~Chapter 26~

Anna

Fire was chaotic and all-consuming. Fear. Rage. Determination. All of it was present as I slaughtered all those people. 'They did me no harm', I heard her echo in my head. There were even children that suffered my wrath. Why did I feel this way? It was sickening. Rasmus was vocal about his satisfaction of using my siren voice and seizing their souls with the horn. Though why was this mission harder than the rest. It would have been more satisfying to find and confront Elsa with her kids watching. Now came the tricky part. Rasmus said he was sealed below the fjord, which wasn't entirely helpful given the expanse of the water.

"I can feel it, Siren. My time draws near." He tells me.

"But where are you, master?" I pleaded.

"In an unmarked crypt beneath a home you know all too well. You, my servant, have served me well."

"Why are you telling me this in verse?" I asked.

No reply came to my mind. Though if I was about to go for a swim in the fjord, I had to make one more stop before doing so.

As I climbed up the hill to the cabin outside Arendelle, I was surprised to see Kristoff as a human stoking a campfire outside. It was the middle of the night by now and I could only imagine how he did alone with a couple of three-year-old brats for the day. Though I was curious as to how we was already human. He looked up at me as I approached.

"Anna,"

"Surprised to see me?" I said, sitting across from him by the campfire. The kids must have been inside asleep.

"Where were you?" He asked, getting right to the point.

"I eliminated those that my master wanted me to," I replied simply.

I glanced down at my hands not wanting to meet his gaze. I knew what he trying to do, he was judging my actions and would complain about how I would never do such a thing.

"How many?" He muttered.

Not the question I expected.

"Do you really want to know the answer?" I replied.

He didn't answer, I knew he truly didn't want to know. Feeling hot from the fire, I stood back up clearing my throat.

"Look Kristoff, my master will be freed soon and I'll no longer need you to protect me, so you know, you're free."

Kristoff looked at me confused.

"Huh?" He muttered.

I exhaled a frustrated breath.

"You heard me, are you really going to make me repeat myself?"

"You're letting me go? Just like that?"

I felt that my motivations were cloudy when around him. I cared about what his opinion was and that infuriated me. The only solution I could come up with was to separate from him immediately. I would not let anyone weaken my resolve. Not that he was, but I wouldn't give him any chance to.

"I never truly needed your bear protection, anyway." I reasoned, "I can take care of myself."

"Oh, I know that, you always have." He agreed.

His voice was calm and warm making my heart race inside my chest. I was drawn to him annoyingly so, I had to put a stop to his nonsense. I turned to leave before I took one step, I turned back toward him.

"If anything Kristoff, you're good for backup. Take care out here, my master is powerful."

"You don't have to obey him, you know." Kristoff said, rising to his feet, "You're free to choose, Anna."

He walked toward me closing the gap and defensively I ignited my hand in fire.

"Get away from me!" I growled.

Kristoff didn't stop. Did he want me to hurt him?

"You're afraid of him," He said.

"No, I'm not!" I countered, "I'm indebted because he saved Elsa."

"That was you and your own sacrifice," Kristoff snapped, "Stop deflecting! He is using you, Anna. What makes you think he won't dispose of you once he's freed?"

"You're ridiculous!" I glared.

"Took the words right out of my mouth," He said.

The gap between us was closed and I didn't even notice that he had me by both my arms and my fire had gone out. I didn't want to hurt him, but in a last ditch effort, I shook his arms off me and dashed around him in a blink. I wrapped my one arm around his neck pulling tight and he grabbed my arm in reflex.

"I'm giving you an out, so take it, you idiot!" I whispered in his ear.

It was all I could do to tighten my hold on his neck only tight enough to knock him out. He was out in moments as I slowly lowered his unconscious self to the ground by the fire. Daylight was hours away as I looked out on the horizon, but I didn't care. My master was counting on me and I swore I wouldn't fail him.

Descending the cabin on the hill, I thought to look for a rowboat or anything to get me out of the fjord without drawing any unnecessary attention. The waves and wind already were doing that. Below the hill, there was a small channel that led to a vacant fishing hut with a rowboat at the ready. I hopped in and took the oar immediately meeting resistance from the growing waves and winds all across the fjord. There had to be a faster way to get over these rising waves. I scooted to the back of the boat and glanced at my hands.

"I wonder," I muttered aloud to myself.

I stuck my hand just below the surface of the water and blasted submerged fire that propelled the boat several feet forward splashing all the way. Now with ease, I shot me and the boat further and deeper out across the fjord. I could see Arendelle in the distance and images of my sister and me danced in my head. Us as girls and also grown up. Then I saw Kristoff and I traveling the North Mountain, going on sled rides, getting portraits taken, and holding hands along the shores of the fjord. I wanted to rid myself of these worthless memories. I didn't want them. There was no turning back now. I took the horn from my belt and brought it to my lips. I don't know why I thought this would work, but as I blew the horn, the fjord waters reacted. A whirlpool began to form, swirling the waters and the water levels seemed to steadily lower in moments. I had to avoid getting my little boat swept up in the currents of the pull, so I blasted my hand in the water propelling me backward away from the spiral of water. Lower and lower the depth became probably at least a hundred feet below by now and the water stopped its movement upon revealing a stone structure covered with algae on top of a rocky hill previously underwater. I rowed my boat as close as I could get before I had to climb up to it. The rocks were slippery and hard to grip. I heated the rock surfaces to burn anything off them so I could grip them easier. Once I made it up, I wiped my brow examining the entrance to this building. It didn't look architecturally significant or even anything built today. Was my master truly sealed here?

