A/N: This is what occurred during the raid of the castle.


Chapter 5

Kristjana rolled her eyes as she leaned back against Svea's fluffed fur. She glanced down at the reindeer, mirroring the comical glitter in her eyes as they looked back to the pole in the center of the square. Children had gathered around for Arendelle's traditional season bearing, where each child would be given a ribbon and had to race around the pole while decorating it in the colors of the new season. As giggles hiccupped over the excited skips of the children racing around the wooden pole, Kristjana snorted loudly along with some other older onlookers. Streaks of dark orange, green, blue, and white spun round the pole, bulging over the man tangled in the ties of ribbons against the wood.

"Come on guys, can I go now?" He whined, squirming under the tight bindings of the ribbons.

A child with tangled black hair scooted to a stop, looking up at him with a smirk.

"Nope." She said, waving her blue ribbon proudly. "We still got twenty runs to go before we run out of ribbon."

"That's what you said twenty runs ago!" Andy whined to deaf ears that clattered about him in a swirl of silky ribbon.

Kristjana burst out into a fit of laughs as Andy let his head fall back against the pole with a groan. Svea snorted, nudging her forward the crook of one of her small antlers. Kristjana felt heat bloom across her cheeks, eyeing the reindeer with a sheepish glance.

"I know, Svea, I know." She said. "I'll get to it…eventually." Svea's eyes narrowed, jerking her head into Kristjana's side. The girl stumbled forward and brought up her hands in defeat. "Alright, I'm going, yeesh!"

Kristjana weaved through the throng of bustling villagers at the festival. She soon stumbled out of the onlookers admiring the pole—all the while laughing at the man being mummified underneath—and into the edge of the market square. Sniffing the air sharply, she clomped over to the bakery with opened doors. Waves of chocolate and cinnamon, with the tang of cool sweat from the villagers overflowing the streets, bombarded Kristjana's nose as she entered the building.

She stepped aside from a mother and her son, cradling a freshly baked, powdered kiflin, and strolled up to the stand. The baker dusted off the powdered sugar from her hands as she looked up at the girl shuffling from foot to foot.

"Oh, Kristjana," she said, "It's been ages! How are you enjoying the festival?"

"It's great Agda," Kristjana replied with a smile. "Where's that little devil at?"

Agda snorted, leaning her elbows on the countertop.

"Oh, off hanging about with that father of his, leaving me all alone to man the fort."

"Sorry 'bout that."

Agda waved it off. "No, I offered to stay. Someone's got to make the dough around here, don't they?" Kristjana chuckled until Agda clucked her tongue. "Well, I'm sure you didn't just come here to chat. What can I get for you?"

"Two of your best krumkakes," Kristjana started, then froze, feeling the heat from Svea's nudging prickle a blush on her cheeks once more. She scratched the back of her neck while biting her cheek. "Um…" Agda tilted her head as Kristjana shoved her hand in her pocket and pulled out a small sack. "C-could you…put this in one of them with extra cream please?"

Agda arched an eyebrow at her before taking the sack in hand. She pulled at the string, peering into the dark fabric only to have her jaw fall at what was inside. At the sight of a blushing Kristjana, Agda's smirk squirmed across her ruddy lips as she made her way to the back of the bakery. Kristjana tapped her boot while chewing her lip until Agda came back out with two wrapped krumkakes, one with more cream spilling from its edges, and handed them to Kristjana. Balancing the two krumkakes in one hand, Kristjana moved to dig into her other pocket before Agda shook her head.

"Don't worry about it," she said, the flour dusting her forward making her wriggling eyebrows more mischievous, "it's on the house."

Kristjana swore that her blush seared into her flesh as she thanked the woman and stumbled back outside. She swallowed thickly, the krumkakes trembling in her hands as she weaved through the crowd again. She glanced at the pastry with more cream under the dull golden flames.

You can do this Kris, she thought with a firm nod. You can do this.

Suddenly, an eruption of cheers thundered from the wooden pole at the center of the village. Kristjana stepped through the crowd, digging her teeth into her bottom lip to keep from laughing so hard that the pastries would fall from her hand. Andy pouted beneath piles of ribbons as the children racing around him cheered at the completion of the seasonal pole. They quickly dispersed at the sound of a horn trumpeting in the distance. They nearly tripped over each other, squealing towards the parade beginning to march down the road as Andy huffed beneath his prison of ribbons.

