If there was one thing Elsa was feeling right now, it was uncertainty. Going through the jungle with someone who had tried to kill her, destroy her entire kingdom and threaten her entire family and the world was already a worry, but with said person in the lead, taking them to a place where this 'Father' was waiting for them, it was more than unnerving. Her eyes scanned their surroundings constantly as they trudged through the foliage and undergrowth of the jungle, the warm air sticking to them like glue, sweat running down the backs of their necks. Her hand was clasped around Anna's tightly, holding her sister behind and close to her, ready to act in case Belvera had something nasty or devious waiting for them nearby, ready to lunge at them and tear them to pieces. And if she was not keeping an eye on their surroundings, then her eyes were locked on Belvera, waiting for the witch to turn around and shoot something at them, stop and summon a creature, anything that Elsa made sure she would stop.
Part of her too was worried about what lay in wait for them. Belvera had given them no other indication as to who this Father was or what he wanted with them. Moll and Lora too, though they had explained to Anna before about this Father – and filled her and the others in on the way over here, though they admitted that as it had been centuries since they had last seen him – had no idea either, and obviously they were reluctant to ask Belvera given their past history. Elsa could not help but wonder again at what awaited them when they meet this 'Father'. What would he be like? Would he be welcoming? Would he be aggressive? Would he trap them? And what did he even look like? If they were going off Megaguirus and Battra, then would he be the stuff of nightmares?
All these questions, and the only answers were to go there and get them.
For several minutes more, they trudged on through the jungle, hearing the gradual noise of the jungle fade away as they neared a huge mountain, the one that looked oddly unnatural and had been seen by the group when they arrived. Moll and Lora followed with Kristoff and Sven bringing up the rear (Olaf was told to stay at the den with Mothra and the baby). All four of them anxiously watched the purple-haired woman at the head of the group, they too, like the sisters, fearful of anything that she might suddenly throw at them. The two Mu sisters had exchanged a few words with each other, wondering what awaited them.
Finally, they emerged from the undergrowth and found themselves in a wide clearing directly in front of a large opening in the side of the mountain, about fifty feet in height and just under half that in width. The edges worn and chipped and the sunlight stopped about ten feet into the cave before it darkened into near pitch blackness as if it were afraid to reveal something inside. The Arendelle group glanced nervously at each other, Anna's hand tightening its hold on her sister, Sven giving a nervous to his owner and Anna looking back over her shoulder at the others.
Elsa turned her gaze towards Belvera, fear and fury mixing in her eyes. "What is this place?!" she demanded.
"Relax," Belvera told the Arendelle Queen. "This is the way to where Father is. And don't worry, (she had interrupted Elsa, who had been about to throw another jab her way). It's perfectly safe. Trust me."
With a motion of her hand to beckon the others to follow, she walked towards the enormous entrance. Elsa went to follow, but Anna held her hand tightly and looked at her intently.
"Elsa, are you sure this is a good idea?" the copper-haired sister asked her elder sibling.
A pause. Silent, yet revealing. A glance back at the entrance, to see Belvera's form disappear into the darkness as if it consumed her as a meal.
"No, Anna." The queen replied. "But I don't think we have a choice."
Anna glanced nervously at the entrance, her hand trembling in her sister's, swallowing a little. She was nervous, and Elsa could not blame her, but there was no other choice. Staying here would mean there was no way to solve this mystery of what was going on, as well as cause some other untold consequences. On the other hand, they had no idea what was waiting for them. And what if Belvera was going to do something? She could easily corner them there and kill them.
Kristoff walked up next to Anna, Moll and Lora and Sven right behind him. "Should we?" he asked, looking at the girls, face nervous.
Elsa looked at him, then at the entrance. With a small nod, she walked on, making sure to keep Anna behind her. Anna grabbed hold of Kristoff's hand, giving her a reassuring squeeze. Moll and Lora moved up past them to the front, just in case their sister did try anything. As they reached the entrance, Kristoff paused for a moment and turned to Sven.
