely watched Ville’s inner workings as he guided Maja into the wood.

Y/n brought the basket full of spices, grain and a few other things into the kitchen. Isla and Nora moved around cooking together. Nora kept Isla away from the knives and stove thinking it too dangerous for a girl who couldn’t see or speak. Nora smiled brightly as Y/n brought her the basket. 

Nora had Y/n begin to make some bread. The boys were up in the attic planning out how to steal the ring. Turns out Gustav had it, but it was kept in his bedroom. Nora had mentioned it in a previous conversation. Y/n had also seen it once.

Time flew by as the two girls and older women worked in the kitchen. Gustav soon returned with a kill, a deer. Gustav dressed and cleaned it then left it to Nora. Gustav gave Nora a quick kiss on her forehead and pull Y/n aside. Y/n furrowed her brow as Gustav guided Y/n away. 

“ꌩꂦꀎ ꍏꈤꀸ ꀤꌗ꒒ꍏ ꅏꀤ꒒꒒ ꃅꍟ꒒ꉣ ꍏꋪꂦꀎꈤꀸ ꀸꀤꈤꈤꍟꋪ.” Y/n furrowed her brow in confusion. She always helped with dinner.

“ꅏꍟ ꍏ꒒ꅏꍏꌩꌗ ꃅꍟ꒒ꉣ.” 

Gustav stared down at her with a firm face. He fixed up her hair quickly, adjusting her braid. Some of men entered into the house and Gustav pulled a few strands of Y/n’s hair out of the braid. 

Gustav stared down at Y/n’s s/c skin, it shined softly. Y/n, Isla, Niko, Kheli, and Zan were everything his wife wanted. Gustav had been unable to gift Nora children, so he couldn’t refuse to let this orphans go. Nora has quickly grown attached, while Gustav was only now growing attached to Y/n.

The others were fine but there was something off with how Y/n carried herself. She seemed so sure of herself, yet seemed so scared. The way she’d always push her friends behind her, even the boys. It shocked him that such a small girl was so protective.

“ꉓꂦꂵꍟ, ꓄ꃅꍟꌩ’ꃴꍟ ꍏꋪꋪꀤꃴꍟꀸ.” Gustav murmured as he guided Y/n back to the kitchen. Ville looked away from his conversation with his friend and watched as Y/n walk into the kitchen with Gustav.

Nora handed Y/n some wine and a tray to carry it. Nora kept Isla in the kitchen to help her cook. Y/n walked around the table with Gustav’s company. She’d grab a cup filled with it and wait till the man would grab it. 

The first couple grabbed the cup without much issue. Ville’s hand gently grazed Y/n’s as he took a the cup. Gustav gripped his cup in his iron grip. As Y/n held the filled cup out for Markus to take as he spoke. Markus stared up at Y/n with a raised brow.

The whole table stopped as they stared at Y/n. Y/n motioned for him to take the cup from her. A low growl came from Maja as she rested under the table by Gustav. Another reason Gustav was so enamored by Y/n’s character was Maja.

Maja was the deadliest ꀤꌗꍟꈤꀎ꒒ꎇ of her litter, yet she was so docile when it came to Y/n. Instantly Maja connected to Y/n’s side, she seemed second only to himself.  When Y/n sighed softly and motioned to the cup again. 

“꓄ꍏꀘꍟ ꓄ꃅꍟ ꉓꀎꉣ.” Y/n asserted sternly. Her tone was abrasive and annoyed. Markus glared up at her as the boys walked down the stairs and moved to the table. 

Niko shot a look around the table then his gaze finally landed Y/n’s. Kheli moved to the kitchen next to Isla and helped her with stuff Y/n couldn’t see. Zan leaned against the wall and unreadable expression on his face. 

Markus still made no move to take the cup, he was so used to it being placed in his hand. Gustav moved his gaze to Y/n and then to Niko. Maja sat upright and Nora’s gaze moved to the quiet table.

“ꌗꃅꍟ ꉓꍏꈤꈤꂦ꓄ ꌗꍟꍟ ꂵꍏꋪꀘꀎꌗ, ꌩꂦꀎ ꂵꀎꌗ꓄ ꓄ꍏꀘꍟ ꓄ꃅꍟ ꉓꀎꉣ.” Gustav voiced with a small smile. Markus nodded softly taking the cup, the look on his face seemed to be tight. Gustav allowed the tight smile on his own face, Y/n’s voice always seems to bring some frustration to others but to him it brought amusement. 

“ꀤ ꎇꂦꋪꁅꍟ꓄ ꌩꂦꀎꋪ ꉓꃅꀤ꒒ꀸꋪꍟꈤ ꍏꋪꍟ ….. ꀸꀤꎇꎇꍟꋪꍟꈤ꓄.” Markus politely sneered in a way Y/n thought only she saw.  Nora stopped chopping her vegetables and snapped her head up. Kheli and Isla shared a quick look as Zan moved his head up. Niko rolled his shoulders his white eyes seeming to go sharp. 

Gustav hummed in response and they all raised there glasses in a quick salute to each other. As the dinner continues Y/n goes around bringing food, filling there cups, clearing some finished plates. The others watch as Niko helped Y/n around, Markus keeping his gaze on the pair. 

“ꈤꀤꀘꂦ ꃅꂦꅏ ꂦ꒒ꀸ ꍏꋪꍟ ꌩꂦꀎ?” Markus questioned rang threw for a moment. Zan rubbed his gloved left hand, it was missing a chunk of flesh and scared over, a small courtesy of Y/n biting it out. Many times since there friendship began Y/n had apologized over his ruined hand, Zan would merely wave her off with a smile. 

Niko looked to Y/n unable to answer. His fjerdan was no where near as proficient as Y/n’s. Y/n did most of the speaking now, she’d give them all lessons but fjerdan was a hard language to learn. 

“ꃅꍟ ꀤꌗ ꎇꂦꀎꋪ꓄ꍟꍟꈤ.” Y/n answered taking a plate and giving the deer bones to Maja. 

“꓄ꃅꍟ ꂦ꓄ꃅꍟꋪꌗ?” 

Y/n knew he meant the other boys, Markus didn’t show much interest in the girls. The boys all felt the air go cold, Nora went to place another log in the fire. 

“꓄ꃅꍟ ꌗꍏꂵꍟ.” Y/n’s tone was becoming questionable. Ville stared at Y/n with an uncertain look, he knew where this conversation was moving. Ville had not really understanding of just how close Y/n was with her friends, how could he. After all Y/n and the others were lying about almost everything, and it came so naturally.

“ꁅꀎꌗ꓄ꍏꃴ ꌩꂦꀎ ꌗꃅꂦꀎ꒒ꀸ ꌃꋪꀤꈤꁅ ꌩꂦꀎꋪꌗ ꌃꂦꌩꌗ ꓄ꂦ ꓄ꃅꍟ ꈤꍟꊼ꓄ ꃅꀎꈤ꓄ ꅏꀤ꓄ꃅ ꀎꌗ. ꓄ꃅꍟꌩ ꍏꋪꍟ ꂵꂦꋪꍟ ꓄ꃅꍟꈤ ꂦ꒒ꀸ ꍟꈤꂦꀎꁅꃅ.” Markus began. Y/n ignored the conversation from then on, choosing to help Nora. As the dinner concluded Ville stared at Y/n the entire time. Gustav watched his gaze as Y/n cleared and cleaned with Isla. 

Markus watched Isla move around swiftly with a kind smile on her face. Markus’s gaze ran over Isla is a way that made her friends growl internally. It was not secret all of them were dangerously protective of Isla, but none more so then Y/n. 

A shared glance between them was all it took to decide Markus’s fate. When the time for the group to leave with the Sol ring Markus would die. 

Maybe we’re being a bit extreme, but I don’t really care.

Y/n shuddered at her own thoughts. Sometimes she feared herself, her fury, her anger, her….. darkness. It was too late to get rid of her thoughts of smashing Markus’s head due to the way he was staring at Isla. 

Oh well, not like his wife or children will miss him.

Y/n picked at her nails as Niko and Kheli sat awake with her in the darkness of the attic. Isla was sprawled against Y/n’s lap, Y/n’s hands threading through the small braids she had braided into one large braid. Zan was asleep on his make shift bed Nora and Gustav had made. 

They were comfortable enough but Y/n preferred the floor near Isla’s bed. It brought her a sense of comfort to know if something went wrong nothing could stop her from reaching Isla. Y/n tilted her head back against the plush of the bed as Kheli and Niko we’re across from her. 

After the dinner the group had discussed how they could speed this plan up. The plan was get close to Gustav, and steal the ring. Simple enough but they were getting too close. Isla was content with cooking in the kitchens with Isla, Y/n was growing used to Ville’s and Gustav’s company. The boys were struggling with the fact so many pretty girls were interested in them.

The ring was kept in Gustav’s and Nora’s room, locked away. Y/n alone caught a glimpse of it in passing when Gustav was showing it to Ville, the reason unknown. Y/n hummed softly, the simple tune that she’d sung many times. Niko’s gaze was one Y/n’s shadowy figure, he could barley make out her hazy shape. Through his cloudy eyes and at night his sight was weak. 

