Chapter Text
Ivan was done. over, out and DONE. He had expected a normal Day, maybe the highest action being political, from the Court or News from the Battlefield.
What he couldn't have expected was the Oprichniki, who came in, followed by three People. He knew one of them, Emil Retvenko, who had shockingly disappeared months ago, flanked by two younger people.
But what he truly DIDN'T expect was Nina, his and Fedya's long lost Grishenka, to follow after them with the brightest grin on her Face.
He hadn't expected them or her and he had for SURE not expected her to come with the six of the weirdest people following right behind.
Fedyor next to him seemed to have his Curiosity peaked, but luckily held his professionalism over his emotions and didn't run to hug his Friend's and his Daughter's Ribs to dust.
Even the General seemed to be confused and interested, but he immediately felt the need to inspect the six people standing behind his precious daughter.
a Fjerdan boy, with a gun strapped to his back, hidden under a fur coat, dressed in all Blue, Grey and White Flash, Kerch Ketterdam Barrel Flash. He looked grumpy, but the way his Gun was strapped to him, he wasn't too much of a Threat. It wasn't easily accessible. His Heartbeat gave his Nerves away. It beat too fast for an Attacker, too fast for somebody who came with demands.
a small Suli girl with Knives strapped to her Person and a polite smile on her Face. She wore Purple and Black, Cloth and Leather. Her Heartbeat was calm and her knives in a position ready to be taken at any moment. She could be a Threat. Though such a Person wouldn't have used the Door.
a Kerch Boy with a pristine Suit and a Cane with a Crow Head, he walked with a limp but his heartbeat was calm. His Face wasn't readable. He had no Weapon on him and his aura seemed more that of a Merchant or a Politician. He didn't seem like a Threat.
a Zemini Boy, dressed in Flash he and even the blind could immediately tell to be of the Ketterdam Barrel again. His Hands resting on two Revolvers, a fast but steady Heartbeat and a tired Grin on his Face. He could definitely be a Threat.
Another Boy, Kaelish from looks, Kerch from Clothes. He seemed nervous, or wary, but smiled politely at them. He was clutching a Bag, it looked slightly singed and had many patches on it. His Heartbeat gave him away as nervous. He didn't look like much of a Threat.
a Shu boy dressed like the Kaelish Boy with a too big coat layered over the attire and a similar Bag to his over his Back. His Heartbeat was fast, but not nervous, he seemed happy. He seemed to radiate heat. Not a Threat, no weapon and too small to be a problem in a fight.
The Shu Boy could be Kuwei Yul Bo. Someone did send notice for his Arrival. Son of the Scientist Bo Yul Bayur, who created Jurda Parem.
This could've been an Escort, but that didn't make sense. They all stuck out like Sore thumbs. It would've been a terrible one. Maybe the Kerch one(s) wanted to barter over him? they wouldn't have all waltzed into the Darkling's Office for that. If this was to be bartered, they would've gone to the King. No, Something was up with all Seven of them and Ivan didn't think he would enjoy it.
and Nina was still grinning like she had just been crowned Queen of the World and they were gonna send her a million Waffles.
"...allright, I'll bite," General Kirigian said, to break the somehow noisy Silence in the room, "Tyoma, What is the Meaning of this?"
Tyoma, The Oprichniki cleared his Throat clearly unhappy about the News he is about to bring "Moi Soverenyi, Emil Retvenko," he nodded behind himself to the Squaller, clearly addressed the better matter first ",has returned Home after long indenture to Kerch with two more Grishenka to follow."
Emil stepped forward and bowed, a bright smile on his worn face "Moy Soverenyi, Ivan, Feydor, It's a great Joy and Pleasure to return, May I introduce to you Anya and Yuri?" He holds his Arm up and shows off the two at his side. a Young Woman and a Young Man, both probably barely twenty.
The General nodded at that and smiled slightly "It's an immeasurable pleasure to have you back, Retvenko." then he looked between the two and spoke again "Now, May you explain the Seven..People following you?" Ivan and Fedyor tried not to grin, as they both knew he clearly held back on calling them children.
Tyoma looked incredibly uncomfortable at that and cleared his Throat again, a nervous tic of his, something was very wrong, indeed.
He spoke up again "You see, Moi Soverenyi, Firstly..neither of us are to blame for anything that follows this and we know something will follow but.." he paused to access the General and then the Heartrenders before speaking again "We have found the Sun Summoner."
Immediately General Kirigian was up on his feet "Why didn't you say this sooner–!" but Tyoma flinched, which calmed the Man down. "Tyoma. Why did you not say this first?" he asked, more calmly.
Fedyor's Mouth gaped open in Shock and Surprise and even Ivan couldn't stop from gawking at them all now. Which one was it?
"There is a minimal Issue in...Cooperation going on, Moi Soverenyi." Tyoma stuttered out, the three finally saw the tiredness and stress on everyone's faces. "We..don't know which one it is, because..well–"
"My Friends here don't want to reveal who it is." Nina blurted out, saving poor Tyoma from having to say it out loud.
