Hey, guys. Here's Chapter 14.
Recap:
"What the hell just happened?" Anna asked.
"I can answer that," a voice said. Everyone turned and saw Brynn limping into the room.
"Brynn!" Anna said, rushing forward.
"Here, Brynn," Owen said, helping her towards a chair. "Sit."
"Thanks, Owen," Brynn said, groaning painfully as she settled into the seat. "Queen Elsa, your healers are a stubborn bunch. I heard Indi's roaring, which woke me from my sleep, and tried to investigate. Unfortunately, your healers wouldn't let me leave my room. They said they had to 'change my bandages.' Tried negotiating with them, but they're as hardheaded as a herd of intoxicated mules."
Elsa smiled. Brynn still had her unconventional sense of humor. "Brynn, these are the king and queen of the Southern Isles, the parents of the man who shot you."
"It's a pleasure to meet you both," Brynn said. "I would time to greet you more formally, but it agitates my wounds."
"Not to worry, dear," Queen Isabelle said, smiling. She liked this girl.
"Brynn, what can you tell us about Indi?" Elsa asked.
"Ah, yes," Brynn said, nodding. "Forgive me for answering a question with a question, but if I recall correctly, you said Indi attacked a herd of cows about nine months ago? Before you officially met him?" Elsa nodded slowly, remembering. The thought had occurred to her, but she thought it was a one-time occurrence. "Indi has gone into a frame of mind I call his Alpha Predator mode. When he is in this state, he becomes essentially a pure Indominus rex. There is no distinction between his mind and that of an Indominus. He is essentially an animal. He will go after all prey items. An Indominus rex in its wild form will hunt for sport. Indi will do this too."
"Are the people in danger?" Elsa asked.
"You were. I see no reason why they would not be."
This was bad. Indi was out hunting, and killing just for the fun of it. And his pack was with him. If she didn't locate him, there would be deaths all over Arendelle.
"Oh, no," Anna said quietly. "Kristoff!" Her beloved was out on another ice-harvesting trip with Sven, and was directly in the danger zone. "We have to find him!"
"Indi must be kept calm," Brynn said. "If he gets agitated, his condition can escalate to his Apex Predator Mode. In this state, he will not only go after all prey items, but smaller predators, though his pack members don't count. I've never seen him go beyond that, but if he did, I have already named a third state: Super Predator.
"The best way to calm him down is to slowly approach him while he's eating and use a calm quiet voice."
Elsa nodded. "I'll get my boots. Anna, send someone to get my horse."
"Queen Elsa," Brynn said, rising painfully. "You cannot reasonably expect to catch two wayward Indominus rex and three Velociraptors by riding a horse. You'll need something that moves like they do."
Brynn turned and slowly left, limping out of the meeting room. The rest of the group followed her.
When Brynn exited the castle doors into the courtyard, she was promptly attacked by a large brown creature with scars along its face and torso.
"Rexanne!" she cried, rubbing her scaly friend's snout. Junior rushed up, and Brynn picked up the small creature in her arms. The baby T-rex licked Brynn's cheek with a wet, sloppy tongue.
"Who's this?" King Charles said as he exited the castle.
"This is Rexanne and Junior, our two resident Tyrannosaurus rex," Anna said. Rexanne bellowed in greeting.
Elsa strode forward, smiling at the sight of the large predator.
"Normally," Brynn said "I would take Rexanne and go track down Indi myself, but Rexanne is old and I'm hurt. So, I will get a smaller animal to get you to Indi." Brynn set down the small tyrannosaur and walked out to the area of the town that had been set aside for the new residents. She gave off a shrill whistle, and an odd roar answered her. A tannish-yellow animal with green along the back of its head, the tip of its tail was white, and a white stripe across each side of its face approached her. The face however, was unusual. The mandible was distorted, and rotated to one side in the middle of the jawbone. The stripe would have normally went straight down the face, but in this animal's case, the stripe was gapped, and moved across up along the jaw.
Brynn patted the animal on the shoulder, which nuzzled the human in response. Brynn led the crippled animal back to the castle.
"Your Majesties," she said. "I'd like you to meet Broken Jaw."
"What kind is he?" Anna asked.