Kheli stared out the slightly open window, the moonlight shining perfectly down on Y/n. His sight was hazed as well but Y/n’s figure was easily visible due to the softly shimmer of her skin. Kheli couldn’t explain it, but in the moonlight or under the stars Y/n shinned oh so softly.

"ɪ ᴡᴀꜱ ʙᴏʀɴ ᴀ ʟᴀᴅʏ, ᴛᴏ ᴀ ꜰᴀᴛʜᴇʀ ᴏꜰ ʀᴇɴᴏᴡɴ.

ɪ ᴡᴀꜱ ʀᴀɪꜱᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴋɪɴᴅ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʀᴇᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴘʀɪᴅᴇ.

ɪ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏꜱ ᴏʙᴇʏᴇᴅ, ɪ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏꜱ ᴅɪᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ʀɪɢʜᴛ ᴛʜɪɴɢꜱ. 

ʙᴜᴛ ᴍʏ ꜰᴀᴛʜᴇʀ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏꜱ ᴡᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ᴀ ꜱᴏɴ.

ᴀ ꜱᴏɴ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴀʀʀʏ ʜɪꜱ ɴᴀᴍᴇ, ᴀ ꜱᴏɴ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴀʀʀʏ ʜɪꜱ ʟɪɴᴇᴀɢᴇ.

ᴀ ꜱᴏɴ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴀʀʀʏ ʜɪꜱ ʙᴜʀᴅᴇɴ, ᴀ ꜱᴏɴ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴀʀʀʏ ʜɪꜱ ᴛɪᴛʟᴇꜱ.”

Y/n’s soft melody echoed through the attic. The sound traveled through the window and around the quiet village. Any who were left awake were lulled to sleep by the song in the unfamiliar language. Niko closed his eyes and pulled his blanket over himself. 

"ɪ ᴀᴍ ᴀ ᴅᴀᴜɢʜᴛᴇʀ ᴏꜰ ᴀ ʟᴏʀᴅ,

ʙᴏʀɴ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴀ ʟɪꜰᴇ ᴏꜰ ʜɪɢʜ ᴘᴏᴡᴇʀ.

 ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴏʀᴅꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ʟᴀᴅɪᴇꜱ ᴅᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ,

ᴡɪᴛʜ ꜰɪɴᴇʀʏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴊᴏʏ.

ʙᴜᴛ ɴᴏᴛ ᴍᴇ, ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴏʀᴅꜱ ᴅᴀᴜɢʜᴛᴇʀ,

ᴡʜᴏ'ꜱ ʙᴏʀɴ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴄʟᴀᴡꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛᴇᴇᴛʜ."

Kheli laid against the cold ground and began to sleep soundly. Isla’s soft breath against Y/n’s legs reminded her of the life still in her body. Y/n looked around the attic as she hummed the melody. She gaze went from each other to the next. 

“ɪ ᴀᴍ ᴀ ᴠɪᴄɪᴏᴜꜱ ᴅᴀᴜɢʜᴛᴇʀ,

ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴀʀᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴇꜰʏ ᴍᴇ, ʜᴏᴡ ʏᴏᴜ ꜱʜɪᴠᴇʀ.

ɪ ᴀᴍ ᴀ ᴅᴀᴜɢʜᴛᴇʀ ᴏꜰ ᴀ ʟᴏʀᴅ,

ɴᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ ɪ ᴅᴏɴᴇ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴇɴᴏᴜɢʜ, ᴛᴏ ᴘʀᴏᴠᴇ ᴍʏ ᴡᴏʀᴛʜ.

ꜱᴏ ɪ ꜱʜᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴀᴅʏ, ᴍʏ ꜰᴀᴛʜᴇʀ ʜᴀᴅ ʀᴀɪꜱᴇᴅ."

As Y/n finished her tune she felt tired herself. She sighed softly and pulled a small object out from her pocket. It was a hairpin with a strangely sharp edge. There was a rose at its side, a gift from Isla. Y/n poked herself over and over again with the pin to keep herself awake.

She couldn’t sleep, she just couldn’t. She was in charge, it was her job to ensure the safety of her friends. As her gaze moved about the room, it remained on Zan’s sleeping figure. Even through her sight, even though it was dark she could see him.

There was just something off about Zan, a gut feeling Y/n got whenever she caught his gaze. Y/n didn’t understand how he could forgive her for his hand. Y/n would admit she wished she hadn’t done it. In her fury she lost control of herself. 

The healers at the sanctuary tried there best to fix his hand. His hand still works just fine, he was scared though. Adam was even stranger, but he seemed so obsessed. He’d follow Y/n around at times she’d wish he’d leave her alone. Her guilt stopped her from really telling him to leave her alone. 

Her eyes begin to drop, and she forced the pin into her skin. She bit her lip tasting the metallic of her blood. Isla stirred in her lap for a moment. Y/n halted her movements and then Isla nuzzled her head into Y/n’s stomach. Her senses were blurring and she could faintly feel the dripping of blood from her cuts.

Y/n pulled the pin out and placed it into her pocket. Her black dress was scratchy on her skin but the buzz that surrounded her head caused her to ignore it. As she allowed her eyes to drop, darkness took over her.

𝓨/𝓷 𝓼𝓪𝓽 𝓲𝓷 𝓪𝓷 𝓸𝓹𝓮𝓷 𝓯𝓲𝓮𝓵𝓭 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓼𝓱𝓸𝔀𝓮𝓭 𝓪 𝓿𝓪𝓼𝓽 𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓽 𝓲𝓷 𝓯𝓻𝓸𝓷𝓽 𝓸𝓯 𝓲𝓽. 𝓢𝓱𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓴𝓼 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓰𝓻𝓸𝔀𝓵𝓼 𝓮𝓼𝓬𝓪𝓹𝓮𝓭 𝓯𝓻𝓸𝓶 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓽 𝓪𝓼 𝓼𝓱𝓪𝓭𝓸𝔀𝓼 𝓬𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓭 𝓲𝓽. 𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓽 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓹𝓾𝓻𝓹𝓸𝓼𝓮, 𝓽𝓸 𝓴𝓮𝓮𝓹 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓱𝓸𝓻𝓻𝓸𝓻 𝓲𝓷𝓼𝓲𝓭𝓮. 𝓕𝓸𝓸𝓽𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓹𝓼 𝓬𝓪𝓶𝓮 𝓯𝓻𝓸𝓶 𝓫𝓮𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓭 𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓼𝓱𝓮 𝓭𝓲𝓭𝓷’𝓽 𝓶𝓸𝓿𝓮. 𝓢𝓱𝓮 𝓴𝓷𝓮𝔀 𝔀𝓱𝓸 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓲𝓷𝓰, 𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓫𝓸𝓸𝓽𝓼 𝔀𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓭𝓲𝓼𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓬𝓽𝓲𝓿𝓮.

“𝓖𝓮𝓷𝓮𝓻𝓪𝓵.” 𝓨/𝓷 𝓰𝓻𝓮𝓮𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓪 𝓫𝓵𝓪𝓷𝓴 𝓽𝓸𝓷𝓮. 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓶𝓪𝓷 𝓪𝓽 𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓼𝓲𝓭𝓮 𝓼𝓪𝓽 𝓷𝓮𝔁𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓱𝓮𝓻, 𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓫𝓵𝓪𝓬𝓴 𝓴𝓮𝓯𝓽𝓪 𝓼𝔀𝓪𝔂𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓲𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓫𝓻𝓮𝓮𝔃𝓮 𝓼𝓵𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓵𝔂. 

“𝓜𝓲𝓼𝓼 𝓢𝓽𝓪𝓻𝓴𝓸𝓿.”

𝓨/𝓷 𝓭𝓲𝓭𝓷’𝓽 𝓶𝓮𝓮𝓽 𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓰𝓪𝔃𝓮 𝓪𝓼 𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓻𝓮𝓭 𝓪𝓽 𝓱𝓮𝓻. 𝓔𝓿𝓮𝓷𝓽𝓾𝓪𝓵𝓵𝔂 𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓭𝓪𝓻𝓴𝓮𝓷𝓮𝓭 𝓮𝔂𝓮𝓼 𝓽𝓾𝓻𝓷𝓮𝓭 𝓽𝓸 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓽 𝓪𝓱𝓮𝓪𝓭. 𝓐 𝓬𝓵𝓪𝔀𝓮𝓭 𝓼𝓱𝓪𝓭𝓸𝔀 𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓬𝓱𝓮𝓭 𝓸𝓾𝓽 𝓯𝓻𝓸𝓶 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓽 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓖𝓮𝓷𝓮𝓻𝓪𝓵 𝓯𝓾𝓻𝓻𝓸𝔀𝓮𝓭 𝓪 𝓫𝓻𝓸𝔀. 

“𝓢𝓸 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓲𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓽 𝓔𝓰𝓸𝓷 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓼𝓹𝓮𝓪𝓴𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓸𝓯.”

𝓨/𝓷 𝓱𝓾𝓶𝓶𝓮𝓭 𝓼𝓸𝓯𝓽𝓵𝔂 𝓪𝓼 𝓼𝓱𝓮 𝓶𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓭 𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓮𝔂𝓮𝓼 𝓽𝓸 𝓱𝓲𝓼. 𝓗𝓲𝓼 𝓮𝔂𝓮𝓼 𝓼𝓸 𝓭𝓮𝓮𝓹 𝓘 𝓬𝓸𝓵𝓸𝓻 𝓼𝓱𝓮 𝓬𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭𝓷’𝓽 𝓽𝓮𝓵𝓵 𝔀𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓹𝓾𝓹𝓲𝓵𝓼 𝔀𝓮𝓻𝓮. 

