Chapter Sixteen: The Journey

WHIT

Wisty and I were in our best travelling clothes, carrying a rucksack on our backs. We stepped onto the front porch of our old house. The door opened before I could ring the doorbell and we were greeted by our parents.

"Mom!" cried Wisty.

I shouted, "Dad!"

We flung ourselves into their open arms, Wisty at Mom and me at Dad, and then Wisty at Dad and me at Mom.

"Sorry for not seeing you in so long," Wisty sobbed. "Things were really busy lately."

"We should've visited you more frequently," I acknowledged.

Dad said patiently, "That's all right, Whitford and Wisteria, we understand." He put an arm around his wife and rubbed her shoulder. "Your Mom and I are safe and fine."

Mom sniffed, "I've missed you, my darlings!"

Sadness washed over me. I was about to say goodbye to my parents. I didn't know if I could do this or whether or not I would do it right. I didn't want to leave them. Wisty and I had already lost them to The One Who Is The One, we only brought them back from Shadowland not so long ago, and now that we were going to be parting ways with them again, I wasn't sure if I was ready for another long-term family separation. What if this time it was permanent?

I took a deep breath to steady my heartbeat and began, "Mom, Dad, we have to tell you something…"

"There is no need," Mom said, shaking her head kindly. "We know."

Dad gave us a smile only a loving father could give. "You two are so valiant, so altruistic and kind. You sacrificed and did so much for the good of this City, and grew up to be exactly the son and daughter your Mom and I hoped you would be. You are willing to risk your lives to help the sisters of Arendelle even when they have not done anything for you in return, and I am deeply impressed by your dauntlessness and generosity." He looked at my Mom, who nodded. "We both are." He addressed us again. "Just take care of yourselves for us, will you?"

"We will," I assured him, and then added, "The non-magic-makers in the Council are in charge now. Wisty and I have appointed one of its members, Greg, as Speaker."

"Until you return," said Mom.

"If we return," I corrected.

Mom said in disapproval, "Don't say that, Whit."

But I wasn't going to let her tell me off, so I pressed, "Seven thousand magicians set off to do battle, but not all seven thousand will come back. People will perish. Not everybody will live to see the dawn. You can't change it. You can't prevent it. That's the way it is. My sister and I are either going to win or we die trying."

Wisty asked, "Have you got any last pieces of advice?"

"I have one." Mom took a step forward. Her expression was strong and determined. "Win," she said.

They pulled us into a big group cuddle, and we hugged one another with warmth and tightness like never before, as if we didn't ever want to let go.

"This isn't going to be the last time I'm seeing you," Dad said.

Wisty's voice was higher-pitched than usual. "I hope it won't be."

We broke apart. Our parents' faces weren't streaked with tears but dry. I was glad they were not crying. Crying would imply that they didn't believe us or have enough faith in us, and that was the last thing I'd wish to carry with me when I depart.

Dad's gaze swept back and forth between me and Wisty. "Look at you, the most powerful witch and wizard, leaders of the City. You guys and the Council did an outstanding job of running the place, you provided people with what they needed, gave everybody freedom and kept the peace. And I'm—" He sniffed and blinked away the tears that suddenly welled. "And I am so proud of you."

Mom said, "Well, I suppose this really is farewell then."

I told them, "Should you discover anything amiss in the Council or any faults in the way they are operating, it will be up to you and Mrs. Highsmith to make things right. We're leaving the responsibility in your hands."

Our parents nodded.

I looked into their eyes and said quietly and gently, "Goodbye, Mom and Dad."

Wisty echoed, "Goodbye."

And we slowly walked away from the house. When we glanced back at the end of the road, they waved, and so did we, before we turned the corner and they were blocked from our view.

