The Storm Rages On

Chapter Twenty-Two

Unleashed

The golden light subsided almost as quickly as it had appeared. Elsa opened her eyes, a smile forming on her lips as she recognized her surroundings. They were back in Arendelle, back in the palace throne room. Relief flooded through the Queen as her gaze traveled over the recognizable sights of home.

"Your . . . Your Majesty?!"

A familiar voice sounded in her ears, a voice that, at the moment, was full of a unique combination of anxiety, relief.

She turned to the source of the voice. "Yes, Minister. It's us. We are all right."

Minister Andersen wrapped his arms around Elsa, holding her close, temporarily forgetting all protocol. Elsa allowed the older man to embrace her, permitting the man who had become like a father to her to express his relief.

"Thank God," Andersen whispered. "When you, Kristoff, and the Princess did not return on schedule, we grew worried. And then, when our scouts reported hearing rumors that the mountain fortress had been destroyed, we feared the worst . . ."

He looked around, noticing the presence of the two Maíreth, of Elenórathem, of the red- and blue-skinned beings. He drew his lips, his eyes looking at Elsa, questioning. "What . . . What is—?"

"There is no time to explain," Elsa said. She gestured to their group. "They are here to defend Arendelle from attack. An army of mercenaries is on its way, determined to destroy us. They have weapons of indescribable power." She placed her hand on Andersen's shoulder. "Any who are not members of our military or palace guard must proceed to the North Mountain. Immediately."

Andersen was overwhelmed. "The North Mountain? Majesty, you know how dangerous that route can—"

"It is safer than remaining hre!" Elsa countered. "They can take refuge in my ice palace. There are supplies there now: food, water, enough to last for several weeks."

Andersen opened his mouth to protest, but stopped when Gábriel stepped forward, his golden aura terrifying the minister. "Minister, please listen to your Queen now. If you want your people to survive, you must do as she says without question. There is simply no time to argue."

Andersen nodded, looking back to Elsa. "I . . . I will do as you request, Majesty." He looked at Anna's unconscious form lying on the floor, his eyes widening as he realized just how far along her pregnancy had progressed. "This . . . This cannot be!" he whispered. "She . . . She looks as though she could give birth at any moment! But . . . But it has not been nearly long enough . . ."

"We need to get her to the infirmary at once," Kristoff said. "Please tell me the healers are available."

Andersen shook his head. "Unfortunately, they are not. About three hours ago, we saw a large fire burning the woods just outside the villages. I sent a number of our men to investigate, along with our healers, since there would most certainly be injuries." His brow furrowed as he realized the significance of his actions. "You . . . You don't think . . ."

Alúvelin shook her head. "It was a diversion," she whispered. "Hans must have set that fire to draw as many of your men out as he could. They . . . They are dead now. All of them. He would not have allowed any to survive."

Andersen cursed under his breath. "And I, like a fool, fell for it!"

"You did what you believed was best under the circumstances," Elsa said. "It's not your fault." She looked at Valanda. "It looks . . . It appears you will have to help Anna on your own. I . . . I'm sorry . . ."

"Don't be," Valanda responded. "Remember what I said, Elsa. I won't let anything happen to her."

Elsa nodded. Anna groaned, the effects of Gábriel's power beginning to wear off. A wave of fear ran through Elsa, overwhelming her, crowding her mind. She forced herself to fight it off, to regain control. "It's almost time," she whispered. "I just know it." She turned to one of the nearby servants. "Help Kristoff get the Princess to the infirmary at once." She gestured to Valanda. "Whatever she needs, you give to her without question. Do you understand?! The lives of Princess Anna and the lives of her children are at stake!"

"Children?" Andersen said quietly, noticing Elsa's use of the plural form. "You . . . You mean—"

"Yes," Elsa said. "She is carrying twins." She knelt by Anna, brushing stray strands of perspiration-soaked hair from her sister's brow, her heart sinking as the still-sleeping Anna's face contorted in agony. "I know you can't hear me," she whispered, "but I want you to know that Valanda and Kristoff are going to take good care of you." She moved to Anna's abdomen, laying her hands on her belly. The moment her hands touched Anna's skin, a flurry of kicks assaulted her fingertips. "You two . . . Be gentle to your mother. Please don't make the coming hours more difficult than they need to be." She kissed Anna's abdomen, her stomach knotted in worry. Gesturing to the servant, she stood, allowing Kristoff and her servant to carefully carry Anna away to the infirmary, Valanda close at hand.

The throne room doors burst open. One of Elsa's personal guards rushed in, his face red, his breathing labored. "Majesty!" he cried, bowing before her. "Urgent news from our advance scouts! An army has just passed through the villages. They will be upon us in a matter of minutes!"