“𝓨𝓮𝓼, 𝓪 𝓹𝓪𝓻𝓽 𝓸𝓯 𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓵𝓲𝓿𝓮𝓼 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓴 𝓲𝓼 𝓽𝓸 𝓴𝓮𝓮𝓹 𝓽𝓱𝓮 ʊռʊɖɛǟɖֆ 𝓲𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓽.”  

𝓗𝓮 𝓭𝓲𝓭𝓷’𝓽 𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓹𝓸𝓷𝓭 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓪 𝔀𝓱𝓲𝓵𝓮. 𝓨/𝓷 𝓴𝓮𝓹𝓽 𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓴𝓷𝓮𝓮𝓼 𝓽𝓸 𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓬𝓱𝓮𝓼𝓽 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓪 𝓼𝓲𝓰𝓱. 

“𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓼𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭 𝓴𝓮𝓮𝓹 𝓪𝔀𝓪𝔂 𝓯𝓻𝓸𝓶 𝓲𝓽, 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝔂’𝓵𝓵 𝓼𝓶𝓮𝓵𝓵 𝔂𝓸𝓾.” 𝓨/𝓷 𝓿𝓸𝓲𝓬𝓮𝓭.

“𝓣𝓱𝓮𝔂’𝓵𝓵 𝓼𝓶𝓮𝓵𝓵 𝓶𝓮?” 𝓗𝓲𝓼 𝓽𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓹𝓮𝓻𝓹𝓵𝓮𝔁𝓮𝓭. 𝓨/𝓷 𝓷𝓸𝓭𝓭𝓮𝓭 𝔀𝓱𝓲𝓵𝓮 𝓼𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓸𝓭 𝓯𝓻𝓸𝓶 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓰𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓭. 𝓢𝓱𝓮 𝓭𝓾𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓼𝓮𝓵𝓯 𝓸𝓯𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓷 𝓸𝓯𝓯𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓭 𝓪 𝓰𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓭 𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓽𝓸 𝓱𝓲𝓶. 𝓗𝓮 𝓽𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓪 𝓼𝓱𝓮 𝓱𝓮𝓵𝓹𝓮𝓭 𝓱𝓲𝓶 𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓷𝓭.

“𝓣𝓱𝓮𝔂 𝓬𝓪𝓷 𝓼𝓶𝓮𝓵𝓵 𝓓𝓪𝓻𝓴𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓗𝓮𝓵𝓲𝓸𝓼 𝓫𝓵𝓸𝓸𝓭.” 𝓗𝓲𝓼 𝓯𝓪𝓬𝓮 𝓬𝓸𝓷𝓽𝓸𝓻𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓼𝓸𝓯𝓽𝓵𝔂 𝓪𝓼 𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓻𝓮𝓭 𝓸𝓾𝓽 𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓽. 𝓝𝓲𝓴𝓸 𝓬𝓵𝓪𝓭 𝓲𝓷 𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓫𝓻𝓸𝓷𝔃𝓮 𝓪𝓻𝓶𝓸𝓻, 𝓼𝓵𝓲𝓬𝓮𝓭 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓬𝓵𝓪𝔀𝓮𝓭 𝓼𝓱𝓪𝓭𝓸𝔀. 𝓘𝓽𝓼 𝓭𝓲𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓻𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓿𝓸𝓲𝓬𝓮 𝓮𝓬𝓱𝓸𝓮𝓭 𝓽𝓱𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓿𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓮𝔂.

𝓝𝓲𝓴𝓸 𝓼𝓮𝓷𝓽 𝓪 𝓺𝓾𝓲𝓬𝓴 𝓼𝓶𝓲𝓵𝓮 𝓽𝓸 𝓨/𝓷 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓻𝓮𝓽𝓾𝓻𝓷𝓮𝓭 𝓽𝓸 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓫𝓸𝓻𝓭𝓮𝓻 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓽. 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓰𝓮𝓷𝓮𝓻𝓪𝓵𝓼 𝓮𝔂𝓮𝓼 𝓹𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓪𝔀𝓪𝔂 𝓯𝓻𝓸𝓶 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓽 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓱𝓮 𝓫𝓮𝓰𝓪𝓷 𝓽𝓸 𝓽𝓻𝓪𝓬𝓴 𝓫𝓪𝓬𝓴 𝓽𝓸𝔀𝓪𝓻𝓭 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓪𝓷𝓬𝓽𝓾𝓪𝓻𝔂. 𝓗𝓮 𝓽𝓾𝓻𝓷𝓮𝓭 𝓫𝓪𝓬𝓴 𝓸𝓯𝓯𝓮𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓨/𝓷 𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓭. 

“𝓒𝓸𝓷𝓼𝓲𝓭𝓮𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓶𝓸𝓼𝓽 𝓿𝓪𝓵𝓾𝓪𝓫𝓵𝓮 𝓗𝓮𝓵𝓲𝓸𝓼, 𝓘 𝔀𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝓽𝓸 𝓴𝓮𝓮𝓹 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓪𝔀𝓪𝔂 𝓯𝓻𝓸𝓶 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓽.”

𝓨/𝓷 𝓻𝓸𝓵𝓵𝓮𝓭 𝓮𝔂𝓮𝓼 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓪 𝓶𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓷𝓽 𝓸𝓯 𝓱𝓮𝓼𝓲𝓽𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 𝓼𝓱𝓮 𝓽𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓭. 𝓗𝓮 𝓫𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓰𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓭 𝓽𝓸 𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓵𝓲𝓹𝓼 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓹𝓵𝓪𝓬𝓮𝓭 𝓪 𝓼𝓸𝓯𝓽 𝓴𝓲𝓼𝓼 𝓽𝓸 𝓲𝓽. 𝓐 𝓫𝓵𝓾𝓼𝓱𝓮𝓭 𝓲𝓷𝓿𝓪𝓭𝓮𝓭 𝓨/𝓷’𝓼 𝓬𝓱𝓮𝓮𝓴 𝓪𝓼 𝓼𝓱𝓮 𝓯𝓮𝓵𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓱𝓮𝓪𝓽 𝓸𝓷 𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓭.

𝓗𝓮 𝓹𝓾𝓵𝓵𝓮𝓭 𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓲𝓷, 𝓬𝓵𝓸𝓼𝓮𝓻 𝓽𝓸 𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓽𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓮𝓻 𝓯𝓻𝓪𝓶𝓮. 𝓗𝓲𝓼 𝓪𝓻𝓶 𝓼𝓵𝓲𝓹𝓹𝓮𝓭 𝓪𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓭 𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝔀𝓪𝓲𝓼𝓽 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓻𝓮𝓭 𝓭𝓸𝔀𝓷 𝓪𝓽 𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓪 𝓶𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓷𝓽. 𝓗𝓲𝓼 𝓸𝓹𝓹𝓸𝓼𝓲𝓽𝓮 𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓽𝓻𝓪𝓲𝓵𝓮𝓭 𝓾𝓹 𝓽𝓸 𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓷𝓮𝓬𝓴 𝓰𝓮𝓷𝓽𝓵𝔂 𝓬𝓪𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓼𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝔀𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓷 𝓽𝓸𝓰𝓮𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓹𝓲𝓮𝓬𝓮𝓼 𝓸𝓯 𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓷𝓮𝓬𝓴𝓵𝓪𝓬𝓮.

“𝓔𝔁𝓽𝓻𝓪𝓸𝓻𝓭𝓲𝓷𝓪𝓻𝔂.” 𝓗𝓮 𝓶𝓾𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓭 𝓼𝓸𝓯𝓽𝓵𝔂 𝓫𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓨/𝓷’𝓼 𝓯𝓪𝓬𝓮 𝓬𝓵𝓸𝓼𝓮𝓻 𝓽𝓸 𝓱𝓲𝓼. 𝓗𝓲𝓼 𝓮𝔂𝓮𝓼 𝓯𝓲𝓵𝓵𝓮𝓭 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓪𝓭𝓸𝓻𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷. 𝓨/𝓷 𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓻𝓮𝓭 𝓾𝓹 𝓪𝓼 𝓼𝓱𝓮 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓫𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓲𝓷 𝓬𝓵𝓸𝓼𝓮𝓻. 𝓗𝓮𝓻 𝓰𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓭 𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓰𝓸𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓽𝓸 𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓬𝓱𝓮𝓼𝓽, 𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓪𝓫𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓱𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓽.

Y/n hid behind a large oak tree as snow fell down around her. A crossbow was placed in her hands as a wild boar came into view. She raised her crossbow with a fumble.

Gotta make it look like over never used one of these before

“ꀸꂦ ꈤꂦ꓄ ꌗꃅꂦꂦ꓄ ꀭꀎꌗ꓄ ꌩꍟ꓄.” Gustav mutters softly. Y/n internally groaned as she looked down. Crouching in the snow behind a bush was Gustav and Ville. The others all brought their sons, but Gustav brought Y/n. He would have brought Niko, Kheli, or Zan but they had all come down with a sickness.

It was strange to him that Isla and Y/n were perfectly fine, but he didn’t give it do much though. Ville looked over at Gustav in confusion.

