THE COLD winds bit at them as the waters crashed against the ship. Tugging at her cloak, Elsa huddled up to her sister who shivered slightly on the bench they sat on in the middle of the ship's upper deck. Though the skies greyed, all that came were strong winds that rocked the vessel. Comparing which would be better between a storm and the cold, Anna hugged her sister, gaining a surprisingly large amount of warmth.
"You're weird, Elsa, you know that?" Anna's eyes shut as she got comfortable.
"What do you mean?" Elsa raised her brow.
"You have ice powers, yet you feel so warm sometimes." Anna yawned. "I could just sleep on you."
"Well, don't; I don't wanna have to drag you around." Elsa chuckled.
"Come on." Anna whined. "I can't just nap a little?"
"Sorry, but my breasts aren't a pillow." Elsa pulled her closer.
"Then why are you pulling me closer?" Anna's voice trailed off.
"'Cuz you looked cold."
"Look who's talking …" Anna nodded off.
"Hey, wake up." Elsa shook her.
"Wake me after school …" Anna slurred.
"Anna." Elsa shook her again.
Anna was asleep, drool trailing down her chin as her head fell back lazily. Laying her on the bench, Elsa sat back, leaning against the armrest. Chuckling, she turned back to her sister and watched her sleep, the expression she had bringing a warm smile to her face.
"Hug me." Anna stretched her arms out to Elsa, still lying on her side with eyes shut.
"No, Anna."
"C'mon, I'm feeling cold." Anna whined.
"It's not happening, Anna." Elsa turned away from her. "How're you still cold with a change of clothes anyway?"
"I dunno." Anna huffed. "I mean, I like 'em and all, but these pants are so itchy and they aren't that warm either."
"Well, we had to change if we wanted to go on this journey." Elsa chuckled. "Doubt I could run around in a dress."
"You're so cute." Anna slurred.
"Flattering me won't change my mind; I'm not hugging you."
"I love you?" Anna opened an eye.
"Not gonna change my mind, Anna." Elsa watched the cascading waves to her left.
"You're so pretty." Anna's voice deepened as she cooed. "With your white hair." She chuckled. "Come on, hug me."
"Anna, you have fire powers, warm yourself up." Elsa turned to her.
"It doesn't work the same way." Anna sat up and stretched her arms to her. "Come on, warm me up."
"Anna, no." Elsa enunciated. "You're not gonna sleep on me."
"Fine." Anna folded her arms, leaning against the bench. "I miss Kristoff." She sighed. "I'm sure he'd hug me."
"Well, I'm not gonna be your pillow, okay?" Elsa frowned slightly and sat back.
"It's not fair." Anna pouted.
"I kinda feel bad that we left Olaf behind." Elsa balanced her chin in a cupped hand.
"Well, he's much safer in Corona." Anna rested her head on Elsa's shoulder. "Hug me." She looked at her pleadingly.
"Anna, no." Elsa pushed her back.
"She's quite the playful one, isn't she?" A man's voice came.
The sisters turned to see a man standing beside Elsa, a sly smile on his face darkened under the hood he wore. Taking a seat on an opposite bench that leaned against the guardrail of the ship, the man clasped his hands. Fighting off the cold, he rubbed them together and blew into them, his eyes darting between the two women.
"I'm Arian." He offered a hand.
"Queen Elsa." Elsa shook his hand.
"And I take it you're Princess Anna?" He offered his hand to her.
"Yeah." She shook it. "I guess."
"It's good to meet you." Arian smiled. "I work with the ship's crew."
"How long till we arrive?" Elsa crossed her leg.
"In a few hours or so." Arian sat back. "What is that place? In all my months at sea, I've never been there."
"It's personal." Elsa's brow stitched involuntarily.
"Well, I'm pretty sure you haven't been around long enough since you're new." Anna smiled.
"None of the other men have been there either." He tapped his chin. "Well, I assume they've never been all over the world either." He shrugged and turned to Elsa. "So, you and your beautiful sister are on royal business?"
