Edward couldn't help shoving the door to his room none too lightly. After the debacle of him seeing Ahimoth, he left the castle without turning back to see the looks on his friends' faces. When he walked through the castle gates his mind led his feet toward his room as he avoided everyone who walked in his path. As he walked past the dock, Mr. Jorgen attempted to get his attention only for the young man to ignore him as he walked home. It was when he made it to an inn where there was already a brawl between two drunks that made his blood boil.
He could feel their alcohol induced rage as they fought one another, both of them trying to prove who was the toughest guy in the room. Edward hated having Wrath in his body, the monster inside yearned for violence which he tried to avoid as he traveled in between towns. However in this moment where Ahimoth banished the young man from his home and foolishly hoping that he could return with the Open Arms Pact, his control was slipping.
When Edward felt one of the drunk fighters bump past him after being knocked down, the young man's eyes turned red.
It took three moves.
The first was grabbing the back of the nearest drunk's collar and wrenching it back with just enough force to not tear his shirt but pull the man. The second was wrapping an arm around under his arms and lifting him up before slamming him down on a table, knocking him out. The third and final move was turning to face the other fighter who was stunned at the display then running at him and clotheslining the man as Edward passed. The result was instantaneous, both men were out cold and everyone in the inn froze as they watched the young man stride across the room and up the stairs.
When he finally made it into the sanctuary of his room, he sat on his bed and raised a hand to massage his temples. For some reason he couldn't calm down right now, his eyes continued to bleed red as he ran through all the techniques he learned to quell his anger. He went from breathing, to meditation, to imagining katana stances, and wringing his fingers. So far nothing worked, he even tried putting all of his anger in one punch that completely destroyed his dresser.
Now they know what kind of monster you are.
Edward loudly groaned, of all the times Wrath wanted to speak and torture him, it'd be now? The demon had been quiet recently, letting it loose in the bandit cave and using its abilities seemed to have satified it for the time being. However now that the young man's emotional state had been significantly unstable from seeing the Prince, the demon couldn't help itself.
All this time you've been here slaving away, you could've made your way up that mountain and slaughtered all of them but no you decided to hide like a coward.
"Well it was a good thing I didn't because I don't think I'd be able to fight Zavis as well as a cave of bandits." Usually Edward didn't speak back to Wrath, one of the blessings he had was Wrath couldn't read his thoughts and vice versa. The demon fed off his emotions and could guess what he was thinking since it did have access to his knowledge and memories. The very few times they communicated was as warnings to one another, most of them from Edward were not to hurt an innocent person while Wrath threatened him every time he made a suspicious move that could kill them both.
Envy was weak, you were an embarrassment while fighting it. With my abilities you should've been able to kill it with minimal effort, instead you focus on restraining yourself with foolish notions.
"Retaining my humanity isn't a foolish notion."
It is when you realize humanity's history is filled with nothing but war."
Edward didn't have an answer for that, Wrath's been around a lot longer than even some kingdoms. When he found out the monster that killed his mother was a previous version Wrath, he dug for any reports on the demon in his body. Apparently Wrath was the accumulation of wrathful souls throughout time, gathering and fighting until only one soul remained. His father had somehow managed to create a means to bond a foreign soul into another body. The first time he created Wrath, it went wild and killed many people.
According to him, it took months to finally control the demon and call it off before sealing it away. When it was released on the previous King's order to suppress the rebels, Talib remarked he had no clue where the demon would go. When it was brought back dying with Edward in tow, the alchemist had to bind the demonic soul into his son's body to save it. During the process, Edward was able to look into the mind of Wrath and see everything it had went through in a few moments, there was no emotion or thought in the demon's mind, just a predatory instinct to kill. There was however one block in its mind that Edward couldn't access.
The night Wrath killed his mother.
Edward knew it was Wrath and the demon confirmed it a few months when it first spoke to the young man. He wanted the demon to die so much he didn't mind killing himself but Wrath wouldn't let that happen. It took a long time for the young man to come to grips that his mother's murderer was in his body preserving his life. It helped that he ignored the demon most times but kept an eye on it as Wrath began to transform from a mindless predator to an insightful killer. Maybe when they exchanged thoughts the demon managed to teach itself with the young man's memories. Or perhaps it didn't care to develop such thinking in the years it's been alive. Regardless, the demon was intelligent enough to know what buttons to push to get Edward to lose control and give it back to Wrath.
"You already destroyed countless lives with my body, I'll die before you have full control and can shut me in my mind."
