𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄 - anomaly

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 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐑 𝐖𝐀𝐒 silent when they arrived. The children hid themselves away in their rooms, the maids and keepers of the house made themselves seem far busier than they were, avoiding the study at any and all costs.

 A single elderly woman waited by Aleksa's side, the permanent scowl that was etched into her colourless skin seemed to dig even further into her features today; she hobbled back and forth across the room, pausing here and there to mumble and mutter to herself, small looks of both terror and irritation were thrown towards Aleksa who had jumped onto the desk, swinging her legs back and forth.

 Aleksa was young, very young; her doll-like face resembled that of some of the children's toys; thick black eyelashes framed her blue eyes, brushing against her high cheekbones with every blink.

 She was scared. But she didn't show it; for she had endured the children's bullying, their taunts, and their venomous actions all her life, she couldn't afford to be scared now. For it was the General she was to face.

 She had seen other children be tested, a small cut to the arm would alert the Grisha's whether the children carried any power inside of their veins, but it was never General Kirigan carrying out such a task.

 The lady who had watched Aleksa summon the shadows had swiftly scribbled words onto parchment, describing the young girl and what she could do; isolated, she called Aleksa, unable to bond with others.

 It was all true. Aleksa had a certain charm to her, or perhaps witt was a better way to describe it; she could flutter her lashes and the Lord who visited every few months would gladly bundle her with toys and flowers, but even despite the certain allure she held, she still hid away.

 She was a child without friends, not a single bond had been made in the years she had grown within the household; it wasn't normal.

 Even now, Aleksa sat looking as though she hadn't a care in the world, when in fact, her fingers were trembling at the mere thought of coming face to face with the General. They all heard news of the war, the fights that continued on no matter what, and they had all heard of the power the General possessed.

 She shouldn't be scared, they were the same.

 It was sunny. Streaks of sunlight burst through the glass window, painting the floor. The beams collided with the glass trinkets that decorated the room, causing a flood of rainbows to dust Aleksa's skin. She traced them with a single finger before her head finally snapped up as the door to the room opened.

 Two men dressed in red Kefta entered first; heart renders.

 They were followed by a woman in blue, silver embroidery covering her chest, whilst the man that followed behind her had red adorning his; a squaller and an inferni.

 And then he entered. He stood taller than his companions, black hair was slicked back and impossibly dark eyes blinked just once as he entered the room, donning a kefta that was entirely obsidian.

 Aleksa knew that the Grisha's that were housed within the little palace were taught to abandon fear and use every ounce of strength to fight for their cause, and she knew she'd be one of them very soon.

 Her head jutted, her chin pointing out as she tried her best to match the Generals regal, powerful, posture.

 She hopped off the desk, a floorboard creaking beneath her as she clasped her hands behind her back and finally brought her eyes to his.

 General Kirigan looked like a shadow summoner. Everything about him was intimidating; his stance, his eyes that seemed to peer into one's soul, his sharp features and his towering height.

 And despite Aleksa putting everything she had into matching him, she did not look worthy of the same title he so proudly donned. She was small, smaller than most of the children her age, her hair was tied back in a small lavender ribbon the Lord had gifted her, and a flower was tucked behind her ear.

 And yet as the General stared down at the tiny child, he could see the fierceness within her eyes; little pools of crystal water stared at him, both in fear and surprisingly in wonder.

 "Leave us." The General commanded, his tone leaving no room for question.

 Even his voice was intimidating, Aleksa thought.

 One by one the Grisha left, the old woman that had previously accompanied Aleksa followed behind, as swiftly as her brittle bones allowed, for she couldn't mask her fear nearly as well as the little child she had stood beside.

 The door shut, a click rigging out, and by the rustling Aleksa could still hear, the Grisha that had followed their General had stationed themselves outside the room, ready to follow whichever command Kirigan would dish out at a moment's notice.

 Aleksa stood still, as silent as a mouse as she tilted her head at the man before her. Her chest, which had been rising and falling with heavy breaths, had finally settled to a regular pace; all fear seemingly hidden.

 The General had to commend the girl, for his own soldiers trembled in their boots whenever he walked by, and yet a little girl, no older than seven, had raised her head, sharpened her eyes and hidden her fear.

 She'd be perfect, if he could weave himself into her abandoned little mind.

 "Show me." The General commanded once again, allowing himself to relax his shoulders to show her he meant no harm. It did little to reassure her.

