Frozen Memories - 1-8 Bridge

by Xeir Zith

Hidden Past - Back Cover. Hidden Past remake! This is entirely overhauled with missing dialog added to inital scenes with expansions and spelling fixes to the original writing from Hidden Past. In Bridge we see exactly what happens between Frozen Memories and War of the North - Frozen Memories. Xeir dreams and Elsa lives in a simulated city. Light works, Jarius writes Xeir sleeps

14. Xeir Awakening: Chapter Four

Frozen Memories – 1.8 Bridge

Hidden Past - Back Cover

Xeir Awakening

Chapter Four: Mind Forest

Galasia District

Aerendelle

Sunrise

Dawn broke, finding Sapphire on the rooftop of the Galasia District Den. She had been told quite the story the night before, had anyone else told her aside from Tiri and Xeir together, they were once one single person, it was too much for her to get around. But it did not matter. Sooner or later Kiyori and his men would come calling. She planned to be ready for that.

She spotted Kiyomori as she neared the den. Perfect! Sure she wanted to see mark first, but seeing her sister was better. Mark was her boss, and Kiyomori was her teacher, it was that simple really.

Standing below her sister Kiyomori called up to her. "I wondered where you were when Mark mentioned you being saved by another"

"Yes, Xeir saved me, she and Tiri are inside if you want to speak to them." Sapphire replied.

"Actually the person I want to speak to is you, sis." Kiyomori said, she formed something in her hand and tossed it up to her sister. "Catch!" Sapphire caught it without missing a beat. "Put it to your mouth."

"What is it ?" Sapphire asked as she looked at the jade stone her sister threw to her.

Kiyomori smiled "Solace Dragon Flame, one of the Heaven Flames, its a healing flame and it will help you heal your own injuries rapidly to instantly once properly cultivated" Kiyomori explaied to her. "Put it close to your mouth, it will do the rest, you'll need to cultivate it properly though for the healing properties to take full effect" Sapphire nodded and did as told. Within a few minutes there was some clear changes, the nasty bruise on her face was fading rapidly. Kiyomori smiled. It was working already as Sapphire began to meditate there on the rootop garden bench.

"I'll be inside" Kiyomori called up. Sapphire only grunted in reply. Solace Dragon Flame was a healing flame, and Kiyomiori really only used it to cause extreme pain to instant death if need be. Upon entrting the Den, Kiyomori took stock of what was within, it was packed with people. Most of them residents of the kingdom itself. She saw Xeir helping one of the residents of the kingdom with a bad injury before helping him lay down.

Poison was a nasty thing indeed. "What did the High Priest do to you ?" Xeir murmured softly towards a sickly young man.

"It was not the High Priest," Came the sickly reply.

"Then who did this to you ?" Xeir asked

"Dont know, never saw his face" Came the dying reply. Posion had worked its way closer to the mans heart, he'd be dead if he didnt keep his heart rate going rapidly and quickly. "I am dying I know this, its my time to go"

"Not if I can help it." Xeir replied using her magic she began drawing the poison into a energy ball of some form and then holding onto it. It might come in handy, if she couldnt use it, she could always destroy it safely elsewhere. The man survived nicely. Xeir then saw Kiyomori. "What do you know of posions ?"

"The High Priest has some poison makers, but nothing like this." The samurai replied. Kiyomori was no stranger to posions, hell there was stuff she was no stranger to begin with. Thankfully the Essence Flames kept her body free of most if not all poisons. "Here" She held out a stone no larger then a common strawberry. "Place this near his mouth, then have him meditate." She said giving the stone to Xeir. "It will help kill the poison." A few moments passed and Xeir was thankful Kiyomori had arrived, a good half dozen of the sick were sitting up and meditating carefully.

The two of them soon had everyone who was ill safely cured and on the mend.

-8-8-8-

"So you're telling me that Xeir is back in the kingdom ?" Blackmane paced as Mark spoke the question.

"It is the only logical explination, reports across the kingdom of damaged or destroyed Bonsai models, and people free when they were trapped on them all. I spoke to Vaeyuko, she figured out the puzzle, I've never seen Irie so happy in the last year until today." Blackmane said. Mark struggled to focus, if Blackmane was not his aunt and also not married he'd try for her. But then he'd be a father to four kids, and that was not something he was ready to handle just yet if at all.

"So whats the plan ?" Mark asked, "I dont have access to my gravity skills, Kiyori saw to that when I spoke to him yesterday" Mark said

"Irie got you new armor and all the weapons and gear that go with it. But you're gonna need something more than a single Essence Flame to fight the high priest." Blackmane said. She was right. He'd need more than just one Essence Flame to take on Kiyori.

"The bastard called me an outsider." Mark said

"And the fucker will get what is coming to him when the time is right" Blackmane replied. "For now we plan our next move and adapt to their plans at the same time." the woman planned for all sorts of issues, one of them was her nephew being stupid and pulling off something truly fucking retarded.

But there was something else on her mind. "This, this star formation, it must have a means to control it" She said then thoughtfully.

"Yes, Irie said its possible there is a Star Map of some kind that goes to the Star Formation, but she also said she had never seen it so she has no idea if the map would even exsist or not." Mark said.

"Irie is a smart woman, pay heed to her words, she comes up with many exciting ways to kill a Templar, but most of them she reads from those books." Blackmane said, Mark knew the books his aunt meant, the trilogy of books that were published through the Assassins Brotherhood, Ways to Kill a Templar by Diana Elisar. A Woman Mark worked with and had no idea was really his sister Marion Wolfe.

"The weapons Irie comes up with though scare me at times" Mark admitted. His aunt smiled. It was fine to be scared at times. Hell Mark at that moment was freaked out the way his aunt was acting. Someone was setting free Bonsai prisoners, and Kiyori was also more than likely pissed at such news as well.

"And that is a good thing" Blackmane said simply. She checked the clock and sighed. "Hide in the closet" She said then.

"What ?" Mark asked her before she telelported him in there as there came a hammering on the door, Mark then remembered what his aunt meant, it was the daily visit from Kiyori's men. The fucking bastard really wanted Blackmane as his prisoner but her magic was still stronger than his teleporting leaves. A good ten minutes later and Mark heard the door slam as a body was chucked out to the street. Not that it mattered to him as Blackmane opened the closet allowing her nephew to exit just fine as if he were never put inside.

"So what happens now ?" Mark asked seeing his Aunts smug expression.

"Right now I want you to try and find a friend of mine, her name is Okoye, a young woman, Tigris, she might be a prisoner in the bonsais, if she isnt, shes working and owns a stall on the main market place. See if she or her brothers can aid us in our fight" Blackmane said, Mark nodded, he never met Okoye or her brothers and older sister Tesla.

"I'll do that, what about you ?" Mark asked calmly as he took down the address, he'd have to search for them across the kingdom most likely unless they were out in the open, or modeled.

"For now, its not much to worry on, at this moment we need to figure out our current footing, ask Okoye to come here, I'll handle the rest" Blackmane said as Vaeyuko stumbled down the stairs from above. Mark had to smile seeing the condition his aunt was in, sometimes Vaeyuko in the short time Mark knew her could look rather silly, or downright adorable.

At that exact moment Vaeyuko was dressed in a nearly sheer nightgown of white cloth, Mark could have sworn she had fur on her arms and torso to protect from either the cold night or something else. But he did his best to pay her no heed, he knew his sisters hated early mornings and were almost constantly nude because they slept in their tiger forms every night to begin with.

