The woman laughed, "I am Iceabelle, the Ice Witch and ruler of this domain. I can't let someone like you live, Elora. You could easily destroy me if your power got any stronger this!" Elora cried.
"Tsk tsk girl. Crying won't solve a thing. Just relax and let yourself be in cased in my ice. Your power will grow stronger; so you must die."
Elora struggled in the chair, she couldn't move her arms, and the ice was up to her chest. "Please stop struggling! You'll dream forever." Iceabelle laughed.
Tears rolled down Elora's cheek, she closed her eyes and tried to calm herself. Images ran through her mind, images of Hogwarts... Harry... her parents, and then her Grandma where a small dragon appeared out of a coil of fire by her side. Elora opened her eyes and looked up to Iceabelle, the ice up to her neck. "Know what I think?"
"No. What do you think?" Iceabelle said with laughter in her voice.
"I think... YOU'RE THE ONE WHO'S DREAMING!" Elora shouted as a giant blast of Fire surrounded her, melting the ice and burning the ropes so that Elora could stand. Iceabelle jumped back, "I underestimated your powers, Elora."
"Well, too bad, you're not going to get a second chance." Elora responded to Iceabelle, and in her hand she formed a giant fire orb.
Iceabelle formed an ice orb equal in size to Elora's in her hand. "You might have escaped my ice Elora. But I am still stronger than you, and you will perish." Iceabelle's ice orb grew twice the size than Elora's, and she threw the ice orb towards Elora.
"You have yet again underestimated one thing, Iceabelle." Elora snickered, "FIRE MELTS ICE!" Elora targeted Iceabelle's ice orb and in a strong, steady spiral of fire let her orb fly towards it. They hit and Iceabelle's ice orb melted on the spot.
"No!" Iceabelle shouted.
"Yes!" Elora responded, and dropped her hands down slowly to move the spiral of fire towards Iceabelle, who was soon trapped inside a cage of fire.
Elora clapped her hands together excited that she easily defeated Isabelle. "Stupid woman." she said, sticking her tongue out at Iceabelle.
The door of the room opening with a large BANG suddenly startled Elora. She turned to see who it was. Harry came rushing in, slipping and falling to the floor yelling "Elora! I've come to save you!"
Elora laughed at Harry, and walked over to him. "Well. I am in no need to be saved, but thanks for trying Harry." Elora's gaze turned to the tall man following Harry. "Who's that?" Cecil helped Harry up off the floor. He turned to Elora, taking her hand and kissing the back of it, "My name is Cecil, Guardian of Forest Vine. You must be Elora." Elora blushed and nodded, stumbling on her words, "Y-y-yes..."
Cecil's gaze turned to Iceabelle who was trapped in a cage of fire. He looked at Elora and motioned his head to the fire cage, "Did you do that?"
Elora nodded slightly, "Uh-huh." and moved her head slowly as Cecil walked over to Iceabelle and looked at her in the cage.
"Well, well, Iceabelle," Cecil said, "What have you gotten yourself into now?"
Iceabelle growled at Cecil, "If you would have helped me then maybe I wouldn't be in this cage!"
"What does she mean Cecil?" Harry asked while wiping snow off his cloak.
"Well Harry," Cecil chuckled, "Iceabelle and I used to be partners you see." He looked at Iceabelle, "But Iceabelle had other things on her mind. An evil man took over her mind and her powers; she was at his every will. When he disappeared, Iceabelle's heart was still cold, and she was bent upon concurring the Maze and then the Wizarding world. She needed to do one thing. Kill the other elemental guardians. They would be the only ones who would be able to stop her."
Elora shook her head, "Wai-Wai-Waiiit! Elemental Guardians?"
Cecil looked to Elora and nodded, "Yes Elora, the Elemental Guardians - Fire, Ice, Water, Forest, Air and Lightning - I'm guessing Elora, that you are the Fire Guardian." Elora looked at the Fire Guard around her right wrist, the flame design embedded on the silver grew larger. "And Iceabelle is the Ice Guardian?" she looked up at Cecil.
"That's correct Elora. I'm the Forest Guardian. Harry over there seems to be the Lightning Guardian." Cecil responded.
Elora turned to face Harry, and her gaze quickly shot to the sword sheathed by his side. She smiled. Harry shrugged his shoulders and gave a slight grin, "Nothing I can't handle."
Cecil walked up to Elora and Harry, smiled at Elora then looked at Harry. "Harry, like Elora has the Fire Guard so must you have a guard. The only way to get the Lightning Guard is to find the right door in the Maze that corresponds to your elemental power. You'll know which one it is. Right now, I'm guessing Elora has to do something."
Elora snapped her fingers, "That's right! Cecil," she looked at Cecil. "I have to find the fire dragon. I don't know why, I just know I have to."
Cecil pointed to the chimney loft behind Iceabelle and the fire cage. "That's the fastest way. But you have to go alone."
Elora looked at the chimney loft and nodded, "I-I understand." She started to walk towards it, and then she stopped. She turned and walked to Harry, giving him a kiss on the cheek, "Harry. Thank you for coming for me."
Harry smiled and blushed, stuttering as he talked, "Ne-Ne-No problem."
Elora smiled back and walked towards the chimney loft again.
"Wait Elora!" Cecil shouted to her, "Take the cage out from around Iceabelle. I'll restrain her with my power. You'll need the strength to travel to your room."
Elora nodded and waved her hand towards the cage, the fire cage disappeared and vines bound Iceabelle. "Thank you Cecil," Elora said, then she disappeared in a spiral of fire into the chimney.
Continued: Chapter 13 - Hot Water