"Sven, wait here," he told the reindeer, who returned with a surprised and annoyed expression. "Look, we'll be alright. And if anything happens, head back to the chamber."
Before the reindeer could reply, his human companions entered the cave. He huffed and laid down on the ground, clearly perturbed, but obeying nonetheless. All he could do was hope that nothing did happen.
Darkness overwhelmed the Arendelle group as they walked on, into the unknown.
"Watch your step," Belvera warned, pointing down at the ground just visible in the purple light that emanated from her hand. "The ground is uneven. Don't fall and hurt yourself."
Such compassion! Elsa mentally told herself sarcastically, her own hand holding a blue snowflake that hovered in the air just before her, filling part of the tunnel with a glow akin to that of a full moon.
How could this woman put on a caring persona, even after everything she did to them?! If she was looking for forgiveness, she was going to have a hard time in getting it. And if she tried anything, Elsa made sure she would finish her, completely.
Such thoughts did surprise, and worry her. She had never been so forward and willing to hurt someone before in such an aggressive manner. Even when she had been battling the Duke of Weselton's guards back in her ice palace all those years ago, she had been merely defending herself and had not wanted to rally harm them, let alone go further and fully end their lives. Yet now, she was actively preparing, maybe even wanting to hurt someone, even if now they were trying to be amicable with them. It worried her, and she could only think of what it would do to her in the future.
They had been walking for the past five minutes, barely a word being spoken between them beyond a confirmation that all were well given the current circumstances. Belvera had not given them any further indication of what was ahead, though the others had not asked her much, largely because Elsa was too busy scouring her surroundings in case something was waiting for them. Amicable or not, she still thought Belvera could not be fully trusted and was ready for any eventuality. Any sort of hostility on her part, and Elsa would freeze her. Anything to keep her and her family and friends safe.
As Moll and Lora, who were slightly ahead of the Arendelle trio and just behind their elder sibling, followed Belvera, Moll suddenly tripped on a piece of rock and fell with a yelp, landing on another large boulder that seemed to jut out from the ground.
"Moll!" Lora exclaimed as the Arendelle group rushed over, Belvera joining them too. "Are you alright?" the twin asked her sibling as she helped her up to her feet.
Moll nodded, wincing in pain and rubbing her arm. "I'm fine, thank you." she replied, the dull pain flaring up and down her appendage. "Nothing too damaging," she added.
Kristoff stepped forward and, in the glow of the light from Belvera's hand and Elsa's snowflake, gently turned her arm over, seeing there was a bruise on it.
"Just a bruise," he commented, looking up at the others. "I used to do it a lot climbing in the mountains; you'll be okay,"
Moll smiled thankfully at him, as did Lora and Belvera.
"Thank you, Kristoff," the elder of the three sisters told the ice harvester, surprising him and the girls. After checking once more that Moll was alright, she added: "Well, we better carry on. Father's waiting. Unless we get into trouble,"
Those around her silently looked at one another. Trouble? What did she mean by that?
They continued on down the passageway, Belvera holding out her other arm for her sisters to guide them safely. When they neared a turn in the passageway, a dull orange glow was visible at the end and it seemed to brighten a little as if sensing their approach.
"Alright, we're almost there," she told them and led on.
Elsa and Anna, though the light was dim, noticed Moll and Lora exchange somewhat nervous expressions. Belvera's comment a moment ago and the situation they were in made them uncomfortable – the Arendelle trio could relate to that. And now they were close to their destination, they still knew nothing about this 'father', yet this deep, burning curiosity and determination to find out who he – or it – was and what he needed them for, there was something about this that told them coming here was not a good idea. Elsa could feel her heart hammer away in her chest; despite her own desire to meet him, her stomach was in knots as if warning her to turn back.
She repressed it. Good or bad, she had to go there and meet him. Still, she looked back at Anna and Kristoff, trying to reassure them, but they too were apprehensive and could see through Elsa's mask of security. All they could do was wait, and hope.
