Hello my readers! I am back with another chapter. This one is long again. Apparently, I can't seem to write short pieces anymore. Hahahaha! Things should start getting interesting once again after this chapter and yes, I have a plan!
Enjoy! XD

"It's not working!" the dark haired girl exclaimed. She pushed the streak of blue hair behind her ear as she gripped tighter and grunted as she exerted effort towards the space in front of her. A small black whirlpool appeared in front of her and then fizzled out to nothing. "My shadow staff can't find Toby!"

"It's alright, fair Claire. You are still learning about Shadow Magic. These things take time," a tall creature made of stone placed one of his four arms on the girl's shoulder. He felt her shoulders slump in defeat.

"You did your best, Claire," a tall slender boy smiled as he approached her. His steps clanked ever so slightly due to the silver armor he wore over his body. He reached toward his heart and removed an amulet from the armor, the entire outfit disappearing and leaving him in jeans and blue jacket. Behind him was another large stone creature with mossy green fur over his shoulders and down his back.

"How many trolls have been taken, Master Jim?" the four armed one inquired.

"That's just it, Blinky. Aaarrrgghh and I just finished surveying the entirety of Trollmarket and not a single troll is missing. Several are still freaked out but none are missing."

"That is odd indeed," Blinky squinted his six eyes in thought. "Why would these sand horses only terrorize us and not take us like they did the humans?"

"Trolls not get through stone," Aaarrrgghh said.

"Aaarrrgghh is right," Jim nodded. "According to Bagdwella, they had picked her up and headed out but when they phased through the cracks, she just fell to the floor. I don't think these black sand things realized that Trollmarket was protected by magic."

"Fascinating. This has been an experience for sure. But why did it take Tobias?"

"I'm not sure," Jim sat down, exhausted from the last several hours. "It seems that their main focus was humans to begin with and they just got lucky to find the trolls down here."

"I'm not following."

Jim and Claire pulled out their phones and brought up news feeds showing the mass attack of the sand horses and people being taken away. "Several people in Arcadia were taken," Claire said somberly. "My friend, Darci, was one of them."

Blinky and Aaarrrgghh looked at the two teens sadly. "Do not fret my friends," Blinky said, trying to lift their spirits. "We will find Tobias and Darci and the others. We have gotten through some tough times and we will get through them again."

"Thanks, Blinky," Jim smiled genuinely.

"But why take?"

Jim shrugged as he sighed. "I don't know, Aaarrrgghh."

"Do you think they could have been sent by Angor Rot?" Claire asked.

"I don't think so," Jim shook his head.

"I agree with Master Jim," Blinky said. "I have never heard of such a creature being created by trolls or troll kind but I will research everything I can get my four hands on. It seems that since the amulet found you, we have been making one discovery after another. So much troll lore has been rediscovered because of you."

The young boy chuckled. "I don't know if I should take that as a compliment or not."

"It's the highest. Knowing one's history prevents the people from repeating it and we have, unfortunately, lost so much of ours."

"You proceed with your research, Blinky, but I don't think you're going to find anything. These things only attacked humans. No animals were attacked; pets or wild. I think these things were created specifically for humans and just happened to find the trolls."

"Jim's right," Claire nodded. "I felt a great rise of fear throughout my body like I was stuck in a horrid nightmare. Did you feel that too, Jim."

"I did. It was awful." Jim shivered as he recollected the feeling. "And we have plenty of nightmare fuel."

"Aaarrrgghh feel similar."

"Aaarrrgghh, my good friend, you felt the same thing?" Blinky asked.

The larger troll nodded. "Yes. Not as strong. More like fear from surprise."

Blinky held his chin as he pondered the information. "Perhaps you're right, Master Jim. They were created for humans however they affect other lifeforms as well. Perhaps the sand horses saw trolls similar enough to humans and tried to take them not realizing how different we are. It seems these creatures exude fear in living forms to make it easier to take them. To subdue them! I will see if this is in fact not troll based but if we are correct, you and Claire could be in grave danger."

"Wingman?"

"We will find him, Aaarrrgghh," Jim stated as he stood up. "We have too. I'd hate to think what they could do to him or to the others."

