Chapter 29: The Dark Island
"They have not yet made a move, my king…" Bjarne said as he and Adgar stood side by side, facing the direction of the vanishing island with the soldiers standing behind them.
"Let us worry about our own move, and let us hope we are at least a step ahead of them," Adgar said, inspecting everything carefully, from the weapons and supplies, to even the soldiers themselves.
Bjarne frowned as a shiver ran down his spine. "If I may be so bold, Majesty, we may need to take the fight to them. It would be risky if we met them halfway or wait for them to move forward to Arendelle…"
Adgar nodded. "I am aware, and our soldiers are ready. And make sure the people are safe before we march forward. Tell me, Bjarne… Do we have ships ready for when we attack the island?"
The captain nodded. "I have made sure to have some ships prepared, just in case."
"Good," The king said and then sighed. He had his share of battles before, but now he was feeling just as nervous and anxious as everyone else, especially considering what kind of power the enemy had. He had also felt the powerful emotions emitting from Elsa when she and Anna had seen the island appear. He knew that to the Azure Dragon, this battle would be personal.
At the moment he knew his daughter was trying to calm the dragon. After Elsa had realized the enemy was so close, she seemed to have become quite temperamental and only Anna was able to remain so close to the beast to soothe her.
The cold in the air was only a taste of the dragon's anger at realizing that Einon had managed to make it so close.
While the king and captain got everything ready for their attack, Anna and Elsa stood in the courtyard, along with Kristoff and Sven. The ice harvester and his loyal companion expressed their desire to assist the princess in this battle.
"You could get hurt!" Anna said, giving Kristoff a stern look.
"So can you, feisty-pants! Just because you have a dragon as a partner, doesn't mean you're invincible! Let me and Sven help out! Besides, Arendelle is home to us too! This entire land is." Kristoff said, and the reindeer grunted in agreement.
Elsa had been silent ever since discovering the location of the enemy's stronghold. She had felt the urge to just fly off and attack but she refused to give Einon the satisfaction and Anna would surely try to stop her, or come along. No, Elsa refused to allow any innocent humans to suffer because of a bad decision.
The Azure Dragon instead kept her mind clear as much as possible; when in battle, she would need all her focus on the battle, and she was not going to allow Einon any sort of opening. With the man's fondness of manipulation, giving him an opening was the last thing anyone would want to do.
"Hey Elsa? You okay?" Kristoff asked, noticing the dragon's distant expression.
The dragon shook her head. "No, I'm not. I'm just trying to…clear my head."
"You're worried. We all are," Anna said comfortingly. Her voice soothed the dragon and the tension left the beast's body somewhat.
Elsa nudged her mate gently. "You need to prepare yourself, Lokalaat. Your father's already dressed in armor, and I'd feel better once you are as well."
Anna straightened. "Right. Alright, Kristoff, fine. I can't stop you and Sven from joining the fight, but stay at my father's side, alright?"
The Azure Dragon nodded and nudged Kristoff in the back with her tail, prompting him to give her a surprised look. Sven snorted and pushed his longtime human friend forward to where the king and Bjarne were already stationed.
Elsa looked at her mate once more and let out a low, worried growl. Anna smiled and reached up to touch her beloved dragon's muzzle comfortingly before she pushed at it to encourage the dragon to go on ahead. In response, Elsa growled again but obeyed the silent request.
Once the dragon had gone off, the princess turned on her heels and headed for the royal armory. As she headed there, she touched the sword on her side, then reached up to touch the one strapped to her back.
This battle would decide the fate of not just Elsa, but everyone in the land. They could not let Einon and Griffin claim victory, for the vicious cycle would only start over, with the power-hungry beast hunter searching for and finding more ways to grow stronger. He would not stop at Elsa, and the princess knew that. But she would not allow that to happen; she would fight for Elsa and her kingdom.
As Anna stepped inside the armory to see if she could get herself some decent armor, she felt a sense of nervous overwhelm her. Suddenly the severity of the situation seemed to sink in even more than ever.
They were going to fight a battle, against someone who had somehow amassed an army of ruffians and magic-wielders to hunt beasts and take whatever they could if it would be of use to their lord and master.
They would be fighting for the sake of Arendelle and its people and most especially, for Elsa, whom was Einon's true target. But he made it very clear that he had no qualms with taking over Arendelle at the same time as a secondary reward for himself.
Their victory or defeat would make a big impact on this day, and for the next days and perhaps even years to come. The kingdom depended on her and her family to keep it safe, and Elsa's very soul may depend on it as well.
Anna shook her head and pushed the anxious thoughts from her head.