The army of magicians was waiting for us in the City square when we arrived. Elsa informed us that the journey from the City to Arendelle would last four weeks, so everyone made sure they had brought enough provisions that would sustain them over that period of time. Just like us, they were all dressed in appropriate travelling garments and each carried a rucksack on their back, within which were spare clothing and shoes, raw food, snacks, drinks, cooking tripods, bottles of oil and sauces, kitchen utensils, armour, and weapons. At first there was the problem of how we were going to fit all that stuff in there, but then it had been solved when Wisty casted an enchantment on the bags to get them to have sufficient space to accommodate as many things as possible, therefore an object would automatically shrink when you put them inside, but expand to its normal size when you take it out again. My sister was a genius. Everybody was in control of their own things. A few people also wanted to bring their iPhone, MP3 player and a book but then decided against it as this wasn't a nice trip or vacation they were going on and they wouldn't be needing them anyway.

Wisty and I made our way towards Elsa, Anna and the rest of our friends, who were waiting in a small group at the front. We would be the ones to lead the army. Elsa and Anna were in the same hairstyles and dresses they had on when they first arrived. I considered journeying to our destination by car to save time, but given the knowledge that we had to cross the sea at some point, I got a feeling it wouldn't be very sensible. And the City had no horses, so our only choice to get to Arendelle was by foot.

I inquired, "Elsa, from which direction did you arrive to the City?"

"I believe it was the east."

I pondered on this. I knew every inch of the City as well as the land beyond it. To the north lay a desert, to the west a range of snowy mountains where the Wizard King's domain, a.k.a. Pearce's former hometown, was located, and to the east…

I said, "If you came from the east, that means we're going to have to pass over a wide river and then through an endless forest."

"The forest is vast but not endless," Elsa recalled. "Beyond that is a plain that's mostly barren and desolate, and located at the far side is a realm called Diffinus. It is near a bay with a port. Ahead of the bay is the sea, which covers the rest of the distance from there all the way to the mountains surrounding Arendelle. Trust me. I've been through that way before. It was how I got here."

"How did you know the direction to get here in the first place?" Emmet asked.

"I didn't. I conjured frost and snowflakes out of thin air with my magic and they guided me here, but there's no need for me to do it again. I remember the way." Elsa hastily glimpsed me and Wisty up and down. "You guys got everything you need?" We nodded and gave her a thumbs-up. "All right then. Let's head off."

The ordinary citizens turned their heads to stare and wave at us as we marched through the roads and streets, past edifices and buildings, to the outskirts. I allowed myself one more glance at the cityscape behind me. Happy memories flashed before my eyes: Dad and I riding a bike down a sloping highway, sitting on the swing beside Celia Millet licking ice cream, winning the foolball match of the season for the first time, laughing at some random joke with Sasha, Margo and Jamilla at Resistance headquarters, the one time when I aced my biology test in eighth grade, me jumping up and down at the wondrous sight of a mountainous pile of birthday presents from Mom, singing the Holiday celebration song with adorable Pearl Marie and the Needermans, Wisty and I sledding together down a steep, snowy hill, shouting in exhilaration, hanging out on a cool summer evening with Janine on the beach, performing with my friends last night during the concert, sitting in a pub with Elsa, Wisty and Pearce, drinking ginger ale and toasting…

"Whit, are you OK?"

Elsa was looking at me with worry and concern.

"Yeah, I-I'm fine," I said subconsciously, still gazing at the City in the distance. "It's just…I might not ever see it again…" The mere thought of it was already filling me with melancholy that was almost too much for me to bear, and saying it out loud did nothing but worsen and intensify the feeling. "And don't respond with a 'one day you will' kind of thing," I added, "because that won't help."

"I wasn't going to say anything," Elsa replied, not unkindly. "The river is just ahead."

I pulled myself together and walked on.

I heard the sound of the river long before we approached it. I had been on these banks many times. The menacing, uninviting water gushed and spurted, the huge, strong waves churning and foaming, spraying me with chilling droplets, ready to drown and pull under whoever dared swim in it. The currents were so deadly it was impossible to cross.

This did not pose a challenge to Elsa, however.

"Stand back!" she commanded.

Elsa raised her arms, palms out, and fired twin beams of sheer ice at the boiling water. Within seconds the entire river was frozen. The icy surface was uneven, bumpy and very slippery, so we took extreme caution crossing it, stepping over the crests of waves that had froze mid-movement.