Mark nodded to his aunt however and said simply. "Good morning Aunt Vaeyuko." Irie at the top of the stairs, chirped loudly as she missed a step and ended up barrel rolling down the stairs to land in a heap at the bottom in her cat form, the Cheetah woman stretched and grunted something Mark translated roughly as 'ow' but he was slightly shocked to see Irie rapidly heal.

Mark struggled to keep his breakfast down as he watched Irie nochalantly reach to her really really wrongly twisted arm and somehjowe painlessly snap it back where it belonged before it easily healed and she had proper grip. "That is unsettling" He said pointing at her before his aunt took his attention

Vaeyuko said nothing right away and simply squinted at her nephew. Finally the woman spoke. "Who are you and what did you do to my nephew Mark ?" She said, normally Mark was sleeping at that point in time, he was never up before sunrise. And here he stood before her, wide awake.

He simply smiled at her, it would be far too much to explain if he were to try that soon in the morning.

-8-8-8-

"You're sure ?" Said a older male as the two old toms were at a bar. "They're back ?" Havershams companion was confused, he knew there was a queen, and a princess. So why was it then that everyone suddenly remembered them all ?

"I am sure, I helped wake one of them up" Haversham said simply as he sipped his beer. "besides, Stubinz my good fellow. I am pretty damn sure that these four can get the kingdom back on its feet the way it should be." Haversham said

For a long moment Stubinz said nothing. Finally he asked. "Have you told Bill ?"

"I have not, I have been unable to find hide nor hair of him since the queen left last year as it is" Haversham said in reply. Stubz nodded in confirmation,. About as much luck as himself. "I figure when the Queen and hers left the council in charge, Tink took a hike to see the world, or to aid with the stuff out East."

"Tinker Bill is not exactly one for combat" Stubinz mused. Then again Tink could infact fight to the point where he could be mistaken for a rabid dog. Which honestly was something of an insult to a Tigris. "Anything from London ?"

"Nothing, we're on our own up here" Haversham said. Munkus was not exactly the most reliable recently. "Honestly, I think we have everything we will need to take down the High Priest. I just hope my teaching Mark Wolfe is going the way it should. He should be having some new toys about now if the rumors are believed that he had fought the High Priest as it is." Haversham chuckled as did Stubinz, both old men were far from frail, they were still hale and strong.

There was however that slight chance that shit could go sideways. So they had to be ready for that event,

If it were to happen. But it was the question from Haversham that had Stubinz undevided attention. "Have you heard anything from Napoli ?" How did Haversham know about the Waygates ? Those things not even Stubniz coiuld explain. Miyagi however could explain them better, but he was in Napoli as it was.

Stubs shook his head. "I have not. Even if I had, Miyagi is rather cryptic as it is. I would be unable to understand him or if his news is not good news." The old tomcat replied

"When is he not ?" Haversham asked in reply, Stubniz started to chuckle, that was true, Miyagi was as cryptic as they came and yet he was also skilled and someone who could be depended upon for the right task at hand.

"I fear the day Miyagi speaks plainly" Stubniz then said which earned a rare smile from Haversham. So since the saying went no news was good news. That meant things could go in their favor. But in recent times, not a lot went in their favor. At least not recently. "Never the less, I will endeavor to get some sort of news from him."

"Miyagi spends a lot of time in Napoli, but he also spends time in Arendelle, and a place called Oslo. Which is a day from here" Haversham mused aloud. "Oslo is also quite large of a city. Even if one were to go there, one would not find what they seek"

"What is your plan, old friend ?" Stubinz asked then after taking a long drink of beer.

"Right now, I plan to find a member of the Star Council, she may be of help." Haversham replied. "She, after all, helped me wake up Master Wolfe"

"Lady Xiaoden then ?" Stbinz asked

"The one and the same" Haversham replied. He smiled then. "I must go, finding her isnt easy. Take care around the High Priest. Kiyori is not to be trusted."

"He never was trusted even by me, and yet he comes to me for advice." Stbinz said, "the fact alone he went for Emisary for advice now worries me."

"His magic is no match for her own. She will outlast him. He respects her as it is. Funny however, why would he seek her ?" Haversham said. He waved off any answer and took his leave. Leaving Stubinz alone in the dining hall of the resturant.

A swirl of white and black vinery formed around the chair that Haversham once sat, as it appeared with a swirling whooshing noise and then faded a white haired man in a black hooded coat was seated there. "Just the Cat I wanted to see" Xendreas, number Two in the Star Council said. "Stubinz Issa, I presume ?"

"You are correct." Stubinz replied, giving Xendras a hard look. "To whom of the Council am I adressing ?"

"Xendras" Xendras patted himself on the heart. He was once relaxed on the chair before sitting up and leaning over the table, speaking in a softer yet stern tone "I was told to find you, that you could aid the others. Kiyori respects you, and as such he wont try to trap you in his models."

"He trusts me, but he trusts me only so far as I do the same, trust goes both ways" Stubinz replied. "Because I want to know, can I trust you ?"

"The Star Council can be trusted. As I am a member, a ranking member of it, you know my word is law, at least as far as those lower on the list. Xeirn is our Master, and he leaves then lawmaking to me. So you can trust me, you can trust us." Xendras said.

"Fine then, have you eaten ?" Stbinz asked, the man nodded. "Then you will not mind if I eat while I hear your thoughts ?" Again Xendras nodded. Stubinz started into his meal after saying. "Pray tell me your thoughts, Master Xendras."

"I'm not sure you will like them, but very well." Xenras leaned forwards, and the rest of the afternoon passed as Xendras explained his thoughts of what was currently going on. When he was done it was nearly dinner time. "The high Priest trusts you, therefore you can get in close with him."

"I am not sure of what you mean by that but I will have to think that you want something from him through me ?" Stubs replied calmly. The old cat gave a hard look at the black and silver haired man before him. "How can I trust you ?"

"You cant, really when you think about it, but then, you can, even when you dont want to" Xendras said, it was in a way contridictory to what he had said about trusting the Star Council, one could trust them, but only so far. "So I wont ask you to trust me, nor will I try to force you to do so, it is up to you to trust me or not. So that said, do you wish to trust me ?"

Stubinz thought a long moment then nodded. "Very well, I trust your word. What do you need me to do ?"

"The High Priest confdides in you a lot, according to a mutual friend of ours he has a weapon, but its broken, a Star Formation." Xendras said to him

"A Star Formation ?" Stubs repeated thoughtfully. He nodded after a moment, "I see, Kiyori likes to make his models. I had always assumed they meant something, but they are all the same, a jail, with some trees and a garden"

"They are not connected to the Star Formation, if that is what you wonder" Xendras said. "Kiyori, as you said, likes to make models. Spends more time making more models of the jail instead of running the kingdom."

"What of the Queen and her sister ?" Stubs asked

"At this moment, Princess Anna is somewhere in the kingdom, where I do not know" Xendras said, it was true, he had no idea where Anna had gotten off to with Kiyomori and Sapphire. He only hoped the woman was safe. "As of right now your worries are to keep the High Priest busy. I hear tell he has a body guard."

