Chapter 11: Eight

BTW! This chapter is mainly establishing plot points and building the story! It's pretty important! But there won't be much interaction between characters.

Listen to the video while reading this chapter!

TW!!

The night was cold. The freezing rain had crept through my window during the night, inviting the cool breeze with it. Distantly lightning struck in the distance, booming thunder following in its footsteps. But I couldn't focus on the cold that had seeped into my bones. Not when I had been summoned by Stijn in the darkest hours of the night. Meaning one of two things, there was a training exercise I needed to be alert and ready for at any time, or I was being terminated. I hoped it was the former.

I walked along the silent corridors careful of my footsteps not to wake anyone with enhanced hearing. I had been at the academy for a little over 2 weeks now, and learned firsthand why you shouldn't disturb any of the elders as they slept, I had the lingering scars scattering my forearms to prove it.

I was going to be nine in about three months. I had until I was eleven to complete my training or the worst would happen. I was already ahead of my piers.

I approached the end of the dark hallway, arriving at a large oak door, laden with carvings in an artistic rendering of the old language. I approached the wooden door with a deep breath before knocking twice.

There was a distant "Enter," that sounded from inside. I turned the knob and took a step into the room feigning confidence I didn't have. I had only ever been in this room once before in the two weeks I'd been a trainee at St. Everen's, the other was when I had gotten in trouble for slapping another girl after she said my hair looked like Mr. Fender's aging mustache. Stijn threatened to expel me, or worse if it happened again, I've been the perfect novice since.

"You summoned me?" I questioned. Stijn's eyes raised to mine from the papers he had been previously inspecting.

"Ah, Danika," He spoke calmly as he stood from his seat, "You are right on time." Stijin stalked to the dresser on the other side of the room, he picked up a blue faelight lantern that was sat there, "I must say I'm pleased you managed not to wake any of the others on your way."

I smiled softly, "You need only know your way around the shadows,"

Stijn hummed as he sauntered towards the door where I still stood, "Spoken like a true assassin." He stopped in front of me, "Unfortunately on our way to our destination, you must keep finding your way around the shadows." I nodded firmly as Stijn extinguished the remaining light in the room with a flick of his wrist, leaving only the small blue light emitted by the lantern. He slowly opened the door, I wouldn't have even noticed the door opening if I couldn't slightly see the now revealed hallway.

Stijn nodded for me to go first and closed the door on his way out. When we had been fully engulfed in the dim hall he began to walk, a silent command for me to follow.

We walked familiar pathways up until a sharp turn I would have missed if I weren't following Stijn. I recognized the direction we were going and wasn't thrilled to realize we were heading to the East Wing of the ground, it was prohibited for novice's to go down there without a guide. If you were caught down there unsupervised they would do things to you worse than death. I shiver curled its way up my spine. I had never dared to ask what was down there, though I suppose I was about to find out.

When we had finally neared the end of the long hallway, I could now clearly see a large iron door with what had to be ten additional locks. Stijn pulled out a string of keys from his pocket barely even rattling them with his fae grace. He pulled out a large silver one with a hideous skull engraved on the top and began working on the locks.

When he had finally finished off the last one he twisted the large doorknob and pushed with a groan. The door pulled back to reveal a large staircase leading down into what very well could have been the pits of the Earth.

Stijn turned towards me and motioned for me to begin the descent down. I didn't want to go into that stairway to who knows where, but there was no telling what he would do if I didn't and so I began my journey into the pits. We walked in silence. Mind shattering silence. It was as if the walls had absorbed all evidence of the world above leaving only the shadowed silence in its wake. It felt like centuries before Stijin finally said, "We may speak freely now."

I had the urge to fidget with my hands but knew better than to do that here, I reluctantly asked, "What are we going to do down here?"

I looked back at Stijn for a moment to glimpse a ghost of a smile on his face, "Our next lesson is down here. It will be most informative." There was a hidden meaning behind his words, I could tell. But I didn't question further.