After travelling over grassland for a day, a large area of green came into view. The lofty trees of the forest loomed over us, spaced around ten to fifteen metres apart from one another. Their trunks were thick and overgrown with moss and lichen at the bottom, and the leaves of the canopy were so abundant and compact they blocked out most of the sky. Tendrils of light evening mist shrouded the soiled ground. I paused at the edge of the forest and peered into the mass of trees. I couldn't make out more than twelve yards ahead of me, beyond that was eerie pitch-blackness. It would be injudicious to carry on in the dark, so the witches and wizards made camp for the night. I lay on the grass with Janine, staring up at the clear starry sky in silence. After listening to the musical chirping of grasshoppers and the cooing of owls, I fell asleep.

We ventured into the forest nice and early the next day. The downside issue was that the trees were very dense, so we were forced to slow our pacing. But the delightful thing was that the soil beneath our feet was loose and soft, making it easy and comfortable for us to walk on. No path had been marked through the forest, so we had to create our own. The route was tough and tricky, but be that as it may, Elsa and Anna pushed us on and we didn't stop unless it was time to eat. Day after day we persisted like this, with Elsa in the lead, me and my friends following behind her, and the rest of the army at our heels. What was supposed to be an adventurous journey quickly turned into a monotonous one. The air was humid, thus when it was bright and sunny—most days the weather was like this—my body was usually hot and sticky with sweat. It wasn't long before I began to crave getting out of the place. Emmet and Beric were also becoming tetchy. The most common phrases people exchanged were something along the lines of "Be careful not to step there!" and "Whoa, steady!" and "Watch out for that low-hanging branch!" and "Keep moving!" Everyone was intent on reaching the other side of the endless greenery that none of us talked or said much.

Food was cooked in a tripod pan set over a campfire. Although some of the adults produced ignitions by scraping rocks together, it was Wisty who was responsible for lighting most of the fires. For me, breakfast would be chopped up potatoes mixed with jalapenos and onions and some canned biscuit doughnuts. My typical lunch and dinner ranged from paella, tacos, summer vegetables and crescent dogs to lamb kebabs, macaroni and cheese, and roasted chicken and nachos. But my top preference was campurritos because they were fast and simple to make and very delicious, therefore I cooked them most often. Since we all had individual supplies of food, every one of us prepared and ate our own meals and nobody shared anything.

It had been a week since we entered the forest. Emmet and Ross went to the middle of our army one afternoon to ensure no witch or wizard wandered off, and Byron and Janine headed to the rear to check that there were no stragglers.

"You didn't carry baggage with you when you arrived to the City, Elsa, so how did you manage without any food?" I said to her as we walked.

Elsa replied, "Well, I had plentiful of gold. I happened to come across a couple of houses here and there on the plain, so I visited them and paid whoever lived there with gold for some food. When I was journeying through the forest I encountered travellers and small groups of campers, and requested the same of them. I was pretty well-fed at the kingdom of Diffinus and I stayed there for a night."

"What about when you were running across the sea?" I asked. "You couldn't have met anybody on the way there, could you?"

"That was the hardest. I went without anything to eat for two whole days," Elsa conceded, and my jaw dropped in astonishment. "It was unbearable. I was going to starve to death for sure. But then over the following days I came across several ships halfway on their voyage, and they saved my life."

"I'm very sorry to hear that," I said.

Elsa admitted, "I hated every bit of it, begging other people for food and giving them money in return…how very queenly of me. I was absolutely disgusted with myself, but I couldn't give up, I had to get to Anna."

Anna's eyes were moist. "Oh, Elsa…"

"It's not much of a big deal now," Elsa stated. "That was in the past. Anna is right here with me. Nothing could separate us from each other."

"Such a strong sisterly bond, how very touching," Pearce remarked wryly.

I rounded on him. "Surely the light-heartedness from the concert must've faded from everyone by now? What's with the cheerful mood, Pearce?"

"What's with your sudden moroseness, Whit?" He challenged. "If I have offended you in some way, please, do tell me, because I must have missed it."

Not wanting to waste my strength and time on chitchat, I decided to drop it. "It was nothing, never mind," I mumbled.

