Chapter 32-Lost Knowledge

Elsa was one of the handfuls who were healed on site as soon as the fighting was over. However, a complete healing was unable to be accomplished on that day.

Every soldier there was absolutely drained. Never mind the injured; they knew that the Spirit Bellflower will restore the wounded in no time, but their minds were all dead: their moral destroyed. Fighting the Nightmares was one thing, but now that they have fought the new—the more and powerful creatures…they were left to truly wonder who this Pitch Spirit is, and what sort of partner has Prince Hans gotten himself.

The battle that occurred on that day—on that night, was come to be titled as, The Battle of New Shadows.

XxXxXx

Two days have passed. There was much to be done since that night, and there was still much to be done now. The men still needed rest, but were all too exhausted to sleep or eat. There was almost no will to do anything at all. There was also a need for answers.

Unfortunately with Lukas' book, he was unable to identify the shadowy Beings. As for the young Guardians, they had no knowledge of the monsters. But they knew whom they could go to ask about them.

XxXxXx

"The Beings are called Fearlings," Hiccup started. Hours before, he was sent by his friends to go meet with North and the other Guardians for their needed answers. The second he returned, Hiccup called for a meeting in the privet dining room. It was the largest meeting the Three Kingdom Alliance has ever had. Everyone was gathered together for the very first time: Eugene, Kristoff, both of Lukas' brothers, the young Guardians; they were all there. Except for Jack. Hiccup had asked Jack to run an errand for him, requiring the spirit to make a long journey through the World of Light Beings.

As for the Rapunzel doll, Eugene didn't bring it with him for the meeting. He was too distracted with questions, and was too focus on finding a solution to the Fearlings to spare any concentration on controlling the doll. So Eugene made the excused that his wife wasn't feeling too well to attend the meeting, blaming the cause of her illness due to the recent attack.

"These Fearlings," said Hiccup, "are one of the oldest Beings in existence. They were supposedly destroyed—"

"Supposedly," Lipso empathized in a foul tone. But Hiccup ignored him.

"They were thought to have been completely killed off, during a final battle waged against the Beings of the Light long, long, ago."

"Well care to explain their relationship to our brother Hans?" Grill press. "Has he gone and enter into another Pact?" The idea had caused everyone to become uneasy, save the Spirits. The council men started murmuring to one another in their usual wild assumptions.

"No-no-no-no, I'm not saying that. The Fearlings are actually one of Pitch's minions, as well as his creators. Hans would have some control of the Fearlings through his Pact with Pitch, just like with the Nightmares."

"Wait, that doesn't make sense," said Kristoff. "How can the Fearlings be both his creators and has servants? Shouldn't it be the other way around?"

"—That doesn't matter," said Lukas, not wanting to have to dive into the story of the Nightmare King's creation.

"Indeed," said Commander Gorm in frustration. "What we require, is the knowledge as to how to defeat those monsters."

"Truly," agreed Commander Atlas, in an equal bitter tone. For once, both Commanders' frustration was directed at someone else other than Jack and his friends. Beside the number of the deceased, they were outraged at the count of missing soldiers than anything else, and wanted more than ever to skewer the spirit Pitch Black, along with Hans.

"Quite the tensions we have here don't we?" a council men noted quietly, but it didn't went unheard.

"Is there a problem for such tensions?" Atlas challenged.

"…W-well," the man stuttered. "It's for the best if this meeting can go calmly—"

"Calm?!" Atlas spat. "How can I keep calm when one-hundred-and twenty of my men are missing? While Arendelle's missing eighty?! They all vanished without a trace. T-those…Fearlingsss—they abducted our soldiers, reducing our fighting force tremendously. If there's a chance to save those men then I want answers. Quick and straight for once."

"Unfortunately," intruded Hiccup. "There will be no chance for a rescue."

The room went silent. Many eyes, whether they're expressing shock, or are glaring, were all looking at Hiccup. "Explain Spirit." Gorm demanded.

"…Fearlings don't just attack their victims physically, but they mainly attack people's minds…They weaken people's resolve first through body brutality, then they twist and corrupt their victims' minds until there's nothing left, but fear and terror. They are the best at installing, and manifesting fear—as masterful as Pitch himself. That's how they began the creation of Pitch Black in the first place."

"But what does it have to do with our missing soldiers?" Eugene asked.

"Once people succumb to nothing but fear by the Fearlings, then they are nothing more than another manifestation of fear…"

"H-Hiccup…" Anna starts. Her body quivered at an invisible chill, making her hug herself in an attempt for warmth. "I really don't want to believe it to be possible, but…are you saying our men have become…F-Fearlings?"

"—Nonsense!" Lipso shouted, as he slams a fist down hard onto the table. The slamming startled everyone more so then the shout. "I don't believe it—I refuse to believe, that my men are now one of those vile Beings!"

"Brother," started Grill, but he was perplex on what to say to calm his kin.

"—Don't Grill; how can you, or you Lukas, sit there, standing at the thought of our people becoming one of those monsters? And Hans, he had allowed this. He has submit his own people, cursed them to a fate more agony then death." Lipso then turn his gaze towards Elsa and Anna. "And what of Her Majesty and Highness of Arendelle? Do you not feel anger? Anguish? Your men have met the same fate as the Southern Isle army."

