Chapter: 29 Anna's Creed
Elsa and I dash into the remnants of Ahtohallan as quickly as we can. The sounds of my ailing blade sisters only quickens my pace and has me fearing the worst. From the moment we slide into a jagged chamber, we instantly watch Beatriz come hurling through the air. She strikes the icy ground with a resounding thud as frost climbs up her robes. It's as if the chilling, insidious power is chasing after her as she rushes to scrape off the frost. Elsa and I help her stand as she huffs at me. "About time you showed up," Beatriz remarks.
Things are worse than we feared as the other Assassins corner Hans. He is unfazed by his opposition and nonchalantly stands atop an icy mound. The dubious prince clutches the Crystal of Eden and embraces its blinding glow. "Anna," he calls to me. "Elsa. So nice of you to finally join us."
"Enough of this!" Samira roars and charges in from the side. As she does so, Nia and Siv coordinate from the adjacent corner. With a wild swipe of his arm, Hans sends a furious flurry forward. The icy winds force all combatants to the floor as he chuckles.
"You know-" Hans snarks. "-I think I get it now." His unfeeling gaze lists towards Elsa as he continues. "I see why someone would come to fear a power like this. Such might...such devastation. And yet, I instead choose to embrace it."
"You've been away a long time, Hans." I retort. "Elsa isn't afraid of her powers anymore."
"It doesn't matter how she feels," he hisses and raises the crystal. "As of today, they're no longer her powers!" With a wild thrust of his hand, Hans sends daunting fractals zipping towards us. I tackle Elsa to the ground and we roll for cover in the nearest tunnel.
"These are powers beyond any of us!" Siv pleads. "Stop this!"
"Oh please," Hans scoffs while elevating his icy platform even higher. "It doesn't take being a Templar to know that you'd want this artifact for yourselves. History has shown us that the greatest weapons have always gone to those willing to seize them. And those in power will end the lives of thousands to secure their desires." Siv sneers at his words, but almost doesn't deny them. "You know I'm right," Hans adds. "But make no mistake. I am not the monster you believe me to be, nor am I this Templar goon. I am willing to spare your lives."
"Yeah?" Nia grumbles. "Under what condition?"
Hans smirks at the elder Assassin and points at the ground before him. "Leave me Arendelle. I care not for the rest of the world, but leave this kingdom to me. Allow me to assume my rightfully desired place at its throne-" he glares at Elsa and I before saying "-and no one has to die this time. Everyone wins."
Elsa immediately shakes her head in denial as I stomp in retaliation. "We'd never surrender Arendelle to you," I say. "You may be holding a grudge after all these years, but the world has moved on. Enough games, Hans."
Hans cackles at my words. "You dare accuse me of not moving on?" Using the Crystal of Eden, he conjures up an ice wall so I could observe my reflection. "Look at yourself, Anna. From the moment you saw me again, I could see the hate fueling your heart. You're not so different than I am-" A throwing knife twirls through the air and barely nicks Hans' shoulder. He turns with a scowl and leers at Beatriz.
"Callate pendejo," she groans. "Anna is nothing like you!"
Hans sighs while tightening his grip on the crystal. "Then it appears negotiations have failed," he murmurs and furrows his brows. "Goodbye, Anna and Elsa." He has zero regard for my companions as he raises the artifact. Jagged icicles dart down to us while the ground quakes.
Ever the persistent fighter, Beatriz surges forward. She rapidly flings her throwing knives, even as the ground cracks beneath her. Hans conjures icy walls to block the knives as Samira and I lunge from the opposite end. He ducks under Samira's lance and kicks at my knee. I grunt from the strike and buckle forward, suddenly realizing where he's positioned me. As I hunch, Samira follows her swing through and accidentally strikes me with the butt of her spear. I stumble back as Hans distances himself.
Nia tosses a smoke bomb to shroud her movements and get in close, but Hans depletes the smoke with another flurry. He launches a swarm of icy projectiles, laughing while he does it. While some slash at Nia's ankles, others scrape Samira and Beatriz. I try to roll away in time, but one of the icicles cuts across my hip. Scarlet spurts sputter across the ice as I fall forward.