"Your sister and I slept in a luxurious hotel the other night," Pearce revealed. "We had so much fun together."

"You know I can hear you, right?" Wisty retorted.

Pearce avoided her and continued, "We watched an amazing episode. We kissed with tongue—"

"OK, I do not need to know that," I interrupted. If Pearce was probing for a way to provoke me he'd have to try a lot harder than that.

"—we even had sex."

"I said never mind!" I said impatiently.

"You might consider trying it with your girlfriend, Janine," he pressed. "She's going to enjoy it big time."

I snapped, "Let her be the judge of what she will or will not enjoy."

"How did this conversation drift from the hardships Elsa endured on her journey to Pearce and Wisty making love?" Anna cut in.

Pearce put up his hands. "I don't know, I'm just answering Whit's question."

I hesitated for a moment and then said, "That does sound like a fabulous night, Pearce. After all this time, you and Wisty are finally together, no pretending, no disguising, but actually together and in love. I'm happy for you two."

Pearce narrowed his eyes suspiciously as if he expected me to burst out laughing and tell him I was kidding, but my unwavering gaze was proof enough that I was sincere, so he said, "Thanks, Whit."

"What is that?" Elsa squinted into the distance. I turned to look as well. A bronze pendant hung from a branch of a tree ahead. It was shaped like a flower with many petals, and carved into its centre was a peridot gemstone which gleamed yellow-green in the sunlight. The object looked familiar. Elsa retrieved it and held it up before her to inspect it curiously.

"It is a legendary medallion that gives the person who wears it an extended life," I explained. "I read about it in one of my spell books. This pendant is magical."

Wisty inquired, "So whoever wears it will be able to live longer?"

"Exactly," I confirmed. "What on earth is it doing here?"

"Some rider on horseback probably passed through this area in a hurry, his pendant might've accidentally caught on a tree branch without him noticing," Elsa speculated.

"Or," Pearce guessed, "The person who previously owned it may have chosen to just leave it here."

Elsa asked, "Why would someone want to leave an object this precious behind?"

"It's too dangerous or maybe even cursed and he no longer wants to have anything to do with it," said Pearce.

"It is not dangerous," I contended. "According to the spell book the medallion doesn't invoke any harm."

"Has a person got to have that thing around his neck all the time in order for it to work, or does he only has to wear it once?" Anna questioned. "Would it still be able to function if the person wears it for a while, takes it off, and then put it back on again?"

"No," I told her. "He needs to have it on all the time."

Anna made a face. "What a weight to carry."

"I'll keep it," said Elsa, unzipping her rucksack and stuffing the pendant inside, "just in case we have to use it."

I said, "That's unlikely, but OK."

Elsa responded, "You never know."

Another week had elapsed before we saw the border at last and emerged from the other side of the forest. The canary yellow plain that lay ahead of us was indeed barren and desolate like Elsa had informed, but she also said that the land near the realm would be luxuriant with grass, and this gave me something to look forward to. On and on we trekked. Crossing the plain turned out to be even more difficult than travelling through the forest. In the forest, the atmosphere was sultry but at least we had the cool shade of the trees, whereas out here on the plain we were completely exposed to the baking heat. There hadn't been as much as a single drop of rain, and the blazing temperature was unrelenting. It was like being encased in an oven, with sunscreen as our only protection. Stripping down to our vest tops, camisoles and shorts did little to help. We might as well have been cooked alive.

To make matters even worse, our food supply was dwindling. Everyone, especially the adults, was experiencing the same problem. We were too extravagant on our lunches and dinners instead of rationing our meals so that food was running out faster than we had anticipated. Luckily for us we had magic, hence we were able to conjure and materialize whatever nourishment we want with our imagination. We relied more and more on it as the days passed. But even if our sustenance wasn't diminishing and we didn't have any powers, it was not like we were that willing to cook anyway—it was already scorching enough without the heat of seven thousand campfires. Also, our appetite for thirst was much stronger than our appetite for hunger, and most of us drank more than we ate.