 Yet Aleksa obeyed him. She rose a tiny little hand, her loose sleeve fell down her arm, revealing a small gold bangle that rested on her wrist, and she closed her eyes.

 Slowly the rainbows that had once brought the room to life vanished, the sunlight that permeated the window faded into nothing and the room darkened. Shadows crawled over the walls like reptiles, scurrying to eat away at any remnants of light they could find, until the two shadow summoners were left in a room full of darkness.

 Aleksa peered up at him as she dropped her hand to her side, her sleeve bunching up around her wrist once again.

 Confusion clouded her eyes as the General smiled. It was devoid of malice, devoid of hatred, and it made her heart warm, despite the fact that the sunlight had been banished from the room. It was soft, a smile that didn't belong on such a man's face, and yet Aleksa found herself drawn to it.

 "Do you know who I am?" He questioned the girl. The tone he'd used earlier had vanished along with the light, his former stoic voice riddled with rasp and authority had been replaced by a soothing lullaby.

 Aleksa nodded, her hair bobbing around her elbows as she did. Of course she knew who he was. "You're General Kirigan, leader of the second army."

 "No."

 She frowned at his simple response.

 And then he did the unexpected, he laughed. A chime of a bell ringing from his parted lips as he slowly knelt to the ground before the child, still taller than the tiny thing. He could see the way she froze as he rose his hands, gently resting them on her shoulders.

 And by the shock that laced her features, followed by an emotion that was foreign to him, hope, he knew that he could so very easily hook his claws into the young and impressionable shadow summoner.

 "I'm your brother, Aleksa." His lips twitched upon speaking her name, the fools named her after him, of course they did. Still, his falsified smile curled higher as he willed his eyes to water, "I've been looking for you, little one."

 Aleksa felt her breath leave her. Her lungs constricted and she was certain she'd pass out before the General. Brother? She had a brother? She had heard nothing more than 'the fold ate your family' or 'the Lord Trejnor found you beside the fold, alone.'

 Never before had she allowed herself to indulge in thoughts of Family; all she had was her torn blanket she had been wrapped in, the one that had had such love and care poured into it, obvious by the careful stitching of her name.

 But a brother? And General Kirigan at that? It was-

 "Aleksa? Please, little one, say something." He muttered softly, a tone that sounded strange coming from such a man; his brows had curled, eyes narrowing softly, it seemed as though genuine concern was on his face.

 "You're my brother?" She whispered, the cage that had once so securely held her heart creaking open.

 The General cupped the side of her face, gently brushing mousy locks away from her, "I've been searching for you from the very moment I could. I thought I'd lost you to the fold, like our parents, I thought I was alone. I've found you."

 The sincerity within his dark eyes pulled Aleksa forward a step; her own eyes were swiping over his face, looking for a single indicator that he was jesting, making a fool of her just as everybody else did. But there was nothing but care.

 He pulled away, and despite such a short meeting, Aleksa wished she had hugged him. She could feel her heart longing for comfort, it longed for family.

 General Kirigan, with eyes as soft as feathers, stayed on his knees. His head was lightly cocked to the side and he brought his hand in the air, finally lowering the shadows that Aleksa had called upon to swarm the room.

 Bursts of rainbow and colour filled their senses once again, and General Kirigan stood, holding a hand out to the child before him, "Come home with me, my sister."

 "Home?" Aleksa whispered, her lower lip trembling as her cheeks flushed. Home. She could go home. She could have a brother, a family.

 That single word, home, made a spark ignite within her belly, once that had lied dormant for the entirety of her life. She nodded once, it was sharp and not a single trace of hesitation was to be found, "I want to come home."

 General Kirigan smiled wide. To Aleksa, it was a smile that a brother gave a sister, wide and happy and filled with nothing but mirth. But Kirigan, no, Aleksander was the only soul to know the true meaning behind such a grin, victory.

 He had set out to find the little shadow summoner, to convince her that nobody in the world would ever know nor care for her the way that he did. He would mould her into perfection; the perfect little soldier that would follow him until the end of her days.

 She would grow to love him, to carve out room in her heart for her 'brother' and she would grow to do anything for him; even if anything meant lending him her powers to expand the fold.

 He was tired of waiting for the sun summoner, for a myth to spark to life; with his own immeasurable power combined with another of his bloodline, he was certain that the fold would submit to his will, as would Aleksa, eventually.

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 Aleksa Corvina Morozova loved the streets of Ketterdam; people underestimated her. It wasn't surprising, after all, she was just a 'tiny little girl' as many men had called her, before having a rather forceful fist flying at their face.

