Chapter 10
Shit, shit shit shit shit!
It was hard to think of anything but profanities at the moment. No one who fully understood his situation would blame him, though.
Garris ran through the streets like a bat out of hell, but he knew he didn't have a prayer.
No bat's wings could out-fly those of Satan's.
Even now he could hear the red-eyed freak of nature following him as he tore through crowds and knocked over stands. Every inch of his body was screaming for him to stop, turn around, beg for forgiveness and pray for the best. Every moment he spent running away from this guy would only serve to anger him more. And Garris knew what happened to people who pissed this guy off.
This job was supposed to have been as simple as a desperate whore. He'd been told to steal a worthless ring, provide a distraction so that the rest of them could sack the shop.
Who the FUCK could have seen Red-Eye coming and cocking the whole thing up?!
It was ironic that he mentioned seeing things coming moments before he ran into a wall, feeling a cracking sensation in his nose and a sharp, brutal pain.
He fell backwards onto his ass, clutching his face and swearing. He could feel blood ooze out of the wound and stick to his hands.
"Hand it over."
The words seemed to set fire to the air. Somehow, being the fucking demon that he was, Red-Eye had managed to sneak right up to Garris without him even noticing. As he stared up at the man, he found himself unable to look away from those cursed eyes underneath that hood. It was as if they were grabbing hold of his own, dooming them to return the agonizing gaze.
"I-I-I swear, I-I only meant to-"
"I don't care. Hand the ring over. Now."
"I don't know what's going on, I swear! They just said to steal the ring and-"
His words were cut off as Red-Eye stamped his foot a mere inches from Garris' face. He squealed in fright.
"What do you mean they?"
"Th-the others. They were going to-"
"Sack the place while Dazeem left to chase you…but I chased you instead…"
The sudden change in Red-Eye's insightful tone made Garris meet his eyes again. And what he saw shocked him. It looked like…it was almost like Red-Eye was afraid. Or worried.
The fuck did he get scared of?! Garris didn't want to know.
"Son of a bitch." Red-Eye whispered, looking back behind him, presumably towards where the shop was.
Garris didn't know what was going on. But he did know that no one had ever seen Red-Eye show any emotion. And he most likely would want to keep it that way.
"L-look, just take the ring, okay?! Take it!" Garris pleaded, holding out the damned brass ring for him to take.
Red-Eye didn't react at first. Then he glanced at Garris and snatched the ring from his outstretched hand. Garris exhaled in relief.
Most likely because his didn't see the boot flying towards his face.
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At least her heart was finally getting a good workout.
For many years Elsa had worried about her cardiovascular fitness. Being cooped up in a room for twenty-one years didn't exactly allow running. Or walking. Or any type of exercise at all, really. She'd been certain that if the day ever came where physical application was required, she'd keel over before she ran a quarter of a mile.
But the recent week had certainly been changing that. She'd never felt her heart pound harder in her life. Most likely the reason she could hear blood roaring in her ears as the four men in front of her pulled out knives.
Dazeem swallowed in fear beside Elsa. She couldn't blame him, as sweat had begun to fall from her brow.
The ringleader sneered at her.
"Shame you had to go and run your mouth. You're quite the pretty little thing."
The repulse Elsa felt at the "compliment" was almost entirely blotted out by her panic. Her hands were tingling with cold already. She knew if this situation played out as these men intended, it would end in chilling disaster.
"Leave this place before you get hurt. Please. Don't do this."
She knew as soon as the words left her mouth that the men would snort at this. Sure enough, their drunken laughter rattled the cold air.
God, she knew what was going to happen. She'd lose control. Like she always did. In her panic she honestly contemplated abandoning Dazeem to the burglary, if for no other reason than to spare him from witnessing her terrible secret.
But she missed her chance, as the ringleader's laughter faded. He narrowed his eyes at Elsa.
"Kill her." He said to one of the other men.
Elsa always believed words had power. And it was never clearer than now.
As soon as the man said it, Elsa felt the clutching fear she had back in her palace as those men pointed a crossbow at her.
Kill her.
Ice Bitch.
Monster.
KILL HER.
KILL!
The man's knife flashed as it came towards Elsa.
But her magic flashed brighter.
As her hands rose up to protect her, a wave of ice-blue light flew out from her hands, landing on the floor. From where it fell, a pillar of ice erupted from the ground, plowing into the stomach of her offender.
It was hard to tell who drew the greatest breath: Elsa, Dazeem, the gang members, or the unfortunate man now attempting to reclaim some of the wind that was knocked out of him.
For a palpable amount of time, silence lingered. Every second tightened the knot in Elsa's stomach as she waited for the inevitable reaction.
"Wh-wh-that…" Dazeem stuttered like a clogged instrument.
"Jaysus fuckin' Christ…" Whispered one of the men.
The leader looked like his eyes were about to climb out of his head.
Such fear in those eyes…just as Elsa knew there'd be.
Why did you make me do this…
"What in the blood-soaked hell are you?!"
Why is this happening…why couldn't you just leave?!
