The Storm Rages On

Chapter Eighteen

Vengeance

Anna stared at the man, not believing what she was seeing. "Hans?" she whispered. "What are you . . . How are you . . .?"

The man smiled, his eyes dark with barely-suppressed rage. "So, you do remember me after all. I'm touched, actually." He motioned toward her swollen abdomen. "Clearly, you wasted no time in moving on." He gestured toward Kristoff. "Is this the lucky father-to-be?" He moved to Kristoff, his face grim. "Tell me: Did you have to work hard to win her? Or was she still so desperate for love that she fell into your arms, promising you her undying devotion, spreading her legs so eagerly you simply couldn't—"

"Go to hell!" Kristoff spat, lunging forward, prepared to strangle the man. He cried out in pain as his body was sharply pulled backwards by the guard standing behind him. The guard brought his staff down furiously on Kristoff's knee, forcing him back to the ground.

"Temper, temper!" Hans chided. He looked back at Elsa. "How in the world did someone so . . . unrefined receive your blessing, when you wouldn't even consider granting it to me? Or perhaps you didn't approve at all, but because of your little whore of a sister's predicament—" He moved back to Anna, running a gloved hand over her belly, feeling her flinch as he touched her. "You simply overlooked her indiscretion, not wanting scandal to fall upon your precious Arendelle."

Alúvelin could take no more of the stranger's character assassination toward Anna. "They're married, you idiot!" she snarled. "I don't know who you are, and I don't care! You have no right saying these things to her! She has done nothing to you—"

"She has done everything to me!" Hans roared, his face nearly as red as his hair and stubble. "Both of them!" He stood before Elsa, lowering himself onto one knee, staring her directly in the eyes. "Do you have any idea how much I have suffered because of you? Do you?!"

"Enlighten me," Elsa replied, her voice as cold as ice. "Whatever misery you've endured, you have brought upon yourself because of your own actions. You tried to usurp my throne! You tried to take over Arendelle!"

"And I nearly succeeded!" Hans stood, pacing back and forth. "It would have been my greatest triumph! But, no! Both of you had to survive when you should have died. You exposed me in front of everyone, sent me away in disgrace! Do you have any idea what those heartless bastards that call themselves my brothers did to me the moment I returned home?" He stepped closer, revealing deep scars imbedded upon his face. Part of his left ear was missing, as were several teeth. "They put me in the deepest cell in our dungeon. They gave those sadists they call dungeon masters free reign to treat me like an animal! Worse than an animal!" He untied the knot on the front of his tunic, revealing his bare chest, covered in scars, shiny pink flesh testifying to the horrific assaults with hot iron to which it had been subjected. "Day after day, week after week, month after month . . . The things they did to me . . . Terrible, unspeakable things!"

Hans's face turned white momentarily, his body involuntarily shuddering at the horrific memories. He inhaled, regaining his composure, his eyes burning with anger once more. "The only thing that kept me alive, kept me sane, was the desire for vengeance that grew stronger by the day. I allowed it to sustain me, to fuel me, to motivate me, until, at last, the opportunity came when my guardians made a simple mistake. They thought I was unconscious, that I couldn't see them. They hesitated a moment too long before locking my cell. In that moment, I sprang forward, strangling them, showing them no more mercy than they showed me." His hands shuddered as he recalled the feeling of their throats slowly being crushed under his assault.

"After my escape, I wandered aimlessly throughout the Southern Lands, alone. Only one thought burned within my mind: my desire to avenge my sufferings by destroying the woman responsible for my torment. But how? How could I, alone, possibly contend with the Snow Queen of Arendelle? Should I attempt an attack, I would surely be captured or killed before landing a blow against you.

"Then, by chance—or perhaps by Fate's design, who can truly say?—I happened upon a man who possessed incredible knowledge of the ancient legends of this world. He had heard of the mysterious power the Queen of Arendelle possessed and deduced that she must be one of the ice bærers of the Continent,a race all to the South thought had died off centuries ago. I laughed when he told me, certain he was mistaken, but then . . . that was the moment he proved his worth. He revealed he was in possession of a collection of ancient scrolls containing the most closely-guarded secrets of the Continent and its peoples, scrolls that only he and a very small handful of living men could read. Scrolls that revealed that, to my astonishment, the ice bærers and their distant counterparts, the brann wielders, were not the products of legend, but were very real indeed, living in solitude throughout the Continent.

