The First Sun Summoner | The Darkling *on hold*

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖘𝖎𝖝

Astra was the worst at horseback riding. She almost fell, twice, while the Darkling flung through the wind. His back was straight, and he didn't have to make an effort to move. She had quietly yelled at her horse to move a few times but it didn't help.

Riding through the forest was even worse. Her horse became distracted by every tree, animal, movement, gust of wind, and every blade of grass. The Darkling was waiting for her in a big open area. She dismounted her horse and gave it a deadly glare while following the Darkling.

In the middle of a huge grass field, there stood a table, and next to it stood another one but full of food. It had the same things as she would normally eat at the little palace. The Darkling stood behind a chair and pulled it from the table. Astra said down on the chair he had helped her with and he sat down in front of her.

"So, Miss Éowyn..." The Darkling began. "You can call me Astra, you did it before." Astra had predicted a shocked face again, but his face was blank and as expressionless as it could be. "Of course, Astra. How is your staying at the little palace?" The Grisha had come around with all different types of food. Astra had said yes to everything she was offered, after that nightmare with the horse, the only thing she wanted was to eat.

"It's okay, I guess." It was more than okay actually, she hadn't lived better. Only carrying shame while striving for her main goal was hard. The shame that she was like now, she was dining with the Darkling, the one responsible for countless deaths. He wasn't directly the cause of the problem but would be the solution to Astra's anger.

She had done a good job by making many her friends, now that she was as good as powerless. If she one day took her vengeance, she would still need support, even from the old woman who had to train her.

The breakfast was like any other, he asked questions and Astra answered with simple and short responses. "You never talk about your family, what happened to them?" He then asked. Astra tightened her grip on her knife. Her teeth were clenched on each other and she didn't dare to look up or he would see the murder in her eyes. What happened was you. You and your unnatural ancestor.

Before the words could come out like adding fire to hell, she was saved. "If you can excuse me for a minute." He stood up and wandered towards the guards. Astra had put the knife she had been clenching in her pocket and took a few deep breaths. She couldn't wait any longer. She just had to get rid of the guards.

The Darkling came back and before he sat down, Astra jumped off her chair. "Let's go for a walk. We're surrounded by a beautiful forest and I'm not that hungry anymore." He nodded with a satisfied grin. "I'll tell the guards to-"

Not the guards!

"No, let's just walk with just the two of us. I mean, I'm sure you can protect us both." The Darkling seemed convinced and very pleased with the words. He told the guards and Grisha they could do what they wanted and then followed Astra into the woods.

They walked and Astra tried to get a conversation going. She began to feel doubt with every step she took, but that couldn't happen. Not when she had the perfect opportunity. He had to say something, something that would reveal his true self, the monster within him.

"I heard many stories about you, you must be a hundred years old" Astra said with false interests. The Darkling looked at her and raised an eyebrow, just then Astra had realized it wasn't the time to calm him old. "Not that that's wrong! I heard Grisha live longer than a normal person."

His eyebrow was still raised, "So Grisha aren't normal persons?" He asked. Astra's nerves were making it a lot more difficult. "No! That's not what I meant. What I just wanted to ask is, how old are you?" The brow fell back in place but no eye contact was made anymore. "A hundred and twenty." He said without any hesitation.