"Don't just GAWK, you stupid bastard, KILL HER!"
A blaze of emotion torched through Elsa. Hearing the words again was too much.
"Leave me alone!" Elsa screamed, letting the terror finally rip it's way through her throat and into the air in a single, high-pitched plea.
An explosion of blue shot out from around her, blasting the men off their feet, sending poor Dazeem flying into a bookshelf and shattering windows. With it Elsa drew in a sharp gasp of amazement. There was something different in that burst of magic. She had never felt anything like it.
It was power. Raw, unmitigated power. It was no longer some kind of uncontrollable reaction. It was a true, cognitive motion. She felt control.
Elsa didn't even have to concentrate. She simply held out her hands and another blast of ice sprung from her palms and into the shoulder of one of the thieves. He cried out in pain as he went flying backwards, crashing into a bookshelf and falling into a crumpled mess on the floor. The third thief had begun to make strangled cries, abandoning all hope of facing Elsa. He tried to turn and run.
Try to kill me…
Ice crawled up from his feet.
Well, guess what? Looks like you've helped me instead.
The thief shouted in panic, tears now visible on his face.
Because I can finally CONTROL IT!
She could no longer feel anything but the power flowing through her. God, had it always been this easy to control her powers? Did she only need to realize how powerful she was? Was this all it took?! The angry and desperate urge to hurt these despicable scum?!
"M-MISS!"
Dazeem's terrified voice broke through Elsa's reverie, yanking her down from her twisted nirvana and into hellish reality. The roaring in her ears slowly faded as she slowly regained some shred of sense. The feeling of power and elation faded like a memory of a dream.
"Wh-what-" Elsa began, but it only took a few moments to see what had occurred.
Or more accurately, what she had done. Her very blood seemed to freeze in her veins.
The shop had frozen over. Every book, every antique and every trinket looked like it had been through an ice age. With every moment spent beholding her work Elsa felt her world shatter more and more. Her mouth opened slightly as her eyes widened.
But the true horror lay before her.
The thief who had tried to run away was entirely encased in ice. His eyes were open within it. Tears that had been frozen to his face were visible.
"No."
It was the smallest, most pitiful voice Elsa ever heard come from her mouth. It reflected every fear Elsa held, every nightmare that ended with a dead human, murdered by her own hand.
And now she was living it.
The man before her was dead. Deceased. Killed. Murdered. His eyes were staring out into nothing…like they were never alive in the first place. The look of horror on his face lingered from his final moments.
Like some kind of backlash, Elsa's body punished her by sending her breakfast, so kindly created by Ignus, out of her stomach and streaming out of her mouth. Elsa could barely make it to a counter before the acrid bile fell from her mouth, falling mercifully out of sight.
She could feel the sting of the stomach acid in her mouth, but it hardly distracted her from the truth.
I have murdered a man.
I ended a man's life.
I'm a killer.
Her body wasn't done with her yet, as it sent stinging tears out of her eyes to join the breakfast on the floor. Her sobs came quickly and heavily.
She had done it. It was all over. She was everything her parents warned her of. She failed.
Al; that was left to do was wait for it all to end.
It didn't seem like she'd have to wait long. The leader of the thieves had survived. Elsa managed to raise a tear-soaked eye to see the man pull out a chain.
"You…you're a monster."
It was so awkward the way the man said it…Elsa had heard the word directed at her before, but now…there was so much disgust, so much fear in that voice that spoke those words, that it made it sting just as it had the first time.
Elsa closed her eyes and waited, surrendering to the inevitability.
Then a loud crack echoed through the shop.
At first, Elsa thought she had simply been too numb to feel the pain that came with the blow, but after a moment, she realized that she had not been the recipient of the loud strike. Prying her eyes open, she saw the thief on the ground clutching his face. Standing above him was a man in a black jacket with a hood over his head.
Normally Elsa would have felt a leap of relief upon seeing her companion, but not this time. This time she felt naught but shame. Because of what she did, because of what she couldn't prevent…
She closed her eyes again, ignoring the three loud cracks that could have only been repeated blows to the face of the thief leader. Like a scared little girl, Elsa waited, leaning on the counter, her head buried into her arms, waiting for Ignus to judge her as well.
There was another length of silence.
"Elsa."
Ignus voice broke through the quiet shop.
"We need to leave."
His voice was so gentle it could have been made of silk, but it was still too much for her to bear.
"Just…" She sobbed quietly. "No. Leave me here. I can't-
"You will."
"I have to-"
"Come on."
Ignus' compassionate but stern voice denied Elsa her macabre wishes. She did not move, but instead loosened her shoulders in a show of surrender.
As Ignus gently put his arms around her and picked her up, Elsa felt herself fading from consciousness. She wasn't certain if it was the emotional overload or some vengeful god actually ending her life for her actions, but she offered no resistance to the darkness clouding her vision.
She glanced into Ignus' eyes one last time, and everything went blank.
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"Please?"
"No."
"Please, please, pretty please?"
"Are you a child? No."
"Sven, make him do it!"
Sven snorted menacingly at Kristoff.
