The Storm Rages On
Chapter Eleven
Power, Part One
"So. You have chosen to continue your pursuit of the Jewels."
The voice echoed ominously throughout the dark chamber. Not even the flame burning in Alúvelin's palm could pierce the room's opacity. The darkness lay heavy upon the party, as if weighing them down, stifling them.
"You knew we would," Elsa said, her face the picture of calm, of poise. "We are prepared to face the next challenge. Simply tell us what we need to do."
A laugh rang about the room. "I'm beginning to grow fond of you, Your Majesty. So direct. So focused. I am so looking forward to seeing how you do in this next challenge. I certainly hope you will live up to my expectations. Now, all women except for Her Majesty here move away. Now."
The voice paused as Anna, Alúvelin, and Valanda reluctantly backed away, leaving Elsa, Kristoff, and Arberish together. "All right," Elsa said. "We have done as you have requested. Now, what do you want from us?"
"I have never heard of an alliance between Men, ice bærers, and brann wielders before. I am eager to see how the three of you fight together." A single torch suddenly sprang to life, its orange glow illuminating a doorway. "The three of you are to proceed through this door. There, we shall see just how powerful you truly are."
"And what about them?" Kristoff asked, gesturing to Anna, Alúvelin, and Valanda. "What will happen to them?"
"Do not worry about them," the voice replied. "They will enjoy an unobstructed view of your trials."
Without warning, a hole opened in the floor beneath the three women, pulling them down a long tunnel.
"What did you do?!" Elsa cried. "Where did they go?! Bring them back!"
"I told you. They are perfectly safe. They have been taken to this chamber's exit. If you wish to join them, I suggest you begin the challenge."
Elsa looked at Kristoff and Arberish. "I really hate this," she said softly. "You realize we are going to have to kill in order to survive. I . . . I don't want to, but . . ."
Gently, Arberish placed his arms around Elsa, holding her close. "I understand, Majesty. But we have no alternative. We must do whatever it takes to survive. The fate of our peoples rest upon this."
"I know," Elsa whispered. "I just wish . . . there was another way . . ."
"My patience is not limitless," the voice said. "You will begin. Now!"
The three proceeded to the open door, calming themselves, preparing for the trials they were about to endure.
"Ready?" Elsa whispered.
Kristoff nodded, his eyes staring straight ahead into the darkness. Arberish took Elsa's hand, gingerly running his hands over her fingers.
The three unwilling warriors plunged into the darkness, prepared to face whatever may be waiting for them. As they moved forward, a brilliant light overwhelmed their vision, making it impossible to see what lay ahead. Elsa brought her arm up to her face to try to dull the luminosity, but the intensity was too strong, and—
They were standing in a large, square chamber, the floor coated with mounds of deep, white sand.
"Where are we?" Kristoff asked, looking around. "Are we still in the caverns?"
"I don't know," Arberish replied. "Nor do I know what manner of treachery we will face in this chamber."
The voice suddenly rang through the room. "Remember, to complete this challenge, you must defeat five guardians. The first two lie within this chamber."
"Where?" Kristoff called out. "I don't see anything!"
Laughter filled the room. "Patience, son of Man. All will be revealed soon." The voice paused dramatically before continuing. "Long ago, before the climate shifted, the plains of this continent were once a vast desert. Only the strongest life forms survived in the burning heat and sweltering sun. Though their brethren died out centuries ago, you are about to encounter two of those life forms. Whether they join their brothers in death, or survive by killing you, we shall see."
The voice suddenly grew louder, issuing a single command. "Arise, Ersóneweth and Farsóneweth, ancient rulers of the sands! Your hunger for meat is about to be relieved! Arise and feed!"
The ground began to shake, the sands shifting. Elsa, Kristoff, and Arberish huddled together, looking about the chamber in terror. Before their eyes, two massive forms burst forth from the sand, leaping through the air, passing each other before landing and burrowing back into the sand from whence they came.
"Sandworms!" Kristoff cried, shaking his head in astonishment. "Giant sandworms!" He looked at Elsa. "What do we do?!"