"He is an Allosaurus," Brynn said gently stroking the animal. "His jaw was smashed when he was just a baby by one of the men on Nublar. His jaw never healed correctly, and we just named him after it." She turned to Elsa. "He can get you to Indi. He likes people, which I find odd, considering what happened to him." Broken Jaw approached Elsa, sniffing the queen. He crooned happily, rubbing his head against her shoulder.
"Awe," Elsa said, rubbing the animal's head. "You're just a big sweetie pie, aren't you." The Allosaurus roared lightly in agreement.
"You should know, Elsa," Owen said. "When you find Indi, he may not recognize you. He's basically a wild animal. These animals, they're thinking 'I gotta eat. I gotta hunt. I gotta...'" He then made a pumping motion in the air with his fist. Anna snorted, amused at her teacher's unorthodox way of speaking to anyone, especially royalty.
"Good to know, Owen," Elsa said, rolling her eyes. Owen just smiled.
"Also, give Indi this, if you can." Owen held out an aged envelope, yellowed from time. The envelope had the name "Indi" scrawled on it in faded ink.
"What is it?" Elsa asked.
"I do not know," Owen admitted, shrugging his shoulders. "Don't open it."
"Alright," Elsa said. "I'll be sure he receives it."
Broken Jaw kneeled down, allowing Elsa to climb on.
"Queen Elsa," Brynn said as the animal rose. "Broken Jaw can understand you. He can read your body language and words. He doesn't understand the actual words, but he gets the meaning."
Elsa nodded, then turned towards the animal that she was atop. "Find Indi, Broken Jaw." The Allosaurus roared, and strode off into the city. The citizens in the town surrounding the castle watched as their queen rode off to find five dangerous predators.
The small herd of deer move slowly, grazing on the lush, green grasses.
A dark, bipedal, human-sized animal slunk forward, through the trees, and chittered quietly to the two animals next to it. The three predators prowled towards their prey, before charging towards their intended victims. The deer took flight, bounding away from the hunters. From the other side of the clearing, a large white predator with red eyes appeared out of nowhere, charging the small mammals from the left.
The four dinosaurs turned, becoming an arch of teeth and claws. The deer panicked, all their escape routes cut off except for straight ahead.
Suddenly, three of the deer were swiped into the air by an invisible force, killing them instantly. Another Indominus rex appeared, this one with golden eyes.
Indi roared towards his pack, summoning them to eat.
Through the trees, a man and a reindeer watched the scene before them.
"Let's go, Sven," Kristoff said, leading his reindeer friend away.
Elsa rode on, Broken Jaw sniffing the ground, tracking the runaway predators. They had been searching for hours, and every passing minute they spent hunting for Indi, the possibility of more people getting hurt increased.
Kristoff and Sven raced through the trees, Sven pulling a cart full of ice. Kristoff saw Elsa riding another type of dinosaur, this one wounded. He had never seen this type of animal before. Nevertheless, he rode up to it.
Broken Jaw reared, shrieking in surprise. Elsa soothed him by patting the allosaur's flank. "Easy, Broken Jaw. Kristoff, have you seen Indi?"
"Yes," Kristoff said pointing to the North Mountain. "Up there, in the direction of the Ice Palace."
"Great," Elsa groaned. "Anna's looking for you. She's worried sick."
"I'll see to her right away," Kristoff said as he moved down the incline to the castle.
Elsa nodded. "Broken Jaw, keep going." The Allosaur strode on, tracking Indi.
Indi walked out of the woods, staring up at the giant structure before him, which was constructed from ice. He roared for his pack to join him, his fangs glinting in the fading light. The rest of the predators strode forward, staring up at the building. A long staircase made of ice went up to the doors of the building. At the base of the staircase as a large pile of snow.
Noctus approached the white mound, and growled.
Then the pile started to move.
Elsa heard a massive roar, coming from her ice palace. Broken Jaw heard it too, and charged towards it.
Bursting into the clearing and rounding the cliffs, Elsa saw Indi locked in a fight with Marshmallow, her guardian snowman. Indi was snapping his large jaws at the giant snowman, who was covered in ice plates and icicles. Marshmallow was roaring himself, swiping his giant arms at the white animal.
Indi ducked out of the way of another blow from Marshmallow, and latched his teeth into the snowman's arm. Marshmallow flung his arm, sending Indi plowing into the snow in a flurry of white skin and powder.