"Wh-No!" Kristoff managed, appalled at Sven's reaction. "It's not something I publicly showcase!"
It had been about two days since the visit to Grand Pabbie. Anna had been spending more and more time visiting Kristoff in the stables, joking, talking, and generally having a good time. It was something Anna looked forward to everyday, most likely because the rest of the day was spent battling depression over Elsa's absence, frustration at the current Arendelle council, who kept pressuring her to step up and accept the crown, and her increasingly conflicted feelings towards a certain sideburned fellow.
It seemed like the only straightforward part of her life right now was Kristoff. Although Anna wasn't even certain of that…she had to admit, he was much more than she thought he was at first. Putting it like that sounded really rude, but it was the truth. Kristoff had come across as brusque, independent…a bit crude as well. But the more she got to know him, the more she saw a humble, caring, and adorably awkward side to him.
And she couldn't deny it…he was quite handsome. He was much more muscular than any man she'd seen, no doubt because of his years as an ice harvester. She had to catch herself several times from staring at Kristoff's arms or chest or his-
Well…it was a good thing she had caught herself.
"Anna?"
Anna's brain quickly destroyed the evidence of her thoughts of Kristoff's physique on the off chance that Kristoff could somehow detect them.
"Y-yes?"
"Nothing, just…you blanked out."
"Oh! No I didn't, I was just…humming. To myself."
Sven and Kristoff stared at her.
"In my…in my brain."
Crickets.
"But hey! Never mind! Play me a song!" Anna gushed quickly.
Kristoff was obviously displeased by the change in subject. "For the last time, no!"
He had been vehemently denying Anna a song for the last ten minutes. Apparently he only felt comfortable singing in front of Sven, even though Anna had overheard him singing in the shed that night.
"Come on! You sounded so good!" Anna continued, playing the flattery card.
"I…first off, flattery gets you nowhere." Kristoff stated shrewdly, followed up by a contrastingly awkward, "Second…no!"
Sven seemed like he was going to actually eat Kristoff. Judging by Kristoff's slow distancing, Anna guessed he had noticed.
"Look…" Anna sighed, using the last weapon she had: pity. "One little song and I'll leave you alone. Please?"
Anna channeled every ounce of cute she had in her body and sent it into her eyes. "Super ultra chocolate coated pleeeeeease?"
Kristoff's reaction told her it was working.
"You don't have to leave me alone…" He mumbled in a resigned voice. "I just don't like singing for an audience."
Anna's puppy face lingered as she put out her lip just a teensy bit.
"Christ, Fine!" Kristoff exclaimed in frustration. Sven knocked a horn against Kristoff's shoulder, clearly admonishing him for his crude language.
Anna couldn't have been bothered less, however, and gave the two of them a very sunny smile.
Kristoff awkwardly cleared his throat. Picking up his lute, he stared at the ground a bit.
Anna gave him an encouraging nod.
He sighed, and then strummed a few strings. Then his mouth opened, and lovely words emerged from it. Anna sat and listened, completely enraptured by Kristoff's natural talent. Kristoff sang a simple song, one Anna had actually heard a few times while listening to bards outside her window, but his voice made it sound so new to her ears.
As she listened, Anna found her heart beating faster and faster. And the realization that her heart was beating faster made it beat more.
Get ahold of yourself! He's just singing a song!
Yes. Yes he is singing a song. For me.
Anna could feel her face blushing more and more as Kristoff's voice caressed her ears.
CARESSED? What's wrong with you?! It's not like it's that dreamy and perfect and sexy-
Anna had to physically grab her arm to keep her from slapping herself in the face. Sven gave her an odd look, but Anna was fixated only on Kristoff.
Please don't notice. God, please don't notice. Just keep playing and keep singing and looking handsome and DON'T NOTICE.
Kristoff looked at Anna while he played. His eyes widened a bit and his eyebrow raised.
"You alright?" He asked, interrupting his song.
"Y-yeah…why?" Anna answered, flashing him a toothy and somewhat disturbing grin.
"Your face is as red as your cheeks."
It was like a firecracker went off in Anna's brain.
"No! No it's not! You're just hot! I mean I'm just hot! Yes! I'm on fire! Well, no not really, I'm not dying I just…am…"
Idiot, idiot, idiot! Don't make him worry, just come up with an excuse to leave before he notices more, beet-cheeks!
"Food! I mean, feed! I mean…I'm hungry! Bye!"
And she dashed out of the shed.
Kristoff's mouth was slightly open as he turned to Sven for some kind of explanation.
Sven snorted in utter bafflement.
Didn't realize your voice was THAT bad…
"I TOLD you!"
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Attention Arendelle. Princess Anna was found dead last night. The cause of death appears to have been a fatal excess of humiliation.
It sounded accurate in Anna's head. She wouldn't be surprised if her heart simply decided to give up on the poor girl and let her pass away in peace.
As she lay facedown on the couch in her favorite art gallery in the castle, she couldn't stop replaying her brilliant escape plan to Kristoff.