 She could handle herself rather well, it was more than easy for Aleksa to blend into the shadows, for they covered her like a shield in her times of need; she could throw punches and kicks that would have burly men staggering back, and she could most certainly twirl a knife between her skilled fingers.

 She was skilled, years of training at the Little Palace under the watchful eyes of her brother had ensured such a thing. She was worked to the bone, forced to train harder than any other Grisha. She had been pushed to her limits and when she had been on the verge of giving up, her brother would swoop in, cup her face, and tell her she could do it, for them.

 Aleksa and Aleksander, they had laughed about their names more than once; why on earth had their parents decided on such silly names for the pair of them? But despite the laughter and jesting, Aleksa adored sharing such a name with her brother; they were intertwined by blood and name. She'd never let go of him.

 That, however, did beg the question as to why Aleksa was roaming the streets of Ketterdam without her brother and without the heart renders that so dutifully guarded her. There was a simple answer; freedom.

 The Little Palace was her home, there was no doubt about it, but Aleksa had never been permitted to interact or show her face to anyone other than a small selection of Aleksander's finest warriors; she adored her brother, but a caged bird needed to fly eventually.

 Despite what one might have thought, for Aleksa, fleeing the Little Palace was easy. Shadows covered her form, concealing her from prying eyes, and she simply made a run for it.

 It might have been reckless, but truly, what would Aleksander have done if she had been caught? Scold his little sister for seeking even a sliver of air that didn't reek of fine wine and jewels?

 She just needed to explore. She had once been a child that had been more than happy to seclude herself away from others, to never speak. But now she was a woman who laughed and joked. She was a woman who took what she wanted, when she wanted it and never took 'no' for an answer.

 Aleksander had instilled confidence within her, he had taught her how to further her power, and he had told her that she could have anything she wanted, and so she took what she wanted. She wanted freedom, she wanted the thrill of fighting, fun, and she wanted an adventure.

 Ketterdam was known for gambling, trade and crime; if she couldn't find those things within Ketterdam, she was certain she'd never find them. Yes, going from a palace to murky streets often splattered with blood was... different. But she adored it.

 She drifted from bar to bar, gambling, drinking and doing whatever else a woman did with her night; but she always looked over her shoulder.

 The one good thing that came with her brother keeping Aleksa as his very own little secret, only allowing a small few to meet her, was the fact that so few Palace Guards, as well as Grisha under Aleksander's control, had absolutely no idea what she looked like.

 People just saw a woman; short in stature, curves lacing her frame, thick and long mousy-brown hair that trailed after her, and her alluring blue eyes. She had learned that with a single flutter of her lashes, her eyes could get her anything.

 Men were fickle little things, more often than not they were willing to do her bidding; she could twirl her hair, force a cute little smile onto her lips and they'd be putty in her hands... She loved it, and they loved her.

 But her funds were beginning to run low, her stay had been extended more times than she could count, now all she had was herself, her abilities and a single gold chain around her neck; one that she couldn't bear to part with.

 But it seemed as though Ketterdam wasn't keen to let its new little shadow summoner leave, for shouting had filled her ears. Boisterous yells and guttural insults spewed from a group dressed in long, black coats, and had they had Aleksander's signature embroidery, Aleksa would've thought he'd come for her.

 The shadow summoner had perched herself on the edge of the roof of a small building, her hands narrowly avoiding the gutter, lest she be covered in grime and filth; she watched the group run through the crowds that were either eager to gamble their life savings away, find either a woman or a man to bed for the night, or drink until they saw nothing but stars.

 But this group was fast and far more eager to get whatever it was they wanted than the citizens of Ketterdam were. They raced through the paths, pushing people out of their way. A woman stumbled, dropping her purse, to which another man quickly swiped with a grin of victory; ah, Ketterdam.

 Aleksa, ever the curious little thing, jumped through the night, throwing herself over the tiniest gaps between the cluster of buildings, seeking knowledge on who those men were, and what they were in such a hurry for.

 When she had finally caught up to them, the five men donning nothing but black, stood opposite three individuals; the tallest of the three was a gangly, lanky boy, a tuft of frizzy curls on his head. He seemed almost... elated at the prospect of danger, Aleksa liked him already.

 He was bouncing on the balls of his feet, and his twitchy smile covered the fear he was bound to be feeling.

