Nikolai Lantsov gathered the crew in one room, Inara stood at the back, leaning on a wall and listening to his words.
"Thanks to navigation from our Summoner's tracker friend here," Nikolai looked at the tracker, Mal looked annoyed "we've traversed the Bone Road to the island of Jelka. As for the Sea Whipb, we have some storybook drawings, no telling what it really looks like. Rule of thumb for the unknown," nikolai walked further and revealed many weapons, he grinned "come prepared!"
They all stared at it, Mal looked amused "Are all pirates this well-armed?"
"Privateer" Nikolai said, clearly tried of hearing people calling him pirate instead of privateer, a small smile formed on Inara's lips as she recalled the day she first heard him say that, he glanced at her then back at Mal.
"I don't know the difference" he admitted.
"The difference is I have a license. And a healthy love for innovation. Gadgets, marvels, things that go boom. Anything pique your interest?" he asked Mal, "Yeah".
"Well, take it, for our excursion".
Mal picked a good one.
"You have excellent taste in weaponry, Mal. The cables Fabrikator-made. Tensile strength of 80,000, yield 50" Nikolai informed him, Inara got closer, she positioned herself near the table, where Tolya sat.
She took out her longest knife and began to sharpen it as much as she could, making a weak sound as she did.
Her attention was fully on the knife before Nikolai spoke "When people say impossible," she looked up meeting his eyes, that looked like sinking ships on waters "they usually mean improbable".
He's never going to let go off of that, is he?
He looked away, her heart quickened but nothing on her face proved that, there were time he would call her Vensik, others where he called her by her name, which were rare.
Same thing goes for her, she would call him Lantsov, Nikolai or Sturmhond, he just cared that she called him.
"So we'll go in quietly, on Miss Starkov's orders, to injure it for your death blow".
Alina immediately spoke "I'm nor killing it".
The room went silent and still, Tamar replaced her weapon in it's place, Inara stared at the young girl.
"You have to kill it, to claim its power. That's how amplifiers work" Tamar implied, Alina shook her head "It wasn't with the Stag. I think I can do it without killing it".
"So you've never tried it before?" Ianra asked, Alina shook her head and then Nikolai spoke "As...as lovely as that sounds, I'm not sending my crew in to tame a mythical beast with nets and good intentions".
"This is the job you were hired for, privateer." Alina said truthfully and looked around "We capture it. Alive".
They all turned their head as they heard a loud male voice "We've reached the island".
They all exited the room and walked outside, Inara stood beside Tolya staring at the island before her eyes.
Looks promising.
"Well, that's not foreboding" she heard Nikolai say.
The island was covered in every shade of dark Grey clouds, thunder ringing through their ears, "It could be anywhere in there" she agreed to what Tolya said.
Inara did not take her eyes off of it as they got close and closer by the minute, the thunder louder, the sight blurrier than before yet she did not feel anxious.
"We enter through that one" she head Mal instruct, she nodded.
"You sure?" Tamar asked unsure, "There's a frequency, I've heard it before. It's in there" Mal responded, Inara eyes him quickly, how was it possible? He found the Sea Whip with ease and the confidince in his voice was not mistaken.
She has never met anyone like him, Grisha or not.
Who are you really, Mal?
"You heard him. We're going ashore!" Nikolai yelled before walking away.
"Well, this one is going to be fun" Inara said referring to the 'mission' staying where she was both siblings nodded before the three of them walked away.
Inara stepped in the cave water wetting her completely as she fully placed her feet in the water.
She walked along with the others quietly, the water soaking her boots, her tight braid kept her hair from falling in front of her face, she walked in front of Alina and Mal.
The cave was dark, but not dark enough to not be able to see anything, they moved a bit further before stopping at Nikolai's command by raising his gun, Inara's hands went for her knives.
"That could be it".
"Grevyen, tell me. Anything in the water?" Nikolai asked, the mna stepped forward and checked, it took him a moment before giving an answer.
"There are holes in the cave floor, so be careful where you step. Otherwise no" Inara looked down after hearing his words.
"No, you can't tell, or no, there's nothing in there?"
"Whichever makes you feel more comfortable" Tolya said, Inara thought he was trying to convince himself.
"Comfort's overrated".
They took a few more steps before hearing a screech, and when they did hear it, everyone took their weapons out, Inara took out the long knives and held them in front of her, she shared a look with Tamar as the noises were still there.
Some thing's here.
The creature appeared, grabbing onto someone and pulling him up with it, who ahd guns shot without succeeding.
