~Chapter 27~
Elsa
I couldn't breathe or speak. I felt as if someone was choking me upon hearing the news that Lily and Alex were missing. I've been scared in my life before several times, but not like this. It was all Niklas could do to keep my mind from spiraling down a trail of worse-case scenarios. He knew how to keep me grounded. Focusing on my Aunt, she was pulled into a room to speak privately with Hans.
"Isidora, Anna was here. She has the kids." He told her.
Niklas and I exchanged glances and we watched the conversation depicted in the snowball. My aunt's face widened in surprise.
"Hans, are you certain?"
"Quite," He nodded, "She threatened me. I know she wants Elsa to meet her on the north shore of the fjord."
"We must get word to her immediately," Isidora urged.
"It's a bluff, Anna wouldn't do anything drastic," Hans argued.
"We can hardly risk it," she replied, "I'll send word immediately. Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Hans."
I stopped focusing as I dropped the snowball seemingly drained of energy. Niklas held onto me to steady myself as we formulated a plan.
"We should go," I said.
"She gave no time for the meet,"
"I don't care, I'm waiting until she shows up." I snapped, "Niklas, what if Anna hurts them?"
My husband grabbed my hand giving it a gentle squeeze.
"This is Anna we're talking about. She wouldn't dare to do anything." He replied confidently.
I wasn't so sure. I was capable of things beyond imagining when I was-not my myself. I knew Anna was capable considering she tried to have me killed. It caught me off guard that she was capable of threatening children. Tsuna came behind me nudging me with his snout.
"You haven't completed your training yet, Elsa. I fear we're running out of time."
"I realize this, but what choice do I have? Anna knew how to get to me and that's going after anyone I love."
Niklas cleared his throat before looking at me with intense determination.
"I'll go meet Anna," He said.
"Niklas no, it has to be me. I can counter her firepower, you can't."
"But you need to work on training. We're running out of time."
"Niklas,"
"Elsa, I'll bring them home." He said, bringing a hand to my cheek. I put my hand on top of his as I sighed heavily. I knew he was right. There were many responsibilities I now had beyond being a mother.
"I'll go with him for backup," Tsuna offered.
"But you need to get her back to Ahtohallan," Niklas reasoned.
Tsuna snorted quickly before suddenly making a copy of himself. Splitting into two. He was a horse made of water after all.
"My power is weakened in this state, but at least I can help you both at the same time." The Tsuna closest to me said.
I hopped on his back as Niklas walked over to me and I leaned down kissing him quickly.
"Bring them home," I told him as we pulled away.
"I will," He replied before turning and mounting the duplicate Tsuna himself. Both of us riding off in different directions. The last thing I wanted to do now was train, I was too distracted. I told Tsuna to stop before he stepped foot in the water to return us to Ahtohallan.
"What's wrong?" He asked.
"This is wrong," I muttered, "Take me back to Niklas, I can still train after I get my kids back."
"As you wish," Tsuna replied.
Within minutes, Tsuna caught up with his other half thundering down the shoreline heading north where Anna specified. Niklas stopped surprised to see me already. We both got off the horse facing each other.
"Elsa, I thought we agreed that-"
I brought a finger to his lips silencing him as I took a heavy breath taking his hands in mine. "I refuse to let my new role as Fifth Spirit overshadow my first responsibilities as a wife and mother."
A smile appeared on his face as he hugged me. I wasn't sure if it was relief or something else, but I knew in my gut, I made the right decision. As we pulled away, Niklas grabbed my hand and looked out upon the landscape.
"So Anna mentioned meeting on the north shore, it's rather vague."
"We are on the north shore, I think." I reasoned.
"We definitely are at the right spot," Tsuna confirmed combining back together.
Niklas and I scanned the shore carefully though it was tricky given the limited light. Bruni wasn't kidding that time there flowed differently. I'm within Ahtohallan for a few hours and it was already the middle of the night by the time I left. I looked for a light of fire or anything signaling Anna's presence, but there was nothing out here. Tsuna snorted toward the fjord as he seemed fixated on something.
"What is it, Tsuna?" I asked.
"Something is wrong, the waters of the fjord have been disturbed." He replied.
The water looked normal to me, but what did I know?
"Niklas, if Anna isn't here, what should our next steps be?" I asked him.
"We could ask Yura and Exalos to help by searching by air and land."
"It's an idea, but they likely won't help us until they have been properly tamed."
"You summoned them, didn't you?"
"Yes, but Bruni told me that was only part of the process. They hear the call of the Fifth Spirit and come, then it's training and taming."
"But you never tamed the Nokk or Bruni for that matter."
My eyes widened at the realization that he was right.
"Mother said Yura tried to kill her before."
"Everyone is different, Elsa." Tsuna nodded, "I'm naturally called to follow you as water and ice go hand in hand."
"But still, why was it more simple for me to-" I started to say before Niklas pointed out a small ball of fire in the distance that was pacing along the shore. The fire lit up nicely under the cover of the night.
"Anna," I muttered.
"Let's move," Niklas urged.
"Tsuna, stay here won't you?" I patted his head.
"As you wish." He said stomping his hoof.
Niklas and I hopped over some rocks as we hurried to the sight of fire trying to be as quiet as possible as we approached. As we approached the glow of fire, I didn't see the silhouette of anything resembling my sister, let alone a woman. A man's face met my gaze out of the darkness. He was alone and the kids were unaccounted for.
