Scene 14- a month later
Sagr
Sagr looked over the rolling waters, seeing his first sight of the nation of Arendelle. His flagship dashed through the waves, its massive hull simply absorbing the impacts. The city was lit up most generously at this hour of the morning, and they had finally noticed his fleet. He smiled grimly, looking forward to using his power again. The Geist moaned in desperate pain, and he ordered it silent. He forced himself to calm down. Not tonight. He had kept himself out of his most recent campaigns, to conserve energy for the inevitable confrontation with Arendelle's Ice Queen, but this would be a mere test of her power. He knew she would come, and he would be prepared.
Sagr ordered the ships up to full sails, now that they had been seen. His assault force consisted of forty ships, a small amount compared to how many he could have used, and they approached the city at full speed, his flagship lagging behind because of its huge size. He looked at the city through a small looking glass. He saw engines of war being readied on both the top half and the bottom halves of the city, and many soldiers hurriedly evacuating civilians. Good. They were prepared. The city was amazingly designed for defense. After the bottom half had been taken, his army would be forced to assault the massive staircases via switchbacks, or scale the cliffs themselves. That made it all the more fun. Finally, a challenge for the Mjolgir. The first ships inside the line of fire were viciously set upon by catapults and ballistae, many falling short of their targets. He walked down into the bowels of his flagship, soldiers and sailors kneeling as he passed. He enjoyed the absence of short doorways, as the ship had been designed to accommodate him. He moved to the bottom level, and in a corner of the deepest hold, lay his secret weapon. A young woman was curled in a sleeping position, but as he approached, their golden eyes opened. He never had been able to sneak up on them. They rose, their skintight blue dress dripping on the bare wood of the deck. The Uru'stai smiled sweetly at him, sharpened teeth shining in the dim light, their delicate face and youthful appearance hiding everything. She was no human girl, not any longer.
"What would Sagr have us do? Ven'isai are anxious to be of use, again."
"I want you to wait for the Ice Queen. If she comes within reach, try to capture her alive, if possible. Careful, she will be very powerful."
Ven'isai's smile never wavered. "We will try. Icey types are slippery. Ven'isai will lie low, until the Icey comes. Will Sagr be coming?" He shook his head regretfully.
"No. I must observe her first, see her strengths and weaknesses." Ven'isai's smile disappeared, and they looked at him from under lowered lashes. "Sagr sure? We do so love your company." He nodded, and they sighed in annoyance. He always had to be careful with her. When he had first found her, she had scared him.
"Fine. We will seek the Icey ourselves. Sure you don't want Ven'isai to just kill everything?" He nodded again, and said,
"I will have need of your destructive talents later. Not now, but soon." She smiled again, the Geist half of her becoming visible to him in the dim light. This time making she made no attempt to hide her insanity.
Elsa
Fjordell was under attack. Before Elsa had left the city, she had placed tiny switches of ice on the war machines so Elsa would know when they were being used, and they had, all of them, been broken. Elsa strode though her castle, ordering immediate reinforcements for the city, but feared that they would not reach Fjordell in time. She had promised to defend her people with her life, so she only had one real decision. Go there herself, and use her power in battle.
"No, Elsa! Please don't go! What if something happens to you?!" Anna cried desperately, walking beside her, trying to keep up. "You can't just go off and… risk yourself like this! What if… what if you…?" Elsa looked her in the eye, face solemn. She fought to keep her fear in check.
"If I die, then you will be the Queen of Arendelle. I swore an oath to protect Arendelle, and it is under attack. I'm the only one that can do anything about it, and I intend to."
"In that respect, Elsa, you are incorrect." Donovan stated as he joined them. He was dressed for battle. "If you insist on risking yourself like this, I am coming with you, though I do not think that you are right in doing this." His expression left no room for argument, so Elsa did not.
"Elsa, you sure about this? Skahdi is... concerned."
"Yes, Skahdi, I am sure. I know you're scared, I am too."
Skahdi scoffed, and stated."Skahdi's not scared. And Elsa should not be either." Elsa smiled at her bravery, but she knew it was only a front. They were both frightened. They reached the castle courtyard, where Elsa's Honor Guard was standing at attention.
"Elsa!" Surprised, she looked at Anna. Her sister had on her determined look. She stuck her finger in Elsa's face.
"If you don't come back, I'm going to kill you! Even if you're already dead, I'm going to…!" Anna's brave face broke, and she collapsed in Elsa's arms, sobbing uncontrollably. Shame crept up Elsa's throat, and she held Anna tightly. This was her duty. This time, she was leaving because she had to. But she still felt terrible. Anna eventually pulled away, and Elsa looked her in the eyes. She spoke slowly.
"I will come back, I promise. Here." Elsa formed a simple snowflake out of ice, small enough to fit in a palm. She handed it to Anna, who took it hesitantly. "As long as it exists, you know I am alive." She leaned forward and kissed her sister on the forehead. "Take care of Olaf for me, will you?" Elsa managed to make a smile, and released her sister. Anna wiped her cheeks, and looked back at her, resolve renewed.
"I will."
The two of them flew close together, Donovan explaining to Elsa the situation in Fjordell. He shouted to be heard over the roaring of the wind.
