Chapter 11 A game of Chess
"So this is where Archeo's hiding?" Elsa said, examining the doors she knew so well. Why here? Of all places. Perhaps it was attracted to the emotions she kept here, or the design. She didn't know, and it didn't matter.
"Yep, Archeo likes the indoors I'm not sure why." Wilhelm replied, examining the once beautiful staircase. Hans had wrecked it during his unwelcome visit, at least that was how the story went. It could easily be repaired, but he had a feeling that wasn't going to happen. Elsa seemed...distant...as if she was back in the past, where she was all combinations of emotions. Elsa opened the doors, walking, once again, through her ice castle. It did not seem to be disturbed recently but the place brought her back memories, good and bad.
"We should split up into teams to cover more ground." Kristof said. He didn't know much about the ice palace, but after living in the woods for years, he knew how to outsmart a predator. That, and it would be better than Wilhelm's solution which involved a giant wooden Olaf.
"Archeo's after me and the queen, it's probably best if we don't go together to confuse it." Wilhelm noted. Plus he felt...weird...whenever he got near her. This was a perfect excuse. He only hoped he wasn't tagged with Anna. This place could echo very well and he had no intention of her singing about his something for the queen. Elsa wasn't really listening, she was one year ago. Kristof nodded, and said, "Anna, you go with Elsa, I'll go with Wilhelm."
The four split up -two taking upstairs, the others downstairs. Wilhelm was only glad that he didn't have to go through all that drama.
ICE
"Soooo," Anna said to her sister. She was going to get her sister hooked up if it was going to kill her.
"So what?" Elsa asked, mostly focusing on finding Archeo. Had she missed something?
"So has he asked you?" Anna asked her sister who was currently searching in every corner of every room. He who? Ask me what? Can't we just focus on finding Mr. Creepypants? Might as well talk with Anna, it would pass the time. Elsa replied, "Who?"
"Wilhelm, asking for your hand in marriage." Anna answered. Elsa nearly threw a rock at Anna. What the heck? Was she nuts? It's Anna, she just needs clarification. Her sister turned to her and said, "1. Wilhelm would probably agree, when I say that I don't like people who try to kill me. 2. We don't have time to deal with this drama; we're trying to find this shadow."
Anna was disappointed in her sister's reluctance to find a king at first then terrifying realization came to her. Shadow. Anna wasn't used to being afraid, that was her older sister. But, Archeo was a monster, plain and simple. Shadow.
"Elsa," Anna said in fear. Her sister really needed to know, but she was afraid that if she said another word the thing would jump out of nowhere.
"Anna if its anything that doesn't have to do with the monster, I'm not interested." Elsa explained, rummaging through a pile of random objects she found in the mountains. It was all perfectly organized. Helmets in the back, wallets to the right, Daleks on the left, and strange tablets that lit up and spoke a weird language in the front(yes those are iphones). Anna asked, "What did you mean by shadow?"
Elsa was still looking, occasionally looking at one of her little finds and examining it. It was a little while before she answered, "It was something the mermaid said."
Anna asked, "Elsa, how many shadows are in here?"
What a weird question. But, it could be important. The snow queen looked up seeing her shadow, her sisters, and- the one who just attacked them both.
ICE
"So you and Queen Elsa huh?" Kristof asked Wilhelm, who was searching every corridor. Anna had told him, it wasn't like the two had much else to talk about. However, the rogue wasn't too keen on going into the matter.
"Shut up now or else Archeo won't be the one you should be afraid of." Wilhelm replied. He was friends with Kristof, but he didn't understand the guy. It was a burly man with a regal, elegant person. It wouldn't work. That's how life is. You and I both know you're not talking about Kristof. Wilhelm hated his inner voice. Why can't inner voices be nice? Was that too much to ask?
"So it is true then?" Kristof asked him. Threatening meant somebody was hiding something, his father had shown him that. Wilhelm turned and looking Krisotf straight in the eye, and said, smiling, "Look, I took mercy on your wife because she's the princess, and I need to get on the queen's good side, but you, I would gladly butcher."
Kristof shut up. This guy was in love, but he had knives and magic dust.
"Wait, how many people are in this room?" Wilhelm asked Kristof. He had been so worked up with the romantic business that he had forgotten something. Splitting up was a death wish. The mountain man counted, "Two."
Wilhelm asked, "How many shadows?"
Archeo only attacked when his presence was known, and he made every attempt to penetrate his victim's darkest thoughts. Kristof counted, "One, two, thr- how on earth?"
The shadow flew directly at them, screeching as it went. The shadow was large and bulky, but could not be touched by anything that wasn't solid. Like a real shadow it slid on surfaces, anything that was a surface could push him back, but not hurt him. His mouth was nothing but caged teeth and a fiery inside. (Think of a mix between dementors and Sauron.)
"Great idea to split up scarf boy now they can get both of us." Wilhelm yelled as he was pushed against a wall. (Yes that was a reference to Scooby Doo). The shadow stabbed into his chest, searching for something that was no longer there. Wilhelm gave it a sly look then pushed it back. It spiraled down the hall, screeched like a banshee, and retreated quickly upstairs.
"Well done now they're going after the girls." Wilhelm said, glad to have his feet on the ground again.
"They what do you mean they?" Kristof asked but Wilhelm had already left.
ICE
Elsa was easily fending for herself as the two shadows tried to break through the ice barrier. Anna whacked them away if they got too close to her sister. Their were two shadows, one was small, lean, and sharp, the other, a heavy, hulking beast. As the two guys reached the top of the stairwell, they could see they were not especially needed. Oh, right, queen with ice powers and her sister who enjoyed hitting things with a shovel.
"So much for damsels in distress." Kristof said, getting a shadows attention. The lean one flew at him, howling. Anna yelled to Kristof, moving out of the ice barrier. The other shadow charged about to take her heart at her only to be blocked by Elsa. The shadow stabbed hard into the queen. The first shadow flew to another room the other following, with a white heart in its hand. Elsa was on her knees, it hurt, A LOT. She wasn't dead, nor was she dying, but she wasn't used to having her heart ripped out of her chest.
"Your majesty!" Kristof yelled running to the queen, followed by Wilhelm. Anna held her sister close whose white hair had returned to blonde. She was desperate. Anna looked up to Wilhelm, asking, "You saved me, maybe..."
The princess was crying. She couldn't take losing another member of her family, let alone her sister. Wilhelm clarified, "We need to get her heart back, that's all I know to do."
Anna pleaded, "An act of true love can cure any curse."
True love! True love! Don't get me started on that! Wilhelm turned and stared the princess in the eyes, saying, "Haven't you gotten it yet, you're her sister, you can't get any more true love than that! You thought she needed someone to care for her the way she cares for you but she already had that, she never needed a guy, that's why she didn't want to get married, all she needed was her sister. That is something I killed looking for, something I will die for."
Wilhelm made no intention of doing it for himself, or for Anna or for anyone else, no one but Peter. No more. No more people are going to die because of magic, that's what he always knew. And this was no exception. Kristof and Anna stared at him, silent beyond all recognition.
"Now," Wilhelm said, "I'll go get the heart but I won't be asking your sister for anything more."
