CHAPTER 4

At long last after the long walk and several pit stops courtesy of Fang, they finally made it to Auradon Prep. However, due to lack of familiarity of the place they end up at the Back Gate instead of the Main. "Kindly give your names and address your business please." The guard stationed at the Back Gate demanded.

Zar pulled his forms from his pocket while Fang pulled out her invitation from her bag. Zar handed his to the guard immediately but Fang seems to be hesitating.

"Something wrong," he asked her.

"A little help?" She shows him that her invitation letter is still soaked in saltwater. Zar blows a breath on the letter, drying it instantaneously. Fang thanked him and handed it over to the guard.

When the guard checked their papers, his eyes widened and his expression shifted to unease. He turned and checked his computer, verifying the details on their papers. Then he returned to the window. "Prince Eleazar and Ms. Shan?

They both nodded.

"What are you doing here?" He asked in an alarmed tone. "And where are your escorts?"

"The teleportation spell on my letter didn't work. So I entered Auradon through an alternate route. I missed the port and so did they."

Then the guard turned to Zar. "They were late, so I skipped mine."

The guard picked up the phone and dialed a number in a hurry. "Hello. School service… Please send a limo at the Back Gate…The King's guests…Yes, yes it's them…They what?…Call them to pull out…Okay." When the call ended, the guard opened the gate to let them into the academy premises. "We deeply apologize for this inconvenience, the service that will accompany you to the main building will here in a few minutes."

"So you really swim from the Isle to Auradon?" Zar asked Fang when the guard returned to his outpost to get their papers. When she nodded, he added, "How long did that took you?"

"Three hours give and take a few minutes."

"Whoa!" Zar exclaimed, fascinated on her yet another amazing revelation. "That was a hundred miles swim."

"Two, actually."

"You sure you're human?" He teased.

Fang beamed widely. "Honestly even my Dad is not certain about that part of our DNA." Then gently slapped him in the stomach. "And you one to talk, you're a cryokinetic."

Zar chuckled but his expression gets a little down. "I guess we're both bad news."

"Hey," she tummy-slapped him again. "Don't sweat it. You're a prince. I mean look at me, I'm a wicked descendant. Bad news or not I have a better share of bad peers than you."

He sighed and gave her a weak smile. "How I wish that's the worst part."

Fang was about to tell him something again. He surely had once again triggered her curiosity. However she was stopped when the guard returned, handing them their papers. "Here you go."

The sound then of the engine of an incoming car diverted their attentions. The guard escorted them to the car as it cease to a complete stop. The driver emerged from the vehicle relieving them of their bags. Moments later, they are moving down the paved road.

"I still think this is a bad idea," Carlos whispered to Mal as they stood there in front of the main building's entrance waiting for Fang and Prince Eleazar.

"You already agreed to this Carlos," Mal reminded him. "And you're not backing down."

"What if she tries to slice me down when she sees me?"

"Carl, Fang might be savage but she's not uncivilized, okay? You're over exaggerating. Now make yourself presentable and keep your end of the deal."

Carlos straightened up and sighed deeply. His face still losing color as time ticks away. Ignoring the crowd of eager Auradon students around them she looked at her left towards Evie who is undergoing the same state as Carlos. Jay is the calmest of the three but is also fidgeting. Beside her is the love her life, Ben who is holding her hand firmly. Mal can tell that he's the most nervous among them. After all, this the biggest gamble that he ever took for his dream of bringing unity to his kingdom and their allies. But unlike her three friends Ben is exerting effort to set aside his uncertainties and focus on their current goal.

Learning from experience, foreseeable troubles from new students especially from a wicked descendant greatly relies on the first impression. If they sense that from the very beginning that they are unwelcome and unwanted the more likely they will cause troubles. And since its Fang they will not risk it especially that the Crown Prince of Arendelle is with her. If they blew this and they made a bad impression to Fang, there's a huge chance that it will extend to Prince Eleazar and that impression to the prince might reflect on the relationship of Auradon and Arendelle.

Though a mellow country, Arendelle is a kingdom of massive military power that greatly dwarfs Auradon. In the span of 20 years, Arendelle had gathered numerous allies from newly discovered lands, countries, and even worlds that significantly advanced their military capabilities. Some of them are the two young genius engineers from the land called Danville and an enigmatic scientist named Dr. Jumba Jookiba who specialized in creating living weapons. They also have a strong allegiance with the Gods of Asgard, the Witches of The Other Realm, the Flying Dutchman, and the Pirates of Shipwreck Island that had set Arendelle as their main stock and information trading spot. And with the Snow Queen to lead them, Arendelle is the most dangerous country to displease.

