No Mourners

THEY WATCHED AS TWO MEN INSPECTED ARKEN'S TRAIN. Hidden behind a cart, they had a clear view. It had been left just outside the fold. It made it easy for them to find, but just was easy for others to as well. Unfortunately that was exactly what happened. Still, it wasn't too much of a hitch. There were five of them. Two of the men. Once one left it was as easy as knocking the remaining man out.

The bigger problem was how to run it. They had the materials, but the rest...was questionable.

"Not to be that person, Kaz, but are you sure you can drive that thing?" Jesper asked, finally saying what the others had been too scared to.

"Yes," Kaz looked at Jesper like he was stupid. "Oh the way to Kribirsk, while you where busy hugging bait..."

"Milo. The goat's name was Milo," Jesper protested.

"I was memorizing Arken's timings," Kaz finished.

"Not to gang up on you, but Jes has a point," Inej said. Kaz glared at her. "Arken's  system was complicated and the ride was chaotic. No one would blame you for missing a count."

Kaz promptly missed the point entirely.

"Jes?"

"It's Suli, for friendship," Jesper said.

"Surprisingly, it's also Ravkan for goat hugging moron," Serafima hissed. "Just like Kaz is Ravkan for overly sensitive prick. We're all very sorry you didn't get a nickname, but can we please focus on the objective? We have enough coal and we know that's more than enough to get through."

"Actually —" Minke started. He yelped when Serafima kicked him. "I was just going to say the timing is very important! You can dump it all in at the end, yes, but not at the beginning. If you put it in too soon you won't have fuel to last and, no offense, I'm not sacrificing my coat for you again."

"Trust me. Arken and I think alike," Kaz insisted.

Serafima was about to point out this clearly wasn't the case. Otherwise Arken would have realized Kaz was setting him up with their 'Lynx flush.'

Unfortunately this comment was cut short by an explosion. Serafima turned back in time to see the train engulfed in a fireball. Pieces were thrown into the field between them. One even landed inches from Serafima side. She slowly reached over and studied the smoldering piece. Her brain refused to comprehend the sheer ridiculousness of the moment. The level of horrible luck.

"Too soon to appreciate the irony, am I right?" Jesper quipped. Serafima waved the metal piece at him threateningly. "Yeah, too soon..."

☼ ☼ ☼

THEY'D BEEN TIED TO A POST. It was almost as humiliating as being caught in the first place. Dangerous criminals, but they were just chain them to a post in a random tent with one guard in a chair. If Nonna could get her hands free...

Except she couldn't. They had been given about a foot of chain, allowing for movement around the post, but their hands were tightly bound together. Especially Nonna's. Between the hand cuffs and the rope, she was astonished it hadn't cut off the circulation to her hands. Instead it just chafed at her skin.

Mal tried everything to get lose. He'd pulled every which way by the time he finally gave up. Nonna had to make him. Otherwise he'd have ripped his shoulders out of their sockets.

The guard just stared. He knew it was pointless.

Nonna wasn't surprised when the guard slipped into unconsciousness. They'd were so doomed, she figured, he didn't even need to stay awake to watch them.

Then a child's face peered around the tent flap. They where dressed in the heartrender's back and red. Sveta. Nonna perked up instantly. She thought she was never going to see Sveta again. Not until they defeated Kirigan, at the soonest. Yet here she was. Standing right in front of her.

That excitement was short lasting. Sveta glared at them. It was then Nonna realized how Sveta must have taken her disappearing without a word, dumping her on Ebbe and Juliya and not telling her why.

"Whose that?" Mal whispered.

"Sveta," Nonna answered, before turning back to the girl. "Sveta, listen —"

"You where supposed to stay," Sveta demanded.

"I know, I know. If I could have brought you I would have, but I needed to leave as soon as possible," Nonna did her best to kneel so she could look Sveta in the eyes. "General Kirigan isn't who he says he is."

"I know...he hurt Alina," Sveta looked away. "He took her powers."

