Chapter Fifteen

The Battle of Quodrun

ANNA

From the rooftop, everything seemed to be peaceful. No sign of the League just yet. Anna gazed out over the rooftops, continuing her watch over the cluster of buildings where the last Elemental Sorcerer was supposedly located. Kristoff kept watch on the adjacent side, and all things looked peaceful on his front as well. However, although things appeared to be calm, she had a bad feeling about what was about to happen.

Kristoff noticed the unsettled look on her face. He took her hand, and smiled at her, squeezing her hand reassuringly. She smiled back, but her outward appearance did not accurately portray how she was feeling. Normally, she would peg herself as an optimist, but given recent events, things weren't looking too good. Especially since all clues pointed to Elsa helping the League even before she disappeared. The fact that the Augbine Herbs weren't accounted for after the attack had been thwarted certainly couldn't be ignored. Could Elsa really have turned evil? Even before she had disappeared? Anna shook her head, trying to get the thought out of her head. No. Elsa was NOT evil. Even though she had never really managed to spend time with her sister over the years and had only just been reunited a few months back, she knew that her sister couldn't have gone off the deep end. Not Elsa.

"Don't worry," Kristoff said, as if he had just read her thoughts. "She hasn't gone dark. I've known Elsa a much shorter time than you have, but I'm sure."

"Well, that's debatable," Anna replied. "I feel like I've only just begun to know her after all these years, and now there's this."

"What does your gut tell you?"

"That my sister wouldn't align herself with the League."

"Then trust that feeling." He gave her a comforting smile. "We may have known the real Elsa only for a short time, but we know for a fact she's on our side."

Anna mustered a grin. The mountain man was usually one who put on a strong and rough front, and it was nice to see he had a tender side. One that he revealed only to her. She squeezed his hand to show her gratitude.

That tender moment was abruptly interrupted by a tiny explosion of purple mist, and a Crossing Point opened up in between the couple.

"Wha-" a boy was pushed out of the portal and he stumbled across the rooftop unceremoniously.

"Bad news. They're here!" Tracy screeched, leaping out of the Crossing Point and hurriedly closing it behind her with the clench of a fist.

"The League?" Kristoff asked.

"Who else?!"

"But how?" Anna blinked. "We didn't see anyone from up here. They couldn't have gotten past us!"

"The League must have someone with the same powers as me." Tracy explained hurriedly.

"Wh-" Kristoff was at a loss for words. He turned to the bewildered boy. "Who's this?"

"Meet Will Daltrey."

"This…this is Will Daltrey?"Confused, Anna looked at the boy on the ground. He was not who she had in mind. At all.

"I know we were all expecting a fearsome, tall, handsome and powerful Elemental Sorcerer who could help us turn the tide in the battle against the League of Sorcerers." Tracy rattled off quickly, glancing humourlessly at the boy who pushed up his spectacles, his eyes wide and his curly hair unkempt. "But yeah, this is what we got."

"Who are you people? What's going on?" Will looked around at the new faces. "How did we get up here?" He looked down from the rooftop and was spooked by the height.

"Will," Anna grabbed the boy by his shoulders and spun him round to face her. "My name's Anna, and this is Kristoff. And you've met Tracy. We're here to protect you from the League."

"A man in a black mask and a girl. They-they were in my home!" Will turned to look at his estate from the rooftop. "How did we get up here?"

"Listen!" Anna shook the boy and his spectacles jiggled about dangerously, his arms swinging like a rag doll's. "The League is here in Quodrun for you. You're going to have to stick with us. It's the only way you're getting out of this in one piece."

"Anna, there's more." Tracy said urgently, and the girl turned her attention to her. "Listen, you're not gonna believe this. I myself didn't, but I saw it with my own eyes-"

"What are you talking about?" Kristoff asked impatiently.

"Elsa!" Tracy burst out. "She's here! With the man in the black hood!"

"What?" Anna couldn't believe her ears. "She's here with Prometheus?"

"She teleported into the house with him, and she's fighting Maui and Melody now!"

"No no no no…" Anna staggered backwards, shaking her head in denial of what she had just heard and ran a hand through her strawberry blonde hair. "No, it can't be!"

"Look!" Kristoff himself was disoriented by the shocking news but he knew they had to focus on their current task, which was protecting Will. "We'll deal with that later. Right now we have bigger problems at hand!"

Just then as if on cue, another portal opened on the opposite building that was not far from them, and the Warriors spun round to face it. This portal consisted of dark red mist which bubbled ominously, and four figures emerged. Three of them looked like they were about the same age as the Warriors themselves. Anna studied them. The boy and one of the girls looked like they were from the East, and she couldn't place the other girl's features. Behind them stood a woman who looked middle-aged. She wore a black cloak which hooded her greying hair, and she had green deep set eyes that Anna did not dare to look directly at. There was something about the woman that unsettled her.

Suddenly, the road on the street below them began to rumble, and it eventually broke apart, the fragments of bitumen floating off the ground and into the air. More and more bits of the road detached from the ground and they all rose to the height of the two rooftops. Then, the various fragments arranged themselves neatly to form a solid bridge that spanned across the two rooftops, and the three teenagers walked across it, followed by the cloaked woman.