The red-hot sun continued to shine down upon us. We were so dripping with and soaked in sweat that whenever I looked around at my friends, it was as if they had just come out of a shower or climbed out of a swimming pool. Even Wisty, who was so used to and rarely bothered by high temperatures, was finding the blistering heat overwhelming. I'd give anything for a fan or an air conditioner, but then it wouldn't have been of much use because all I'd get blown my way was hot wind.

A realm became visible on the horizon during the seventh day of our journey across the plain. We reached there at sundown. We passed through a lively village leading up to the fortress and then over the castle baileys and courtyards. Everywhere, the gatehouse, the keep, ramparts, battlements, towers, turrets, balconies and balustrades, was white. On the whole Diffinus looked like someplace out of a fairy tale, majestic and magnificent. Lords and ladies, knights and sentries, princes and princesses, cooks and servants, and families and children all gazed at us fondly as we went by. They were friendly and courteous, and didn't appear to mind how we looked. I nodded respectfully in their direction and gave them smiles.

Wisty glanced sideways at Elsa. "You could've rallied the people of Diffinus to fight for you, Elsa," she suggested. "They were born to wield a sword."

"It wouldn't be a bad idea. If the portals to the Underworld were here perhaps I would've done it," Elsa replied. "But I have an army. There is no need to congregate more."

"And it's too late for it anyway," Anna added. "We are kind of pushing for time at the moment."

"These people seem to know you," I said.

"They've heard of me and Anna, but they only saw me in person on my way to the City," Elsa said. "Diffinus is a trade partner of Arendelle like the Southern Isles, Weasel Town and many other realms. That was why when I was starving and needed their help, they took me in."

I scowled. "Did you just say Weasel Town?"

"Hang on, that place is no longer one of our trade partners," Elsa added. "I stopped doing business with them a while ago."

Anna was giggling. Seeing I was still scowling she said, "The kingdom is actually named Weselton, but Elsa and I both prefer to call it Weasel Town. I mean, hardly anyone from Arendelle could pronounce it right." And she and Elsa partially covered their mouths and laughed.

Wisty chuckled. "If I turned Byron into a weasel again and if he ever decides to visit, I bet Weselton's gonna welcome him with open arms," she quipped.

I cautioned, "Better not let him hear you say that."

Byron, Ross, Emmet and Janine rejoined us when we came out the opposite side of the fortress and, sure enough, the land ended in a bay. About fifty yards below was a beach with a port and the sea, separated from us by a steep cliff that was the same canary yellow as the plain. We stood at the edge for a few minutes and stared out at the deep blue sea, and then made our way down a rocky zigzagging slope that was an extension of the face of the cliff to the sandy shore. Traders went up and down the slope either bringing in goods or exporting them.

Several ships and other smaller boats were docked at the area, but it was the glorious Viking dragon ship that hypnotized us. It had a copper dragon with emerald scales as its figurehead and a curving spiked tail as its stern. Attached to the three masts was a purple sail. The mainsail hung from the tallest mast in the middle, heavily supported by rigging, and embroidered on it was a marigold orange lotus flower. On top of the deck were a saloon, three ballistas and a fancy wheel.

"Whoa!" Byron exclaimed.

The crew were busy trading items.

"She is quite splendid to look upon, isn't she?" A man in his seventies said to Byron. Although his dark brown hair was streaked with silver and his tanned face was lined with age, he was strong, muscular and very well-built. His expression was cordial.

Byron replied, "Indeed."

"Her name is Nightwind. Fastest ship to sail the seven seas. It can take you anywhere in the world. I am the captain," said the old man.

Seizing her chance, Elsa stepped forward and inquired politely, "Would you mind taking us on a voyage to the mountains surrounding Arendelle?"

The captain looked at her, and his eyes lit up in recognition. "Arendelle, yes, I've heard about what happened there. A lot of us have. The news was that Prince Hans of the Southern Isles usurped the throne and sent Princess Anna to an unknown, foreign place far, far away by a magical force, and that Queen Elsa fled in search for her." He paused. "I see that Elsa has prospered in her mission of finding her sister Anna because the two of them are standing right here in front of me."

Anna said hopefully, "You know us?"

