The soldiers from both the First and Second Armies had woken up at first daylight, the importance of the day's mission looming over them all. Even those who weren't assigned to cross the Fold felt fear for their fellow soldiers who they might never see again. The knowledge that one day they might be the ones assigned to cross, possibly weighing heavy heavily on their shoulders.

Zaira felt the uncertain eyes of the soldiers around her as she walked past their tents. Grisha rarely interacted with the soldiers of the First Army, even though they often fought side by side their differences didn't allow them to form any real connections.

Ignoring all the wandering eyes, Zaira headed towards the tents where her brother's unit had been located before they were sent back towards the Shu Han mountains. It had been months since they had seen each other, the occasional letter didn't compare to having her brother before her. Knowing that he was safe and alive.

"Aluxio." Zaira said calmly, a tone that did not reflect the joy and uncertainty that she felt.

Her brother looked up from the rifle that he was caring for, a small smile touching his lips as he rose.

"Little sister." He muttered as he pulled Zaira into a tight embrace. But once he pulled away the smile on his face disappeared as he took in what she was wearing. "Wait, don't tell me you're getting on that skiff."

Shame washed over Zaira as she looked away from her brother. The stone exterior that she built whenever she was with others was difficult to sustain when she was with Aluxio. He knew nothing of the relationship that she had with General Kirigan, and he would no doubt disapprove. "It will be my last trip."

"That's what you said last time." He reminded her.

Looking up to meet her brother's brown eyes that mirrored her own, Zaira straightened her back, not willing to let her brother talk down on her. She was a soldier and no one else would dare speak with her in the tone he was using now. As if she were still a defenseless child. "I've spoken to General Kirigan about you being transferred into the king's guard and..."

"We already talked about this Zai. I want to stay in the First Army." Aluxio stated firmly once again looking at her as if she were eight years old, when their parents had left her in front of the gates of the grand Palace. "I'm a soldier just like you."

Zaira rolled her eyes in disbelief at her brother's stubbornness. This was a conversation that they'd had multiple times each with the same result."The First Army is dangerous."

"Just like the Second. You really believe that I will be okay behind the walls of the palace in some fancy clothes while they ship you off to Fjedra where they want to burn you on the stake?"

Zaira knew exactly how her brother felt because it was exactly what she felt everyday safe behind the walls of the Little Palace knowing that her brother was out everyday in the middle of danger. She understood but that didn't change the fact that she was Grisha and he was not."I just want you to be safe."

"No. I'm your older brother." Aluxio countered anger and frustration shining brightly in his eyes. "I'm the one that should be keeping you safe. It's what I promised mother and father."

"Don't be foolish." Zaira snapped, irritated by her brother's inability to see the larger picture of what she was attempting to do. Since they had been abandoned by their parents all they had was each other, they both had to keep each other safe. "This is not about which of us gets to protect the other. This is about both of us getting to live."

Aluxio remained silent, an attempt to not escalate their fight any further though it was clear that he had more to say. Regardless, the message was clear to Zaira.

Their conversation was now over.

"There's still preparations that I have to help oversee." She said stiffly, doing her best to hide her disappointment with how their discussion had turned out. It was likely that she wouldn't see Aluxio for another six months, and hoped they would have more time. That they wouldn't have begun another argument, because every meeting felt like it would be their last. 

As Zaira and the other Grisha finished the final preparations aboard the skiff, it was difficult for Zaira to ignore the hesitant looks from her fellow Grisha. She had to admit that the conversation with Aluxio had left her in a sour mood, though to most she was simply being more irritable than usual.

The captain nodded at Zaira giving her the clear to begin her instructions to the soldiers on what to expect of the day's mission. They were scheduled to arrive at West Ravka by sunset, being that they would spend the next five hours in the terrifying uncertainty that was the Unsea.

"Here's how it goes. We go into the Fold, it gets dark, but we like it dark. That keeps us from drawing attention. That's how we travel. The only light we use is the blue one at the mast. It's weak but safe. Any questions?" Zaira asked though from her tone it was clear that she was not open to any questions. Most if not all of their questions would be idiotic and Zaira was in no mood to listen.

The soldiers of the First Army looked between themselves nervously. They clearly had questions but they were too afraid to ask, whether they were afraid of what they were about to do or Zaira, she couldn't be sure.

"Where's your general? Kirigan?" The tracker from last night questioned as he stepped forward.

Zaira raised her eyebrows looking at the tracker with thinly veiled disgust. The disrespect in his tone did him no favors, especially because he had no right to question General Kirigans decisions.

"Ready for launch!" The captain of the skiff suddenly declared.

"That's our cue." Zaira said to the other Grisha, ignoring the tracker.

Immediately everyone got to their assigned positions, as everyone prepared themselves in silence. Once the Squallers were in place the skiff slowly started moving through the sands and towards the unwelcoming Unsea.

Taking one small glance behind her shoulder Zaira met Zoya's eyes from her position at the main sail. Her friend was as stoic as ever with her arms raised before her, Zoya undoubtedly was excited to get to visit her aunt. Zaira on the other hand still struggled with the distasteful memory of her argument with Aluxio. But she had to focus on the job she had been given, every second they got closer to the Fold.

