*Author's Note*: The name of the story is "Frozen 2.5" but the site doesn't allow periods in titles for some reason. There are original illustrations that go along with each chapter of this story, however I'm unable to add images to chapters. If you want the full story experience, I recommend reading the pdf version of the story, which is available on my blog here (replace |dot| with "."): yumeka36|dot|tumblr|dot|com/648209143723917312/frozen-25-complete-edition
Elsa slipped out of the abandoned house and made her way past another line of buildings and homes. As the crowd standing in the village square came clearly into view, Marjorie's booming voice could be heard. She was addressing the citizens from the top of a small staircase that led up to a broken fountain in the middle of the square. Laurence and Wilhelm stood rigidly at her side.
"I know the years leading up to this have been difficult. We have had to forgo the upkeep of our kingdom, make do with limited resources, and we have lost many along the way…including my dear parents. But I assure you, these sacrifices will not be in vain! The fated day is upon us–the day for Dyrankia to come out of hiding and prove that we're the strongest kingdom in…"
Marjorie's voice trailed off as her eyes narrowed at the sight ahead. The citizens looked at each other with confused glances, then turned around to see where she was looking. When they noticed Elsa walking towards them, a roar of gasps and mutters broke out in the crowd. Wilhelm immediately pulled out his sword. He began to lunge forward, but Marjorie put her arm in front of him, blocking his path. A sly smile crept across her face as she casually descended the stairs.
"I knew I'd see you again, Elsa."
From the window hole in the abandoned house, Mattias squinted into the distance. Beyond a few more tattered homes and wilted trees, he could make out Elsa heading towards the crowd that was now turned in her direction.
"She's there. Let's go," he said. Everyone in the house immediately began rushing to the doorway.
"Remember, stay close together!" Yelena called to the group. "The less space we take up, the less likely someone will see us."
"And be quiet, too!" Stein barked. He then grumbled under his breath as he rolled into a troll ball, "Humans talk too much."
As Anna followed the others outside the doorway, she took another glance through the hole in the wall. She could just about make out Marjorie walking through the crowd of people towards Elsa. Bruni looked up from her shoulder and gave her a questioning chip.
Noticing her worried look, Kristoff put a warm hand on her back. "She'll be fine," he reassured. "And the sooner we get rid of that crystal, the sooner we'll all be fine."
"Right." With an affirming nod, Anna followed him to where the others had ducked behind another house.
"Just stick to the left," Clyde instructed. He pointed down the way they were headed. "There are more buildings we can use for cover."
Back in the village square, the crowd watched intently as Marjorie stopped in front of Elsa. The grin on her face began creeping into a snicker.
"Didn't want to wait for me to invade Arendelle, huh? So you saved me the trouble and came to Dyrankia instead? That's really so thoughtful of you."
From the corner of her eye, Elsa caught a glimpse of Stein rolling past a group of buildings to the north that led towards the castle courtyard. He was quickly followed by Mattias, Yelena, and the rest of the Arendellian soldiers and Northuldra. Clyde, Anna, and Kristoff appeared soon after, ducking behind the buildings before running after the rest of the group. Elsa quickly shifted her gaze back to Marjorie before she could notice where she was looking. She knew she had to say something fast to keep everyone's attention focused on her.
"I-I came here for another duel," she said in a serious tone, glaring directly at Marjorie. "I didn't want to put Arendelle in danger. That's why I came here by myself."
"Oh really? How noble," Marjorie scoffed. Her eyes suddenly widened with realization. She put a hand against her face and began absentmindedly stroking strands of her hair. Her lips curled into a sinister smile. "Actually, this might be even better."
Mattias poked his head out from the side of the wall surrounding Dyrankia Castle's courtyard. He kept his eyes on two guards on either side of the entrance. They stood with noticeably bored expressions, occasionally turning their head from side to side to survey their surroundings.
"What do we do about them?" he whispered to the group huddled against the wall behind him.
"That's just two of them!" Ryder groaned. He rubbed a frustrated hand against the furry brim of his cap. "There's probably tons more guards inside the castle…" He turned to Clyde. "Right?"
"Yes," Clyde sighed. "Sometimes I think Dyrankia has more guards than citizens."
"I know!" Ryder exclaimed while still keeping his voice a whisper. "Let's have Gale create a tornado that blows the whole castle away! That'll get rid of all the guards!" He grinned at everyone, proud of his plan.
Honeymaren shook her head. "I'm pretty sure the queen will notice that. Then she'll turn it into a tornado of fire that'll fry all of us! And how can we find the crystal if the castle gets blown away?"
"Oh…yeah," Ryder murmured, drooping his shoulders in defeat.
Kristoff patted him on the shoulder. "Let's just stick to the stealth plan for now. We can save that as a backup."
"Yeah, don't worry," Anna said. She moved to the front of the group and gave them a confident smile. "Even if they outnumber us, we still have magic on our side." Bruni watched her attentively as she bent down and lowered her arm to the ground. "You know what to do, Bruni."
The fire spirit perked his head up, then skidded down her arm and onto the ground. He dashed towards the guards and stopped directly in front of them. As soon as they noticed him, they stepped back in startlement. After a moment, the surprised expression of one of the guards melted into an affectionate giggle.
"It's so cute!" he cooed, putting his hand against his chest in delight. But his face immediately fell into shock when a purple flame sprouted on Bruni's back. With an excited chirp, the salamander spit a ball of fire at the guard's sword sheath. As the flames spread across the sheath, the guard shrieked. He yanked the sheath from his belt and threw it to the ground moments before his hands would have caught on fire.
Both guards jumped back in fright. "Fire!" they cried. But before they could make another move, Mattias and a few of his soldiers came up behind the guards and hit them hard on the back of their heads, knocking them out. As the rest of the group followed after, their attention was quickly drawn to a shout that came from the front of the castle.
"Invaders!"
Two more guards stood beside the castle doors. One of them immediately rushed at Mattias and the soldiers while the other ran inside the castle. Within moments, more guards came flooding out of the castle doors and charged into the courtyard.
"Your Majesty, Clyde, stand back!" Mattias ordered, brandishing his sword and shield. The Arendellian soldiers and Northuldra formed a protective circle around Anna, Clyde, and Kristoff.
"Please, t-try not to kill anyone," Clyde pleaded. "They're not bad guys…mostly. They've just been brainwashed by Marjorie."
He could barely finish his last sentence before flinching as the swarm of Dyrankian guards descended on the group. Yelling, scuffling, and the sounds of swords clanging filled the air. The swords of the Arendellian soldiers clashed with the swords of the Dyrankian guards, while the Northuldra pushed and parried the guards' attacks with their staffs. Bruni darted in between the feet of the soldiers and Northuldra, spitting fire at random guards, which distracted them enough to be overpowered.
"Get that stupid lizard!" one of the guards shouted. As he lunged at Bruni, the salamander shot a fire ball at him, but he blocked it with his shield. Anna noticed the guard about to grab Bruni and rushed towards him. She pulled the sword sheath from her waist and swung it at the back of the guard's head, knocking him to the ground. Bruni jumped back in alarm as the guard toppled down to the ground in front of him. He gave a cautious chirp, then hopped onto the back of the fallen guard's head and blinked happily at Anna.
