Chapter Thirty

Blood of the Elementals

ELSA

Breakfast was a good time, for once. Having patched things up with Deirdre, the two had headed to the common hall where most of the sorcerers were eating. Many were surprised to see Elsa and Deirdre walk in together, as almost everyone knew about the unspoken rivalry between the two.

"Blaze? Frost? Did something happen I didn't know about?" Jade rubbed her eyes dramatically in disbelief.

"You could say that," Elsa said.

"You two patched things up?" Vonco asked.

Elsa nodded. "We did."

"How? Why the sudden change of heart?"

"None of your business, Vonco." Deirdre glanced at him, and he gave her a grin.

"See, I knew it!" Holli squeaked. "Elsa! I told you right? You could make things right with her."

"I'm still standing here, Holli." Deirdre scowled at the small girl. "I still owe you for squealing on me."

Holli looked away guiltily.

"It doesn't matter, Blaze." Jade said, taking a bite of her toast. "What matters is that you two are finally friends."

"Friends might be pushing it a little," Deirdre glanced at Elsa.

"One step at a time." Elsa assured her.

"Sit down," Jade gestured to the two, and Jordan helped to pull out a chair for Elsa. "I think we've got another assignment coming later."

"What does the Pilgrim want us to do now?" Deirdre heated up her egg in her palm.

"Don't know." Jade mumbled with her mouth full.

"Probably something to do with the map we stole last night." Elsa buttered up her toast.

"Probably."

After breakfast, Elsa snuck out of the common hall while the rest were still talking and eating. She made sure the hallways were clear before heading down the stairs towards the dungeons. Janus was nowhere to be found that morning, and she had hoped she could have a chance to talk to him about their time together the night before.

They had shared a vulnerable moment together, and Elsa felt that she had managed to reach out to the mercenary who had always closed himself off from emotions. She couldn't help but think that with a little more coaxing, she could win Janus over to her side. But first, she was going to start with Will. And that meant he had to learn how to control his powers.

Reaching the dungeons, Elsa pattered down the corridor as quietly as she could for fear of bumping into someone, and stopped outside the room that Will Daltrey was being kept in.

"Will." She hissed, standing on tiptoes to see through the steel bars of the door. "It's me, Elsa."

"Elsa?" The teenager walked towards the door. "Are-are you going to free me?"

"I wish I could." Elsa said sympathetically. "But no, I'm here to ask for your help."

"My help?" Will sounded confused. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm the one stuck behind bars."

"You have elemental powers. Like me." Elsa explained. "But you don't know how to use them, right?"

"I can't control them. They manifest themselves at the worst of times."

"When you're scared, angry, or upset right?" Elsa had gone through the exact same problem, and this time she knew exactly how to deal with it. Maybe this was her purpose: to help others learn how to control their magic. "Think, Will. When you were overcome with emotions in any given circumstance, your powers flared up and got out of hand."

"That…" Will thought for a moment. "That's-how did you know?"

"Because I went through the same thing you did. That's how I ended up freezing my entire kingdom." Elsa said. "Don't worry, I'm going to help you learn how to control it."

"Why would you help me?"

"Because like I said, I need your help."

"My help? How? I'm stuck here." Will held up his hands, which still had the bracelets on them.

"I'll…figure something out." Elsa assured him.

"I'm sure you will." Ingrid's rough drawling voice came from down the corridor.

Elsa spun round with reflexes like that of a cat, and saw that Ingrid was standing in the passageway, accompanied by Janus, who was masked and cloaked as usual but this time armed with his weapons, and two of the Knights of Vengeance.

"I'm disappointed, Elsa." Ingrid shook her head. "I thought we were making progress here. But it looks like you're still determined to return to your old life. I thought you were settling into your new role as the Pilgrim's Apprentice. This…is disappointing."

Elsa set her jaw. "I'll never stop trying to get away from you."

"That may prove difficult soon." Ingrid smirked ominously.

"What does that mean?"

"You'll see." Ingrid gestured for Janus and the Knights to move forward.

Elsa stepped away from the door as Janus produced the keys from within his cloak and unlocked the steel door. It swung open heavily, and the two Knights entered in quickly, taking Will between them. They dragged the protesting and struggling teenager out and down the corridor towards the stairwell that led out of the dungeons.

"Where are you taking him?" Elsa demanded indignantly.

"Oh don't worry," Ingrid said darkly. "You're coming too."

Janus took her arm and guided her down the corridor past Ingrid. Elsa freed her arm from his grip and looked at him. "Please, Janus. Help me."

"I'm sorry, Elsa." His voice was once again cold and mechanical, hidden behind the black mask. "Walk." He gave her a light push and she continued moving, up the stairs and towards the Throne Room.

When they arrived, Elsa found that the other three Elemental Sorcerers, and Will with his hands uncuffed, were already in the Throne Room. There were many Knights that lined the walls of the room, almost as though they were preparing for a battle or war of some sort. Usually, when Ingrid held a meeting or had a mission or something for the sorcerers, the knights would usually leave the room, but this time they stayed. This meeting felt different. Elsa knew it.

"What's this?" She asked Janus as she was ushered into the middle of the room together with the rest of the Elemental Sorcerers.

"She found him." He answered cryptically.

"The Eternal King?"

Janus stayed quiet, and Elsa could almost sense his uneasiness. Or maybe it was conflict.

"Welcome, all." Ingrid strolled into the room, trailing a long black cloak behind her. "I'm sure you all must be thinking: what new assignment I have in store for you." She glanced round at the Elemental Sorcerers standing in the middle of the room. "This one might be the most important one yet."

"What's so important that you have to gather your entire army of mercenaries for this meeting?" Elsa probed. She counted at least thirty knights standing guard.

"Ah," Ingrid drawled. "Because I want all to bear witness. A new age is dawning."

"What new age?"

"The Pilgrim is going to be reborn. I am going to be reborn." Ingrid cackled victoriously. "I finally found the secret to unlocking the prison of the Eternal King. I shall free him from his chains and and have him grant me the power to live forever, just like him. I will learn how he conquered Ancient Hyutreno and kept it under his thumb for centuries. The secret of immortality and absolute power will be mine, and mine alone, and I will rule the League of Sorcerers for the next millennium." She finished triumphantly.

"You know you're monologuing right?" Elsa said sardonically. "A typical villain move? Couldn't you at least be a little more original?"

"Sticks and stones." Ingrid smiled smugly. "Not that it's going to help you now. After I find the Eternal King, no one will ever dethrone me. There will never be another Pilgrim."

"You're insane." Elsa narrowed her eyes.

"No," Ingrid coughed and struggled a little for breath after the exciting speech she had just delivered. She reached for a large container of Augbine Herbs and took a conservative sip from it. "I'm a woman of ambition. And I will not be denied. Prometheus!"

"Yes, my Mistress." Janus stepped forward.

"Your blade."

Janus unsheathed his katana from the scabbard, holding the gleaming weapon in his hand at waist level. He seemed more hesitant than usual.

"Now," Ingrid held out a beaker to one of the Knights who hastily came forward to receive it from her. "Bring me the blood of the Elemental Sorcerers."

Author's Commentary:

Thirty Chapters in, we've been building up to this point. Now it's time to see what's the witch's endgame. Leave a review if you've enjoyed it! I'll greatly appreciate it :)