"Anna!" Elsa worries. She drops to my side and holds me close.
"I'm...fine," I wince. Hans' demonic cackle has us both staring up at him. Infuriated by the theft of her powers and the harm they've brought to me, Elsa rises up. "Sis?" I worry. "Wait...what are you?" With clenched fists and a stern gaze, Elsa stomps up to Hans to take him head on. "No!"
"I have to stop this," she whispers to me. "I have to stop him."
I fight through my stinging hip wound and urge myself to catch up. "Elsa!" I cry out as she closes in on Hans. He flashes an insidious smirk upon seeing my sister and gives her his full attention. While calling upon strength from the crystal, a bizarre enchantment starts to form in Hans' other hand. I watch in horror as his hatred for us manifests into a crude, icy spike which extends from his forearm. He sets his sights on Elsa as I try to reach her in time. "No!" I shout as my sister tries to dodge it. Before she can jump, Hans freezes the ground beneath her and traps her feet. He aims for her heart and jabs his massive spike forward. My heart sinks as a pair of boots leap over and a chilling puncture sounds.
My heart stops as if it's me who's been impaled. My eyes are still processing the sight as a set of ruffled, crimson robes slopes downward. Elsa and Hans are as shocked as I am as Madam Siv stands between them. The elder assassin peers down and observes the massive spike being driven into her torso. She coughs and blood trickles from her trembling lips. Her emerald eyes are wide from the initial strike, but slowly start to soften. Time seems to slow as all eyes fall to Siv. Of all places for my mind to wander, I find myself thinking back to our sessions. Before I knew about the Assassin Order and any sort of artifact. Back when Siv was just some judgmental 'servant' scribbling 'arrowheads' in a journal. The chamber goes eerily silent until Siv croaks, "N-...Now." Hans tilts his head with intrigue until Siv wheezes, "Now!" Mustering her final ounce of strength, Siv snatches Hans' wrist and tries to hold him steady.
"Attack!" I scream as tears flee my eyes.
While Beatriz and Samira are as furious as I am, none of us are as ballistic as Nia. The typically quiet elder draws her sword and charges forward with a roar. By the time Hans frees himself from Siv's weakening grip, he's already taken a throwing knife to the arm. He retaliates by sending flurries surging into Beatriz. He frantically conjures up ice walls for himself, but Nia is wildly hacking them down. She sends ice spewing towards his face until he's forced to stumble back. I take the time to glance over and make sure Elsa is okay. My sister stands in shock over what's occurred. She observes Hans' broken spike as it remains lodged in Siv. Elsa's eyes nervously shift over to the elder's sheathed sword.
Enraged, Hans rips the throwing knife out of his arm and prepares to unleash his wrath. He looks to me and raises the crystal just as Samira throws her spear. Upon striking the artifact, Samira's spear explodes on impact. While she fails to damage Hans, the blast causes enough recoil to send him tumbling as I move in.
I slide down after Hans, chasing him into an icy divot. When he raises his head, fear overwhelms him once he realizes the crystal is gone. The glowing artifact slides between us as we both make a dash forward. He draws his sword as I activate Siv's hidden blade. With a wild swipe, I parry his strike just in time and kick him back. I'm about to grab the crystal when he yanks me by the boot. I slam against the icy ground and feel him rising above me. With a swift swipe of my blade, I leave a gash across his calf and cause him to fall. Hans howls in agony, but counters with a furious kick to my head.
Hans' strike leaves me dazed as I writhe on the floor. I'm still seeing double when I force myself to crawl forward. Hans is crawling himself as blood seeps from his calf and puddles across the ice. Desperation fills his eyes as he reaches for the Crystal of Eden. He flashes a hungry, toothy grin when his fingers graze the artifact. He nearly has it when a blade comes swinging downward.
It all happens so quickly that everyone except the assailant is still processing. The sword strikes the ice and Hans finds himself staring at his own, screaming reflection. Blood splatters as the sudden loss of sensation hits him. The Crystal of Eden slides away...along with his severed hand. Hans retracts what's left of his blood-soaked forearm and peers up at his attacker in shock. Fear and alarm fill his eyes as he looks upon Elsa clasping Siv's sword. He slinks back, still reeling from the pain. As the chamber continues to collapse, Hans loses his footing and stumbles off a frigid ledge. A collection of jagged icicles await him as he is skewered from all sides. His screams silence with his demise and I slowly rise beside the ledge.