It was about 10 minutes before the end of the staircase was even in sight. I wondered how far underground we were, it'd have to be a few hundred feet. The bottom looked even worse than the stairwell. The rust that climbed the wall did nothing to sway my already growing sense of unease. It was a maze of doors of different shapes and materials. Some ashwood, some iron, a few were even obsidian. I had an incling we were in some type of prison. But why was I brought down here? Was I to become a prisoner aswell?

"Come. This way." Stijn spoke softly as if someone was listening and made another turn. His pace slowed when we neared an ashwood door fashioned like those of an interrogation room back in the village. Stijin turned to me and knelt to my height, "Now, Little warrior." He spoke quietly, i could have sworn he was trying to help me if I didn't know better, "Do you remember what I first said to you about weakness?" I nodded, "Say it with me then."

"Weakness will kill those who let it consume them." I spoke with him. He had told me that my first day here when I could not hold back my tears any longer. He told me to be strong, and that you must never give in to the darkness, that is where you will truly shatter beyond repair.

Stijn gave me a reassuring look that only worked in solidifying my current fears. Stijn took out another key from his coat. This one instead resembling the keys given to the overseers to unlock training rooms. Yet this key was different, i couldn't put my finger on it. It almost radiated what I could only describe as evil.

Stijin opened the door and the two of us stepped inside. It was dark and silent. But then there was a shuffling in the corner. Stijn raised the faelight towards the sound.

And there, huddled in the corner, was a fae male. He looked half starved. And his eyes. He looked at us with such fear and despair. I pit had dropped into my stomach at the sight alone. I was starting to understand why I was here.

"Danika," Stijn spoke and I turned to him, "This is your next lesson." His voice was colder than I had ever heard it, "This man stole from us. He sold his daughter to the flame, and wanted her back. The flame refused, but he took his daughter back anyway. She is now in hiding and he refuses to give up her current location."

I swallowed, "What-what do you want me to do?" Stijn finally faced me his eyes boring into my own.

"I want you to demonstrate exactly what we do to enemies. I will guide you through it." He looked at me once more before reaching into his coat again, this time pulling out an ashwood dagger, the handle lined with silver. I stared at it for a long moment.

Little warrior, he called me. But I was not a warrior. I was scared. I was weak. And I couldn't do this. Not to a man who only wanted his family back.

But I didn't have a choice. They would hurt the people I care about if I didn't.

I reluctantly reached out and grasped it. He turned towards another corner in the small cell, illuminating a chair I hadn't noticed before. He stalked towards it slowly and sat down as he straightened his coat.

"The man has been restrained already, You may begin your work. I will give you further instruction when you are ready." I took a slow step towards the man. He shoved himself deeper into the corner.

He was afraid of me. I realized.

"Faster now." Stijn warned. I stepped towards the man again. Feeling myself begin to shake I kneeled down next to him.

Then began Stijns guidance, "Start with the shoulder. Between the shoulder blade and collar bone, there is a small space. Make sure you don't hit any major arteries around the neck if you miss. You're smart enough to be able to find the right spot."

My breathing became uneven. He wanted me to torture this man into talking. And he expected me not to kill him while I did so. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't do this.

Stijn's voice loomed again, "Remember what I told you. Do not let it consume you."

Weakness will kill those who let it consume them.

I took a steadying breathe. I pushed my emotions down into a well deep inside me. All the guilt. All the fear. Down, down, deeper. Until I had lost touch with my humanity completely. I would dig it all up later.

I'm sorry, I wanted to tell the male one last time before I became everything I stood against.

It was then that I did what I always feared as I plunged the blade into the mans shoulder, he cried. out in pain. The mans screams echoed in my own mind, carrying deep into my heart as a permanent reminder of this night.

Careful of the bleeding, I removed the blade. The man screamed again. I looked down at my blood soaked hands holding the knife that was going to torture a man for wanting his daughter back.

