~Chapter 26~
Anna
For some strange reason, the path leading up toward the north mountain felt different this time. Sure the circumstances for climbing it were completely changed, but I felt this gut-wrenching feeling in the pit of my stomach like this wasn't going to end easily. The creature I could see towering above the peak of the mountain roaring to all who would turn an ear and listen. Marcus and Elsa were muttering to themselves trying to come up with the plan on how to engage this creature waiting for us up top. Though I felt a bit left out.
"Think I should be included?" I said, turning around to face the two of them abruptly.
Elsa and Marcus stopped and glanced my way looking embarrassed. I know it wasn't personal, but we were a team and I wanted to contribute and help however, wherever I could.
"Sorry Anna," Elsa muttered.
"We didn't mean anything by it." Marcus added.
"So what are you guys thinking?" I asked, getting right to the point.
Marcus and Elsa exchanged quick glances before answering my question.
"I wish that book hadn't been so vague…" Elsa said.
"It told us enough, didn't it?"
"But I'm curious how we can bring down that flying creature," Marcus muttered, "Let alone my uncle who is behind this whole deception."
"One thing at a time, please." Elsa replied, giving my hand a gentle squeeze.
"Sorry, I know I'm not helping."
"Marcus, you do help. We just need more information." I reassured him.
"Not to mention, more time." Elsa added.
We continued our trek toward the summit, but we wouldn't get there before nightfall and Elsa built us a shelter of ice for the night, which Marcus made an instant fire.
"You two take camping to a whole other level." I teased.
"Anna, with this down time, let's take another look at that book." Marcus urged.
"Sure thing." I said, grabbing the book from my satchel.
With having more time to kill, we tried looking through the book's contents to figure out keywords or passages we might have missed before. Bellows from the beast echoed across the mountain and it sent a chill down my spine. I felt with every passing page that we were getting nowhere. I stood up abruptly brushing myself off a bit before venturing toward the entrance to the shelter.
"Anna, where are you going?" Marcus asked.
"I need some air." I replied, "I'll be right back."
It was a beautiful night up on the mountain, though looking down upon everything below was a punch to the gut. I could barely recognize a thing from up here. Trees on fire or burned to a crisp. Everything as far as the eye could see was devoid of green or life in general. The ruins of Arendelle looked so small from where we were. The moonlight heavily cascading down from the heavens illuminating all that we had lost in a matter of hours. Was it all avoidable or was it inevitable? I wasn't sure. I wrapped my arms around my shoulders and began to rub them a bit. I wasn't sure if I was cold or just sore, probably both. I knew I should probably get weight off my foot. As I turned to get back inside the shelter, Elsa joined me looking calm and collected. We exchanged a brief glance and in one look, I knew she could read me like a book.
"Marcus is cooking up some food by the fire." Elsa said, casually.
"Thanks." I muttered, rubbing my arms, "I'll be there in a minute."
"Anna," Elsa said, grabbing my shoulder, "You're worried about Kristoff."
I glanced at my sister knowing it would be foolish to hide anything.
"Yes, I'm worried about him, but I'm also trying to figure out how we're going to take that creature down. Not to mention, Marcus's own uncle."
"Shh," Elsa said glancing back at the shelter, "Not so loud, besides we know it's not really his uncle."
"I just wish we had better answers."
"We're doing the best we can, Anna."
"Maybe I should have stayed behind with Kristoff and found those catacombs instead. Everyone must be freaking out."
I began pacing and Elsa stopped me grabbing me firmly by the shoulders.
"Anna, we're going to figure this out."
"Oh I know, but just let me have this moment. I don't get them that often."
Elsa didn't argue and went back inside the shelter and maybe five minutes later, Marcus joined me bringing me a hot plate of food.
"I'll be inside soon, Marcus."
"Well, guess I beat you to the punch." He smirked, "Come on, you should give your leg a rest."
"I'm tired of resting," I snapped, "Don't you see? We should be storming the mountain under the cover of nightfall. It's the perfect stealth mission."
"Anna, you were nearly killed back at the palace. Forgive your sister and I for wanting to take it easy."
"Well James isn't taking anything easy, so I don't really want to give him any more opportunities to hurt those I care about most."
"I understand, but for my sake, try not to be stubborn about this."