"I –," Anna interrupted Elsa.
"I'm married, so don't hit on me."
"Well, not yet." Elsa shrugged.
"C'mon, you can't see he's trying to flirt with me?" Anna stifled her voice behind gritted teeth.
"Leave them be, Arian." A man walked up to him and turned to the sisters. "We've arrived on the island."
"Awesome." Anna rose to her feet. "Let's get going."
WOOD CREAKED as horses disembarked the ship, walking across a plank onto shore. Anna stopped her stead as the others moved on, taking in their surroundings. A thick forest occupied the island, its leaves seeming to reach to clouds from her perspective. Nudging her steed, she followed Elsa who rode along with four men.
"You shouldn't have come." Elsa turned to a man to her left.
"It is my duty, Queen Elsa." Torgeir nodded. "I have orders from my Queen to assist you on your journey and ensure that no harm comes your way."
"Yeah, but I'm sure I can take care of myself."
"She just wanted to help however she could."
"Well, thank you anyway." Elsa smiled at him.
Anna rode up to Elsa, her eyes latching to the sky as she took in her surroundings. Sunlight beamed dimly through the grey skies, its inconsistency casting patterns on their path. Looking at the trees on either side of the pathway, she rubbed her hands together, blowing on them for warmth.
"How am I still so cold?" Anna rubbed her shoulders.
"Well, it's pretty chilly." Elsa turned to her. "Maybe you should put more clothes on."
"I could assist you." Normund rode up to her. "Which of these would you like?" He fished out two jackets, offering them to her.
"This one." She picked up a jacket and put it on. "Thanks."
"You're welcome, my lady." Normund put the remaining jacket in his saddle satchel. "You should keep yourself warm." He held the reins of his horse. "Rainy weather is fast approaching."
"Speaking of which, what path must we take?" Torgeir turned to Elsa. "We have been taking a random route so far and you retrieved the map from Captain Froder."
"Heh, the thing is that we don't know what to look for exactly." She rubbed the back of her head. "We were just gonna follow this map and see what we could find here."
"Forgive me, but that is exceedingly reckless." Normund rode up to her. "You could get yourself hurt wondering around without direction."
"Nonetheless, we shall accompany you on your journey." Torgeir smirked. "We are skilled fighters, so you'll be safe with us."
"Well, thank you again." Elsa smiled slightly.
"Hug me." Anna stretched her arms to her.
"Anna, we're on different horses. If you wanted to hug me so bad, you should've just shared a horse with me."
"But I didn't want to leave Buttercup alone." She stroked the mare's mane.
"And I told you that I don't want you to fall asleep 'cuz I'll have to drag you around."
"But I'm cold." Anna moved up to her. "C'mon."
"No, Anna." Elsa tossed a snowball at her, chuckling.
"That's not funny." Anna dusted herself off.
"I can warm you up." Arian rode up to her.
"No." Anna rode away from him.
"Arian, she is royalty; she cannot associate with peasants like you." Froder turned to him.
"No, it's not that –," Arian interrupted Anna.
"No matter, we can work it out. Such small things shouldn't stop me from feeling you." He smiled slyly.
"Hey, I told you, I'm married!" Anna backed away.
"Not yet, Anna." Elsa turned to her.
"Heh, even she agrees with me." Arian lowered his eyelids.
"I'm gonna get you for this, Elsa!" A frown crossed Anna's face.
"Sorry." Elsa laughed uneasily.
"Come on, you sexy thing." Arian moved up to Anna.
"I'm warning you." She raised her hand, a fire forming in her palm.
"Ooh, yeah, you're gonna really make it hot, aren't you?" Arian smirked.
"Leave me alone." Anna rode away from him.
"It's gonna be steamy." Arian followed her.
"Grr." Anna frowned and steam exuded from her skin then started to chuckle. "Heh, I get it."