It's not up to you, when Father degrees it, it'll be so. I haven't been ordered to do anything past ensuring Rakat's army's survival. That's why it never even occurred to you to tell Ahimoth about their locations when you spoke with him.
Edward kicked a nearby chair causing it to explode into splinters. It honestly didn't occur to him to tell the Prince where the remnants were. If Wrath could manipulate his thoughts to this extent, how much control did the young man really have? All this time, he had some slips but he thought he had it under control. He was a peaceful kingdom and completely hid the demon inside of him from anyone else. He managed to call on Wrath when he wanted and use its abilities in conjunction with his own skills. If the demon had let all that happen to boost his confidence...
As he started pacing Edward didn't notice his vein beginning to crawl up his arms as well as black dust swirl around his fingers. He tried calming down again but to his growing agitation, he only got angrier. The black dust coated his fingertips before red sharp claws began to grow out of them, his hands grew red as they resembled a beast's instead of a human. The young man didn't seem to notice as Wrath prepared itself to once again take over its host's body. The demon realized that forcibly trying to take over Edward was pointless. His attempt in killing them by pulling out the stone that housed Wrath's soul made that point clear. While it was able to dissuade the young man from attempting that again, the struggle the demon had to put up was exhausting.
Them not being able to read one another's thoughts was a double edged sword. If Edward had known the acute fear that rippled through Wrath when he found out about the stone, he'd most definitely attempt to take it out again. The demon could only fight enough to make the young man pass out once, but once he got back up, Wrath wouldn't be able to do anything. Realizing this the demon, played on Edward's fear of losing control. It bluffed saying it would continue to cause that burning sensation until it gained control of their shared body when Edward was weakened.
Wrath was under no illusions that that bluff it made would last indefinitely. Edward was no imbecile, sooner or later he would figure out a way to kill them both if Wrath pushed him far enough. That's why it was paramount that the demon take control and find a way to completely erase the young man from this body as it had done to all the others. In all the time Wrath had been with destroying other souls and adding their wrath to its, Edward was the first to fight off the process. It didn't know how but it was like the young man's soul could not be found for it to destroy. Perhaps Talib would have answers but he was in Blackdust where Edward had been banished from.
Wrath had a good amount of control but it knew that it couldn't manipulate the young man into going to Blackdust. There was far too much emotion in his head to be controlled so subtly. The only way for them to get to Blackdust was if Wrath was in complete control. Unfortunately for Edward, his emotional state right now was weak, and in a few moments the demon would be able to take over. Wrath was like a crouching wolf ready to pounce at the opportune moment and it was so close that it didn't notice the smell of winter peppermint coming from the other side of the closed door.
Soft knocks interrupted the young man's pacing as a melodic voice traveled through the wood.
"Edward are you in there?"
The young man man's feet carried him across the room as his claws turned back into human hands and Wrath raged in its own mind at the person behind the door. Just hearing her voice was enough for Edward to regain his control when the demon was so close. Wrath was happy that the young man couldn't read its thoughts, if he could then he'd rip the stone out of his chest right in front of the woman.
The first person I'm going to kill when I get control is that ice Elemental, I can't risk her erasing my hold over him.
Edward opened the door and was surprised to see Elsa standing there with a relieved expression on her face. It seems that she was worried he had already left Arendelle, he might have if he ran or was in a hurry. The young man couldn't meet the blonde's eyes as he thought about leaving.
As he confessed to Kristoff, he actually learned to like Arendelle and the people in it. If he was being honest with himself, he didn't want to leave but knew he had to. He wasn't confident in his ability to hold Wrath indefinitely, the most he could do was live somewhere far away where it'd take the demon time to find another living person, time he could use to gain control of his body. Now that he knew that he couldn't return to Blackdust, he could spend the money he already had and buy passage to another land. He had told the mountain man he would say goodbye but felt that after admitting to everything in front of them there were no more words needed.
Elsa had came straight here after a moment of considering what she would say to convince Edward to stay. Everything she had come up with she'd already used and didn't make the young man budge. She knew he was afraid of controlling the demon inside him and that fear would lead to disastrous results as they did her. She thought about offering to help him get control but there was one fundamental difference between her and him.
Her magic wasn't trying to control her every second of every day.
She wouldn't tell him but she was outside his door for a moment and heard him talking. She thought somehow else was with him but she couldn't hear another person speaking except him. The blonde guessed it must've been Wrath talking to him. Elsa didn't know what to say, she wanted to believe if people like her can control her powers then it was possible for someone like Edward to control his. However she truly didn't know, until a thought occurred to her.
