Elsa wakes up when she hears a knock at the door and groans sleepily as she sits up and stretched. "Queen Elsa...?" Kai calls to her from behind the door. "Just a minute." She said in a kind of quick tone as she rushed out of bed and went to open the door.
"Sir Hjalti and Lady Serana are on their way to question the man who attacked Kristoff,I was wondering if you wanted to be present." He said calmly,making her nod lightly. "Tell them I'll be down in a minute." She said,making him give her a light bow.
"Yes,your majesty." He said before leaving so she could get dressed. She went behind a blind before taking her night gown off in exchange for her icy blue dress that she made when she ran off to the north mountain then sliding her shoes on.
She made her way through the corridors,passed through the throne room and went to the dungeons where she noticed Kristoff,Hjalti and Serana next to one of the cells. "Ah,there she is." He said with a light nod as she approached. "Sleep well?" He asked,making her nod a little.
"A little better." She said calmly. "Good,good...now,before we go in here,I need to know...how strong is your stomach?" He says,making her raise her eyebrow a bit. "I...have my limits..." She said hesitantly,making him nod a bit.
"Fair enough...if he doesn't cooperate like he's suppose to,I'll let you know so you can come back out here if you start feeling...queasy." He says calmly,making her nod. "I appreciate the courtesy." She said before they enter the cell where they noticed the necromancer sitting on the bench against the wall still in shackles and glaring at them.
"We don't need those..." Hjalti said,motioning to the shackles before Elsa motions for one of the guards to unlock them. The necromancer started raising his hand like he was going to attack them until he noticed the blood red energy flickering in Serana's hand and the lightning flickering in Hjalti's.
The man lowered his hand in defeat before Elsa,Kristoff and Serana sat on the bench across from him as the guards closed and locked the door while Hjalti stands next to him. "I...assume you know how this works..." She starts calmly,making the necromancer roll his eyes.
"You ask me questions and if I don't cooperate,your 'friend' here does something to...Gah!" He started sarcastically before Hjalti slammed his head on the wall. "Something like that..." He answered sarcastically while the necromancer regained himself.
Elsa studied them curiously for a moment while Serana snickers to herself before turning her attention back to the necromancer. "Okay...first thing's first,where's my sister...?" She asked,making him laugh. "Aww...do you miss your bouncing baby sister...'snow queen'?" He sneered before Hjalti threw a right hook at him,the spikes on his gauntlets tearing into his cheek a bit.
"Argh!" He yelped as his head reeled to the side before he sits back up again. "I don't know about you,but I'm having fun..." He smirked,looking down at the necromancer while Elsa tries to stifle a light giggle. She regained her reserve after a moment then looks back at the necromancer.
"You can taunt me all you want to,because obviously it's doing you a lot of good..." She said with a hint of sarcasm,making Hjalti and Serana smirk. "Do you really think that I'm going to start talking because your smart mouthed Dragonborn ally keeps bashing my head in?! My loyalties belong to the true God of this world and the next!" He declared,making Elsa let out a light sigh before Hjalti looks to her.
"Your majesty,may I suggest giving me and Serana a minute alone with our friend?" He requests calmly,making her study him for a moment before reluctantly nodding. "Of course..." She said before she and Kristoff get up to leave the cell while Serana joins Hjalti with a light grin on her face.
When they heard the cell door close,he pulls out a dark green bottle and looks to Serana. "What are you going to do...make me drink myself to..." The necromancer started before Hjalti nearly shoves the bottle down his throat and makes him drink it's contents as he gagged.
"Magicka poison...pretty potent too...just in case you started getting ideas." He said simply while Serana gags their prisoner and preps him for their 'treatment'. "Is it tight enough?" He asked,making her give him a quick nod.
"Let it down for a bit,he ain't got any reason to scream yet..." He said simply,making the necromancer's eyes widen a bit as she pulls the gag around his neck. "Anything you do to me,the king of worms will unleash a thousand fold upon Arendelle." He sneered,making Hjalti roll his eyes.
"Is it just me or is this guy ridiculously boring...?" He asked dully,making Serana shrug before they turn their attention back to him. "Just tell us where your half rotten dread lord's holding the princess of Arendelle so we can call it a day and you can keep all your body parts,huh?" He suggested simply,making the necromancer scoff.
"You're a fool,Dragonborn! Your petty threats and sarcastic remarks mean nothing to me!" He taunted,making them try to stifle laughter. "Which one of us said anything about threats...?" Hjalti said simply while Serana gagged him again as he went to retrieve his wickedly curved dagger and put it to the man's throat.
"Let's start him off with this...might loosen him up a bit..." He said to himself as the tip of the blade barely bit into the necromancer's flesh,making him thrash and struggle when he felt it's crippling sting while the blade itself drinks his life force until he finally pulled it back.