I felt it then. The spot of black that would forever taint my heart as the memory of the mans blood on my hands solidified. I felt it begin. I felt it begin to grow. I hoped I'd never feel it again. But I knew better than that.

"Well done, little warrior." Stijn praised. But I couldn't hear it. I couldn't hear anything. The noise in my head was too loud compared to my surroundings. All that echoed in my mind were the mans screams.

I was a monster. I cold hearted monster.

I woke with a throbbing head ache. It was as though there was no room left in my mind. Like all the space had been taken up and the walls in my head were going to crumble at any second. I reached out towards one of my sisters seeking assurance, only to find empty space where they should have been.

My eyes shot open, I took in my surroundings. It took me minutes to remember where I was. That I was no longer at home with the comforts of my family. I was in Prythian now.

My breathing became heavy as Stijn's words replayed in my mind over and over again.

Weakness will kill those who let it consume them.

I was chased from the warmth of my bed by those wretched words. I looked for windows but found none. I was back in the academy. Back to being the scared little girl who was oblivious to the world.

I couldn't breathe. The walls were to close. Everything was too much. A large weight settled over my chest restricting my lungs until they were ash.

Weakness will kill those who let it consume them.

Over and over and over again the words caressed my thoughts.

I needed air. Now.

I stumbled towards the double doors that lead to a small balcony connected to my room.

I tripped over my own feet on the way there as I rushed for jut a second of oxegen. I flung open the doors with a bang. The wind greeted me at the threshold with a soft kiss as I stepped out into the night air.

I savored the serenity. The fact that the world was asleep right now, and it was only me and the stars.

My breathing became slower. The air travelled in and out of my lungs evenly now. It was no longer as if my lungs had been carved of ash.

I stepped out further. Walking to the edge of the balcony I leaned my arms against the railings, resting my head in my palms.

A cool breeze ran past, smelling of summer storms, where the thunder cracked and the lightning hid in the clouds only making an appearance for a moment. I held onto that smell that floated past in that moment as though it would keep me tethered to life.

I lifted my head from my palms and raised my head to look at the expanse of the world above me. Admiring the stars and the moon.

In that one moment, I savored the night. I envied the fact that the night could have as much darkness as it did, and yet the stars still stuck around providing the light the night needed to be truly magnificent.

In that one moment, I wanted that peace. I wanted the silence. And I wanted that light for my own.

And so I looked up at the sky and wished, hoping the stars would listen.

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

I had stayed up for the rest of the night trying to remember what Flynn had told me about Prythian. I remembered the basics like the Courts and different types of fae and beasts, mainly the information I would need if I were to get into trouble with some type of faerie.

I would have to tell Feyre everything about my past in at least to days, and that's if I'm lucky. Even if I didn't want to tell her, I wouldn't be able to hide it, at least not without my weekly doses of Zilaine.

Zilaine was an elixir the Flame had us drink to keep our involvement with them a secret. It's basically a bottled faerie glamour, which I always thought was a tad hypocritical granted they were teaching us how to kill faeries. Zilaine could cover scars and make it look like fine skin again. It also had the purpose of covering our tattoos.

After someone completes basic training with the flame and manages to survive, you are granted the "honor" of becoming a soldier for life, you basically sign your life away to the flame or you die. The initiation into a soldier is a series of trials you complete based on what you may encounter on missions or war. If you complete it without dying, they ink a tattoo of any flaming creature you wish. As long as it has fire involved the flame will grant it. It's more inconspicuous than the same tattoo on every member, this way we can all still recognize each other, but to others, it looks like a harmless tattoo.

I took enough Zilaine to cover my tattoo as well as my scars, in the village it was frowned upon for women to "Deface" their bodies in such ways, which was utterly ridiculous, but if I had to act like a proper lady on missions I couldn't have a tattoo on me.

I remember that Astrid chose a phoenix on her neck, it left a trail of fire on her back as though it had flown across it. She had always had a fascination with the creatures, she never told me why.