“ꀤ ꀸꂦ ꈤꂦ꓄ ꀎꈤꀸꍟꋪꌗ꓄ꍏꈤꀸ, ꀤꎇ ꌗꃅꍟ ꌗꃅꂦꂦ꓄ꌗ ꈤꂦꅏ ꌗꃅꍟ’꒒꒒ ꀘꀤ꒒꒒ ꓄ꃅꍟ ꌃꂦꍏꋪ.” Y/n nodded at Ville’s words. She may have made it look like she was struggling but she could still kill the boar. Gustav sent a quick glare to the young ones around him. 

Ville promptly turned his head back to the boar while Y/n returned the glare. Gustav chuckled softly at the threatening look Y/n gave him. For a child who could not see, she was quite frightening. When Y/n turned back, the boar was gone.

“ꋪꍟꂵꀤꈤꀸ ꂵꍟ ꍏꁅꍏꀤꈤ ꅏꃅꌩ ꌩꂦꀎ ꍏ꒒꒒ꂦꅏꍟꀸ ꌩ/ꈤ ꍏ ꉓꋪꂦꌗꌗꌃꂦꅏ?” Y/n’s head snapped towards the two men as they stood. Gustav ignored Ville’s question as he walked towards the boar tracks. Ville placed his hand in the small of Y/n’s back and lead her towards Gustav. 

Y/n wished she could slap his hand away but made no such move. Ville attempted to take the crossbow but Y/n pressed it against his side. 

“ꀤ ꂵꍏꌩ ꈤꂦ꓄ ꌃꍟ ꍏꌃ꒒ꍟ ꓄ꂦ ꌗꍟꍟ, ꌃꀎ꓄ ꀤꂵꍏ ꀎꌗꍟ ꀤꎇ ꀤ ꉣꀎ꒒꒒ ꓄ꃅꀤꌗ ꓄ꋪꀤꁅꁅꍟꋪ ꀤ꓄ ꅏꀤ꒒꒒ ꍟꈤꀸ ꌃꍏꀸ꒒ꌩ ꎇꂦꋪ ꌩꂦꀎ.”

Ville shivered at her words and backed away. Y/n smirked triumphantly as Gustav stood. He gently brought Y/n to the ground and placed her hands above the tracks.

“ꀤꎇ ꌩꂦꀎ ꉓꃅꀤ꒒ꀸꋪꍟꈤ ꅏꂦꀎ꒒ꀸ ꌗ꓄ꂦꉣ ꎇꂦꋪ ꍏ ꂵꂦꂵꍟꈤ꓄…. ꌩ/ꈤ ꓄ꍟ꒒꒒ ꂵꍟ ꅏꃅꀤꉓꃅ ꅏꍏꌩ ꓄ꃅꍟ ꌃꂦꍏꋪ ꀤꌗ ꁅꂦꀤꈤꁅ.” Gustav pondered. Ville scoffed as he began to speak, Y/n merely laid her hand into the tracks.

“ꁅꀎꌗ꓄ꍏꃴ ꌗꃅꍟ ꀤꌗ ꍏ ꁅꀤꋪ꒒, ꀤ ꀸꂦꀎꌃ꓄ ꌗꃅꍟ ꍟꃴꍟꈤ ꀘꈤꂦꅏ ꅏꃅꍏ꓄ ꓄ꂦ ꒒ꂦꂦꀘ…” Ville’s words trailed away as Y/n pointed east towards the lake. Gustav nodded in approval and continued his path. Y/n shot a proud smile to Ville and she crossed her arms gently.

Ville glared softly down at her and he began to lead her. His mind raced with confusion. Y/n was so different from all the girls in the village. She wasn’t timid or so docile. She was rougher and so violent. None of the other girls could hunt, none of the other girls were so peculiar to him.

As the boar came back into view Y/n knelt down in the snow a bit further away from the pair. She took in a deep inhale and allowed herself to feel the buzz of the space surrounding her.

She felt the tress seasoning in the cold breeze, the breathing of Ville, the heartbeat of Gustav. Every vibration of life around her, she focused on. The boar began to move and Y/n lost her focus as Ville poked her leg.

“ꌗꃅꂦꂦ꓄ ꓄ꃅꍟ ꀸꍏꂵꍟꀸ ꓄ꃅꀤꈤꁅ!” 

Y/n shot a vicious glance to Ville as she set the cross bow down. When she looked up the boar was gone. Y/n stood and walked to the area it had just been in. Placing her hand down and feeling the mud in between her hands brought a small comfort.

The meadow would get so muddy in the spring, Y/n would be able to pull the flowers right from the roots. She brought her muddy hand to her nose, deeply inhaling the scent of the ground bellow her. Ville watched her so intently that Gustav could practically feel the radiation of his gaze. 

A loud squeal bombarded the area as Y/n hit the ground. Y/n screamed at the boar began to attack her, its trotters hitting against her shoulders. Y/n pushed her arms against it as it’s ripped off. A haze enveloped her as she was pulled into a pair of rough and muscular arms. 

As her eyes opened their Ville stood drenched in blood spats. The boar a few feet away, the creature twitched as Ville shot his dagger into the boar. Gustav’s arms were tightly around her, his grip so gently in comparison to the feeling of the boar on her a moment ago. 

As the pair met each others eyes the other froze. On Ville’s end he peered into those alluring white eyes the prickled with tears. Her eyes of the snow that he lived in, trained in, breathed in. Her faced was dirty, flushed and had gone pale. Her hunting cloths, a pair of Niko’s pants and one of Gustav’s thick shirts were torn in a few places. Ville couldn’t help but find it strange such a quick encounter could cause such havoc upon her. 

Y/n’s sight was hazed in the strangest way. As she stared at Ville she could make out his figure, but his features didn’t stand out. The blood he was soaked in did. It’s bright crimson color pierced her sight, the droplets forming on the curve of his face. As she was brought to her feet she stumbled into him. The still warm blood getting on her cloths. 

Y/n grasped onto Ville and Gustav’s froze. He stared at the pair, then ordered that Ville watch over Y/n so he could secure the boar. Ville went away from the dead boar a dazed look on his face as he held Y/n.

The ground was cold and wet against Villes bottom, but it was a small price to pay to keep Y/n off the ground and in his lap. Y/n kept her eyes closed as she leaned into him, she took in his scent for a moment. Ville looked around then saw it.

He dug out his knife and cut into the ground, avoiding the roots. He pulled it up covered in mud and placed it into Y/n’s palms. Y/n lazily drew her fingertips over the petals of the flower. There was a thin layer of frost over the flower, the rose. Ville moved her h/c hair out of her face, his calloused hands brushing against her skin. 

A winter rose…. Its roots covered in dirt in her hands. Y/n slowly lifted her gaze to his with a slight tremble. Her lip wobbled as the pain set in, an uncontrollable shiver enveloping her body. Ville’s warm hand against her kept her grounded. 

Her stomach dropped as his thumb brushed away a stray tear. This feeling in her stomach was pounding inside of her. No it couldn’t be this. This was something she’d only ever read about in the storybooks. The way his hand was so firmly pressed against her cheek…..

Y/n hadn’t realized that they were moving and out of the forest till her back hit the couch in Gustav’s sitting area. Ville’s cape was warm and tucked around her. She felt Isla’s warm hand in hers, Niko’s hands on her shoulders, and the rose still clutched in her hands.

The adults in the room spoke in hushed voices, the topic Y/n didn’t care to translate. Isla tapped on her hand urgently as the other two boys watched. 

“We have to do it now, we can’t wait any longer.”

Y/n’s hushed tone was fearful, something the others weren’t used to. Isla stared at Niko, who stared at Zan, who stared at Kheli, who was staring at Y/n.

“One week from today is the village celebration for Ville’s proof of his worthiness today. That’s when we strike.”

The group nodded softly, no one dared to object.

A large bonfire crackled as girls and women danced out the fire. The men drank and laughed as Y/n observed them. Isla had caught the boys sickness and Nora stayed home to watch them.

The moon danced above them as Y/n sat next to Ville’s mother as the women talked her ear off about topics she had no idea why she was talking to her about. She was speaking about the best ways to give birth, care for a sick baby, cooking tips, and sewing tips. 

Y/n simply nodded along as other women joined into the conversation. They began discussing a wedding and venues. Y/n tuned them out as her brain thought back to when Egon found her.

Alina, Y/n and Mal sat in the meadow as Y/n braided Alina’s ebony locks. Mal laid on the ground in front of the sisters with his eyes closed. Figures began to approach from the tree-line. Y/n stared at them in confusion.

The grisha testers had come a few weeks ago, Y/n wasn’t sure who these strangers were. They weren’t dressed in kefta’s but armor in colors that fades from bronze to golden. Y/n stood up quickly as they approached, keeping her body in front of her sister and Mal.

The soldiers tilted their head to the side at Y/n and narrowed their eyes on Alina. The tallest man in a golden armor motioned his hand forward. The others grabbed Y/n quickly and then pulled Mal off the floor. 

The tallest man stalked towards Alina as Y/n thrashed in the grip of the two warriors. The gently grabbed Alina’s chin as she quivered.