"Maybe I can eavesdrop on my Mom," Claire suggested. "Between practicing with the staff, of course. Being a representative of the city, she may have some information that might help me narrow my search."

"That may not be a good idea. I suggest you and Master Jim stay here for your protection. At least until we figure out what these creatures are and why Claire's staff can't find Tobias."

"We'll have to risk it," Claire shook her head as she began to leave the room.

"Claire's right," Jim agreed as he stood up and began to walk with her. "The ones that were taken could be in mortal danger and who knows, maybe next time these sand horses will be able to take trolls. We don't know. We need to get as much info as possible as quickly as possible for both our worlds' sake."

Blinky and Aaarrrgghh watched the two teens speed walk out of the room in worry. "May Deya be with you Master Jim and fair Claire." Blinky blessed softly and looked at Aaarrrgghh. "I hope this is something the Trollhunter can handle. I've never seen anything like this. This doesn't seem like something Gunmar would do. He's too...brutal to do something like this. This has more or a planned, sinister, sneaky smell to it."

"Jim. Claire. Need protect? I protect."

"I need you here with me, my good fellow. But I fear our worlds are about to collide a lot sooner than we imagined."

The infirmary wasn't as full as it could have been after such an intense attack. There were only a few students and faculty that needed major tending to but the rest could easily be fixed with some Neosporin, a bandage, and a good rest. Unfortunately, Astrid was not one of those lucky few. She could feel the pain in her stomach as she tried to sit up, like someone was stabbing her with a million sewing needles and pulling them apart.

"Don't move, Ms. Hofferson," the nurse said as she gently pushed Astrid back into the pillow. "The staples are still fresh and can be ripped out if you're not careful."

"I can't lay here," Astrid grunted.

"Yes, you can. The fight is over, the mares are gone, and you need to heal." The nurse stared her down sternly until she was satisfied with Astrid's dissatisfied nod of approval.

"How did I not get killed?" she mumbled to herself.

"It appears that the twins saved you," the nurse replied.

Astrid snorted in disbelief. "Ruff and Tuff? How did they possibly do that?"

"Apparently they have the ability to make force fields. They stood by you and protected you from the mares until they were called away."

"Really? Wow." She was genuinely amazed. She thought they would never find out what their ability was. I guess the Phantom Reapers are good for something.

"Your friend stayed with you all night.," the said, interrupting her thoughts. "You have a keeper there."

"Well, Rapunzel is kind to everyone. She would heal the world if-"

"Rapunzel didn't stay with you, dear," the nurse corrected. "She's staying in the bed next to you." The nurse pointed to the other side of Astrid.

Astrid gasped at the sight. Rapunzel was so pale that the bruises and cuts on her face and body looked worse than they probably were. Her chest rose and fell so slowly Astrid was afraid that she had died next to her. Even her hair seemed to be dull and lifeless as the girl attached to it. "What happened to her?"

"Brave girl. It seemed that she drew on every ounce of energy and sheer will power to fight. I know she looks bad but she'll be fine, her body needs to rejuvenate on its own."

"So who stayed with me?" Astrid asked now curious. "Was it Merida?"

"No dear, it was Hiccup." Astrid's eyebrows rose in shock. She wasn't expecting him, not that she didn't appreciate it but it surprised her. In his eyes, they had only begun to get to know each other, definitely not well enough to be staying by someone's side while they were recovering from a stab wound in the stomach. "He went back and forth between you and Rapunzel. He was constantly checking on both of you, constantly worried. That dragon of his pushed a chair between the two of you and forced him to sit down. When he fell asleep sitting up, I forced him to leave and go to bed." The nurse chuckled as she shook her head. "I don't think he did until that dragon of his picked him up and dragged him to bed."

Astrid smiled slightly just thinking about it. "That was kind of him."

"He's a keeper," the nurse smiled as she placed a cup of water by her bed. "Now, you focus on getting better. Press this button if you need me." The nurse handed her a call button and left the room to tend to others in the infirmary.