"Who are you?" Niklas asked.
"At one point in my life, I was known as Master Raevich, but these days, I go by Rasmus."
So Raevich and Rasmus were one and the same. Raevich who was the fallen sorcerer who built Ahtohallan all those years ago. The person who people in Ahtohallan once revered.
"Where's Anna?" I pressed.
"She's taking a long warranted rest, she worked quite hard to release me. Now the burden of that is off her shoulders."
"What did you do?" I growled, emphasizing every word.
Niklas squeezed my hand as he just slightly pulled me behind him making sure to put himself between me and this man Rasmus.
"Anna said to meet us here to get our kids back, where are they?" Niklas asked.
"I don't exactly know and I don't care, Anna taking those children wasn't part of my commands."
I let go of Niklas's hand as I blasted this man up to his neck with ice stepping around Niklas to get close. The man took my blasts and just sneered as his body encased in ice.
"You're lying," I growled.
He was messing with me and if he was trying to poke and prod at mama bear, he was succeeding. Niklas yanked me toward him nervously as my ice on the man began to melt in seconds.
"You're a powerful one, aren't you? Perhaps, I used the wrong sister?" Rasmus said.
I decided to try my newer ability of fire, but it wasn't as easy to use as ice. After all, I was just taught this type of magic. I took a breath and ignited my hands on fire blasting this man, but he didn't react. My fireballs seemed to disappear before they got close enough to hit him. Rasmus looked bored.
"You can conjure two types of elemental energy at will?" Rasmus questioned.
"Jealous?" I mocked.
"Hardly, I created such magic power." He stepped toward me curiously as Niklas pushed me behind him. Rasmus smirked as he grabbed Niklas by the throat and tossed him aside as Niklas rolled across the shore away from us and didn't get up.
"Niklas!" I yelled.
I turned back toward Rasmus with ice and fire in each hand and blasted Rasmus with as much energy as I could muster. Though my magic didn't hit, there was some sort of barrier around him. The exertion of energy brought me to my knees as I had to catch my breath. He grabbed me by the throat lifting me off the ground with one hand as I struggled against hs grip pounding against his arms to release me. He moved a piece of hair out of my face staring at me curiously while I sat there choking beneath his fierce grip.
"You're unique, aren't you?" He said stroking my cheek as if fascinated by my magic. I wanted to burn his hand for touching me. "Perhaps I'll take it from you,"
He closed his eyes as green energy enveloped him as it moved down his arm toward me, but the green energy stopped against me unable to touch me. Rasmus opened his eyes in surprise letting me go finally. I coughed as I hit the ground trying to regain my breath.
"How are you protected?" He growled.
I lifted my head as I massaged my throat still feeling the burn from his grip.
"I don't know what you're talking about," I said.
"No matter, if I can't take your power, I'll just take you." He said.
Niklas groaned behind me, but before I could turn to face him, Rasmus had me in his grip as he grabbed my head his body radiating a red sort of energy. I screamed as my head started to beat like a drum and I felt a voice murmur inside me.
"Release control," Rasmus said.
His body fell over in front of me as I glanced at Niklas who said my name once. I wanted to tend to him, but my body moved in the opposite direction. A swirl of wind picked up the unconscious Rasmus off the ground trailing behind me. What was this magic wind? How was I doing this? Then I horrifying revelation hit me. I wasn't alone in my head.
"Surrender control, Elsa."
Rasmus was in my head and he was controlling my body. Though I felt as if I still had some influence. I tried to move toward Niklas, but felt resistance. Rasmus overpowered me as he took me east heading toward Ahtohallan. He couldn't go there. Ahtohallan was a source of tremendous power. I didn't know what he was capable of, but I couldn't stop him. My training as the Fifth Spirit wasn't even finished. How could I face an adversary that I was prepared to fight? I couldn't relinquish control. I fought him in my head however I could, but he controlled my body. Soon a gust of wind lifted me off the ground and I was in the air flying, I couldn't even enjoy the view before my feet touched down outside Ahtohallan. As Rasmus pushed my feet toward Ahtohallan, I tried my best to resist, but it was pretty much useless. His will overpowered my own and it was infuriating. I tried to freeze my feet to slow down and he would counter by melting the ice instantly.
"Pathetic Elsa,"
Rasmus ran us into the glacier and as we headed down further into the main corridors, an idea hit me, but it was one of sheer desperation and sacrifice. In the past, Njal showed me the waters inside Ahtohallan that stored certain memories within their depths. Though he warned, if you went to far, you would freeze to death and drown. I had to get Rasmus to that water while he was still in my body. It took all my willpower to lead Rasmus and I down the corridor deep into the depths of the glacier. Rasmus resisted me, but I fought against him leading us down. Finally, I stopped on the edge of an overhang of ice. Rasmus stopped me. Just below was the freezing waters of memory within Ahtohallan.
"Elsa, I know what you're doing. You're insane. You'll kill yourself," Rasmus said, his tone anxious.
"Exactly, but I'll take you with me." I said.
"No!" Rasmus growled.
I tipped my foot over the edge closing my eyes to fall over into the depths. Thoughts of Niklas, my kids, and Anna flooded my mind. This decision was all for them to protect them. I had to so they could be free. This was my responsibility as the Fifth Spirit. Taking a breath, I stepped off the ledge.