"Yes, a big brut of a man, but I have spoken with the man, Mannfred, a good man, honest, loyal to a fault, and yet, with a good heart. He... he loves someone I last saw him speaking with a young lady." Stubinz then detailed a woman, dark hair, mottled skin of a birth mark upon her face like a bruise, it was Atert, a woman much like Manny himself, big, strong, and loyal to a fault. Stubinz then smirked, "You never told me where the Queen was" he said simply to Xendras.

"I did not tell you because it is not my place to do so." Xendras replied with a slight smile. "In due time you will see her. But until then is there anything else I should pass along ?"

"Yes, Kiyori uses floating eye sacks, with many stalks upon them, they float off the ground and are able to desern things living or dead easily" Stubinz said.

"Beholders" Xendras said

"I'm sorry, what ?" Stubinz asked

"So the High Priest has gone past the Reality Bridge and pulled something from another realm into our own. Interesting, Xeirn will want to know of this." Xendras said, turning back to Stubinz the coated man spoke. "I need to go and make a report to my boss, if you can, try and get an accurate number of how many Beholders that Kiyori has in his employ, if they're working with humans, something must be going on beyond even Xeirns reasonings." Xendras said to Stubinz, weho nodded

"Very well, and of Miyagi ?" Stubinz asked as a portal formed behind Xendras of swirling purple and black energy.

"I will speak to him and have him find you after I speak with Xeirn. Numero Uno will need all hands on deck when it comes to taking down some new enemies." Xendras said as he disappeared from the seat. Leaving Stubinz alone at the table. Beholders were a new thing to deal with.

-8-8-8-

Mark stood on a rooftop in Arednelle that overlooked the marketplace district. His cousin, Irie silent next to him. "I do not see why Aunt Blackmane insisted I take you with me on this mission" Mark mumbled. Irie wasnt exactly a clingy woman, but there was something slightly off on how the woman carried herself around him. She was more detailed on giving him instructions on using his gear, more attentive to his every question. It was almost as if she favored him over the others in their branch. Mark had an itching feeling that his cousin had a crush on him. But he couldnt shake it. But he said nothing about it either.

"I tried to tell Aunt Blackie the same thing, but she said that I'd be needed but I dont know what I will be needed for" Irie replied, she wasnt happy to be away from her lab. Sure she was with Mark, but even then she never expected to be out on the field testing the new toys with him. So perhaps it was a bonus.

"This guy we're looking for, Bill ? How is he going to help us ?" Mark asked out of the blue as he watched the market below them.

Irie smirked. "According to mom, Tinker Bill, yes that's his name. Is good at tinkering with stuff, to a point, not as good as me, but he does hack rather well to get stuff done. If you need a hacker, which we do, iof we want to stay one step ahead of Kiyori, we have to hack our way into his stuff. Tinker Bill is the way to do it." Irie said, she had only worked with the guy once or twice.

"Maybe that is why Aunt Blackie told me to take you along ?" Mark then said

"What do you mean ?" Irie asked him.

"This Tinker Bill, I cant believe that is his name. If he's a hacker, only a hacker can make sense of what he says and does right ?" Mark looked at his cousin

"I dont follow." Irie replied simply, she wasnt following his train of thought word for word, but she knew some who could.

Mark looked at her, pointing at her he said "wrong person to ask" He turned and went back to observing the market place below.

"The soldiers barracks are near here arent they ?" Irie then said. Mark looked at her, the two then left their perch at the rooftop and headed into the next district.

Upon the rooftop of the disrtict they overlooked the soldiers camp easily, under Kiyori the soldiers had different colors, instead of the greens and purples and the Corcus flower that Elsas troops normally used, these men wore red and black

"Look!" Irie pointed hissing softly as she and Mark were behind a low rail. "What are those things ?" There was a floating sack of something, it looked like it had stalks with eyeballs on it, and a huge eye as well.

Seeing more than one Mark ducked behind the rail. "Impossible, those things are just gameplay monsters, they cant be real!"

"What ?" Irie asked before peeking over the edge. In units of ten there were human soldiers, and leading the unit was a Beholder. It floated off the ground a good half meter and looked about the size of a large sack of eyeballs. "Great, how are we gonna get around them ?"

"Distraction is the key" Mark said with a sly grin as the two dropped from the rootop garden and ducked behind a ridge of grass and rock. Peeking over the low rise the two saw a pair of soldiers repairing weapons, a Beholder floating near the two Man was making a rythmic breathing as if asleep. Its eyes were all closed

"What now ?" Irie asked when the two ducked behind the hedge.

"Just a little thing to distract those three away from this area. It should be enough to get us in withouty raising an alarm." Mark picked up a rock. "This ought to do it" He said, quickly standing up and pitched it as hard as he could well away from the space they wanted to explore and then ducked back behind the low rise.

The crack of stone against steel and wood a good six meters away woke up the sleeping Beholder, and with a sudden growl, it opened its huge eye then the rest of the eyestalks woke up and darted around briefly, soon focused on where the noise came from as the two Black Brigade soldiers grabbed up their pistols and advanced on the area. Marks lure had worked better than hoped.

Irie and Mark scrambled silently across the open zone and ducked into a rather offical commanders tent. Quietly they let their eyes adjust to the low light within the tent and took in their current surroundings. A soldier nearby was asleep. A stack of papers sat upon the desk. The soldier Mark saw was dead to the world asleep. Even if they played a bad bass radio in his ears he'd never waken.

Silently however Mark motioned to Irie to keep her mouth shut before going to the sleeping soldier. Mark saw the guys name, Ensign Shmuckatelli. "So he really IS a real guy ?" Mark mumbled softly as Irie went to the desk and looked over the papers.

"Oh no, no no this isnt good." Irie mumbled softly so her cousin could hear her.

"What is it ?" Mark asked her. "What are those papers ?"

"I think they are troop movements, weapons orders, food supply notices, and barrack assignments, but I cant tell for sure. I cant read it" She showed Mark what she meant, not even Mark could read it, and without Kalda, he had no real way of knowing if he could attempt it.

"Well, shit" Mark growled softly upon seeing the style of writing, a dialect he wasnt familiar with whatsoever.

"Izzat you Abby ?" the sleeping Shmuckatelli spoke in his sleep, apparently thinking Mark was his cat, a girl named Abby "Come on over here and snuggle up with Papa" Of course the sleeping soldier never woke up. The two people snuck out of his tent once Mark was sure the coast was clear. The Beholder and his two cronies had been ordered to patrol the northern edge of the barracks, well away from their exit route.

Once safely outside the soldiers barracks Mark went over the plans and notices and otherwise his cousin had found. "this one looks like troop movements. I can tell this one is for food, looks like loads of alcohol, cant have an army without alcohol am I right ?" Mark mused aloud

"Do we know of anyone who can translate this ?" Irie tried using her armor's translation matrix, but nothing came of it. "Our armor cant translate it so dont bother trying." She told him before he could attempt to translate it using his new armor that she had given him.

"Great, who could translate this ?" Mark mused as the two began walking through Arendelle, dressed as they were they looked like common members of the Arendelle kingdom. Wandering through the Talz District they passed afew broken Bonsai models and were relaxed seeing the jail models were burned, pieces and flecks of gold were on the ground around each burnt model.

"Who indeed ?" Irie wondered, "Who could translate something, that looks like it is written by a drunk ?" Irie looked at a page, the words were slurred very badly, almost like it was written in Russian, wghich in and of itself was a interesting set up.

