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"Stop staring at yourself Jesper" Leo said in amusement as the boys twirled and pulled different poses from many angles on the mirror,
"You look fine" Inej told him and he scoffed,
"Oh, I look more than fine" he boasted,
Leo smirked at the boy and nodded with a thumbs up when he did a spin, showing his look to his fellow friend.
"I made some edits to their papers, should be enough to get us through the checkpoint and onto the skiff" Kaz informed them as he handed out their papers to one another,
Leo gave a quick glance at hers and gave it a shrug, 23, female, the age was a few years much but she would pass off fine.
However a sound of disappointment sounded from Jesper and he huffed "no one is ever going to believe in that old"
Leo almost laughed when Kaz was quick to reply "you tell yourself that"
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They were quick to pass the checkpoint, deflating Jespers who was as eventful as it got. But when Alina Starkov exited her tent with General Kirigan lock at her side the whole camp was in whispers.
She looked defeated, dressed in his colours.
Leo almost thought taking her would look less depressing that... that.
They quickly boarded the Skiff not long after and stayed in the back, out of eyesight and in the darkness.
The Arrow had to admit... the Fold didn't ever get any less creepy. Or any less dark and nightmarish from last time.
Jesper seemed to have the same thoughts "good news? It's just as terrifying as I remember"
"How is that good news?"
"Except this time we're going in fully exposed" Inej decided to kindly remind them,
"...again. How is that good news?" Leo was baffled,
"If I'm meant to die today, and either of you three survive, make sure I have an open casket" Jesper jested, and Leo snickered,
"If you die and I survive, I'm stealing your hat collection" Leo quipped and Jesper gasped in horror,
"No one's dying today" Kaz told them, staring at the darkness ahead "no mourners"
"No funerals" the two crows chanted, Leo opted out in saying their quote even when she knew it. She wasn't a fan.
The four took no time hurrying below deck as the entered pure darkness. Each getting as comfortable as they could in the cluttered uncomfortable space.
Jesper anxiously fiddling with his gun, checking bullets and cleaning the barrels.
He voiced his distaste "this is a bad idea"
"Jesper when is anything a good idea" Leo rolled her eyes in amusement,
Jesper perked up at that "oh! I don't know, when I get to blow stuff up and shoot things, or when someone's blows stuff up for me"
"I think it's rather practical" Kaz stated towards Jesper, gesturing to the hun in hand,
Jesper scoffed "what? Why?"
"I don't see how we step off this boat without you pulling those guns, or you those arrows" he nodded to Leo's bow and the remaining arrows strapped to her back. Jesper chuckled "so" Kaz continued "cleaning them is a good idea"
"I don't mean this" Jesper motioned to his gun and instead pointed up and around them "I mean this" he finished as a Volcra growled loudly in the distance and Leo's hairs stood on end.
"We are in the worst place in the world. On a ship full of people who want us dead, surrounded by monsters who want us in their gullets" Jesper stumbled out fast words before hissing out "I should have brought Milo"
Leo's brows furrowed "who's Milo?" She asked, but another voice echoed hers as Inej spoke the same words.
Jesper looked up from his guns, appalled look on his face and said "the goat!"
"How many bullets do you have" Kaz asked the fellow boy who answered,
"Not enough" Volcra shrieked and growled around them,
Kaz turned to Leo, who was looking up, listening to the monsters calling out and the sound echoing in the deck "Arrows?"
"Hm?" Leo asked, still glancing around at new sounds from the outside, fear creeping up her spine finally. "Uh, what Jesper said" she looked back at Kaz, slinging her arrows off her back "not enough" the case showed him 5 arrows left.
A loud bang sounded out from top deck and the whole Skiff shook with force, the shake was violent enough to rock Leo back and off balance. Yet a hand caught her, Inej.
But it left as quick as it came, once she was steady the warmth retreated from her arm like she had stabbed it with one of her arrows. And Leo couldn't help but want to reach out and hold it tight.