He doubled forward like he had been hit in the stomach before Serana pulled the gag down again,making him gasp for breath. "Now,where were we...? Oh,yeah you were telling me where Mannimarco was holding princess Anna..." Hjalti said simply,making the necromancer glare at him as he pants for breath.
"Never..." He snarled,making his tormentors look between each other for a moment. "Blunt and to the point...?" He asked Serana simply,making her nod a bit before she pulls him back and gags him again while Hjalti puts the dagger to the side and studies the man for a minute.
"Probably the best opening I'm gonna find..." He said before plunging two of his clawed fingers into the necromancer's chest and lacing them around one of his ribs,making him let out a pained,but otherwise muffled scream while Serana holds him in place.
"Look at me..." He said as he used his free hand to pull his prisoner's gaze to meet his own. "First off...quit struggling or you're gonna bleed out before I get what I'm after...second,the rib I've got my fingers on is directly over your heart...and if you don't answer my question,that rib just might slip out of place and hit something...vital...catch my drift?" He explained in a deathly calm tone,making the necromancer almost tremble in his grip.
"Now,let's try this one more time..." He said as Serana pulls the man's gag down again. "Where is he holding her...?" He asked simply before the necromancer glares at him again,making him tug on his rib a bit,which made him grit his teeth in pain.
"The Soul Carin!" He coughed out,making them raise their eyebrows. "Again...?" Hjalti said as the necromancer tried to catch his breath. "He sent her to the Soul Carin...he's holding her there until he takes Arendelle..." He answered in a kind of desperate tone.
"How do I know you ain't lying...?" Hjalti asked in a simple tone. "Because you put me in a position where I couldn't even if I wanted to!" The necromancer snapped before he tugs on the rib again to make him wince in pain before growing quiet.
"He's got a point..." Serana said calmly,making him nod. "Yeah...but,on the other hand,he could be setting us up for a trap...he and Mannimarco could have easily discussed it before the little display last night..." He points out,making her nod lightly as they study the man curiously.
"Maybe Elsa knows someone who can give us a second opinion...?" She suggests,making him think for a minute before looking between her and the door. "Couldn't hurt...we need to bind him again,though,that poison won't last forever." He said calmly,making her nod before going towards the door.
Elsa and Kristoff looked between each other while they wait on somebody to let them know something until they heard a knock at the door. One of the guards looked in the cell to see Serana on the other side of the door before opening it as Elsa approached them.
"Has he said anything...?" She asked in a kind of quick tone,making her nod. "We'd like to get a second opinion,though...do you know anybody that happens to study scrying?" She inquired,making Elsa think for a minute before nodding lightly.
"In a way...we'll explain on the way there." She answered,making her nod contently. "One more thing...we need a set of those." She said,motioning to the irons on the guard's side. He looked down and reluctantly gave them to her.
"Thank you." She said before closing the door again while they wait patiently. After a minute,the guard opened the door again to let them out,making Elsa and Kristoff's eyes shoot towards the cell where they saw Serana and Hjalti dragging the bound and gagged necromancer out.
From what anybody could actually see,he wasn't injured in any way save for a light scratch on his neck,but judging by the way he acted,he looked like he just survived a possibly crippling incident. "What happened to him?" Kristoff asked curiously,making Hjalti look towards him.
"He just had a few things to get off his chest..." He answered simply while both him and Serana try to keep a straight face. He looked to Elsa with his eyebrow raised before they both shrugged and followed them. "Did he tell you anything?" Elsa asks before he gives her a light nod.
"If he's telling the truth,she's in a pocket realm known as the Soul Carin,which is more like a dark,creepy wasteland than anything..." He answered,making her tremble a bit. "Is she still alive...?" She asked in a shaky tone. "He didn't tell me...maybe we can dig that out of his head too." He answered,making her head drop a little.
"And if he's lying...?" She asked hesitantly as Hjalti eyes the necromancer mischievously. "Then I'll have another chat with him...and it won't be as pleasant as the last one." He answered simply,making his prisoner's eyes widen in terror while he considered how the next 'conversation' could be any worse.
When they made it outside,Kristoff prepped the sleigh and went to go get Sven,leaving Elsa alone with Serana and Hjalti. "I want to ask you a few things...both of you,if that's alright." She said calmly,making them look between each other before Hjalti sits the necromancer down on the sleigh.
"Sure...whatcha need?" He asked simply before she lets out a relieved,but hesitant breath. "You...explained your being Dragonborn to me last night..." She starts,still hesitating a bit when she does before looking to Serana. "What's her story...?" She finally said,making Hjalti kind of look around for a minute.
"It's complicated...but,there's one 'minor' detail that I should let you know about." She answers simply,drawing Elsa's attention to her. "How minor...?" She asks in a somewhat quiet tone. "I'm a vampire..." She answered before noticing a mix of fear,curiosity and caution flicker through her icy blue eyes.