"Marshmallow, STOP!" Elsa cried as she threw herself from Broken Jaw back, running to giant snowman. The snowman looked down to see his creator standing there.
"Momma!" Marshmallow said, picking Elsa up and giving her a hug.
"I missed you too, Marshmallow. Don't attack Indi, he is a friend." Marshmallow nodded with a grunt, and set Elsa down. She went over to Indi, who was lying on the ground, breathing heavily. "Indi?" The white creature looked at the woman, and shrieked, lunging at her. Marshmallow took a protective step forward, but Elsa held her hand out to stop him. "Indi, I know you're in there," She said, taking a tentative step forward. "Please, shove this side of you down so we can talk."
Indi calmed some, and Elsa saw the gentleness in his eyes return. He gave a soft growl, and shrank down to his human form, breathing heavily.
"Elsa?" he said weakly. The woman took a step forward, and helped Indi to his feet. "I-I'm sorry for what happened."
"What did happen, exactly?" Indi looked away. "Why don't we go inside and talk?" Indi nodded and whistled for his pack. Elsa led them up the stairs into the castle. Broken Jaw went over and settled down next to Marshmallow, who looked at the creature next to him.
"What is this place?" Indi said, looking up at the giant structure.
"This is the Ice Palace I created when I ran away on the night of the day of my coronation as queen."
"It's beautiful," Indi said in awe as he entered the building.
Elsa smiled, for Indi seemed to be back to his old self.
"Your pack can stay here in the main area," Elsa said. "I didn't make the hallways and stairs large enough for Lapsus." Indi gave the instructions to his pack. The four animals hunkered down to rest.
"Indi, do you know what happened?" Elsa said, taking a step towards him. Indi took a fearful step back.
"Yes," Indi said, his eyes burning with anxiety. "I was primarily conscious about what happened when I left the castle. This hunger inside me... it's powerful. It drives me to do what I would never do."
"I know how you feel," Elsa said, folding her hands in front of her.
"NO YOU DO NOT!" Indi yelled, his fear and anger towards himself exploding, his voice deepening slightly, before returning to normal. "You don't know what it's like to be forced by your own body to slaughter innocent beings! I can't control it; not even close."
"Indi..." Elsa began.
"Please don't, Elsa," the boy said. "You can hurt people from afar. You don't have to see what you do. I hurt people with my hands, my own body. I am mostly aware of what I do, and yet I have no say in whether I do it or not. I have no control over my own body, yet I feel everything it does as though I were moving it myself."
"Indi, you're acting as if you're a monster."
"I AM!" Indi screamed. "There is no denying what I am."
This chapter includes some music. Place this URL into a new tab.
watch?v=1mjlM_RnsVE
I do not own this song. It is owned by Skillet.
Indi turned his back towards Elsa and took a few steps away.
"The secret side of me, I never let you see,
I keep it caged but I can't control it."
He spun around, and saw Elsa coming closer to him.
"So stay away from me, the beast is ugly
I feel the rage and I just can't hold it."
He turned and ran up the stairs. Elsa followed him.
"It's scratching on the walls, in the closet, in the halls
It comes awake and I can't control it." Indi ran into a room, but when Elsa looked in, she didn't see him.
"Hiding under the bed, in my body, in my head.
Why won't somebody come and save me from this, make it end?" Elsa followed his voice back Into the main room, where he was ranting, not to anyone in particular.
"I feel it deep within, it's just beneath the skin
I must confess that I feel like a monster!
I hate what I've become, the nightmare's just begun
I must confess that I feel like a monster!
I, I feel like a monster!
I, I feel like a monster!
My secret side I keep hid under lock and key
I keep it caged but I can't control it.
'Cause if I let him out he'll tear me up, break me down.
Why won't somebody come and save me from this, make it end?"
Elsa began to descend the stairs.
"I feel it deep within, it's just beneath the skin!
I must confess that I feel like a monster!
I hate what I've become, the nightmare's just begun,
I must confess that I feel like a monster!
I feel it deep within, it's just beneath the skin
I must confess that I feel like a monster!
I, I feel like a monster!
I, I feel like a monster!