"Astounded, I begged him to reveal more secrets to me. He was reluctant at first, but, after some . . . persuasion, I finally convinced him to share with me the key to my vengeance: The Tritastónende, the all-powerful Sacred Jewels believed to be nothing more than myth for centuries, were, in fact, all too real, hidden deep within the western mountains of this very Continent."

Hans paused, wiping his brow. "I admit, I had grown fond of the man. It is unfortunate that only one of us could live who knew the secret of the Jewels, but, then, I couldn't have someone running off to warn others of what I was intending, now, could I? Unfortunate indeed, for in another life, we could have been allies . . ."

He shook his head, clearing his mind. "That was when I knew what I must do. Men from all over the world have lusted after the Sacred Jewels for centuries, ever since they disappeared. Thus, I recruited an army of mercenaries so power-hungry, so bloodthirsty, so lustful for glory that they would sublimate their collective will to my own in order to achieve immortality among their peoples by being among those who claimed the Sacred Jewels.

"However, one thing troubled me greatly. The scrolls the man translated for me warned that only a man with the purest of intentions would stand a chance at gaining access to the Tritastónende. Apparently, whoever hid the Jewels was quite self-righteous indeed, for they had ensured that only those who sought to claim the Jewels in the name of peace and nobility would be able to do so. Such simple-minded morality would surely make me and my men unworthy indeed."

He smiled. "But then, a brilliant idea rang through my mind, like a bell, clear as day. I knew that I could easily get my hands on the Sacred Jewels if I allowed someone of noble spirit to do the work for me!" He looked at Elsa, smiling darkly. "That is why I allowed the rumors of my army's strength to spread. That is why I planted moles within the villages throughout this miserable Continent. For, despite our short time together, I know you so well, Elsa. You're so self-sacrificing, so caring, so damn predictable! I knew that once you heard about my intentions, you would do anything to keep me from acquiring the Jewels, even going so far as to find them yourself! Then, all I would have to do is lead my army after you, then claim them for my own once you found them!"

Hans laughed. "I must say, though, you did not make it easy for us. Destroying the bridge across the chasm . . . that was clever indeed. Your little improvisation could have cost us dearly, were my men not so determined, so quick to travel to the next crossing point, so quick to catch up with you. And then, of course, before that, there was our little detour into the mountains. I was certain you would have been gone already, but I had to be sure. So, despite the approaching deadline of the equinox, we ventured toward the where the scrolls indicated the fire bearers had lived centuries before. And then, when we finally found it, when we discovered the obsidian fortress of the brann wielders, I knew I could not allow my men to pass by without a little visit. They require payment for their services, after all, and many were growing restless."

Alúvelin, Valanda, and Arberish looked at Hans, horror etched upon their faces. "What did you do?" Alúvelin whispered.

Hans snapped his fingers, recognition dawning upon him. "Of course! You . . . You must be the Empress of the brann wielders." A cruel smile fell upon his face. "A little presumptuous to call yourself 'empress,' isn't it, considering that your empire consists solely of a miserable little band of rock?"

Arberish was furious. "How dare you speak to Her Majesty this way!" he snapped, rising to his feet. "What did you do to our people?"

"Your people?" Hans snorted. "Please. By the time we arrived, they had all disappeared. A wise decision on your part, no doubt. My men would have slaughtered them indiscriminately. However, we could not leave without leaving a reminder of our presence."

"What did you do?" Valanda asked again, dreading the response. "What did you do?!"

Hans shrugged his shoulders, turning back to Alúvelin. "You may want to find a new empire to rule, Empress. Should you survive our encounter, which is highly unlikely, you will find your homeland quite . . . uninhabitable."

"No!" Alúvelin's voice was little more than a whisper. "You're lying! I . . . I don't believe you!"

"I don't care if you believe me or not," Hans said. "But, perhaps these will convince you that I speak the truth." He gestured to one of his men. The lieutenant brought forth a large sack, filled to the brim. "Show them."