“Lina! Get off her!” Y/n shouted as she tried to pull herself away. Mal stood frozen in fear as Y/n continued to push back. The warriors grip loosened and Y/n took a dagger from his side. Y/n ran at the man holding Alina’s chin and sliced at his hand, pulling Alina behind herself.

The man gasped as he pulled back, the dagger raised in the air. The man stared down at her with a small smile. 

“Let him go!”

Mal stumbled forward as the man let him go. Y/n pulled him behind her as pair quivered in fear. Y/n stared up at him with unwavering hatred in her eyes. The dagger didn’t seem to scare him, merely excited him.

He laughed…?

He bellowed with each passing moment his laugh grew. The other armored men shared a smile as they relaxed.

“What is your name girl?” He asked Y/n as he kneeled down. Y/n trailed the dagger after him as he knelt in front of her. Y/n didn’t answer as she heard Alina sniffle.

“Can you not speak?” He tilted his head in mockery.

“I know better than to give my name to a stranger.” Y/n snapped. He held an amused look as she spoke. He turned his gaze to the pair hiding behind Y/n.

“And you two?”

“A..Alina Starkov.”

“Malyen Orstsev.”

Y/n groaned in disbelief as they told their names. The man turned back to Y/n, his face holding not a hint of what he wanted. With a defeated sigh Y/n mumbled.

“Y/n Starkov.”

His eyes piped up in intrigue. He looked between Alina and Y/n for a while. 

“Sisters?” He pondered for a moment. “You don’t look related.”

Y/n’s glare deepened, her jaw tightened. She huffed softly.

“Does that really matter?” Y/n pondered. He shook his head and looked back at his people for a moment. 

“I am Egon Waldow, Lord Helios.”

Y/n blinked a few times and looked back at Alina. She stared back at her in confusion. Mal furrowed his brow.

“You’re what?”

Egon laughed softly as he stared down at her. He gentle grasped her hand that held the dagger. 

“We’ve come for your sister.” Y/n froze, and quickly jerked away. She pulled both Alina and Mal further behind herself.

“You can’t have her!”

“Unfortunately we have to take someon- Take me!” Egon raised a brow at her request. He stared down at Y/n with a slightly smile. She wasn’t meek or skittish like her sister. She stood tall, her grip tight around the dagger as he held it.

“No you can’t go! Ana Kuya won’t allow you to leave.” Alina tried to reason as tears streamed down her face. For some reason Y/n knew she would be allowed to go. This vibration around Egom seemed familiar, liked they’d met before.

“Your caretaker won’t stop us.” His voice held no uncertainty. Y/n slowly bit her lip nervously as she lowered the dagger. Her fate was now sealed.

Guilt prickled at her brain,  this was wrong on so many levels. They had lied and weaseled their way into these people’s lives. They had made bonds that they would be breaking. 

“ꌩ/ꈤ? ꍏꋪꍟ ꌩꂦꀎ ꉣꍏꌩꀤꈤꁅ ꍏ꓄꓄ꍟꈤ꓄ꀤꂦꈤ?” Y/n looked over at Ville’s mother in confusion. The absent look on her face causing the older women to glare.

“ꀤ ꍏꌗꀘꍟꀸ ꀤꎇ ꃴꀤ꒒꒒ꍟ ꃅꍏꌗ ꁅꀤꃴꍟꈤ ꌩꂦꀎ ꃅꀤꌗ ꎇꀤꈤꍏ꒒ ꁅꀤꎇ꓄?” The older women amused. Her brows turned, raising her chin.

“ꅏꃅꍏ꓄?”

“ꃅꀤꌗ ꎇꀤꈤꍏ꒒ ꁅꀤꎇ꓄ ꂦꎇ ꉓꂦꀎꋪ꓄ꀤꈤꁅ? ꃅꍏꌗ ꃅꍟ ꈤꂦ꓄ ꁅꀤꃴꍟꈤ ꀤ꓄ ꓄ꂦ ꌩꂦꀎ ꌩꍟ꓄?” Y/n felt the blood in her veins freeze. Her heart sped up to an unmatchable pace. Courting gift? She pondered softly as she began to nimble at her bottom lip.

“ꃴꀤ꒒꒒ꍟ ꀤꌗꈤ’꓄ ꉓꂦꀎꋪ꓄ꀤꈤꁅ ꂵꍟ.” She tried to reason. 

The women all laughed at the girl with a smile. Ville’s mother sent the girl a look she was thankful she couldn’t see. 

“ꃴꀤ꒒꒒ꍟ ꃅꍏꌗ ꌃꍟꍟꈤ ꉓꂦꀎꋪ꓄ꀤꈤꁅ ꌩꂦꀎ. ꃅꍟ’ꌗ ꌃꍟꍟꈤ ꀸꀤꈤꀤꈤꁅ ꅏꀤ꓄ꃅ ꌩꂦꀎ, ꃅꍏꌗ ꃅꍟ ꍟꌗꉓꂦꋪ꓄ꀤꈤꁅ ꌩꂦꀎ ꉣ꒒ꍏꉓꍟꌗ, ꃅꍏꌗ ꁅꀤꎇ꓄ꍟꀸ ꌩꂦꀎ ꍏ ꅏꀤꈤ꓄ꍟꋪ ꋪꂦꌗꍟ. ꍏ꒒꒒ ꃅꍟ ꈤꍟꍟꀸ ꀸꂦ ꈤꂦꅏ ꀤꌗ ꁅꀤꃴꍟ ꌩꂦꀎ ꃅꀤꌗ ꎇꀤꈤꍏ꒒ ꁅꀤꎇ꓄.”

Y/n never thought she’d be so happy to feel Ville’s hands on her shoulder as the world buzzed around her. Whatever words were said she didn’t hear. Her legs began to move and she felt Ville’s hands on her waist.

“ꌩ/ꈤ?”

“ꌩꍟꌗ?” The quiver in her voice brought a frown to Ville’s face. 

“ꀤ ꍏꌗꀘꍟꀸ ꀤꎇ ꌩꂦꀎ ꀘꈤꂦꅏ ꃅꂦꅏ ꓄ꂦ ꀸꍏꈤꉓꍟ?” Y/n idled nodded her head as music played. As they slowly began to dance, their steps messy and twisted Ville held a smile on his face. Her cloudy eyes stared up at him, her hair was only partially braided. A braid bun at the top while all rest of her h/c h/t locks were free. 

Ville couldn’t help but allow his smile to reach his ears, her hair was prefect in every way. The way the raging fire illuminated all her features. 

 “ꎇꂦꋪ ꍏ ꁅꀤꋪ꒒ ꅏꃅꂦ ꉓꍏꈤꈤꂦ꓄ ꌗꍟꍟ, ꌩꂦꀎ ꀸꍏꈤꉓꍟ ꌃꍟꍏꀎ꓄ꀤꎇꀎ꒒꒒ꌩ.” Ville complemented. Y/n smiled softly as she felt her stomach plunge.

“ꍏꈤꀸ ꎇꂦꋪ ꍏ ꌃꂦꌩ ꅏꃅꂦ ꉓꍏꈤ ꌗꍟꍟ ꌩꂦꀎ ꍏꋪꍟ ꋪꍏ꓄ꃅꍟꋪ ꀎꈤꉓꂦꂦꋪꀸꀤꈤꍏ꓄ꍟꀸ.” Ville’s laughter boomed as he spun her. Her thick dress twirling around, the fade of grey looked lovely on her. Her skin held a sweet glow to it that Ville had convinced was a trick of the light. 

“ꍏ꒒ꅏꍏꌩꌗ ꓄ꃅꍟ ꌗꅏꍟꍟ꓄ ꂦꈤꍟ ꍏꋪꍟꈤ’꓄ ꌩꂦꀎ?” Y/n slowly her steps as they pair left the dance floor. Gustav watched the pair with a small smile. The village was allowing them to break a few of the courting rule, after all Gustav wasn’t interfering. 

The smell of the cooked boar invaded Y/n’s senses and she gulped softly. She could practically feel her hands covered in dirt, trying to keep the thing from falling on her. 

“ꀤ ꉓꂦꀎ꒒ꀸ ꓄ꍟꍏꋪ ꌩꂦꀎ ꍏꉣꍏꋪ꓄ ꀤꎇ ꀤ ꅏꍏꈤ꓄ꍟꀸ.” Y/n uttered softly. Ville shock his head as he helped her moved over a branch. He was leading her away from the celebration, into the woods around the village. Slowly the pair approached a small clearing. 

“ꃴꀤ꒒꒒ꍟ? ꅏꃅꍏ꓄ ꍏꋪꍟ ꅏꍟ ꀸꂦꀤꈤꁅ ꂦꀎ꓄ ꃅꍟꋪꍟ?” Ville stopped in front of her. He clutched her hands gently, his hard palm again her slightly calloused hands.