"Yeah." Arian laughed.
Anna threw a punch at him and he ducked, her fist missing him barely. Humoured by their antics, Elsa rode up to them and watched, keeping some distance to avoid interfering. Shaking his head, Froder rode on, ignoring them and continuing down the path.
"Telekinetic honk-honk." Arian gestured to Anna, wiggling his fingers at her.
"What're you doing?" Anna raised her brow.
"Oh, maybe I should've just grabbed your boobs instead." Arian stroked his chin. "I forgot I don't have powers like you do."
"Leave me alone!" Anna rode away from him, past Elsa who chuckled.
"Come on, baby!" Arian followed her.
"That's enough, Arian." Froder frowned. "We must focus on our search."
"We should find a place to make a camp." Normund checked his pocket watch. "It is getting late."
"Nonsense, Normund." Froder turned to him. "We shall only retire when night falls."
"Yes, but I am not comfortable with this forest." Normund's eyes darted around. "Something feels wrong about it."
"Relax, my friend." Torgeir tapped the hilt of a sword sheathed at his side. "No man or beast can be a threat to us."
"I still feel something … odd around here." Normund tightened his grip on his horse's reins. "Like we're being watched."
"Of course we are; we're in a forest." Arian gestured to the trees. "There're animals around watching us from the trees. They are probably shivering knowing that I am here."
"You cannot even hold down your ale, Arian." Torgeir turned to him with a chuckle. "How can you hope to put up a fight on your own? You're helpless without us."
"You wanna start with me?" Arian frowned.
"Be my guest." Torgeir shrugged. "I haven't beaten someone up in days."
"Now, now, let's not go around fighting." Anna raised her hands with unease.
"Behave yourselves." Froder frowned. "There are ladies present."
"And what does that mean?" Anna raised her brow.
"It means that we should be respectful and not behave like children around you." Froder turned to her.
"Exactly." Elsa nodded. "Stop fighting."
"Fine." Arian groaned.
A rustling in the bushes met their ears, drawing their attention to their right as they heard a low growl. Torgeir gripped the hilt of his sword, his eyes narrowing on the spot as he prepared himself. Frowning slightly, Anna moved toward the bush, her curiosity peaking as she approached it.
"Stop, my lady." Torgeir rode up to her.
"Is the point not to back away from danger?" Normund furrowed his brow.
"Sorry, I was just curious." Anna chuckled.
"Anna, get away from there." Elsa rode up to her.
The shuffling increased, the heavy padding of feet drawing closer as the bushes parted and the snapping of twigs met their ears. Stepping into the light, a lion growled at them, causing their horses to neigh in panic. Coming fully into view, two large red wings spread out from its back as it roared, reverberating through the forest and instilling a panic as Anna screamed and the steeds backtracked.
"What is that?!" Normund unsheathed his sword.
"Some kinda monster." Arian drew a sword sheathed on his back.
"Whatever it is, I don't think it's friendly." Elsa raised her hand, creating an icicle that floated in the air.
"Keep your guard up." Torgeir pulled out his sword.
The griffin stalked toward them, its eyes narrowing as it proceeded, fangs flaring at them. Setting its gaze on Elsa and Anna, the creature shuddered and backtracked; fear enveloping it and exuding in its expression. Snarling at them, the beast ran away, entering deeper into the forest as it made its way through the bushes.
"Whoa." Anna's eyes dilated in confusion.
"Heh, told ya they were scared of me." Arian sheathed his sword then rode up to her. "Want me to show you what else my sword can penetrate?" He smirked.
"What're you talking about?" Anna rode away from him. "And I told you to leave me alone!"
"What was that creature?" Elsa looked around.
"I do not know, but as I said, we need to be careful about this place." Normund rode up to her. "This forest is unnatural."
"Why'd it run away?" Anna turned to Elsa.
"It looked afraid." Torgeir rode toward the bush the griffin came from.
"Yes, of me." Arian smirked.
