~Chapter 22~

Elsa

I tried putting out the fires as I rode through the forest, but I couldn't keep up. It was brutal and sapping my strength with how hard I tried to take out the flames. I felt as though my efforts were wasted as many of the smaller fires would combine and light up another tree or bush within seconds after I iced the last tree. It was bitter work, but in the end, I knew this forest was going to light up no matter what I did. I had to press on to try and find that place that I saw in Ahtohallan. Was it near Arendelle or miles away from here? It was Marcus's family that I saw, so that would have been within the grounds of Kalde, but I didn't recognize anything from the memory. It wasn't going to be that easy.

I rode the Nokk west and then all the way east and by the time it got dark, I didn't even begin to slow down. It frustrated me to no end that I really wasn't sure what I was looking for. After all, Ahtohallan only gave me unclear images from a memory long past. Finally, I stumbled across a familiar sight near a waterfall on the other side of the continent found beside a mountain cliffside. It was just what I had seen in the memory though a lot less green surrounding the area. Though regardless of the fires, the water was still falling down into the pond below making quite the ruckus. I closed my eyes reimaging what I saw in that memory and I could see it all perfectly in my mind. It was tragic that this entire area had been laid to such waste now. I dismounted the Nokk and ran toward the cave. It was dark inside and groaned thinking having my husband here with his powers would be most beneficial right now. Though to my surprise, a glow came up behind me and I turned thinking it was the moon but found the Nokk standing behind me nudging me with its snout. Its body was aglow like a faint candle. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing. I entered into this dark cave keeping my eyes out for any detail that was highlighted with the light from the Nokk. Then I saw the large boulder toward the back where Kuva was one imprisoned. I saw it before in the memory, but now I was here and for some reason, I felt most unsettled. There was a foreboding malice that seemed to linger here even though I know it was vacant. That was the frightening thing. A presence long gone from this place, but somehow made me feel like it was haunting this place even now. I saw the handprint on that boulder that Zane and James pressed the fire against. The key met the lock and released a menace. I had to right their mistake otherwise my home would pay the price among countless lives. Something told me Kuva wouldn't be satisfied with only this land either.

Being the fifth spirit didn't help me much in this moment and that frustrated me to no end. If I had such power and ability then why did I feel utterly helpless as the forest burned down all around me today? As I was about to turn and leave, something caught my eye etched above the doorway inside this back area behind the boulder. I had to slide my way through, but it was too narrow for the Nokk to follow, but at least I could still see with the glow it continued to give off.

"Great job giving off that glow, keep it up." I said, patting its snout.

I took a turn about the room and found more writing about the room. It was a warning that was in some foreign language that was unfamiliar and yet I could read it.

The message said: Any malevolent power that passes these walls shall become imprisoned in this place of power.

As I touched the script curiously, a force field blocked my hand and the boulder at the entrance began to move. The Nokk made noise as pitch-black darkness surrounded me immediately trapped in the room. Was this some type of countermeasure put here for anyone wielding magic. Then I wondered was it because at one time, James's power had corrupted me? That must have been it. This place is a prison for anyone or anything it views as a threat. At one time, I sought to destroy Ahtohallan, though not of my will, but James' influence. In the dark, I stumbled around trying to freeze and possibly break apart the boulder keeping me trapped. It was no use, my magic did nothing. It's like it drained me in here in mere moments. The Nokk continued to make a ruckus sounding agitated and I crawled to the nearest rock surface putting my hand against it hoping I would be heard.

"Find Marcus, bring him here." I urged, "Hurry."

The Nokk whinnied and I heard it clomp off and then it became very quiet. So quiet, I could barely hear myself breathe. I didn't want to waste my energy blasting ice carelessly, so I tried to remain focused in this dark prison. Though what could I possibly manage to do? I couldn't see my hand in front of my face. I was no expert, but the air in here was limited and it was a couple hour trek to get here. I immediately worried that I would run out of air before Marcus could reach me. Suffocating alone like this was not something I was prepared to face.