"What do you mean?" Mal demanded.

"I saw in his room. He had a collar made so he could control her powers," Sveta said.

Nonna tensed. The image was horrible. Their abilities were part of what made a grisha themselves. Taking control of their powers was like if someone suddenly possessed your arm or leg. Claimed your body as their own. Your free will was stolen, you where no longer yourself. Alina had accepted her powers only to have them be weaponized against her.

"Sveta, listen to me. We need to get out of here. Kirigan plans to weaponize Alina, and the only thing that stopped him was the fact he needed her to help willingly. Now je doesn't..." Nonna shook her head. "You need to find a way to unlock these. Please."

Sveta frowned. For a moment, Nonna thought she was going to disagree. Then she nodded and hurried out of the tent. Nonna let out a relieved sigh. Now they just had to wait and hope.

Hours later, Sveta would return with a goat. It was almost as big as she was and bleeding unhappily at being hauled around. The guard was still deeply asleep. Nonna watched in confusion and Sveta placed the goat in front of them.

That was until she pulled a bullet was hung around its neck. Mal understood when Nonna didn't. He snatched it from the collar and slammed it against his cuffs. There was a bang. The guard shifted, but then fell back into slumber. Carefully, Mal pulled the broken cuffs apart.

They could have done it easier. Keys were found in the guard's pockets, if Sveta had just thought about it. It didn't matter. They unlocked Nonna. With some effort they were able to yank the rope off. She rubbed her wrist and winced. There was no time to worry about sore wrists, however. They needed to save Alina.

☼ ☼ ☼

THEY HAD ONE LAST CHANCE. Take a skiff. It was dangerous on many fronts, but it was their only choice across the fold. Even better, one was being held in at the dry docks. It was meant to leave this morning, but with the arrival of an important visitor, it had been held back at his request. The general planned a special event for this crossing.

"The general?" Jesper asked. "Is thst the same general who tried to...oh, yeah, kill us all."

The very same. Serafima studied them. Jip's work had held up this far. Minke's scars were still hidden, their faces were still vaguely different. Their failing had come in the fact the general and his team had found them face to face, up close, and lacked any morals against murdering innocents in the case they were wrong. With some different clothes, a little extra work, and staying out of the way...

No. That was being too optimistic. Serafima had to think of the worse case scenario, which seemed to be the one that always happened for them. They were doomed.

"He has the sun summoner," Kaz said.

"Was this your plan all along?" Inej asked, her voice laced with irritation. "To have the general get her back so you can take her again?"

"That's not even possible. She'll be under lock and key, they won't let anyone near here after last time," Minke pointed out.

"My plan is to get us across the Fold. We aren't prepared for another fight," Kaz said.

"So you're not going to take another run at Alina?" Inej said. "And you're really willing to let a million kruge go?"

The group turned to Kaz. He sat in the desk's seat, where they all stood around him. Despite his insistence otherwise, none of them believed him. This whole 'giving up' deal was already a thin lie. The Bastard of the Barrel didn't give up. Not when he could see another chance to get his grubby little hands on his prize. For a moment, Kaz met their gaze with just as much defiance as they showed him.

Then he looked away.

"We can't do it without you," Kaz finally admitted.

"Been saying that since day one," Jesper said.

"And even if we could, I suspect a few others might refuse in solidarity," Kaz continued.

"'A few others' is me, if you're wondering," Minke raised his hand from the corner. Inej gave a grateful smile.

Kaz turned and glared at Minke before finishing, "And you've made your position perfectly clear."

"So all you want is to cross the Fold?" Inej asked incredulously.

"Once we land in Novokribrisk, it's your choice what you do next," Kaz said.

Inej looked between the others. They only shrugged. As much as Serafima hated putting their entire plan on one person, she couldn't disagree that Inej deserved it. They'd already failed to support her too many times. Now she wanted to leave.

"The sun summoner has benefits wether captured or not. She'll protect the skiff," Serafima added. "But we'll need disguises. Jip made all of us hard to recognize, but our clothes will give us away instantly."