"No, it was something else." Froder rode up to Torgeir and turned to Elsa. "It looked like it was afraid of you two."
"What? I'm not scary." Anna folded her arms, pouting.
"It was afraid you'd burn it with your hotness." Arian gave her a sly grin.
"Okay, stop it, it's not funny anymore." Elsa's eyes drooped.
"We can't stay here forever." Froder lead his steed onward. "Let's get going before more of those things find us."
"We should just leave! Who knows what else we might come across?" Normund frowned.
"We are under strict orders to assist them on their journey." Torgeir rode up to him.
"To hell with the orders, I'm leaving." Normund led his horse back down the path.
"You're just a coward, Normund." Arian chuckled.
"At least I'll be a coward who will be alive." Normund continued. "This forest isn't natural at all."
"Normund, do you know what you're getting yourself into by disobeying a direct order from the Queen?" Froder turned to him.
"I do not care." Normund left.
"Fine." Froder sighed, shaking his head. "Let's keep moving."
Continuing down the path, they followed Froder, their gazes shifting around as they took in their surroundings. Sticking close to her sister, Anna replayed what happened in her head, pondering on what Froder said. As she tugged to the reins, Elsa took the possibility into account, concentration stitching her brows. Surely they were not human, so maybe the animal was indeed afraid of them, but that was not her main concern.
Since the Fire Demon and Frost Giant attack and her discovery of Rapunzel's dragon, it was very evident that creatures from myth were real. What puzzled her was the fact that the legends of the Order always pointed toward their conquests to kill magical creatures. If they were still alive and the island they were on had more of such animals, were those tales true to begin with? Did the Order even kill the dragons? If they did not, where were they this whole time? How were the people ever fooled for nearly a century?
"Don't worry about it, Elsa." Anna's voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Huh?" She turned to her.
"Don't worry, we'll be fine." Anna smiled at her.
"Yeah, I hope." Her voice vibrated slightly as she snapped out of it.
Leaving the forest, the group stood on a small cliff, looking over a large valley, the vast grey skies giving way to sunlight that shone over them. A stream ran over one side of the plane in an arc, glinting off the sun's rays and beautifying the valley's lush flora. With eyes wide in awe, they took in their surroundings, Anna's hands tightening around the reins of her horse.
Mermaids swam through the depths of the water, their streamlined bodies gleaming in the bright light as they dove in and out of the stream. Fauns manoeuvred through the woods, their eyes darting around as they sought out prey, aiming their arrows at deer nearby. Fairies flew through the air, glittering dust of their wings peppering over the ground they moved over.
A drove of Unicorns galloped in the distance, raising a cloud of dust as they crossed the expanse. Humanoid, tree-like creatures walked through the field, their hollow eyes narrowing in on the gremlins that snuck through the grass nearby. Streaks of fire shot through the skies, the contour of the avian creatures coming to view as they shone in a brilliant light.
"I cannot believe this is actually real." Froder lowered his head. "I thought magical creatures were extinct."
"Well, these creatures probably migrated here." Arian shrugged. "The Order can't eradicate them from the whole world."
"At least it seems that they are afraid of humans." Torgeir directed his horse to walk on. "I just hope it does not change when we set up camp."
"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!" Anna shook her hands, bouncing atop her horse in excitement.
"Yeah." Arian stroked his chin as he watched her body move.
"Whoa, this is amazing!" Anna gasped with eyes wide in glee. "I can't believe it! Oh my God, Olaf would've loved this!" She bit her lip, holding her cheeks as bright pink coursed through her face.
"Oh, you think that's magical? I'll show ya something magical." Arian smirked. "Huh, huh, huh, huh?" He pointed at her repeatedly.
"C'mon, give it a rest, dude." Elsa's eyes drooped.
"Elsa, are you seeing this?" Anna tugged at her arm, oblivious to Arian. "You seeing this? Are you seeing this!? Are you seeing this?!"