Kristjana shook her head, watching him carefully untie his self from the pole without undoing the pattern the children had set. As he yanked his last leg from the ribbon, he stumbled over towards the blonde woman, hiding her smile behind a krumkake.

"Children are evil," Andy mumbled, snatching his cap from Svea's antlers and tucked it over his head.

"Hey," Kristjana, handing him the krumkake with extra cream. "You made and lost a bet fair and square."

Andy pouted, gingerly taking the krumkake despite the instant twinkle in his eyes. Suddenly, he felt a tap on his pants leg, glancing down to find the girl with tangled black hair smiling up at him. She hugged his leg tentatively before racing off to the huddle of other children down the street. Kristjana smirked at him, nudging him in the ribs as he blushed.

"What was that about kids being evil?"

"Shut up." Andy mumbled, nudging his arm back against Kristjana's.

Svea glanced between Kristjana and Andy, her coal, black eyes rolling as she let out a snort. Kristjana sighed, turning towards the reindeer with a tied piece of rope in hand from the stable they were near. She pulled the cord around Svea's neck loosely while the reindeer dragged her tongue across her face. Kristjana laughed, rubbing her fingers between Svea's ears as she whispered, "Wish me luck."

Svea clomped her hooves along the ground as Kristjana walked back to Andy.

"You know, there's a great spot I know that's much quieter than here," Kristjana said.

Andy arched an eyebrow while hesitantly following the girl. "You mean you're gonna leave Svea alone here?"

Kristjana casted a glance over her shoulder at the reindeer who merely snorted at her again with a yank of her head forward. "Have you met her? She'll be fine."

Andy sighed as he weaved through the crowd with Kristjana, cradling his krumkake close to him. After bumping into other villagers and escaping the crowded square, the two wandered out into a small clearing just outside the village. Grass fell under their feet as they hiked up the hill, careful of stumbling over stones and dips in the earth. After stumbling over another rock, Andy blew at a strand of hair that flopped over his eye.

"Where are we going Kris?" he asked, squinting into the dark blue veil around them.

Kristjana rolled her eyes, snorting, "What? His royal clueless can't handle a little hike?"

"No, I just don't want my beastie to get tuckered out," Andy replied.

Kristjana bit back a sharp retort and squinted ahead until she let a relieved smile cross her lips. She turned to Andy and swayed her hand out before her. As Andy stumbled after her, his jaw dropped at the clearing in front of him. A smooth patch of grass swayed under the wind's fingers, pressing up against a large tree trunk besides the wall of bedrock behind it.

Kristjana grasped onto Andy's hand, leading him along the ribbons of frail moonlight that showered the hillside. She let out a sigh as she plopped down onto the grass and patted the earth next to her. Andy shook his self out of his daze, sinking down onto the ground as they scuffled around the tree. The boy's eyes widened, drinking in the minuscule village and castle underneath the sea of dark blue shadows.

"Great view, huh?" Kristjana asked, sinking her teeth into her krumkake with a purr.

"Great?" Andy laughed. "It's incredible! How did you—"

Kristjana shrugged, licking the cream around her lips. "Found it while coming back from an ice harvest last winter," she grinned sheepishly, "I thought you'd like a change of scenery asides from your ivory tower and books."

Andy's heart swelled, leaning his head back against the tree trunk.

"This beats a book any day." Andy sighed.

Kristjana's heart skipped a beat as she stared at the silver ribbons of light casting shadows over the boy's cheeks, glossing over his curved lips with a silver gleam to them. She silently thanked the darkness for covering her red cheeks while she took another chomp of her krumkake. Andy turned towards her, chuckling at the burst of cream that devoured her lips after viciously biting into the pastry.

"You got a little…" he started, leaning towards her.

As she turned Andy froze, gulping absentmindedly at the golden brown eyes shimmering in the darkness. His thumb gently brushed the stray bead of cream from the corner of her lip, lingering upon the edges of her plump mouth. He leaned down towards her while Kristjana slowly pressed closer to him, their breath tickling each other's faces. Just before their lips could brush against each other, a burning pain pierced through both their foreheads. The two jumped, groaning as they rubbed their heads from the impact of their head butt.

Andy suddenly burst out in laughter, cradling his side with his free hand until his laughter infested Kristjana as well.

"One day, we'll get that right, Bjorgman," he panted through his laughter.

"If one day, you mean in fifty years!" Kristjana snorted, brushing her bangs from her hair.

Andy's laughter suddenly died down, hiccuping slightly in his throat as his gaze locked onto Kristjana's left hand. Hugging her finger was a band of silver, glittering in dark blue and emerald.

