( songs for this chapter:
how big, how blue, how beautiful - florence + the machine
nobody's soldier - hozier )

"Viktoriya! You—you scared me." Alina gasped and held a hand to her chest, "I didn't see you there. I didn't even see you get on actually?" She said, frowning nervously.

"I know what you did." Rosalie stated flatly, and Alina paled. "You're willing to have all these innocent map makers ruthlessly ripped apart. All so you could die in the arms of a boy?" She continued when the young Shu girl started stammering. "My, my Alina, I never took you for an idiot."

Alina shook her head profusely. "That's not—"

"Do shut up," Rosalie cut her off sharply, "Unless you wish to find your last words be a plea of innocence."

"But—" Rosalie raised a single finger, silencing the girl before she let out another word.

The sound of clapping drew her attention away from the shu girl, to see a dark skinned woman in a blue first army garment—a kefta. She was an Etherealki—Rosalie judged by the red and orange detailing around her collar and cuffs—an inferni. Her voice was loud and clear echoing throughout the darkness. "Here's how it goes. It gets dark, but we like it dark." She made her way to the front of the skiff, "That keeps us from drawing attention. That's how we travel."

She paused her speech to look at everyone, "The only light we use is the the blue one at the mast," She pointed at the lantern of blue light, "Its weak but its safe."

"But your an inferni, right? Why are you here if were supposed to keep things dark?"

"For when the dark comes to keep us." Rosalie said, gathering the whole skiffs attention. The inferno was also intrigued and moved towards her slightly, however, Rosalie's attentions were solely focused on the menacing wall of shadows they were doomed to enter.

"Something more you'd like to say, mapmaker?" the inferni inquired.

"Your general rode in didn't he? I don't see him on the skiff."

"And what of it?"

"His ancestor created it. Shouldn't he be risking his life here to?" Rosalie asked loudly and multiple people glanced at her—nodding at her words, "To busy being the kings lap dog I'd wager!" She added boldly, provoking the inferni who, like everyone else on the skiff, was taken aback by her defiance.

"Viktoriya..." Alina said warningly, grasping the girls arm.

"The general has done what he can." The woman's eyes narrowed, "He has been protecting our great country and he deserves respect." She stepped toward Rosalie and hissed, "Even from ignorant mapmaker's like yourself."

"We're ready for launch!" Someone shouted, absorbing the infernos attention.

She glanced back at Rosalia and scolded pointedly, "Get into position. And I don't want to hear another peep out of you." Rosalie only smirked challengingly and the inferno's eyes narrowed. "You hear me?"

"Apologises." Roselie said, stepping back as she held her hands up in a mock surrender. She paused, wishing to say something more but a moment of madness prompted her to face the dock.

"Right, listen to me cartographers," Sergent Teplove began prompting Rosalie to peel her gaze away from the figure on the shoreline, his gaze so searing and familiar and even from afar she knew why. It was him.

"Until we reach the western dry dock, you are to remain at your station. Do not, I repeat, do not leave the skiff during the crossing."

As the darkness grew closer Rosalie heard Alina yell out, she turned to see the girls blue scarf dance away in the wind. Taking that as her chance to escape, Rosalie stealthily moved to the back of the dock, unnoticed by the various people all focused on the impending wall of shadows that they would all soon be swallowed by in a quiet but all-consuming way.

They all held their breaths, and as Rosalie glanced around, most had their eyes sealed shut to quench their fear as they entered it, whispering their final prayers to their saints before facing their potential doom in the suffocating grasp of darkness. Rosalie, however, was the opposite of those among her who quaked in fear, she welcomed the darkness like an old friend. Inhaling the intoxicatingly filthy stench of Mozofrost like a drug weaving itself into her veins, she withheld the urge to let her twisted small science burst free. She wanted to bottle the feeling power and save it for a later and more convenient date.

The inhuman grows and screeches had begun and caused everyone to look up as lighting flashed within the darkness, illuminating the cursed shadow creatures that stalked above them.

"Beautiful." Rosalie whispered, unable to stop the grin from forming on her face as she stared up at the creatures of chaos, hungry for flesh. The Grisha on board looked ready for attack, and Rosalie watched the inferni as she paced the deck. It was silent for several more moments before the sound of cackling had them all freezing.

The Blue light flickered and dimmed before it sputtered out. Rosalie wasn't surprised in the slightest, the Inferni, however, franticly grabbed ahold of it. "No."

"Viktoriya?" voice squeaked from behind her and Rosalie grimaced, recognizing it as Alina's, "Viktoriya, I'm so sorry—" she begun but clamped her mouth shut when met with the elder woman's sharp glare.

"Shut up!" Rosalie hissed and paused when she noticed Alina shrink in on herself. Feeling a little pity for her, she moved her attention over the Shu-girls shoulder. Frowning, she nodded towards a member of their unit holding a lighter. "Is he stupid?"