Once inside her mind would be taken over only by the need to survive. To hope that they would be able to cross the Fold without attracting the attention of the flesh eating volcra.

Zaira kept her head held high as the ship was suddenly swallowed by the darkness of the Unsea. The rapidly beating hearts of those around only increased her own creeping fears that she did her best to ignore. After a couple of trips across The Fold Zaira had accepted that there was no escaping the fear, it was best to embrace it and use it to make one stronger. Something that was easier said than done.

Looking out into the moving shadows Zaira kept her eye out for the markers that had been placed along the Fold long ago when Ravka had begun attempting the deadly trips.

"Marker one." Zaira muttered to herself, needing the reassurance that they were on the right path and were not about to get lost into the void of the Fold.

"How many more are there?" One of the cartographers questioned nervously looking out in the dark shadows that were infested with volcra. This was clearly her first trip across the Fold, considering the mapmakers rarely made trips across the Fold she probably believed that she never would have to.

"Thirty-seven." Zaira replied dismissively as she took her own position towards the center of the skiff with the rest of the Heartrenders.

They were another weapon against the volcra. Like a rifle in a soldier's hands.

The volcra were human once, after some experimentation the Heartrenders had discovered that their hearts were human still. Although not as easy to control, with the right training a Heartrender could kill the volcra or at the very least slow them down enough for a soldier to finish the job.

From this deep into the Fold the loud cries from the volcra became louder. They were beginning to sense their presence which was never a good sign this early in the trip.

"Blow it out! What are you doing?" Natacha, one of the Inferni, yelled at one of the soldiers who had suddenly lit a lantern.

Zaira wanted to scream and rip the soldier apart for his stupidity. But that would do nothing as the soldier simply seemed to be paralyzed with fear. Before either Zaira or Natacha could reach him he dropped the lantern, the fire now spreading quietly.

"Tidemaker!" Zaira ordered, but it was already too late. The fire had quickly spread throughout the deck of the skiff. By the time a Tidemaker had begun attempting to put out the fire, the volcra had already taken notice.

Everything happened in a blur of adrenaline and fear as the volcra immediately began their attack on the ship. Gunfire rang through every corner as the First Army soldiers began their seemingly pointless attempt to fend off the volcra as they slowly began to pick off their fellow soldiers.

Inferni fire also began to heat up the deck, the volcra's hungry screams overpowering the desperate screams of soldiers as they were ripped apart and carried away. The rest of the Heartrenders also sprang into action attempting their best to slow the volcra down.

The volcra's heart was difficult to control, and although it was an aspect of her power that Zaira preferred not to use often she now was beginning to feel the desperation and helplessness of their situation. Raising her hands she felt for the beating heart of one of the volcra, feeling it in her gras before pulling it towards her.

The sound of the volcra's heart ripping through it's bones and flesh was heard clearly in Zaira's ears as the monster's heart fell before her feet. When she first learned of her unique ability she had been horrified knowing that her own parents would believe her to be a monster if they knew. But General Kirigan had helped her see the value in the unheard of gift for a Corporalki, now Zaira prided herself in having an ability that no other Grisha possessed.

As Zaira ripped another heart out of a volcra's leather chest she was blinded by a searing burst of golden light that seemed to come from everywhere, but once she turned around she found the source of the brilliant light.

The Sun Summoner.

It was a ridiculous thought. The Sun Summoner was a myth. A story that was told to young children to give them hope that there was a way to be rid of the Shadow Fold. There had yet to be a Grisha who could summon pure sunlight.

But there she was. A simple soldier of the First Army was saving them all from the hoard of hungry volcra who were now desperate to flee.

The burning sunlight was painful to look at, yet Zaira could not look away. But as quickly as the sunlight appeared it was gone as the girl fell as the volcra released its hold on her. There wasn't much time to think about the best course of action, or about the unconscious girl. All Zaira wanted was to get out of the shadows.

"Turn us around!" Zaira ordered as she looked up at Zoya who was in charge on the mainsail, luckily Zoya had already ordered the other Squallers to begin the process.

Looking around at the blood that had spilled across the wooden floorboards of the skiff Zaira realized her failure. They had lost many of the best Grisha that the Second Army had to offer, Zaira still couldn't bring herself to count that Grisha that they had lost as the skiff sped through the sands of the Unsea.

Corpses both from the First and Second Army were scattered throughout the deck; they still needed to count those that had been taken by the volcra. They had miraculously made it out. Zaira suppsode that she should thank that saints for the few that had survived, but the saints had nothing to do with the fact that there were some survivors.

It was the girl who had somehow managed to summon sunlight that they had to thank.

A/N: These first three chapters are definitely more of a set up to the actual story. My long time readers know that I am very big on character development and character moments over big action pieces. Because of this all of the romance will be later on in the story and definitely not present for this first season although there will be hints throughout. The second act of this story will have more of the chest clutching angst you are here for but my characters have trauma to get over first.