"Anna, I'm looking at it." She chuckled then turned to the field. "It is amazing."
"You know, it'd be cool if this valley was enchanted." Arian rode forward, a smirk on his face.
"Why?" Torgeir raised his brow, riding up to him.
"If it was, I bet ya there'd be some kinda spell that gives chicks an extra cup." Arian tapped his fingers together maniacally.
"What do you mean?" Torgeir frowned slightly.
"Well, duh, if the chick's an 'A', they're gonna become 'B's, if they're 'B's, they're gonna become 'C –," Torgeir slapped his head, interrupting him. "Hey! What was that for?"
"Enough of your foolishness." Torgeir turned to the field before them. "We do not know if these creatures are friendly, so we'd better find a place to camp at nightfall and be far away from all of them."
"We'll just take shifts and keep watch." Arian pointed at himself. "I can take 'em all out myself."
"Do not be cocky, Arian." Froder turned to him. "It will be your downfall."
"C'mon, look at 'em." Arian gestured to some deer in the woods. "They won't be able to attack us at all. They're a bunch a –,"
A loud thud echoed through the forest, the rustling of leaves meeting their ears, drawing them to look around in confusion. A silence fell, the creatures and humans seizing up in attention, eyes darting around tensely. Reaching for their weapons, the group looked around, panic instilling in them as they waited anxiously. A low rumbling came, its reverberation spreading through the valley.
The fairies ducked into the trees, shutting off their magical glow as they shrouded themselves in darkness. The gremlins dove into the earth, burrowing underground to hide. The Ents ran off along with the Fauns and Unicorns, entering the forest surrounding the valley.
A large tree fell over behind the group, its wood creaking and leaves rustling as it crashed on the ground. A deer backed away from it, the smell of smoke permeating in the atmosphere. A fire spread along the stomp of the tree, streaking across its bark and up to its leaves.
"What's going on?" Fear dilated Anna's eyes, the light of flames reflecting off her face.
Another tree fell over, slamming on a small bush, dispersing a flock of birds that flew off in a panic. A monstrous roar echoed across the valley, leaves shaking as the resultant wind swept throughout. Loud tremors resounded, the ground shuddering as they grew louder with every repetition. Struggling to control her frightened horse, Anna got closer to Elsa whose eyes widened in shock.
"Ha, bet those vibrations are turning you on, huh?" Arian smirked at Anna who punched him in the nose.
"Will you shut up?" She frowned at him.
The quaking continued, its repetition coming off as loud footsteps slowly approached them. A large reptilian foot slammed against the earth, the crackling of fire meshing with deep throaty growling. His glowing white eyes narrowed behind the flames that seeped from the pours of his skin. His large muscular torso cast a shadow on the plane, his legs moving slowly as he approached the group. A large tail swept the ground, growing from his horse-like lower body that grew out of his humanoid torso's rear.
Clutching to a giant sword, the beast breathed heavily, fire spewing from his mouth and spreading across his large tusks that bent backward, curving behind around the sides of his face like horns. He clenched his fist, releasing a loud roar that reverberated throughout the forest, fire swirling out of him like a shockwave, burning trees in its path.
"Run!" Froder turned his horse.
"Way ahead of you!" Arian's voice came from the distance as his horse galloped alongside Anna and Elsa's.
The group made their retreat, manoeuvring through the forest with the other creatures that slowly formed a stampede. Turning back to the monster, Anna kicked the sides of her horse, making it run faster. Elsa rode up to her, whipping down the reins of her steed to speed it up.
Moving slowly, the beast followed them, its flames setting nearby plants on fire. With a swift move, he lifted the sword and slammed it on the ground, cracking it in half and sending a fissure out that caught up to the group. The earth broke apart, knocking some horses off their feet, flinging them through the air.