"Anna, be careful!" Kristoff ran to her side and put his hand on her shoulder. He slowed his movements when he noticed the guard lying face down in front of them.
"It's under control," she said coolly, shooting him a casual glance. But her expression soon changed to fear when she saw another guard standing behind Kristoff with his sword raised. "Kristoff!" she cried.
Upon seeing the terror in her eyes, Kristoff quickly spun around and saw the guard bring the sword down over his head. Before a gasp could escape his lips, Kristoff hoisted his sword from its sheath just in time to block the guard's strike. The deafening clang of the two swords colliding painfully rang in his ears as he struggled to push back against the attack. He winced when he felt the guard's strength overpowering him. Suddenly, the force lessened and Kristoff noticed that Anna had also pulled out her sword and was helping him fight off the guard. The two of them pushed against the guard's attack, but his superior strength and experience was still too overwhelming. Anna felt her feet giving way under her and Kristoff's strong hand pulling her up from behind her back.
"Anna!"
Taking advantage of Kristoff's momentary distraction, the guard thrust his sword back, causing Kristoff to stumble forward. The guard raised his sword again, ready to seize the opportunity to strike them down. But just as his sword was about to hit its mark, a forceful wind blew up from under him. He screamed as the wind hurled him across the courtyard, sending him flying into the branches of a dead tree that stood against the side of the castle. The wind then turned into a soft gust that swirled around Anna and Kristoff. It created a sturdy but gentle force that helped lift them to their feet.
"Thank you, Gale," Anna said. The wisps of wind brushed against the sides of her face.
From the corner of the courtyard, Clyde stood frozen in fear while he watched the struggling and fighting play out before him. But he also felt a sense of relief as the Arendellians and Northuldra seemed to be listening to him and were defeating the guards without killing them. Even Bruni's fire was dispelling as soon as its target was subdued, without causing any serious damage.
"Someone get Queen Marjorie!"
Clyde jerked his head in the direction of the shout. He saw one of the guards bolting towards the courtyard entrance that led back to the village.
"Oh no…" he muttered.
"Don't let them alert the queen!" Yelena's sharp voice rang out from somewhere in the chaos.
Just as the guard was about to reach the perimeter of the courtyard, Honeymaren and Ryder leaped in front of him, brandishing their staffs. He stopped short, glaring at them before charging forward. Ryder blocked his sword with his staff, pushing back as hard as he could against the guard's attack.
"You think a stick can win against a sword?" the guard taunted, a sneer spreading across his face as he pushed Ryder back a few steps.
"Actually, yes."
The guard turned his attention away from Ryder when he heard Honeymaren's calm response. Before he realized what was happening, she whipped her staff under his legs, knocking him off his feet. As he fell down to the ground, the siblings dropped their staffs and pulled out thick ropes that had been hanging on their belts. They pinned the guard down and tied the ropes around his hands and feet.
Clyde sighed with relief upon seeing that the guard was apprehended in time. He then heard a rumbling sound behind him and turned around, just in time to see Stein rolling into the feet of a few more guards. The guards tripped over the troll, colliding with each other before falling down into a heap. Stein suddenly uncurled himself into his troll shape and stood still. He stared wide-eyed at the castle.
"I can feel it. It's really close!" he exclaimed. He rolled into a ball again, clunking up the stairs leading to the castle entrance and disappearing behind the open door.
"Stein, wait!" Clyde shouted.
Kristoff noticed Clyde run after the troll through the castle doors. "Anna, here's our chance, let's go!" he called to Anna, who was standing a short way behind him. She began to run after him, but another group of guards suddenly rushed towards her. Kristoff gasped as Mattias and a few Northuldra intercepted them.
"It's fine, Kristoff. Just go without me," she urged, maneuvering behind Mattias as he blocked the attack of another guard.
"We'll protect her, don't worry," Mattias affirmed. He pushed against more attacks with his shield. "You know what you need to do."
Kristoff gave a reluctant nod, then hurried towards the castle doors and slipped inside.
Back at the village square, fiery sparks flicked from Marjorie's fingertips as she raised her arms above her head. She took a few steps back, keeping her gaze locked on Elsa.
"Just wait right here for me," she instructed with a tone of menacing delight. "I'll be right back."
"Marjorie, you…" Elsa began. But before she could finish, a wall of crimson flames shot up around her. The flames spread all around the square, enclosing it in a pen of fire. The Dyrankian citizens huddled close together, looking around in anxious uncertainty.
"Your Majesty, you're not going to…" Laurence started to move towards Marjorie, but she dashed through the wall of flames and out of sight.
Flurries of ice magic began to form around Elsa's palms. She thrust her arms forward, ready to shoot a blast of magic that could carry her over the towering flames. A sudden cry from behind interrupted her.
"My shop! My shop!"
Elsa turned around and saw an elderly man frantically running towards the far edge of the wall of fire. The flames were licking at the protruding roof of what appeared to be a carpenter's shop.
Laurence ran after the man and grabbed his arm. "Henrick, get back!"
A moment later, a large section of the roof became engulfed in flames. A crackling noise rang out in the square as a chunk of it broke off and began plummeting towards Laurence and Henrick. Elsa gasped, quickly raising her arms and shooting off a blast of ice magic at the flaming chunk. The ice crashed into the chunk, melting almost immediately, but creating enough force to knock the chunk off its course. Laurence and Henrick shrieked and cringed as it crashed to the ground right beside them. Elsa raised her arms again and blasted more ice at the burning roof, trying desperately to put out the fire. As hot and cold collided, a cloud of chocking smoke sizzled into the air. From the corner of her eye, Elsa could see Laurence ushering a devastated Henrick out of the way. She glared back at the fire and shook her head.
"She doesn't care about her people at all."
Marjorie sprinted towards the iron gate of the fortress, her scarlet cape flapping like a pulsing fire behind her. When the guards on the lookout posts saw her coming, they shouted to their comrades below.
"Open the gate!"
With a loud creak, the iron gate began to open. Marjorie didn't slow her pace and squeezed through the opening of the gate before it was wide enough. She quickly turned the corner and bumped right into Samuel.
"Y-Your Majesty," he stammered. He pushed his foggy glasses higher on his nose. "I thought you were giving your speech at the village."
"Change of plans," she huffed. "We start now."
She started to move past Samuel, but he stepped in front of her. "B-But what about testing?" he asked, holding his hands insistently in front of him. "There's still a few more things we need to…"
"I've had it with your testing!" she snapped. "I've told you before, there's only so much testing we can do inside the walls of the fortress. I'm taking it out for real now."
She brushed by him and continued running, paying no mind to the harsh clanging and pungent smoke of the ironworks commotion going on around her. She passed a few engineers with goggles pressed against their faces and soot-stained smocks hanging from their shoulders. They stared at her in confusion as she made her way towards a tall set of metal stairs on wheels. Standing near the stairs was a blacksmith holding a large hammer in the thick glove on his hand. Beside him stood a scientist in a ragged lab coat, staring at a paper of blueprints he was holding out in front of him. They both turned around when they heard the clanging sound of Marjorie's boots climbing up the stairs.