The orange light grew brighter as they approached and Belvera dissipated the purple orb from her hand; Elsa following suit with her snowflake. They turned the corner and paused at the entrance to the enormous chamber, everyone but Belvera gazing the sheer size of it. It must have been at least double the size of the one Mothra was resting in and the orange glow they had seen came from the huge lava pit in the centre of the chamber, below a rock platform connected by some rock pathways.
"Don't worry," Belvera told the others, who were staring awe at their new surroundings. "Father is here, somewhere."
She led the group into the chamber, her purple eyes scanning her surroundings in search of him, even looking up at the ceiling, trying to see through the blackness high above. The others behind her were less forward with their pace, having come a little closer together, trying to follow Belvera's gaze as well as search the chamber themselves. This place … this place was unsettling, both in its unfamiliarity as well as the prospect that something here was waiting for them, had wanted to see them. Yet, he, or it, was nowhere to be seen.
"Ah, finally. You arrived,"
The voice – soft, but deep; powerful, but calm – rolled out through the chamber, ubiquitous in its reach and origin. The Arendelle group looked around, trying to find the source, but could not. All they could see was the same rocky walls and the orange glow that lit up the chamber. Nothing moved, nothing gave an indication that it was the source of the voice.
Belvera looked up at the ceiling, seeing nothing at first. Then the familiar black, swirling, formless mist materialised from the darkness and began to descend towards them rather than the platform in the centre. Lora exclaimed and pointed at the mist, drawing the rest to look up and see it. Elsa held her breath, feeling a sort of presence something with the mass as it neared them, though she could not say exactly what it was. It was not like that with Godzilla, which was powerful, but also something safe – for her at least. This was something unusual, strange, intimidating.
The mist lowered further and began to take shape. First two thick legs formed, each with a four toed clawed foot at the bottom, a slight bend in the knees. Next came the torso; wide and muscular, scales and thick skin somehow mixing together and lining the body, giving it a mix of something both animal and at the same time human, or humanoid-like. Two large muscular arms appeared as the torso became more visible, the hands open and resting on the legs. The upper chest was heavily built like that of a bodybuilder, but also bony and knobbly, the skin looking thick and powerful like that of a rhino's hide, yet also as if it had been stretched across to almost tearing point. It looked sickly to observe and Anna and Elsa could not help but feel a little ill.
Then came the head. It was large and shaped similar to that of a seashell with its wideness and coming to a point at the back of the cranium. Two circular holes were just visible on the sides, no doubt the ears, and a line of small fins ran from the forehead to the back of the head. The face was like a combination of a squid and a human, with a middle section like that of a nose, a pair of golden coloured eyes that reflected the glow of the lava below and a host of tentacles that hung down from where the mouth and chin would be were it on a normal face, each one looking almost dead, lifeless, save for the occasional twitch. A low, deep breath came from somewhere within the mass of tentacles, probably evidence of a mouth, but then again the sheer peculiarity of this beast was just mind-boggling to the human observers. The other creatures they had seen before over the last few years had been strange, and terrifying, but at least looked vaguely similar to other life on the planet as far they knew.
But this one, it looked like a weird Frankensteinian hybrid, a malformed beast, an intimidating, unnatural design of the natural world. Put simply, a complete enigma.
"Greetings, my fellow inhabitants," The creature spoke, its voice soft, but deep, powerful, but calm. "Thank you for coming."
Anna, gripping Elsa's hand tighter now, spoke up, though her trembling voice did little to mask her fear and apprehension. "W-who are y-y-you?"
The creature's eyes regarded her for a moment, then glazed over the others, contemplating them as if they were animals in a zoo. The humans felt like he was staring right through them, right into their souls, feeling their emotions, their very thoughts like some kind of deity. Even Belvera, though her back was to the group, was noticeably shaking a little, unable to avert her eyes from the being before her. Then again, the group behind her also could not look away, even though a part of them wanted to, but they could not tear their gazes away from the being. Something about him, his gaze, the look in his golden eyes, made him strangely captivating, but also incredibly intimidating.
"I am the 'Father' that you have no doubt heard about, my child," he replied softly to the Arendelle princess. "but, my given and preferred name is Cthulhu."