She was the princess and, along with her mother and father, her duty was to protect Arendelle and her people. And that was what she intended to do; she had come this far and she intended to come out of this alive, or at least manage to prevent anymore disasters happening because of Einon.
She would protect her family, Arendelle, and Elsa.
The soldiers were anxious as they kept an eye on the island. When Elsa approached they nearly jumped but gave way to allow the dragon to stand by the king while Kristoff joined them.
"Nice of you to join us, Elsa." Adgar said as he turned to look at the azure beast.
"You're really going to fight him? It could risk many of you humans; it's only me he is after." Elsa said somberly. "I could go over there and face them myself."
Adgar frowned. "And leave my daughter behind to worry herself to death? I will not have it! And even if I were to agree, we cannot simply let you go alone to face Einon; he has involved us all by attempting to take over Arendelle."
"I can see now where Anna got her stubbornness. Or is this just a general trait shared between you humans?" Elsa grumbled with a huff.
The king let out a laugh. "My daughter is more stubborn that my wife and I put together. But, as you have experienced, that is one of her best traits."
"I can't disagree with that," Elsa sighed.
Kristoff could not help but chuckle at the exchange. "At least we know that you won't be having problems with the in-laws," He teased.
The Azure Dragon blinked and looked down at the ice harvester in puzzlement. "The…what?"
"I wouldn't go that far yet, Kristoff." Adgar commented, crossing his arms and giving the younger man a look. However, it was clear that he was being playful despite his tone.
Once again, Elsa found herself rather puzzled and perplexed by the strangeness of humans. She shook her head and returned her sights towards the mysterious island that housed the enemy. Her wings twitched in anticipation and she felt the urge, an itch to just spread her wings and fly towards the island.
The sound of metal footsteps caught everyone's attention and the soldiers present turned around. Adgar and Kristoff turned as well and both of them smiled. Elsa noticed their attention had been drawn elsewhere and she turned her head slightly to look over at whatever it was that had distracted them.
Elsa's eyes widened slightly and the dragon found herself rather entranced at the sight before her.
There stood Anna, clad in armor, with her swords sheathed and strapped to her back. On her armor, Elsa could see a faint imprint on the chest plate; a crocus—Arendelle's crest. The princess stood straight and proud, despite a sense of worry that crossed her features. She was standing proud and holding her head high as she approached. The Azure Dragon felt as if her legs could give in at how noble her human mate looked at that very moment. Another new side to Anna that Elsa was certain she would enjoy seeing more often.
As the princess moved closer, Elsa lowered her head and the front part of her body to meet her mate halfway.
"Lokalaat…" Elsa purred, nudging the princess with her snout gently.
Anna smiled and scratched the underside of the dragon's chin. "Elsa. You ready?"
In response, the Azure Dragon raised her head and let out a proud roar. Anna grinned and walked over to stand beside her father.
Adgar smiled proudly at his daughter; she was looking more like a true queen at that moment. One day she would most certainly be more than ready, and he had every intention to live through the battle to see that day come, when his daughter would have the crown put on her head.
The troops seemed to have gained more courage upon seeing the princess join them and hold her head high with confidence. It was certainly a good sign.
"So, you ready for this Feisty Pants?" Kristoff asked as he placed his hand on Sven's back. The reindeer stared ahead at the island.
Anna nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be. And you?"
"I'm good. Sven might be shaking in his hooves a bit," The ice harvester joked, earning him a bump on the side from his reindeer companion.
In front of them, the island remained as imposing as ever. But they would have to put whatever fear or worry they had, aside. Whatever was waiting for them on that island, they would have it head-on with determination and courage.
"The ships are ready, my king." Bjarne announced.
Adgar nodded. "Very well. Let us board, and let us face our enemies!"
The soldiers of Arendelle cheered and hollered; their courage was bolstered and their determination was their drive as they headed for the ships when their king moved forward, with the princess at his side; of course, with Kristoff and Sven coming along.
As the humans finally set sail, Elsa spread her wings, keeping a bird's eye view.
Anna looked to the skies, seeing her dragon companion staying above the ships. Especially the one the princess was on. She smiled up at the dragon before turning her sights back towards the mystical island. It looked so foreboding since it was under the control of some dark force, but something told her that the island could have been, or was beautiful were it not being controlled.
From up above, Elsa glared at the island before glancing downwards to keep an eye on the ships, especially the one Anna was on.
Once this battle was over, the Azure Dragon knew there would to be a choice to make. Despite everything, she was still a dragon and once everything was calm again, it may be best if she kept her distance while the humans tried to get their lives back together.
