Starkov From Space

10. Set Upon

I was on my way back to the Little Palace, once more stuck inside a carriage full of awkward silence. However, this time I didn't wish to fill it.

It was a given I'd be heading back unmasked, my 'Sun Summoner' status unveiled but I'd hoped for Maksim to be safe. I had hoped he would have made it back in one piece. None of those things came true.

I couldn't imagine the pain real mothers went through when losing a child. These children were my charges. I had saved them from horrible situations and yes I knew that they'd be trained to be soldiers and that would be risky. However, the alternative was far more distressing outside the Little Palace. I didn't have the resources to raise them myself. I had to always remain on the move.

With my gift, I'd asked to always be able to find those I loved and wished to protect. I was able to create 'tethers' between myself and the children. Little help they'd been so far.

I wiped a tear that fell down my cheek. Irritated more than anything that I was showing emotion in front of the man who caused my pain.

"Great, now I'm leaking." I mumbled.

Fedyor had the good nature to chuckle quietly at my side before giving a small compassionate smile. My lips tried to mimic his but failed horribly.

Instead, I pulled the chain from around my neck with the buttons I had gotten off my lost 'kids'. I looked at each one caressing the symbols for each of their orders on each button.

I caught Fedyor's glance and I nodded towards the buttons pointing to each one, "Lesya, Kir, Maksim; the buttons are in order of when I lost them."

"All in a couple of weeks of each other."

My voice barely choked out my "yes".

The carriage stopped and I looked up surprised. The sun would be going down soon but it was still too early for putting up camp. Could it be the Drüskelle? Wouldn't they be too early?

"The Drüskelle I took out because of..." I took a breath, "Where was that? Where were Lesya & Kir? Were they nearby?"

Ivan spoke up on my other side, "They were closer to Poliznaya."

"Damn!"

As soon as the soldier opened the door I reached over and said, "Please excuse me, don't mind me."

I touched his shoulder and let out a sigh of relief as I saw a shimmer of a shield go over his whole body.

"Let me guess a giant log is on the road. Yep, we are about to be ambushed. Ok here's what we are going to do." I clapped my hands and all eyes were on me. "No more people on our end are going to die today, if they do I will probably go berserk. So please excuse me..." I touched Fedyor's shoulder, Ivan's and then did the same to the two oprichniki guards beside the Darkling. "You can shield yourself with your shadows right, or do you need one too?"

I sighed as I just got another one of his customary searching looks.

"You know what, I don't have time for this. I have a whole bunch of other people to shield." I felt my shielding ripple over me but still as I was about to go out of the carriage, the General grabbed my arm. "Let go. I believe I warned you earlier about something similar, don't make me follow up on it."

As we were doing a staring match the guard outside got shot down seemingly in the back of his head but then with a surprised shout wobbled back up. He turned with wide eyes towards me

I pointed to the soldier, "Yeah see that? The bullets will melt as soon as they hit your shields, the shields will also absorb most of the impact. Now wouldn't you like everyone to have these fancy shields so no one has to die?"

His slate eyes widened just a fraction and his grip slackened, I took the opportunity to jump out of the carriage. I looked around and ran to each non-Grisha soldier first and added the shield, ammunition could always run out for them and then they'd be sitting ducks. Then ducked and weaved between the flying bullets and made my way to each Etheralki and Corporalki adding shields as I went. Letting some know that they were bullet proof but may not be knife proof and to pass that on.

Once I got all the people I made my way back to the carriage and found that one horse was still alive and so I shielded him while checking if any other horses that the Grisha came riding on needed to be shielded.

By the time I finished I saw that the Drüskelle were retreating, but I realized that they wouldn't be gone for long. They were just regrouping most likely to attack at night.

I walked quickly up to Fedyor who was helping a fellow healer with a soldier who got knicked with an ax. I would need to figure out how to improve the shields but I shook my head and tapped his shoulder.

"How far are we from the camp we just came from by the Fold?"

He peered curiously at me before back the way they came, "Less than 5 ."

As I looked around camp I noticed there were several people limping or being treated for minor scrapes here or there. Nothing too serious but if we were set upon again, it would be safer if they were back at the encampment.

I quickly made my way through the Grisha and with barely a few questions transported them to the encampment. By the time I had sent all the enforcements back it was just Fedyor, Ivan, the Darkling and I left.

"What did you do?"

I was fanning myself. I was overheating was what was happening.

"I got everyone to safety. I can take you back to Ivan."

He stood up straighter like a loyal soldier and I just grinned.

"Now I only need to shield two of you."

Fedyor grinned, "...and the horses."

"Leave them."

All three of us turned to find the Darkling striding forward.

"Night is coming."

"Excellent!" I let out a sigh of relief. At last my favorite part of the day was coming, and it was coming just in time. I had used far more of my powers consecutively than I'd ever done before. I could tell my body heat was escalating in retribution. I was in no danger of death from my fever, if so I would have died long ago, however I did need to cool down soon before my touch started burning things.