Salem Starkov is Alina Starkov's cousin who like her is a cartographer for the first army but when they both unexpectedly enter the Fold on a mission they are both exposed as people of myth, but the real question is, is everything in the myths true?
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That night I can't sleep so I lay awake, looking at the ceiling listening to my lightning crackle in my palms as my mind wanders one of the days when I was a cartographer, the day I met Marco.
It is a clear, bright, beautiful day but sadly I am stuck inside this tent where I will be drawing maps until my hands bleed. I am humming a tune to myself that Ana Kuya used to sing to me, to get me to sleep when I was little, "I know that tune" a male voice says from beside me making me jump. I turn my head and see a boy about the same age as me with jet black hair and eyes as blue as the sky, I cock an eyebrow "oh yeah? and where did you learn that? I thought only orphans know that song" he gives me a cheeky smile and flicks his hair from his face, "my mother ran an orphanage, I learnt the songs from her" I snort and turn back to my work "lucky you". For a few minutes he just stands there and watches me draw the map of the city we are currently in before he leans over and says "I have a trick to get this done faster" without saying a word and step back letting him show me his 'trick' and by the end I'm amazed. I give an awkward laugh and pull out another piece of parchment and look up at him "ok, now you have to show me how you did that" he smiles and stands next me "sure thing princess" I wince at the nickname and say "my name isn't princess. It's Salem. Salem Starkov" I offer my hand. He takes it and says "Marco Draqwn. Isn't Alina your cousin?" I nod not sure where he is going with this and he chuckles "her and her male friend are in the brig if you want to help them" my eyes go wide and I grab my jacket "bloody idiots" I mutter rushing out to see what Mal and Alina have done this time.
Then I remember that Marco is dead, killed by the volcra and tears form in my eyes, I miss him so much and the idea that he never got to learn who I truly am is heartbreaking. He was friends with a lie, a shell of who I really am and he never had a chance to see me as I am now, at full strength. The next morning I am awoken by a tap on the shoulder, groping I turn around and see Kirigan sitting on my bed looking down at me. Huffing I turn over and place a pillow on my head "I'm still mad at you" I say and I feels weight shift as he swings his legs onto the bed, "if you are mad at me that means you don't want to know what I have planned for us today" I frown, curious but I keep the pillow over my head "you can't bribe me Kirigan that's not how it works" I hear him sigh and he asks "not even archery" this catches my attention and I turn to face him, taking the pillow from my face. I have been begging him to teach me archery since I was some Fabrikator's working on arrow a few weeks ago and he said he didn't have the time, I sit up and brush my messy hair from my face "that's not fair" I say and an amused look appears on his face. "I knew that would please you" he says and I glare at him pushing him off my bed and signalling for the door "leave so I can change" and as he walks through the door I call "I still don't like you" and I hear him laugh through the door.
While I am bathing Genya appears in the door way with her kit making me fall back in the tub and groan "I hate tailoring so much, its so long" I say exaggerating a bit. She pulls up a chair by the side and opens her kit on her lap, she opens her mouth the spa but I cut her off "let me guess Kirigan said that he wants me looking my best" Genya smiles and starts to work on my dark circles "his words were, 'she is looking rather rough, you should freshen her up'" she imitates a male voice making me giggle. "That prick, he is lucky he is teaching me archery today or I might has struck him with a bit of lightning" I say and Genya smiles "you are the only one who get away with half the stuff you say to him. I think he has a soft spot for you" I roll my eyes and she pulls away long enough for me to get out of the water and into a gown, "I think if general Kirigan had a soft spot for anybody it would physically pain him. I'm just the only one not scared to call him out on his bullshit" Genya raises an eyebrow and says "most people would be hanged for questioning him" I shrug and let her finish her work.
Once I am ready I meet Aleksander outside of my rooms, he offers me his arm and like a fool I take it, smiling like an idiot. "ready?" he asks me a smile on his face too, I nod my head as he leads me down the hall "of course". Once in the courtyard I notice that targets have been set up to shoot at and there is a bow and quiver of arrows waiting for me. Eagerly I pick them up and sling the quiver onto my back, Kirigan steps beside me as I turn towards the target "alright Salem, lets see what you've got" practically bouncing with excitement I lock an arrow into my bow and pull back the string. Before I can let go however I feel Kirigan's grip on my arm as he helps adjust my grip, then he places his hands on my waist and adjusts my posture and finally he kicks my legs apart "now shoot" he whispers in my ear. I let out a breath and the arrow flies close to the target but a little too far right to hit, I curse and take the arrow Aleksander hands to me "again" he says and I do.