Mark then figured it out. He smirked and started walking in a certain direction. "Where are you go9ing ?" Irie asked him

"To find someone who can translate this, if not him, he might know someone who can." Mark replied over his shoulder. Irie raised an eyebrow and then followed her cousin towards a tavern in the Bane District. Where the Broken Arm tavern was kept. Infact half of the tavern was in the Bane District, the rest of it was in the Talz District.

Seeing the name of the Tavern, Irie smirked. "Whats so funny ?" Mark asked her

"The name of this place, The last kind of tavern I recall with a similar name was Flying Mug Pool Hall in Cairo" Irie replied, it made even Mark smiled, many a day the man had gotten thrown out of that Tavern. The two went inside the Broken Arm Tavern. "Who exactly are we looking for ?"

"My uncle, Arm. He should be here." Mark said, "If he cant translate those documents we found, he might know someone who can" He then tapped on the counter as the two stepped closer, a drunk tried to get close to Irie but then saw she only had one eye with a beautiful brown hue while her left eye was a glazed colorless sickly eye. The man backed away.

Arm was behind the bar, filling out drink orders as Mark arrived. He smiled seeing his nephew. "I'll be damned" Arm said, "if it aint Mark Wolfe. What can I do for ya Master Wolfe ?" He said on recognising Mark.

"First, keep it down, second, we need your help." Mark said simply, Arm nodded.

"Tony, you got the bar." He said, the nearby waitrress, Arms friend Toni waved him off. Arm took Mark and Irie behind the bar to his private bedroom and up a flight of stairs. Finally in his living room, Arm said "Alright, whats on your mind kiddo ?"

"We need someone who can translate these" Mark said as Irie revealed the documents and orders carefully to him. Arm went over them with a practised eye.

"Oh, oh this is different. This is written by a Beholder." Arm said.

"Yeah, a fantasy monster somehow able to live and breathe in our world. Impossible really." Mark replied, a scowl on his face, it wasnt possible for fantasy monsters, like Beholders and Dragons to be real, but somehow they were.

"My dear nephew, you were raised by cat people, Elsa had ice magic. Beholders exsist, At this point, its a fact of life really." Arm was mostly corrected his nephew.

"So, can you translate it ?" Irie asked Arm

"Nope. Only a Beholder can" Arm replied to her. "Drunken Beholder writiing can only be translated by a Beholder who is drunk. If you're lucky to get one drunk"

"So we're porked, unless we're on speaking terms with the floating sacks of eyeballs, which I am not" Mark growled.

"Actually I think I know someone who might be of help. Though I am not sure if you want to see him." Arm said. His nephew looked at him as did Irie, the single brown eye of the woman made Arm slightly nervous. "Alright, dont complain about the smell. Bring everything and grab some beers, we'll need them for who we're meeting up with."

A few flights of stairs later and the three were well below the bar itself, deep into the sewers of Arendelle infact, and even lower still before getting to a room. Drunkenly named Pool Hall. The sounds of drunken men and women were from beyond the door. Arm stood before it and once more looked to his nephew. "You're sure you want to talk to him ?"

"Yes, the sooner we find out what these troop movements are for, the better." Mark said.

"Alright, dont freak out." Arm replied opening the door.

"Dont freak out ?" Irie asked, but Arm didnt answer, the door swung wide and the two saw the inside of a vast room, at one end was a stage. Towards another end was apparently bathrooms. At least that was what the wall said "MANZ" and "WOMANZ" were written on the doors. Though just looking at either door meant they were the same room, possibly even not the same room either. But it was the shouting towards the stage end that had their attention

A sack of shit really, the Beholder had, over decades of poor life choices, cigarette smoking, and drinking had brought it down to a disgusting floating sack of about six working eyeballs including the single huge eye, and a love of alcohol. One of the eye stalks which was wrapped around a mug handle spotted Arm as he entered. Or rather focused on the beer the man carried along with the two people with him.

Of course Irie was turning unwanted attention to herself. "Shoulda worn my eyepatch" She hissed to her cousin in Egyptian, Mark chuckled

"I tried to tell you to." He said to her, it was a force of habit to wear the thing when she went outside in public because of how disconcerting it was for others to see her with only one brown eye and her other eye a sickly dead green.

Irie just gave her cousin a dirty look as Arm called out "Oy Mick! Ya busy ?"

The hovering sack of eyeballs hiccuped loudly and called for more beer. "Arm Isshat you ?" Mick asked. The Beholder, known uncommonly as a Beerholder due to the sheer love of alcohol the poor guy had over his lifetime floated about and focused on Arm, Mark and Irie with three eyeballs, well four if you count the big one "I shee ya brought company!" Mick said

Arm smirked. "More a business meeting I'd suppose, unless you are indeposed, we can return another time" Arm said

"Noshenche" Or rather nosense is what the Beerholder tried to say, "C'mon over and pull up a shair" Mick used two eye staclks to have another beer brought out for him. Irie and Mark traded looks as Arm ambled over. Mick now had a good look at Mark. "Ish thish him ? The guy the High Prisht' Sholdiers came knockin' fer ?"

"It is" Arm replied, "Only in this case he brings something else you might find useful." Arm motioned for Mark to provide the documents as they all set their beers on the table, Mick cracked open one of Iries gifted beers and briefly blinded his eye at the same time before managing to focus enough and pretty much pitched the opened can into his gaping maw.

"Tell me my friendsh, what do ya need from ol' Mick ?" Mick asked after giving off a loud belch. "That hit the spot nicely! Thank ya kindly ma'am!" Mick said to Irie who was more curious than freaked out at how a Beholder could get so drunk.

"Can you translate this into Norse or at least Egyptian ?" Mark asked allowing Mick to see the many documents, all written by Beholders for their troops and troop movements.

"Well, I'll be damned" Mick said as he began to read the many papers. He smiled, his big eye nice and bright and cheerful "Alright, the beer the little lady has brought along is quite good, Dunno when you decided to hoard the stuff, Arm its great! I'll translate this into Egyptian for ya as a gift. Unless you want me to have you owe me a favor" Mick offered

"What kind of favor ?" Mark asked

"The High Prieshts sholdiers keep coming by here at least once a week. Each week we turn them away empty handed but have to get new mugsh. If you can be preshent at least once to help us fight them off. I can help you with whatever transhlation needsh ya got down the road at no cost. Other then bringing beer with you of course"

Mark traded looks with Irie, the woman shrugged her shoulders. Mark smirkeed. "You have yourself a deal, Mick. For now, can you translate these ?"

Mick nodded, downed two more beers, and after a few moments he called for a stack of papers and some pens and got busy translating, word for word, perfectly of what the Beholders had written, only in his case he easily transcribed it. "According to this information, The High Priesht is planning not just conquesht of Arendelle, but of Norway as a whole, along with Denmark, and his ultimate goal is world control."

"What ?" Mark asked

"Its these orders that give it away, Kiyori'sh got a Waygate to my home plane, its how he is getting his Beholders to do his dirty work. The Beholders command units in his army as a whole. Huh" Mick said

"Huh ?" Irie asked confused. "What makes you go 'Huh ?'"