"Where did you get that?" he asked.

"Oh, this?" Kristjana arched a brow, bringing her hand down to her view. She turned the ring round upon her finger. "I found it in the market place earlier today. I'm not much of a jewelry person, but I couldn't help myself."

Andy's eye twitched, digging his teeth down into his tongue. That's because I should've been the one to give it to you! He thought bitterly.

"Though it's good that I got when I did," Kristjana continued. "Some idiot madman jumped the jeweler who sold it to me when he didn't get it first. I mean really, it's just a ring."

Andy's cheeks blanched as he forced out a laugh. He ran a hand through his hair, chuckling nervously, "Yeah, just a ring."

Kristjana nodded, leaning her head back against the trunk. "Too bad you don't have one to match mine."

Andy hummed in response, puffing his cheeks out bitterly as he let his teeth slowly sink into his krumkake. A fluff of sugary cream flooded his mouth. He sighed contently, chewing on the pastry slowly until his teeth clacked against something hard. His lips furrowed into a frown as his tongue curled around a cold object in his mouth while swallowing the rest of bite.

He spat out the object in his hand and felt his heart freeze in his chest. A silver band with two single gems of emerald and sapphire glittered in his palm. His jaw fell as he gazed over at Kristjana, who was blushing darker than the night as she shuffled closer to him.

"I," she started, swallowing thickly, "I could show you a lot more than just a hill. I could—would take you anywhere outside of that damned castle. I…Andy I..." her tongue glued her words to the roof of her mouth as she groaned in frustration. "Andy, what I'm trying to say is—"

She fell silent as he gently pressed his lips against hers; though it was just a faint touch, a small spark lit between the two as Andy pulled away. A beam broke across his mouth from ear to ear, his heart thundering against his chest while brushing away her hair from her face.

"Kristjana," he said, his tongue twitching to shout 'yes' until his nose wrinkled. A raw, coppery odor crept through the air, gnawing at his nostrils as he shook his head. "Smoke?"

Kristjana arched an eyebrow at him, leaning away from him. "Okay, not the answer I was hoping for, but…"

"No!" Andy said, wincing at the flash of hurt crinkling across Kristjana's features before correcting his self. "I mean yes! I mean—don't you smell smoke?"

Kristjana's frown faded as she sniffed the air. Her eyes widened, coughing slightly at the thick scent of burning copper. She rose to her feet as she squinted down at the village. She watched a thin line of gray smoke rise from the center of the market square, quickly growing thicker and larger as the faint chorus of cheers morphed into earsplitting wails.

Andy stood next to Kristjana as the smoke unfolded into the air, their hearts finally thawing at the dark cognac, red flames that began tearing into the night when Kristjana gasped, "Svea."

Kristjana raced down the hill with Andy at her heels, the krumkake long forgotten as it tumbled onto the grass. The boy shoved his ring into his pocket, tripping over roots and stones as they stumbled back into the edge of the village. Golden flames leaped from building to building along the square, snapping their jaws at the stones and wood that littered their walls. Villagers blindly ran from the flames, stampeding over falling lampposts and banners that littered the streets. As the villagers were about to reach the edge of the village, the flames twisted from its course—slamming its self along the border of the village.

A chorus of screams shattered through the air as the flames flailed out and trailed onto a mass of villagers. The people cried out at the searing pain gnawing at their flesh, collapsing onto the ground in agony while the fire claimed them. The other villagers raced in all directions only for the fire to follow them with the same result, caging their corroded senses within the square.

Kristjana finally snapped herself out of her daze at a faint wail in the roaring chaos. She pushed through the crowd as she neared the stables with Andy right at her heels. She burst through the doors to find Svea jerking wildly at her bindings, foaming at the mouth as she desperately dug her teeth through the rope.

"Easy girl, easy!" Kristjana said, throwing her hands around the reindeer's damp fur. She rubbed her fingers behind the large flap of her ear, carefully untying the rope from her neck. She pulled Svea's muzzle up to her. "You're alright. You're going to be alright."

"Kris!" Andy yelled from the entrance of the stables.

Kristjana glanced up at the dark flames skittering over the roof of the stables, patting Svea's side as they raced out of the crumbling building. As soon as they made it out, the stable collapsed in a fit of fiery flames, cackling an earsplitting laugh amongst the juggling of screams.

"You okay?" Andy asked, holding onto Kristjana as she held onto Svea.

"Yeah, I'll be alright," she said.