It's hiding in the dark, it's teeth are razor sharp
There's no escape for me, it wants my soul, it wants my heart
No one can hear me scream, maybe it's just a dream
Maybe it's inside of me, stop this monster!
I feel it deep within, it's just beneath the skin"
Elsa reached the bottom of the stairs when Indi spun around, his eyes an orangish yellow.
"I must confess that I feel like a monster!"
He turned away, running his hands through his hair.
I hate what I've become, the nightmare's just begun,
I must confess that I feel like a monster!
I feel it deep within, it's just beneath the skin
I must confess that I feel like a monster!
I've gotta lose control, here's something radical
I must confess that I feel like a monster!
I, I feel like a monster!
I, I feel like a monster!
I, I feel like a monster!
I, I feel like a monster!"
Indi kneeled, his right fist pressing on the ground, his breath ragged, coming in short, growling bursts.
"Indi?" Elsa ventured, carefully stepping .
"Stay away from me," he growled, rising and backing away.
"Indi, I want to help."
The boy turned, facing away from the young queen. "Elsa, if you help me, who's saying I won't attack you?"
"You already have," Elsa whispered.
Indi slowly turned, his eyes full of dread. When he spoke, he did so slowly. "What did I do?" Elsa slowly and carefully unwrapped her right arm, grimacing at the sight of her injuries. Indi gasped when he saw the gashes on Elsa's arm. He carefully raised his hand and traced the paths of the gashes in the air with his fingers: a near-perfect match.
Indi reeled back, horrified at the realization; he was a danger to everyone.
"Indi, it's okay," Elsa said. "It's not that bad."
Indi roared at his pack, signaling them to rise. "Go back to Arendelle. You have people to take care of," Indi said. "I'll be back when or if I get some control."
"Indi, you're doing the same thing I did," Elsa said in an attempt to stop him. "Learn from my mistakes. Don't make them yourself." She took out the letter Owen gave her, and held it out. "Owen gave me this for you." Indi took it and pocketed it. He gave her a sorrowful look, then turned out the door, his pack following close behind.
Elsa opened the door and watched the troubled soul transform into an Indominus, and run to the west.
Indi was right about one thing: She did have people to look after. Elsa mounted Broken Jaw, and the two went down the mountain, back to Arendelle.
Indi strode on, through the woods. The snow from the top of the mountain faded away from the landscape, and the scenery became green. Indi saw steam rising from vents in the ground. He shrank down, and curiously walked over to them.
This area must be volcanic he thought. Nublar was volcanic, and in certain areas there were patches of fog that would never leave. There were also vents like this one in certain areas.
Looking around, Indi saw the area they were in. The stars overhead were glistening like diamonds, and the moon would be full in a few days. The turf was primarily rocky, with lots of moss. There were many round rocks in various sizes, all sitting in places around the depression in the ground, which was structured like an amphitheater.
Suddenly, Lapsus and the three raptors surrounding her started to snarl. They sensed something that was out of the ordinary. Indi looked around and saw the round rocks start to move, rolling down the steps of the amphitheater, towards the him. The four predators stood around him, for they were very defensive of their alpha.
Indi watched as the stones gathered around him, and unbelievably, transform into small, round, humanoid creatures. He recognized them as trolls, for they matched Elsa's descriptions of them in her story she told him nearly a year ago. They blinked in unison, which unnerved Indi to no end.
Lapsus growled darkly, for these being were strange to her, as well as to the raptors, but Noctus, Lacrima, and Venator simply stared coldly at the trolls.
"Easy, Lapsus," Indi muttered. The white dinosaur silenced her growls, but worked her jaw menacingly.
The trolls parted, making way for who seemed to be their leader and an elder. Indi's face was stern, not aggressive, but more along the lines of guarded.
"I know who you are," the elder troll (Grand Pabbie, that's his name!) said. Indi nodded. "Kristoff has told you much about you, Indi. You're abilities are not magic, as Elsa's are, but you still need to master them."
"I know..." Indi sighed.
"You have much potential," Grand Pabbie said. "I have been told of your relationship with all the people from your place of origin, as well as with Queen Elsa. You can protect them from anything if you need to. You just need to put your mind to it.
"You have much to learn Indi, though you have been through much. Your mother being killed in front of you was one of those things. However, your mother is always with you, Indi. Even now, inside your pocket."