The button felt strange in her hand. It was something other than a weapon that was designed to help her but not for protection, to actually call for help. It made her feel weak and dependent, a feeling she hated. She had spent the last several years strengthening her skills, mind, and emotions to be as independent as possible. To not be a damsel in distress. Yet, here she was, lying useless in a bed having someone take care of her like she was some baby.

She had no idea how long she had been staring at the button, but she quickly came back to reality when she felt something moving over her stomach. She looked down to see a large lock of blonde hair sliding over her. Realizing what was happening, she pushed it off of herself and turned towards Rapunzel. "No, you need to heal yourself. Not me. I'll be fine."

"You got hurt because of me," she replied weakly. "Besides, it doesn't work on me."

"Well, that's not fair." The two turned to see Merida walking into the room with Jack, Hiccup, and Toothless.

"Keeps me from doing stupid, dangerous, stunts," she chuckled weakly.

"That it would," Jack agreed.

"How are you two feeling?" Hiccup asked as he tried to stifle a yawn.

Astrid cocked an eyebrow, seeing how tired he was. The nurse was right, he probably didn't sleep at all. "Like someone is stabbing me with a million searing hot needles in my stomach and she probably feels like death but overall, I think we're good." She had tried to make the atmosphere lighter with that statement but saw she had failed miserably. Everyone's faces fell into sorrow and sadness as they looked at herself and Rapunzel. "We're alive and we're getting better. Stop acting like we're old people on our deathbeds. We're fighters, right?"

Rapunzel smiled at her. "Yes, we are. But we also appreciate you being by our sides all night."

Merida and Jack looked at each other in confusion. "Me Mum had me take ma brothers home and then I helped her try and organize the chaos."

"And I pretty much collapsed afterward. The fighting had drained me so much and it felt like I had never slept before in my life."

"I think she's referring to Hiccup," Astrid said. "The nurse said he was here all night looking out for us."

Hiccup grinned sheepishly and shrugged. "With what happened to them, I was concerned that Gothel might come back to finish the job. The shield was still down so I figured Toothless would deter her from returning."

"She probably would have if given the chance," Rapunzel groaned. "Thank you."

"And thank you for the back up," Astrid added. "That bola you shot helped me out."

"It didn't do much," Hiccup shrugged. "You still got skewered. But like you said, we've got each other's backs." Astrid's heart skipped a beat, her fists clenched every so slightly, and stared at him. He was scratching the back of his head in deep thought, his brows furrowed in confusion. "Although, I don't remember when you told me that. It doesn't matter though, right? I mean we should be having each other's backs."

Astrid nodded slowly. Her nerves and guilt were beginning to get the best of her. She hadn't told him that when she joined him and Toothless the other day. I've only said that once and that was when- Her thoughts were cut off by Toothless cooing at her and nudging her hand. She lifted it and rubbed the top of his head, giving him a reassuring smile. "He's right. With the Phantom Reapers now enacting their scheme, we will have to be extra careful and watch each other's backs." Hiccup was now looking at her confused. He was glancing between her and Toothless like he was trying to understand something Toothless had said to her. She got nervous again and thought of a way to change the subject. "And speaking of watching out for each other, I think it's time to hear about your adventures off campus Rapunzel."

Everyone turned to the blonde in surprise. Astrid felt a little bad for springing it on her but she did warn her that they would have this discussion. "You went off campus?!" Merida gapped excitedly. "Tell me everythin'!"

"I don't-" Rapunzel began.

"I'd like to hear this story too," North's loud, stern voice interrupted. "We have an outsider who knows about us now and I need to clear him before I can let him go."

"You-you have? Flynn is still here?"

The group watched as Bunny led Flynn into the room. He wasn't handcuffed in anyway but the confusion, surprise, and nervousness was enough to keep him from running away. His eyes darted from person to person as if he was trying to comprehend what he was seeing. His gaze landed on Toothless. His eyes went wide in fear and shock and cautiously pointed at the large animal. "Is-is that a dragon?"

"He is," Hiccup nodded confidently.

His feared demeanor melted away and shrugged. "Sure? Why not? Women changing to bears, a man as a rabbit, sand nightmares, and a kid with a pet dragon; this place is a hodgepodge of fairy tales forced to room together."