"Why, of course I do! How could one not know the princess and queen of Arendelle?" He looked over their shoulders at the rest of us. "I see you have assembled an army."

Elsa gave me and Wisty a triumphant smile. "So we did. Together we are going to crush Hans."

The captain approached her and took her hands in both of his. "And crush him you shall. I would be more than honoured to grant you and your army safe passage to the mountains."

I asked, "All seven thousand of us?" I took in the size of the dragon ship for the first time. It looked massive enough to contain four floors, but it was certainly not big enough to accommodate seven thousand people.

Incredulity must be written all over my face, for the captain said, "I forgot to mention the most crucial thing: this dragon ship is magical. It might not appear to be extremely grand on the outside, but on the inside it is larger than you could ever imagine."

"Just like our rucksacks!" Wisty said.

"Is that so? Well, you know how the enchantment works, then." He went on explaining, "Realistically, there are four floors below deck, but magically, there are eight floors, eight humongous floors. My ten crews and I are responsible for running and managing the ship. It was bewitched to sail by itself. There would be no necessity of telling it where to go. It has the capability to sense the voyagers' destination on its own."

I said, "How wonderful!"

He gestured to the people around him. "My crew's just loading the last of the cargo. We were going to transport them from Diffinus to Corona, but I'd be happy to take you all to Arendelle first."

"Thank you so much," said Elsa.

The captain cleared his throat and hurried on, "I think I'm having difficulty working out the cost of the trip…"

At this, Elsa instantly turned away in shame. "Oh no…"

"What's wrong, Elsa?" Anna asked worriedly. "Pay him with gold!"

"That's the problem," she said in a hushed whisper. "I don't have any left!"

Now Anna was the one who looked anxious. "What? I thought you had plenty!"

"I used it all up to get to the City!"

"Elsa," I suggested in an undertone, "Elsa, the medallion!"

"Um…" Elsa turned back to the man. "Sorry, sir, I'm afraid I don't have any gold, but I do have this." She took out the bronze pendant. "It is a magical medallion. If you keep it on you, you will live a longer life."

The man accepted the pendant gingerly from Elsa and held it in his palms as if it was a newborn chicken. "What a rare and valuable thing…" he muttered to himself, and then looked up. "I will treasure this gift always." He motioned at his ship genially and said, "Welcome aboard the Nightwind, everyone!"

Byron, Wisty, Janine and I grinned. Wisty stepped back and signalled for the witches and wizards to go first. "After you," she said.

As the magicians walked three by three up the gangplanks connecting the beach to the ship, someone dragged me aside surreptitiously so that I was out of earshot. It was Pearce. "What is it?" I said.

Pearce jerked his chin at the direction to our left and whispered, "Look."

An armed man in a golden-trimmed black surcoat, chainmail, dark helmet and midnight blue cape was standing there staring at us. On his chest was the sigil of a golden sugar maple. The visor of his helm was up so that we could see his eyes. The corners of his mouth drooped into a stern and nasty frown. As soon as he discovered we noticed his suspect behaviour, he abruptly looked away and stomped down the beach. He bent down to pick up a heavy sack of cargo, a pouch full of gold, and a satchel and tossed them onto a boat. His gaze rested on me and Pearce again as we watched him untie a rope from a pole where his boat was docked. Another man dressed in the exact same military uniform as his companion was seated and waiting. He was also looking at us with loathing, although I couldn't figure out why. When the first man had sat down, the two of them pulled hard on the oars and began to steer the boat through the water away from shore. Gradually the sight of them grew smaller and smaller.

"They had their eyes fixed on us like a hawk this whole time," Pearce said in my ear, his hands on his hips. "It's like they know something."

"How can that be? I've never seen them before," I said. "Relax, Pearce. They're gone now, alright? They're not going to do anything to us."

"Don't be too sure. Nobody else around here paid us any mind, just them. Doesn't that tell you something could be amiss?"

"I think you're getting paranoid, Pearce. We haven't done anything to them. Those men just…don't like us. That's it."

"They dislike us for no reason? No reason at all? I find that hard to believe."

"Believe what you want, but as far as I know, I assure you: nothing fishy is going on."

