Chapter 5 - Prison

The giant blue solders lumbered towards the giant tree, much further behind the city than anywhere the kits had guessed. The branches sailed over the open area, reaching past the edge of the city. If they could see it they would have gawked at the sheer size of the tree, each leaf seeming like it shined with the light of the sun that fed it. The giants made their way towards the base, a giant castle made from pure marble and gold that seemed to melt into the actual branches that surrounded it. At the gate, there sat a large six headed serpent, its scales black as night and heads with a hideously disfigured face, fangs protruding from the top jaw that looked as if they reached the bottom of her chin. Ragged brown hair lay atop each of the three heads as she loomed over the giants, "Who goes there?" one of the heads asked. "Why it be the Frost Giants!" another exclaimed, "Back from their travels like vagabonds, ready for their lives to make sense."

"Ah!" a third head said, "But look, they bring us visitors to our city!"

"A painful day for the prisoners!" a fourth head said with depression, "I smell mortal flesh beneath that ice!"

"Mortal?" the fifth said, excitement in her voice and eyes, "We've never seen mortals before!"

"At least not while we weren't hungry!" the sixth said with a sickening grin, catching the attention of the other five in worry as the Frost Giants made their way towards the castle.

As soon as the giants found themselves in front of a large door, the one up front kicked, causing the door to sail open and reveal a long red carpet leading to five different thrones, one occupied by the familiar dragon, Shonlong. "Ah!" a man with a white curly beard said as he watched the giants stomp into the room, "It looks as if your mistake has been rectified Shenlong!" The dragon growled at the man, turning his head to see the white robe with leaves in his hair. "Zeus, I really don't want to hear it!" and turned back to the Frost Giants, seeing the capture they had made, "YOU FOOLS!" he shouted, "Free at least their heads, they're mortal!" The giants stepped aside in fear as Shenlong breathed in deep, letting looses a stream of fire that melted the ice around the kits' heads, sending them into a coughing fit. Crystal was the only one still submerged in ice. "Now Leave!" the dragon ordered, and the giants obeyed. Chase, Crash and Peach all took in gasps of air, filling their lungs with warm oxygen as they made sure to take their fill, "What's…the…big…idea?" Crash gasped out, as he felt his body begin to shiver from the difference in temperature. "My apologies little one!" Shenlong said. "Do not apologize to the enemy!" a man next to Zeus said. This one had short white hair, and four arms. He kept his hair up in a bun, and had little more than a pair of baggy pants on. Four large curved swords sat next to him, two on each side. "They are not the enemy Shiva!" the dragon snapped.

"Sssssheva?" Crash said in a shiver, "I aaaaalways tthththtought that Ssssshiva was the Iiiiiice Quuuuuueen!"

"Do I look like a queen to you?!" Shiva asked as he grabbed all four of his swords, ready to tear the little kit to shreds. "Easy Shiva!" a man next to him said. This man wore a gold and sapphire necklace that reached halfway down his chest and nothing more than a decorative loincloth covering his privates. Each of his feet had decorative sandals on, padding his feet and his head was that of an eagle's, "It is obviously a misunderstanding, perhaps something he witnessed in his own world."

"Osiris!" the man with a jackal for a head said next to him. This man was dressed similar to Osiris, yet his necklace was made of black metal and red rubies, "You always were one to see truth. Perhaps you are correct and it is a misunderstanding!"

"Anubis…" Osiris began, only to be interrupted. "However, I believe that Shiva is correct, they are the spawn of our enemy, therefore we must treat them as enemy!" the jackal said. Osiris simply shook his head, "I had hope that you would have seen the light my brother!" he said. Anubis turned to him, "I have seen your light brother! And I envy it!" he said, "It is my own choice to follow darkness!"

"EXCUSE ME!" the five heard Chase call out, "Freezing to death here!"

"I doubt that!" Shiva said with a snicker. "Do not doubt mortality!" Anubis said, "I alone have see the true nature of death."

"Then I vote we set them free. They can do no harm! The prophecy does not concern them!" Shenlong said. "While I agree that the prophecy has no mention of them, I am against letting them go, instead we shall let them sit in a prison cell, cursed to freeze, yet remain alive to the cold." Zeus said. "Pure cruelty!" Shenlong nearly shouted, "They are but childeren!"

"All in favor?" Zeus asked, ignoring Shenlong's plea. The other's raised their hands, Shiva having a smirk on his face. "Is this really nessicary?" the dragon asked, "This is the same mistake we made with Arachnea!"

"What did you do with Arachnea?" Crash asked. Instead he was ignored, "That was necessary! Her power was far too great!" Shiva argued. Suddenly, Crash felt himself be lifted up, and he heard the familiar voice of Thor shush him. With precision and speed, he quickly gathered up the frozen kits, and turned around, finding a large Frost Giant behind him, "HAVE AT THEE!" he shouted, and placed his arm behind his cape, pulling out a large hammer that was blocked in design, and slammed it into the cheek of the giant. "TREASON!" they heard Anubis shout, and Thor ran, making a bee line for the open doors. With a power flip of his wrist, Thor threw his hammer, and not letting go of it, hurled himself and the kits out the door. He pulled up, easily flying out of the reach of the councilors and the giants. "Shenlong!" Shiva shouted, "Go after them! They must be detained! You're the only one of us that can fly!" Shenlong made his way to the door, and looked up, spying the small figure of Thor as he sailed away, "I'm afraid I cannot do that!" he said in defiance. "WHAT?" Shiva shouted as he turned to the dragon, "This is treason as well."

"I'll not sit idly by as you make the same mistake we made with another innocent soul! I'll not be a part of your quest to control us through fear!" the dragon said defiantly. Shiva backed up, "Then I have no choice but to remove you from the council!" he said. "I do not agree with that!" Osiris said. Zeus looked to Shenlong, then to Shiva, and lastly to the sky, watching Thor escape into the sky, "I do hope the son of Odin knows what he's doing!" he whispered to himself, then turned to argue with the others about what was treason and what was not.

End Chapter 5