The door was stuck as I tried my best to yank it open. I put my firepower to use melting the door right off its hinges as the door fell down toward me revealing stone steps inside. It was dark and I lit my hand on fire to light my way forward descending the damp staircase. I felt as if this stairwell went on for miles before it leveled out flatly stopping at the bottom. This hallway was damp and dripping from the ceiling. I wondered if it was going to cave in. Quickening my pace, I raced down the corridor hearing his voice call to me. Just ahead a small archway opened into another small room with something long and rectangular in the center. I couldn't make it out until I got closer and my fire lit up the finer details. This place was an underground crypt.

"Release me, Siren." He beckoned.

It was as if he was standing right beside me. With shaking hands, I brought the horn to my lips again and inhaled. The sound that reverberated off the walls was different than anything else I'd heard from this instrument. Especially considering how it sounded outside just now which helped lower the water revealing this location. It was a deep bass sound that echoed as the box on the floor cracked open. It startled me, but I kept playing as small white orbs came out of the horn and floated over to the box. It cracked open as I stopped playing as something came out pushing the lid to the box open further. A bony hand emerged that had no skin, but merely bone and parts of desiccated tissue. Nervously I approached the box and scanned the thing inside. Its skeletal remains were frightening and I wasn't prepared for it. Though I wasn't sure what I was prepared for in the first place. Its ribs were blackened like charcoal, but the chest was moving slowly up and down like it had a heart once. It was alive. Was this Rasmus? Was this my master? I had seen creatures like this depicted in books before though I thought it was merely fiction. Norwegian lore had many tales of skeletal creatures such as these. They were called draugr. I walked toward the box trying to comprehend further what I was seeing bringing my firelight closer to its face. I jumped back when its eyes popped open. The eyes glowed faintly staring at the ceiling.

"M-Master?" I questioned, timidly.

"Play," A faint, scratchy voice came out.

I cleared my throat as I heard her echo in my mind as a last chance plea to stop. I ignored her again as my lips blew on the horn. White orbs swirled out of the horn and encased the corpse with a cloudy light and a blast of wind.

"Yes," I heard a voice hiss from the box.

In moments, the power dissipated and the thing in the box had completely transformed. A man with long raven hair rose from the box. He looked human though part of his left cheek hadn't regenerated and I could see his teeth on one side. The black robes he was clothed in looked to be from a different time. He sat up climbing out of the box and toward me as I instinctually took a step back. The man frowned glaring at me.

"So this is how you greet me after all this time?" He said.

His voice was smooth as silk and not at all gruff as it was before.

"Rasmus?" I questioned.

"In the flesh," He nodded, "You did right by me, Anna. I'll never have another thrall serve me as you did for me today. Isidora failed and so did Melina. You were far more capable."

"Melina?" I questioned.

"Yes, quite the disappointment. She rebelled from my cause and wanted to create a family of her own in the Black Hallows."

Rasmus circled me curiously, but he looked to be in pain.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

"Fine. I need time." He snapped, "I've been sealed for centuries by those wretches from the Southern Isles. Now I have all the time in the world."

"I'm glad to hear you doing so well, ya know, after everything." I nodded, sheepishly.

Rasmus met my gaze taking another step toward me.

"You are by far the most capable of all my thralls. You should take pride in that fact."

I nodded turning my head toward the exit thinking about my next steps.

"Now that you're freed, I wish to settle something with my sister. Is there anything else you need of me now?"

"You have served your purpose, Siren."

His back was toward me as I felt a surge of magic energy in the room. I heard her in my head screaming at me to run. In a blink, he turned to blast me with dark magic energy. I was a second faster and encircled him in fire as he canceled his spell.

"What are you doing? I did everything you asked of me."

"Thralls are merely tools to be used and disposed of when they cease to be necessary."

Enraged, I began to rain down fire on him and Rasmus deflected every attack. He splashed water from his hands dousing the fire circle I encased him in. Rasmus sneered stepping across the charred marks on the ground toward me.

"Do you really think your power can outmatch mine?" He growled, "I am the original source of your own power."

He was toying with me and I still attempted to blast him with fire furiously to no avail. Feeling tired and weak, I took a knee. He walked toward me slowly.

"Your sister left you behind. She is queen, wife, and mother. She doesn't care about you. Holding her back all this time."

His voice echoed in my head these lies as I put my hands over my ears pathetically. His influence was hard to ignore. I felt as if his words were beating down into my head.

"You're lying," I snapped.

"Why else would she leave you alone for three years?" Rasmus replied, "She didn't care where you were or even try to look. Elsa was glad to be rid of you."

"Shut up!" I cried.

"Nobody cares for you, Anna. You put everyone you claim to love in danger and burned people with those hands."

Tears streamed down my cheeks as I dropped my hands from my ears. Rasmus grabbed my shoulders turning me around to face him.

"Go to sleep, Siren. You've done enough."

He waved a hand in front of my face as I felt a breath of wind hit me as my body moved on its own. I couldn't fight it or talk. Before I knew it, I climbed into the very box my master was once in and he started closing the lid.

"Goodbye Siren," He whispered.

I was suddenly thrust into darkness as my eyes closed.