All color drained from Elsa's face. She met Andersen's equally-worried gaze. "There is no time, then," she said softly. "We cannot evacuate. They have cut off our only escape route!" She inhaled, her mind racing. "All right. New plan. We move the civilians into the palace, sheltering them in the dungeons." She turned to Gábriel and Míchælen. "The two of you need to get your army in position. NOW!"

The two Maíreth nodded. Wordlessly, they gestured to their soldiers. The Flamdránaren and the Icénderen followed, quickly moving from the throne room to the palace walls.

Elsa looked at Elenórathem. "Do you think you can speak with your sister? If we manage to corner Hans, can you convince her and her brothers to stand down before he unleashes the power of the Tritastónende?"

The blue Water Spirit nodded. "I believe . . . I believe my sister will listen to me. I am concerned, however, about her brothers. Valdránavish is full of rage, of the desire to demonstrate his authority. And Vinderdrómethen . . . he is like a child. He wields tremendous power, but does not have the ability to restrain himself. If Hans convinces him to unleash his wind, I do not know if we can stop him."

"Then we must stop Hans preemptively," Arberish said. "At all costs." He looked Elsa in the eye. "I know . . . I know how you feel about using your power to kill. I know you refuse to allow yourself to do so. But, in this situation, we may have no alternative. If I am forced to choose between killing Hans and allowing him to unleash the power of the Jewels, allowing him to kill innocents, I know what choice I must make." He paused. "I . . . I hope if it comes to that, you would forgive me . . ."

"Yes," Elsa said softly. She took Alúvelin's hand, holding Arberish's in the other. "In this situation, the greater evil would be to allow him to live. I will give Hans the opportunity to stand down. If he chooses not to do so, then . . . then his fate is the result of his own actions."

A loud blast, like a mighty trumpet, sounded from outside the palace. Arberish frowned, his eyes full of worry. "I know that sound! It . . . It cannot be! They cannot be here already!"

The blast sounded once more. Elsa turned to Andersen. "Get the civilians in here now! Send our military to aid Míchælin! We have but one chance at stopping them! We must get this right!"

"Men of Arendelle!"

Hans stood at the foot of the wall surrounding the palace and village, his mighty army behind him. He signaled to the soldier wielding the vartrömpeten, the mighty instrument blaring loudly, once more announcing their presence. Hans felt the very earth tremble beneath his feet at the harsh tones emerging from the instrument.

"Men of Arendelle!" Hans bellowed once more. "I know you can hear me! You may try to hide from us, but I assure you, there is no fooling my men! We know you are here! We come seeking vengeance!"

His face softened slightly. "However, I am not entirely unreasonable. I will permit the women and children to flee your kingdom. I give you but one opportunity to take advantage of my mercy. Should you remain defiant, should you refuse to open your gates, my men will slaughter every living being within these walls without remorse!"

Silence descended upon the kingdom. Hans waited, looking for some sign . . . any sign that his message had been received. Nothing happened.

Furious, Hans roared once more. "You try my patience, Men of Arendelle! I know your Queen was obstinate, but I did not think her foolishness had passed so thoroughly to her subjects!" He laughed. "Where is your Queen, o mighty Arendelle? Would you like to know what I have done with her and her pathetic sister? They are dead! I killed them myself! She, even with all her power, was no match for me!" He held up the sack containing the Tritastónende, removing Valdránavish, holding the shining red stone up for all to see. "Do you understand now?!" he cried. "I have in my possession the legendary Tritastónende! The power of earth, water, and wind . . . All of it is under my command! Surrender now, Arendelle, or face the very wrath of Nature Herself!"

The gate suddenly creaked open, the ancient wooden doors slowly opening, moving outward. Hans's eyes glowed with excitement, expecting to see Arendelle's soldiers laying down their arms. Instead, he roared in fury. "YOU! How can this be? You were trapped! I trapped all of you in the caverns!"

Elsa, Alúvelin, and Arberish moved toward him, slowly, deliberately.

"We have . . . powerful allies," Arberish said. "Far more powerful than you give us credit for." He gestured toward Hans's soldiers. "Tell your men to stand down, Hans. If you care anything for their lives at all, they must surrender now."

Hans laughed, his eyes narrow in disbelief. "My men's lives are in danger?! You cannot be serious, old man!" He looked at Elsa. "Is your lover mad, Elsa? Do you honestly think your pathetic little band stands a chance against my power?" He turned the sack over, allowing the other two stones to fall to the ground by his feet.

Elsa's eyes were cold, anger and disappointment mingled together. "You truly are a fool, Hans," she said, moving forward as she spoke. "You have no power but that the Sacred Jewels choose to share with you. Without them, you are nothing!" She brought the hand bearing the Eden-stone to her face, the glowing gem resting before her lips. "Now, Elenórathem," she whispered.