Confused Silence overcame the Three, while Emil and Tyoma just seemed to wait for a figurative Bomb to explode.
The General looked confused "So..how do you know one of them is it?"
Apparently, that Question had been their Sign or Ivan had missed their true sign, but their Hands went behind their Backs or they came closer together and the Room lit up brigther than anything He had ever seen.
Everyone had to close their Eyes, until the Light faded.
"We aren't really into the whole Saint-Spiel, so we won't play along" the Boy in the Suit said.
"Demjin, be more polite about this!" The Fjerdan Boy hissed, trying to be quiet, but the room was too silent for whispers to stay low.
"You are not into the Saint-Spiel" The Suli Girl corrected "some of us just can't have it."
"or have a Life they really need to get back to." the Kaelish Boy added quietly.
"What in the saints' names...is actually going on here?" the Darkling finally asked, quieting them down, hands placed on his Desk. His Expression had changed from overjoyed to stressed out, which made Ivan and Fedyor want to comfort the man, but all Seven Kids in front of them just grinned at him.
Oh, Ivan had misjudged, they were all a Threat. A very chaotic threat, that they couldn't do anything about now.
Several Hours later, they had sent Tyoma, Emil, Anya and Yuri away to rest. The Seven, who they had found out during said interrogation were the Crows, on the other hand had stayed to be dealt with.
Ivan had found a lot of things out, but nothing that brought them closer to the Identity of the Sun Summoner than six of these Kids.
Nina hadn't needed to stay, but felt the need to. She didn't tell them who it was and had barely answered anything, but it was hard to answer when Fedya's strong arms crushed you in them.
So far Ivan had found out the following:
The Fjerdan Boy was called Matthias Helvar, He was a Drüskelle before but isn't anymore and Nina strongly insisted to them he had fully left behind all Ideology of them. He seemed relatively polite, but did not talk much. He also was her Boyfriend. Great.
The Suli Girl is Inej Ghafa, a feared spy in Ketterdam, strongly believes in Saints and seems to be one of the nice ones in the Group. She also went by "The Wraith" and is one of Nina's Best Friends.
Ivan had heard of the Kerch Boy before, Kaz Dirtyhands Brekker, a feared criminal, who commited anything if you paid him enough. They didn't get anything out of him. Nina said He was an Asshole but they liked him anyway. What kind of People had his Daughter turned into Allies and Friends?
The Zemini Boy, who made his eyes hurt from all the bright colors he wore, is called Jesper Fahey. Sharpshooter. Loud, but Charming. Ivan wanted to constantly tell him to shut up, but also chuckle at the Jokes he made. Nina proclaimed him as her other Best Friend and Bi-con of Ketterdam. Again, a weird taste in friends and allies.
The Kaelish Boy was in Reality also Kerch, Wylan van Eck, but seemingly also Wylan Hendriks. Truly, these People had too many Names. The boy seemed nice enough, though Nina called him Van boom once, so he may present an Issue.
The Shu Boy indeed was Yul Bo's Son and the Man himself was dead.
They also learned a lot about the Ice Court and Jurda Parem through the Interrogation but none about the Sun Summoner.
The Worst? They were all blocking themselves against the test, so that didn't even work with the General's Help. They only discovered that all of them were Grisha, which at the very least made their stay in the little Palace perfectly fine.
General Kirigian sighed and rubbed his Temple "clearly, this is heading nowhere, you will all start classes and we'll organize private summoning lessons, and so forth, but for now, you all probably need to rest."
He was right, Ivan realised, they all looked extremely exhausted. After all, they had just told them about this huge Heist and Adventure they had, that then immediately got them caught and brought here.
"There always is a Suite prepared for when we find our beloved Sun Summoner" he continued "but as their is six-..seven of you" ,he quickly corrected when Nina's Gaze quickly went from her Friends to him, "as there are seven of you, i doubt you would want to-"
"We can share it." Kaz immediately said, Nina continued "Though we might need..at least one more mattress or sleeping bags or something...?" she looked at the General hopefully, to which he shortly nodded.
"Ivan, Fedyor, Please escort them there..and tell any Maid you meet on your way to find a spare mattress and bedding." Kirigan said to the two.
Fedyor was pushing the Crows out as soon as the words had left the Man's Mouth "Of course, Moi Soverenyi" then he added with a wink "we will send one for you as well."
Before the General had time to answer Ivan and Feydor quickly left with the Crows.
Fedya's excited whispers next to him were barely a background noise as Ivan tried to make out what the Crows were discussing, walking behind them.
He wasn't sure what they were speaking, but their words muddled together too much to comprehend,so they just merely dropped them off at the Room.
Maybe they threatened the Boys a bit to behave with two girls, especially with their daughter in the room, which earned them a multitude of reactions. Some eyerolls, some yes-sir's and one gag noise. Nina and Inej merely giggled at the Warnings and then it was just Ivan and Fedyor as they closed the door.
"You think they'll cause us trouble, Vanya?"
"As sure as fire is hot, Fedya."