The lieutenant opened the sack, emptying it onto the ground before Alúvelin's knees. Her eyes widened in astonishment as she recognized countless artifacts of her people, each a precious relic, laden with history. A large sword was the last item to fall to the ground.

"No!" Valanda shook her head in denial. "You couldn't have . . . That is Brandlegreth, the ancient weapon of the King." She looked to Hans, her face completely white. "Where . . . Where did you find this?!"

Hans smiled, holding the weapon in his hand. "I found it in some pathetic little shrine deep within your fortress. You know, your people seem to have an unnatural fascination with death. It is rather disturbing, frankly. So, we . . . cleaned house for you." He turned back to Elsa and Anna. "Have you ever had the opportunity to watch fire dance across rock, Elsa? Most say rock cannot be burned, but I have found that, with the proper incendiaries, it can be done. And what a sight it is . . ."

"You bastard!" Alúvelin threw herself at Hans, one hand glowing red, the other blue, prepared to turn him to ash and ice simultaneously. "I'll kill you myself for this!"

"Alúvelin!" Elsa cried out as one of Hans's guards, a rather large man, quickly blocked her sister's furious assault. The man swung the backside of his large axe, striking Alúvelin on the back of the head. The Empress collapsed, barely clinging to consciousness.

Hans stood over the fallen Empress. "Fire . . . and ice? Interesting." He looked at Elsa. "Very interesting, indeed . . ."

"Enough of your stories!" Elsa's voice was harsh, lacking in empathy. She stared Hans directly in the eyes. "We know what you want!"

"Of course you do," Hans said. "And now, I will gladly take them off your hands for you." He moved toward Elsa, smiling. "Now, if you please, tell me where the Tritastónende are."

Arberish has them, Elsa thought. All Hans has to do is look behind him. It's hopeless!

Out of the corner of her eye, Elsa saw Arberish glance at her, an unusual look on his face. Ever-so-subtly, he winked at her.

What is he . . .? Understanding dawned upon her. Oh, I love him so much!

Elsa looked at Hans, shrugging her shoulders. "I don't know. We haven't seen them. In fact, none of us know why you're wasting our time with your stories about Jewels in the first place. We have no interest in them whatsoever."

Hans frowned, his eyes narrowing. "Don't play games with me, Elsa. I know exactly why you are here. You went into the Vindervallen to find the Jewels. You must have succeeded! Now, where are they?!"

"Jewels? We weren't looking for any Jewels," Anna said, picking up on Elsa's train of thought. "We were just out for a nice stroll. You know, getting some fresh air." She glanced at her abdomen. "I have to stay healthy for the babies and all, you know. Right everybody?"

Kristoff, Arberish, and Valanda nodded, a chorus of affirmation agreeing with Anna.

Hans's eye twitched noticeably. "You . . . You would dare lie to me? I know you found the Jewels! It is the only way you could have exited the caverns! Tell me where they are, or I'll—"

"Or you'll what?" Arberish asked. "You'll kill us?" He smiled. "You may think you're clever, son, but you clearly haven't thought this through. You're correct. We have found the Jewels, but while you were busy making my friends quite uncomfortable, I took the opportunity before I was discovered to hide them where you'll never find them, using an ancient magic that allows only me to see them. If you kill me, I'm afraid you'll never locate them. Ever." He shrugged. "Of course, if you're stupid enough to kill the only man who can help you, then I guess you don't deserve to wield the Jewels, anyway."

"You're . . . You're bluffing!" Hans said, thrusting a knife to Arberish's throat. "Tell me the truth! Now!"

Elsa flinched as the blade moved closer to Arberish's throat. Her beloved glared at her, his eyes silently commanding her not to give in. "It's your call, son," Arberish said. "Do you really want to take that chance?"

Hans turned to Elsa, his eyes wild, bloodshot. "You would allow me to kill him, Elsa? Just like that? Don't tell me he means nothing to you!"

Elsa took a deep breath, forcing herself to remain calm. "Like he said, Hans, it's your decision. But let me warn you: Arberish never bluffs. So if you kill him, none of us will ever find the Tritastónende. Ever."

