To the world, he was an anomaly. To Grisha, he was a miracle. To Drüskelle, he was a witch. To The Darkling, he was his son. To himself, he was a monster.
WORK IN PROGRESS
2023-20234
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
004. amplifiers
˚ · • . ° .
433 | THE LITTLE PALACE, OS ALTA, RAVKA
Four hundred and twenty fiveafter the creation of the Fold, another child of General Kirigan was born. On the snowy day after the Winter Solstice, a boy was born. Dark hair from his father and hazel eyes from his maternal grandmother. They called him Lukas. Lukas Aleksandrovich Valtheos-Kirigan. A mouthful, but rarely would the full name be used.
Now at ten years old, Rhaella stood in her father's war room. It glowed with the warm light from the numerous candles and oil lamps, casting away the shadows. Arrayed across the wall were numerous maps, yet none commanded attention like the expansive one unfurled upon the table that sat in the middle of the room. Adoring its surface were myriad intricately carved figurines, each embodying the First and Second Army encampments, military training camps, and those that represented opposing armies. Upon the middle of the table stood a wooden figurine that looked to be of a bobcat.
"Rhaella," Aleksander spoke, looking up at his daughter. "Come," he continued, beckoning the girl towards him. Rhaella did so, taking small steps until she was standing in front of Aleksander. "Your mother and I have been speaking."
"Oh no," Rhaella whispered.
Aleksander kneeled down to be eye-to-eye with his daughter. "No, it's nothing bad. We were discussing something important."
"What is it?" Rhaella tilted her head curiously.
"Well," he stood back up and picked up the figurine of a bobcat, "My trackers tell me that an amplifier, a wolf , has been spotted near Chernast. I wish for you to have it." Aleksander handed the figurine to Rhaella, cradling Rhaella's much smaller hands in his.
To have the General find an amplifier for a Grisha was a rite of passage. Only those that he deemed strong enough received them. It would leave many Grisha trying to find ways to impress General Kirigan, in attempts for him to notice them.
Rhaella remembers being younger, standing on her toes to see the top of the table. She remembers seeing a wolf figurine, as well as a raven. Now, Anastasia had a small piece of a wolf's tooth on a ring and the wolf figurine was now long gone.
Rhaella's eyes widened with both surprise and excitement as she held the figurine. Amplifiers were not just symbols of powers, but a symbol of approval.
"Chernast?" Rhaella questioned, looking up at her father.
Aleksander nodded, "It seems the raven has made its nest there. We'll leave tomorrow morning. Ivan, Gavril and Daria will be joining us." He explained, his hands still clasping Rhaella's and softly running his thumb over the back of the girl's palm. "Your mother and Luke will be staying here. They have stuff to do." He then lifted one hand, placing it under Rhaella's chin. "I know you won't want to, but you'll have to kill the raven to claim its power. Do you understand?"
Rhaella nodded slightly, placing the figurine back on the table. "Good girl," Aleksander brushed away a stray strand of the silver hair that fell into his daughter's face. "Now, you should get some sleep. Goodnight, milaya."
˚ · • . ° .
Rhaella laid in her bed that night just staring up at the silk canopy, her thoughts racing with a mixture of anxiety and excitement. She felt proud and important at the prospect of having an amplifier. However, killing the creature in order to seize its power, that loomed a large shadow over her.
She was young, probably three, maybe four at the time that her abilities showed up. She, Luke and Aleksander had been helping Anastasia decorate her classroom for Yuletide, when the thumb tack she was using slipped and pricked her finger. It was a small injury, but as she stumbled back at the very slight pain, the shadows crept up the wall.
Immediately, Anastasia glanced at her husband, brows knit together. When Aleksander shook his head, Anastasia glanced over at her daughter. It was then that they knew that their daughter was a shadow summoner.
Aleksander had tried to get Rhaella to wear a black kefta, but she refused in a childish manner and asked for summoners blue. Two days later, she walked the halls with a blue kefta, and designs embroidered in black. She didn't want to stand out more than she already did.
˚ · • . ° .
433 | THE VY, RAVKA
Sitting back in the coach, the claw of the bobcat fashioned onto a leather cord around, Rhaella felt powerful. Energy surged through her, even stronger than when Aleksander would help amplify her as a young child. She sat across from her father, her fingers running along the small bone.
Aleksander was somehow doing paperwork, managing to write things perfectly even while the carriage rocked beneath the dirt and stone. How he did so, Rhaella had no clue. "How is it?" He asked, his eyes looking up before his head followed.
"It's," Rhaella paused, trying to find the correct word, "different."
"Yes, that will take some getting used too. But, in time, it'll work itself out." Aleksander explained, watching the girl play with the bone. "Luke will be excited, I'm sure he'd love to know how this went."
"And distract him from the stupid stars? He'd love that," Rhaella teased, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Hmm," Aleksander hummed, "I suppose you're right. I swear, he loves astronomy and animals more than he loves us."
"I mean, are you entirely sure he's yours?"
Aleksander just sent her a playful glare, "Yes, I'm sure. He's just more like your mother than me. And, well, that's mostly a good thing."
The rest of the ride was mostly silent, with Rhaella occasionally pointing out whenever she saw farm animals in the fields along the road.
˚ · • . ° .
When they arrived back at the Little Palace, Rhaella had sought out Lukas by the large oak tree that they frequented. There he sat, letting a millipede crawl along his hands as he whispered something to it.
Rhaella smiled, sitting beside him, "Hi," she said, a smile on her face.
Luke looked up, clearly startled before he grinned, "You're back! How'd it go?" He asked with anticipation.
Rhaella showed him the claw, watching as his face lit up in awe. "Oh, it's so pretty," he cooed.
"Now," Rhaella began, "Tell me what you're working on. What new thing about bugs do you have to tell me?"
And she listened. She listened as her younger brother enthusiastically went on a rant about millipedes.