"You don't...kill people,do you?" She asked before Serana shook her head lightly. "Not unless they give me a reason to." She answered,making her nod contently. "Fair enough..." She said calmly before they started watching Hjalti flick his dagger through his fingers.
"Is feeding going to be a problem?" Elsa asked,making Serana shake her head. "I"m not going to lie,your majesty...I have fed on a few people during our time here,but I don't take enough to kill anyone...it's not necessary." She answers calmly,making her let out a quiet,relieved sigh.
After a few minutes,Kristoff returns with Sven at his side before taking him to the front of the sleigh with Hjalti in the corner of his eye. The necromancer tries to complain about something through his gag,making Serana kind of roll her eyes before Hjalti flings the dagger between his legs,only missing by about an inch.
Elsa and Kristoff looked toward the necromancer when they heard the dagger land before seeing the frightened look on his face and the amused look on Hjalti's. "Might shut him up for a minute..." He said as he,Serana and Elsa board the sleigh while Kristoff hooks Sven to the front.
"I hope this ain't too invasive a question,but...have you found a possible king?" Hjalti asks out of nowhere as the sleigh bounced along the trail,making Elsa kind of look around for a moment. "Um,no...not yet..." She answered simply,making him raise his eyebrow a bit.
"Not ready for it,huh?" He asked,making her shrug lightly. "I wouldn't mind,but..." She starts hesitantly,making him study her more. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to..." He suggests calmly,making her shake her head a bit.
"No,it's not that...but,I appreciate the courtesy." She said with a light smile before he nods a bit while Serana studies them curiously,waiting to hear the rest of the conversation. "Long story short,half of the suitors I've met are either intimidated by my powers or..." She shuttered in disgust before she could finish,which made both Serana and Hjalti kind of raise their eyebrows in unison.
"A lot of em like that...they always bleed a strange shade of read..." He kind of mutters the last part where she couldn't hear it,which made a light smirk for on Serana's lips. Elsa kind of hugged herself before nodding in agreement then noticed him study her for a second.
"And if it ain't too bold for me to say,you're a sweet,considerate,intelligent,strong,brave,unique and one hell of a looker...any lad truly worth his gall would be a damnable fool if he didn't see that." He said in a simple tone before sitting back in his seat while Serana's smirk kind of grew,making Elsa look between them curiously as a light blush decorates her cheeks before turning her attention to the forest.
"Thank you..." She said to herself,unaware that they both heard the comment as they looked between each other then shrug lightly before going back to what they were doing,which involved either shooting lightning,ice or even fire through their fingers,fiddling with a sword,dagger or axe or even somewhat torturing the necromancer,who grunts and grumbles every time they do.
When they started getting bored with that,Hjalti started looking around for any signs of an ambush or trap of any kind,nodding contently when he saw that the things were clear. He stretched before reaching into his pack and pulling out a lute and propping it up against him.
"This might kill a little time." He said to himself before discreetly clearing his throat then taking a breath before he starts playing:
"When Akatosh slew Lorkhan,he ripped his heart right out He hurled it across Tamriel and the heart was heard to shout:
"Red Diamond,Red Diamond! The heart and soul of men. Red Diamond,Red Diamond! Protect us 'till the end...
"The laughing heart sprayed blood afar,a gout on Cyrod fell...and like a dart,shot to it's mark,down in an Alyeid well...
"Magicka fused the Lorkhan blood to crystal red and strong. Then Wild Elves cut and polished it down to Chim-el Adabal...
"Red Diamond,Red Diamond! The heart and soul of men. Red Diamond,Red Diamond! Protect us 'till the end...
"When Elves lost Nirn to man,Akatosh gave the stone...to Saint Alesh in token of her right to sit the throne...
"Red Diamond,Red Diamond! The heart and soul of men. Red Diamond,Red Diamond! Protect us 'till the end..."
Elsa looks up as he finished the song with the last strokes of the lute,smiling a little when he did before sitting back and relaxing again. Serana nudged him a little bit when she noticed the smile on her face. "Keep playing,I think it's helping her feel better." She said quietly,making him look between them for a moment before nodding contently:
"Oh,there once was a hero named Ragnar the Red who came riding to Whiterun from ole' Rorikstead...
"And the braggart did swagger and brandish his blade as he told of bold battles and gold he had made...
"But then he went quiet,did Ragnar the Red when he met the shield-maiden Matilda,who said...
"'Oh,you talk and you lie and you drink all our mead,now I think it's high time that you lie down and bleed...
"And so then came slashing and clashing of steel as the brave lass Matilda charged in,full of zeal...
And the braggart named Ragnar was boastful no more-when his ugly red head rolled around on the floor..."