But Anna… Elsa knew by now that Anna would not want to let go of her, and in a way it made the dragon happy to know someone would want to be with her as much as Anna did. The Azure Dragon did want to stay, but would the other humans of Arendelle accept her that easily?
While it was true that they seemed fine and docile when the princess had been with Elsa the entire time they were in Arendelle, they also knew that a dragon on their side during this time of urgency would give them a better chance at survival against Einon.
"Elsa!" The dragon looked down upon hearing her name. Anna was waving up at her.
The dragon swooped down lower to fly beside the ship, her paws only a couple of inches above the water, her speed causing ripples and streaks along the water's surface.
"Lokalaat?" Elsa looked at her mate as Anna went to the side of the ship in order to talk to the dragon properly.
Anna leaned her arms on the side of the ship. "Nervous?"
"Anxious. But you will be the only one who knows that, Anna." Elsa said with a grunt. She truly was anxious as she said, but she wished not to show it. Of course, only Anna could see it.
"We're in this together, Elsa. Always and forever, don't forget that." The princess said, reaching out a hand towards the dragon. Elsa moved in a little closer until her snout touched Anna's hand. The azure beast purred.
"I need you to be careful still, Anna." Elsa reminded. "As courageous as you are, I can't have you rushing in and getting hurt. And…the same goes for your father and the rest of you humans."
The redhead smirked. Elsa as still ever the proud dragon; she obviously cared for the others in her own way, while still acting as if a dragon would not have much concern for the lives of humans. Still, it was sweet of her to think of the others. In her own way.
Elsa rose up higher to return above the ships, but before she was able to gain more height, Anna leapt off the ship and got onto the dragon's back. The azure beast growled a bit and flapped her wings, going up high once again.
"The princess sure is something!" One of the soldiers said, looking up at the dragon who now had the princess on her back.
"To think she tamed a dragon of all things! And we thought dragons were mere stories!" Another added.
The king of Arendelle smiled as he heard the admiration thrown his daughter's way. Anna had always been such a bold and adventurous girl, but she had this aura about her that made people love, admire, and respect her as a person. She had the makings of a leader, and would be a great queen. And by her side, would be Elsa.
Soon, the island grew bigger and bigger the closer the ships got. It made the troops feel uneasy.
Elsa paused in midair, her eyes narrowing. Anna stroked the side of the dragon's neck and the azure beast rose up higher into the air until they were hidden by the clouds. She would move in for a closer look, while going unnoticed.
"I wonder what this island looked like before Einon took over." Anna mused as she and Elsa observed the enemy's stronghold from above.
"We won't know until we get rid of him," The Azure Dragon snarled as she narrowed her eyes. Her sight was much keener compared to a human's and so she was able to see what was happening down below.
It seemed that Einon was preparing himself rather well; his servants were constantly working to keep everything reinforced and each servant had armor and weapons ready on their person. There were fires burning and there also seemed to be a number of magic-users out and about.
"How does it look down there, Elsa?" The princess asked, noticing that her companion was rather focused on the view far below.
"They're doing their best to keep their stronghold impenetrable," Elsa replied. She flapped her wings and shifted over a bit. "Einon is ready for a battle."
Anna frowned and pat the dragon's neck. "We're ready as well. We may not have the same sort of manpower or arsenal that he has, but we will all fight on and stay strong."
Elsa growled in agreement, her eyes flashing a glowing blue for a brief second before settling down again. She continued to inspect from the air, hoping to find some sort of opening for her and Anna's allies to breach the defenses of the island fortress.
They flew over and around the island, making sure to remain hidden in the clouds. They could not risk being detected before either of them were ready to strike. If Einon became aware of their presence now, everything would turn chaotic too soon.
"What do you think, Anna?" Elsa asked as she continued to fly about while still remaining hidden among the clouds.
The princess narrowed her eyes. "The front is definitely going to be secure, especially the entrance to the fortress… We're the only ones who could attack from the air but everyone else can go from the front, or other sides. If they even have the chance to do so…"
"A sneak attack is not possible," Elsa growled in irritation.
Anna nodded in agreement. "Then we'll play aggressive! But smart at the same time!"
The Azure Dragon flew around to look at the island at another angle. "The front side of the island… The shore looks…off. The gate to the fortress…"
Anna could not see what the dragon was seeing, but whatever it was that Elsa's keen vision was seeing, then it was likely not something good. It never was, when it came to Einon and his son. She noticed the Azure Dragon becoming slightly more agitated.
"What is it?" She stroked her companion's neck comfortingly, soothing the beast.