"We're not forced," Rapunzel smiled. "I'm sorry, Flynn." Astrid saw the older girl's eye plead with forgiveness from the strange man.

"Blondie!" Flynn gasped. His face was now contorted into shock and nausea at the sight of her after battle condition but quickly recovered and put on a neutral expression with a small, genuine smile. "I'm glad to see you're okay."

"Now," Elinor clapped her hands. "Please explain, dear, how this man knows about us."

Rapunzel tried to sink deeper into her bed as her face tried to go red with embarrassment but there was no escaping the headmasters' questioning. She sighed and closed her eyes ready to tell her story when Flynn spoke up instead. "I'll tell them."

He explained his side of the story and everything he knew about Rapunzel and her world. The explanation of his job title, being the buyer and seller of rare, odd, and valuable information made everyone in the room tense up. Hiccup clutched to Toothless who, in return, wound his tail around his rider and gave a small growl; Astrid gripped the bedsheets; Jack took a few steps back and hid his staff behind his back; Merida tightened her hand around her bow; and Elinor glared at the young man.

"Granted," he raised his hands up in defense. "I know that sounds really bad but I promise you, I won't say a word."

"Why?" Bunny asked, his hand clutching to his boomerangs.

Flynn's shoulders dropped at the question, his face confused as if thinking about the answer. "I honestly don't know. I've never been in a situation like this before." He glanced up slightly and looked at Rapunzel lying weak in her bed. "Maybe I feel like I owe her a solid after she helped me escape Gothel."

"If that's the case, ya have returned the favor which means," Merida raised her bow and arrow, pointing it at Flynn. "Ye have no reason to not sell us out to the Black Market or the government."

Flynn raised his hands in defeat, squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the arrow to take him out but a cry from Rapunzel made him open them back up and look at her. "We still have business to complete. He said he'd help me find Jack's sister. He will be able to help us."

"How are you paying him?" North asked.

"Paying?" Rapunzel asked innocently.

"A man that works in the Black Market will want some sort of compensation from ya," Merida said. "I have a feeling what it might be."

"He didn't say anything about payment."

"You were just going to take her, weren't you?" Jack stepped forward. "Powers or not."

"No!" Flynn exclaimed. "I was just going to do my normal rate but after what happened, I decided to drop it."

"Why?"

"I don't know! It just seemed like the right thing to do."

The group remained quiet as they looked at each other nervously. Astrid's mind was telling her not to trust the man but something deep in her bones was telling her otherwise. Rapunzel was too trusting and naive and wasn't a good gauge to go off of but the sincerity in the man's face was starting to convince her. Another part of her mind was telling her that Rapuznel was correct in looking for help in the Black Market since that is where the Phantom Reapers recruited a lot of their followers. She just didn't know what to think.

"I believe him," Hiccup spoke. Everyone turned to look at him in surprise and watched as he pulled something out of a bag hanging off of Toothless' saddle. He approached Flynn and handed him the bag. "I know you said that you didn't want payment but I don't trust a non-written agreement. With everyone as my witness, I am compensating you on behalf of my friend." Flynn opened up the bag and pulled out a black spade shaped object, giving Hiccup a confused look. "These are dragon scales that Toothless shedded. They are still strong and would fetch a good price on the market. Rapunzel trusts you to help her and I trust her decision but I don't want the uncertainty of payment to distract you from fulfilling your promise to her."

North and Elinor looked at each other, still uncertain of the man but sighed anyway. North approached him and put a firm hand on his shoulder. "You may leave and continue with your business." North continued but without speaking with his mouth. Flynn blinked a few times, surprised to hear the man's voice in his head. "But if I find that you have lied and sold us out, harming any of my students in the process, you will regret it. Don't you even think of betraying Rapunzel's trust. She's been through enough in her short life."

Flynn nodded as he was led out of the room by the larger man, leaving the others behind to ponder if it was the right decision.