I shot him an annoyed look.
"I'm not being stubborn." I protested.
He raised a brow looking unconvinced.
"Okay," I retorted, "I'm not that stubborn."
"We've seen what he can do. Wiping out an army in a blink. Arendelle was at war and then seconds later, the Southern Isles army was gone. I don't want to see that happen again to a friend or foe."
"I know." I said, "Look, what do you make of the book?"
"Not sure I trust the contents." Marcus shrugged, "You found that book at random, right? Maybe James has leached himself into your subconscious and wanted you to choose that very book."
"But why?" I interrupted, "Why this book? It seems like James is after bigger things than this book. Did he mention anything to you, you know, before?"
"Nothing. He's been planning this destruction for who knows how long."
"Well, Kuva has. " I corrected.
"My Uncle James or Kuva, both are bad and both need to go down."
"Yes and we know that we are just the people to do it. Though there is the matter of how."
"Let's get inside and eat," Marcus urged, offering me his arm politely, "We're going to figure this thing out one way or another. Maybe we need to make that weapon."
"Are there forges this high above sea level?" I teased.
"Guess we'll find out." He replied.
We rejoined Elsa inside the shelter and ate our fill of the food that had been packed. I wasn't very hungry, but mainly picked at my plate. Marcus had to reheat it with his fire since we had talked for so long. Elsa and Marcus both urged me to get some rest so that we would start the climb again in a few hours before sun up. They got cozy on one side and I tried to get even remotely comfy on the other, but that was nearly impossible. My thoughts drifted to Kristoff. He probably thought I didn't trust him enough to come with us. Some fiancee I was turning out to be. I'm sure he understood why I begged him to stay behind, but I know it hurt him regardless. Once this was all over, I'd make this all up to him. Besides, I still stood by my decision. I needed him to be safe.
Sleep eventually took me, though surprising as I was hearing Marcus snore for several minutes before I drifted off. The next thing I knew I was being shaken awake and as I opened one eye, I saw her again. That woman from before who told me that answers were found in the library. She looked exactly the same; long auburn hair with regal attire. Simply putting a finger to her lips as she walked slowly to the entrance of the shelter and I quickly went after her. Marcus and Elsa hadn't stirred and I quickly ran outside. Was I sleepwalking? No this was real, I could still see the woman and she led me away from camp. I wasn't sure if she was to be trusted, but my gut told me to follow her.
"Where are we going?" I called out.
She didn't answer me, but we kept hiking further and further up the mountain. The path we took was a different way around to the apparent destination, but once I saw it gleaming in the moonlight it sparked my curiosity as to why she led me here. Elsa's ice palace was still standing and I wondered how long it would be with James destroying everything in his wake. The woman floated up the stairs and went through the main doors and I quickly followed.
My sister's palace of ice was just as big and radiant as I remembered. It was astonishing to me that it still stood even with all the heat and fire happening down below us, but of course, high mountainous elevations could explain that. I saw the woman dart behind the frozen water fountain acting strangely elusive, but keeping peering at me making sure I was following. She practically flew up the steps to the second level of the palace and it was strange as I went after her. Something inside strangely felt nervous as I came up here. Probably trying to silence the memory of the earlier trauma with Elsa and Marcus that happened here so long ago. Though the woman went up another set of stairs to another level that I never noticed before. As I looked on curiously, I heard a clamour of noise from the stories below and heard my sister and Marcus yelling my name. I called out a simple 'here' and as I waited for them, my mind was reeling.
As my sister and brother in law were herding themselves up the stairs, the woman pointed out a cave passage hidden behind a thin sheet of ice. It went beyond the ice palace and up the mountain further. She looked back at me and I heard her talk to me, though her mouth didn't move, but it's like I heard her inside my head.
"By bonds of tremendous power, the weapon of destruction is formed, but only one can have the strength to wield." The woman said.
Her eyes were piercing and I felt like she was giving me significant instructions though I didn't know what they meant. Shortly after, she disappeared as Elsa and Marcus finally caught up with me.
"Anna, what were you thinking running off like that?" Elsa said upon approach.
Marcus came up behind her and I glanced at him as he shrugged nonchalantly.
"I'm with your sister on this one, Anna." Marcus nodded.