"Looks like you're wanted for indecent exposure, slander and disturbing the peace. I dunno, if all Human women are as good lookin' as yourself, Indecent exposure is the least of your worries" Mick told her. "Though there's this other charge, which I find hilarious. 'punching out the High Priests Bodyguard' ha! I'd seen that thug! Big brute of a Man cat if I've ever saw one! Though I dont think he'd be your type, Mountain Lions are pretty territorial to begin with. Snow Leopards, him, more your thing, trust me" Mick said. One of his eye stalks jerking towards Mark.

Wait, did he know that Mark's Tigris side was currently the strongest compared to his Eagle and Human sides ? With Kalda out of the fight for the forseeable future it only meant that Mick could sense who was who easily. "Cheetahs though are quite nice, slender big cats. Fine choice I must admit." Mick concluded as he finished translating the orders.

He allowed the group to take them back. "I'll return first thing tomorrow for a drink, should the soldiers show up, and we drive them off or bar fight them down directly here, we call it even and we help each other as needed as agreed ?" Mark said as Irie put the translated orders into her belt pouch before deactivating her armor and turning it into her watch while Mark took the original orders and put them in his own belt bag.

"That's the agreement! And I hold to it! Drunks honor!" Mick said as two of his eyestalks crossed drunkenly and Mick hicupped loudly. "Have you eaten ? Arm if I say dso myself, makes the best pepperhorse steak. Arm, can we have some ? This calls for a celebratioin!"

Mick was right, it was a celebration. So as the order went through for the Pepperhorse Steak, Mark and Irie found themselves in possibly the safest place in Arendelle. Kiyoris men could not stand Micks stink.

By that point Mark then remembered he was originally to try and find a friend of his mother, a woman named Okoye. He had to find the woman before returning to his aunt.

-8-8-8-

Not many people knew exactly what the old man was really thinking. Over time when anyone tried to figure him out, the old coot proved them wrong. Miyagi was a smart man, a natural planner and very dangerous to most humans. Infact if one did not know any better they'd think Miyagi a human being.

But he wasnt a normal human being. No, Miyagi was a Tigris, a skilled one at that someone very few ever survived crossing when it came to vows and favors owed. So when Miyagi arrived at the Palace gates of Arendelle he was not used to being kept waiting. And if Elsa was returning, he wanted to see the current defacto leader. And that meant Kiyori. But with the Palace Gates currently sealed and the Council pretty much disbanded it left Miyagi standing silent before two guards that were trying to force him to leave.

"Did you hear me old man ? I said its time for you to leave!" Said one guard, a guy named James. Clearly a Templar under command of Kiyori. "Palace is closed to the public until further notice. So unless you have an appiointment, you cant get in"

Miyagi smiled. "In that case gentlemen I do believe you have an appointment with the local healers." With that he struck, swiftly and solidly. His walking stick a blur of motion as first one guard, then James were dropped like sacks of weat.

A flick of the wrist however and the Palace Gates sprang open. Miyagi smiled to the downed soldiers, "By your leave gentlemen" He said mockingly before entering the Palace grounds, the gates swiftly closing behind him.

As Miyagi walked through the empty courtyard he took note of how different things were. The only people present were the Royal Gardener, and two servants working to keep the courtyard clean. The three paid the old man no heed as he moved calmly towards the main building.

Though Miyagi came to a halt at the foot of the steps to the main door. The four guards watching him carefully. "Shall I admit myself, or will you hinder me ?" Miyagi asked calmly to the four.

"That depends Master Miyagi, on your current intentions." Replied a guard

"Surely you also felt and remembered them ?" Miyagi asked the guard who spoke to him, his name was Paul.

The man smiled. "Welcome back to Arendelle Master Miyagi, I'm sorry we couldnt just let you in. things have changed this past year. Right now I and the others you see here remember you, and want Elsa back just as much as you do. But we have to fake it in order to stay free men. Surely you also saw the Bonsai models within the Kingdom." Paul said after the two men embraced one another.

"Indeed I have. I have also witnessed the freeing of several of the models inhabatants" Miyagi replied calmly. "Tell me, Paul my good fellow. Is the council indisposed or is something else amiss ? The courtyard is never this empty" At those words, Pauls eyes seemed to take on a more somber expression instead of their brief joy at recognising Miyagi.

"The High Priest runs things now, the Council is all but powerless with him in charge, I and the guys here work with a Honor Guard captain named Sapphire, but we havent seen her since two daysd ago, and its been about two weeks now since everyone in the kingdom started mentiioning the former Queen and her sister Princess Anna, but we havent seen either of them yet." Paul explained to Miyagi. Who smirked sidelong.

"Perhaps informing the guard patrols that you're taking a new patrol route in the kingdom can be of help, walk off the locked away energy ?" Miyagi said, "I can explain what I know of how to help you on the way. I know a few women who can be of aid to you and the boys." He then said, he had met briefly with Xiuen, and also with Nara before heading to a place and meeting up with a guy named Jem. The young man of course had told Miyagi who to look for in finding Elsa.

Finding Elsa of course was not going to be an easy task. Elsa was gone. She had become what she was born to be. Elsa had rejoined with Xeir to wake the former Silver Dragon up properly. Which also meant that Elsa was in essence a Nobody. Someone who was Nothing. And the mere fact that Xeirn was unable to recruit the woman, the Notyhing, Elsa. Into the Star Council only made things slightly worse off.

Not that he cared if that. Miyagi knew only so much and was permitted to reside within the Land That Never Was. The World Between Worlds. The place where Nothing gathered. Miyagi knew only two members of the Star Council before they became members. Xiuen, whom he had recommended to Xeirn in the first place. And Xendras, whom he had instructed for a time before Xendras was recruited by Xeirn. Both Star Council Members were in good standing. But Xendras was the first person that Xeir had recruited, effectively making him number two in the ranks.

The only differences between Xiuen and Xendras however was that the former was Miyagis ward for a long time period before she could go off on her own and begin to work for a better future when Xeirn recruited her the woman had started in on a royal court in the city of Napoli. A place Miyagi knew of that was within the southwest corner of Jumanji.

The whole idea of Jumanji was a strange one, a scary one. And yet Miyagi had been there many times thanks to using what was called a Waygate, what some might call a Portal. A device connected in both directions that allowed travel like through a doorway of a sort.

Miyagi of course never met Elsa, nor had he met Xeir herself. But he had met briefly with DiT after Xeir had woken up and DiT had left to do certain things away from Arendelle. Pretty much leaving Miyagi in her stead within Arendelle as it was. "For now," Miyagi began as he spoke with Paul and his men, "find a coated man, his name is Naratas. Finding him while off duty is most likely best."

"And what then ?" Paul asked.

"Nara will more then likely have things for you and yours to do. Kiyori can only control so much lately and he knows his time is limited even further." Miyagi told them. He patted Paul on the shoulder. "In the end, Kiyori will fall, And Arendelle will rise again with a new queen." He said. The man nodded in reply and Miyagi went on his way.

-8-8-8-

Nara left the house Xeir was set up in with Sapphire. Xiaoden was with them and keeping things civil for the most part. Of all the members of the Star Council, Xiaoden had the most interaction with the Big Four as the four most important people in Arendelle were known as, in this case those four were Xeir, Anna, Diamond, or rather Marion Wolfe, and Mark Wolfe.

Xendras of course had been of help, along with at times Xinxin, but Mark had the most times with the last of those three members. XinXin was a master planner and had many eyes everywhere. So Nara went looking for Xinxin, and stood out in the open, it was not long before Nara was approached by a purple haired man in a similar black coat.

