Happy New year's eve everyone!!

I don't normally do notes at the start but uh.... I suppose you'll fine out.

Don't murder me thanks...

"Everyone line up," the head teacher bellowed across the court yard. A hush fell over the large group of children as they shrugged their small packs onto their backs and stood beside each other.

Once total silence had accumulated they started speaking again, "You will first be split depending on your order, then Grisha type, and finnaly alphabetically. When travelling you will do so with caution and discipline, listen to the group leader at all times and no gifts unless necessary, am I understood?"

A chorus of a large amount of children mumbling 'Da' could be heard from the courtyard to the third floor. "Good, now proceed to your order groups and we will continue from there."

The gravel of the courtyard made crushing sounds as people scurried to their places. Zina, Luka and I told Koldan that we'd see him in Keramzin as he went to join the rest of the Corporalki.

Three of the seven teachers stood waiting for the Etherealki, "Right," Botkin shouted, "Listen up, I'm going to say this once and only once. Squallers, you will be accompanied by Ms.Popov so if you could make your way over to her that would be appreciated," we bid goodbye to Zina as left and waited, "Tidemakers, if you could follow suit with Mr.Smirnov, thank you." The Tidemakers left, "And lastly, Inferni, you're with me, please go wait over by the main door."

I gave Luka a confused glance, where would I go? I was neither Squaller, Tidemaker or Inferni, but I was an Etherealki.

I said goodbye to Luka as Botkin came up to me, "Not enough room with the rest of the Etherealki, not safe to be travelling with too big a group," he told me, "You will have to go with the Durasts, if that's alright?" He asked.

I nodded and made my way to where the Materialki we're currently being split up, "Alkemi, please go left and if the Durasts could please follow me," he paused and read the slip of paper he had in his hand, "Is Rena here?" He asked.

I raised my hand, "Yep, just here," I called back.

He looked around until he found my black kefta in the sea of purple, "You'll be going with the Durasts," he told me, I nodded, Botkin had told me as such.

We were all give light frock coats to replace our kefta's, our teachers told us that they were made from something just like our kefta except it could only stop a bullet so many times, it's real purpose was that we would have a small bit more security without drawing attention to ourselves, begrudgingly, we put our kefta's into the small packs we had brought and put on the frock coats, I still kept the knife Botkin had given to me strapped around my thigh, its weight a comforting reminder that I wasn't defenseless.

Before I made my way to my cart Koldan came up to me.

"Hey Rena," he asked, I looked up, "A word?"

I was a bit confused but nodded and we stepped to the side of a cart where less people were around.

Koldan seemed a bit, nervous, as he started talking, "I just wanted to apologise, for last time, in the stables," he explained. "It was wrong and I shouldn't have done it, not without your consent and Saints, I feel like such a jerk for it. I don't want you to think I'm one of those people, and I'm just sorry."

I appreciated the apology, saved me from confronting him myself, "Look, it's fine, you were an idiot, yes, but your doing the right thing now and that's all that matters," I looked over to see the Durasts lining up, "We'll talk in Keramzin alright?"

He nodded and we went our separate ways.

There were multiple carts pulled by horses lined up in the courtyard, the aim was to make them just look like school carts bringing children home. I saw the other groups climb onto their carts while we waited in line, Luka slipped slightly but was caught by the hand by a fellow Inferni, he pulled Luka up and I didn't miss the blush that adorned his features.

The Durasts were the last to get on their cart, as we did so I saw the Corporalki carts head towards the gates and exit, slowly followed by each Etherealki and then Materialki. I was seated near the end of the cart, no one sitting on my right, I looked over to my left and saw Sophie, the quiet Durasts I had sat next to a while back, looking longingly back at the little palace, her home, unlike me she had been raised there, never knew anything other than it, "We'll be back before you know it," I tried to comfort her, she nodded sadly, her eyes only looking away when the palace was out of veiw.

Everyone on the cart had began to get restless, I mean, in a cart full of Durasts what else would you expect?

We had long since parted from the other carts, each going our own way for what I presumed was safety. No one spoke too loud, occasional nervous hushed tones was all that anyone else talked with, it was beginning to annoy me, the whispered conversations, the sitting still, especially the sitting still.

I turned to Sophie, "Have you ever been to Keramzin?" I asked her in, unlike the others, a normal volume of tone.

She looked around, seemingly surprised that I was talking to her, "No, not that I can remember," she whispered back.

Internally I rolled my eyes, "You all know whispering makes you more suspicious right? Like your hiding something?" I told then all.

They stayed silent and stared at me, "Just trying to remove the tension," I muttered.

As nightfall fell most people had stayed quiet the entire ride, others had surprisingly heeded my advice and talked normally. None of us had stepped on solid ground since leaving Os Atlas and I felt that if I left the cart my legs would be as wobbly as a newborn lamb, like most people I fell asleep to the jostling of the cart.

The path had gotten eerily quiet, as if the entire world was holding its breath in anticipation, the horses must have senced it too, their movements nervous and ears wild. Then I heard it, the sound of a gun shot.

The horses reared then bolted the sudden movement making the cart jolt and cause me to loose my footing, I fell.