"A bridge. I can see a bridge… A long one, leading up to the gates, but something doesn't seem right." Elsa said, caution laced her tone. She narrowed her eyes; she would need to inspect it more closely but that would be leaving the cover of the clouds and being seen. Even if she were to conjure a blizzard to cover her and Anna from sight, the enemy would know it was her.
Anna pat the dragon's neck. "Let's go back. We need to tell my father."
With a low snarl, Elsa flapped her wings and gracefully spun around, heading back towards the direction of the ships. She kept herself in the clouds until they were far enough from the island, and she ducked down so that their allies may be able to see them.
Once they were beside the ship where Adgar waited, Anna stood up on Elsa's back and walked along the back of the dragon's back before leaping up onto the deck to reunite with her father.
Elsa flapped her wings and rose above the ship's sail before she dove downwards at the vessel, landing beside Anna with ease, a woman once again. She straightened and shook herself, still very much a beast despite the human disguise.
"Anna! What did you see?" The king asked after he had caught his daughter in a hug.
"Actually, Elsa saw more than I did." The princess joked before she stepped back from her father's embrace. "Einon's prepared; his men seem to be constantly moving and…" She glanced at the dragon.
Elsa crossed her arms. "Einon's fortress looks as if it were slightly detached from the front gates. While I was able to see what they were doing in the fortress, but looking at the entrance… It's as if there is a whole other area before you reach the stronghold."
"What does it mean?" The king frowned.
Anna held back a shudder. "It means we might need to get through something else before we actually get to his personal 'castle'."
Bjarne, who had joined the little group with Kristoff and Sven, frowned. "The man is well-prepared, isn't he? But, unsurprising since he commands ruffians and even magic-users."
"So, now what?" The ice harvester asked.
"Continue on, and face them. It's all we can do; but with caution." Elsa replied, glancing towards the dark island.
Bjarne seemed to be contemplating. "A trap?"
"If it was, he is either very good at hiding it, or he's playing with us." Anna said with a frown as she ran her hand along Elsa's braided hair, earning a purr from the disguised dragon; she never could say no to a gentle touch from her mate.
"We move forward then! It is the only way! And we are with you all the way, King Adgar, Princess Anna." Bjarne said, placing his fist to his chest and bowing his head.
Kristoff cleared his throat a bit and Sven seemed to glance in another direction. Clearly, they found Bjarne's noble, yet sometimes dramatic, devotion a little amusing sometimes. And somewhat scary. However, the captain of the guard noticed their subtle reactions and glanced at them with a stern look. Both ice harvester and reindeer gave him a sheepish expression in return.
Anna chuckled. "Well, Elsa and I will keep an eye on things. Let us know if anything happens down here." The princess said as she stepped towards her companion who had leapt off the ship and returned to her dragon form.
Elsa lowered her head and Anna hopped on. The Azure Dragon rose up high once again.
"Queen Idun, no sign of any enemy activity. So far." A young soldier said as he approached the queen.
Idun, dressed in her own royal armor looked at him and nodded in thanks. "Good. Please make sure the citizens are well-prepared as well. Just in case they would need to flee. Their safety is our priority."
The soldier nodded and bowed his head before rushing off to do the queen's bidding.
Idun sighed as she looked out the window of the study before looking down at her gauntlet-covered hand. It had been far too long since she had worn such a thing, and so did her husband. Arendelle is usually peaceful and the most violence the kingdom had been seen was if bandits or rogues came to harass the village, or even the neighboring areas. But this was on a whole new level.
While she had managed to squeeze in a few times of training, with her husband and Bjarne in swordplay, it had been a while since had properly handled a sword aside from the moment she and Adgar had to defend the Arendelle against Einon's shadow beasts. But Idun would do it all again for her beloved kingdom. However she felt like her armor was weighing her down a bit, but eventually she grew more comfortable in it again.
She had decided to stay behind at the castle to watch over the citizens and be the last line of defense should the enemy grow close to the kingdom and the people. But she would be damned if any of these innocent citizens and their children were touched.
Of course, she and her king had thought ahead and had planned for a route for the people to flee to should things grow worse. Hopefully it would not come to that, but it would be best that they did not linger if the battle reached the inside.
"Godspeed Adgar. And to you, Anna. And Elsa." The queen murmured before turning away from the window to join the troops on the frontlines. She would lead the defense of Arendelle.
The ships docked on the shores of the dark island and immediately everyone had a sense of foreboding the moment the stepped off the vessels and their boots touched the sand. As everyone disembarked, Elsa flew down and hovered close to the ground. She flapped her wings as she landed and Anna jumped off before the dragon's paws touched down.