 He was situated to the right, the one on the left was much shorter than her two companions. She wore a hood that obscured Aleksa's view of her eyes; but a long raven-coloured braid sprouted from it, stopping at the woman's hip. She had a solid stance, fingers twitching near her side where Aleksa could see one of many glinting knives.

 The final one, the one in the middle was nothing like his companions. Whilst the tall one looked about ready to cheer for their fight, and the woman looked ready to take the five down on her own, the one in the middle, he was completely stoic.

 His leather-covered hands were aptly wrapped around the head of his cane, a golden crow, it seemed. He was ever so slightly leaning to one side; obviously a result of his injury, for he was keeping most weight off his right leg. His face was sharp, pointed features standing out prominently under the bleak lights of Ketterdam; a pointed and slightly curled nose, cheekbones that just might have been sharper than the woman's knives; he showed no fear, no emotion at all.

 And then, before her eyes, the fight started.

 Glinting knives were thrown, bullets were shot, the sound echoing through the deserted street and the one who had been front and centre wasted no time in swinging his cane and raising his fists.

 Aleksa could barely make out the insults and idle shouts that were thrown during the fight; it appeared as though the unlikely group of three had stolen something from the five dressed in obsidian, of course they had, it was Ketterdam after all.

 But, when things began to look worse on the fives part, hell broke loose.

 Fire ignited with a snap of fingers, the lanky one crumbled to the ground clutching at his heart, and a rather large gust of wind knocked both the woman, and the boy with the cane to the ground; Grisha's.

 What on earth were they doing in Ketterdam, in the Barrel?

 Aleksa had seemingly gotten her wish; she had gotten an adventure, and now a fight. Nobody did anything for free in Ketterdam, and the three on the ground, suffering at the hands of Grisha, would know that well. Aleksa could save them, and they would be in-debt to her... Perhaps she'd be staying in Ketterdam for longer than she thought.

 With as much grace as she could muster, Aleksa dropped herself to the ground, landing between the group of Grisha, and her assumed group of thieves.

 She cast a look over her shoulder, towards the boy clutching at his heart, as well as his companions, a sickly sweet tone, laced with nothing but false innocence escaped her shining lips, "Are they bothering you?"

 At least the one getting his heart torn from his chest seemed to think her comment was funny, for his lips curled upwards for a short second, despite his pain.

 "Get out of here, little girl." One of the men in the black coats called in a sneer.

 Aleksa did what she did best, she smiled, batted her eyelashes, and stormed forwards. Luckily for her, a majority of her work had been finished by the rather lovely group she was saving; three of five were on the ground, two still breathing, but it wasn't looking like they'd be up and ready to dance quite so soon.

 "Little girl?" Aleksa laughed, her voice like the chime of a bell as she reeled her hand back. The man caught her movement, and though he moved his head away from her punch, Aleksa was no fool. She had been trained by her brother, and by the people he trusted most. Her leg shot out, kicking the man in a certain place that was likely to make him regret his entire life up to that point.

 He crumbled. Hands flying to the region her foot had slammed into and Aleksa couldn't help but smile like a maniac, that is, of course, until fire was sent towards her by the only remaining man standing.

 Aleksa ducked, dodged and weaved around the flames, frowning at the smell of burnt hair, clearly she needed a haircut. The fight was lasting too long, punches and fire were traded until Aleksa sent a rather forceful and well-timed smack to the man's face.

 As he recoiled, Aleksa sighed and turned to the trio that was recovering behind her, "If any of you ever speak of this, I'll personally make sure you never see the light of day again." As ever, with her threat, she grinned, her teeth on full display before her face fell stoic.

 With her eyes trained on the recovering inferni, as well as the heart render she had kicked into next week, her hands rose into the air, and without hesitation, the shadows that set beneath the cluttered building of Ketterdam obeyed her movements.

 She never did take to the way her brother, as well as other Grisha, moved their hands to guide their abilities. She was swift, moving her fingers as though she were a puppet master and the shadows were her puppets.

 The darkness grew, covering the walls and gravel that surrounded them, and with a final sharp strike, the shadows flew from the walls in a cloud of billowing smoke. The vine of obsidian split into two, each one heading towards either of the Grisha, promptly wrapping around their necks.

 She was different from her brother, and so were her abilities, yet she had never told him... There had always been a voice in the back of her head telling her to abide by his rules, to follow his instructions and never display more; perhaps that was a good thing.

 Aleksa moved forward, the small blade that rested upon her own hip was now being twirled between her fingers, that is, until she struck twice.