My feet dragged along the fast moving ground as I felt someone trying to tug me back up, Sophie, she was weak but trying her best, unfortunately it didn't work, a sharp right turn and she came tumbling down to the ground with me, there werea few panicked shouts from the others but the cart was quickly fading away.

I got to my feet and scanned the area, no hostiles in sight, yet.

I knelt down to Sophie who was clutching her knee, "Are you alright?" I asked her, it was a stupid question of course she wasn't alright, I mean her knee, oh my Saints her knee.

"Pretty bad fall huh," she tried to joke.

I gave her a small smile whilst taking her arm around my shoulder to help her walk, "Come on, we should go before-"

Some rustling in the bushes and the sound of heavy footsteps told me it was too late, four big Fjerdan soldiers, Drüskelle, blocked the path, two on each side, Sophie tensed.

Remembering Botkin's training we went back to back, Sophie more or less leaning on me, I grabbed a long stick that was on the path infront of us and gave it to her to lean on, then grabbed my knife from it's sheath, they could mistake us for normal children yet.

"Drüsje," one of them snarled, unsheathing his sword. Well that's plan A gone down the drain.

"We don't want to hurt you," I shouted in hopes that someone, anyone, would hear.

"Drüsje," he repeated.

I rolled my eyes, "Here," I gave Sophie my knife and she seemed almost relieved to have some sort of weapon.

"Come with us and you won't be harmed," another one said in a thick Fjerdan accent.

"Highly unlikely," I heard Sophie mutter behind me. The started circling, caging us in on all sides. Leaning heavily on her stick Sophie raised my kinfe and I raised my hands, we would not go with them, every Grisha knew that death was better than whatever happened across the border.

"Hey Rena," I heard Sophie whisper, "I heard that you can turn people invisible, I think now would be a really convenient time don't you say?"

How could I have been so stupid, of course that would be a good idea, I brought my hands together but felt a sudden pain, I flinched and looked down at my hands, "Sophie, slight problem," I told her, she risked a glance back at me, the Fjerdan's were getting closer, at least they weren't underestimating us I suppose, "I don't think my finger is meant to be bending that way."

"Enough," the Fjerdan shouted again, "Come with us now, or die," he raised his hand and the other three Drüskelle raised a rifle, leveling them at us.

"It's alright," I told her, "I can still summon," a small bit of light and shadow danced in my palms, but the effort it took nearly left me panting, I tried to hide it, to save Sopbie from thinking we were both doomed.

I heard some heavy steps as they advanced. One shot, Sophie outstretched her arm, the bullet redirecting and hitting the Drüskelle, since when could she do that? My confusion was short lived, "It's metal," she answered my unasked question, "Now stop gawking and fight."

I shook off my chest fusion and focused on the two in front of me while Sophie was trying to fight with the other one, her balance slightly off, I blinded the first one, grimacing at the pain it caused me, he pressed his palms to his eyes, trying to bring some relief to them, being unable to see he hit a tree and fell in over a bush, I would have doubled over with laughter except for the Drüskelle coming towards me. I backed up trying to maintain some distance, we circled each other.

"The Shu would pay a hefty price for you, Darkling," he stated, as I summoned shadows in my hand, "I'm sure they would just love to have a new type of toy to play doctor with."

"Is this what you call honor Drüskelle?" I stated, trying to formulate a plan, "Inslaving children for some tree?"

He did not take kindly to my comment, striding forward with newfound speed and determination, I stumbled backwards falling over a tree root or something, it wasn't, it was the hand of the first fallen Drüskelle, I almost vomited.

I looked around and locked eyes with Sophie, the Drüskelle she was fighting had and arm locked around her neck, chocking her, she seemed to understand what I needed, dropping my knife that was in her hand, trapped against her turso she kicked it towards me.

Climbing to my knees I caught it slashing it against my opponents thigh causing him to fall, I stabbed him in the gut and got to my feet.

Shophie's movement were becoming more sluggish, the lack of air making her weak, I threw my knife praying to all Saints that it didn't hit her.

The knife landed soundless, its sharp edge cutting through the flesh with ease, it blade buried deep onto the head of the Drüskelle.

Sophie escaped his now limp arms and it only then occurred to me what had happened, how could I have done this, I hadn't even questioned the fact that I had to kill them.

I collapsed to my knees, a sob breaking loose, Sophie retrieved my kinfe from the head of the Drüskelle and walked over to me, kneeling aswell and taking my hands in hers, "It's alright, the first one is always hard," she told me, "I remember mine, I was six, didn't even know my two's from my three's, the testers had just discovered I was a Durast and we were riding back to the little palace, but we were ambushed, the Squaller I was riding with tried to protect me, gave me a dainty little dagger, but he didn't make it. They had him pinned down while I was hiding behind the corpse of a horse, I can still remember the stench, he screamed and screamed and screamed, I couldn't take it anymore, it was just one enemy but I was still terrified, while he was laughing at the dead body of the Squaller I-I," there were tears in her eyes, "I drove it through his heart from behind, a few minutes later a heartrender found me standing in the same position over them, he-"