Torgeir jumped off his horse and flipped sideways, landing on a bush nearby. Froder's steed fell on its side, his leg crushed underneath the weight of it as it grazed against the ground. Screaming in agony, he pushed himself up, tugging at his trouser, desperately trying to free himself from his animal's heavy body. Hearing his bones break, he fell back, gritting his teeth as he slammed his fist against the earth helplessly.
Arian fell of his horse as it toppled over, slamming on the ground and rolling to his feet. Clutching his shoulder in pain, he looked forward, seeing the sisters still running ahead of him. He sprinted back to Froder, whose horse had fled, leaving him grovelling on the ground. He helped him up, tugging at his side to help keep pressure off the broken leg.
"Don't worry, we'll find a way outta here." Arian helped him walk.
"What about the sisters?" Froder panted.
"They're still running ahead of us."
"Good." He groaned. "We need to get out of here quickly."
Anna ducked underneath an oncoming branch, tightening her grip on the reins as her horse as it jumped over a rock. Turning back, she saw Arian helping Froder walk, her eyes dilating in worry as the beast slowly approached them. She shifted her horse and made it gallop toward them, drawing Elsa's attention.
"Anna!" Elsa followed her. "Anna, we need to go!"
"We can't just -,"
The monster stomped on Arian and Froder, their blood splattering out as their bodies were crushed underneath his large food. A bloodcurdling scream escaped Anna, her horse neighing wildly as it ran away, taking control from her. The demon turned to her, steam rising from the ground as the men's blood evaporated and their corpses burnt to ash.
Watching the women run away, the beast held his sword with both hands, moving his arms to his right as he went into a stance. The monster lunged into the air, its massive form shooting over trees, casting a shadow downward. Anna raised her eyes to the sky, darkness coming to view as the demon's form moved overhead, her face whitened by shock. The beast landed before their horses, the resultant wave sending them and the animals airborne.
The monster stood up, his height equating to trees as he watched them fall. Elsa flung off her horse, hurling right through a tree, cutting it in half and slamming onto another one behind it. Anna crashed on the ground, her head grazing against the dirt as her body bounced off it, sending her falling onto a rock.
Elsa slid down the tree, her head falling limply before her as she plopped on the grass. Raising her eyes slowly, she breathed heavily, pain washing over her body as a ringing invading her ears. She struggled to stand, soreness weighing on her as she pushed herself up to her feet. Catching herself from falling, she wiped her chin, seeing blood streaking across her hand.
Anna struggled to get on all fours; her mare's panicking squeals meeting her ears as her body shivered in searing pain. Clenching her fists and gathering dirt, she forced herself to stand, ignoring the agony that engulfed her. Setting her eyes on the monster, she breathed heavily, trying to think of what to do next.
The beast swung his sword down, breaking apart rocks as his brute strength sent a fissure toward her. Leaping out of the way, she looked behind her, seeing the forming trench go toward Normund who rode toward them. Her eyes widened in horror as she realized that he had no way of escaping it.
His horse's foot stuck between the crack, its bone breaking as it fell over, sending him hurling to the ground. Bouncing as he rolled, he grazed his skin against the earth, bruising it terribly as he crashed. Grovelling in pain, he turned to his side, seeing his steed's large body flinging toward him.
"Normu –," Anna closed her as eyes as his horse fell on him.
The beast swung his blade sideways, aiming for Anna's head and she jumped back, nearly getting caught at the sword's tip. Elsa leapt out of the forest, weaving snow around her waist to propel herself toward the monster whose eyes dilated upon seeing it. Moving back, the demon swung at her, missing by a few inches as she swerved around the weapon.
Coating her arm in ice, she punched the monster's chest, causing it to stumble back slightly. Growling, the beast spat fire at her, the flames singing her trousers and nearly burning her legs. Flying higher, she thrust her palm at it, sending a jet of ice at the beast's head. The ice melted upon reaching him, the fire on his body turning the attack into a puff of steam.