"There are only two thousand Arendellian soldiers garrisoned there, with fifty Arradians. Most of the Arendellians will only have had a month of training and that is not nearly enough to hold back the Mjolgir for any extended amount of time. But the defensive layout of the city will help them immensely, at least until we arrive. We must stay together, in case the Mjolgir have a trap laid. They do not know about me, so I will try to stay discreet!"
They crested the last bank of mountains, passing close enough to kick snow off the peaks. What Elsa saw in the valley below her stunned her to the core. Fjordell had become a battlefield. Most of the lower half of the city was burning, and she could see flaming balls of fire being launched into and out of the city. A fleet of warships, some burning, laid siege to Fjordell, and Elsa could see that some of them had landed and begun unloading soldiers. They dove together, passing over the outskirts of the upper level, the streets packed with civilians. They flew over the castle, and Elsa could see that the defenses were concentrated on the huge staircases. They landed behind a group of soldiers defending one of the larger staircases. The shouts of surprise and alarm were quickly stifled as they recognized their rulers, eyes filled with awe at seeing Elsa and her wings. They also looked exhausted and worn, obviously having already seen action. Donovan strode over to an Arradian who had taken charge of this set of stairs.
"What is the situation, soldier?" The man bowed quickly and gave a rapid reply.
"The Mjolgir are advancing through the streets, and our forces are falling back in all areas. They are too skilled and too many. We are setting up defensive positions at the bottoms of the stairs, but we don't know how long they will hold out." Donovan nodded and quickly replied.
"Send your archers and order them on the roofs, with foot soldier to protect their positions. Hold firm." Elsa began to turn away, but an Aredellian soldier called out a hesitant question.
"Why are you here, Your Highness?" Elsa looked back at him, expression grim.
"I am here to fight." The soldiers looked amazed, and she saw a new look in their eyes. Hope. She followed Donovan as he took off and dove down the steep incline. They arrived at the bottom, Donovan giving different orders to the men running a makeshift barricade of wagons and stone blocks.
"Do not engage the enemy directly. Harry them with pinpoint attacks and use archers as much as you can. Stay out of our way." The man hurriedly stated,
"Oh, and sir! They will not surrender even if we have the advantage, and they do not take prisoners! Not even civilians, they just kill everything!" Elsa turned to him, eyes narrowed.
"Are you sure?" She asked the man softly. He nodded frantically, and Elsa turned away. She would show no mercy to those who killed her people. Elsa could hear the ring of steel on steel now, anticipation and adrenaline surging through her blood. She felt strangely excited. Suddenly, a mass of soldiers rounded a corner, running for their lives. They stopped, seeing Elsa and Donovan, unsure of whether to run away or bow. Donovan ordered them to fall behind the barricade just as another group swept through the street. Elsa got her first good look at Mjolgir. They were in a mass of men, somehow ordered and chaotic at the same time. Their burnished white armor shone in the firelight, swords drawn and shields at the ready. They did not stop, instead charged ahead.
"This is gonna be fun!" Skahdi cried in excitement. Elsa did not agree. Donovan went to one knee and unleased a blast of fire, impacting their shields and driving them back. Elsa stamped her foot, and platforms of ice rose out of the earth at high speeds, tossing men in all directions. She missed a section, and a group charged her. She spun, feathers of razor-sharp ice flying at the charging men. The shards pierced right through their armor, ripping the charge apart, leaving none alive. Elsa fought to keep her resolve strong, and Donovan's hand closed on her shoulder. He made her face him. His eyes were calm. She looked up at him, breath coming in gasps.
"Elsa, you must be strong. These men would kill innocent people without a second thought, and you came here to defend your people against them. They must be destroyed." She calmed her breathing and straightened.
"Of course… You are right. I must. For Arendelle." Donovan smiled at her.
"That's the spirit. Come on, there's more where they came from." He yelled for the soldiers to follow him and ran off, and Elsa followed, forming her ice armor around her. She had improved it to the point that it moved exactly with her own movement, and would stop any arrow. It was sleek and elegant, unlike the bulky armor in her castle, and polished to a mirror's shine. They, together, proved an unstoppable force. Elsa hovered in the air, launching pure energy at any Mjolgir she saw, freezing them in place, as Donovan and his soldiers took care of any stragglers, Donovan keeping his power unnoticed. Elsa put out any fires they came across, but it was too late for most of the bottom half. She also created several golems out of ice and snow, much like the one she had created to toss Anna out of her Palace, and they rampaged through Mjolgir-controlled areas, dealing destruction in their wake.
Elsa was hovering in the air, watching Donovan take care of a knot of Mjolgirn when the arrows came. Skahdi warned her, barely.
"Ladyqueen! Duck!" There were half-dozen holes in her wings, and several of Donovan's men were killed. She dove to escape the arrows, but as she landed on the roof of a nearby home, something pulled her off the edge. She slammed into the cobblestones, her armor taking the worst of it, but still enough force to drive the air from her lungs. Suddenly she was surrounded by Mjolgir armed with ropes and nets. Before she could rise, they tossed over a dozen weighted nets over her, bringing her to the ground again. She struggled, but Skahdi cried,
"No, wait Elsa! When Skahdi tells you!"