The shore was quite, with only the sound of waves lapping on the sand being the only noise that was being made. It put the soldiers on edge and they were on guard the entire time; everything was just too quiet for it not to be a trap that they were walking into.
The shores itself looked rather unusual. The rocks were dark and the sand was white, there were signs of vegetation but even those seem just as dark as the rocks and cliffs. But what stood out the most were the odd lights that littered the area. The source of the lights were of rocks that looked to be what appeared to be crystals of some sort.
Anna approached the glowing minerals and placed a hand on it. It had a rather lovely glow, as if the island had a life of its own; it was sad that such a lovely sight was being under the control of such a terrible creature and his crew. All the more reason to fight against Einon and free the mystical island from his grasp.
Elsa sniffed the air and she looked towards what looked like the only way forward. Bjarne followed her gaze and understood, but he did not give the signal for the soldiers to move forward just yet. He watched the dragon, observing her body language.
Finally, the Azure Dragon seemed to relax a bit. She looked down at Bjarne and nodded her head towards that direction. It seems she had sensed no immediate threats ahead; her eyes were full of confidence and it was clear that her senses were on high alert and a dragon's senses would be even stronger than a human's. There was no smell, sound, or aura of danger.
Bjarne nodded in understanding. He signaled for the men to move forward, and they did so, albeit carefully.
Adgar walked beside his daughter, and Elsa as they followed behind the troops. Elsa remained in her true form the entire time as she walked with them. The dragon's posture was not as tensed as before, but she was very cautious and slightly hunched over, almost resembling a wild cat stalking prey. Her wings were folded down but they seemed to be pressed down against her body more than usual, as if she were trying to keep herself hidden despite being out in the open.
Anna kept a hand placed on the side of Elsa's neck as they walked beside each other. The azure beast kept her eyes forward, following her instincts in this unknown place. The feeling of the princess's hand and touch kept the dragon's mind grounded.
As they walked on, more glowing rocks appeared along the way and the group began to realize their path now seemed very cavern-like.
"It feels like we might be swallowed alive," A soldier commented. His voice was rather shaky despite his attempts to mask it.
"Courage man. Don't let the mere sight of this place put fear into your heart." Bjarne lectured, looking at him sternly and the soldier straightened up.
"Does Einon intend for us to journey all the way to his fort?" Adgar said suddenly. "This entire place… It feels quite disconnected from everything else."
Elsa knew what he was trying to say. It was exactly what she felt when she and Anna and scouted the island from the skies. She had clearly seen Einon's stronghold, but upon seeing its front gates, everything else outside from where he was holed up seemed as if it were far from everything else.
"This island moves on its own, likely has a life of its own. Einon is just using it as his lair, and controlling where this place goes. Maybe…" The dragon trailed off.
Anna seemed to understand what was on her mind. "It's like this place has its very own sense of time and place. If that makes any sense."
Elsa nodded in agreement and straightened. Her eyes narrowed as she put one paw forward then went on ahead of her human companions. Of course, the princess moved on with her; they were partners and separating now was not something on either of their minds.
To their surprise, they area ahead was much different now. It still had the strange glowing rocks minerals around, along with the black rocks and soil. But now looking at it, it reminded both Anna and Elsa of the hidden island that the Chronicler resided in, as well as of ruins long forgotten.
There were old crumbled stone that may have been structures, now covered in vegetation with the natural life taking over. The odd glowing rocks were scattered about, providing a strange ethereal yet natural light that allowed the party to march forward.
"How has Einon not corrupted this island entirely?" Anna wondered out loud. "It's like the island is trying to keep a part of itself alive."
The soldiers looked in awe at the natural life that still surrounded the area. Though some of the ruins did make them curious, but now was not the time to wonder. The party continued on but remained on guard. It felt like they were in a whole other world and not at all where they were supposed to be.
"Let's not linger." Adgar said, glancing at the troops and everyone steeled themselves. It seemed like they had quite the march to make.
Elsa growled and followed behind them, keeping watch over the humans she now had to protect. At her side, Anna was like a different person; she now standing tall and resembling a noble lion that was prepared to face her enemies. It just made the Azure Dragon proud all over again, to be Anna's mate.
"I will protect you, Elsa. I promise."
The dragon had small smile as they continued onward. "Thank you, Anna."
Been far too long. I apologize for the long wait; this was way overdue. However now it seems the eventual coming of Frozen 2 is trying to get my off my ass and write! Heh well I thank all of you who still stuck with Drage Hjerte even to this day. I will do my best to put up the next chapter soon if I can.
Until then…