They flinched as another crumbled down from the fire, a thick blanket of smoke littering cloaking the night from over the village.

This can't be real, Andy thought, squinting under the blazing light that barricaded them to the village until he looked up at the sky. Through the flurries of ash that whisked around them, the crescent smile of the moon had vanished along with the sky itself. A shiver managed to tear down the boy's spine beneath the thick layer of sweat upon his body; for even the night had abandoned the hell that was slowly caving in on them.

"Mama! Mama!" a voice cried amongst the screams.

The two squinted through the flail of shadows and light as two figures wandered by them. Kristjana coughed into her arm, squinting up at the two figures before calling out, "Greger!"

The larger man with a child pressed firmly against his shoulder managed to move towards them.

"Kristjana, thank heavens you're alright," he panted through a fit of coughs. Grimy films of black ash covered his ruddy cheeks while a large hand kept a boy's head against his shoulder.

Kristjana heard the boy cry out again, "Mama!"

"Where's," Kristjana coughed, "Agda?"

Greger shook his head, brow furrowed into a deep flush of worry.

"I don't know." He breathed. "I haven't been able to reach the bakery to see if she made it out."

Andy turned his head towards the market square where a mountain of fire was climbing up to crash down upon another building. The broken screams made his heart flinch as he turned towards Greger.

"I'll find her," he said.

Kristjana jerked her head towards him, running her hand over Svea's trembling ears. "Are you stupid?"

"Have you met me?" He snapped back. "I'll be in and out as fast as I can. Just take Svea and as many people as you can to the bridge." Kristjana opened her mouth again, until he cut her off. "It's still a part of the village so the fire shouldn't cut them off."

Before she could say anymore, Andy was already backing up towards the mob of villagers fleeing the market square. Her heart froze, reaching out her arm towards him.

"Andy-"

"Just go!"

Kristjana bit down on her lip, the flesh turning pale, as she jerked her head towards the mass of villagers. "To the bridge!" she screamed over the raging screams.

Greger and his son fell into the mass of villagers racing towards the bridge, while Kristjana blinked back the tears straining against the corners of her eyes. She leaned against Svea, forcing one foot in front of the other as she prayed, Don't die Andy. Don't die!

Andy squirmed his way towards the market square through the throng of villagers, a fish swimming upstream in current heading towards the ocean. He stumbled amongst the uprooted cobble stones and bodies pressing against him until he made it to the almost abandoned square. He hissed at the blinding glare of dark gold waving down on him as he squinted his way through the ash. Andy's feet kicked through piles of torn ribbon, glass, and wood until he tripped over a large mass.

He glanced down at the ground and felt all the blood in his body run cold. A body of a villager lay upon the ground, the side of his face charred with bubbles of thick black and red scars while the torn tatters of his clothes clung onto his seared flesh. His eye, the one not melted into his exposed skull, stared blankly into the distance; where the onslaught of fire devouring the village was the only light twinkling in the dull, black pupil.

Warmth spilled down the corners of Andy's eyes as he buried the crook of his elbow into his mouth to stifle the scream itching to tear out of his throat. He turned away from the body and staggered forward. He breathed heavily through the fabric in his arm, hiccupping on whiffs of smoke, as he head spun uneasily.

Not yet, he breathed, his tears streaming down faster upon his cheeks with the more bodies he turned away from. Not yet.

He let out a silent sigh of relief as he caught the bakery's sign torn from its hinges and scattered just inches away from a building. Andy raced toward doors of the bakery, what was left of them anyway, and slipped into the darkness of the building. The flames battered at the sides of the brick walls like a lantern jerking wildly in the darkness as Andy squinted.

"Mrs. Agda!" he called out, cupping his hands around his mouth. The slap of smoke that responded to his call made the boy gag harshly, wheezing as his eyes burned from the ash infesting his gaze. He snatched his grimy cap from his head, pressing it against his mouth, and shifted through the carpet of shattered glass towards the back of the bakery.

He coughed into the cap, blinking heavily at the ash stinging his eyes until he reached the back of the shop. Agda writhed, crying with each struggle as she tugged at her leg where a pillar had fallen on her. Andy kicked through the flour and frosting that littered the floor and kneeled down to the pillar.

Agda gazed up at him with glassy eyes as he heaved, barely feeling the pillar shift. Andy gritted his teeth, groaning heavily as his arms trembled under the weight of the pillar until it lifted, just inches off of Agda's leg.