Blue light burst forth from the Eden-stone as Elenórathem took physical form once more. The blue Water Spirit stood before Hans, her eyes full of fury. "I wish to speak with my sister. Now."

At her voice, the blue stone on the ground glowed, an intense wave of light erupting from its shimmering surface. As the light receded, another woman appeared, her body forming, emerging from the light itself. She was the spitting image of Elenórathem, save for her slightly taller height, her haunted eyes.

"Sister?" the blue woman asked, bringing her hand to Elenórathem's face, not daring to believe. "Is it . . . Is it truly you? After all this time?"

Elenórathem smiled, taking the woman's hand. "Hello, Elenóreweth," she said, her eyes brimming with tears of joy. "How I have missed you!"

The two women embraced each other, burying their faces in each other's hair, tears flowing freely down their faces. Centuries apart from each other were forgotten in an instant; it was as if they had never been separated at all.

Elenóreweth pulled back, looking her younger sister in the eye. "I never thought I would see you again. When I gave you to the Men of Arendelle, I . . . I felt a part of myself wither and die. And then, when the three of us were hidden away in the caverns, I gave up all hope . . ."

Hans looked on in disbelief, convinced that what he was seeing was some sort of trick. He glared at Elsa. "What is this, Elsa? Some type of illusion? Enough of your games!"

"This is no game, Hans!" Elsa spat. "Don't you see? I am trying to save you from yourself! You are so consumed with hatred, you don't realize what you are doing!"

"Yes, I do!" Hans cried. He turned to Elenóreweth. "I command you to unleash floodwaters upon this land! Destroy it, as the waters should have done centuries ago . . . before you intervened!"

Elenóreweth glared at Hans. "You do not command me, foolish Man!" she said. "I will make my own decisions regarding Arendelle's fate!"

Hans was beside himself. "What?! After I took you from the caverns . . . After I set you free . . . You dare to disobey my orders?!"

"How dare you!" Elenórathem stood directly before Hans. "You are not her master! I do not care what lies you have told her to try to convince her to destroy Arendelle! She is not some prize to be shown off! She is the living embodiment of Water itself, free to make her own decisions!"

Elenórathem looked at her sister, her eyes full of worry. "You . . . You are not thinking about actually destroying this land, are you, sister?"

"I . . . I do not know," Elenóreweth said. "On the one hand, I despise those who dare to try to order me about, who do not respect my power. On the other . . . It has been so long since I have been free. And I have heard the stories over the years. The atrocities the Men of Arendelle have committed over the centuries have passed to my ears through the winds. For instance, didn't they try to eradicate the ice bærers and brann wielders from this earth? That alone, in my judgment, condemns them to death."

"Please," Elsa said, stepping toward Elenóreweth. "The men responsible for those actions no longer live. My . . . My adopted Father took care of them long ago. They were never representatives of Arendelle's true intentions. You must believe me, I beg of you!" She knelt before the Water Spirit, her head bowed low. "Please, wise Elenóreweth! Do not hold my people responsible for the actions of those long dead! We have accounted for their disgrace! We have helped the ice bærers find a permanent homeland. They no longer wander this Continent in fear. Please!"

The Water Spirit paused, considering Elsa's words. She looked to her younger sister, nodding to her. "You . . . You are most wise, young one," she said. "And courageous. None has dared to speak to me like that before and lived. I admire your bravery." She turned to Hans, her face devoid of expression. "I have made my decision. My power will not be used to destroy this land. I find no fault among them. I will not aid you."

"WHAT?!" Hans threw the empty sack to the ground in fury. He stood, quaking in outrage, his face redder than Elsa had ever seen before.

"Surrender now, Hans," Arberish said. He and Alúvelin advanced upon him, hands glowing red with flame. "This is your final opportunity. We will kill you if you continue to resist."

Hans looked at them, his eye twitching. "If you kill me . . . it changes nothing! My army will destroy this land regardless!"

"I would not be so sure of that."

Hans stared in astonishment as Gábriel and Míchælin appeared before him, their golden glow nearly blinding him. He laughed once in disbelief, staring at Elsa, shaking his head. "So . . . You are friends with the Maíreth now, are you?" He snorted in derision. "Of course you are. You cannot fight your own battles, so you turn to them for assistance, for salvation."

Míchælin stepped forward, his sword at Hans's throat, pulsating with power. "Watch your words, son of Man," he spat. "My brother and I have faced far worse than you over the years. You do not wish to fight against our power, I assure you."

Hans glared at Míchælin, his face defiant. "Do you think after everything I have been through, I am afraid of you?! Even if all the forces of Hell themselves were before me, I would not stop in my quest for vengeance."

Gábriel moved toward Hans, his eyes drilling a hole into Hans's soul. "Set down the Jewel, Hans," he commanded. "Surrender, and your men will live."

