Aleeza-the Star Summoner

Star Summoner

A Squaller, not Zoya, was able to push the Skiff the remaining two markers out of The Fold. When they finally arrived at the edge, the Volcra started to hiss, a dreadful sound that made everyone on board shiver. They couldn't survive outside The Fold and were still bound by Aleeza's control.

"You can go," Aleeza said weakly. She was still sitting down, leaning against the edge of the Skiff. She couldn't wait to turn off her stars. Finally, when she saw the blue sky, she put down her hands, and the stars disappeared.

Feydor was next to Aleeza. He'd been one of the survivors and had no idea what had just happened. "What happened? Are you okay?" He asked.

Aleeza wanted to say that she clearly wasn't, but she couldn't. It didn't matter; she was safe, Feydor was safe, the Skiff was safe, Matthias- "Matthias, where is he?" she asked quickly.

"He's right there," Feydor said, motioning to him lying on the deck. He thought this wasn't the best time to scold her for her continued affections for the prisoner. Feydor assumed that Aleeza let him free; no one else would have dared.

"Is he alive?" she asked.

"Yeah-" he paused and felt the heartbeat. "Yeah, he's alive."

Aleeza took a sigh of relief, but her relief didn't last long as Ivan marched onto The Skiff. "Aleeza, where is she-?" Ivan shouted. He was the first one that came aboard. He paused when he saw the destruction that had occurred.

His eyes searched and found Aleeza and Feydor. "I believe there's been a new development," Feydor said.

"What happened?" Ivan asked. Everyone's eyes shifted towards Aleeza. Ivan looked around at the fire damage done by Inferni and immediately assumed the worst. "Aleeza didn't commit arson in The Fold, did she?"

Feydor shook his head, "Aleeza saved us." he chuckled.

"I don't care to bring her to The General immediately," Ivan ordered. Aleeza sure didn't miss Ivan's company while she was away.

"Can you stand?" Feydor asked. He knew Aleeza was exhausted. She would have fainted if he wasn't there to continuously keep her heartbeat steady.

"I think so," Aleeza said as she took a deep breath and got up.

༶•┈┈ ♛ ┈┈•༶

The Darkling sent Ivan to immediately bring Aleeza to his tent. He was going to see once and for all what her power was with his own eyes.

He heard a commotion around camp. The news of someone commanding the Volcra had already traveled far. People were rushing to make sure everyone in camp knew about it. The Darkling sensed something was going on, something big. But he didn't have time to investigate as Aleeza finally stepped foot in his tent. He wasn't at his war tent, where all the other Grisha would be. He didn't want anyone else to see. If she truly was a sun summoner, he would prefer it was kept quiet.

"Something happened, General," Ivan announced as Feydor and Aleeza walked in. Aleeza looked exhausted. The Darkling noticed her face was still glowing from extended use of her powers.

"What?" he asked, looking the three of them in the eye. Aleeza avoided his gaze.

"We were attacked Sir, on the Skiff. Volcra were closing in on us-I thought we would all die until..." Feydor started.

The Darkling raised his eyes, signaling him to continue. "Well, until a lot of stuff..."

"What, precisely?" The Darkling asked. He didn't want any details omitted.

"Well, first until the Drüskelle somehow appeared," The Darkling noticed him glance to Aleeza, "and started shooting at the volcra."

"And then until Aleeza-used what some people were saying was the cut. I didn't see it through sir. I was too busy with the fight."

The cut was news to him. She would have to be powerful indeed to have used it, especially without training. The dots weren't connecting.

"But that's beside the point, what she really did was later. When she-she created stars. Lit up the Fold with at least a hundred different stars. She forced the Volcra to stop attacking-I-I'm not sure how to explain it."

The Darkling looked at Aleeza. Her face wasn't giving off any emotion-He wasn't even sure she was listening to anything they were saying. There were a lot of blanks that The Darkling needed to be filled in.

"Sit down," he ordered them, realizing Aleeza was hanging onto Feydor, who was probably the only thing keeping her from falling. He thought about getting a healer for her but decided she was probably just tired from overusing her powers.

When Feydor and Aleeza both sat down on the couch, he took a deep breath and asked, "Tell me what happened from the beginning."

Feydor was doing all of the talking. The Darkling quickly picked up on the fact that Aleeza was unable to answer with the state she was in.

Feydor told him about the Drüskelle, about how they were traveling together. Feydor tried to downplay it, but The Darkling saw right through it. Aleeza had fallen for a Drüskelle? It was the most striking piece of information he'd learned. By the time Feydor finished, The Darkling knew everything Feydor knew and was eager to hear Aleeza's side. But she was out of commission for the time being.

The Darkling had Ivan bring over a glass of water for Aleeza, a task he was not pleased with. While Feydor explained what happened, she sat silently drinking it. Feydor explained how Aleeza must have gone down to the brig and freed Matthias as the ship was under attack.

Aleeza couldn't process any emotion. She felt like all the emotions she owned had been used up. She just wanted to get away from all of this. She wanted to know if Matthias was okay, she wanted to take a nap, she really wanted to-

"And the Drüskelle, where is he now?" The Darkling asked.

Aleeza wasn't paying much attention but certainly was now. She turned her head and watched. The Darkling picked up on it and was furious.

"I'll find out," Ivan said as he exited the tent.

"I, for one, am anxious to see if this is true-Aleeza tell me, what are you?"

It was the same question Matthias had asked her 'what are you?' She still didn't know how to answer. She let out a sound halfway between a grunt and a cry. She really didn't understand why she was forced to talk to the General right now. It was ridiculously embarrassing for her.

The Darkling knew he should probably wait, she had already used her power too long, but he'd been patient long enough. He wanted to see-he needed to see for himself.

"I need to prove something," he mumbled as he tore off his gloves. He walked over to Aleeza, carefully rolling up her sleeves.

"I'm not sure that's the best idea-" Feydor started. But The Darkling turned around and gave him what must have been a pretty intimidating look.

"What?" Aleeza said weakly, not grasping what was happening as the Darkling summoned shadows around them. At once, he grabbed Aleeza's wrists calling upon her power.

Instantly stars appeared around them. It looked like an even better version of the night sky. The Darkling smiled as he looked around at them in triumph. He finally found something, something much better than a sun summoner. He had found his star summoner.