"Your Majesty, where are you going?" the scientist asked.
Marjorie shot him an impatient glance, but didn't stop climbing the stairs. "We're executing the plan now. Just tell everyone to get out of the way."
The scientist looked at her in shock. "But people are still in the village, aren't they? I thought we were going to take it out the back way."
"I won't crush anyone." Marjorie sneered at him, annoyance in her tone. As she reached the top of the stairs, a wicked smile crept across her face. "There's only one target I'm after."
She hoisted herself into the concave opening that lay before her. She slid onto the metallic seat and inserted her legs into the steel tubes at her side. She leaned forward, pushing her arms into two more tubes in front of her. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
"Okay…just like you've been practicing."
Fire spewed from her hands and into the steel tubes. As she tensed her body further, a stream of flames rushed along her back, splitting at her legs and shooting down the other tubes. With fire now throbbing and swiveling all around her body, she carefully lifted one of her arms against the rim of the tube. A rumbling sound of something gigantic scrapping across the ground could be heard below her.
"It's working! It's working!" she cackled.
Back at the village, the wall of fire suddenly dispersed, leaving behind a cloud of tiny embers that fizzled to the cobblestone below. Gasps and cries could be heard from the gathered Dyrankians as they looked around in alarm. When she saw the fire disappear, Elsa lowered her arms and dispelled the ice magic that was swirling around her palms. She took a few cautious steps forward, scanning the area for any sign of Marjorie. The ground suddenly shook with a thundering boom, causing her to almost lose her footing. When she turned towards the sound, her eyes widened in shock.
Through the open gate of the fortress, an enormous mass of steel rammed through, breaking the gate off its hinges. When the dust settled and the mass began to rise in the clear visibility of the afternoon daylight, Elsa could see that it wasn't a shapeless mass at all–it was in the perfect shape of the Dyrankian salamander. The sun glared off of the shining steel of its massive head, with a separate piece attached under its jaw to create a maw with spiked teeth. In the empty eye sockets that lay on either side of its head, whirring balls of Marjorie's crimson fire could be seen, creating stark, frightening pupils. More fire raged from the slits around the joints of its four mighty limbs, pulsing life into the numerous pieces of steel. The creature slammed down one of its legs, its claws tearing up the already broken cobblestone ground and stirring up another whirlwind of dust. As it took more thundering steps forward, Elsa noticed Marjorie leaning over inside a small hole at the tip of an elevated spike on the salamander's back.
"Citizens of Dyrankia!" Marjorie screamed to the crowd, her voice cracking with ecstasy. "Behold! The weapon that will ensure Dyrankia's dominion over all other kingdoms! A beast of impenetrable steel…that I can control with my magic!"
She lifted her left arm against the metal tube. A roaring sound of fire spewing could be heard reverberating along the left side of the salamander. Almost immediately, it also lifted its left front leg. Streams of fire spilled out of the openings along its elbows and toes.
Gasps erupted from the crowd. Laurence gazed at the salamander with his mouth gaped open and his knees visibly trembling. Upon realizing that he was losing his composure, he tried to shake it off with a nervous laugh.
"I-It's magnificent," he stuttered. He turned to the crowd with an insincere grin on his face. "Isn't it?" The Dyrankians exchanged concerned looks. A few of them gradually smiled and nodded while others simply stared at him with expressions full of doubt.
Marjorie leaned back and the salamander stood taller on its haunches. "All of you, stand aside now!" she yelled at the crowd again. "And watch closely, as Dyrankia's ultimate weapon defeats Dyrankia's most powerful enemy!"
She thrust her head to the side, and the salamander moved its head towards Elsa. With a loud clang, its lower jaw fell open. Realizing what was coming, Elsa quickly raised her arms and shot a burst of ice from her palms, just as a geyser of fire blasted from the salamander's mouth. The force of the ice magic propelled Elsa out of the way as the fire streaked past her. She could feel the searing heat of the flames rush by before they crashed into the buildings across the way. The already rickety structures immediately began to break and crumble as they became engulfed in the blaze.
"Uh, everyone, get back!" Wilhelm kept his terror-filled eyes glued to the fire while he shouted commands at the Dyrankians. More panicked cries could be heard from the crowd.
"My home!" A woman's desperate scream rang out above the rest.
Laurence ran towards the salamander, frantically waving his arms at Marjorie. "Your Majesty, please, you're going to destroy the kingdom!"
"So what?" Marjorie spat. She narrowed her eyes at him. "Who needs this dump of broken-down shacks in the middle of nowhere? Once we conquer all the lands, we can start a new kingdom wherever we want!" Laurence opened his mouth to say more, but was knocked back onto his bottom as Marjorie maneuvered the salamander past him towards Elsa.
It charged again, the ground shaking with each stomp of its colossal feet. With only a second to react, Elsa instinctively flung her arms forward, conjuring an immense wall of ice in front of the creature. The ice immediately shattered from one forceful push of the salamander's head. She barely had time to create a buffer of snow around her body before the salamander's massive head heaved her into the air. As she felt herself falling, she quickly turned around and noticed she was heading towards the roof of a building at the edge of the square. She shot a blast of magic at the roof, puncturing a hole large enough for her to fall through. The magic rushed down the hole and burst into a bed of snow that broke her fall. As she tried to hurry to her feet inside the cumbersome mounds of snow, a loud crashing sound blasted from the roof above. She only had a moment to glance at the crumbling rafters before she shot another blast of magic to the side, pushing herself out of the way a second before the giant, clawed foot of the salamander would have crushed her. More magic blasted from her palms, propelling her out of the way as a torrent of fire streaked past her. Amidst the noise of the collapsing walls of the house and the pounding stomps of the salamander, she could hear Marjorie's taunting yells.
"I'm glad Clyde didn't kill you back then! This is a much more fitting death!"
Elsa unleashed more panicked blasts of magic that propelled her forward, frantically trying to create as much distance as she could between herself and Marjorie. As the ground continued to shake and the deafening clangs of the salamander's movements filled the air, Elsa knew she needed help. After pushing herself farther away with another blast of magic, she raised her hands and released a thin steam of ice crystals that twirled up into the air. When they were high in the sky above Dyrankia, they exploded into a firework of ice crystals that glittered brilliantly against the cloudless sky.
From the fields beyond Dyrankia, a gasp shook Olaf's squishy body when he saw the icy firework burst in the sky.
"That's Elsa's signal!" he shouted, flailing his stick arms in the air. "She needs our help!"
With a low roar, Hubert began trudging forward on his short but sturdy legs. He soon broke into a fast sprint that carried him towards the wall surrounding Dyrankia. He was quickly followed by Nokk, who galloped alongside him with anxious neighs. When Hubert reached the wall, he raised his powerful arms, ramming them against the wall with incredible force. The stone immediately crumbled against the earth giant's strength, creating an opening that both he and Nokk rushed through. As Olaf watched the two spirits disappear into the kingdom, he stumbled back in surprise when Sven jumped over him. The reindeer ran towards the hole in the wall, grunting with concern.