"The League of Sorcerers." Anna whispered as they all inched back, watching the four foreigners walk across the bridge that connected the two rooftops.

"Daltrey, get behind us." Kristoff said, and Will hid behind Tracy like a puppy.

The three young sorcerers reached the Warriors' rooftop, and flanked the cloaked woman as she stepped off the bridge and onto the rooftop. The bridge disintegrated into dust and fell away.

"Good evening." The cloaked woman said. "I see you found the Elemental Sorcerer before we did. Very good." She glanced at the Warriors before her. "I am impressed."

"Who are you?" Anna asked.

"It doesn't matter who I am." The mysterious woman smiled. "All that matters is why I'm here."

"You're her. You're the Pilgrim." Tracy narrowed her eyes.

The cloaked woman looked impressed. "You know who I am. Very good."

"Your reputation precedes you." Anna added. "And so do your intentions. We know you're here for the Last Elemental Sorcerer."

"Yes."

"You're not going to get him." Anna said with determination in her voice. "Not like you did with my sister."

The Pilgrim looked amused. "You're Princess Anna of Arendelle."

"You know me?" Anna narrowed her eyes.

"Oh, I've had my eye on you." The Pilgrim smiled. "Your sister and you have become somewhat of a fascination to me."

"What did you do to Elsa?" Anna gritted her teeth, trying to sound ferocious.

"Nothing." The Pilgrim said. "And I promised her that I would not harm you or anyone else," She looked at Will. "If you hand over the Last Elemental Sorcerer."

"You've been collecting them." Kristoff stepped forward. "Why?"

"That's none of your concern, young man. Step aside."

"We're not letting you get to him." Anna said.

"Then it looks like some blood is going to be spilled." The Pilgrim said mildly.

"You know what?"

Everyone turned to look at Tracy, who stood behind with Will.

"Maybe we can all calm down and settle this over some food. I'm sure we'll all make better decisions after a hot meal," Tracy said loudly so that everyone could hear her. "I know this place that sells really goodhot potatoes."

Anna's ears perked up. Hot potatoes. Tracy was trying to tell her and Kristoff the plan. Her eyes met Tracy's and she saw the former sea witch wink. Yup. There was the sign. She glanced at Kristoff and inched backwards ever so slowly as the sorcerers before them stood confused by the strange remarks.

Then, quick as a flash, Tracy opened up a Crossing Point and gave Will a hard shove through it.

"Would you people stop pushing-" Will's voice faded as he fell into the Crossing Zone.

"Go!" Tracy screeched.

Anna and Kristoff leapt through the Crossing Point quickly as a blast of fire and electricity aimed to cut them both down. Fortunately, they made it safely into the Crossing Zone without any scratches, and the portal closed behind them, shutting them off from the League of Sorcerers.

"Where are we?" Will stood up, looking around at the Crossing Zone in bewilderment.

"No time to explain now." Anna said, and another portal opened up not far away. "Let's go."

Anna, Kristoff and Will emerged from the new Crossing Point that Tracy had conjured up, and found themselves in a dimly lit bar packed with people.

"I-I'm barely old enough to be in here." Will said nervously as he pushed up his spectacles, looking around at the rowdy surroundings.

"Me too." Anna said. "But first time for everything, right?" she turned to Kristoff. "We have to blend in."

Kristoff nodded. "First time in a bar?"

"Yup." Anna said, finding an empty table and plonking herself down on a wooden chair.

"Sit down," Kristoff dragged Will over and the two of them sat down. "We're going to have to order something to avoid looking suspicious."

"Excuse me!" Anna called out to a waiter. "Uh-" She looked at Kristoff, realizing she didn't know what to order in a bar.

"Three glasses of bourbon. One neat, two on the rocks." Kristoff said calmly as if he had ordered it a million times before, and the waiter walked away.

"You sound like you know your way around a bar." Anna was surprised.

"You could say that."

Their drinks arrived and the three of them sipped from their glasses, keeping watchful eyes on the entrance of the bar.

"We left Tracy back there by herself." Anna remarked worriedly.

"Don't worry." Kristoff took a sip from his bourbon. "That girl looks like she can handle herself in a fight."

TRACY

"That was a mistake." The Pilgrim's face remained unchanged at the turn of events.

"You gotta admit. It was a pretty genius plan." Tracy said, her hands at her waist level and ready to fight.

"It's futile. I will find him. It's only a matter of time."

"Oh yeah?" Tracy said dramatically. "You're going to have to get through me first."

"She's stalling." The Pilgrim smirked, turning to one of the sorcerers. "Humour her."

The boy nodded, and stepped forward. The Pilgrim inched backwards to watch, and the two girls flanked their leader's side.

"Hey man." Tracy sized the boy up. He was of decent height and build, and he had a calm look on his face. "What's your name?"

Silence.