“ꌩ/ꈤ ꌩꂦꀎ ꍏꋪꍟ ꌃꌩ ꎇꍏꋪ ꓄ꃅꍏ꓄ ꌗ꓄ꋪꍏꈤꁅꍟꌗ꓄ ꁅꀤꋪ꒒ ꀤ’ꃴꍟ ꍟꃴꍟꋪ ꂵꍟ꓄. ꌩꂦꀎ ꍏꋪꍟ ꌃꋪꍏꃴꍟ ꍏꈤꀸ ꉓꂦꀎꋪꍏꁅꍟꂦꀎꌗ. ꌩꂦꀎ ꉣꋪꂦ꓄ꍟꉓ꓄ ꀤꈤꌗ꓄ꍟꍏꀸ ꂦꎇ ꌃꍟꀤꈤꁅ ꍏꎇꋪꍏꀤꀸ ꍏꈤꀸ ꀤ…” Y/n shot her hand to his lips. Fear ate at her insides, like a ravenous beast. 

“ꌩꂦꀎ ꀸꂦꈤ’꓄ ꀘꈤꂦꅏ ꅏꃅꍏ꓄ ꌩꂦꀎ’ꋪꍟ ꌗꍏꌩꀤꈤꁅ, ꌩꂦꀎ ꃅꍏꋪꀸ꒒ꌩ ꀘꈤꂦꅏ ꂵꍟ.” Ville gently removed her hand and placed his own into his pocket. He pulled out a item covered by a cloth with an engraved wolf.

“ꀤ ꓄ꃅꀤꈤꀘ ꀤ ꒒ꂦꃴꍟ ꌩꂦꀎ.” He placed the gift into her hands, with hands that shock like an earthquake she moved over the cloth. In her hands laid the most beautiful comb she’d ever imagined. Her sight allowed her to see the comb as she ran her fingers over it. It had an arch at each end with simple blue stones placed onto it. 

A tear streamed down her face as Ville took the comb and placed it in her hair. It rested so beautifully in her hair under the moonlight. The smell of smoke began to cloud there nostrils and Ville turned away from Y/n. Under her dress she gently tapped on the stone of her collar, hidden as it always was. 

“ꌗꂦꂵꍟ꓄ꃅꀤꈤꁅ’ꌗ ꅏꋪꂦꈤꁅ ꀤꈤ ꓄ꃅꍟ ꃴꀤ꒒꒒ꍏꁅꍟ. ꀤ’꒒꒒ ꌃꍟ ꌃꍏꉓꀘ.” As he turned back to Y/n, a soft look on his face, the sound of metal going through flesh commenced. His breath paused for a moment as he looked down, in his stomach, a silver dagger with a star at its hilt was plunged deep into his stomach, held by Y/n’s hand. 

His gaze traveled to her as she ripped the dagger from him. Blood pooled from his stomach as he staggered back.

“꓄ꃅꀤꌗ ꅏꍏꌗ ꍏꈤ ꀤꈤꍟꃴꀤ꓄ꍏꌃ꒒ꍟ, ꌃꀎ꓄ ꌗꂦꂵꍟ ꌗꂵꍏ꒒꒒ ꉣꍏꋪ꓄ ꂦꎇ ꂵꍟ ꅏꀤꌗꃅꍟꌗ ꓄ꃅꍏ꓄ ꀤ꓄ ꅏꍏꌗꈤ’꓄. ꀤ ꋪꍟꁅꋪꍟ꓄꓄ꍟꀸ ꓄ꃅꀤꌗ ꌗꂦ ꂵꀎꉓꃅ ꂵꂦꋪꍟ ꓄ꃅꍏꈤ ꀤ ꉓꂦꀎ꒒ꀸ’ꃴꍟ ꍟꃴꍟꋪ ꀤꂵꍏꁅꀤꈤꍟꀸ ꀤ ꅏꂦꀎ꒒ꀸ. ꀤ ꓄ꃅꂦꀎꁅꃅ꓄ ꀤ꓄ ꅏꂦꀎ꒒ꀸ ꌃꍟ ꍟꍏꌗꌩ ꓄ꂦ ꓄ꍏꀘꍟ ꓄ꃅꍟ ꌗ꓄ꀎꉣꀤꀸ ꋪꀤꈤꁅ ꍏꈤꀸ ꒒ꍟꍏꃴꍟ. ꀤ ꀸꀤꀸꈤ’꓄ ꍟꊼꉣꍟꉓ꓄ ꓄ꂦ ꅏꍏꈤ꓄ ꓄ꂦ ꌗ꓄ꍏꌩ, ꂵꍏꌩꌃꍟ ꌗ꓄ꍏꌩ ꅏꀤ꓄ꃅ ꌩꂦꀎ.” Y/n mourned softly as she caught Ville. As she laid him against herself she felt her tears dripping from her eyes.

Ville grasped onto her dress, his blood coating her. He stared up at her, his eyes wide as he watched the tears pour out of her eyes. She continued to apologize, I plead for his forgiveness as he laid against her.

“ꌗ-ꌗ꓄ꂦꉣ.” Ville muttered softly. He pulled at her braided hair and undid it. He took the comb and pushed some of her hair back with it. He wanted to remember her as she was not as she was now. Not with the tears of her own betrayal in her eyes, with his crimson blood covering her. Just Y/n, the eccentric girl he fell madly for.

Ville held her face, no tears in his eyes, no pain, just his blue eyes peering into her white ones. He watched at her tears hit his face as she held him. His mind didn’t go to his death but who was with him. He held the side of her face, his blood coating her face. 

Y/n felt as he began to go cold, his grin in her face lessened. Her tears poured down her face, angry red strikes covering her.

“ꌩꂦꀎ ꀸꍟꌗꍟꋪꃴꍟ ꌗꂦ ꂵꀎꉓꃅ ꌃꍟ꓄꓄ꍟꋪ.” Ville smiled as his vision began to fade. He gently pulled her down, pressing a gently kiss to her lip. Y/n tasted the iron of his lips mixed with the salt of their mixed tears.

And then Ville was gone. 

The sound of footsteps did not cause her to move. The gently grip of Niko’s grasp on her shoulder shock her gently. Y/n slowly turned to him, a sniffle escaping her nose.

“The house? And Nora? And Markus?” Y/n pondered, her voice cracking.

“Burnt to the ground, Nora’s safe. We left her outside the house. Markus is dead, they’ll never find him.” Niko affirmed not looking down at Ville. Y/n nod softly, Nora was kind. She didn’t need to die. Markus however was doomed from the moment he stared at Isla with lust.

“The ring?”

The sound of jewelry being placed around her neck caused her sight to kick in. Looped around her neck was a simple gold chain with a simple band. A sun engraved into the ring. 

“ꃴꀤ꒒꒒ꍟ? ꌩ/ꈤ? ꅏꃅꍟꋪꍟ ꍏꋪꍟ ꌩꂦꀎ.” Gustav’s voice cut through Y/n’s sorrows. Gustav froze as he can up in the sight. Y/n holding Ville in a pool of his own blood. Niko standing next to her. Kheli, Zan and Isla in the trees behind them.

Y/n slowly lowered Ville’s body slowly, her eyes not breaking from Gustav’s. She slowly stepped in front of her friends. Gustav walked forward Maja at his heel growling softly, baring her razor pearly teeth.

“Head towards the Sanctuary, I’ll meet you at the cliffs.” Niko stared at her, pity in his eyes. The brittleness of her voice seemed to become apparent. Her hand slowly raised to her necklace, her armor melted over her skin in a moonlight sliver color. Gustav yelled a command at Maja and she charged forward. 

“ꌗꀤ꓄!” Y/n yelled, piercing through the silence. Maja whined softly, sitting down upon Y/n’s side. Gustav glared sharply at her as the others quickly left. Isla remained behind staring at Y/n. With a disappointment sigh she left. 

“ꀤ ꀘꈤꍟꅏ ꀤ ꅏꍏꌗ ꋪꀤꁅꃅ꓄ ꓄ꂦ ꌃꍟ ꌗꀎꌗꉣꀤꉓꀤꂦꀎꌗ ꂦꎇ ꌩꂦꀎ… ꌃꀎ꓄ ꈤꍟꃴꍟꋪ ꅏꂦꀎ꒒ꀸ ꃅꍏꃴꍟ ꀤꂵꍏꁅꀤꈤꍟꀸ ꓄ꃅꀤꌗ.” He breathed. His eyes bore cruelly into her eyes. Y/n couldn’t speak, her words were lodged in her throat. She felt like a sildroher, stripped bare of her song.

No mate to sing in harmony with, no one to help control her song. She couldn’t breathe under his hatful gaze. 

“ꀤ ꀸꀤꀸꈤ’꓄ ꅏꍏꈤ꓄ ꓄ꂦ ꃅꀎꋪ꓄ ꌩꂦꀎ… ꈤꂦꈤꍟ ꂦꎇ ꀎꌗ ꀸꀤꀸ.” Gustav scoffed creeping towards her, his axe in hand. From her back she pulled a large sword as she began to circle Gustav.

“ꀸꀤꀸꈤ’꓄ ꅏꍏꈤ꓄ ꓄ꂦ ꃅꀎꋪ꓄ ꀎꌗ? ꒒ꀤꀘꍟ ꌩꂦꀎ’ꃴꍟ ꃅꀎꋪ꓄ ꃴꀤ꒒꒒ꍟ? ꂵꌩ ꅏꀤꎇꍟ?” Y/n sharpened her brows, her teeth gritting. 