"Sven! Get back here!" Olaf cried, hopping past the hill after Sven.
Smoke was rapidly filling the air around Dyrankia as Marjorie's shouts could be heard from the back of the salamander. "I'll give you points for that snowball trick back at the gorge. But nothing you do will work this time!"
A blast of ice magic launched Elsa out of the way as another stream of fire burst from the salamander's mouth. Before she could prepare the next blast, the beast advanced on her again, raising its metallic leg. Elsa gasped, realizing she wouldn't be able to get away before its leg slammed down on her. Suddenly, something large and rocky leaped in front of her and blocked the salamander's attack.
"Hubert!"
Marjorie craned her neck to the side. "What is that thing?"
The earth giant pushed against the crushing weight of the steel limb, grunting as the force drove his stubby feet deeper into the ground. From a distance behind her, Elsa could hear the clomping sound of galloping hooves. She turned around and saw Nokk heading towards her, leaping over the piles of burning rubble and disheveled earth that was once the village. Elsa reached out her arms and pulled herself onto the water spirit's back as he dashed past the salamander.
"It doesn't matter what magical creatures you have!" Marjorie snarled. She thrust the salamander's leg to the side, knocking Hubert off his feet and onto his back with a thud. With another series of clangs and crashes, the salamander turned around and clambered after Nokk and Elsa.
Inside the courtyard of the castle, Anna stared in alarm at the remnants of Elsa's ice firework fading against the sky. "Elsa's in trouble," she whispered to herself. She moved away from where she was standing behind Mattias and hurried back to the entrance of the courtyard. She gasped when she saw the shining steel head of the salamander towering over the few buildings that remained standing against the monstrous flames and stifling smoke that was now engulfing the village. She could feel her heart beginning to pound and a force urging her legs forward. She began to run out of the courtyard.
"Elsa!"
"Your Majesty, wait!" Mattias called. He attempted to run after her, but two more guards jumped at him, forcing him to block their attacks with his sword and shield.
Anna raced through the empty streets of the village, slipping behind a row of trees and houses farther away from the salamander. Large sections of the town were covered in flames, the scorching heat creating blurry mirages against the hazy air above Dyrankia. Smoldering holes covered an expanse of farmland on the eastern side of the kingdom where the claws of the salamander had ripped through. A sea of shredded crops that were too burned to identify lay on top of the smoking fields. Anna shook her head in disbelief.
"She's burning down her whole kingdom."
Ahead of her, she saw a group of Dyrankians huddled close together. They were visibly shaking in fear as they stared in horror at the fiery chaos that surrounded their village. One woman was running towards a house that was crumbling under a coat of flames. The others called out to her.
"Bertha, no!"
Anna recognized Bertha as the woman who had come to Clyde's caravan for medicine during their first trip to Dyrankia.
"Rolf! Rolf!" Bertha was standing in front of the burning house, screaming and frantically looking inside what remained of the doorway. As Anna got closer, she could see a little boy inside the house, crying and cowering behind some burning slats of wood. She remembered seeing him together with Bertha that same day.
Without a second thought, Anna pulled out her sword and dashed towards the burning house. She swung the sword against the slats, bobbing her head out of the way of stray sparks that jumped off the wood. She could feel the choking smoke agitating her chest, but she suppressed the urge to cough. After a few thrashes, the sword knocked the slats completely out of the way.
"Get out, hurry!" she called to Rolf.
He stared at her in shock for a moment as a tear rolled down his face. He then scrambled to his feet, staggering out the doorway and into Bertha's arms. "Grandma!" he cried as he buried his face in her dress.
Bertha hugged him tight, then looked at Anna with eyes full of gratitude. Her expression suddenly changed to fear when she noticed a large chunk of the house's roof beginning to collapse. "Look out!" she shouted.
Anna heard the sound of crackling wood above and gazed up, just in time to see a piece of the roof falling towards her.
"Anna!"
Anna looked in the direction of the voice and saw Nokk galloping towards her. Elsa was sitting on his back with her arms reaching out at her. Anna immediately returned the sword to its sheath so she could grab Elsa's hand. Elsa pulled her onto Nokk's back and the water spirit leaped out of the way a second before the piece of roof crashed to the ground in a pile of burning fragments. When Nokk was a safe distance away from the fire, Anna straightened herself up from where she was sitting behind Elsa. She hugged her arms around Elsa's shoulders.
"Elsa!"
"Anna, what are you doing here?" Elsa scolded. She could feel her stomach churning at the thought of what would have happened if she had arrived a minute later. "The plan was for me to distract Marjorie and you to stay with everyone else."
Traces of guilt began to show in Anna's face. "I know…but when I saw that giant, fire-breathing monster, I got so worried. I had to make sure you were okay."
Another series of tremors shook the ground as the salamander turned around. Its bulbous head loomed over the few standing buildings that lined the village. From within the obscuring clouds of smoke, its bright fireball eyes shone and Marjorie's ecstatic voice rang out.
"I know you went this way, Elsa!"
The group of Dyrankians started gathering around Nokk, whispering nervously amongst each other. One woman stood right next to Elsa.
"Y-You have magic, too," she stuttered. She tugged lightly at the top of Elsa's cape. "Please help us!"
An elderly man came up beside her, his eyes scared and pleading. "Queen Marjorie's gone mad!"
Elsa regarded the desperate faces staring at her as the ground continued to shake. She steered Nokk in the direction of the northside wall.
"There's a hole in the wall on the northside." She pointed towards the section of wall Hubert had broken down. "You can get to safety through there. I'll lure her the other way."
With a few uncertain nods, the Dyrankians ran off in the direction Elsa had indicated. Elsa then turned to Anna, her expression full of seriousness.
"Go with them."
"But…" Anna's protest was immediately interrupted by a thunderous crash from behind. Before she could turn to look, Nokk let out a panicked neigh and dashed forward just as a stream of fire rushed past them. Anna wrapped her arms around Elsa's waist so she wouldn't fall off as Nokk continued to gallop and leap out of the way of the salamander's attacks.
"Have they found it yet?" Elsa asked, her voice shaking from being jostled by Nokk's erratic galloping.
"Clyde and Kristoff got into the castle," Anna replied. She kept her tone low in case Marjorie could hear. "We just have to buy them a little more time. They should find it soon…hopefully."
Inside Dyrankia Castle, Stein was making his way up the stairs of the castle's highest tower, using his hands to heave himself over each step. He kept his eyes fixed on the last door at the top of the stairs.
"It's right there."
Kristoff and Clyde followed close behind him, gasping each time the tower quaked from the commotion down in the village.
"What is going on out there?" Kristoff peered through a narrow window on the tower wall, but all he could see was sky and parts of nearby spires.
"We'll worry about it later," Stein replied. "Just be glad Dyrankian guards are so dense. I can't believe they all rushed to fight in the courtyard and left the castle completely unguarded."