"I was starting to wonder when you would look for me" Came Xinxins calm voice.

"Did I not welcome your aid in the Sim ?" Nara replied with a smirk.

"You did, but you had said nothing of further aid down the road. Had Xeirn not made the deal with DiT in the first place we would not be talking right now" Xinxin said simply.

"Normally that would be the case" Nara replied, he himself was rather shocked that Xeirn even made a deal with DiT instead of with Light. But who made deals with who never was something he worried about. After all he too made a deal with DiT but it ended when Xeir was properly woken up. "What are you thinking ?"

"At this moment, we are trying to connect with Number twelve." Xinxin replied, "Unfortunately we are unable to contact Xiuen thanks to the Waygate, as well as Napoli politics" Xiuen was charged with observing and taking no sides in the city of Napoli, keeping things civil when things went to shit. Which happened quite often in that citystate.

"What is your plan ?" Nara then asked as the two began to walk along the packed mareketplace road

"Right now my plan is to help Xeir when needed and keep an ear to ground when able." Xinxin replied, the purple haired man smirked. "When you revealed your keysword along with Number Six, Number One was not happy according to Number Twenty." Nara snickered. Trust Xeirn to get his boxers in a bunch.

"Sounds about right, had we not revealed our keyswords we would have been in much bigger trouble." Nara explained the fight that he and Xiaoden had been caught up in. "It seems that The Necromancer is starting to wake up"

"Kalda will not be happy." Xinxin murred in agreement. Nara turned to him. The two men stopped their walk. "But something else troubles you doesnt it ?" Nara stepped closer to the Star Council Member

"Kalda is out of the fight, According to Xeir she cannot feel him. Something must have happened for Kalda to get taken out." Nara hissed as some of Kiyoris soldiers patrolled past. Xinxin watched the swarthy men. They seemed to enjoy shoving people out of their way as if nothing was wrong. Kiyoris soldiers were nothing more than common street thugs.

Xinxin smirked. "I sense you want to have some fun cleaning out the trash. Would you like a playmate ?" His question and very true observation earmned a sudden burst of laughter from Nara, the Force Dragon all but collapsed laughing like an idiot at Xinxins words. "Was it something I said ?"

"Everything you said is true my dear fellow. Grab us a playmate and lets get ourselves busy" Nara crowed in his laughting attack as Xinxin rolled his eyes and the streets began to rapidly clear as the soldiers, or rather the street thugs began pushing their way towards the laughing darkl coated man and his companion. "I need to kill some tension in my body anyhow And those fellows should be of help in doing just that. Ensure the stalls have their wares paid for if anything gets damaged. At least six stalls will get destroyed." Nara said as Xinxin smirked. Nara was going to be destructive for sure.

As the thugs muscled their way towards Nara, Xinxin had easily stepped out of view and was unseen as he barred their exit behind them with a strange dark and light purple hexagonal patterned glasslike energy wall.

The thugs came to a halt a few paces from Nara as Nara picked up a mug of beer from an earby stall. "Can I help ya gents ?" Nara asked after drinking a bit of the ale.

"You are under arrest" the thugs leader said to him.

Nara snickered. "On what charges, asshole ?" He asked.

"Harboring a fugitive, aiding and abetting said criminal, resisting arrest, and outright rebellion" The thug replied, all lies placed by Kiyori but Nara didnt care. Nara just held his mug and smirked again as Xinxin stepped into his view the thugs between them.

"So full of lies" Came the soft voice of Xinxin. "Perhaps you would do better to instead focus on finding out the truth instead of faking it" Xinxin knew the truth, Nara was innocent of all crimes, Kiyori simply wanted Nara out of the way, but nothing worked against him so sending thugs and soldiers somehow would ? "Has the High Priest truly lost his mind to the lies and decit that comes from his heart ?"

His attention now split between both Nara and Xinxin, the thug leader looked at one then the other. "Alright, you're both under arrest for open slander. Get them!" he ordered his squad.

"So stupid" Xinxin mumbled as his keysword formed in his hand. Nara simply raised his mug to the thugs

"Cheers, fuckers" He said cheerfully before downing the last of his drink and smashing the mug over the head of a thug that tried to grab him. And then he surgically planted his hand in the next thugs chest and tightened his fingers before twisting. The thug fell backwards to the ground, clutching at his open ribcage screaming in pain.

Nara looked bored as he formed his own keysword in his hand, the wicked looking massive weapon was lightly held in Naras calm grip as the thug leader screamed something and drew his own sword. "Naratas Aigatis, I arrest you in the name of the law as ordered by his eminence the High Priest. What do you have to say for yourself before I take you in ?"

"Your funeral" Was simply all Nara said as he raised his keysword and struck effortlessly as the two danced in the street Xinxin made short work of the remaining patrol of thugs but as the leader lost his weapon Nara knocked the man out with a hard punch from nowhere.

A dozen soldiers showed up, the Honor Guard. "Prince Nara, you summoned us ?" Said one of the soldiers.

"Yes, we did, have you and yours take these thugs to the prison, get them a healer. We aimed to injure and knock out only, not kill." Nara said. The Honor Guardmen nodded and in pairs took the injured and left the street.

"That went well" Xinxin mused.

Nara smiled. "Yes, yes it did. Are you hungry ?" Xinxin smirked, the two headed for a nearby food stall and got a bite to eat, everyone in the street calling the two men heros and treating them with respect and in many cases awe. Their food was also free.

-8-8-8-

Kiyori was not happy.

Not the least bit.

The council room was ten seats. Five of them were filled. With Kyori at the head of the council, then the Deacons he trusted to either side. Then finally The two military leaders of the kingdom. A pair of brothers named Sax, and Voi, and the mystical woman, Emisary stood at the foot of the table.

"Elsa, has returned" Kiyori stated calmly.

"As it was foretold." Emisary said in reply.

One of the Deacons spoke up. His name was Dice. The other Deacon, Zala, simply pondered what Elsas return might mean for them as a whole. "It is quite possible that she will trry to take the throne back by force if the council does not simply give it back to her as we had promised." Dice had a point

"It is also possible she might simply just eliminate anyone in her path of reclaiming her throne." Zala mused.

"There is a chance that she wont get that far. Our men are scouring the Kingdom as we speak searching for the escaped prisoners of Vaeyuko, Sapphire, and the woman, Blackmane." Sax said calmly. His long blue hair shimmered slightly in the light of the council room.

"You do not understand, Elsa, who she was, has returned. Elsa is no more." Emisary said.

"You said that Elsa has returned, and yet we wouldnt recognise her, but she would know us and we'd know it was her. The woman freed a prisoner!" Kiyori all but screamed at the old woman. "If Elsa is not herself, she cannot reclaim her throne!" that made a small amount of sense. At least, only so far.

"So when this impostor requests we return her throne ?" Voi asked the question on everyones minds.

"You deny her right to it. The throne is in the hands of this council." Kiyori said simply. "You answer to me, therefore, I run this kingdom now. This impostor will have to set aside her claim to the throne, or she will be destroyed." He turned to the nearby aid. "Relay my orders, all soldiers have full permissions and orders to question the woman calling herself the Queen of Arendelle, if she resists arrest, they may use force as they see fit. All other orders of retrieving the woman, Blackmane, is now recinded."

"If this is all I was needed for I shall take my leave" Emisary said then after the soldier left the chamber.