Indi gave a confused look, and slid his hand into his pocket, and slowly pulled out the envelope. He sat on the cold, hard ground, and with shaking fingers, opened the letter. Inside was an aged piece of paper, folded in thirds. On the front flap was Indi's name, in a handwriting he recognized all too well.
"Mom," he whispered. He read through the letter slowly.
Dear Indi, my beloved son,
I hope this note finds you when you need it most.
At the time I write this, you are twelve years of age, and as strong as I could have hoped. There are some things about me I haven't told you. I feel you should know them now.
When von Swhicke took me to Nublar when I was sixteen, I was desperate. After they put me in my cell, I was prepared to use any form of vengeance I could. I turned to witchcraft, though I used it to heal the other children in the cells, as well as enchant your armor to grow and disappear when you do. Other wise, when you transformed, your clothes would be shredded and destroyed. When I found out I was pregnant, I was extremely worried. I feared that you would not be healthy, or malformed. I prayed to every god I knew of every day until you were born. I was relieved that you were normal and healthy. You were the strongest child that Isla Nublar had ever seen. You developed normally, at least that what it seemed, with you being enhanced and all.
Through all the years that I watched you grow, I found I couldn't have asked for a better son. You were strong, and you did your best in all your "tests".
You are special, Indi. You can save everyone. You just need to put your mind to it. You will soon have a great battle around you. The ones you love will fight beside you. And you will need to lead them.
You are able to do it, Indi. You are fully capable of doing so. I know you can.
Until we see each other again, my son.
Love,
Mommy.
Indi folded the letter up, tears in its eyes.
"What does it say?" some of the trolls asked cheerfully. Grand Pabbie silenced them by raising his hand.
"That is for Indi to know," the elder troll said. "The letter wasn't written for us." Indi smiled.
Elsa rode the young Allosaurus into the courtyard. Anna, Kristoff, Owen, and Brynn were waiting for her.
"Did you find him?" Brynn asked.
"Yes," Elsa said as she slid off of Broken Jaw's back.
"Where is he?" Anna asked.
"Right now, I don't know," Elsa said. "I found him and Marshmallow fighting, and managed to calm him down enough so we could talk. He seemed really distraught. I managed to give him letter you gave me, Owen, before he left."
"Well, at least you saw him," Owen said as King Charles and Queen Isabelle stepped into the courtyard.
"Queen Elsa," Isabelle said as she approached.
"Yes?"
"I don't mean to be a bother," Elsa smiled: as if Isabelle could bother her. "but could we have our son back?"
"Of course," Elsa said, nodding curtly. She turned on her heel, and led the foreign king and queen to the dungeon. Entering the halls containing the rows of cells, the royals saw the five men who Hans had hired. Speaking of whom, the troublemaking prince was at the far side of the room. Charles banged on the metal bars that formed the door.
"Hans!" he shouted.
The prince grimaced at the sight of his father. "Hey, Dad." he said sheepishly.
"You are in so much trouble," Isabelle said.
As Hans stepped out of his cell, Elsa would have swore she saw Anna smirking.
The group had placed Hans in a room with guards on the outside of the door.
The royals from both countries, plus Kristoff, Owen, and Brynn, gathered in the tea room to relax. The
"Charles, Isabelle," Elsa said. "I formally invite you to spend the night before you set sail tomorrow."
"We happily accept your invitation," Isabelle said. Anna smiled, since she could spend more time with a kindred spirit.
Indi settled down with his pack in preparation for a night's sleep. He had come to a conclusion that he could control, or at least temporarily handle, his Indominus mental state. His mother's letter to him had helped immensely as well. He had also concluded that he should go back down to Arendelle.
"Mr. von Swhicke?" Lorenzo said.
"Yes?"
"We are almost at Arendelle."
"Excellent," von Swhicke said, looking up from the papers at his desk in his quarters. "Is C. maximus ready?"
"Yes, Mister von Swhicke, he is prepared."
Lorenzo left his employer's study.
This time von Swhicke thought to himself I will leave Arendelle with no regrets. And Queen Elsa.
This chapter took me a while. Let me know what you think of the inclusion of the music, as well as your thoughts on the whole story overall. I am planning this to be a three-part story. Any suggestions would be wholly welcomed.