"Okay in my defense, I didn't run off, I was following somebody." I shrugged.
Elsa and Marcus curiously looked around, but then glanced back at me clearly confused with dubious faces.
"She led me here." I muttered, "And Elsa, you build this place, but did you know there was an alternate passage up here?"
"I wasn't aware, but that's not what concerns me." Elsa muttered.
"You didn't build this part, did you?" Marcus finished for her.
"Honestly, I'm not quite sure I even remember. It was so long ago now."
"Several sources have already told us about working together and this woman led me up here to this passage. Maybe there are more answers through there."
I began to march my way toward the opening, but not before Marcus grabbed my arm.
"Anna, what if it's an ambush? We know what James is capable of."
"And I know the three of us can take him. We just need to formulate a plan and find this weapon."
"I love your enthusiasm, Anna." Elsa smiled, grabbing my shoulder, "But we have to be smart about this."
"Sure, the smart thing is that we're going together and not alone, so let's go. Everyone back home is counting on us."
"Let's first focus on this weapon…" Elsa replied, "How is it made or how do we find it? Is it even here?"
"Ah, that's the catch. I figure we can figure it out as we go."
"This is not a 'wing it' kind of moment, Anna." Marcus smirked.
My shoulders slumped, I knew they were right.
"Elsa, can I see that book we brought from the library again?"
Elsa handed it over quickly as I returned to those pages we were looking over last night. As I glossed over the pages, the beast bellowed loudly and it sounded so close. It surprised me, almost making me lose grip of the book. I perused further and further across the pages and found a single page at the back cover of the book that had a bunch of symbols on it. I couldn't read it, but something in my gut told me they were important.
"Elsa, can you make this out?" I asked.
"Not all, what language is that?" She replied.
Marcus looked it over next and then scratched his forehead curiously. Though he began to vocalize what he was reading.
"You can read this?" Elsa said, stepping back looking at him in amazement.
"Sure." He shrugged.
"Well keep reading, please."
The more Marcus went over the lines, the eerier whatever he was reading began to sound. He repeated it several times, but nothing came of it.
"It was a great try." I shrugged.
"Elsa, why don't you join me?" He offered.
"What can I do?" Elsa reasoned.
"You and I hold a connection as users of the elements, but even stronger as man and wife." He replied.
"Yes," Elsa nodded, as he took her by the hand, "But I'm failing to see the point in that."
"Marcus, is right." I added.
"What do you mean, Anna?" Elsa said, glancing at me curiously.
Marcus nodded grateful that I jumped in trying to convince my sister. Sometimes in situations like this, it took a village with her.
"The woman told me 'by bonds of tremendous power, the weapon of destruction is formed, but only one can have the strength to wield'."
"Why is all of this so cryptic?" Elsa grumbled.
"It's worth a try." I nodded.
"Let's try this, Elsa. If we're wrong, then that's that." Marcus added.
My sister hesitated for only a moment before glancing down at the book cover at the foreign symbols.
"Teach it to me." She finally agreed.
As Marcus and Elsa joined hands, something began to happen. I didn't exactly understand it, but it was an epic sight to behold. The ice below them began to glow as they kept repeating that incantation or whatever it was. Soon rising up from the ice was a sharp spike of black. It stopped rising about a yard above the ice and both Elsa and Marcus toppled over seemingly exhausted. I approached this strange object and touched it with my hand.
"It's obsidian." I muttered.
As quickly as I made my announcement, the spike suddenly shattered to pieces, but left a long bit of it whole. It was shaped perfectly like a sword without a hilt. Curiously, I picked it up and it was not as heavy as I would have imagined it to be. I tried to let Elsa and Marcus take note of it's light nature as well, but neither of them couldn't pick it up. They both tried and the blade fell from their grip as they both cried out in pain. As soon as the blade left their hands, they were fine and pain free.
"Well, there's some fine print for you." I said.
"Anna, bring it here in front of me." Elsa instructed.
I obeyed and held the blade out toward her as she quickly made a thick hilt of ice for it. I grabbed the handle with my gloved hand and stared at the weapon in awe. I wasn't sure what this thing was capable of, but something in my gut told me this would help us bring James and Kuva down. The scariest part was that apparently it was up to me since apparently I was the only one capable of wielding such a weapon. Just my luck.