"No, you are still needed. Emisary, The information you carry will help us destroy this imposter." Kiyori told her. Emisary laughed. "What is so funny olf crone ?" he growled at her.

"You cannot destroy what you do not see. You cannot destroy what is not there. Elsa is not there, but the woman she is, is the Queen." Emisary said

Kiyori snarled something. "Take her aware, a night in the dungeon will be of good use to this one." He told a nearby soldier. The two men stepped forwards and took the old woman towards the door. "Ensure she has plenty of isolation and time to think on what she said here." The soldiers then left the chamber. Two more soldiers took their place by the door.

A moment passed in quiet contemplation. Then a second. Then a third. Finally Dice spoke. "You want to lure her out ? If what Emisary says is true, we cannot defeat what we cannot see. We have never seen her since she left last year."

"Mm" Kiyori replied with a nod. "How do we lure out, the woman who is not Elsa ?" He then asked

"You said it yourself, Elsa is gone. She is not coming back. Someone else did, someone the old woman predicted would return in her stead to take up what is rightly hers. But the question remains. Can we prevent that ?" Dice mused aloud.

"We can, were we to know who the woman in question is. What she looks like, for example." Zala spoke up

"And yet none of us have seen the woman Emisary speaks of" Said Sax from where he sat at the table. "How then are we to know who to arrest, or who to destroy ?"

A soldier entered at that exact moment. He was the one assigned to poisoning the Galasia District. "What is it, Trax ?" Kiyori said to the man

"Sirs, The poison was countermanded by a woman. Wears white and pale gold clothing. Fights like a demon as well. Used silver magic and medicine to heal the people she could before the fight started and we retreated" The mane replied after a brief bow in greeting.

"Did you get her name ?" kiyori asked

"No sir, but I did get a good look at her, if you permit me I can speak to our artists and make some wanted posters for your review." Trax replied.

"Do it, the sooner the poster is done and I have seen it, I will request more to be made and sent to the squads. Anything else before you are dismissed" Kiyori said

"Yes, a man has arrived with a trio of bodyguards. He called himself a Prince but I have never seen him before." Trax said, he then described the young man, red hair, green eyes, sharply edged face. And the three with him, dark military styled clothing, unlike anything in Arendelle.

The man he described in detail, was the prince of the Southern Islands, known as the youngest prince of Denmark, Prince Hans, and three Shadowlings. Masor, Nymeth and Taztan. Where his bodyguards, assigned to aid the young man in Arendelle by their Lord, Draco.

There were many eyes on Arendelle, but who they belonged to, not many knew.

"Hmm" Kiyori mused at the information given him.

"It seems then that the Kingdom of Denmark has taken interest in the kingdom of Arendelle, or something else within our fair domain ?" Deacon Zala said aloud

"Mm" Voi nodded in agreement.

"The question remains" Kiyori said simply. "Is this young prince an ally, or an enemy ?"

"I shall find out." Zala said as he stood from his seat.

"Hold a moment, Zala. I have a different task for you. Captain Voi, have your men get in contact with this young man from Denmark, insist it is a friendly meeting and that he may suggest the meeting space for us to speak together. Remember, he and those with him are to be treated as guests and friends who have been away for a long time." Kiyori said. Voi nodded at the orders. At a silent movement from Kiyori Voi stood and exited the council room without a word.

"Captain Sax" Kiyori then said

"Sir" Sax replied.

"Have the Honor Guard be given the rest of the week off, they are to relax, be with their families, or do whatever it is they do when they have a day off." Kiyori told him. "I want them well rested for next monday, the woman, this Xeir, will be their target, I want them rested, and ready. And in doing so, giving them the rest of the week off will be just what they need to be well rested and ready. Now get going"

"Sir" At that Sax took his leave.

"Giving the Honor Guards men aside from your own bodyguard the rest of the week off in order to be ready to fight at the drop of a hat. Are you sure the rest of the week is the best plan ?" Dice asked

"It is" Kiyori replied, of course that day was, of all days, A Monday. Which once the orders were set out, allowed each member of the Honor Guard to relax for seven full days and be ready on the eighth day! "Today may be monday, but it gives the men a chance to be fully rested and prepared for when they get back to work at the eighth day." Kiyori then went on to clarify a few other points of the meeting before the floorwas opened for questions and other items on the agenda.

The next item on the agenda was brought up of course by other members present concerning a recent fight and people wearing black coats. "The interlopers I personally have witnessed in battle, they are skilled I agree. For now, we try to detain them. Aim to capture, not kill." Kiyori said when the Star Council member, XinXin, was brought up. Dice wisely kept his mouth shut, he worked for XinXin.

The next item on the agenda that came up was the matter of the Kreen district, taking down the leader of the district and annexing it properly is the one issue many have so far had. The people within it were too skilled and refused to even allow the thugs employed by the guards to even set foot in the district, and yet the district was also so very close to the Galasia district to begin with.

"Thje Kreen District is an enigma. Observe it for now. Dice ? Is something the matter ?" Kiyori saw that Dice was lost in thought.

"Merely thinking. It is possible the other Bonsai jails may be at risk. Shall I have men gather them or at least double the patrols ?" Dice said.

Kiyori hadnt given the Bonsais much thought, and then he nodded. "That is not something that I had given much thought. Do it. Double the patrols, and what bonsais are destroyed, remove. Its quite possible that Emisary is wrong, and that Elsa is dead and not coming back. Right now it is clear something is freeing prisoners." Kiyori then nodded. Dice took his leave. Once the man was gone Kiyori felt the tension in the room thicken to the point where one could simply lean against it and not fall over.

Setting his knuckles on the table top of the council chamber. Kiyori spoke. "Gentlemen, we have a crisis on our hands. How goes the recovery ?"

"To the point where it is not happening any faster than we started. To find what that map stated, it wont be easy." Replied Zala. He had been put in charge of a recovery operation for a ship that sank when Elsa caused the great winter in the middle of summer. They were trying to reocver as much of the cargo as they could, and with magic like hers, one could only do so much. "Its a money problem now." Zala concluded.

"Then money you will have. Anything else ?" Kiyori said There was nothing to be had. The meeting ended and Kiyori headed from the room, followed shortly by Zala after the rest of the council had left the room before them.

-8-8-8-

Above the open air council and out of view of anyone a single man in a deacon outfit observe down below. "May your heart be your guiding key" Dice mumbled softly watching everyone depart the council.

A voice echoed from nowhere "Picture this: A black goat hides a letter, and then sends a white goat to search for it." A swirl of white and purple vinery formed a portal of darkness and a blond haired, black coated man stood there. "What could his intentions possibly be ?" The man had golden eyes and a short goatee, his hair was cut short.

"Great, a riddle, just what I need" Dice replied

Luxord flicked out a card in one hand. "There are many possiblities." He said simply the card flicked in his fingers before he flicked aeway "Perhaps he forgot where it is hidden" The card appeared in the other hand "Or" Luxord continued. "He's playing a prank" At the word prank a handful of cards appeared in both hands. He started shuffling the cards. "Or maybe the letter had truly gone missing" The cards were gone as he spread his hands.

"What do you want Luxord ?" Dice asked the man

"Simple really. XinXin is busy so I got sent in to help him in this place, and instead of him I find you, and what do I hear you say ? 'may your heart be your guiding key' Something ancient keysword users once said to be sure, but also something Those Who Came Before also once said."