Both sisters bit their lower lip. Anna looked over towards the side, while Elsa lowered her eyes to avoid Lipso's gaze. "I think," said Elsa. "I'm more at a lost as what to do then to feel…angry…As for anguish, I started feeling that when the war first stated. I have yet to feel a moment of gladness, and will yet to be glad as long as this war continues: as long as my men—or any one for the matter, dies in this war…It suddenly feels like our enemies has made leaps and bounds in their strength, while we are just following in their shadow. And now they have tremendously reduced our numbers and moral…Truly, I'm at a loss of what do…"

With a heavy sigh, Prince Lipso leans back in his seat and rubbed his face. "Indeed." After a moment to breath, Lipso asked more calmly, "Is there no way to reverse their transformation?"

Hiccup lowered his head slightly. "None."

Grill shook his head in disappointment. "What are we to do indeed…"

"…Hiccup," Lukas start, as he turns to face the spirit. "You said you are the Spirit of Autumn, the meaning of change. In your Pact, you promised Anna and Elsa that you would bring your magic of change to help the Kingdom of Arendelle and the Southern Isle to win the war. If there is ever a time where we have need for you to honor your Pact, it is now. Help us to change the direction in where The Battle of New Shadows has turned us."

All eyes were once more on Hiccup, save for his spirit friends. The two girls had closed their eyes and were leaning back against their chair, completely drain. The both of them had failed utterly to execute their Pact during the battle, and so they were weaken by their own promises. Merida especially. Her fire, her light, was unable to inspire the potential of bravery when the men needed her magic the most.

After the battle was over, Merida didn't feel the weight of gravity pulling her down, or the headache she came to associate as an effect of the Pact. Merida felt more than just weary. She felt old. It wasn't in the manner of bones aching, sleepiness, or tiredness. It felt as though the flames within her was extinguish; her body reduced to all of ashes waiting to be blown in a harmonious brush of winds. It took a lot for her to attend this meeting, and when night falls, she still as to patrol the castle and town.

As for Rapunzel, she wanted nothing more than to retire to a grassy field covered in a verity of flowers. A field where it is bathed in sunlight during the day, while bask in moonbeam by night. She wants to retire with the birds, the bees, and the wind singing to her, with the grass lulling her to sleep. And sleep for days, weeks, perhaps even years if she could have it her way. Opposite to Merida, she feels the aches, the stiffness and numbing in her body: in her bones and joints, her muscle and skin. She wanted nothing more but to sleep, long, and hard.

At the moment, the girls have no strength within them to carry out their Pact. Jack they know is at a standstill with his strength. He was strong enough to perform basic duties and defenses, but if another large attack were to happen, then he wouldn't stand a chance. Hiccup was the only one at full strength.

"…Change is a funny thing," Hiccup began anew. "It can come in small waves or be blown in instantly like a storm. But if there's one thing about change that remains true thought out, is that it can't be accomplished alone."

The humans were all puzzled by Hiccup's meaning, giving him strange confuse looks. "Change can be accomplished by one individual," said Eugene, unsure as to where his friend was taking the conversation to. "If you look at some of the world's historical leaders and philosophers, they changed the world in one form or another."

"In one perspective, yes, they did," said Hiccup. "However, they still didn't do it alone. They only planted the seed for the opportunity of change. It took several others, helping hands to help their seeds to grow, causing change. For example: it was once thought that the sun circles around the Earth right? The very first man who suggested that the Earth circles around the sun instead, was called mad and was burned to death. It took several more years, and many others who sided with his idea to spread the new knowledge. Turning the majority that was once against the idea, to accept the new improve knowledge as truth.

"When leaders rise, they needed help in one form or another to display their leadership. They needed people who could follow him or her, to rias them into power. One voice alone can change the world yes, but by first planting a seed for change.

"Even when individuals are trying to change a part of themselves that they don't like, they don't do it alone. They reflect upon their flaws based on how others react to them, or how other people acts."

"I think I understand on what you're trying to say," said Lukas, resting his chin against the back of his hands. "Now tell us Hiccup, what can we do to help you bring about change?"

Hiccup smiled for the first time since the meeting started, and so did Rapunzel and Merida ever so slightly. "I will honor my promises," he said with assurance. "For now, everything rest on Jack's return. After that, you all will have a role to play on bringing change in the direction of this war."

"In which by the way," said Anna. "What did you send him off to do?"

"To gather some lost knowledge. The people whom I first went to in order to learn about the Fearlings, they have some knowledge of the Beings, but not as much as we had hoped. They didn't exist during the time of the final battle of Beings. Everything they know was through talks and stories. However, they pointed out someone whom we could go to for help. Especially for our predicament."

"Care to elaborate?" Grill asks, becoming interested in the Spirit's network of connection.

"We may not be able to find a solid solution to defeat the Fearlings, but if things turn out right, we may be able to defend ourselves effectively against them.

"You see, during the final battle between Dark Beings and Light Beings, there was a large battalion called The Golden Army. They were the ones who were tasked to due battles with the Fearlings. Their armors were specially made to protect them against the Fearlings' attack, while giving the wearer some mental strength to ward-off the Beings' aggression.

"The knowledge in making those special armors is long forgotten by many. But the Being Jack is seeking, may still know how to produce them. And I believe he will be willing to share with us the knowledge in making them, and perhaps even more."

"You sound confident in this Being's corporation," noted a council men.

"You can say I'm on good terms with that Being. He's even a big fan of inventions."

Ombric! Elsa thought, while a smile was tugging at her lips.

"So what are we to do for the time being?" Commander Gorm asks. "How long until the Winter Spirit return?"

"Hopefully Jack will return by morning. But for now, you all can help me by helping yourselves: eat, sleep; get some rest. When Jack returns, there will be lots of work to do."