Hans looked at his hand, Valdránavish glowing red with power, Hans's face looking positively demonic in the unearthly light. "Do you think my men will surrender without a fight?" he whispered, his voice harsh. "This is what they have dreamed of their entire lives: to die in battle claiming the Sacred Jewels!" He turned to his army, raising the Jewel above his head. "Their sons will speak of their names reverently for centuries to come! They shall be immortal! They shall be worshipped by their peoples!"

His men let out a unanimous roar of approval, their voices thundering loudly against the wall.

Alúvelin stared at Hans, her face full of contempt. "You leave us no choice, then," she said softly. She glanced at Elsa, Arberish, Gábriel, and Míchælin. "We will kill you now. You had your chance to repent, and you have chosen death."

Hans turned to Elenóreweth, his eyes full of anger. "If you will not aid me willingly," he whispered, "then I will take your power by force!"

Before any of the group could stop him, Hans hurled Valdránavish to the ground. The Tritastónende now touched each other, forming unbroken circle of stone. All three jewels shone intensely, their light growing overwhelming.

"NO!" Elenóreweth grimaced, doubling over in agony, falling to the ground.

"What is it?!" Elsa cried, rushing to her side, staring at Elenórathem in confusion. "What is wrong with her?"

Hans laughed, his voice ringing across the land. "You haven't been told the final piece of the legend, have you?!" He looked at the Maíreth and Elenórathem, his eyes gleaming in triumph. "When all three Jewels are brought together . . . When all three are as one . . . Then, only then, will the true power of the Tritastónende be unleashed!"

Elenóreweth looked up at Hans, her face twisted in pain. "Stop!" she ordered, her voice faint. "Please! Do not make me do this . . .!"

"You had your chance to assist me willingly!" Hans snarled. "You refused! Now, I must force you to help me!"

Elenórathem looked at Hans, her face full of fury. "Release her now!" she commanded. "I will—"

"You do not frighten me, Water Spirit!" Hans snapped. "You are but a pale imitation of your sister! If she cannot resist me, then there is no way you could do so!"

The party backed away, Gábriel and Míchælin keeping their eyes on Hans.

"Separate them now!" Míchælin commanded, his sword glowing with fire. "I will kill you if—"

"You will do no such thing!" Hans cried. "I know your limitations! I have read the scrolls! Even the Maíreth are powerless before the one who unleashes the power of all three Jewels! You are forbidden from stopping me!"

Dark clouds formed in the sky, the wind gusting furiously. Rain began to fall, lightly at first, then in heavy torrents.

"I . . . I cannot . . . I cannot resist him!" Elenóreweth, murmured, shaking her head, nearly unconscious from the intensity of her struggle. "He . . . He has complete control . . . over me!" She looked to Elsa, her eyes full of sorrow. "Forgive me, Your Majesty! I . . . I do not wish to do this . . . but I have no choice!"

Hans stood over the Jewels, their light burning like fire. "Now, give me your power!" he commanded. "Destroy this land! Make the earth shake! Make the waters rise! Make the winds topple the tallest towers!" He thrust his hands to the sky. "AVENGE ME!"

The light could no longer be contained within the Jewels. A ray of fiery energy tore into the sky, piercing the clouds, making the evening sky as bright as noon. The clouds pulsed with energy, glowing with unearthly rays. The light then shot downward once more, erupting across the ground, flowing across the waters of the fjord.

The effect was instantaneous. The ground trembled, mighty quakes rippling across the ground, opening deep chasms in the rock. The waters of the fjord rose immensely, forcing their way onto dry land. The wind howled with an intensity never felt before.

Hans laughed triumphantly, grabbing the Jewels, returning them to his sack. "It is done then!" he cried. "Arendelle shall fall! None can save her!" Pushing his way past the Maíreth, he rushed beyond the gates of the wall, heading toward the palace.

The army roared in triumph, following Hans's lead. The waters at their back, the ground raging, the wind surging, they pressed toward the wall.

"NOW!" roared Míchælin.

From behind the wall, Arendelle's soldiers rushed to meet their attackers.

"Go!" Gábriel cried to Elsa. "Find Hans! You must find him and subdue the Jewels! It is the only way now!"

He ducked as a sword swung at him, nearly missing his head. He quickly separated the head of his attacker from his body.

"Go, Elsa!" he cried. "Hurry!"

"Elsa!" Arberish cried. "We must go! Now!" The brann wielder lifted the unconscious Elenóreweth into his arms, delicately shielding her.

Elsa nodded. "I know where he has to be! It's the only place he would feel safe!"

Together, Elsa, Alúvelin, Arberish, and Elenórathem rushed toward the palace, while the Battle of the Tritastónende raged behind them.

AN: More to come!