"MOVE!" Arberish cried. "Spread out! If we stay in one place, we will most certainly die!"
The three broke apart, racing toward separate walls of the chamber. Elsa ran her eyes over the floor, desperately looking for any sign of the creatures.
A loud cry sprang from the wall to her left. Elsa turned. "Kristoff!"
The mountain man was trapped within the jaws of one of the massive creatures, his arms and legs straining to prevent the beast's massive maw from closing around him. Razor-sharp teeth pressed toward his shoulders, growing closer by the moment as the jaws forced themselves to close despite his struggles.
"Hold on!" Elsa rushed toward the worm, hands glowing blue. With a loud cry, she unleashed a stream of concentrated ice toward the creature's head. The shock of the cold caused the beast to roar in pain and surprise, giving Kristoff the opportunity to escape from its maw.
Enraged, the monster turned toward Elsa, its black eyes narrowing as it spotted her. Thrusting itself forward, the beast launched its body toward the Snow Queen, its massive head colliding with her, throwing Elsa across the chamber, her body coming to rest upon a large sand dune.
"Elsa!" Kristoff raced after the creature, desperate to do something to distract it, to prevent it from killing a dazed Elsa. "Arberish! A little help!"
"I'm a little busy at the moment, son!" Arberish yelled back. His focus was currently directed upon the other sandworm. The creature howled in pain as Arberish singed its flesh with an intense wave of flame. Unrelenting, Arberish pressed his advantage, forcing the monster back toward the wall, its skin smoldering under the heat of the brann wielder's fire. Just as Arberish was about to unleash the killing blow upon its head, the sandworm leapt into the air, burrowing back into the sand, finding temporary respite from its agony.
Its brother, however, was upon Elsa, ready to consume the reeling woman, its jaws open wide. Just as it descended upon her, it suddenly reared back, a roar of pain escaping from its throat.
Elsa finally was able to clear her head. Looking up, she saw Kristoff astride the monster's back, a small knife firmly implanted in its flesh. Barely clinging to the beast, Kristoff stabbed the creature over and over again, thick, black blood freely flowing from its injuries.
"Elsa!" Kristoff cried. "I've got it distracted! Kill it! Kill it now!"
Fighting the pain that rang in her mind, Elsa stood. Summoning all of her energy, she allowed a torrent of ice to pour from her hands, covering the creature in wave after wave of thick, unbreakable ice.
The weight of the ice became too much for the sandworm to bear. It fell to the ground, its body flailing about as it tried to rise, straining against the frozen water that was its prison.
Elsa felt something appear in her hand. Unconsciously, she had formed a large sword of pure ice, its blade as sharp as any made of iron. She walked forward toward the sandworm's head, studying the creature, analyzing it.
"What are you waiting for?" Kristoff cried. "Kill it!"
"I . . . I can't," Elsa replied. "It's defenseless! It's not right!"
"Elsa, please!" Kristoff protested. "There's no time! You have to!"
The sandworm looked upon Elsa, its eyes full of malice, contempt. Letting out a final scream of defiance, the beast fought through its icy prison and launched itself toward her.
Screaming in surprise, in rage, in sorrow, Elsa swung her blade. She felt the weapon slice through flesh and bone, the sword meeting little resistance along its path. The sandworm's head landed at her feet, black blood coating the pure white sand beneath it.
Kristoff walked toward her, limping slightly. "I don't understand!" he said. "Why didn't you kill it when you had the chance? It could have killed you first!"
Elsa looked at him, her eyes heavy with sorrow. "I'm sorry," she said. "I know I should have . . . but . . . but it is one of God's creations. Who am I to decide if it lives or dies? It was only following its instincts. It wasn't its fault . . ."
Kristoff felt guilt suddenly flow through his heart. This is ridiculous! he told himself. Why do I feel guilty for its death? It was trying to kill us! But . . . But she's right . . .
"I . . . I shouldn't have . . . I mean, it wasn't right for me to expect you to just kill it," he clumsily said. "I forgot just how afraid you are of hurting innocents . . . that all life is sacred to you."