Elsa drops Siv's sword and observes the pulsing crystal. With Hans' influence removed, the elements are liberated from another's corruption. Elsa's eyes widen as a distinct, frosty tingle returns to her fingertips. A faint smile emerges on her lips as she feels the return of her magic.
"This whole place is coming down!" Beatriz warns as the rest of the chamber collapses. "We need to go!" Elsa and I nod before noticing Madam Nia. She stands beside her fallen lover and gently caresses her cheek. While the removal of Hans' influence has brought the elements back, it cannot restore life. As I come to terms with Siv succumbing to her wound, I find myself thinking on her deeds.
"What are you waiting for!" Samira yells over the chaos. "Grab the crystal and let's go!"
I think about what Hans said regarding those who seize power. Despite Siv's best efforts to understand the crystal, it still wasn't enough to protect it. As I look to Elsa, I know she's thinking exactly as I am. With a proud flourish of her returned magic, Elsa cracks the ice below us even further. She permits the Dark Sea's surging waters to enter, washing away Hans' influence. As the waves rush forward, they scoop up the Crystal of Eden and plunge it to the depths. When I watch the glowing artifact descend into the shadowy fathoms, I find comfort knowing that no one shall ever find it again.
Elsa and I join the others as we flee the flooding chamber. The rest of it comes crashing down as a familiar face meets us out on the snowy shoreline. Elsa's gasp is enough to get me smiling as the reformed Nokk recognizes her once more. "Hey!" Elsa giggles and rejoices in her steed's watery touch. "I'm so glad you're alright." The Nokk snorts proudly and nuzzles her forehead. Elsa smiles before chuckling nervously. She glances over at the rest of us and says, "I might have to make a few trips to get us back to the mainland."
"Who cares?" Samira blurts. "Water horse!"
Despite all we'd been through, I never hoped war would come to Arendelle. It was my biggest hope to avoid war as queen, and yet still it came to pass. But there's something eerily calming about the aftermath of it all. Elsa's ensuring that the Enchanted Forest is safe while my blade sisters are helping out here. I'm truly lucky to have them all on my side. Cleanup teams have been restoring the kingdom and managing prisoners is a nightmare, but...I feel like I can breathe easier. I feel like there's a little more hope in the world after everything we've endured. I'm back in my queenly attire, bandaged up and safely in my fiancé's arms. The returning sound of Olaf's laughter has never been more welcome to my ears as he's out picking up debris. My people need him more than ever. Heck, I need him.
"I'm so sorry about Siv," Kristoff whispers while cradling me.
"She gave everything for Arendelle," I murmur. "I just wish I had a chance to thank her." I scoff and shake my head as another thought crosses my mind. "It all happened so fast. I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye." I lean deeper into Kristoff's embrace and let the tears roll down my cheeks.
"Siv will always be with you," Kristoff assures. "She believed in and trusted you when you needed her help the most. So much so, that she gave you her ...um."
"Hidden blade," I answer for him and sneak a giggle.
"Hidden blade!" Kristoff adds with a snap of his fingers. "Every time you put on her gear, you'll always have a piece of her with you. Her legacy will carry on through you, Anna."
I sigh and look to the clouds above. "I just hope I'm worthy of that."
"What do you mean?"
"I truly am Arendelle's only assassin now," I answer. "Siv's legend lives on through me as you said, but what's next? Where does this bloodline go and how will I measure up? What will any son or daughter see in me?"
Kristoff smiles and looks into my eyes. "When I see you, I see a woman who has always been enough. And I know that whatever legacy you choose to build will be unforgettable."
As I stare up at my beloved, my eyes fill with so much love and adoration for him. I pull him into a tender and loving kiss. We bask in our love and hold each other close. Kristoff gently caresses my belly as I recall our night of passion on the ship. As we look into each other's eyes, it's as if we both know that our futures promise new life.
Author's Note: See you in two weeks for the grand conclusion in Chapter 30!
Long Live Imagination
~ Michael