Hans turned away from them, gesturing for his top two lieutenants to join him. As they consulted with each other, a barely-conscious Alúvelin took advantage of the opportunity to crawl back toward Elsa, her head throbbing in agony.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I should have been faster! I could have stopped this . . ."

"At what cost?" Elsa whispered back. "You would have become no better than he. You would have killed in anger. You would have fallen back into the darkness. You're better than that, Alúvelin. Don't let yourself lose your temper like that again."

Memories of the atrocities she had committed in her former life rang through Alúvelin's mind. "You're right," she whispered. "I . . . I could have become . . . her again! I . . . I could have . . ."

"But you didn't," Anna whispered. "You didn't. Don't dwell on it." The babies kicked once more, causing Anna to moan involuntarily in discomfort.

Hans turned around, his eyes suddenly glimmering with possibility. "Very well, old man," he said to Arberish. "I can tell you have no intention of telling me where the Jewels are. You leave me no choice."

He moved to Elsa, grabbing her braid, pulling her head back, exposing her throat. Anna screamed in terror as Hans brought his knife to her sister's flesh.

"Every man has a pressure point," Hans said. He gestured to Arberish. "Is this yours? How would you like to see blood spill from her throat? It would certainly add some color to her pale skin, now, wouldn't it?!"

Arberish started forward, then restrained himself. He stared at Elsa, fighting the wave of emotions running through his mind.

"Don't . . . do it!" Elsa cried out. "Don't tell him . . . anything!"

Arberish closed his eyes, forcing himself to be strong. He opened them again, looking Hans directly in the eyes. "I won't tell you. You will not break me." He nodded to Elsa. "If you kill her . . . If you kill any of us, it will not change the outcome. Nothing you do can convince us otherwise."

Hans cried out in anger, thrusting Elsa to the ground. He looked about the party, searching for something to use as a weak point. "I suppose all of you are willing to die to protect the Jewels?"

Kristoff, Alúvelin, and Valanda knelt in silence, staring at Hans defiantly.

Hans was beside himself. Screaming, he thrust his knife into the ground, overcome with anger. A moan of pain from Anna brought him back to his senses. His brow furrowed, his face washed over with darkness. "You have left me no choice," he hissed. "I must show you just how far I am willing to go."

Anna! Protect Anna! You have to help her! Do it NOW! NOW! Warnings rang in Elsa's mind, threatening to overwhelm her.

Before any of them could react, he pulled Anna to her feet by her hair. Without a word, he ran his knife across her right palm. Anna cried out in pain as blood poured from her hand.

"NO!" Elsa screamed, terror running through her. The entire party was on their feet now, watching Hans in horror.

"DO NOT MOVE!" Hans roared. He brought the bloody knife to Anna's abdomen, slashing open her dress, revealing the pale flesh of her engorged belly. "I will cut her children from her womb if you do not tell me. I will make you watch as I slit their throats before they have a chance to take their first breaths. So I will ask you one more time: Where. Are. The. Jewels?!"

"ANNA!" Kristoff moved forward, but his guard restrained him, holding back the panicked man despite his flailing and kicking. "ANNA!"

Elsa shook her head, forcing the tears on the edge of her eyelids to remain buried. "Hans, please! Don't do this! The children are innocent! Even after all you've been through, you can't possibly do this!"

Hans glared at Elsa. "You have no idea what I am capable of, Elsa. The man you met in Arendelle, the man who desired power but still had a soul . . . he is dead now. I desire vengeance, Elsa. Vengeance against Arendelle. Vengeance against you. What better way than by killing your sister's children? Then you may experience but a small taste of the torment I have endured!"

Anna's face was white, her heart racing faster than she had ever felt before. "Elsa, please! Not my babies! Please, don't let him . . .!"

Hans lowered his knife, allowing the metal to run along Anna's smooth skin. The terrified princess cried out as she felt the coldness touch her flesh.

"My patience has run out," Hans said. He turned the blade over, prepared to plunge the weapon into Anna's abdomen. "Such a pity. You always were my favorite, Anna." He pulled back his arm, thrusting it forward, the blade speeding toward Anna's belly as the party watched, helplessly.

AN: Hopefully, all of the exposition makes sense. More to come!