The large man walked through the ice halls with a small grin on his face. The sounds of the prisoners' yelling for release quieted as he walked past them, all cowering away in fear. He knew his large stature was intimidating to most but he also knew that the large scar across his face and his large metal prosthetic arm added to the image of fear he proudly displayed. His dark eyes glared at the small humans shrinking before him, triumph rising in his chest as he realized that the first phase was a success. Nothing could stop him now.

He walked onto an ice ledge so that everyone could see him towering over them as he allowed Dagur to speak for him. "The life you knew, forget about it! This is your new purpose. You will remain here, forever, and be used to produce more Nightmares for our leader. You become troublesome: death. Fail to produce: death. If he decides you are no longer needed: DEATH!" The prisoners gasped and tried to shrink away but there was nowhere for them to go. "You will do whatever your new master commands of you and whenever he commands it. You resist or complain-"

"We get it. Death," a voice interrupted.

The larger man scowled in the direction of the voice and watched as Dagur marched in the direction of the voice. "Who said that!" He watched as Dagur dragged a short, chubby, redhead out of a cell and to the front of everyone. Dagur struck the boy and then pushed him onto the floor. "You sass or back talk: Death. This is your only warning."

The large man stepped down and approached Dagur and the boy. He took the large spear he held in his good hand and used it to lift the boy's chin so that he could see his face better. There was a red welt starting to form from where Dagur hit him but the fire in his eyes still burned bright. This isn't the first time this boy had been confronted by a being bigger and stronger than him, he realized. The bravery along with the green eyes and red hair reminded him of someone. Someone he had to ensure remained dead. "What's your name?"

"Toby Domsalski."

The man smirked. The boy was not who he thought he was. "Brave. Stupid but brave. Get back in your cell." He pushed the boy away with the spear and turned to leave the dungeon.

"And you are?" Toby asked as he turned to face him.

"I am your Master."

"Not really a name."

Dagur took a step forward to strike the boy again but the large man stopped him with the spear. "Again. Brave. But the brave alway die first." He leaned in close to Toby and chuckled. "My name is Drago Bludvist."

"See? That wasn't so hard."

Drago pointed the spear at Toby and shoved him towards his cell, a small cry coming from the boy. The man smiled when he saw a small bit of red glisten at the tip of the spear. He turned around and headed out of the dungeon area again yelling, "Meeting in five minutes!"

Drago continued through the icy hallways until he entered a large cavern with a large black chair at the highest point of the ice ledges. He walked up the ice stairs and sat down in the chair and looked down at the room. There were several tables towards the sides of the room, each covered with maps, paper, and technology; tools that he was using to plan his takeover. He continued to stare, lost in thought about the plan he had concocted, an evil grin slowly spreading over his face.

The room began to fill with his higher ups of his followers, a few looking banged up. Drago scowled at the weakness of his men and women and growled. "Report."

"Phase One has been completed," Mord'u stated.

"My Nightmares were able to take a few hundred thousand people," Pitch added. "Those people are now in the process of making more that were destroyed by the mutants. My herd will be replenished soon."

"Lord Shen is almost complete with fulfilling your order and will be delivering the weapons to several of the countries' capitals in a few days," Gothel informed. "He will wait for your command."

"The world will be in complete panic during that time," Alvin added. "They will try to wrap their minds around what happened and when they don't get answers, the people will continue to panic and the governments will begin to lose control. They will be right for the taking when Phase Two is ready."

Drago looked at the two teens standing off to the side. "What do you have to report, Eret and Elsa?"

The older teen took a step forward and bowed slightly. "The storage rooms are almost cleaned up, sir. However, several of the supplies have been damaged and we have to replenish them if you are to proceed with your plan."

"I have ensured that the walls in the other areas have been secured and won't fall with only one dragon constantly spitting fire at it," Elsa bowed as well.

Drago nodded slowly as he gripped his spear tighter. "And what of the boy? Have we discovered how to capture him again?" The room went silent as no one had an answer. Drago's rage began to build at the incompetence of his followers. "We cannot proceed if we do not have that boy! How is it that several of you got injured while fighting a bunch of children!? You are weak!"