Kaz paused in thought. Already an idea was forming. That was exactly how they liked it.

It was as simple as having Inej knock one man out. When those around him went to help, they fell too. Barely a minute and they already had five fresh disguises. Like stealing from a baby, except the baby couldn't scream about being robbed and no one gave a shit it even existed.

The group set about hauling the bodies into a hidden corner. No one would find them until the skiff was already gone. Only Kaz stood to the side, watching.

Are you going to help?" Jesper asked.

Kaz held up his cane.

"Oh. Well, isn't that convenient for you?"

They returned to their rooms. While Kaz and Minke worked on editing the papers to work under scrutiny, the others changed into their outfits. It worked...well enough. The only problem they ran into was Minke.

"This isn't going to fit," Minke said as he studied the clothes he'd been given. "Completely different build."

"Seriously?" Serafima took the clothes from him.

Minke was correct. None of the clothes would fit, actually. Unfortunately, it was all they had to work with. So they collected what clothes they could get to fit as possible and cobbled together a make-shift profit. He looked more like a drunk than a delegate, almost everything too small and short, but at least he wasn't walking in naked.

It would have to work. They didn't have a better choice.

☼ ☼ ☼

"CONSIDER YOURSELF LUCKY," the guard said as he check the paper of the people in front of them. "You're traveling with the Black General and the Sun Summoner, which means you are about to witness the destruction of the Fold."

"I'll consider myself lucky when I can get some proper clothes," Minke grumbled under his breath.

They had decided the best cover was for Minke to complain about the poor fit as loudly as possible. Make it sound like the clothes not fitting came from a usual cause, like an incompetent tailor. Not loud enough to make a scene, obviously, but enough that people understood that he was unhappy. Yes this was an odd appearance, it said, but he knew it and disliked it as much as they did. Nothing strange afoot.

Jesper was in the lead. It was how the line worked out. The moment of truth.

"I know. I look amazing for my age," Jesper said as the man flipped through his papers.

"Well, I thought you looked older," The man replied.

Jesper forced a laugh. The others went through without comment or complaint.

Whispers arose. They turned to see the general emerge from his tent. Next to him was the sun summoner, covered in a long, black cloak. Her face was drawn. She looked much older now.

"Did they do something to her?" Minke wondered aloud. "She looks like death."

The group turned to Inej.

"Not until Novokribirsk," Inej said.

So the plan was settled. They made their way towards the skiff...and the Fold.

A movement caught Serafima's attention. Instinctively she turned towards it. A goat, grazing in the camp's grass. White with black spots, a thin rope hanging around his neck. Almost like...

"Saints, is that Milo?" Serafima hissed.

Whatever goat it was, Serafima grabbed it just in case. For luck. The others where already on the skiff when she arrived.

"If I'm meant to die today, and any of you survive, make sure I have an open casket," Jesper whimpered.

"Here," Serafima dumped the goat in Jesper's arms. "Hug the goat. Consider this an apology for trying to kill him."

"Milo!" Jesper cheered. He buried his face in the goat's fur before deciding, "Well, I don't know about you, but I think our chances just went up. Maybe only two of us will die, and it won't even be me."

"No one's dying today," Kaz said. "No mourners."

"No funerals," they echoed.

Because there would be no bodies left for one, Serafima thought darkly.

☼ ☼ ☼

THEY HID IN THE BOWLS OF THE SKIFF. Yet even from there, Nonna could feel the shift as they entered the Fold. The light that filtered through the cracks in the wall disappeared. All that was left was the lantern that hung above them. Faintly, Nonna could hear volcra in the distance and foot steps inches above them. She didn't know which she feared most.

The hatch opened. Mal hurried Nonna and Sveta into a corner. Figures climbed down into the hull. The girl started to raise her hands, but Nonna hurried to push them down. Attacking now would give them away.

"This is a bad idea," one complained.

