Growing up in an orphanage was not the best experience, but I was happy that I had my sister.
My sister, Alina, and I were very close before we were made orphans, before Mal. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate Mal.
Though he is the reason all three of us didn't get a chance to go train at the Little Palace in Os Alta.
I could have exposed my powers, but Alina didn't want to be separated. Though soon after, it became clear that she was never going to choose me over Mal, so I decided to leave.
I have now been in Ulensk for a few years. I've been training shadow summoning, and since I live so close to the Fold, I usually go down and visit the volcra every day, which is what I'm doing now. Being a shadow summoner, I see the volcra as children or close friends. I see them as the people they used to be, the people they still believe they are.
As I near the Fold I can faintly hear the beating of the Volcra's leathery wings. I gently step into the sands of the fold and watch as the darkness swirls around me.
After a few seconds a beautiful Volcra lands next to my feet and begins to nuzzle it's head into my calf.
"now, now, my little Timothy, where are your parents?"
Timothy screeches back at me, and I understand his answer, he tells me of a tragic story; He and his parents were simply minding their business, when they caught the smell of humans. They found the sandskiff and, due to the instincts the Dark One gave them, they began to attack. His parents attacked one of the men, attempting to drag him up and into the Fold's darkness, when a woman began to yell, calling out the name 'Mal' and suddenly there was a searing burst of light, that singed little Timothy's parents.
As he described the scene to me, I realized that it was my sister, my sister had killed two of the greatest people I had ever known, and I was not about to let her get away with it.
Not like when we were children and our parents let her get away with anything.
The anger began to bubble inside of me, consuming all rational thoughts. The small volcra backed away, startled by my mood change.
I immediately felt bad for startling him," I'm sorry, I promise you, I will avenge your parents my dear child."
As I reemerged outside of the fold, my shadows followed me, darkening the air around me, even as the sun shone at full brightness in the sky.
********
It's probably best if you read this on dark mode, but you do you.
I feel like it's really short, but I didn't want to get too far into the story on the first chapter.
(:
(I do not own Shadow and Bone or any of the characters, those belong to the beautiful and talented Leigh Bardugo)