An inhuman scream stirred the two from their conversation. They turned in time to see Arberish deliver the death blow to the other sandworm. With a final flail of its massive body, the creature fell still, unmoving, lifeless.
"Are you all right?" Elsa asked, taking the brann wielder's hand. "Are you injured?"
"Nothing I can't handle," Arberish replied. He brought his hand to the large welt forming on Elsa's head. "What about you? That looks . . . That looks painful."
"It's nothing," Elsa said. "I'll be fine." She turned to Kristoff. "Thank you for distracting it before it reached me. Otherwise, I . . ."
Kristoff smiled. "Don't worry about it. It's the least I could do after everything you've done for us."
"So, you were successful," the voice said. "Ersóneweth and Farsóneweth are no more. I must admit, I did not think you would be successful. I underestimated you."
"So it would seem," Elsa replied. "Now, let us out. Take us to the three remaining guardians. Let's end this challenge now!"
"Of course, Your Majesty," the voice said. The wall on the far side of the chamber receded into the sand. "Proceed. On the other side of the corridor, you will find the final three guardians. I warn you, however. They will not be as easily dispatched."
"We will be the judges of that," Arberish said coolly.
"Indeed. I await the results of your next battle. Then, and only then, shall we see if your power is truly worthy of the Jewels."
From her vantage point high above the battle chambers, Anna turned to Alúvelin and Valanda. "That was too close," she said. "They nearly died in there! I don't know if they can handle another battle if the next guardians are as strong as—"
She groaned, clutching her belly, falling to her knees in pain.
"Easy." Alúvelin moved toward her sister, kneeling next to her, placing her hands on Anna's abdomen. "What is it?"
"They're . . . They're just really upset about something," Anna said, her eyes closed in discomfort. "They keep turning and kicking, like . . . like something's wrong!"
Valanda moved next to her daughter. "If . . . If you will allow us, we can look at them, together."
"Please," Anna whispered, her eyes now open, her face white. "I'm . . . I'm really getting worried!"
Together, Alúvelin and Valanda laid their hands on Anna's belly, closing their eyes, concentrating. The heat from the unborn twins flowed into them, filling their mind's eyes with their images, every detail of their features on display in perfect clarity.
Alúvelin let out a gasp, her eyes widening.
"What?!" Anna was close to panicking. "What's the matter?"
Valanda took Anna's hand. "Anna, your twins . . . You're certain you are only four months pregnant?"
"Yes!" Anna cried. "We measured! My last flow was four months ago! What's the matter?!"
Alúvelin took Anna's other hand, uncertain of what to say. "Your children are developing much faster than normal. They're fine. They're healthy. Everything is as it should be. But . . . You are not going to give birth in five months. It will most likely now be a matter of weeks."
"What?!" Anna was in complete shock. "How . . . How is this possible? I've hardly had time to prepare! I'm not ready! I can't . . ." She groaned once more as the pain ran through her womb, each kick from her children feeling like a knife pressed to her flesh.
Valanda wrapped her arms around Anna, holding her close. "It's going to be all right, Anna," she whispered. "Your adameren . . . They are strong. They're just . . . They're just going to be here sooner than expected. That's a good thing, isn't it?"
"I . . . I guess so," Anna replied, her mind overwhelmed. "But I . . . I just thought . . . I don't want anything to be wrong! What if—"
"NO!" Alúvelin cried out suddenly, her hands pressed to her mouth. She was looking down upon Elsa, Kristoff, and Arberish as they ventured into the corridor. "Not there! Not that way!"
"What?!" Anna struggled to pull herself to her feet, allowing Valanda to help her rise. "What's going on?!"
Alúvelin turned to them, a terrified look on her face. "Don't you see? It's a trap! They're walking straight into a trap!"
AN: This is the first time I've had to split a chapter in two because of length. I have a feeling that the same thing will happen with the final challenge as well. Hopefully, the tension isn't too much for you. More to come!