"I think it's rather practical," said another.

"What? Why?"

"I don't see how we step off this boat without you pulling those guns. So, cleaning them is a good idea."

Guns. They were armed. And, more importantly, something didn't want them on the skiff. The volcra? Or the general?

"I don't mean this. I mean this."

"Quit your whining Jesper," a new voice cut in.

"No, I won't," the first voice protested. A goat bleated. "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."

So they were afraid of the general. A good note.

"How many bullets do you have left?"

"Not enough."

"Charming," yet another voice. "Do you think it'd be better or worse if I closed my eyes?"

"Worse."

"Ugh..."

Thunder rumbled. Nonna tensed. These people where too noisy. They hadn't found them themselves, but if they weren't quiet they'd be caught by someone looking into the noise. Knocking them out would be dangerous, but so would be leaving them awake and loud.

They came to a stop. Light suddenly bloomed above. Alina.

Nonna peered around the corner. From this view, she could make out a group of five. Dressed like diplomats, but clearly not if their conversation was anything to go buy. Besides, they couldn't have any any older than her and Mal, much to young for diplomatic work. The most important where the boy with a gun and the tall one who clung to a goat for dear life.

"That's my goat," Sveta whispered, inches from Nonna's ear.

Nonna shushed her. Sveta sulked, but thankfully didn't go running in to save her newly claimed pet.

"What's our play?" Asked the one with the gun and the owner of the first voice. Jesper, if Nonna had to give a guess,

"We wait." Second voice. He was also armed, Nonna realized, a cane with a crow's head.

"For what?"

"For whatever the general has planned."

"You've figured him out?"

"Not quite. Consider the scenario. The sun summoner fled from his palace, now she's tied to the deck. We're sailing for a city where another Ravkan General hired Arken to kill her. And I saw his face as he boarded. I know that look. He's a man consumed with vengeance."

So, the one with the cane was in charge. Or at least he was the brains of the operation. More importantly, he had some insight int Kirigan's plan. He was the one to listen to if they wanted any chance of getting to Alina.

"So? What kind of revenge is he planning, exactly?" Jesper asked.

A knife appeared at Mal's throat. They turned to see a Suli girl crouched behind them. Sveta responded at once, but Nonna stopped her. Even the slightest movement and the girl would slit Mal's throat. They couldn't risk it. Not over something they could talk their way out of.

The girl nodded towards Mal's gun. He passed his gun, which she pointed to back of his head. She motioned for them to follow. They did.

"We know it requires the sun summoner, which makes her valuable to us," the leader said. "She's the one keeping everyone safe in here. We have control of her then we call the shots. We need to threaten her life."

"What?" Mal and Nonna blurted out. To their surprise, the girl joined them.

The others whipped towards them. The goat bleated, and the one holding him stroked his head in an attempt to calm him.

"Whose this?" Jesper asked.

"Give back my goat," Sveta demanded.

"Your goat?" Jesper turned to the girl.

"I found him first."

"I found him first," Jesper protested indignantly. "And I named him. He's Milo."

"Well, Milo's mine 'cause I said so."

"Sveta," Nonna whispered to the girl. "Maybe don't argue with the man pointing a gun at us."

"Why not?" Sveta glared up at her. "I can beat them all, and they're planning to kill Alina!"

"Saints, no one cares about the damn goat. Minke, give the heartrender the goat before she knocks you out again," a blonde girl ordered.

The tall one, Minke, glanced between Sveta and Jesper. His solution seemed to be to place Milo on the ground and see who he would go to. In the panic Milo went to neither of them. Instead he hid behind Minke's legs and chewed on the tail of his coat.

"Listen, listen, listen," Nonna stepped forwards. The first girl adjusted the gun to Mal's head, and Nonna stopped. "We aren't here to hurt you. We want the same thing, to get Alina away from the general."

They didn't believe it. Not in the slightest.

"I'll ask you again," Jesper asked, all thoughts of goats forgotten. "Who are you?"