So they can't mess this up or they're definitely goners!

"They're here," Ben announced.

The students around them went wild, raising their banner, balloons, and tarpaulins. Shouting cheers and welcoming remarks as the silver limousine drove closer. She felt Ben squeezed her hand tighter. The air around them had just turned dense and the rest of Auradon are oblivious about it. "I guess it's time," Mal murmured.

When the car parked in front of them, the loud cheering ceased but their paraphernalia remains waving in the air. Two attendants approached the vehicle, one went on standby and the other one opened the rear door. So who's going first, the infamous Shan Fang or the mysterious Eleazar of Arendelle?

Emerging from the vehicle was a tall silver haired man. Mal doesn't know a thing about Prince Eleazar especially what he looks like but she had seen pictures of Queen Elsa and the resemblance is striking.

"Prince Eleazar, I am King Benjamin. Welcome to the United States of Auradon."

The two royalties shook hands, giving the essential reverence to each other. "You have a cool place."

"Well, thank you. I'm glad you've found our place to your liking."

Mal waited but after the Snow Prince no one else had exited the vehicle. Where the hell is Fang?

"Where's your company?" Ben said. "We were informed that you've already met our new associate from the Isle."

"You mean Fang? Well…she's sort of at peace right now."

Ben frowned. "Pardon?"

"She downed all the champagne," he told them.

Mal and Ben's eyes widened. Fang had downed all the champagne? Mal is not that certain but attendants usually prepare at least three bottles for each service ride and she downed all of it? "Well that's unfortunate," Ben snapped.

"She needed some assistance though. Her belonging are in a pretty bad shape. She told me that you missed a crucial detail about her forcing her to swim her way here."

"She swam?!" Ben exclaimed in disbelief.

Her boyfriend gawked at her and she just gave him the 'I told you' expression. I told you, nothing can stop her.

On a busy street of the Isle's business district, Shan Yu tore through the crowd. He is a dangerous man, everybody knows that. People instinctively cleared themselves away from his path in sheer terror and he's doing well in keeping it that way.

As he made his way through the winding down road, he's hoping that he will like what that idiot will tell him after the troublesome request that he asked from him during their last meeting. His patience is dwindling down on him and one of these days he will give him his second death. Third if he happens to rise back.

Shan Yu entered the nearly rundown firm and as expected he is nowhere in sight. All he could see are his collection of junks and busted voodoo stuffs. "Facilier!" He growled.

"Well, well, well," the madman emerged from the darkness lighting up a lamp. "Look who we have here?" He grinned evilly. Shan Yu glared at him in retaliation. "You brought what I'd asked?"

Shan Yu shows him the vial before tossing it to him. "Just as you requested. Now, tell me something I wanted to hear."

"Hmmm," he hummed, checking the content of the vial. "Fascinating. Your daughter's blood nulled anything related to magic. This will work, I can assure you that. However, if you want to send your entire army out of the island this won't suffice. We're lucky if we can send one using this, two would be a miracle."

He doesn't like the sound of that. His hand itched to unsheathe his sword and slice him in fine bits but he's not stupid. He still needed him. And as long as he hasn't served his worth, he lives. "So, what do you suggest? My daughter had long left the capital and base from what I'd heard she'd also left the Isle for Auradon."

"Use this blood. Send one or two people to Auradon. Retrieve your daughter and take more of her blood. Sounds like the best plan, isn't it? However, we all know that that won't work because she's your daughter. Even if you send yourself there to retrieve her, we know that you can't easily best her in combat. And also, she's surrounded by royalties from all over the kingdom. If you cause a ruckus it will immediately reach the ears of the Kings of each state. They'll get cautious and our only chance to raid Auradon with the element of surprise will ultimately fail."

"That's why I'm asking you. What do you suggest?" He reiterate in a more feral and impatient tone.

"We need to find a way to maximize what little amount we have. If only there's way to imbue this into something that can send all of us out."

"That's possible?"

"Yes!" Facilier exclaimed. "With a little this and a little that, I can make this into our one way ticket out. If only there's something where we can use the ticket, like a vessel or a…."

"A ship?"

"Right! A ship. That's it! We can board into a ship imbued with your daughter's anti-magic to get us through the barrier. Of course! But where we'll gonna get a ship?"

"Leave that to me," Shan Yu told him. "How long till you complete this?"

"Well, since spells and magic potions are out of the option. I am forced to rely solely on chemistry and physics and that will take more time than usual."

"Just get it done," Shan Yu said as he strides towards the door. "I'll get us that ship."

END OF CHAPTER 4