She let out a muffled groan into the pillow, praying that maybe it'd take the memory with it. What must Kristoff be thinking right now?
Probably that I'm about two-hundred levels of crazy.
Anna couldn't blame him. She had become so flustered that any sane man would have thought her to be having some sort of brain aneurysm.
Why had she become so…embarrassed? Was that even what she had been feeling? It happened so quickly she couldn't even register it. She just became so self-conscious, like some sort of smitten-
She actually gasped out loud.
Smitten?
Beneath the utter disbelief, the small part of Anna's brain that made rational decisions deemed this logical. After all, the only other time she had felt like that was when she first saw Hans, although that happened right off the bat.
Her rational thinking was quickly overpowered by the emotional side of her mind.
"I'm smitten?! With Kristoff?!" She shouted. Although she was still lying on the couch, so it really came out more like, "Mm sm-mmm?! Mm MM-MM?!"
God, that's just my luck. Finally fall in love with a picture-perfect prince, and then I decide to go ahead and be a flirty two-timer!
Guilt welled in her gut at the thought of Hans. What the hell was wrong with her? Hans didn't deserve to be with someone who couldn't even keep her eyes on him for two stinkin' weeks!
Anna sat up on the couch and let out a loud sigh. She didn't know how she felt. She didn't know anything.
Elsa would probably have good advice.
Of course, Anna couldn't be sure of that. But during the long years that Elsa had disappeared from her life, Anna had created a sort of pseudo-personality for her. Strange? Yes. Borderline Obsessive? Most likely. But it helped during the lonely nights when she passed Elsa's room.
She always thought of Elsa as mature, in fact that was a given. She was always prim and proper, and always had a look of regality on her that Anna could never pull off. She was also humble, because she never dressed up or tried to show off her beauty. And good heavens she was beautiful. Anna liked to think she herself was cute in a freckley kind of way, but Elsa was downright gorgeous. She had the fair skin, the platinum hair, the perfectly proportioned body…she had it all.
Pulling herself away from Elsa's gifted body, Anna found herself wondering what exactly Elsa's advice about love would be.
In all honesty, it was probably the one thing she wouldn't be good at…she hadn't exactly had a lot of social exposure. She had rarely even shown signs of love to Anna, her own sister. How on earth would she understand the kind of feelings Anna felt?
Oh please, even she would know how wrong it is to like two men at once!
Anna was really beginning to hate that little rational part of her brain.
She'd have likely continued her self-deprecating thinking if not for the person who entered the room.
"You seem troubled."
Anna raised her head to the sound of Lionel's voice. He had entered the room so silently Anna barely noticed. His bandages were still on his head, covering a side of his face, and his beard still clung to his chin like a talon.
"Hi, Lionel." Anna muttered in a glum voice.
Lionel nodded in response, standing respectfully next to her.
"How are the burns?" Anna asked him. "You seem to be better."
"I am. Though I'd like to keep the bandages on. No need to ruin any appetites with these scars." He replied.
Anna felt a tug of guilt.
Almost reading her mind, Lionel shook his head. "What happened on the mountain was not your doing, Princess. You need not feel guilty."
Lionel had insisted upon calling Anna "Princess". Although Anna was typically strict about maintaining a sense of informality, she didn't think strong-arming Lionel would get her anything. He was like a brick wall, stoic and sage.
"Any word?" Anna asked him with an air of anxiety. It was the same thing she asked him everyday.
"Not yet. Only a few ambassadors will have arrived home by now, and it'll take longer for word to spread. My organization is searching to the best of our ability, but we've found nothing yet."
Another wave of melancholy sank over Anna, though she smirked a bit.
"Thanks for saying 'yet'."
"Of course. We will find them. It's only a matter of time."
Anna nodded, exhaling like the exhausted girl that she was.
"Lionel, you don't have to stick around. I mean-oh, that sounded awful, I mean I want you here but-"
"You don't want to be overbearing." Lionel interrupted, finishing her thought.
Anna gave him a weak smile.
"Calm yourself. I'm here on my own free will." He continued. His voice was like cold steel, sharp and strong, yet utterly tempered.
Anna breathed outward again. "Thank you. You've been so helpful."
Lionel only gave her a small nod. As he did, Anna decided to tempt fate.
"Lionel, I don't suppose you know anything about love?"
If the question was at all embarrassing, Anna ignored it. She had already surpassed the amount of humiliation she could feel.
Lionel's face held surprise for the first time.
"Unfortunately, Princess, I am trained in the art of survival, not flirting."
"Worth a shot." Anna said, smirking.
Lionel almost looked amused, but before he could say anything, a third voice filled the gallery.
"This is ridiculous, have you no-"
"What's ridiculous is how long it's taken for me to speak to her! I'd have thought a little professionalism would be present in this castle!"
Kai's voice argued with what could only be the voice of the Duke of Weselton. Sure enough, the little runt himself entered the room, his ridiculous wig still attached to his head, though his argumentative words caused his head to bob with their force, making the wig bob ever-so-slightly.
The Duke looked around the room and finally locked eyes with Anna. He gave an exhale, communicating a clear "finally".