"I'm pretty sure I found the crystal in one of the smaller towers," Clyde said as he looked around the dingy stone walls of the tower. "Father must have moved it here after that. He really didn't trust me."
When they reached the front of the iron door that led to the final room, Kristoff pulled on the handle. The door didn't budge an inch.
"Of course it's locked," Clyde groaned.
"Don't worry, Stein's got this," Kristoff said as he shot the troll a confident glance. When Stein returned his glance with a look of confusion, Kristoff raised his fists up and down above the door handle in a signaling gesture. Stein's deep-set eyes finally perked up with realization.
"Oh…I knew that," he grumbled as he curled into a ball again. Kristoff bent down and scooped up the troll with both hands, bending his knees to steady himself from the heavy weight. He stood up straight, then rammed Stein's rock body against the door handle as hard as he could. The handle immediately broke against the blow. A piece of it fell to the ground with a clang that echoed down the tower stairs.
Kristoff put Stein back on the floor as Clyde cautiously pulled the now slightly cracked door open. When they stepped inside the small room, the glowing red of the fire crystal immediately caught their eye.
"There it is!" Clyde exclaimed. He stared mesmerized at the brilliant crimson hue of the crystal from where it sat on a metal stand. He creased his brow in puzzlement when he noticed lines and spots of dark black all over its shiny surface. "What's this black stuff? I don't remember seeing that."
Stein folded his arms and glared at the crystal. "Corruption is what it is. That's what happens when magic gets used for profane purposes over a long period of time." He gripped his hands tight around his round body and shuddered. "Just being so close to this cursed thing gives me the creeps! I can't believe it used to be my pure and beautiful crystal."
Kristoff approached a narrow table in the corner of the room that was covered in torn books and yellowed papers. Most of the books appeared to be written in ancient languages that he couldn't read, with strange and almost unholy symbols drawn on their faded covers. A few books with legible titles included Ye Old Book of Spells and Sorceries of Thy Desires. The scattered papers showed hand-drawn diagrams of troll anatomy, a map indicating locations where trolls were sighted, and scribbled diagrams in faded ink that appeared to show a detailed breakdown of the fire crystal's magical essence. Stein pulled himself onto a nearby chair and then onto the table. The thick coat of dust on its surface immediately dispersed from the troll's movements. He mulled over the books and papers.
"There was definitely some shady business going on in this kingdom."
Clyde's mouth hung open in shock as he also observed the contents on the table. "I can't believe it. They really did use sorcery…to make the crystal give Marjorie fire powers."
"In here!"
A loud yell rang out from beyond the door. When Stein, Clyde, and Kristoff turned to look, they saw a belligerent Alphonse standing in the doorway with three guards behind him.
"Get them!" he commanded. He pointed his sword and charged into the room. The other guards followed after him.
Kristoff gasped and lunged at the crystal, seizing it tightly in his hand. He flinched when the guards were practically on top of him. Suddenly, they let out startled cries as they began to topple over each other before falling to the ground. Kristoff looked down and realized that Stein had rolled into a ball and tripped them. He rolled to the doorway and popped into his troll form again.
"Get the crystal and let's get out of here!"
"Right!" Kristoff nodded. "Clyde, c'mon!" He quickly stepped around the flailing guards as Clyde followed after him.
Stein curled into a ball again and rolled down the stairs with Kristoff and Clyde clambering after him. From inside the room, they could hear Alphonse shouting, "They stole the queen's treasure!" They hurried through the main hall of the castle and back out the doors. Upon exiting the castle, they were instantly confronted by more guards in the courtyard. Kristoff stumbled to the side as Yelena intercepted another guard that was about to strike him. He then heard a familiar grunting sound and turned around.
"Sven?"
He saw Sven running towards him with Olaf bouncing on his back. "I tried to stop him. But he was really persuasive!"
Alphonse suddenly appeared beside Kristoff and grabbed his arm while another guard started pulling at his other arm. He struggled to get away, keeping the crystal clenched tightly in his hand. When he felt Alphonse trying to force his hand open, he knew what he had to do.
"Olaf! Sven! Catch!"
Mustering all this strength, Kristoff managed to pull his arm free from Alphonse's grasp. He quickly raised it as high as he could and flung it forward, throwing the crystal towards Olaf's surprised face. Olaf held out his stick arms and grabbed the crystal before it collided with his carrot nose.
"Oh, this must be the fire crystal," he said bemused, turning it around in his hand. He then giggled as its shining surface glistened in the sunlight. "It's so pretty! And look at those gorgeous black patterns! Such a lovely design."
A frighted jump from Sven jolted him back to reality.
"Get the reindeer!" Alphonse yelled. He let go of Kristoff and ran at Sven.
"Run, Sven!" Kristoff cried, waving his hand in frantic gestures at the panicked reindeer.
"Uh oh." Olaf's expression fell when he saw Alphonse and a few other guards running towards them. He held onto Sven's antlers as the reindeer started running back the other way. He kept the fire crystal gripped tightly in his other hand. "We can't let them have the crystal!"
Before Sven could build up enough speed, more guards jumped in front of him. Olaf shrieked as they lunged forward, causing Sven to bolt the other way, where he was immediately confronted by Alphonse and his group. Realizing they were surrounded, Olaf held the crystal protectively against his body.
"Olaf, over here!"
Over the weaving heads of the guards, Olaf saw Ryder wildly flapping his arms. Just as he felt a forceful hand start to pull him off of Sven, Olaf threw the crystal as hard as he could in Ryder's direction.
"I got it!" Ryder dove forward, stretching his arm out towards the crystal.
Before he could grasp it, Alphonse's burly form shoved in front of him, pushing him out of the way. Alphonse bent over and grabbed the crystal before it hit the ground, only to instantly lose his footing as a strong wind from Gale rose under him. He staggered forward to keep his balance, loosening his grip on the crystal. The wind rushed against his arm, blowing with enough power to force the crystal out of his hand. Gale began to carry the crystal back towards Ryder, but another guard leaped up and grabbed it out of the air. As the guard attempted to run away, he was quickly tackled by two Arendellian soldiers who pinned him down and began pulling at his fist that desperately clung to the crystal.
Clyde watched the two sides struggling over the crystal, cringing every time one of the guards got a hold of it. He wanted to help, but the uncertainty of the situation was causing him to freeze with anxiety. He took a few steps back and tried to catch his breath. But as his gaze fell to the entrance of the courtyard, he couldn't help but let out a cry of shock when he saw what was happening in the village.
The entire area was bathed in Marjorie's crimson fire, turning the smoky sky an eerie red. Sections of the town where homes and buildings had stood were now piles of flaming rubble. The whole village was shimmering with fiery mirages caused by the intense heat. Beyond the walls of flames and few structures that remained standing against the destruction, the gaping head of the salamander could be seen. It lurched its massive body to the side, then sprang forward with its claws outstretched, as if pouncing at something. As it slammed to the ground, Clyde felt himself falling to his knees from the shaking ground. He stayed on his knees for moment, staring in horror at what he saw, too stunned to move.