"Mal Oretsev," Mal nodded towards Nonna, then to Sveta. "Nonna Ostrovsky. Sveta Shwetz."

The blonde girl did a double take. She started to stay something, but their leader stepped forwards.

"You know Alina?" The leader asked.

"I do," Mal said.

"Who's in control of her?"

"The general I'm going to kill."

"He's using a collar amplifier," Nonna explained. "Somehow he's made it so it doesn't just amplify her powers, but allows him to control them as well."

The words tasted like rot in her mouth, but as soon as they came out Nonna knew they were true. Why else would they have gone so long in the dark? Alina would have protected them as soon as they entered. The general had a plan. One that involved a show.

"Inej, give him his gun," The leader ordered.

"Why?" The Suli girl, Inej, asked.

"Because if they aren't with Kirigan's crew, they're with ours," the leader answered.

Inej handed over the gun.

"You're a heartrender, aren't you?" The leader asked Sveta. The girl nodded. "And you're willing to fight?"

"I'm a solider," Sveta said simply.

"I didn't ask if you were a solider. I asked if you were willing to fight."

Sveta nodded to that. It seemed to please the leader, and the plan was in place.

☼ ☼ ☼

ABOVE, THE GENERAL'S PLAN WAS ALMOST IN MOTION. They sailed through a tunnel of light. The shadow moved around it, kept at bay by a shifting wall of light. In the distance they could make out the waiting people of Novokirbrisk. They were almost there.

Then...they stopped.

"One more demonstration," Kirigan announced. He turned to the delegates, who watched with growing trepidation. Alina lunged to stop him, but her ankle was still tied. All her power, and she was still helpless. "You've seen what the sun summoner can do. Now bear witness to what I can do...with her power."

"Whatever it is you want me to do, I won't do it," Alina hissed.

"You've done your part. Now I shall do mine."

Kirgian held out his hands. There was a rush of air. The Fold rumbled. Then, like water breaking free of a damn, it rushed forward.

Screams rang through the air. Their opening was swallow as Novokirbirsk was swallowing in shadow. Horror fell over the captive crowd. Alina struggled against the collars control. She gritted her teeth as she forced a hand to the air and extended the light tunnel that protected them. It seemed to go on forever. As far as they could see, nothing but darkness.

"No you don't," Kirigan grabbed Alina's arm and forced her to her knees. Alina cried out in pain, but he only tightened his grip as he took hold of her powers. "They are traitor who tried to kill you. This is retribution."

Alina tore herself free. It was too late. They were forced to listen as the people of Novokirbrisk were torn apart.

Down below, the crows waiting.

"Kaz, you can hear him slaughtering a city," Inej plead.

"So you understand the scale of his power, then?" Kaz snapped. "Good."

"I can kill him before he even notices us," Sveta announced.

"You aren't killing anyone," Nonna said.

Sveta was only a child, too young to have blood on her hands. Too young to live with that guilt.

"The bold move is to strike now," Mal insisted.

"And the smart one is to get clear of the damned Fold first," Kaz retorted.

"But we won't," Serafima interrupted. The group turned to face her. "Don't you understand? You said it yourself, Kaz, he's out for revenge. He won't stop with one town, he'll swallow all of West Ravka, then slaughter everyone on this boat before than can stop him."

Mal whipped around and stormed off. Sveta ran after him before Nonna could stop him, and she was forced to follow. To everyone's surprise, Inej went as well. After that the others fates were sealed.

Kirigan was oblivious to all of this. He was too focused on his glory. His success.

"Today, we redraw all the maps," Kirigan paced the deck as he spoke. "With the power of the sun summoner at my command, I control the Fold. And it's monsters. I can move it to any border I like. Engulf any harbor. Consume any city. Take what you have seen back to your home countries. Tell the Fjerdans. Tell the Shu Han. There will be no more war with Ravka. All countries will answer to us. For who would oppose us now?"

The answer was Mal Oretsev, who happened to burst through the crowd at that moment.