"You do not trust me do you ?" Dice asked the man

"Maybe I do not, maybe I do" Luxord replied. "It all depends on what you have for me, that I can pass along to Xinxin when the time comes."

"Xeir is awake, someone is freeing bonsai prisoners, Kiyori is running scared and he knows his time is short, and he just put Emisary in prison. And wants me to double patrols around the remaining Bonsais, and have you guys captured when able." Dice said to him.

"My inquiries prove otherwise." Luxord stated

Dice stared at the man briefly before sighing. "oh fuck, you asked him did you ?" Dice put a hand to his temple and rubbed it slightly before pinching the bridge of his nose.

"If you mean Xeirn, no, but if you mean Xendras, yes" Luxord said, being number three had its perks.

"Great" Dice mumbled. Xendras had free reign of the Land of Inbetween, he was after all the second of the Star Council, behind Xeirn, and above Luxord. Nobody could keep secrets from such a man, if one could call Xendras a man. "And what did Xendras tell you ?"

"Enough." Luxord said. "But that is not why I am here. I am here because I wqas ordered to aid XinXin, I have not revealed myself yet to your enemies here. So far, only XinXin, Xendras, and Xiaoden have done so. You say they wish to lock us up, learn more about us, they cant do that. But I would love to see them try." Luxord was once more dancing playing cards in his hands idly.

"Kiyori is learning" Dice warned him.

"So I hear" Luxord replied calmly. He flicked the card at Dice, who caught it expertly in his hand and looked at it. "Hang onto that"

"What is it ?" Dice asked as he looked at the card.

"A wild card, might turn the tables." Luxord replied.

Dice looked at him carefully, Luxord was unlike Xinxin, he didnt have pointed ears. His hair was short, spikey and blond. And yet he wore a black hooded coat and the hood was down. "Who are you, really ?"

Luxord merely smiled. "I am merely one who follows orders, as should you" He said before disappearing the way he had came. A swirl of white and purple vines and swirling purple darkness and the black coated man was gone.

Dice did not like how things looked, and pocketed the card. Luxord was right, he'd need it later. And try as he might, Dice couldnt think to get rid of it. He'd think on how to make use of it down the road. But at that moment he was more concerned with his own orders, given by both XinXin and Kiyori. A white portal apepared and swirled around Dice, the man disappeared into brilliant whiteness. He had a job to do.

-8-8-8-

"I gave him the card" Luxord reported to Xeirn as he swirled into exsistance, Xeirn stood upon a precipiece overlooking Arendelle. Xendras stood nearby "He even asked what it was so I had to lay it out for him. It is not normal for me to do such a thing either."

"I take it you werent happy about that either ?" Xendras asked him

"No, I was not. But it makes me wonder further what our own goals are in this venture. As remote as I am for this kind of work. I see it more as a form of entertainment. Humans are entertaining things." Luxord replied.

"That they are" Xeirn replied simply as he turned and faced the third in command of the Star Council, the Gambler he was known by most as was a master at games of chance. "He has the game piece, it will find its way into Marks hands somehow. Dice is never meant to use it. XinXin even knows that fact." Xeirn was acting more like a teacher at that point and it made Xendras nervous.

"Alright old coot, care to tell us exactly whats going on, or do we have to wait and raise our hands like in a school room ?" Xendras had something of a snooty way about him, but his black and gray long hair made the man a seemingly threatening guy, but his face was a jagged scarred visage but he had both eyes.

"You can drop the facade, Xendras, next time you visit your favorite humans" Xeirn said simply. Very briefly Luxord saw Xendras undamaged fake face fade away and the truly scarred up face remained.

"I will never get used to that face" Xendras said, thankful that he didnt have to use the fake mask anymore.

"The cards are played close to hand. Keep on your toes, Oh, and be sure to inform number Twelve she is to... have fun" Xeirn said with a sadistic smile upon his face, a smilethat even made Xendras slightly nervous, and even Luxord saw it. Allow Xiuen to have fun ? What exactly was the method of 'fun' that Xeirn had in mind for her ? After all she was a Tigris in her original form before Luxord recruited her. A woman so dangerous she could kill with a look, or worse with ease.

"Dare I ask exactly what sort of fun she may enjoy ?" Luxord asked, it was clear he was iafraid/i to ask. It wasnt really possible to be scared of such things though, Nothings had no heart. They had no hearts. Or did they ?

It was a very complex issue. One so complicated that not even Xeirn could hope to properly detail it so simple that it made sense. A Nothing was the result of a strong hearted person losing their hearts thanks to a Keysword that heartless being then became a Nothing, and the heart disappeared or was hidden away somewhere. In Xeirns case when he first found the old Book, his own heart was sealed wirthin himself. And yet when he recruited Xendras, the other mans heart was entirely destroyed.

"In this case you may allow her to play with her food" Xeirn said before disappearing into a portal of Darkness as Xendras snickered.

"Play with her food ? What does she eat that she can play with aside from those sour gummy candies she liked as a Tigris with a heart ?" Xendras asked. Luxord had no answer as he too disappeard in a swirld of Darkness. Leaving the black and gray haired, scar faced man alone on the rock outcrop overlooking Arendelle as a whole.

Xendras then sighed. He had indeed exposed himself, his keysword, in view of Kiyori and his men, even gotten arrested by them briefly before easily getting free. But now they were wanted, the humans wanted to caputre, not kill, but why all the weapons, why aim to fight to the death ?

Nothing made sense to the Nothing known as Xendras at that moment in time. Maybe it was time for the Star Councilto fully commit to the fight ?

And if it was time for them to fully commit to the fight, then it was indeed time to fight. Finally Xendras too left the place, as if nothing was ever in the place overlooking the Kingdom of Arednelle.

Because nothing was.

-8-8-8-

At an eatery within the Greensky District of Arendelle Hans and his four companions sat at a large table and food was brtought to them. "I remember the last time I was here. I was not exactly leaving in the best of kindness." Hans mused. The last time he was in Arendelle he tried to conqure it, and then Elsa banished him back to Denmark to his father and brothers. But now he had returned, very carefully trained and cultivated, so it was said, by some new friends whom his own father had taken a liking to.

Which in turn allowed Hans to regain most if not all his lost Templaric holdings and begin a new plan of conquest of the Northern Sceptre.

"Back then you were seen as the enemy of the kingdom, but now, you will be seen as its savior. Quite the jump if you ask me." Nymeth said as she sat at the table, her arm resting upon it as she took a sip from a bowl of wine. The Shadowling loved toying with humans, and Taztan and Masor had groomed Hans into a better killer. A better planner. And that was partly why Draco had sent them to Arendelle, to meet with hans enroute, inside of four hours. It was a bit of doing, but it was worth it in the end to meet up with the other two Shadowlings.

Acting as Hans escort, and in this case his companions and friends, was an easier task than initally planned. But it worked in all their favor.

"Yes, but now, things are different, you saw the reaction of the boundary guard when he saw me showing up, just the five of us. He recognised me, but then when he saw I was just with the four of you, and whatever voodoo you did, it worked." Hans still didnt understand why or how he got back into Arendelle. His last few very secret ventures to that kingdom were not in the least bit met with open arms, but now he had a new plan, and he knew it was going to work.

Because Arendelle at that moment was a powder keg, and everyone was tense. Arendelle was a lit stick of TNT, and it was ready to go off.