The beast swung his blade at Elsa, nearly cutting her and slammed it on the ground, sending up a line of rocks toward Anna who jumped into the air. Spinning around, she shot a fist at him, directing a tube of fire toward him. The attack seeped into his skin, amusing the demon as he chuckled. He burst into laughter, confusing Elsa who hovered backward, creating distance between them.
"Hybrids of humans, Frost Giants and Fire Demons? Is this the chaos that is happening in Muspelheim since Surtur cast me out?" A loud, throaty voice came from the monster. "I knew I should've been the ruler of that realm if this is what he is allowing to happen."
Elsa's brows furrowed, her thoughts racing as she and her sister played back what he said. The Fire Demons and Frost Giants that attacked Corona declared that they were their queens and when Oliver trained her to control her powers; he said that they had their abilities. Now this monster told them they were hybrids. What did this all mean? Clenching her fists, she shook her head, rejecting the revelation as she held on to her humanity.
"No matter." He stepped forward, his frown deepening. "I, Berial, the conqueror of the Fire Hel cannot be defeated by counterfeit Frost Giants and lowly Fire Demons. I will take Muspelheim and neither you nor Surtur will stop me!"
Turning the sword upside down, Berial swung it upward, lifting rocks with it and sending a sharp gust of wind toward Elsa who dived toward a tree, desperately avoiding the speedy attack. Anna jumped out of the way, watching the gale slice through a tree like butter, sending splinters flying around. Growling angrily, the beast set his eyes on Anna, frowning deeply.
A pillar of lava exploded from the ground beneath Anna, engulfing her body in it and incinerating her clothes. She screamed in agony, the heat washing over her as it shot up above the trees, sending droplets on the flora around. Subsiding, the lava receded into the earth, leaving her scorched body to collapse limply on the ground.
"Anna!" Elsa turned to her.
"Your feeble human body makes you weak." Berial stepped forward. "You cannot even withstand heat equating to a cool breeze, yet you fall so easily. Pathetic."
Elsa walked toward her sister slowly, her eyes dilating in horror as she watched steam exude from her body. Disbelieving what was before her, she fell to her knees, looking at her again to try and dispel her thoughts. Gritting her teeth, she clenched her fists, rising to her feet as anger washed over her.
"Come, insect." Berial turned to her. "Come and die like your compatriot."
Elsa flew toward him without the aid of snow, jetting through the air at great speed and threw a punch at him, colliding with his sword. She made him stumble, coating her fist in a sheet of ice as she hit his weapon again. He shook her off, sending her plummeting to the earth like a fly.
Catching herself in mid-air, she shot toward him, carrying a strip of hardening snow with her, creating an arc in the air. Reaching his head, she whipped her arm down, striking his shoulder with the ice, making him stagger slightly. Clutching to the frozen whip, she swung it at him, wrapping it around his sword.
She tugged at it, trying to pull him toward her futilely as he chuckled. He drew his sword back, catapulting her toward him as she coated her legs in ice. Flipping over, she landed a double-legged kick on his face, making him stumble back.
She landed on the ground, placing her hands against the grass to launch herself back as he swung at her. She jumped toward a tree, flipping over as she used it as a springboard, shooting herself toward him. Lifting her arms up, she forged a boulder of ice, sending it crashing towards him.
He blocked it with his forearm, shattering it to pieces as he shoved his sword toward her. Spinning in mid-air, she dodged the weapon, its sharp edge nearly cutting her stomach as she flew toward him. She punched him, diving toward the forest as she lost her balance.
He turned to her, growling and summoning a pillar of lava out of the ground that engulfed her. The stream splattered, a ball of ice flying out of it as she shot toward him within the shell, creating a shockwave in the air as she sped up to him. She smashed against his chest, shattering the ice and causing herself to fall to the ground as he stumbled.
He roared, stabbing toward her with great force, creating a rush of wind as he attacked. She bent back, dodging the sword as it cleaved a tree behind her, knocking it over and sending her flying as the resultant gale blew her away. She crashed on the ground, bouncing off it as she hurled through the air.