"Your majesty, please, I realize this may be an inopportune time for you, but-"
"Of course it is! Have you lost your senses!? I will not tolerate your insensitive and selfish whining in this time of crisis!" Kai interrupted angrily. Anna was a bit shocked, having never seen the loyal advisor so beside himself.
The Duke's ears reddened. "Whining? I have an entire country to worry about and you accuse me of whining?!"
"HEY!" Anna shouted, getting a bit sick of the back-and-forth.
The two of them ceased immediately, much to her surprise. Most likely due to the fact that a princess said something so unrefined.
"Kai, it's alright. Duke, what is it exactly that you want?"
Kai seemed a bit ruffled by Anna's brisk attitude, and Anna couldn't blame him. She didn't mean to sound so rude, but right now the last thing she needed was some kind of diplomatic crisis because of a disgruntled Duke.
The Duke cleared his throat. "Your majesty…I understand that you have a lot on your mind right now, what with recent…revelations."
Kai appeared to be attempting to telepathically smack the Duke. Anna felt a tug of guilt and offense, but remained silent.
"However, I would be letting my country down if I left without some sort of trade negotiation…we are the biggest partners you have, after all." He finished, letting his statement ask the question.
Anna narrowed her eyes a bit while she felt an uncomfortable squirm. Elsa was the one who could make these decisions. She was the ridiculously smart one.
"I…am not sure I'd be able to adequately satisfy your diplomatic needs at the moment, your Lordship." Anna responded, summoning every scrap of formality she had. She felt a swoop of pride when Kai gave her a bewildered, yet utterly pleased glance.
The Duke did not seem impressed.
"Princess Anna, it is in times of crisis when we show our true worth. You would wish to simply walk away from the problems at hand?"
Hold the phone.
Did he just call me a coward?!
Yes, second inner voice, I believe he did!
What a pompous doof! Layeth the smacketh down!
I concur!
"Listen here, Duke." Anna retorted, throwing all prior professionalism to the wind. "Princess Anna of Arendelle may be many bad things, but she is not a coward. She just happens to know how to PRIORITIZE. And right now, your greedy little needs are not exactly above finding the rightful Queen of Arendelle and saving her! Comprende, Señor Baldo?!"
She took a deep breath after the little rant. It didn't take Kai's expression or the Duke's reddening face to know that she may have gone a bit overboard.
"Greedy little…you dare?! I am not the one who has been hiding a witch from the rest of her kingdom!" He shouted, his wig bouncing up and down.
"I had no idea that Elsa had abilities like that! And if I did, I certainly wouldn't have ostracized her for it!" Anna yelled back passionately.
"Then you are every bit the foolish little girl we all assumed you were!"
It was a good thing Lionel intervened when he did, as Kai was about to lay the damned old fool out.
"Enough." He stated in his strong and intimidating voice. "I ask that you leave this matter to another day, your Lordship. One where you are not so flippant as to insult royalty in her own castle."
The Duke's face twitched with frustration and fury as he stared at Lionel. But then it changed. It went from anger to shock. And from shock to…was that recognition? Before Anna could react, Lionel abruptly put an arm around her shoulder and marched her out of the room, leaving a sputtering Kai to follow in their wake and a very confused-looking Duke standing in the art gallery.
Anna didn't complain, however. She was glad that Lionel took her out of that situation.
"Lionel, do you know the Duke?" Anna asked him as they walked.
Lionel's expression did not change, as he slowly said, "No."
It sounded so honest that Anna almost believed it. But the look that had been on the Duke's face told her otherwise. Did that mean that the Duke had seen Lionel somewhere before? Somewhere outside Arendelle?
She decided to drop it. It wasn't her business. The only thing she cared about right now was that Lionel was in her corner. It was good to have a brick wall to lean against when you're too confused to walk straight.
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Ironically, it'd been quite easy getting out of Dezertis.
Normally, getting out of the city would involve three basic steps. One: Wait until nightfall. Two: sneak to one of the exit gates. Three: Sneak into a passing carriage or cart.
That wasn't normal, though. Ignus thought to himself darkly.
His thoughts retraced to the moment the little thieving bastard told him that he had friends back at the shop. Ignus had felt a panic tear through him that he hadn't experienced in a long time.
Snatching the ring, he smashed his foot into the thief's face and raced back to Dazeem's shop. But he could see he was too late before he even entered.
The shop's windows had fogged up and cracked with ice. The air had been crisp and chilly, and a strong wind had picked up and nearly blown Ignus' hood down.
Raw fear struck Ignus as he imagined what they had done to Elsa.
Barely five seconds later, he had kicked down the door and burst into the shop, desperate to make sure Elsa was alright.
She had been all right.
But the thieves were not.
Two of them were unconscious and had begun to freeze like the rest of the shop, ice crawling up their legs and across their skin like an acrid disease. Ignus had felt a nauseous pang as he watched in shock. Then he had felt a full pang of horrific realization as he beheld the third member, frozen solid in a block of ice, his screaming face locked in place.
