Manipulative souls || The Darkling (English)

Chapter 2: The burden of the past

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Darkness, like an inconsolable child, embraced him. She followed him every step of the way, so many centuries back. Kirigan knew that he would not be able to live without that darkness, she was a part of him, that power attracted him more and more, and although at the beginning he could not resist it, now he did not want it anymore. He had control over everyone, everyone feared him and obeyed his will, he was their superior, even a bird could not fly over the Little Palace without his knowledge.

But she, Nadya, was a mystery, pulling the strings of her destiny in her favor. There was no fear in her dark eyes, so different from the innocent girl who handed over her life to him only four years ago and stayed to spend the rest of her life with him. She challenged him, was too loud, and yet crawled under everyone's skin. He saw the respect and love that everyone gave her, she was adored. She was a ray of sunshine in a sea of ​​storms and cold and refreshment in a wave of heat, she was a real sea muse, but not for him.

His life is dark, he tried to forget the gloomy past, the years of losses and unjust struggles, he tried not to think about the future, Nadya could not have a future with him, at least not as she imagined. But they were bound to each other, bound by that vow and that urge that drew them to the other. He remembered her face that first night, she was just an ordinary girl, growing up between walls shrouded in gold and jewels, but still with a bunch of traumas from the early days of her childhood. Those scars never healed, but she never talked about it, not with him. They were strangers, who got to know each other through the words of other people, but secretly knew about each other's fears, hopes and goals.

When he entered his war room, he slammed the door angrily. She threw him out of step and got angry, as every time they would argue. He didn't always know the reason why she was attacking him, but she did it more and more often and it became his usual formality, which he had to overcome. If it was any other person, he would have thrown it into the Fold without thinking and left it at the mercy of Volcras, but Nadya was left to him by the queen herself and he knew she must not miss a hair of her head. He didn't understand why she was so important, but the years he spent with her taught him that Nadya knew how to adjust very quickly and that if she wanted to she would figure out a way to make his life harder, so much so that he wished he hadn't even been born. Every day was a challenge for the two of them, he used to see that reflection of innocence in her and recognize the pure soul that existed before him, and then at the same moment her face would change her expression and coldness radiated from her.

He sat at the head of a long table and tried to get unnecessary thoughts out of his head. Each crossing of the Fold was more dangerous than the previous one, each time they would lose many talented grishas, and he could do nothing to prevent it. The war room was dark, as was his soul, which did not calm down, not until he found one that could help him finally liberate the whole of Ravka, a myth that has permeated many history books for years but was not seen even before his existence. He carefully observed the large maps of Ravka, which were all over the wall, made in the old-fashioned way, with heated ink on animal skin. He was looking for another way, a way to avoid so many losses, but he was aware that there was no other, safer solution, they were surrounded, Fjerda in the north and Shu Han in the south, and he knew they would attack them without thinking and try to kill them, if they stepped into their territory.

Shadows played around him, and he was unaware of anything around him. He was selfish in so many situations, he was bad in the eyes of others, he instilled fear in his enemies, and yet he was powerless to remove what everyone feared, the Shadow Fold. How many of them have just lost their family, friends, their partners in that dark place, where there is no life for anyone, except for the monsters that roam those waves of darkness. Reality struck him when he heard a bang on the huge ebony door and a man in a red kefta embroidered with black thread, which made it clear that he was one of the Heartrenders, stepped into the General's chambers and bowed slightly.
"Ivan, is everything ready for the trip?"

The tall grisha approached for a step and in a clear voice from which there was no hesitation gave information to his superior.
"Yes, moi soverennyi, your carriages are ready and everyone is waiting for your order to leave." Kirigan nodded briefly and got up from the table and looked at the map where the Fold was clearly drawn and ran his long fingers over the rough paper where the word Kribirsk was written.
"What is the situation at the border? I hope there was no problem? "

"No, General, everything is as it should be, everything is going according to plan. They are waiting for you, and then they are getting ready to cross the Fold. "- Kirigan gathered his dark eyes, every time every detail was planned very carefully and for a very long time, he knew that everyone prayed to the Saints that the Sun Summoner would soon appear and finally deliver them from that shady, terrifying place, which for centuries had brought only suffering and pain to people. The Unsea. He knew that people had imposed another name on him in order to appease soldiers and merchants and encourage their crossing. But even with a different name, what was inside him was real and he did not hesitate to hurt someone, be it otkazat'sya or someone of grishas.

"I don't want mistakes, otherwise someone will pay for it with their head. We had enough losses last time, Ivan. "- he spoke coldly, but at the same time he had that commanding voice, which showed that he knew what he was doing, that he had gained enough experience and knew what he was facing. He wanted to protect his people, no matter the price others have to pay. This attitude did not please many, but they knew enough about him, terrible stories circulated about what he was able to do to those who oppose him.He was known for his enemies by his unique name, as was every Shadow Summoner before him, the Darkling. And he did not know about mercy and mercifulness.
"I understand, moi soverennyi."

The General turned to Ivan and now that he was satisfied with the information about the situation at the border, his face was still serious, but he looked somehow more relaxed, as if he believed that this time everything would be better. That the Saints will finally have mercy on them.
"And the situation here, in the Little Palace?" - Ivan looked at his superior in confusion.Although Ivan was one of the most important people in the General's army, he could not know everything that was happening within these walls, but the gossip spread faster than the light and every word, every voice is known. He was embarrassed to talk about what was spreading through the Little Palace that morning, and that was the General's specific relationship with Nadya and their new quarrel. Ivan realized that it was all one cycle, with them everything revolved in a vicious circle, the echo of their debates was heard and spread throughout the Palace, and then there was a lull and when the word about it subsided, a new storm arose.
"I don't understand, General?"

Kirigan laughed sourly, and his dark eyes, like the darkest night, looked amusedly at his Heartbreaker, who knew exactly what he meant and knew what was spreading through the hallways and these walls as they talked.
"Ivan, you know very well that I cannot stand lies. Don't lie to me! "- Ivan watched the General carefully and felt his rapid heartbeat and he knew that he should not tempt him.
"If you think about the situation with Mrs. Nadya, the whole Palace is talking about your debate." - he tried to soften what was being said, but everyone knew very well that it was not a debate, it was one of Nadya's angry outbursts of emotion and Kirigan knew it would soon spread like poison and everyone would whisper about it.
"They say that the lady is in a bad mood again and that she does not allow anyone to approach her and that it seems to them that she is able to drown the whole palace with her powers."

The black-haired General was very amused. Nadya's temperament was so fiery and it was so easy to ignite. She did not learn to be patient and he attributed that to her age and the short life she lived, but he later realized that it was part of her personality and that she could not keep quiet when something was not as she had imagined. She always got everything in the palm of her hand and he knew she would expect the same from him, but she surprised him. She never asked him for anything, but somehow he believed that something was being prepared that he would not like. He could see it in her eyes. He passed Ivan, while a long black kefta was dragging on the floor and he came out of the war room, and Ivan followed him every step of the way.

"Let them talk, Ivan, Nadya will have to deal with it, let her enjoy the remnants of her personal performance. We have more important obligations. "- he headed for the exit, leaving behind an angry and frustrated girl, who will not get over everything so easily.