Maybe Grand Pabbie could help.
The old troll had correctly prophetisezed what would happen when she grew up. He told her that there was beauty in her gift but also great danger and that fear would be her enemy. Her parents tried taking precautions in isolating her and for a long time she couldn't help but languish that decision. She didn't blame her parents but if she was totally honest with herself, she felt they feared her more than what they showed.
Perhaps Grand Pabbie would be able to give some type of advice that could help the young man. For her it was 'Love Will Thaw' and that made a lot of difference in her life.
"I'm happy I caught you before you left. There's something I wanted to talk with you about that could help you." Edward appreciated he really did but he had to stop himself from scoffing, there was no helping him. His body was the host of a homicidal creature that would remain that way until the day both of them died. Her attempts to make him stay were quite confusing, sure they were friends and he saved her life but that wasn't enough to explain why she was so keen on having him stay.
As much as it strangely hurt to admit they weren't close, she knew the ugly details of his life and a few quirks about him but that was it. She didn't know him, the real him, the one who spent his life training to avenge his mother and didn't let anything stop him from achieving that goal. Wrath may murdered all those innocent people but Rahim had killed many men on the battlefield and left villages burning in his wake.
Elsa was kind, so kind that Edward couldn't help but shake his head. A lot of people would take advantage of that kindness, he himself had multiple opportunities to do so. If he were a lesser person, he could've been living it up in the castle and stolen Arendelle secrets to sell to the highest bidder. He could've killed her and her sister in the night and get away without anyone knowing until he was long gone. From what he knew of Arendelle's history, they haven't been in a war for sometime. They're military was primarily guards and not soldiers, even with the diminished state Blackdust was in right now, an invasion wouldn't be too difficult. The only ace Arendelle had was Elsa and her kidnapping proved that she may be powerful but she wasn't battle ready.
It wasn't his business but from a soldier's standpoint, Arendelle was weak. Elsa was smart to gather allies who were obligated to defend her kingdom should she be attacked by her very small list of enemies if she even had any.
She wants to use you as a weapon.
That thought had occurred to him a few days after meeting her. She knew very little about him yet offered him a room in her castle as well as dinner to a total stranger. Such a move was unwise and puzzled him, he thought she might have wanted something from her but then he recalled how Kristoff described her and how the village felt around their Queen. She was loved by everyone, that was rare in a kingdom. For a monarch, a young monarch to be loved by the people was unheard of. Most would be trying to prove they were worthy of the throne by engaging in wars to have the most territory. Elsa on the other hand focused on what she already had and improved upon it. Her new education system for orphans, lowered taxes for traders, and public festivities were only but a few things that she changed after she took the throne.
Arendelle was peaceful, him being able to sense wrath and anger from others around him added to that. While he was here he could go days without feeling a hint of negative emotion from people he walked past on the street. There was of course a whiff of it every so often, they were only human, but it wasn't enough to warrant his focus. Someone who could create such a peaceful place would have no use for a weapon like him, the benefit of added security was there but the rumors about her was enough to dissuade most. If she could learn to be battle ready then he'd be obsolete.
If she could freeze an entire kingdom on accident imagine what she could do on purpose if properly trained. Pride himself probably wouldn't be able to get to her if she was able to freeze the region he was in.
"Your Majesty, I appreciate that, but there's no helping me. I have enjoyed my time in Arendelle but as you've most likely seen on your way here, I have little control over myself." The blonde had seen the two unconscious men downstairs in the bar area of the inn. When she asked what had happened and was told that a man matching Edward's description put the two men down so quickly she was relieved he was here yet somewhat worried to know he was violent. The guards that accompanied her wanted to be with her when she went up to his room but she ordered them to stay at the end of the hallway to give the two of them some privacy.
"You've been without incident since being here and it's alright to slip up every once in a while. I woke up yesterday and froze half my guards and the castle because I thought they were all imposters again." Edward didn't know about that, maybe it was when he was unconscious in the infirmary. It was good that she could freeze her men and her power was strong enough to freeze the castle after the long day she had previously.
"Be that as it may, you haven't killed anyone with your abilities." Edward tried closing the door but was surprised to see that it wouldn't budge as the blonde kept her neutral expression. Looking toward the door hinges he noticed that they were frozen solid, it seems that the young woman wasn't done speaking.