"I was doing fine until that damned dragon hit me square in the chest," Alvin defended his pride. "How was I supposed to know they had a dragon? I hadn't seen it before."

Drago stiffened at the mention of a dragon and looked at him in surprise. "A dragon?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "A black one, I think. It was on top of the school firing into the mares and one of his blasts got me. Knocked me out and burned my chest a bit. By the time I recovered, we were being called back."

"I thought you had all the dragons," Eret stated.

"No," Drago seethed. "Not all. I will have them all soon though. One small dragon won't stop us. Go! Continue preparing for the next Phase."

The cavern emptied as Drago continued to think about the events unfolding around him. Everything was almost going according to plan. The Hamada kid not joining was a surprise, he thought that his mind control was enough to get him to agree with him but he was wrong. He thought that nabbing the newly discovered mutant would be easy but, again, he was wrong. Everything else seemed to be going according to plan but these little hiccups in his plan were beginning to make him falter in his confidence.

Now there is a black dragon at the school. Drago thought. It couldn't possibly be a Night Fury, he had killed the last one several years ago. But then, he had been wrong about the ice boy and the Hamada kid. Could he be wrong about the dragon? Could it be that he wasn't successful that night? Could he still be alive?

Anna hushed the little girl in her arms who had woken up from a nightmare. In fact, most of the younger orphans had a hard time sleeping through the night after events with those sand horses. They watched a few of their orphan peers being taken away by them and now they were all afraid that they would be next.

The little girl's sobbing came to a stop and was replaced by calm, steady breaths indicating that she had fallen asleep again. Gently, Anna placed her back under the covers and tucked her in tightly, whispering 'sweet dreams' as she walked away. Anna headed towards the common kitchen and quietly began to make herself a cup of hot chocolate to help her own nerves settle so that she could get back to sleep.

Her mind was swimming with question upon question as she stirred the milk in the pot so that it wouldn't burn. What were those sand horses? Why was she so afraid of them? How many people were taken? Was the Mayor taken? Was the girl she was searching for taken? What will happen to those that were taken? Her mind came up with several horrible scenarios which scared her to the bone. She hoped that it wasn't for a nefarious purpose but deep down, she knew that they weren't being served tea and cookies.

She knew the world was in turmoil due to families being torn apart and people scared for their remaining loved ones. She had snuck into the TV room late that night to watch the news with the caretakers of the orphanage and it was a living nightmare. Several locations apparently had riots and looting happening causing more damage and destruction to cities, people, and property. The caretakers were obviously scared but had kept cheery faces and demeanors for the younger ones, a decision Anna agreed with and helped with the charade.

She dunked a large piece of chocolate in the hot milk and continued to stir. Despite all the fear, sadness, and destruction, she still hoped that the girl she kept seeing was real. Anna's stomach twisted in guilt about thinking only of herself and her desires but she couldn't stop the thoughts. Was she really being selfish? Or was she hoping even harder due to the attack? Hoping that there was someone out there for her?

Whatever the reason, Anna continued to hope about finding her family, praying that those taken were safe, and dreaming that the girl in her head was real in a constant cycle as she drank her hot chocolate. She sat in a large cushioned chair by the window looking at the stars starting to fade with the early morning sun, her eyes drooping in exhaustion from being up all night and her mind running in circles.

At some point she fell asleep because the main caretaker shook her awake gently. "I'm awake!" she yelped as she sat up straight.

"What are you doing down here?"

"Nothing."

The caretaker looked down at the cup in her hand and noticed the brown liquid. "Making hot chocolate again?"

Anna grinned sheepishly and hugged it close to her. "I woke up in the middle of the night and I couldn't go back to sleep so I made some. I'm sorry."

"You're not in trouble," the caretaker clarified. "It was about the attack wasn't it?" Anna nodded at the half truth. "I don't blame you for being scared. The younger ones probably haven't quite comprehended what happened and weren't affected as badly but you, I was worried about the most."

"Really?" Anna asked, curiously.

"You've always been kind and high spirited and something like the other day does tend to affect those that have your type of personality. I wouldn't be surprised if you helped the younger ones back to sleep if they woke up from a nightmare." The caretaker walked over to the kitchen and began to take out food and dishes to make breakfast for the residents. "You are a nurturer and an empath. You like to take other's pain and process it so that they don't have to."