Pearce said after a moment's hesitation, "We better hope that to be the case."

We said no more as we waited for the army to get on the ship. When everybody was on, my friends and I climbed in after them, the crew of ten followed us, and the captain came up last. Having lived in a city my entire life, I had never been on a voyage across the sea before, and excitement flooded through my veins.

The first thing the captain did was give us a tour of the dragon ship. We descended through a trapdoor below the deck. The old man had been true to his word. Down here it was absolutely and unbelievably enormous! The captain and his crew had the top floor to themselves, passengers and guests usually occupied the lower four levels. These four floors, the ones we were going to stay in, were filled with columns and columns of bunk beds that each consisted of three levels. Two lounges, on one side of which were shelves of books and tomes, divided the columns, and at either end of the room was a big kitchen. The crew brought in food regularly, so the cupboards were never empty. The sixth floor was completely devoted to leisure activities and sports, and was bewitched to appear however a person wishing to enter wanted it to appear; for instance, a person going for a swim would find himself walking into an indoor swimming pool with warm Jacuzzi tubs. The seventh floor below that was where the cannons were. Gun ports were located on either side of the hull so that the barrels could protrude out of it when firing. Stowage was on the bottommost floor in which the things stored there varied from large trading items to sacks full of food and barrels of wine.

After the old man showed us around and all the magicians had settled in their new spaces, Nightwind began to sail. I was told that the travel would last a week.

Within hours the sports and leisure room had become the most frequently visited place. Many witches and wizards, including me and my friends, used it for sword fighting and archery practice. They were keen on improving their techniques and were preventing their training skills from getting rusty. Beric and Titus often liked chatting to the crew, who grew very fond of them as a result. Emmet, Wisty, Byron and Anna spent a lot of time at level six playing badminton or volleyball with the other magicians. Janine and I preferred to stay atop the deck to admire the view, and rested in the saloon whenever we got bored of it. The crew invited Elsa, Anna, Wisty and I to a bonfire dinner one evening, and we sat in a circle roasting marshmallows and telling stories.

A storm hit on the fifth night. Thunder roared loud and wild like an angry beast, flashes of lightning split the sky, and rain poured nonstop from ominous dark clouds above. It went on for hours and hours. The fierce shaking of the ship was disturbing and made lying in bed uncomfortable, therefore none of us got much sleep. As I watched the scene outside through a foggy window and listened to the clapping thunder and the howling wind, I had to admit it was scary being caught in a storm. The captain, on the other hand, had sailed through worse weathers in the past and told us not to be frightened, for like all storms, this one would pass. And it did. The following morning the tide had died down and the sea was calm again. However, a few wizards were affected by seasickness and vomited.

When the last day of our voyage arrived, part of me almost didn't want to get off the Nightwind because all the bright, good days of the journey had been right here on this ship. Late afternoon that day I resolved to go on top of the deck to gaze at the view again. I found Elsa at the starboard with her elbows leaning on the bulwark, looking out over the sea.

She turned at the sound of my footsteps, and smiled, "Hey, Whit."

I approached the bulwark too and stood beside her. "Hi, Elsa," I greeted.

"I can't wait to see my home again. So much there has changed," she said. "I got Anna a tiara for her birthday, you know. I want to see her reaction when I show it to her."

"Anna's having her birthday? When?"

"In eleven days' time," Elsa answered. "She's turning nineteen!"

"That's spectacular!"

"I'm really looking forward to the celebration."

"It is great you are thinking positive, Elsa."

She asked with a frown, "How so?"

My next response was a waste of breath and would make me sound stupid stating the obvious, but I said it anyway, "We still have a battle to fight before we get to the celebrating part, and that's only if we win."

"I've been thinking too much about the upcoming battle. It is all I ever think about, but thinking it won't help me defeat Hans, it is the actual fighting that matters, that determines whether or not we are going to succeed." Elsa sighed. "I need to let go of my agitation and distress, make them evaporate, allow my mind to think about happier things, and the only thing that makes me happy is letting Anna have the best moment on her big, special day."