By the time they reached the Valley of Living Rock,Elsa was laughing,smiling and actually felt better than she had in the past couple of weeks. "We're here!" Kristoff called out as he pulled the reigns to make Sven stop. She looked around curiously then looked back to Hjalti and Serana before giving them a light nod and a content smile then stepping off of the sleigh.
Serana looked towards him while he was putting the lute away with a light smile on her face. "That was sweet...doing that for her..." She points out,making him shrug a bit. "Eh,it killed some time...put a smile on her face...and it filled that quiet on the way here." He said simply before she shook her head lightly.
"I think you did a little more than that...she looks happier than she did when we got here..." She said,making him look at her curiously. "What are you getting at...?" He inquired,making her chuckle lightly. "I think you've made a friend..." She said. He raised his eyebrow before dragging the necromancer off the sleigh as he stepped down with Serana close behind him.
When they caught up to Elsa and Kristoff,they noticed the rock like figures surrounding them and cheering like they were happy to see them,which made them study the scene curiously. "What do you think those are...?" He asks Serana,making her shrug.
"No idea..." She said while she shook her head and studied the creatures as they jumped on Kristoff excitedly before one of them looked around curiously. "Where's Anna?" A presumably female voice asked,making the rest of them look around and making Elsa and Kristoff look down.
"She's been taken...by a dark and powerful force..." An elderly male voice said as another one of the creatures approached them before Hjalti drags the necromancer over to the group and just drops him in the middle of them. The creature studied the necromancer for a moment before turning his attention to the hooded young woman with orange eyes and the demonic looking figure that was accompanying her.
"What in Talos' name are these things...?" He leans over to Elsa and asks quietly. "Trolls." She answered,making him raise his eyebrow curiously. "Ain't like any trolls I've ever seen...but,on the other hand,this ain't Tamriel..." He said to himself as he studied the trolls again.
"He knows where to find her...he gave us a location,but we wanted a second opinion." He explained,making the elder troll look to him and raise his eyebrow curiously. "You know the place he speaks of..." He said before giving them a light nod before he noticed the necromancer struggling.
"I need him to relax..." He said,making Hjalti nod before raising his hand as a strange light formed around his hand. "On it..." He said before firing a light at him,which hit it's mark and just made him calm down. The troll turned his attention back to the necromancer and pulls a vision out of his head:
He entered a cave somewhere under Arendelle and followed a dim purple light before approaching a hooded figure with glowing purple eyes binding a young woman with light green eyes and strawberry blonde hair to a pillar made of bones.
"Master..." He bowed to the figure,who revealed itself to be Mannimarco. "What have you found...?" He asked impatiently. "It seems the Dragonborn is somewhere near Arendelle..." The necromancer said,making the lich's eyes flare.
"You're certain..." He demanded before his lackey nods in confirmation. "The High King called for him...after he summoned a storm to eliminate the ones you sent for the queen." He answered as the king of worms looks between the young woman and the necromancer.
"Her lover...kill him and bring me his remains...whatever's left of them." Mannimarco declared coldly,making the young woman squeal in fear through her gag.
"What about her...?" The necromancer asked before his master summoned a dark portal that tried to suck the life out of his hostage before he moved her out of it's pull.
"I'll send her to the Carin...no one will be able to reach her there..." He said before casting a spell on the young woman that pulled a fraction of her essence from her body before throwing it and her through the portal...
The vision ends as Elsa and Kristoff exchange worried looks while Hjalti and Serana look down at the necromancer. "I'll be damned...he was telling the truth..." He said in a kind of sarcastic tone before Serana shrugs. "What should we do with him...?" She asked curiously.
"I remember seeing that cave...I thought it was a secret escape route out of the castle or city one...that maybe what it is or in this case,was before Mannimarco took it over...and it seems that our friend here is the only one of us here that's seen his portal...may know how to open it too..." He suggests simply,making her nod lightly before Elsa and Kristoff approached them.
"We can still get to her,right...?" Elsa asked in a worried,pitiful tone that made Hjalti look between her,Serana and Kristoff curiously. "We can,but it won't be easy..." He answers,making her let out a light sigh of relief. "You and Kristoff won't be able to go through the portal,though..." He said,making her look up curiously.
"Why not...?" She asked in a kind of quick tone. "I'll explain on the way...besides,you're better off never seeing that damned place..." He said simply,making her study him for a moment before giving him a reluctant nod then turning to the elder troll.
"Thank you,Grand Pabbie." She said as she gave him a light bow,making him bow in return. "Of course,your majesty...be careful." He said before they said their goodbyes and made their way back to the sleigh...
Groovy,got one...
Chances are I'm still gonna be kinda slow with this one,so if it takes a few days before I update it,it's still coming either way.
Anyway,here it is,thanks for reading and I'll see y'all next time...