The Phoenix Summoner (ON HOLD)

5

Just as before, Anya was escorted by Ivan to another tent except this time there was an audience.

Grisha, First Army, survivors from the skiff, and General Kirigan all stood at the front and the sides of the tent. Anya stood in the center of the tent nervously looking around at the faces. She looked over at Zoya hoping for some kind of answer only to receive a shrug in response.

Anya heard shuffling behind her, and looked over her shoulder to see two guards bringing in the girl who saved her life by the arms. She looked scared and just as confused as Anya was. She was brought to the center of the room and placed next to Anya. Kirigan then turned around facing the two of them.

"Come closer." He said. Anya stepped closer to him while the other girl only stepped slightly.

"Closer." He said to the other girl noticing her hesitation. She took a few more steps until she was standing next to Anya again.

"Well?" He asked his gaze fixed on the other girl.

"Well what sir?" She retorted confused by his question.

"What are you?" She looked at Anya who wore and equally confused expression.

"Alina Starkov" She responded. "Assistant Cartographer, Royal Corp of Surveyors." Unsure of what exactly he was asking. A look of realization crosses her face, thinking of the reason why they pulled her in here.

"They're all gone...it's my fault. That's why I'm here isn't it?" Alina starts to hyperventilate. Anya reaches over to touch the girls shoulder hoping to calm her nerves.

"Answer the question." Kirigan demands. "What are you?"

"What are you hoping she'll admit?" Anya hisses, not understanding what Kirigan's motive was. He ignores her and continues to stare at Alina.

"A mapmaker sir." Alina finally says. The attendance around them laughs at Alinas answer, causing Anya to glare at all of them immediately causing them to quiet down. Kirigan thinks for a moment shifting his gaze between the two girls.

"So" he addresses the room "who actually saw what happened?" No one said anything for a solid minute, not sure if what they saw was actually real.

"Zoya?" He called tired of waiting for someone to answer. Anya looked over catching Zoya staring at her before quickly looking away.

"We were attacked barely two markers in." She began refusing to meet Anya's gaze. "Someone lit a lantern...the volcra went after our rifleman and our Inferni first. Then there was a burst of multi color light. It looked like a Super Nova exploding through the fold."

Zoya then turns her attention to both of them.

"It was them." She finally stated.

Kirigan approaches Alina with a look of intrigue etched onto his face.

"Is this true? Can you summon light?" He asks, making Alina more nervous as the interrogation went on.

"Why do you think she could of had anything to do this?" Anya said trying to defend the girl from Kirigan's interrogating gaze. "For all we know, it could've just been me you know the extent of my powers."

"Because whatever happened in the fold changed you, what you showcased earlier..." he trailed not wanting to give away the private moment the two had earlier to their audience.

"You're powers are growing, and I want to know why." Anya opened and closed her mouth a few times trying to come up with a retort but ultimately failing. She slunk back lowering her head to the ground. She felt a hand clasp around her own and looked over to Alina, the girl giving her a sympathetic look.

"Where did you grow up?" He asked Alina.

"Keramzin."

"And when we're you tested?" Alina said nothing in return not wanting to admit that she had hid from the testers the day they came.

"You don't remember?" He asked catching her hesitation.

"Well, let's just make certain."

He took the amplifier from his finger, and rolled Alinas sleeve up her arm. He started to make a cut down her forearm when a beam of light burst out of her arm. Anya stood there watching in awe with Alinas hand still gripped in her own.

Suddenly Anya felt that same surge of energy she did in the fold. She looked down and saw their interlocked hands begin to glow causing multi color tendrils to flow out of their hands. Anya watched as the veins in her arms begin to glow a bright yellow. She felt another surge and her body let out a wave of energy slightly knocking the audience. Her long brown hair began to float around her head, and she felt her eyes begin to change color. And just like that it had ended and everyone in the room looked at Anya mouths agape.

She looked over to Kirigan, to see him smirking in satisfaction, she looked back to the audience who all lowered to one knee while raising their fingers tips to their forehead then to their chest. Only one thought ran through her mind after what she had just experienced.

'What the hell am I?'