Elsa herself had been leaning against a counter, her head in her arms. Everything about the stance had told Ignus what she was feeling. He could smell the vomit from where he stood.
Then he saw one of the thieves come at her with a knife.
The worry in his stomach had turned to rage.
He had grabbed the wrist of the man and sunk his fist so far into his face he was amazed it didn't break through. But he wasn't finished. The man went down, and Ignus had jumped onto him, pumping his fist back and forth three more times.
Back and forth.
Teeth flew.
Back and forth.
He had felt blood on his knuckles.
Back and forth.
He had felt the jawbone break.
After that things had to be done quickly.
Ignus had picked up Elsa, given the ring to a shellshocked Dazeem, and fled. He ran as fast as he could with Elsa in his arms, unmoving and silent.
He was so focused he had hardly noticed snow falling in the city.
Elsa's emotions were the cause, obviously. Not even religion could explain a snowstorm in the middle of the desert. In summer no less. People's jaws had been dropping left right and center. Zealots screamed through the streets, warning of Armageddon.
No one had guessed the cause of it all had been the beautiful woman in the arms of a hooded ex-mercenary.
There were about five exit gates along the borders of Dezertis. They allowed people to leave, but none to enter. Typically they had long lines and heavy security.
It had been abandoned and unguarded when Ignus arrived at one, however. People were too busy marveling at the impossible blizzard around them.
After that Ignus had run. Then he ran further. Then he walked.
Finally, he had collapsed at his current location, an oasis he'd discovered about a year ago. There were a large amount of trees, and even a functioning ecosystem, evidenced by the wildlife of frogs and birds.
Ignus sat by the small pond, washing his face and trying to make sense of the situation as the birds chirped softly in the night.
He had lit a fire a few feet away from the lake. Elsa was lying on her side right next to it, still unconscious. Ignus had tried to wake her, but to no avail.
He splashed his face once again. Then he brought his fist down hard on the water's surface.
"Dammit!"
He couldn't help but curse himself for his foolishness. His idiotic sense of heroism sent him after that little scumbag. Why? Some pathetic desire to show off to Elsa?!
He splashed his face again, growling about his own uncertainty. Standing up, he pulled his hood back up and tried to calm down. He'd been through a lot, and he knew that the only way to move forward was to do just that. So he began to formulate a plan as to where they were going to go next. They'd have to get as far away from Dezertis as possible, as news would definitely spread of the freak blizzard. It was only a matter of time before the River caught wind of it.
He walked back over to where Elsa lay and sat beside her, letting the familiar warmth of the fire wash over him. He once again found himself staring at Elsa, but this time it wasn't out of an immature attraction to her. He felt stark sadness, the kind that one only feels for another. Elsa had just lived through her worst nightmare because of his carelessness. Now he could only sit by the fire and watch over her like he should have done hours ealier.
Then he saw her gently stir.
Her eyes slid open just a bit.
Ignus waited. For a reaction, for a biting insult, for tears…anything. But after a minute of silence, Elsa simply closed her eyes again.
He felt an anguished chill. She's suppressing the memory…maybe even reality itself.
"Elsa." Ignus said quietly, hoping to rouse her.
No reaction from the despondent blonde.
"Elsa, hiding away and pretending like it never happened will only make it worse."
Elsa's form tightened slightly, like she had silently communicated, "Want to bet?"
This is for her own good…
"Elsa, get up."
…Right?
"Elsa!" Ignus said again, a bit more forcefully this time.
"Stop."
Her one word response had more force in it than any scream could have hoped to have. It was deadpan, void of emotion…like she had stopped being human.
Dammit, this is bad…this is really bad.
Ignus had been here before. That point where you just don't care…when you're simply willing to accept whatever fate waits for you, when you forget about everything you love. It was worse than any anger or pain one could imagine.
Ignus knew what he was about to do could very well cost him an arm or a leg. But leaving Elsa like this was not an option. He grit his teeth and twisted his thoughts into dark and sadistic ones.
"Fine. Wallow in self-pity like you always do." Ignus spat, turning away from her figure. The sneering words were like glass coming out of Ignus' throat, but he continued nonetheless.
"God, how pathetic. I'd have thought a 21-year-old Queen would have had a bit more backbone. So you made it snow a bit? So what? Is that why you're acting like a sad old hag?"
Ignus wanted to hit himself. He sounded like a pretentious, ignorant little shit. He was losing his confidence in this being the right thing to do, but he was in too deep now.
"All those years of hiding away, all that time spent in your room…it was never about the powers, was it? You were just seeking attention. Like you are now, sitting there like a cripple. Just begging to be shown pity and sympathy. Oh, I'm Elsa! I can make it snow a teensy bit! Please pray for my soul each and every night!" Ignus finished his derisive mocking with a healthy snort.
The air itself seemed to freeze. The fire had gone out. Ignus didn't dare look at Elsa. He knew it was seconds away.
One more push.
"I can't believe it…all those years Anna was left all alone…all that pain she must have felt…just because you were being selfish."
CRACK
The slap would have hurt plenty by itself, but add about an iceberg's worth of cold to it, and it felt like it was a cannonball rather than a hand.