She looked up through the gaps in the wood floor to spot particles of light parting a way through the darkness that invaded them,
'Oh. That's what that was'
"So. What's out play?"
"We wait" Kaz instructed,
Jesper gave him a look "for what?"
"For whatever the general has planned"
"You figured his out" Leo asked from her spot at the back, and Kaz shook his head,
"Not quite. Consider the scenario. The Sun Summoner fled from his palace, now shes tied to the deck. We're sailing for a city where another Ravkan general hired Arken to kill her. I saw his face as he boarded" he glanced towards Leo "I know that look, he's a man consumed with vengeance"
"See it enough in the mirror, do you?" Jesper joked, but Leo stiffened at the words. She knew Kaz had no limits when it came to revenge. "So, what kind of revenge is he planning exactly?"
"We know he requires the Sun Summoner, which makes her valuable to us. She's the one keeping everyone safe in here, then we call the shots"
Leo was briefly listening to her words, Jespers joke still festering in her mind. She had been on the end of Kaz's revenge, blinded and outraged by actions of her own. Even if they weren't intentional, and yet the consequences were permanent on her body. Nothing could fix it.
She blinked several times to bring herself back into the room, looking up to see Inej with a blade to a boys neck. His hands up in surrender, clearly not wanting to have his neck sliced.
"Who's this" Jesper asked, gun pointed and Leo took a step towards them,
"Who are you?" She asked,
"A stowaway" Inej switched to the own boys gun to keep clear from him "why pick this of all skiffs?"
"To kill the General and save Alina" he said with confidence, Leo scoffed with a smirk,
"That wasn't the question we asked" she smiled condescendingly "who are you?" Jesper cocked his gun,
"Mal Ortesev"
Leo walked towards him, the two boys following close behind "you know Alina?" She asked,
"I do"
"Who's in control of her" Kaz questioned,
"The general I'm going to kill"
Leo rolled her eyes, big ego boy. Great.
"Inej give him his gun" Kaz ordered,
"Why?"
"Because if he isn't with Kirigans crew, he's with ours" and Inej, with no further questioned she held it out for the boy and with a nod of appreciation from him, they had another alliance.
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All was fine. Until the skiff came to a stop whilst till invaded in darkness.
"What's he doing" Inej questioned but Kaz quickly quietened them all,
'One more demonstration, you've seen what the Sun Summoner can do. Now bare witness to what I can do... with her power'
The Generals voice could be heard from below, and Leo cursed at the obvious chaos that was about to ensue. Maybe she did need those arrows after all.
Suddenly, the small slithers of light from the sky's on Novokribirsk starts to wither away and darkness encased them once more. Leo craned her neck to see any form of action from the deck above.
The Fold was growing. Like a sponge in water.
"...shit" Leo dragged out her words as she watched the chaos ensue above,
"I second that" Jesper agreed, also not taking his eyes from above... he looked towards Kaz, lowering his guns "what now"
Kaz sighed "we wait"
"I'm sorry what?" Leo said sarcastically giving Kaz a side eye which he chose to ignore,
"Kaz, you can hear him slaughtering a city" Inej fumed,
"So you understand the scale of his power, then? Good" he hissed back at her, and the tone he used with the girl didn't sit right with Leo,
She put her hands up and said "woah, chill. Inej has a point-" he turned to glare at her and she glared back "oh, don't give me that look you brooding bastard" she smirked as he clearly fumed more,
"The bold move is to strike now." A voice diverted the glares from one another to behind Kaz,
"Oh great, even the stowaway has the good idea" Leo rolled her eyes with a sigh,
"And the smart one is to get clear of the dammed Fold first"
Leo noticed the speck of mischievousness in the boys eyes as he started to leave "I never said I was smart" he said... smartly,
"Can you believe him?" Jesper muttered as they all watched the boy leave the hiding spot,
Inej sighed, grabbing her daggers and spoke to the three "I'm going with him" and Leo's eyes widened and watched as the girl ran out,
She sighed looking down at her feet then grabbed her arrows and her bow, strapping them on her body "guess that's my que" she mumbled,
"It's dangerous" Kaz reminded her as she began to leave,
She turned back to glance at him saying "I live in the Barrel" the sentence spoke for itself and she climbed out, arising on the deck full of important people and Grisha from the little palace.
