𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧

ⅲ 𝒏𝒐 𝒎𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒔, 𝒏𝒐 𝒇𝒖𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒔

BREY TUGGED THE BLACK COAT TIGHTER AROUND HER BODY AND SLID THE HAT FURTHER DOWN HER HEAD. Jesper stepped up to the man that checked over the tickets and Jesper handed the man the papers. The man glanced through the papers and looked up at Jesper. "I know. I look amazing for my age," Jesper smiled.

"Well, I thought you looked older," The man replied slyly and handed back the papers. Jesper laughed softly and took the papers back. They walked until they heard gasps and murmurs. The crows turned looking over the growing crowd and towards the General's tent.

Alina stepped out in royal attire, her body covered in a long black cloak and was lead beside the general and his Grisha. Inej smiled to herself, watching Alina. Kaz looked down at her and Inej sighed softly. "I know. Not until Novokribirsk," Inej confirmed. Kaz nodded and they walked for the boat.

.

The General unclipped Alina's coat and handed it to Ivan, but Jesper was focused on the fold. "Good news? It's just as terrifying as I remember," Jesper mumbled slightly, the crows tucked in the corner.

"Except this time we're going in completely exposed," Inej reminded.

Brey hummed softly, looking up at the massive black smoke sheets, "You have a great way of reassurin' us there scissor hands."

"If I'm meant to die today, and either of you three survive, make sure I have an open casket," Jesper requested.

"We wouldn't want to miss your beautiful face," Brey nodded with a slightly teasing tone.

"No one's dying today," Kaz assured. "No mourners."

"No funerals," The three mumbled back. Slowly the skiff slid across the sand, breaking through the line of the fold and being consumed by darkness.

"Can you feel them?" The General called, his eyes scanning the dark clouds.

"No heartbeats yet, sir," Ivan called back, his hands crossed over as he scanned the darkness. Jesper pushed himself off the wall, opening the hatch for the Crows to crawl under. Jesper crawled down first, Kaz and Brey following after. Inej slipped under, looking at Alina a final time before following.

Jesper, Inej and Brey tossed their jackets away. Jesper grunted as he cleaned out his guns properly. The volcra screeches grew louder and louder and it was hard not to stare at the roof. "This is a bad idea," Jesper complained.

"I think it's rather practical," Kaz spoke up, his hands resting on his cane,

"What? Why?" Jesper questioned, blowing a puff into the barrel.

"I don't see how we step off this boat without you pulling those guns," Kaz continued. "So, cleaning them is a good idea."

"I don't mean this," Jesper explained, raising his gun slightly. "I mean this." Jesper gestured around before going back for his gun. "We are in the worst place in the world, on a ship full of people who want us dead, surrounded by monsters who want us in their gullets." Jesper carried on, slotting bullets into his gun. "I should have brought Milo."

"Who's Milo?" Inej questioned looking back at Jesper.

"The goat," Brey spoke up quickly, pulling out her gun and holding it toward Jesper. "Here, you're a better shot than I am." Jesper sighed through his nose and reluctantly took it.

"How many bullets do you have?" Kaz questioned as Jesper flicked his gun.

The growls echoed through the air again, "Not enough."

A flashing light caught Brey's eye and she whistled slightly. "Am I in luck? Or am I in luck?" Brey mumbled softly, grabbing the handle and pulling out a long sword.

"I think you're crazy," Inej mumbled, pulling out her knives. "How do you say it in Kaelish?"

"Craiceáilte," Brey mumbled, tossing the sword in her palm, determining its weight. "Crah holts." Inej scoffed slightly with a small smile. It left her face however when the skiff violently shook. Light seeped through the gaps in the ship, and the crows looked up, trying to see what was happening.

"So?" Jesper called, his gun raised. "What's our play?"

"We wait," Kaz ordered, his eyes finally moving from the upper level of the boat.

"For what?" Jesper questioned.

"For whatever the general has planned," Kaz said simply.

"Did you figure him out?" Brey questioned, the sword hanging loosely at her side as she walked to her crows.

Kaz shook his head softly, "Not quite. Consider the scenario." Jesper nodded and stood, slotting his gun away. "The Sun Summoner fled from his palace, now she's tied to the deck. We're sailing for a city where another Ravkan general hired Arken to kill her. And I saw his face as he boarded. I know that look." Inej suddenly turned her head before walking to the far back of the boat. "He's a man consumed with vengeance."