"T-That's…what she was hiding…in the fortress…"
Shock began giving way to fear. Clyde suddenly felt an impulse to run, to get away from this chaotic, terrifying situation as fast as he could. The secret exit behind Dyrankia Castle that led outside the kingdom flashed in his mind.
"No. I can't run away. Not now." He slowly rose to his feet, steadying himself on his knees. "Not this time. I have to be brave…"
In the distance, he saw Anna and Elsa riding on Nokk as the salamander's gigantic paw swiped over them.
"…like them."
Nokk dashed forward through the barren streets of the village, his icy hooves stirring up dust into the already smoky air. Anna and Elsa held on tight as he made a soaring leap over the charred remains of a wooden shack, just as the salamander's broad tail came crashing down. He turned the corner around another burning house, then came to a grinding halt when he saw a blast of fire heading right towards them. Elsa gasped, raising her hands to prepare magic that could shield them from the attack. But before the magic could fully form in her palms, Nokk let out a determined neigh. He reared up on his hind legs, then jumped in place, causing Anna and Elsa to fall off his back. He then charged forward, just as the fire blast hit him. When the ice that encased his body melted upon impact, his watery form burst forth. It undulated across the perimeter of the fire, dissipating it into a puff of smoke before it reached Anna and Elsa. The water then sprinkled down like a mini rainfall onto the dry earth.
Elsa pulled herself to her feet and ran over to where Anna was sitting on the ground, staring in shock at where Nokk had just been. "Anna, are you okay?"
"Yes," Anna replied, slowly rising to her feet. "But Nokk…"
"He's fine, don't worry." Elsa watched the drops of water merge into each other, forming a shapeless puddle before quickly trickling away like a living stream and disappearing over the piles of disheveled earth. "The fire split his body into a bunch of water droplets, but he should be able to reassemble himself when he finds another body of water. He can't help us anymore, though."
Another wave of tremors shook the earth as the salamander's colossal form trudged forward, casting an immense shadow over Anna and Elsa. Fire spurted from its joints, and its claws tore into the ground. Marjorie leaned over from where she was sitting inside the large spike on its back, triumph shining in her eyes.
"I have to say, Elsa, this chase all around the kingdom has been fantastic practice for my fire-to-steel coordination. But…" She thrust her arms against the steel tubes again, first the left and then the right. The salamander's left leg slammed down in a burst of sparks and dust. It then lifted its right leg, its claws outstretched. "I think it's time we wrap things up. There's so much more to conquer!"
Elsa raised her hands in front of her as ice magic began swirling around her palms. She glanced at Anna. "Anna, you need to run!"
Before Anna could open her mouth to object, Elsa unleashed a blast of magic that burst into a pillar of ice beneath her, propelling her away from Anna and towards the salamander. The creature swiped with its claws, shattering the pillar just as Elsa leaped off. She extended her arms under herself again, creating another ice pillar. But just as she landed on it, the back of the salamander's front leg rammed into it, smashing it into pieces with a deafening clang. Before she could create another blast, one of the large pieces slammed against her, knocking her to the ground.
"Elsa!"
Anna ran over to where Elsa had landed hard on her back. When she saw Anna kneel down beside her, Elsa struggled to pull herself up.
"Anna, I told you to run!" She tried to shove Anna away, but had to stop and wince from the throbbing in her back. Anna suddenly felt the earth shaking more intensely than before. When she turned, she saw that the salamander was bounding towards them, crushing the pieces of ice and what remained of the nearby buildings, its fireball eyes flaring like frenzied suns. She knew it would be on top of them in a second. Her mind raced, but there was no time to do anything. She threw herself over Elsa and braced for the impact. She tensed her body further when she heard what sounded like a loud screech of something dragging across the ground. But after a few moments, nothing happened.
Anna and Elsa both slowly turned to look and saw Clyde. His back was to them, and his arms were spread out in a defensive position in front of them. The salamander was crouched just a couple of feet away from him, obscured in a blinding cloud of dust. They could see deep indentations on the ground near its feet from when it had skidded to a stop before it would have collided with Clyde. Marjorie's head was poked over the side of the spike, glaring down at him. There was an obvious look of surprise and frustration on her flushed face.
"Clyde! You dare to show yourself in front of me again?"
Clyde could feel his knees beginning to tremble, but he kept his ground. "M-Marjorie, this has gone too far. You've destroyed Dyrankia…our home…"
"That doesn't matter, we can rebuild it wherever we want now," Marjorie retorted. "But that's none of your concern anymore." She shifted her body inside the spike, and the salamander began to rise on its hind legs, looming menacingly over Clyde. It swiped its front leg at him, wedging its claw inside his vest. It then lifted its leg, hoisting him up into the air and dangling him from the tip of its claw.
Elsa gasped. She swung her arm forward and a blast of ice magic shot from her hand. It streaked towards the salamander's raised paw, but fizzled away as soon as it touched the burning steel. Marjorie clenched her hand tighter inside the tube, causing the salamander to curve its claws, jostling Clyde even more. The heat emanating from the streams of fire pulsing from the joints of its toes was almost unbearable. As he continued to dangle helplessly, he couldn't decide if he would fall to his death from his clothes being burned or ripped. His thoughts were soon interrupted by more jeering from Marjorie.
"I spared your life back then because I still felt a touch of pity for my poor, misguided brother. It's not like you're any sort of threat to me, anyway. But now it's time to get rid of that sentiment once and for all!"
The salamander lifted Clyde even higher into air. He could feel the stitching of his vest becoming looser by the second. From the height he was at, he had a clear view of the burning buildings and smoking wreckage that was once his home. In the corner of his eye, he saw a barn from the most prominent farm in the kingdom crumble to the ground in a splatter of flames, followed by the frantic mooing of cows that were fleeing from the fire. A low whimper escaped his lips as he felt the salamander lash its leg out to the side, then quickly fling it forward, sending him spiraling into the air.
"Clyde!" Anna screamed.
Elsa hurriedly raised her arms and hurled a blast of magic in the direction Clyde was falling. The magical particles zoomed into the sky until they were under Clyde, then plunged to the ground right where he was headed. The magic burst into a pile of thick snow that broke his fall when he plummeted into it. As the snow began to dampen his clothes, the change in temperature felt good at first, but the extreme cold soon sent a shiver up his spine. He tried to stand up, but tripped and stumbled against the squishy, slippery snow. When he finally managed to stagger away, something flashed in the corner of his eye. He turned to look and his mouth fell open in shock.
The fire crystal was on the ground in front of him, jiggling slightly as if it had just landed there.
"Clyde! Get the crystal!"
Clyde looked in the direction the shout had come from. He realized he had been tossed all the way to the front of the castle courtyard and had landed just beyond its surrounding wall. He saw Kristoff staring pleadingly at him while he struggled to pull free from two guards who had a grip on both his arms. Behind Kristoff, Hubert had four other guards pinned against his body. The guards squirmed against the earth giant's strong arms.