Anna nodded her head and smiled at the woman as she spoke. It definitely seemed like her. She worried about the others in the orphanage and about people she just barely met. "Is that a bad thing?"

The caretaker stopped and looked at her. "No, but it can be dangerous. You have to take care of yourself if you're going to be good for anyone else." She walked back over to Anna and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You didn't sleep last night, I can see the bags under your eyes. You need to go to bed."

"But it's morning now. I have chores to do that the others can't do," Anna protested.

"Those chores can be split up among the slightly older ones. You are going to need your rest if you're going to visit the Mayor tomorrow."

"The Mayor?" Anna's curiosity had now peaked. Her heart beat increased as she prayed and hoped he actually found something.

"I got a message from the Mayor this morning requesting that you go by and visit him this afternoon. He apparently has something to discuss with you."

Eret sped walked out of the icy caverns and out onto the top of the glacier, standing in the sun. He took in a deep breath of relief and then released it slowly. The pain in his mind and soul slowly began to dissipate as he stood there in the fresh air.

He walked slowly back and forth, trying to calm himself and steel his mind enough to enter the caverns again and be bombarded with feeling after feeling. He hated all the new arrivals. Not the people themselves, no, it wasn't their fault, but the feelings they brought with them. There were so many of them and so many powerful feelings threatening to drown him.

Eret jumped when he turned around and saw someone standing on the glacier with him. "Elsa, don't startle me like that."

"Are you alright?" she asked quietly. "You seemed scared."

"I'm fine," he sighed. "Just too many feelings."

Elsa rubbed the fabric of her skirt together nervously as she stood there. "I don't like it either. Too many humans."

Eret looked at her and could feel how scared and uncomfortable she was. He once again took pity on her and gave her a small smile. "They're not going to hurt you."

"I know. Drago only has them to help with his plan but what if he fails and they escape? Will they take me and experiment on me like they did when I was a child? Will they kill me out of fear?"

"Elsa," Eret reassured. "Those people are more afraid of Drago than of us. They don't even know what we can do. Besides, not all humans are terrible."

"Yeah. Didn't your small town give you to Drago in exchange for not destroying them?"

Eret's heart lurched at the reminder of his circumstance. He remembered the day Drago and his dragons came to his town and threatened to destroy it if they didn't follow him. They had agreed to help him out with his quest and in an act of loyalty, given him to Drago as a gift. They informed him that he had a way of knowing what people were feeling and how to help people. When Drago found he was only a strong empath and able to feel others' feelings and not someone who could read minds, Drago had put him in charge of menial tasks like stocking and taking care of prisoners; a job that was now very hard for him to complete.

"They did what was best for the town," Eret defended. "They weren't scared of me and my abilities, they were scared of Drago. They did it to protect everyone."

"But they gave him you," she emphasized. "Not someone like the leader or a doctor. The one who had mutant abilities. They were afraid of you and used Drago as an excuse to get rid of you."

"That's not true," Eret shook his head. "My parents were heartbroken when I was handed over to him. But I am honored to be chosen to protect my town and my people. I may be a prisoner but if it keeps my town and my parents safe, I will remain in this hell hole."

Elsa blinked in surprise, her shoulders dropping. "So, you were serious then? If you got the chance, you would leave? Go back to them?"

Eret looked out across the frozen wasteland and nodded. "Yes. And I would have you come with me. I was serious when I said I would take you with me. You don't belong here with these vile people. You deserve to have a decent life. I would go back to my family and I would help you find yours. Help you find peace."

Elsa walked up to him and stood by his side watching the clouds drift over the frozen water. "I don't know why I'm feeling like this," she admitted. "I want to hate those people but the way you talk about them puts doubt in my mind. You seem so confident that my parents aren't that bad and that I could be...normal. I don't know what to think."

"It's alright. You will understand in time. Trust me. You're not alone in the world."

Don't forget to review! I love seeing your comments and guesses of where the story is going. So excited to actually finish this.