Mal fired at the general twice. Both missed. Then he was brought down by heartrender guard.

"Keep him alive. He could be useful to us," Kirigan said. He bent to pick up the gun and yanked Alina to her knees. "Focus. You put your attention on the light that's keeping us all safe, or your friend dies now."

Alina spread her arms and forced the light up. The crumbled back to the deck. Distracted, she missed Kirigan stumbled. His eyes bugged. Unbeknownst to him, his enemies had fought their way to the sails and brought Zoya to their side. Already the winds where turning, and his organs were being destroyed by a heartrender's powers.

But there were more pressing matters. The delegates were growing restless.

"General Kirigan, this will only turn the world against you and all Grisha," one warned. "You'll be seen it as a savior, but as a heretic."

The heartrender turned to kill them all.

Kirigan doubled over at the same time. The panic finally settled in. He clawed at his chest as it tightened. The ship was moving faster. Kirigan turned to see Zoya at the main sails and, to his surprise, a twelve hour old girl crouched next to her, hands balled in fists. Heartrender.

No matter. Even as his body was destroyed, Kirigan could feel it heal itself. He raised his arm to cut them both down.

A bullet flew past. It hit his own heartrender and sent him reeling into the walls. The next went for Kirigan himself. He turned, the cut flying wildly towards the new attacker. Nonna dove past him to Mal. Minke followed soon after. She pressed her palms to his chest, trying to repairs the damage.

The heartrender raised his hands, only for Minke to catch his wrists. With hard shove, he drove the man back into the walls of the skiff, and then over into the darkness that surrounded them.

In the chaos, a single knife went unnoticed. At least until it embedded itself in Kirigan's chest.

The fighting paused. Kirigan ripped the blade from his chest. His blood ran down it's hilt.

"It will take more than this!" Kirigan bellowed. He threw the blade to the ground and held out his hands. The light was drawn towards him. "You stay in the dark."

Nonna watch in horror as the back half of the skiff was engulfed in shadow.

Serafima still waited down with Kaz and Jesper. As soon as the darkness fell, they ran for the squaller's post. They arrived in time to find Inej. Out of knives and cornered.

Kaz drove his cane into the volcra's eye and wrenched it around to face him. It shrieked as a bloody gash was torn through it's face. He shoved hard. The creature disappeared into the darkness. He continued swinging as they made for the latter.

Finally, furious, Serafima drew the last of her water and threw her arm at the creature. The water cut a sharp arc. Cries where cut short as the volcra were slashed in two. The mast, cut through at the middle, groaned and crashed to the side. The remaining volcra scattered, leaving precious seconds to flee.

Below, Alina drove a knife through Kirigan's hand. The stag's bone was freed. He screamed as he fell to his knees.

"Your first words to me where 'what are you?'" Alina loomed over the Darkling. "This is what I am."

The light expanded at Alina's will, washing over the entire skiff. Nonna helped Mal to his knees as they watched.

"How do you claim such power?" Kirigan demanded. "I am the one who killed the Stag."

"I didn't understand before, but I do now. You cannot claim what was not given to you. The stag chose me."

Alina folded her hands. The sharp protrusions that had broken her skin sank beneath it, truly part of her.

"You chose to betray our people," The Darkling hissed. "I was trying to save us."

The Darkling raised a hand. Before Nonna could stop him, Mal lunged. The two where thrown from the skiff and into the sand below. Alina ran for the side of the boat and Nonna followed.

"Stop the skiff!" Nonna waved to Zoya. "Stop the skiff!"

The skiff lurched to a stop. Volcra circled. In her panic, Alina had allowed the light to fade. It no longer surrounded Mal and the Darkling. She struggled to expand it once again. She managed just in time for them to watch a volcra swoop off with Kirigan in it's claws.

Mal ran for the skiff. Nonna caught his arms and pulled him on board. Zoya threw a wall of wind forwards. Just in time to send them breaking through the Fold and into the light.