"Cool. I'm Tracy. Former sea witch, member of the Warriors, protector of the Last Elemental Sorcerer." Tracy knew she had to stall for as long as she could. She wondered if Anna and Kristoff had blended into the bar she had sent them to. Hopefully they had, otherwise this would have been all for nothing.

Without warning, a brick from the parapet dislodged itself and hurtled towards Tracy. She raised a hand and blasted the brick with a purple wave of black magic. The brick disintegrated into a million pieces and fell to the ground.

"That all you got?" She taunted the boy, and immediately wished she hadn't. He's an Elemental Sorcerer too, she thought in horror. How long was she going to be able to last before she was snuffed out?

A small grin escaped the corner of the boy's mouth, and he rotated both palms to face upwards. Two more bricks dislodged from the parapet and flew towards her. Tracy promptly conjured up a Crossing Point in front of her, which swallowed both bricks. Then, with lightning speed, she opened another one behind him, and the bricks emerged and hit his back, causing him to fall forward.

"Jordan!" The Eastern looking girl gasped and attempted to dash to the boy's side, but the Pilgrim extended her hand indifferently to block her from doing so. Without a word, the cloaked woman then pointed to Tracy.

"I'm…sorry?" Tracy said, and raised a barrier of purple energy to block off attacks of electricity and fire. She began to sweat as she held up her shield of black magic. It wasn't going to hold for long. She flinched as the ground beneath her began to cave, and looked up to see that the boy had joined in the assault. The Elemental Sorcerers were too powerful. The only way she was going to make it out alive was if she went on the offensive. They wouldn't be expecting that. With a shout, the purple shield of energy increased its perimeter and crept dangerously close to her attackers. The three Elemental Sorcerers ceased their attack and dove out of the way of the black magic.

Tracy broke the barrier of black magic that she was holding over herself, and her eyes surveyed the three Elemental Sorcerers who were on opposite sides. It was time to go while things were still in her favour. She flicked her wrist and a Crossing Point opened promptly behind her. "See ya." Tracy fell backwards through her own portal, and closed it quickly before the League could follow.

Standing up in the Crossing Zone, she heaved a sigh of relief and allowed herself a moment to catch her breath. Somehow, she had managed to survive a confrontation with the Elemental Sorcerers. Now she had to find the rest.

"Foolish child." A voice echoed throughout the Crossing Zone.

Tracy spun round to see who had spoken. It was impossible! The cloaked Pilgrim stood behind her.

"You-"

"Yes. I can access the Crossing Zone." The Pilgrim said.

"You're a Ha'naeth too?"

The Pilgrim smirked. "So you know your heritage. That's good."

"How's this for a little heritage?" Tracy threw a bolt of purple energy at the Pilgrim, who promptly opened a portal of red mist, and the purple energy was swallowed up. With another flick of the wrist, the Pilgrim opened up a second portal behind Tracy, and Tracy was hit by her own black magic, stumbling forward.

The Pilgrim opened a third Crossing Point in front of Tracy's feet, and as she stumbled forward, she fell through the Crossing Point that her opponent had conjured up. A fourth Crossing Point was conjured high above, and Tracy fell through it, landing hard on the floor of the Crossing Zone. Then, without giving her a chance to stand, the Pilgrim raised her palm towards herself, and Tracy found herself lifted off the ground, her body immobilized by the swirls of dark red energy that encircled her.

Tracy squirmed, trying to break free by harnessing her own black magic. The purple energy was promptly vanquished by that of the red, and Tracy levitated above the ground in front of the Pilgrim, who smiled calmly.

"What's your name?" The Pilgrim asked.

"Tracy." She said in a forced manner, finding it incredibly hard to speak when her entire body had been immobilized.

"You have so much potential, Tracy."

"Yeah? You know it's funny," she swallowed hard, trying to speak. She could feel the Pilgrim's black magic slowly crushing her body. "The last bad guy said the same thing. Wanna guess what happened to him?"

"Amusing." The Pilgrim looked impressed. She released her hold on Tracy and the girl collapsed to the ground in a heap. "You remind me of myself. Many years ago when I was still my master's young apprentice. So full of hope and spunk." She watched as Tracy curled up in a ball, her body wrecked with pain. "So much raw power, but no clue how to maximise your potential."

"Save it," Tracy managed a weak response, her entire being feeling like she had been placed in a garbage crusher. "I'm not interested."

"Oh, I'm not recruiting. Not anymore, at least." The Pilgrim knelt down beside Tracy. "But truth be told, under different circumstances or perhaps in another life, I would have taken you under my wing. You would have made a great Pilgrim." She got back up and took a step back. A portal of red mist opened, and the three Elemental Sorcerers stepped through it.

"Come." The Pilgrim conjured up yet another Crossing Point, and the four walked through it briskly.

As the portal closed and Tracy was left alone in the Crossing Zone, the former sea witch laid on her back, breathing hard. With much effort, she conjured up a Crossing Point beneath her, and she fell through it a few inches onto the rooftop that she had originally escaped from. Lying on the hard concrete, she closed her eyes and let unconsciousness wash over her.