“ꀤ’ꀸ ꈤꍟꃴꍟꋪ ꃅꀎꋪ꓄ ꈤꂦꋪꍏ, ꌗꃅꍟ ꅏꍏꌗ ꀘꀤꈤꀸ. ꈤꂦ ꂦꈤꍟ ꓄ꃅꍏ꓄ ꀘꀤꈤꀸ ꀸꍟꌗꍟꋪꃴꍟꀸ ꓄ꂦ ꀸꀤꍟ. ꌩꂦꀎꋪ ꉣꍟꂦꉣ꒒ꍟ ꅏꀤ꒒꒒ ꎇꀤꈤꀸ ꃅꍟꋪ, ꍏꌗ꒒ꍟꍟꉣ ꌃꌩ ꍏ ꓄ꋪꍟꍟ.”

“ꀤ ꅏꀤ꒒꒒ ꎇꀤꈤꀸ ꃅꍟꋪ ꍏꈤꀸ ꁅꀤꃴꍟ ꃅꍟꋪ ꌩꂦꀎꋪ ꃅꍟꍏꀸ.”

“ꌩꂦꀎ ꅏꀤ꒒꒒ ꈤꂦ꓄ ꒒ꍟꍏꃴꍟ ꓄ꃅꀤꌗ ꅏꂦꂦꀸ ꓄ꂦꈤꀤꁅꃅ꓄.” Her threat held no question, not an ounce of doubt. Ville’s blood soaked the snow as they circled. 

“ꍏ꒒꒒ ꂦꎇ ꓄ꃅꀤꌗ ꎇꂦꋪ ꓄ꃅꍏ꓄ ꋪꀤꈤꁅ?” Gustav mocked motioning his axe toward the corpse. 

“꓄ꃅꍏ꓄ ꋪꀤꈤꁅ ꀤꌗ ꌗꍏꉓꋪꍟꀸ, ꀤ꓄ ꌃꍟ꒒ꂦꈤꁅꌗ ꅏꀤ꓄ꃅ ꀎꌗ.” Y/n attempted to justify. The ring was made for their saint, it would help balance light. They couldn’t hunt an amplifier for them, but they could give their saint this. 

Egon would praise her willingness to her saint. Her faith was strong and her faithfulness in him reminded him that she was his ꒒ꀤꈤꃅꂦ꒒ꂵꍟꋪꋪꍟ. Egon could feel his soul would swell with pride whenever she successfully completed a task.

“ꀤ꓄’ꌗ ꎇꍏꀘꍟ.” Y/n froze, she became stiffer than the trees around. Stiffer than Ville as he laid in his crimson. Her hands shock around her sword, her feet digging into the ground. 

“ꅏꃅꍏ꓄…?”

Ville drew his axe back, sighing softly looking at Maja. She sat on the ground, her fur coated in snow. The terror rested on Y/n’s face, the color left her face quickly then ice could freeze over a lake. Gustav watched her hands tremble against her sword, the moon casting against her. 

“ꅏꍟ ꅏꍟꋪꍟ ꁅꀤꎇ꓄ꍟꀸ ꍏ ꋪꍟꉣ꒒ꀤꉓꍏ ꌩꍟꍏꋪꌗ ꍏꁅꂦ ꌃꌩ ꍏ ꎇꋪꀤꍟꈤꀸ. ꃅꍟ ꍟꈤ꓄ꋪꀎꌗ꓄ꍟꀸ ꂵꍟ ꓄ꂦ ꃅꀤꀸꍟ ꓄ꃅꍟ ꋪꍟꍏ꒒ ꂦꈤꍟ. ꅏꃅꍟꈤ ꃅꍟ ꌃꍟ꓄ꋪꍏꌩꍟꀸ ꀎꌗ, ꃅꍟ ꅏꂦꋪꍟ ꍏꋪꂵꂦꋪ ꀤꌗ ꓄ꃅꍟ ꉓꂦ꒒ꂦꋪ ꂦꎇ ꓄ꃅꍟ ꌗꀎꈤ.”

Egon…

His armor was the only that was the pure color of the sun. Only the Lord Helios and his kin were permitted to wear the color of the Saint. 

“ꌩꂦꀎ’ꋪꍟ ꒒ꌩꀤꈤꁅ!” Y/n screamed her hand fumbling around her sword. Egon was the Lord Helios, he’d left his life as a ꀸꋪüꌗꀘꍟ꒒꒒ꍟ. Gustav stared at Y/n his eyes dull. 

“ꌩꂦꀎ ꉣꂦꂦꋪ ꉓꃅꀤ꒒ꀸ, ꌗꂦ ꂦꌃꍟꀸꀤꍟꈤ꓄ ꍏꈤꀸ ꌗꂦ ꌃ꒒ꀤꈤꀸ.” Gustav said. Y/n felt the tears pour down her face leaving red marks in their wake. Y/n dropped her sword.

“ꌗꃅꀎ꓄ ꀎꉣ!” Y/n yelled. Her knees buckled and hits the cold frost bellow her. Her arms clutched her quaking frame. Gustav moved forward, gently running his hands through her hair. Gustav was careful to avoid the comb that Ville placed in her hair. 

Maja wander over to the bawling Y/n nuzzling her nose into Y/n’s stomach. She shudders and she wraps her arms around Maja. 

“ꌩꂦꀎ ꉣꂦꂦꋪ ꁅꀤꋪ꒒, ꎇꂦꋪ ꓄ꃅꍟ ꉣꍏꌗ꓄ ꓄ꅏꂦ ꂵꂦꈤ꓄ꃅꌗ ꀤ’ꃴꍟ ꉓꍏꋪꍟꀸ ꎇꂦꋪ ꌩꂦꀎ. ꒒ꂦꃴꍟ ꌩꂦꀎ, ꍏꈤꀸ ꉣꋪꍏꀤꌗꍟꀸ ꀸꀭꍟ꒒ ꎇꂦꋪ ꌗꍟꈤꀸꀤꈤꁅ ꂵꍟ ꌗꀎꉓꃅ ꍏ ꁅꀤꎇ꓄. ꌃꀎ꓄ ꌩꂦꀎ ꍏꋪꍟ ꈤꂦ꓄ ꋪꍟꍏꀸꌩ ꓄ꂦ ꌃꍟ ꂵꌩ ꁅꀤꎇ꓄. ꈤꂦ꓄ ꌩꍟ꓄.” He uttered. He knelt down, gently taking her face into his large hands.

“ꂦꈤꍟ ꀸꍏꌩ ꌩꂦꀎ ꅏꀤ꒒꒒ ꎇꀤꈤꀸ ꌩꂦꀎꋪ ꅏꍏꌩ ꌃꍏꉓꀘ ꓄ꂦ ꀎꌗ… ꍏꈤꀸ ꅏꃅꍟꈤ ꌩꂦꀎ ꀸꂦ ꅏꍟ ꅏꀤ꒒꒒ ꌃꍟ ꅏꍏꀤ꓄ꀤꈤꁅ ꎇꂦꋪ ꌩꂦꀎ.” Gustav expressed a gently kiss to Y/n’s forehead. After a few moments he stood and began to walk away. Maja moved to follow but Gustav shook his head gently. 

And just like that he was gone. Maja nudged at her side, pushing her to leave. She picked up her sword, took one last look at Ville’s corpse and was gone with the snow.

………………….

The journey back to the sanctuary was long and spend in silence. No one spoke unless they needed to. Y/n’s eyes wouldn’t cease there production of tears. Her face long since gone irritated, the ring heavy around her neck. 

Maja walked in front of all the children, growling softly at Kheli, Niko, and Zan. By the time they reached the edge of the fold other Helios stood at the entrance awaiting them. 

They stared down at the young children, their eyes dull. There armor glistening under the sun, there helmets make each Helios look more frightening to most children. Y/n kept her gaze down as Maja growled at each Helios. Her teeth were bared, her eyes blood eyes sharp. 

“꒒ꀤꈤꃅꂦ꒒ꂵꍟꋪꋪꍟ, how did your journey fair?” Egon’s voice quipped. Y/n raised her chin, her face full of red lines, her eyes seemed more grey then white at the moment, and her lip wobbled oh so slightly. 

Her fingers shakes as she dropped the fake ring into Egon’s hands. His eyes moved to Maja for a moment. 

“ꀤ꓄’ꌗ ꓄ꃅꍟ ꎇꍏꀘꍟ ꂦꈤꍟ, ꀤ ꃅꍏꃴꍟꈤ’꓄ ꓄ꂦ꒒ꀸ ꓄ꃅꍟ ꂦ꓄ꃅꍟꋪ.” Egon nodded his head at her. He gently placed his hand on the back of her neck. His lips gently brushed against her forehead. He rested there head together, breathing in the earth smell of her hair. 

"Be careful child... Just because you are winning does not mean you've won." Egon whispered against her forehead. 

Divider create goes to @astralnymphh

Darkling x breeding kink + spanking?🙈

Marking

a/n: My motivation has been low as of late, and my life has gotten really busy as of late. Also I’m really liking my tidemaker! Reader that invented so I’m gonna used her unless specifically told otherwise or if I just feel like not using her. As always hope you enjoy.