She crept forward finding Inej but not saying a word. Keeping behind her to watch on,
"With the power of the Sun Summoner at my command, I control the fold" the General began and Leo was dreading the fighting that was no doubt going to start. The horrible sickening feeling pooled in her stomach and tightened in her throat, her hands feeling tingly. She reached into her pants pocket to feel the familiar object that got her throat most fights. She grazed her finger over the familiar i graves letters and took a deep breath.
"There will be no more war with Ravka" the Darkling's voice was hazy, blurred noise in her ear. He eyesight blurred and her knees unsteady though the Skiff was at a standstill.
Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe she should've listened to Kaz, she clearly hadn't learnt her lesson on that. Maybe staying hidden was safer. But Inej... she couldn't sit still whilst the girl fought above. She'd panic, she'd fret, she'd-
A hand clutched her wrist, a tight hold, a warm hold. Reassuring hold. Without looking she could tell Inej's small delicate hand was clutching her wrist. Leo didn't want to look, she'd be defeated.
So she took a deep breath and looked ahead, then and only then did Inej let go.
And hun shot forced Leo to look up as Mal ran out of the crowd, gun pointed at the General bullets blazing.
Leo cringed as a Heartrender effected him, causing him to fall. No more bullets for the General.
Leo glanced up, spotting a Squaller climb towards the sails. Clearly the General was convincing anyone here.
When another Grisha come to confront the girl Leo blinked several times when Inej come up behind him and held a knife to his throat.
Leo was stunned, glancing where Inej once was staring at the empty space in shock.
"When I'm the saints did she move?" She questioned in shock to herself before racing to the sails,
Grabbing the handrail to give herself a boost up the steps, 2 by 2 at a time, she was glad she arrived when she did.
The Grisha man had Inej by the neck, pinning her to the floor spitting out "Do you think I need special powers to end your life, Wraith"
Leo fumed, marching towards them "well the Wraith has back up-" she sent a powerful swinging boot to the man's face, sending him back and to the ground "so I'd say your little power are pathetic" she unhooked her bow and jabbed him in the chest, sending him down once more and he tried to stand.
Inej stood and hung by next to Leo staring at the man as he stood. They braved themselves for a fight, and a fight they received.
They worked as a team, as if the tension disintegrated the second the climbed the stairs.
Leo delivering blows with her bow, the wooden weapon with blades on the end causing an impact harsh enough to knock him back. The Kefta he wore was bulletproof meaning the blade won't penetrate them.
Inej was avoiding his hits and delivering her own with then blunt of her daggers, he blocked one to the face and he flipped her round and onto her back before he spun back to Leo who was recovering from a harsh right hook that split her brow.
But now she was back on her feet and ready to swing, and swing she did. Her bow now knocked to the side she used her fist and swift, quick movements as an advantage. The man had a bigger build slowing his hits and swings, a disadvantage she spotted when he threw the first punch.
But he was good. A well trained fighter.
But all well trained fighters have limits, when trained they are told what to do, and what not to do. They had rules to follow, moves they didn't learn due to these rules.
And I'm the Barrel. Rules didn't exist. Leo's advantage.
She headed straight for his legs, his build meaning he takes longer to get back up. A boot to the kneecaps dropped him to one knee as she delivered a right hook to his face that was left unblocked as he used his hands to stop his fall.
The punch didn't effect him much however and he gripped into her legs and yanked her down to the ground, her back hitting the wooden floor with force and knocking the wind out of her. She coughed and sputtered as she gasped for air to enter her lungs. His attention back on Inej.