Agda quickly crawled from under the pillar as he dropped it. He breathed heavily, glancing down at her as he stretched out his hand.

"Are you okay?" he wheezed. She nodded weakly, grasping onto his hand as she rose up and leaned against him. Small whimpers pressed against his shoulder while Andy led her towards the entrance of the bakery. "Don't worry." He said as her whimpers rose into sobs. "You're gonna be—"

Before he could finish, a roar thundered outside. The flames shook the walls of the bakery with a jerking blow, the glass shattering from the fire's gust. Andy and Agda were thrown to the floor, Andy shielding their head with his arm as Agda's head thumped against the floor with a loud crack. Andy's eyes widened at the bruise stretching across the corner of Agda's head.

"Agda? Agda, stay with me!" Andy said, shaking the woman's shoulder. She groaned in response, her limbs falling limp against the floor as another shock rumbled down the walls of the bakery. Andy bit down onto his tongue, quickly pressing his cap against the woman's mouth and nose.

The smoke from outside slithered into the bakery, slowly turning from black to a smoldering red that pulsed to life with each thunder of the fire. Andy wheezed heavily, his lungs burning as the smoke thickened. He pressed the crook of his elbow against his mouth, coughing heavily into it. The boy suddenly felt every pore of his body buzz with the heat beating against him mercilessly. His teeth dug into the crook of his elbow, wrapping his arm tighter around Agda as the pillars over head began to groan weakly. Andy grew dizzy as his tears only added to the heat pulsing around him and silently sobbed.

I'm sorry Kristjana, he thought as the pillars cracked harshly. I'm sorry Georg. A pillar snapped, landing inches from Andy's body as he pressed Agda closer to him. I'm sorry Mrs. Agda. I'm sorry…

The pillars let out a melody of splintering cracks, ready to plummet onto the two when a lone silhouette broke into the red haze of the bakery. Andy squinted up at the figure stomping towards them until it soon towered over them. The shadow squatted down to them and Andy choked on his tears. A body shrouded in black kneeled by them, its body leading up to a face crafted of ashen bone. The sharp white of the figure's cheek bones tilted its head at Andy while beady crystal, blue eyes stared down at him.

Andy's breath hitched at the back of his throat, a final, heart wrenching scream ready to flee from his throat when the figure pressed a finger to its broken jaw and hinged teeth. With some, invisible wave of its hand, Andy's scream crawled back into the confines of his thundering heartbeat. The figure's black jaw moved, like a mask beneath the skull, whispering silently as it gently pressed its palm over Andy's eyes. Andy suddenly went still, his muscles swelling beneath his skin, and slowly felt slumber lull him into its grasp.

He heard the figure's hushed whispering just as the pillars came crumbling down with the fire thundering into the sky, yet before the immense, agonizing pain could touch him, Andy fell into darkness as a lone, icy snowflake kissed his cheek.

Elias.


"Rest now my angel from the dawns above and wait for the sun to ring its bell. For with your drowsy eyes and my lullaby, I'll weave you a dream of our kingdom to be…

Soon in the waves of the fire and snow, I'll whisk you to the castle shining brighter than stars. Where no living creature can resist your smile, and the world is your oasis of rule…

My angel forgive me for the loyalty I whip upon you, for I can't resist falling into the shadow of your love. Where you, my dear prince, are the lone ruler of my heart and I, the lone mirror of your gaze…

and I'll never let you see any more…"


"Andy! Andy! Andy!"

Andy groaned, writhing in darkness as he felt his body shake. As the voice pulled him from slumber, his eyes shot open. He bolted forward in a cold sweat until he felt the hand shaking him rub his shoulder.

"It's okay, Andy," the voice whispered, their fingers pressing into his trembling shoulder tenderly. "You're safe."

Andy blinked, the darkness he was in slowly fading back into reality's mold. An arctic chill whisked through the air as he stared into the sky, where the crescent moon shimmered once more. He gulped heavily, wincing at the lanterns shifting around him until he caught a flicker of golden brown eyes looking at him. His hand shakily grasped onto the one upon his shoulder.

"K-Kristjana?" He asked.

Kristjana nodded, patting his hand over hers. He breathed heavily, his lungs greedily drinking in the cool air. His gaze shifted amongst the village; mere simmers of smoke dwindled amongst the remains of burnt houses and buildings while villagers nervously whispered to one another while huddling together beneath blankets.

Andy's brows furrowed as he moved to stand up when an ache tore through his muscles. He hissed, falling back into Kristjana's arms.