 A line appeared on each Grisha's neck, scarlet liquid dribbled from it, tumbling to the floor, completely invisible against their long, black coats. The moment Aleksa called the shadows to return from whence they came, the bodies dropped lifelessly.

 There were small splatters of metallic smelling liquid resting on her cheekbone, but she didn't care, instead she walked towards one of the three that the woman with the knives had taken out; he was breathing, despite the nasty, bloody bump on his head.

 With deft fingers, she pulled the hood from his face and stared at him; Dejor. One of Alexander's trusted hearts renders was on the ground and at her feet. Her brows furrowed, "You three stole from them?"

 As her eyes made contact with the cane holder, she glanced to his side, seeing the expressions dusting his companion's faces; shock, fear... always with the fear.

 "Jesper stole from them." The woman announced, sounding like a tired mother, and yet her guard never faltered and her hand remained hovering over a very pointy knife.

 'Jesper' groaned, pushing his guns back into place, "I swear I didn't, Inej."

 "Jesper, I saw you."

 "I - Fine." He huffed, "I stole from them, but they said they were looking for something special, thought I'd try and find out."

 Something special. Aleksa guessed that their 'something special' was, in fact, herself. She shook her head, mirth at the interaction dating from her as she quickly looked back at the three that remained unconscious; she couldn't leave them there... not alive at least.

 "You -" The woman spoke again, and Aleksa couldn't quite help but notice just how many knives she was carrying, "You moved the shadows."

 Aleksa nodded, gauging their reactions, it seemed as though Jesper was trying his best to analyse her, yet he simply settled on nodding, looking rather impressed, if not confused. Inej was watching Aleksa's every move, ready to strike if need be... But that tiny ounce of fear that had nestled in her eyes was unmistakable; such an emotion looked out of place on her face.

 And the one with the cane, the one yet to speak was drinking in her words and actions, eyes darting to and fro as he figured her out. She left him to it, he'd find nothing, thus she directed her attention back to Inej, "I did."

 "You're a shadow summoner." The silent one finally spoke, readjusting his grip on his cane.

 Aleksa's lips twitched, and she tilted her head, "Yes, pretty boy, I am; I think you have my shadows to thank for being alive."

 "Pretty boy?" Jesper mumbled under his breath, completely amused.

 "You want me to thank your shadows?" The boy replied, raising a single brow, acting as though her little comment had never slipped from her lips in the first place.

 "Very much so." Aleksa grinned before shrugging her shoulders, her voice turning sultry, "Or you could repay me in some other way."

 That was what had Jesper snorting, clutching at his stomach as he let out a rather loud chortle.

 "I'm kidding." Aleksa spoke after allowing Jesper his moment to relish in her words, a carefree smile pulling at her lips, "I need a place to stay."

 "Do you now?" Pretty boy responded, taking a step forwards, his cane clicking as he did.

 Aleksa remained unmoved, her relaxed form obvious to each of them. There was no tight jaw or tensed muscles in her shoulders; she looked as though she was having just an everyday conversation, and not as though she had just summoned shadows and killed two men

 "Yes, sweetheart, I do. But don't you worry your pretty little heads; my shadows are yours if you can promise me a room, and a little fun."

 "I like her, Kaz." Jesper grinned, coming to her side and throwing an arm around her shoulders as though they'd known each other for years, "Plus, controlling shadows? That can be pretty handy."

 Kaz, seemingly pondered for a moment, eyes boring into Aleksa's as he made his decision; it didn't take a genius to see that this Kaz was the boss, the leader of his petit gang. Despite the fact that he looked as though the decision would be entirely his to make, he still looked to Jesper, waiting for the sharp-shooter to nod again, solidifying his opinion.

 Then Kaz looked to Inej, even if it was just out of the corner of his eye, and once the woman returned his look, one that was almost indecipherable and would have taken Aleksa time to dismantle, had she not been unknowingly trained by the most manipulative man to roam their earth, Kaz nodded once.

 "What's your name?"

 The shadow summoner's lips quirked upwards, knowing his decision had been made in her favour, "Aleksa."

 "Well then, welcome to the Dregs, Aleksa."

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03-06-2021

this is probably my LONGEST prologue, but i absolutely adore it; i think it's probably one of the best things i've ever written and i hope you all enjoyed it too. lmk what you think of aleksa so far, i'm curious.

anyway, thank you for reading, i wouldn't get your hopes up on an update soon, for my attention is primarily on my stephen strange story, but chapters will come eventually! ily all!