"See it enough in the mirror, do you?" Jesper joked, no humor in his voice. "So? What kind of revenge is he planning, exactly?"

"We know it requires the Sun Summoner, which makes her valuable to us," Kaz thought. "She's the one keeping everyone safe in here. If we have control of her, then we call the shots. We need to threaten her life."

"What?" Inej questioned, another voice echoing hers. Jesper flipped his gun out, but didn't extend it seeing Inej holding her own. The gun was aimed at the back of a boy's head. He wore a First army uniform and had his hands raised.

"Who's this?" Jesper questioned. "Who are you?"

"A stowaway," Inej called, pressing the gun harder against his neck. "Why pick this of all skiffs?"

"To kill the general and save Alina," He answered.

Brey squinted slightly. One of my friends, Mal, I need to find him. He is the only person I have left. "You're Mal," Brey recalled. Jesper and Kaz slowly turned to face Brey and the other two squinted. "I found Alina back at the tavern, she said she was looking for Mal."

"You let her go?" Kaz snapped.

"I lost her, and that is the least of our worries right now," Brey corrected.

"You know my name... That makes you the Time Manipulator," Mal guessed.

Brey shook her head and rolled her eyes, "Okay well, when we get back to Ketterdam I hold up that says Time Manipulator here."

Kaz glanced back at her before stepping up to Mal, "You know Alina?"

"I do," Mal answered with a nod.

"Who's in control of her?"

"The general I'm going to kill."

Kaz paused, only for a second before calling to Inej, "Inej, give him his gun."

"Why?" Inej asked.

"Because if he isn't with Kirigan's crew, he's with ours," Kaz reasoned. Jesper flicked his gun and slotted it away. Inej held Mal's gun out, her fingers off the trigger. Mal took it and nodded once.

Brey hoisted herself up and looked through the holes in the hatch. Brey looked around at the tunnel and the exit of the fold. Brey hopped down but her head snapped to the side quickly.

"Brey?" Jesper questioned.

"We're slowing down, I can feel the speed around us," Brey explained quietly. A rush of realization ran through Brey. "Zlatan is on the other side. If Arken was willing to sell me out, he was willing to do the same to Zlatan."

"What are you thinking?" Kaz questioned, his cane tapping against the wood as she stepped slightly closer.

"Alina is tied to the boat. Zlatan is waiting on the other side. Kirigan manipulates shadows. Alina suddenly has a new bone accessory in her collars and Kirigan has some sort of burn on his hand. Alina has only made a tunnel when she's made it clear she wants the fold gone," Brey listed in a mumble, her words running through her mind.

"So?" Inej asked, stepping up.

"Her bones," Brey gestured to her collar, where she saw Alina's bone's broken upwards. "In Kaelish law, in- in any Grisha law, there are things called amplifiers." Brey looked to Mal. "Has she ever mentioned dragon scales, shark teeth, bears, deer?"

"There was a deer," Mal recalled. "We found it, but Kirigan got to it first."

"They are wearing amplifiers, he is controlling her power," Brey explained, running a hand through her hair. "He wants to expand the fold, he'll do into Novosibirsk. He doesn't care about the consequences."

The boat came to a full stop and the group turned to watch the hatch. It was silence, the light echo of Kirigan's voice before a sudden wooshing sound.

The fold ran forwards, consuming the city. Volcra swarmed and dove down at the citizens, tearing into them. Their screams echoed for miles, only challenged by the Volcra screeches. 

"What now?" Jesper questioned.

"We wait," Kaz ordered.

"Kaz, you can hear him slaughtering a city," Inej spoke up.

"So you understand the scale of his power, then? Good," Kaz snapped, turning back to her.

"The bold move is to strike now," Mal interjected and Kaz's glare harshened.

"And the smart one is to get clear of the damned Fold first," Kaz growled.

"I never said I was smart," Mal countered walking for the stairs.

"Can you believe him?" Jesper mumbled.

"Yeah, I can," Brey noted, giving a swift nod before following Mal.

"I'm going with them," Inej announced, unsheathing her knives.

𓅨

❝ 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 is a funny thing ❞