"Hey, take it easy," she said, pulling the blanket back around him.

He swallowed heavily, his tongue darting over his cracking lips as his memory slowly caught up with him.

"I-is Agda…" he stuttered.

"She's fine," Kristjana said with a small smile, "thanks to you."

A weak smile twitched at the corners of Andy's lips until his memory began to really clear itself. He buried his head into his hands, the taste of copper and burning flesh scalded to his tongue.

"How many?" He asked, his voice wavering on the watery wall he barely mustered.

Kristjana frowned, turning away from him as she rubbed the back of her neck.

"Too many, Andy," she sighed, "too many."

Before a sob could gurgle in Andy's mouth, Kristjana's eyes narrowed. Her hand balled up into a fist as she slammed it against Andy's arm. He yelped at the pain seeping through his arm while Kristjana's cheeks fumed red. She yanked his blackened collar towards her.

"And you would've been one of them if you…" The anger in her voice trailed off, blinking heavily as she turned away from his widened eyes. "If you…" She raised her hand up again, ready for another punch before letting her hand fall into her lap. She pressed her head against his shoulder, whimpering, "Please, don't play hero again."

Andy's brows furrowed, wrapping his arms around the girl while a slippery, rough surface lapped over his cheek. Andy chuckled at the reindeer staring down at him as Svea nuzzled his head with her muzzle. The boy patted Svea's head.

"At least somebody's not trying to kill me," he chuckled weakly.

He peered over Svea to catch small flurries of snowflakes dust over the village while ice engulfed the tatters of burnt buildings and streets. Andy's stomach began to twist into a knot, squirming against the ground as he turned towards Kristjana.

"Did he—"

"Yes. He didn't want to make a scene of you being out here. No one recognized you with all the ash." Kristjana replied, her voice muffled against his shoulder.

"How—"

"Livid if it weren't for you being unconscious."

"On a scale of—"

"Infinity."

Andy winced. "Oh."

Kristjana lifted her head, whipping her hair from her eyes. She rubbed the back of her hand across her puffy eyes. Her lips quivered into a weak smile.

"I don't suppose it's a part of royal protocol to ditch a royal meeting and throw yourself into the middle of a fire."

Andy chuckled, "Really? I thought it was right under Chapter five, section 304."

The tense laughter was silenced as the guards stomped through, shifting through villagers as they wheeled blanketed wagons through the streets. Andy's blood ran cold again, watching a pale arm, the bone burnt black within the scarred tissue, stumble from underneath the coverings. A series of silent sobs wracked through the crowd as he hung his head.

He closed his eyes, cursing at the lifeless, seared eyes that flickered behind his eyelids. Andy's face grew ashen as he gently pushed Kristjana back. She arched a brow until he turned to the side and let bile wrench itself from his throat. The villagers shot daggers at the boy as his coughs and groans filled the air. His shoulders shuddered with each cough as his saliva and vomit spilled onto the corner. Her fingers carefully rubbed his back with each cough until he heaved in the icy air again.

As Andy trembled, wiping the back of his sleeve against his mouth shakily, a scream pierced the air. The villagers turned their heads towards the source of the screaming. A young woman, her singed dress clinging to her frame, pointed at the market square where the seasonal pole once stood. The villagers huddled around the square despite the soldiers and guards instruction and gasped.

Andy leaned against Kristjana, shooting her a pleading look before she begrudgingly helped him up. He staggered to his feet, leaning one side against Svea and the other against Kristjana as they ventured over to the square. Carefully weaving through the crowd, the three of them got to the edge of the square when Andy and Kristjana's face grew pale while Svea shuddered, reeling back with a wail. Seared into the ground were the ashes of bony creature, wings detached from its body as it bowed its head to the east. Yet, what made the villagers shudder wasn't the creature, but what the pattern eerily spelled out.

The black dust swirled in endless patterns with the same creature scorned into the stony ground, reading: Devour the flame. Devour the spark. We are the nightmare. We are the dark.

Andy felt his knees buckle, snippets of the meeting flooding his mind as he wheezed. There was only one kingdom with that motto. One kingdom buried centuries ago. One kingdom, whose phantom blindly reaped upon their allies. One kingdom that had made the boy hide under his covers for a month after reading about their myths. One kingdom that had wormed its way upon their shores.

One kingdom that was no longer a legend.

As Andy vomited on the edge of the market square, no one dared to glare at him. For they were growing sick at the realization hitting them; it wasn't a kingdom that was no longer a myth.

It was the Draugen.