Flynn had chosen a kitsunebi on his wrist, it was fitting for him, he was never the best at combat so he chose to stay in the libraries as a researcher, but kitsunebi are known to light up the darkness and create illusions. It was Flynn to a T.

And I chose a firedrake as they are called in Prythian, though mortal folklore refers to them as wyverns. When I was younger Mother used to tell me stories before bed about mythical creatures called wyverns, how they were fierce and loyal creatures, and had a fascination with shiny things. And when I was sent to the academy I used to imagine myself like a wyvern, that I was a force to be reckoned with and I could spew fire at anyone who wanted to hurt me or my family. But also that I was loyal, and my trust was respected. I wanted to be fearless.

When I grew older and met Flynn he asked why I chose a firedrake, I remember I replied, "What the hell is a firedrake?" after Flynn scolded me about paying attention in history, he told me that the myth of wyverns was true and that they used to reside in Prythian known as firedrakes (A stupid name if you ask me). They were used in war and could level a battlefield with ease. I, of course, went over the moon with joy at the notion that the wyverns from my childhood fairytales were true and immediately asked what happened to them. He explained that because they were such a lethal weapon that could turn the tide in any war, they were eradicated so that they could no longer be used as a winning tactic, he claimed that some said it was a mercy for them so that they did not have to be slaves of battle, others said it was a waste to get rid of them because they had so many uses.

I remember how my joy had dimmed at the thought of them being used by selfish warriors and then killed off because of them, Flynn told me that in old Fae lore it was said that many of the wyverns had not died but gone into hiding until the Lady of White Light and Lord of Dark Fire were born of the Mother's power.

The Lady of White Light was a legend based on a supposed "Prophecy of the Elders" millions of years ago, even non Prythian dwellers grew up with the myth of Stars and Darkness. It was always my favorite growing up, mainly because it involved wyverns and rulers.

Legend says that the Lady of White Light also widely known as Domina Lux alba, is the bearer of the light of stars, and could summon a storm to wipe away the world with a flick of her wrist. The stories say she is fated to the Lord of Dark fire or Dominus Ignis Tenebris. Domina Lux alba was claimed to be the goddess of starlight and ruler of starborn fae, while the Dominus Ignis tenebris was said to be the God of dark and ruler of its creatures. The stories say that Wyverns are the perfect mix of light and dark, with their scaly bodies of darkness, but able to breathe the white fire of the hottest stars, hotter than the pits of hell. And when the wyverns went into hiding, they went into a deep slumber to wait for their prophesized Lord and Lady to appear, and that they still sleep to this day deep underground.

The children's story still brings a smile to my face whenever I think about it. For a time I had convinced myself I was destined to be Domina Lux Alba and find my prince of darkness. It's laughable now, granted that Domina Lux alba is prophesized to be a fae ruler, and I'm ever the mortal.

I was broken out of my thoughts of storybooks by a sharp knock at the door. The person didn't wait for permission to enter before barging into my room. It was Alis.

She walked over to me and lifted my arms to my sides without so much as a hello, "You will be expected at dinner tonight," I rolled my eyes, I'll never get used to these Fae dinners, "And since you and your sister insist on wearing only trousers and tunics I need to take your measurements to get new ones, we have enough to last the next few days until the new ones arrive."

I nodded gratefully, "Thank you," Alis hummed in response and pulled out a measuring tape.

"I'll also have a few dresses made just in case." SHe spoke more to herself than me. I stifled an annoyed groan in response.

Alis finished up my measurements quickly and looked up at me, "Get cleaned up, dinner is in an hour," I nodded and she turned to the door swiftly. Before I knew it I was alone in this room again with nothing but my thoughts for company.

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Hi! Another long chapter! I honestly have no idea where I'm heading with this story, I'm kinda just going with the flow, and I wanted wyverns involved because why not?

Also here is Danika's tattoo, and it's on her shoulder