Salem Starkov is Alina Starkov's cousin who like her is a cartographer for the first army but when they both unexpectedly enter the Fold on a mission they are both exposed as people of myth, but the real question is, is everything in the myths true?
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My name is Salem Starkov and I am not afraid, a phrase I often repeat to myself when I am feeling nervous or scared. "hurry up lazy" my cousin calls from in front of me as I climb out of there wagon that brought us to the first army camp near the Fold, Alina is looking up at the massive wall of darkness as I make my way over. I stop next to her and say "it's beautiful" she gives me a look and nudges my arm "you know if you go in there it is almost certain death right?" I nod my head giving her a grin "but it must have been an incredibly powerful Grisha to have conjured it" I explain. "we are never going to see it go away, this abomination is here forever" I hear someone say behind us, "you don't go to church" a girl's voice says "a Saint who can summon light will destroy it" the boy scoffs and retorts "right and the Grisha who can summon lightning will rule us all" these were myths we were told as children, I know every line of every myth ever written, its kind of my hobby. The one about the Lightning summoner is my favourite but I will tell you about that later.
"I'd like to see one person who isn't scared of that" my friend Marco says pointing at the Fold, "I bet I know someone" the girl says now in front of us "Mal. he isn't afraid of anything" she finishes and Alina and I share a smile "if only you knew" I mutter causing both of us to laugh. We link arms and head down to the camp to get settled "would you go on a skiff if you were asked?" Alina asks and I shake my head "not enough coin in the world" I joke and we stop looking around us and the people gathered. "Alina! Salem!" a male voice calls from behind us, we both turn and se Mal Ostrev our best friend from the orphanage where we spent most of our lives. He comes racing towards us, shrugging his jacket over his dirty shirt "when did you get in?" Alina asks and Mal answers "yesterday, everyone's getting their assignments" and we all start walking towards our tents, "suppose cartography's heading south" I muse as we make our way across the muddy ground, Mal slings his arms around each of our shoulder's and explains "I found it out 'cause they're putting my unit with yours again" our faces light up and I am so glad get to spend time with my best friend again. "they are looking for a way through the mountains" he explains and Aline say "so we're back together?" he nods and adds "they can't keep best friends apart for too long" and I see the hurt in Alina's eyes at being called a best friend, I know she likes Mal and of course Mal being a man he I completely oblivious.
"Corporal Orestev are you saying you miss us?" she asks playing off the hurt and our friend jokes "well, I need someone to take the fall for my petty crimes, that's all" I scoff and give him a playful shove making him fall into Alina who squeals. As we move further on my cousin frowns "oh they moved our tent" I look over and see that it is true which means we have to walk even further, "yeah, it's down that end now" Mal says. I glance around and say "so many First Army here. We look like a halfway house, accepting donations" this makes us all laugh and Mal says "actually I won't be accepting any donations" he pulls in front us and turns to face us "because I won this betting on a fight" he flashes a bit of money and I raise an eyebrow.
Alina takes it from him and teases "look at you. Flush with five whole.... Kruge?" this makes me snort "what are you going to do with foreign money? we're not in Ketterdam" he snatches the money back form the half She girl and says "don't crush my dreams" and I just give him a wink. "again" someone calls catching my attention and I glance over to my left to see a Grisha Inferni practicing their skills, bunch of show off's the lot of them. "This is why our tents got moved" Mal says his voice rough with distaste, "Grisha wanted more space" I roll my eyes and Alina says "ugh Grisha" none of us particularly like them, they are stuck up and think they are better then us just because they have gifts. "They are always picking on us when their general's not around" I muse and the other girl sighs "it's like home all over again". The orphanage was a horrible place to grow up, not because the adults were horrible they were actually quite lovely to me but the other children made mine, Alina and Mal's lives hell when we were there, because we were different from them.
We make our way to our tents and Mal says "it wasn't all bad. We learned some good life lessons back then" we giggle "care to share with the class?" I ask and he does "one, don't cry in public" I nod "hide your emotional breakdown for when you are alone obviously" Alina says and they start talking together and I step away making my way to mine and Alina tent that we share. They always do this, we will start talking all together and then suddenly I have been banished from the conversation like I am not even there, as though they forgot I exist. I am sitting in our tent lying on the for and I close my eyes thinking about our time at the orphanage and how we used to always sneak out to hide from the mean kids when the horn sounds for everyone to report to the main tent.
I slip in next to Alina and she smiles at me, a gesture which I return. "Most of you will continue north to the Fjerdan frontlines" the commander of the first army starts, he stands out not just because he is standing on a table but because of his snow white hair in a sea of black and brown, "or south to the Shu Han border. The Second Army, however, has a shiny new solution to our food shortage, and it sails tomorrow for Novokribirsk" the Ravkan town on the other side of the Fold, "of this model works" the commander continues "it means a full meal for everyone in this tent next week" my stomach rumbles and I think about the fresh food that will be transported here from the voyage, it has been a while since I have eaten anything that was at least a few days old. Perks of living in the army I guess. "it means bullets for your guns and sugar for your tea" he tries to inspire us but no one is exactly siked about the idea of crossing something that kills most.
"of course, they need our help bringing those supplies back" The commander says and I roll my eyes, of course there is a catch, wouldn't want to waste precious Grisha life. "So some of you will be assigned" he says looking out at the crowd Mal turns to us and whispers "there is nothing to fear. I will now be selecting names for what I call the nightmare lottery" making us both laugh although we still hod hands nervous for our friend. "For the supply run across the Fold" I hold my breathing hoping against hope that Mal's name isn't called, "Sergeant Yure Teplov. Tracker Malyen Orestev" my heart feels like it has been shattered into a million pieces, he turns to us fear in his eyes and I nod understanding that orders are orders.