The soldiers approached her bearing axes and swords, and she waited for them to come.
"Now!" Skahdi cried, and Elsa spread her wings wide, the newly sharpened edges shearing through the ropes. She spun, cutting the ropes to shreds, and stood with her ice sword in hand, and the Mjolgir paused, uncertain.
"I will give you one chance and one chance only. Surrender now." She demanded, raising her sword to eye level. The soldiers looked at each other, hesitant, but one of them shouted,
"Lord Sagr will reward us beyond measure! Charge!" They charged as one body, and Elsa took the fighting stance that Donovan had taught her. She cast energy at their feet, breaking the center of their charge. Two of the warriors reached her first, swords raised high. She darted between them, armor enhancing her speed. Her sword took one in the side and the other in the leg, but it did not matter where she hit them. The others rushed her, in ones and twos, enough for her to handle. Some of their strikes connected, but the armor protected her. They were very skilled, but she needed only touch them with her blade. The last one was the officer that had shouted, and he raised his sword and waited for her to come to him.
"Fight me honorably, Ice Queen." He declared. She dissolved her wings, and charged. Their swords met in a flash of sparks and ice shards, all damage done to her sword immediately repaired. He slashed quickly, keeping her on the defensive, and she ducked and weaved around his sword. One of her greatest strengths in swordplay was her speed and agility, and she used it to her finest. He used powerful, huge swings, and she was able to dodge all of them without her sword actually touching his. She rolled behind him after a particularly vicious blow, and swung at his back. He didn't have enough time to block or dodge, and the ice blade cut through his armor like it was butter. She rose to her feet and was surprised to see Donovan with a huge smile on his face. Without warning, he picked her up and kissed her.
Donovan pulled back and exclaimed. "That was amazing! You're a girl after my own heart!" Elsa then realized he had been watching the entire fight. She knocked the smile off his face with a right cross, then turned around and gasped at what she had done. The street was filled with shredded rope and ice statues. At least twenty of them. Donovan picked himself up, re-hinging his jaw.
"Wowch. You could've just punched them to death."
Led by the two of them, the cities' defenses gradually pushed back all the Mjolgir in the Eastern section of the lower half of Fjordell. Once on the docks, Donovan and Elsa destroyed any ships in range of their powers, leaving a third of the invasion fleet destroyed or crippled.
"Wait, Elsa can you get that one all the way out there?" Donovan asked, pointing at a massive ship with four masts in the distance. She squinted and estimated.
"Maybe. I'll try." She lifted her sword and willed it to grow. The blade lengthened and widened, continuing until it was a pillar of ice at least a hundred feet tall and several feet wide. The weight did not bother her, but the amount of energy required left her gasping. She could hear Skahdi whispering to herself,
"Too… heavy…"
She willed it to grow a little more, then with a shout of exertion, brought it down. The huge sword slammed into the ship, cutting into it and shoving it into the water. Two of its masts had been destroyed, and there was a large amount of damage. She dissolved the great blade and collapsed, Donovan catching her. He whispered in her ear.
"Show-off." Donovan stepped forward, his hilt in hand. He materialized the blade and slashed the air. A projectile of blue fire roared across the bay at high speed, slammed into the distant ship and blowing a flaming hole in the side.
"There. I think we took care of that one." Elsa smiled at him and remarked, "Are you sure? Actually, I think we missed a spot." He helped her to her feet, and pulled her close. She was too tired and worn to resist. He held her tight, and whispered to her.
"I'm sorry you had to do this. If I could have done it for you, I would. But you needed experience." She looked into his eyes. The hardness had faded and she could see the memories of previous wars burned into his memories, along with something else. His love for her. She kissed him softly, then pulled away.
"Lets' get this over with." She stated as she began walking towards the Western side of the city. Donovan waited for a second, then followed. Elsa narrowed her eyes and frowned as she noticed something strange. The water was mysteriously calm near them, but all around was roiling. She widened her eyes just as Skahdi cried out
"ELSA!"
A dark form leapt from the water and grabbed Elsa, sweeping her into the water, and she caught sight of dark skin and pointed teeth bared in a smile. In the water, she was powerless as heavy currents buffeted her right and left, the water pushing the air out of her lungs. Her vision grew blurry and water crept down her throat. Elsa, with a last burst of energy, froze all the water around her. She hollowed out a section so she could move, and gasped for breath.
"What was that!?" She asked Skahdi, but Skahdi stuttered.
"Skahdi does not know! The water acted by itself!"
Suddenly, a dark fist punched through the ice layer, letting water back in. The water defied gravity and wrapped itself around Elsa, blocking her mouth and nose. Skahdi began to scream. A pair of golden eyes examined her in the water, and as everything began to go black, she heard a two voices speak in her mind.
"Gotcha, little icey."
I'm sorry about this violence, I'll throw in a quart of lutefisk so there are no hard feelings. All joking aside, I had a hard time finding a valid reason for Elsa to become a warrior, but I think I succeeded. I have done the best I could at making the action PG, but I'll let you decide that.