She rolled to the side, her arm stretching out to grab her bow. Her fingers grazing the wooden weapon that was just out of reach. Gathering her strength she crawled an inch more, a deep sigh leaving her and her hand gripped the wood tight.
Any strength she had left was used to scramble to her feet.
Leo's attention was back to the fight, where the Heartrender had Inej in a hold, her chest being squeezed and her heart slowing down.
Leo stopped thinking as she shouted "SQUALLER!! Need a little wind held!" She didn't know if the girl would listen as she swung the wrapping with force towards the man's face, hitting him hard and knocking him out cold.
And the Squaller had heard her, she knew as she watched the man's body fly from the deck and land in the mist of the darkness.
The two turned to the Grisha above them "help me stop him" she said before she turned straight at Leo "and the names Zoya, never call me Squaller again"
Leo nodded completely out of breath "noted"
The Skiff began to move back to land, and the General started screaming "ZOYA!"
"Ahh yes, your name's definitely Zoya-"
A gun shot rang through, hitting the Heartrenders bulletproof Kefta and Leo knew Kaz and Jesper had entered the fight.
A swirl of darkness sharp enough to cut through stone was summoned and thrown towards the direction of the bullets, and Leo had no doubt the boys were smart enough to run for cover. Well, Kaz was anyways.
Inej and Leo ran to the balcony, pulling out a dagger Inej launched it into the generals chest.
He looked shocked, but that didn't stop him, he removed the digger and threw it to the side "it will take more than this!"
Leo pulled back an arrow and let it launch, soaring through the air and penetrating his shoulder, cutting his words short. Yet he didn't the same thing with the arrow.
With a small movement with his hands the darkness spread over the back end of the Skiff. Leo, Inej and Zoya were encased in total darkness. And Volcra.
Leo and Inej shared a look, fear. The Fold was a scary place. Volcra was scary monsters. But fear was not something they could risk.
Leo looked to Zoya "Squaller, keep moving"
Zoya huffed "my name is- Urg nevermind" and she began to move the Skiff once more.
But that's when it went even worse, a Valcra swung down and Zoya was send soaring down to Inej and Leo's feet and knocked out cold.
Whilst Inej checked on the girl, Leo kept her eyes in the skys. She quickly unleashed and arrow and placed it between the string and wood, latching it back and preparing herself whilst Inej took out her daggers.
One by one they shot arrows and threw daggers, lodging the weapons in the Volcra above swarming them. The vicious beasts dropping from the air around them.
Leo was following one above as it flew around with her bow, her eyes squinting as she got a good aim. Her aim was thrown of and her legs became unstable and the Skiff shook under weight. The arrow shot into nothingness.
She turned and spotted the reason, a large Volcra staring Inej down. An unarmed Inej, daggers used up.
With no time to think, and no time to lacy another arrow, she grabbed the only thing she could find. Tossing it at the Volcra and inhaling it's head, killing it and causing it to fall off the Skiff.
Inej was stunned as she watched the now dead Volcra drop from the railings with a dagger lodged through its skull. Her dagger. The one Leo had taken from her the day they had met. The one that was intended to kill her, just saved her life.
Ironic.
Inej looked at Leo in shock, her face displaying so many emotions that Leo couldn't keep up. It looked as though Inej was going to run towards the girl when a blast of light distracted her.
Alina Starkov had gained her light once again.
The two watched as the light bested the darkness, the tentacles of light connecting all around them. An endless circle, when one would die off another would take its place.
The two girl watched it awe, heads craned up to look above them.
Maybe things could work out after all.
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SHEEESHHH
Long ass chapter- probably many mistakes, but please just scan past them. I might edit them once Iv finished this first season but I'm lazy soooo we'll soon see.
What did y'all think?
How r u all?
Anywhoooo,
How much I cried for this poor woman in the second season- 😭