Marjorie gazed in the direction she had thrown Clyde. With the majority of buildings in the village now reduced to piles of crumbled stone and wood, she had a direct view of the area in front of the castle. She grimaced when she saw Clyde standing, unscathed, near the mound of snow. But her grimace quickly turned into a look of horror when she noticed a small, glowing red object near his feet.
"It can't be," she muttered. She lunged forward and the salamander began crawling towards the castle, scraping up more piles of debris along the way. As she got closer, the realization that she was seeing the fire crystal sunk in deeper. "How?! How?!" she began screaming, half to herself and to whoever else was listening. "Only our most trusted servants know about it! Father swore he never told anyone else!"
Clyde gasped when he saw the salamander coming, but quickly shifted his attention behind him just as one of the guards in Hubert's grasp managed to slip away and charged at him. But before the guard could take more than a few steps, a round stone rolled under him, knocking him off his feet and sending him sprawling face-first to the ground. The stone then popped open to reveal an exasperated Stein.
"We have to destroy that crystal, now!" He ran over to the fire crystal and tried stomping on it with his flat, troll foot, but it remained completely intact. "It's too tough. We need more force." He turned to Clyde with a look of resolve in his eyes. "You need to pick me up and throw me as hard as you can onto the crystal."
Clyde hesitated at the thought of this sudden major responsibility being thrust on him. Marjorie's shouting in the distance made his heart race further.
"Clyde, stop right there!"
Stein placed himself right at Clyde's feet and curled into a ball. "Hurry!"
Clyde could feel panicked breaths pushing against his chest. He bit his lip and ignored them, bending down and gripping his hands around the troll's bulky body. As he attempted to straighten up, the concentrated weight of the troll became apparent. He wobbled for a moment before regaining his balance, groaning as he lifted Stein high above his head. His knees began to quiver both from the weight of the troll and the thought of what he was about to do.
"Clyde, no, please don't do it!"
Marjorie's voice was even closer now. He had never heard her sound so desperate…so pleading. He then heard a barrage of screams followed by a stampede of panicked footsteps near the courtyard. He knew everyone must have seen the salamander charging and was rushing to get out of the way. He didn't dare turn to look. He had to stay focused on what he had to do. His mind suddenly rewound to when he had defied Marjorie by refusing to kill Elsa. He had thought that would be the last step in severing their ties, but now he realized he had to take the ultimate step. And at this moment, it was something only he could do.
He stood as tall as could, stretching his arms so far he thought they would snap under Stein's oppressive weight.
He heard another frantic plea from Marjorie. For a moment, a tinge of guilt gnawed at his chest. But he wouldn't be swayed. Marjorie had destroyed his home, both the kingdom and his caravan, attempted to kill him and his friends, and spent years depriving his people of a prosperous kingdom…all for the sake of creating a machine of destruction. He knew there was no compromising with her at this point. There was only one way to end this nightmare once and for all.
With a yell of both pain and relief, he flung his arms downward, hurling Stein at the crystal. The stone body of the troll smashed it, shattering it into tiny fragments.
"No! No!"
Marjorie's cries were immediately muffled by the clanging and crashing of the salamander's limbs. The fire magic that was keeping them animated dissipated, returning them to lifeless hunks of steel that began falling against one another. Marjorie clung to the sides of the spike as it jostled and wrenched under the crumpling limbs.
"No! It can't be!" she cried. She thrust her arms against the tubes, frantically shaking her hands, but no magic came out. Instead, she felt a crawling, burning sensation coursing through her body. She looked at her hands and noticed patches of black swarming over her skin like a horde of insects, burning it off piece by piece into dark, ashen dust. "No, what is this?!" She put her hands on her face and could feel her cheeks also shriveling away. The sensation of crumbling ashes rubbed against her dissolving fingertips. Suddenly, a harsh shake from the salamander knocked Marjorie's withering body off its back as all its parts began collapsing. By the time her body reached the ground below, it was no more than a stream of ashes that sprinkled down onto the salamander medal that had been on her sash.
With its limbs folding under its body, the salamander began plunging towards the castle courtyard. Its protruding head scrapped against the front of the castle, sending a flurry of stone chunks raining down. As its limbs crashed to the ground, the earth rumbled, knocking Clyde off his feet. He stared, stupefied, at the crumbling walls of his kingdom's castle.
"Get out of the way!"
He felt something nudge his leg and saw Stein roll past him. Then he heard Mattias' commanding voice.
"C'mon!"
Strong arms pulled him to his feet and dragged him away, just as a piece of parapet from the top of the castle plummeted to the ground where he had stood seconds before.
Hubert plodded towards the salamander and swung at the chunks of falling stone, knocking them away as the last remaining Arendellians, Northuldra, and Dyrankian guards fled from the area. The guards who had been tied up during the fighting were hoisted into the air by a cyclone from Gale. The wind carried them over the wall of the courtyard in a spinning vortex of dirt and debris before dropping them to safety in the area beyond. With a final resounding crash, the body of the salamander collapsed onto the empty courtyard, covering it in a cloud of dust and shaking the earth one last time.
With Marjorie's magic gone, the fire that was consuming the village faded, leaving behind the burned remains of the land and houses that once made up Dyrankia. Anna and Elsa approached the now still body of the salamander. The deadly heat that had been emanating for the steel was already beginning to cool.
"Anna! Elsa!"
From behind the wall of the courtyard, they saw Olaf perched on Sven's head with a big grin on his snowy face. As Sven bounded over to them, Olaf spread out his stick arms and hopped off Sven towards the sisters. They caught him and hugged him close. Sven scampered happily around them, giving them each a slobbery lick. Olaf suddenly looked concerned.
"Uh, it's over, right?"
"Yeah, it's over," Anna replied as she and Elsa exchanged relieved smiles.
They heard a familiar squeal and looked up. Bruni was sitting on top of one of the steel pieces, blinking down at them. He flicked his tongue against his eye, then skidded across the steel towards them.
"It's Bruni!" Olaf cheered, skipping over to where Bruni had just leaped off the edge of what used to be the salamander's tail. He landed in between Olaf's stick hair, then hopped onto Anna's arm. He scurried between her shoulders before jumping onto Elsa's shoulder and nuzzling against her cheek.
Elsa stroked his back with her finger. "You did great, Bruni."
"Your Majesty!"
Mattias squeezed his way between the pieces of steel and broken stone of the courtyard wall. Behind him, a few Arendellian soldiers and Northuldra were cautiously looking around at what remained of the giant salamander. Realizing that their mission had been successful, they began laughing and patting each other on the back. Mattias stopped in front of Anna and Elsa, leaning on his knees to catch his breath.
"Are you alright?" he huffed.
"We're fine," Anna replied. "What about Kristoff, and Clyde, and everyone else?"
Mattias straightened up and assumed his official composure. "Everyone is accounted for. I'm having several of my men round up the Dyrankian guards that we had apprehended. There were some injuries on both sides, but nothing serious." Anna and Elsa sighed with relief.
Hubert lifted a large section of the steel out of the way, creating a clear path out of the courtyard. Honeymaren and Ryder ran down the path with big smiles on their faces.