I smiled encouragingly. "Then let's pray that she will get it." I thought of Hans, and tried to use Elsa's descriptions to me about his appearance to form an image of him in my head, but I couldn't quite do it well and was having trouble picturing how he looked like. It was not easy to see in your brain someone you haven't met. "Wickedness isn't born in a person, it is made," I said to no one in particular, and then realized it was true. Not even The One Who Is The One was born evil. Elsa was looking at me and I turned to her. "You will probably be a bit reluctant to tell me this, but I'm eager to know: why did Hans do what he did? What was the reason behind his ambition and his hunger for power?"

"I haven't truly told you, have I?" She said.

"You don't talk about him much," I confessed.

Elsa took a deep breath and then disclosed, "Hans is the youngest of the thirteen royal siblings of the Southern Isles. Because he has twelve older brothers, he grew up feeling neglected and practically invisible. He spent a large portion of his life being ignored and abused at the hands of his older siblings, and the constant belittling and bullying was what transformed and led to him being cold, calculating and cruel. He is a proud, devilish prince with a hunger for admiration, obedience and chivalric honour. Hans knew he couldn't compete with his brothers and would never have the chance rule the throne of the Southern Isles."

Fitting together the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle, I picked up from there and recalled what she had told me previously, "Therefore he concocted a scheme to marry into monarchy elsewhere…"

"Arendelle," Elsa nodded and finished. "When he got there, he must have realized how reserved I was towards socialization. He was prompted to target my sister Anna, noticing she was lonely and most probably thinking that she was much less…mature than I was. He was going to marry her—"

"—and I can't believe he was planning to kill you afterwards," I interjected. "It's outrageous!" Then I asked, "But why?"

"Murdering me would result in him becoming King," Elsa said impassively. "That is Hans's only desire. He utilizes charm and charisma to attract others, to get people to like him and listen to him. He is a master at manipulation and cares nothing for anyone but himself. Whit, I know you haven't met Hans, but you can just tell from the events I told you about the night he seized Arendelle's throne that he is the kind of man who is prepared to rid anyone necessary in any way he can for his quest for power. Just ask Anna. She is a living reminder of that."

I was struggling to find a reply but ended up remaining silent.

Elsa spoke up again, "What you said a moment ago was right, Whit. I don't believe Hans was born wicked."

"Do you believe he has a possibility for redemption?"

"Like Pearce?" She tittered. "Due to the fact that Hans endeavoured to take Arendelle a second time after he already attempted the first, the likelihood of his redemption is faint."

Something crossed my mind. I said, "This mysterious island you mentioned…you told me that at the heart of the island grew a gigantic sugar maple, and that it was magical. Hans and his followers offered a drop of their blood to the tree. It twisted its thick trunk to reveal an opening in the middle and the men walked through it."

"They did," confirmed Elsa.

"If the maple tree was the source in which Hans obtained his magic from, then if we cut it down, wouldn't all his powers be gone? Elsa, if we deprive Hans and his men of their magic, then they really won't be very dangerous or hard to kill."

"But how can we find the island? Hans wouldn't tell me its location. He said it is top secret. We don't have a clue of its whereabouts," she protested.

I patted the bulwark of the dragon ship. "Nightwind will be able to sense where we want to go. It can take us there."

"I don't think it works that way, Whit. There are many remote, hidden islands out there in the sea and the sugar maple could be on any of them. How can the ship identify the right one? We are going to have to be a lot more specific. Besides, Hans didn't know about the place until he spotted it. He only found it randomly and by chance. Plus, if that tree contains that much power, I doubt you could easily hack it down by swinging your axe."

I shrugged. "Well, that idea's going down the drain; but no matter. Our aim is to get to Arendelle. Sailing to any other place would be a squander of time."

"You were clever to point it out, though. It was a good suggestion—"

The dragon ship rocked suddenly before she could finish her sentence, and Elsa and I staggered.

"What's was that? What's happening?" Elsa said in a rush.

I replied, "I don't know. Hope it's not another storm—"

The ship lurched again, even more violently this time. Elsa and I reeled and were thrown off of our feet. The left side of my face collided hard against the wooden floor of the deck.