Ignus fell to the ground, feeling his jaw, which he was amazed hadn't fractured, as Elsa's seething figure rose above him.
Ignus knew that anger was always better than despair. But seeing her frosty eyes glowing viciously at him was making him think twice. Her hair had come undone and was blowing in the wind she was no doubt causing.
Here we go…
"Selfish?! SELFISH?!" Elsa screeched at him. Her fury seemed to be beyond words, as she slapped Ignus again, harder this time.
Ignus coughed and spat out a bit of frozen saliva in his mouth. He was silently grateful it wasn't a tooth.
"You insensitive COCK! You know absolutely NOTHING ABOUT WHAT I HAD TO GO THROUGH!"
Another slap. Ignus felt ice on his face.
"YOU THINK I SOUGHT PITY?! I SOUGHT TO PROTECT MY FAMILY! THOSE I LOVED!" Elsa screamed at him. "I SACRIFICED MY CHILDHOOD SO THAT THEY'D BE SAFE! I SUFFERED THROUGH EVERY-LONELY-NIGHT…" She had now abandoned the open palm in favor of the closed fist, "EVERY HOPELESS DAY HOLDING ONTO THE SHRED OF HOPE THAT SOMEDAY IT'D BE DIFFERENT! AND YOU KNOW WHAT?!"
Elsa whirled around the opposite direction, livid and anguished beyond anything Ignus could have imagined. Ignus could taste blood as she continued.
"IT'S NOT! NOTHING'S CHANGED! I'M STILL RUNNNING! I'M STILL HIDING! AND I STILL HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO FUCKING CONTROL!"
The pond had frozen over. A whirlwind of snow formed around Elsa.
"I JUST KILLED A MAN! I J-Just…oh, Jesus…"
Elsa doubled over, putting a hand to her mouth. Ignus was inwardly relieved Elsa had already emptied her stomach back at the stand, lest she do it again in front of him.
She gulped in air like a drowning man. Then she turned around again, staring at Ignus with blood and tear stained eyes.
"Do you think…I ignored Anna's knockings because I wanted her pity?! I was afraid I'd kill her! I was afraid I'd kill everyone! And I just got proof that I was right!"
Ignus slowly got to one knee to look at Elsa, who was staring at her hands like they were instruments of torture. Tears finally began to spill down her beautiful face, like rain against a windowpane.
"Why…am I like this? Why did I have to have this? Why must I bear this curse?!"
In an utter lapse of judgment, Ignus laughed lightly at her words.
Elsa looked at him with such betrayal and hatred that Ignus wouldn't have been surprised if he dropped dead on the spot.
"I've asked those questions so many times." He said quietly.
To his immeasurable relief, Elsa seemed to calm slightly. But her eyes were still narrowed in contempt.
"Oh, now we're feeling sympathetic? Good, because apparently that's what I've wanted the whole time!" Elsa shot back spitefully.
Ignus shook his head. "I know you don't. I know you've never been selfish in your life."
Elsa actually laughed at that. A short, derisive laugh.
Ignus staggered to his feet, still dizzy from Elsa's furious blows. If she felt guilty at all about it, she certainly didn't show it.
Her face did show some emotion when he removed his jacket and tore open his shirt, exposing his chest.
Elsa's initial expression of shock and embarrassment was replaced by a look of horror.
Ignus had never shown anyone the scars on his body. Not even to Aren. A small sadness broke through him as he saw Elsa's expression. He didn't want to show her this, or to disgust her with this sight…but this was the only option he could think of. He'd ponder how pathetic that was later.
"Elsa, I've been through a lot too. And I'm not trying to undermine your pain, or your strength. But I just want you to know I do understand. And I want to help you."
Elsa's eyes traveled down his chest, and Ignus felt a shameless sense of exhibitionism. To any onlooker, it would have appeared that he had just ripped his shirt off in front of a pretty young lady. But he knew she wasn't staring at his muscles.
He wondered vaguely if she was counting the scars on him. It was actually seven. Some of them looked bad enough to be two, however.
She continued to stare in silence, then at last her head lowered, and she stared at the ground.
"But it doesn't change who I am. What I am."
Ignus sighed as fire rose form his chest, covering it with another black shirt.
"No, it doesn't. But it can help you accept it."
"Accept it?! How am I supposed to accept it?! I'm a MURDERER!"
"No you're not, Elsa." Ignus said quietly.
That brought Elsa up short. For a moment it seemed like she dared to believe him. Then she shook her head ruefully.
"I froze that man solid."
Ignus raised a hand, producing a bright flame.
"And I unfroze him."
It was true. The man Elsa had frozen had been tricky to remove from the ice, but Ignus had managed to free him without causing any (major) burns. He had been shaking, and most certainly traumatized, but very much alive.
Elsa's eyes shone in the moonlight.
"I…then I…"
Ignus simply nodded.
"But I could've…I mean I almost-"
The air was silent for a while as crickets softly chirped.
Elsa then fell to her knees.