"Drop the nets! Aim to kill!"
"No! Don't!" Alina cried.
"I couldn't see it."
"It's toying with us".
"Conserve your ammo or we'll be dry by the time we need it" Nikolai ordered, Inara looked around her, the silence terrified her.
That silence was broke by The Sea Whip dragging down the man behind Alina and Mal, "No" Alina screamed and backed away, Inara was now behind her, her tight girp around her knives caused her knuckles to whiten, she slowly looked up to see a dark figure and heard Mal's voice.
"It can camouflage".
The creature screeched before rushing toward Alina, Mal pushed her aside leading the creature to go beneath the cave floors. Inara stood back up, and now they were in a deformed circle, every one of them looking somewhere for the creature.
"It sound like it's everywhere".
The creature popped out of the water, flaring it's skin before attacking Mal, Inara went to attack it but was pulled back by a strong arm kevaing the creature to attack, luckily Mal's rifle kept it from eating his face, suddenly a flash of light blinded them, Ianra stared as Alina sued her power, the light blue going through the Sea Whip's brain until it sunk in the water.
Everyone breathed heavily, "It's dead".
꧁꧂
She stayed in the infirmary. Away from everyone as soon as she felt something wrong with her.
She made sure nobody saw her leave, as rushed inside the room and closed the door once she stepped in, her whole body ached, sending joilts that felt like electricity through her body. She groaned and pressed her hands over her mouth, withholding the screams she longed to let go.
She gripped the edge of the table as her knees gave out causing her to stay on the floor. One hand over her mouth on gripping the edge of the table tightly, the pain was excruciating, yet no tears were shed.
She forced herself to the mirror, her body aching with every movement as she stripped out of her top clothing, she turned, the veins on her back were black, she immediately wore her clothes and only when the pain started to faint away she heard someone.
"Hello, The Moon Summoner".
She turned around and found no one but darkness, the table was not there, the mirror was the only thing that was left of the room, the windows disappeared, the door was not there.
She looked around, breathing slowly.
"It took me years to find you" his voice was deep.
"Who are you?"
"Look". She turned to the mirror and a figure appeared behind her, the same man from the poster, The Darkling , she went for her knives only to find nothing, he laughed.
"I won't hurt you".
"Many people have said that to me".
"We're they lying?"
"Yes".
"I am a man of my word, Inara Vensik" hearing him pronounce her name made her feel sick to the stomach, she stayed silent, his hand went to her hair, she couldn't move, as much as she tried she was paralyzed, she felt his hand once again stroking her long hair, "Join me. I promise you freedom-"
"I am free".
"You were never free, Inara Vensik. You have been never free, they will have your head. The world is now desiring your death like they always did, they are searching for you, not unless they understand how powerful you are, with me we will be invincible". And with that he let go of her hair and disappeared, she fell on the floor, her eyes closed, her nails dug into the palms of her hands.
She opened her eyes and was relieved when she saw the table, the door, the windows.
He has found me.
She jumped as soon as she heard a knock.
She tucked her hair behind her ears, and made her way to the door. She opened it only to find Nikolai.
"I about to go to sle-"
He gently grabbed her and walked inside, turning the light on and closing the door.
Once he let go of her he spoke "You missed the show".
"Wha- Oh the amplifier. It doesn't matter, anything of shocking? ",she rubbed her temple as she spoke looking everywhere but him.
"I was almost blinded" he walked around the room.
But he kept on speaking "Her light, it didn't bother your eyes in the cave".
"No, I'm the Moon Summoner, even my own light doesn't blind me, Lantsov".
"We're going through the fold first thing tomorrow" he said.
Inara nodded, she thought of the Darkling's words, but what if she did help Alina with the fold?
"I could help with tear-"
"It's dangerous".
"I know"
"It doesn't seem like you know".
He looked at her as if he was waiting for something.
"He has found me, Nikolai".
"It can't be".
"I saw him, he knows about be being the Moon Summoner. Inara Vensik, he knows my name. " she said, and what bothered Nikolai is that Inara tried her best to not look bothered, yet her eyes spoke instead of her mouth.
Nikolai had nothing to say.
She said all she had to say.
"I don't think I care whether people wish for my death anymore, but as long as I help with tearing down the fold, helping people, I'm at peace with the thought of death welcoming me in it's arms, I've learned to accept and embrace that, Nikolai. And if I accepted it years ago I could do it now".
"I do" that was all he said before leaving the room.
How could she be so careless he thought.