Alina followed her gaze, eyes wide as he grabbed a lantern and begun to light it. "No, don't!"

Soft but bone-chilling Screeching echoed around them, and trackers cocked their guns. Mal, Alina's friend, looked over from his position shooting Alina a pointed look, the girl crouched low and leant against the side of the skiff, grabbing Rosalie's uniform jacket and pulling her down in the process. Rosalie pulled her jacket back, sneering.

"I've lived through more terrifying things than your little brain could ever imagine." She hissed quietly, her eyes hard as the Shu-girl looked up at her on the verge on tears. "I don't need your help."

The man with lantern, overcome by fear, spilled lighter fluid onto the deck in his struggle.

"Wait! No!"

It was too late.

There was a moment of stillness as everyone turned toward the orange glow to watch the flame flicker in horror.

"What are you doing? Stop blow it out!" The inferni hissed.

Suddenly, there was a loud swoop and Rosalie silently watched as the pitch-black creature landed behind him, sealing his fate. Without a word, Rosalie pointed her gun at the boy and flared her eyes. The boy holding the lantern took one look at her glowing gaze and reared backwards in fright, setting everything into motion.

He screamed as he and the lantern went overboard, his lighter falling from his grip, still very much lit and heading for the lighter fluid covered deck. Mal dove for the lighter but cursed when the flame hit his hands causing him to drop it.

"Damn it!"

Fire blazed casing all who were around it to violently recoil at the sudden heat. Volcra came from all sides, snatching people left and right, splintering the wood as the fire spread fast. Rosalie glanced around at the chaos that surrounded them, her gaze settling on Alina. She scoffed at the Shu-girl's shaking form and harshly grabbed her by the arm.

"How could you? How can you act as if—" Alina stammered franticly as Rosalie dragged her further onto the deck.

Rosalie turned to her, still moving hastily through the chaos, with gritted teeth. "Alina, he had it coming."

"You were pointing your gun at him!" Alina yelled, brows furowed, and Rosalie looked away.

"I was aiming for the Volcra." She lied, focusing, instead, on the gruesome scene before her. "After setting that lantern alight, dooming us all—what did you expect? Huh?" She paused in her tracks, causing Alina to stumble straight into her back amidst all the bloodshed. "His dead, and so are we!"

Alina shook her head. It couldn't be true, could it? She had caused the death of all these innocent mapmakers. "No!"

There was a loud bang and body hit the deck in front of them and blood splattered on their face and uniform, but Rosalie paid no mind to it as she grabbed the gun from his limp hands.

"Yes! It's the truth—except it." She harshly shoved the gun into Alina's trembling hands and hissed. "Now shoot!"

Alina looked up at her confusedly. "I—what?!"

"Slaughter. Smite. Destroy—I do not care! Just shoot!" Rosalie scoffed and shot at a volcra that had been heaving an innocent Grisha into the air.

Shots rang out around them and the shrieks of both creatures of shadow and dying men split the shadowed sky. Rosalie crouched low, dragging Alina along with her, and held her breath as another solider was carried into the air. All around them, men and women shouted to the saints praying for mercy. Some Grisha soldiers locked in combat with massive, withering winged shadow beasts, throwing scorching balls of fire and catastrophic winds. Rosalie almost applauded their bravery, yet she knew their efforts would be left futile as more and more men were carried out into the abyss, kicking and screaming.

Suddenly a blur of black crashed into her side, throwing her directly into a wooden pillar and causing her vison to become spotted and burred. After a brief moment of recovery, Rosalie lifted herself up slightly, just enough to catch a glimpse of Alina's fleeting form as she bolted towards an injured Mal, who had been fighting off a Volera and failed futilely.

Just as Rosalie was about to mentally curse the girl, her eyes widened at the sight of the Volcra, whose predatory stare was locked on the Shu-girl as she whispered sweet nothings to her dying friend.

"Alina!" Rosalie cried out but the warning was useless as Alina was propelled into the air. Unable to contain herself any longer, Rosalie dispirited into a surge of red and suddenly she was no longer laying on her stomach meters down the deck. Instead, she was standing right in-front of Alina, reaching for her hand, barely grazing her fingers when the unthinkable happened.

A burst bright light erupted from the innocent Shu-girl.

Rosalie reeled backwards, her magic subconsciously coming to her defense, forging a shield of her red glow. As fast as it had come the bright light dispirited and Alina landed in a heap on the decking. The Volcra had retreated, yet everyone's gaze was on the woman whose eyes shown red and the unconscious Shu-girl at her feet.

"Alina Starkov...the Sun Summoner."

A/N

chat if you didn't understand that part where my red haired queen like suddenly got from the back of the boat to the front? She teleported because she's just extra like that! 💪🏼

Anyways lmk how you feel about this chapter and don't forget to vote!! :)

- Pearl