Ignus was beside her in an instant, supporting her.
She didn't seem sad so much as exhausted, and Ignus couldn't blame her one bit. But as she looked up at Ignus' face, he saw a flash of shock pass through her.
"Oh my god, you're bleeding!"
Ignus gave her a wry smile as he wiped his mouth.
"You're a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for."
"God I…I'm so sorry I just…" Her voice cracked.
Ignus shook his head, giving her a signature small smile. "I was asking for it. I thought that giving you an output for all that emotion would help you. You were so devoid of life I was beginning to worry."
"I was…" Elsa whispered, wiping an eye. "I felt so…dead. So tired of everything. But hearing you say those things…it made me so angry, but so alive again. It brought me back. You were absolutely correct."
Ignus didn't really want to accept that the only option was one where he was beaten senseless, but he let it go.
"Seeing you up and kicking is worth a beating any day." Ignus stated simply.
Elsa opened her mouth to say more, put Ignus put a hand up.
"You've been through too much for one day. Sleep. We can talk…discuss everything."
Elsa looked at him with her beautiful eyes. Then she leaned ever so slightly against his shoulder, sending shockwaves through Ignus.
"I'm lucky to have you with me."
Ignus met her blue eyes with his red ones.
"You deserve a friend."
Elsa smiled as she closed her eyes. It didn't take long for Ignus to feel her slow, silent snores.
He could have kept her on his shoulder for a long time, but he decided to let her rest in a more comfortable position. He carefully laid her on her side, close to the fire.
As Ignus stared into it, he felt a slow burn inside himself. Like the true beginning of something had started.
Elsa would certainly face more fears. That reality even he couldn't deny. But she would never have to face them alone. Not anymore.
He stared so intently at the fire, he didn't notice a single blue eye open, staring at his silhouetted figure with the same determination he felt as he watched the dancing flames illuminate the trees.
0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
Gabe wasn't one for diplomacy and debates.
He knew his job and he knew it well. Protect the Duke. Obey the Duke.
Sometimes that second one got a bit messy.
He and Erik, the clean-shaven fellow he had worked with for about a year, were following the Duke from Arendelle castle after the less-than-successful negotiation with the Princess.
"Gentlemen, we need to get in contact with that Lionel fellow. Privately." The Duke said suddenly.
Erik sent Gabe a confused expression, which he returned.
"Thought we were here to discuss trade." He stated.
"We are. But sometimes discussions require a bit of…assertion. The Princess is young and naïve, but she is also stubborn. She won't take another's word over hers, unless it someone she trusts. Which brings me back to Lionel…"
"You wish to use him?"
"Indeed." The Duke responded, stroking his moustache. "If we can have him enter into an "agreement", his word will win over the Princess, ensuring a rather lucrative deal."
"How do you propose we approach him? Blackmail?" Erik asked.
The Duke's mouth curled into a twisted smirk.
"Right again."
"How? He seems to be an experienced man…what can we get on him?"
"It's not what we can get, it's what we already have."
Another confused expression passed between the two bodyguards.
"I've met the man before. He assaulted me in the alley the other day. Right after the Queen's episode, but before her disappearance. He even asked me about her and the one the call 'Red-Eye'."
Gabe's mind clicked.
"I do believe our dear Lionel knows more than he is letting on about her majesty the Queen's absence." The Duke continued mirthlessly. "It'd be a shame if her majesty the Princess were to find out. And she may well, if he does not submit to my commands."
Erik stared at the Duke.
"Sir…you really need to stop saying these things out loud…"
0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
Jack wasn't called nimble for nothing.
As he sprinted down the road, he skillfully avoided every stray rock that threatened a broken ankle. Others would never admit it, but he was pretty sure he wasn't being arrogant when he said he was the best messenger in Dezertis.
He was almost about to reach the second exit gate. Seeing a stable nearby, he ran up to it and approached the keeper.
"One horse, please." Jack asked, showing him coin.
The man nodded, and walked over to hitch up a steed.
"Strange day, ain't it?" The man asked him.
Jack exhaled in amazement. "Incredible. Some people are calling it the end of the world, a sure sign that Satan is among us."
"They've more reason to than usual." The man said, grunting as he lifted the saddle and throwing it over the horse.
The freak blizzard had been the strangest thing to happen in Dezertis since the massive duck migration they had ten years prior, where they had a catastrophic breads shortage from the amount of ducks passing through.
This was a bit less ridiculous, and a whole lot more supernatural.
But that'll make it all the better. Jack thought to himself, leaping atop the horse.
"Ah, well these are hardy folk. They'll forget about it soon enough." The man said, finishing the saddle with a satisfied tug. "You're all set."
"Are you kidding?" Jack asked, smiling. "People will never forget this."
He held out a scroll for the man to see.
"Official royal documents. Sending out to every nation from here to Corona. Details the whole thing."
He smiled as he spurred the horse.
"Every kingdom in the world is gonna know about the Great Desert Freeze."
Hope you enjoyed. That was a long one, but surprisingly easier to write. Hope to continue the pace.
-TheStanfordExperiment