She collapsed on the grass, scrambling to stand up as her vision blurred. Red filled her view, the realization dawning on her as she began to panic. A cut ran down her face, sending down profuse steams of crimson that sank into her eyes.
She fumbled around, flailing her arms as she tried to stand. Pain shrouded her thoughts as she panicked, the blood drenching her jacket as she panted. Heaviness blanketed her as she fell back, the sounds of the monster's feet coming closer to her muffling as darkness filled her view.
The earth rumbled, causing Berial to step back as a column of fire exploded out, separating him and Elsa. Anna shot through the trees, soaring without the aid of fire, scooping her sister in her arms and flew past him. The demon turned to them, growling as he saw them escape.
SHE GASPED, shooting up as she breathed heavily, touching her arms as she looked around frantically. A warm smile met her, calming her as she saw her sister seated beside her near a rock. Running her fingers through her hair, she felt even skin, realizing that her wound was gone.
"Wha ..." Elsa panted. "What happened?"
"I managed to get us away in time." Anna smiled at her. "I thought you were dead, but luckily you managed to heal quickly."
"Phew." She sat back, breathing heavily as she lay back.
The sounds of water enveloped her ears as light shone from her left. She turned, seeing a waterfall crashing down at the mouth of the cave they were in. Looking at her sister, she calmed down, realizing she was safe. She raised her brow, noticing that Anna was clad in a red ¾ sleeveless jacket with black pearls along its embroidered trim, orange gloves that covered her forearms and burgundy trousers that wrapped dark boots.
"Oh, and I learnt how to make clothes outta fire." Anna stretched her arms. "You like?"
"How'd you get us here?" Elsa sat up.
"I came to a little after that Fire Demon hit me and I just grabbed you and flew away as fast as I could." She looked at her hands. "I couldn't believe how quickly I did it or that I can actually fly now." She clenched and unclenched them then sighed. "I can't believe he killed all of them like that. It was as if they were just ants to him."
Anna's eyes lowered in grief, her heart weighting with worry as she sifted through her mind. The burnt bodies of the Duke and Duchess of Weselton came to mind, their bloodcurdling screams echoing in her thoughts. The smell of the corpses hit her as if they were smouldering right in front of her.
"How many people are gonna die 'cuz of us?" She frowned. "The Demons and Giants attacked Corona because they were hunting us and I killed the monarchs of the Table."
"You didn't do it; it's not your fault, Anna." Elsa placed a hand on her shoulder. "It hurts me too 'cuz I accidentally killed people when I froze over Arendelle. We can't change what happened, but we can make it right if we make it back home and get rid of the Order, okay?"
"Yeah, I guess." Anna sighed. "If that thing doesn't find us on the way."
"What's that?" Elsa pointed behind Anna.
"Oh, yeah." She turned to where she pointed then back at her. "I heard this whisper in the woods and I followed it to this cave."
Anna turned to her left, picking up a small chest and handed it to Elsa. A blue aura swept around it and illuminated the room softly. Frowning slightly, Elsa set it on her lap, picking a piece of rolled up paper attached to it.
"I found this." Anna looked at the chest. "I tried reading it, but it's too confusing." She grinned. "I bet you could read it. It must be some other language other than Norse or English and I don't read much, so." She shrugged. "Maybe you can."
"I can't read this either." Elsa looked at the paper. "But." She rolled it up. "I dunno, but ... I feel like it's from our parents."
"That's what I thought. What should we do?" Anna looked at the paper.
"I'm not sure." Elsa frowned, pocketing the parchment.
She looked at the chest again, surprise dilating her eyes as she picked it up. She flipped open a small latch at the top of it, revealing a compass nestled within it. Sharing a look with her sister, she turned back to it, its direction increasing their interest.
"Should we follow it?" Anna turned to her.
"Right now, it's the only lead we've got." Elsa rose to her feet. "C'mon, let's go find our parents."
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