Warnings: breeding kink, spanking, dom!Aleksander and sub!Reader, safe word is not established but is their, p in v smut, dacryphilia, war room smut, tidemaker!Reader

Aleksander Morozova x fem! Reader

You weren’t sure if it was the hard wooden desk digging into your bare hips, the relentless pounding of Aleksander cock inside your dripping cunt or if his harsh hand landing in your ass was what sent you to tears. Your hands grinned onto the desk, trying to center yourself as Aleksander took out all his pent up frustrations of the day on you.

It had not been a good day for your lover. First the king had been particularly nauseating, the grisha were still unsafe as always and to top it off some new noble man made a move on you in front of him. Loyal as you were you denied the man and went to go to him only for the man to touch you.

Aleksander grunted as he felt you grip his cock deep inside. Your moan and gasps were bouncing off the wall and he hoped that everyone would hear. His hand landed hard against the angry red of your ass. You jolted as his opposite hand dug its way through your hair, pulling you up slightly.

He sucked up your neck, biting and leaving marks in his wake. You moaned as he began to suck on the sweet spot of your neck. His gently lowered you back into the desk that moved with every snap of his hips. His free hand moved to your pearl, rubbing fast and steady circles on the nerves. Your moaning increased as he kissed at the back of your neck. His hand colliding with your red ass.

“You’re doing so well for me milaya.” Aleksander praised as your tears hit the desk. You babbled cockdrunk as he hit that spot that always left your mouth gaping.

“I’m gonna shove my cum so fair into your cunt that it takes and everyone will know you’re mine.” The coil inside you tightened the eating to burst. Your moan grew higher, louder, more erratic.

“Sasha! I’m gonna cum- Sasha! Please!” You begged as he smacked your ass again. His over composer began to dwindle as he groan his thrusts growing fast as his own organism grew more apparent.

“I can’t wait to see you swelling with our child. All round and so full of me, all mine. Mine.” He grunted as you whimpered. With a cry of his name you came hard. His own release happening right after. You both panted as he pulled himself out. Your mixed juices dripped onto the floor until her shoved his finger in.

“Don’t want to waste anything, right my Tidemaker?” Aleksander sighed as he kissed your neck. You mumbled softly, not having the energy to be much of a brat. After a while her pulled his finger out and sucked in your combined juices. He wrapped his arms around you and pulled you into his lap.

He scrapped his kefta over your bare form and kissed your forehead. You nuzzled into him as your eyes dropped.

“Do you think my seed will take?” Aleksander mumbled in between kissing your neck.

“If it doesn’t we can always try again.” He chuckled a smile landing in his face. His darling Tidemaker, always so eager.

You don’t have request for the Darkling? Let me fix that (:

Someone wants to hurt Alek by kidnaping the reader so, Alek saves her and he’s mad AF

Touch her and die

a/n: I love writing over protective partners and stuff so I loved this. Also reader is a bit chaotic cause why not. Also made reader a Tidemaker.

Warning: kidnapping, language, blood, grisha hate, kinda bratty reader? Aleks goes psycho mode, injuries, drüskelle, mentions of Aleks and readers age gap

Aleksander Morozova x fem! Reader

It was an unspoken rule for all grisha, for all ravka, for everyone to not hurt his lover. It was no great secret that the Darkling, the Black general himself was absolutely smitten by his favorite Tidemaker. With her pretty e/c eyes and a pout on her rose colored lips she could get anything she wanted from her general.

His Tidemaker had grown up in a village boardering Fjerda, so grisha testers weren’t common to go there. In secret her older brother, also a Tidemaker taught her the ways of the grisha. Unfortunately a little ways after her nineteenth birthday drüskelle invaded her village and he brother died saving her life.

She ran through the thick forests of ravka with no idea where to go as they chased her when he appeared. His shadows cut through the drüskelle and not long after that the darkling infatuation with his Tidemaker became apparent.

Now his Tidemaker strut into the meeting he conducted, she was late. She walked right up to his side with a smile and adjusted some of the toy soldiers as he spoke. Then she walked right over to Zoya, who shock her head at her friend’s brazenness.

“You’re late, L/n.” Zoya muttered as she drew over the Ravkan maps. Y/n giggled softly as he began to help Zoya. Aleksander would glance back over at the pair every so offten. His Tidemaker clad in a black kefta with teal embroidery. He loved that she so proudly wore his color.

Her and Zoya began to giggle about something, probably a comment she’d made when one of the king advisors cleared his throat.

“Miss L/n have you something to add?” He asked cutting off the girls chatter. The room went quiet as she went stiff. Ivan and Fedyor shared a quick look as their generals eyes darkened. His tone was snobbish and rather rude.

He spoke as if he was better than she was, and it made her almost want to laugh as she turned. Slowly she made it back to the main table with the toy soldiers, this was a different plan than the one she’d just arranged. It was horrible and would lead to the deaths of many grisha.

Y/n would not sacrifice her soldiers when she could do better. Quickly she fixed up the arrangement with an empty look, Aleksander watched her in awe. As she finished she turned to the advisor with the same snobbish looked he’d given her.

“It seems you needed some assistance, don’t worry sir for I will always be there to fix the mistakes.” Y/n mocked as she bowed her head slightly. Aleksander chuckled slightly and moved a stray hair behind her ear. Such an open act of affection for his Tidemaker was nothing new, but for him to do it after she’d humiliated one of the king’s advisor was a risky move.

“Although Miss L/n was late she has fixed this plan to ensure the safety of all the grisha going into this battle. For that I am most grateful.” He amused as he stared at her. She smiled cheekily as she returned to Zoya’s side, a confident sway to her hips.

This was the last time Aleksander had seen her that day.

……………………

It was no secret that the darkling had a great many enemies, but as the fist collided with her face for the hundredth time, Y/n was growing tired. The kings advisor, whatever his name was had hired drüskelle of all people to kidnap her.

Of course her hands were bound apart and she was tied to the chair. She was surprised they hadn’t just killed her but she didn’t care. She was growing bored of all the punches. Her face was bruised, the right side more then the left, her lip busted, and she was sure at least one of her ribs were broken.

“It’s not to late to get me go you know.” She mumbled as she dropped her head back. Her hands quietly attempting to undo her cuffs.

“Drüsje your pleading for your life will not work.” The tallest announced. She sighed softly, he would come for her. If she was dead by the time he found her she knew all of Fjerda would pay.

“It would just be in your best interest.”

They all laughed and she joined in. Let them laugh, it’ll probably be the last time they do. She though softly.

“We will end you, and then we will break the darkling.” Y/n nodded softly at there words as they smashed their fist into her side. She groaned as she felt a rib snap.

“Then kill me, what is it you are afraid of?” Y/n taunted. They all froze, one of them brought there axe dangerously close to her neck.

“Will you not beg for your life?”

“Take it if it pleases you. It is not me who suffers when I’m gone.” They didn’t know what to say to that. They had heard the talks of the darkling whore. How she could boil the blood, pull the water from your body, freeze your nerves. But the women in front of them didn’t look the dangerous type.

“You aren’t the confident whore of the darkling we’ve heard tales of. You are just his pet he plays with from time to time.” Her face hardened at those words. She was not dressed in his color to be watered down to a simple whore. She smiled charming as she began to un click the cuffs.

“Most women aren’t as crude as you, they are modest.” Y/n giggled softly. She saw the shadows begin to move.

“Unfortunately for everyone I will keep doing whatever the fuck I want.”

Y/n snapped her cuffs and rolled her chair causing it to hut the ground. The shadows form into the cut and swore through the air above her. The shadows surrounded her till the familiar frame of her Sasha towered over her.

“Would mind untying these ropes?” Y/n uttered softly slumping against the grounds, her confident persona gone. The ropes were off and Aleksander pulled his Tidemaker to her feet. His hand clutched her face as he brought her in for a messy and passionate kiss.

She moaned softly into the kiss as he held her face. His hands slowly began to trail down and she pulled away with a wince.

“What is it?” Aleksander whispered as she clung to him.

“I think they broke a few ribs.” She whined as she lean into his frame for support. From the outside of the cabin she heard a few grunts, a scream or two and then silence. Aleksander placed his cloak around her shoulder in hopes of warming her.

“My healers will attend to you when we get back.” He placed a kiss to her head and began to pepper her hairline with kisses. The fear was evident in his eyes at her body. His eyes scanned her bruised face and body, her busted lip, the blood dripping down the side of her arm.

He hated that she’d gotten hurt so badly before he could save her. By the looks of her cuffs she was half way there in her own. With a slight waddle she made it to the door, with protest from her lover she pushed them opens, her jaw hit the ground.

Blood and carnage surround the cabin where she was kept. She limped her way through the bodies as Aleksander trailed behind her. Ivan, Fedyor, Zoya, and the twins were there.

“What happened out here?”

No one answered as Zoya hugged Y/n, attempting and failing to be cautious of her ribs. Aleksander pulled Y/n away after allowing Zoya to hug her, he didn’t want her to far.

“I thought they’d killed you… I lost my temper.” Aleksander admitted as he picked Y/n into his arms. Y/n stared at him for a moment.

“If this is what you do when you’re out of control, I’d hate to see what you do when you are.” Fedyor laughed softly as Ivan swatted at his husband. Y/n’s words were true. There wasn’t a thing in the world there general wouldn’t do for his precious Tidemaker.