"We did it! We did it!" Ryder cheered.
"You were both amazing!" Honeymaren beamed as she threw her arms around Anna and Elsa's shoulders. "You're okay though, right?"
"Yeah, we're fine," Anna replied.
"We might not have been, though…" Elsa began, looking at Anna with a cross expression. "Anna, why didn't you run when I told you to?"
Anna was taken aback by Elsa's change in mood, but she quickly regained her confidence as a comeback formed in her head. "I did run…" A triumphant, teasing smile spread across her face. "I ran towards you." Honeymaren burst out laughing.
"She got you there!" she giggled, giving Elsa a playful nudge on the arm. Elsa stared for a moment, dumbfounded, before finally smiling in humored defeat.
"Anna!"
Kristoff appeared behind a chunk of broken wall, sprinting towards Anna with his arms outstretched. A relieved cry escaped Anna's throat as she ran towards him. She threw herself into his arms.
"Are you okay?" he asked, looking deeply into her eyes. When she smiled and nodded, he laughed and pulled her into a passionate kiss. Suddenly, his expression became pained and Anna noticed a blueish bruise on his forehead.
"Oh, that looks bad," she said. She rubbed it gently with her fingers.
"It's fine," he replied coolly. "It must have happened during the scuffle back there. I didn't even notice it. I have a thick skull, remember?"
"I don't have a skull…or bones," Olaf chimed in. His eyes then widened as a realization hit him. "Oh, is that uv jàdé?"
"You mean 'déjà vu'?" Kristoff corrected.
Olaf rubbed his chin in thought for a minute. He shrugged. "Nah, 'uv jàdé' sounds cooler!"
Near the wreckage of the courtyard entrance, Stein held a piece of the fire crystal between his fingers. All of the remaining pieces scattered around were now a pitch-black color. As he turned the piece over, its edges began to shave off before shriveling away to dust that dissolved into the gentle breeze.
"The connection between her and the crystal," he muttered, "it must have grown so strong over the years...that when the crystal shatters, so does she."
Behind him, Yelena prodded her staff against another piece of the crystal. She frowned when the piece broke into smaller shards that then fizzled into black dust. "I always suspected it, but now I know for sure…" She gazed at the smoky air that blanketed the ruins of the kingdom. "That this is what happens when magic is used for unintended purposes."
A sudden wave of gasps and cries caught everyone's attention. The Dyrankian citizens were slowly making their way back through the scorched remains of their kingdom. Some were sobbing in front of what used to be their homes, while others simply stared in speechless horror. Laurence and a few of the citizens were standing around Clyde, their faces full of devastation.
"It's true. Queen Marjorie never did care about us," one of the elder men moaned.
"All the years of promises…and deprivation," another man added. He placed a hand on the shoulder of his wife, who was standing next to him, staring gravely at the ground. "And in the end, left with nothing. We were so foolish." A cry burst from his wife. She quickly covered her face in her hands to mask her sobs. Clyde looked at each of the broken faces around him, trying to think of something comforting to say.
"I-I know. Marjorie manipulated all of us. And so did my Father."
Clyde noticed movement out of the corner of his eye and turned to look. Samuel was approaching the group from the other end of the kingdom. He was followed by the ten or so engineers, blacksmiths, and the other residents of the fortress. His mouth was gaped open in shock as he saw the smoldering ruins of the kingdom and the heaps of broken steel that used to be the salamander. When he reached the courtyard entrance, he fell to his knees in anguish. His glasses nearly slid off his sweaty nose.
"I-I can't believe it," he moaned, almost in a whisper. "The years of work, putting up with unreasonable demands and deadlines…for a secured future…that won't ever come. " He practically choked on his last sentence as a sob shook his body.
"You were the ones living in the fortress?" Clyde asked.
"The king of Dyrankia recruited us from other small kingdoms," one of the engineers explained. He squeezed his gloved hands nervously against the soot-stained folds of his coat. "He promised us we would be part of the most powerful kingdom in the world if we worked for him…if we helped him build ironworks and mills to manufacture a machine that no army could defeat. And after seeing his daughter's powers, we couldn't help but believe it."
"So that's where all our kingdom's wealth went to!" Clyde exclaimed. "To pay for all that steel."
"We should have known it wouldn't have worked out like that," Samuel wailed. "Especially after Marjorie took over."
"We have nothing now." Laurence continued to stare hopelessly at the pile of broken stones and the smashed iron doors where the salamander had crashed into the castle.
Anna gazed at the sorrowful expressions of the Dyrankian citizens as they sobbed and lamented over their desolated homes. She then glanced back at Samuel and the other fortress residents, looking around helplessly and without purpose. She knew what she had to do.
"Everyone, listen to me."
All eyes turned to her. She took a deep breath and continued.
"Ever since we opened our gates three years ago, Arendelle has been growing. Our kingdom's population has been increasing and there's been plenty of work and resources for everyone." She glanced at Elsa, hoping she would sense where she was going and give her a sign of approval. She felt a sense of relief when she saw Elsa's encouraging smile. She also noticed Mattias nodding in agreement.
"I can see that Dyrankia is a small kingdom," she continued. "I think we can find homes and work for all of you in Arendelle."
For a brief moment, there was silence as the Dyrankians stared at her, stunned. Then, an outburst of cheering and laughter rang from the crowd. The Dyrankians who had been crying tears of sorrow began crying tears of joy.
"And…" Yelena stepped up beside Anna. "If Arendelle gets too crowded, or if any of you decide that kingdom life isn't your thing, especially after what happened here, I suppose there's room in our forest for a few more residents."
Another series of grateful cheers rose from the Dyrankians. They began hugging and throwing their arms around each other.
Clyde felt as if a weight he had been carrying all his life was suddenly lifted off his shoulders. He breathed a deep sigh of relief and took a long look at the remnants of his kingdom. The smoky air was finally beginning to clear, allowing the bright blue of the sky to shine through. He gazed at the piles of charred wood and crushed stone that used to be the village. He watched as the Dyrankians began to mingle with the Arendellians and Northuldra. He saw Mattias gesturing at them, giving them instructions on what to do next. He saw Hubert continue to move chunks of the steel out of the way. Some of the Northuldra started grabbing one side of a piece of steel and were quickly aided by a few of the Dyrankian men. Clyde then turned to the battered remains of Dyrankia Castle.
"Dyrankia." he whispered to himself. "The kingdom that lived in secret…the kingdom that never was. And never will be." A small garden a distance behind the castle caught his eye. From where he was standing, he could see the tip of a gravestone sticking out from behind some dried brush. "Sorry, Father, but that's how it should be."
"Clyde!"
Clyde turned and saw Anna waving at him. She was standing with Elsa and Kristoff near the remains of one of the burned down houses. Bertha and Rolf stood nearby, watching them expectantly. Clyde guessed that they were trying to salvage their belongings from the wreckage. Anna called to him again.
"Want to give us a hand?"
Clyde smiled, the sincerest smile he knew he had ever made. "Of course."