"You're right, I haven't killed anyone with my magic. But don't think it's because I had control over them or that they aren't dangerous. The only reason I never killed anyone with my magic was because my sister got lucky." The sudden drop in temperature was apparent as people from nearby rooms walked out to see what was going on. The sound of heavy boots shuffling reached the young man's ears but stopped when the blonde raised a hand while keeping her eyes on him. On the outside she may seem like she was completely composed but the cold air around her said otherwise.
Edward wordlessly stepped to the side and allowed her entry into his room which she accepted. As she passed the hinges on his door thawed out completely which allowed him to close the door giving them privacy. He could hear hushed voices on the other side of the door as the heavy boots took up positions next to it, probably to rush in should they need to. The young man turned back to the woman who still had her face set in a neutral expression but her eyes gave away that she was hurt.
"When my sister traveled up the mountain to save me, I struck her with my magic that froze her heart. She was going to die unless she found an act of true love. When Hans captured me and brought me back to the castle, he told me she was dead because of me and my world fell apart. All I could think was how sorry I am and that I would gladly trade places with her if I could. When Hans drew his sword to kill me, I was in so much grief that I wanted him to do it, to end my pain so I could get what a monster deserved. Anna put herself in front his sword and froze solid on the spot, for a brief moment I felt her life being snuffed out. To see her concerned stare frozen on her face because of me was the most painful feeling I've ever had. Maybe it was God's mercy or some miracle but she thawed a few moments later, her act of true love saved her from being killed by me…" Edward hadn't heard that story before, it was almost uncanny how similar they were.
"...The guilt and pain you must've been feeling now I've felt and I wouldn't want to wish that on anyone. I know that you are a kind person who…"
"You don't know me."
Elsa stopped talking when she heard the dead tone in his voice as he gave her a cold stare. Most would've been intimidated but the blonde was not most. She already had a feeling of what he would say and already had a response.
"Just because I told you what I did doesn't mean you know who I am and what I've done. I was a soldier before I became Wrath and I've done many things in the time of war. You know nothing when you speak of what kind of person I am."
Edward expected the woman's face to fall at his words but to his surprise a more determined expression crossed her features as she took a step forward and made him look down as she stared up at him.
"Really then, if you are suggesting that you are a horrible person then why save Kristoff?"
"I was paying him back for picking me up."
"Why turn down a room in the castle?"
"Didn't need to indebt myself to you."
"Then why come up a mountain to save someone you barely knew?"
Edward began to rack his brain for a reason of why he would do such a thing. He barely knew why he did it in the first place, his body just moved the moment he thought Elsa was in trouble. Once he knew she was being kidnapped, there wasn't one thought of running and leaving her to her fate. His mind was focused on rescuing her despite being on his own and having a murderous demon inside him. The other two questions she asked he had logical answers to dissuade her thinking he was a kind person. If she talked to Kristoff she'd know how he conducted himself daily and would reinforce her idea that he was that kind of person.
He didn't want her feeling she needed to help him, she had bigger things to worry about than him. When he couldn't think of a reason he was about to shrug but she beat him to it.
"Why risk yourself by sending me away and fighting Zavis and ending up in the infirmary after knowing full well what he was capable of? If you weren't the kind of person I thought you were you would've ran a long time ago but instead you put yourself in harms way for my sake. Look me in the eye and tell me after everything you told me before that I don't know you, if you can do that I won't stay in your way and leave you to yourself."
The first time he said it, he wasn't looking directly in her eyes. Now that she was so close that he could barely lift his arm and touch her, his mouth dried up. Those crystal blue eyes bore holes into him that he couldn't deny had an effect on him. He could study the extremely small details of her face from how close she was, to his surprise she had a light dusting of freckles on her face that no one could tell unless they were this close.
He wanted to force the words out so she would unburden herself with his situation but he couldn't do it. No matter how much he screamed at himself to say the words, to lie to her face, her crystal blue eyes wouldn't let him. With a sigh he sat back down on his bed and put a hand over his eyes as he remained quiet for a moment.
Elsa said nothing as she crossed her hands and patiently waited for him to speak. What she proposed would be useless if he himself didn't want to do it. When she stared him down, her heart was hammering in her chest, partially afraid of what he would say to her bluff and marginally because of how close they were. She sincerely wanted him to trust her and allow her to help him, even if he did end up leaving.
If she could see that charming smile he showed her when they talked about Shakespeare then she'd be satisfied.
Not for myself of course.
The quickly added after thought made a slight blush color her cheeks but she willed it away thinking that it'd be nice if he was happier around other people.
"What do you have in mind that you think will help me your Majesty?"
"Elsa."
Edward slightly uncovered his eyes to show his confused expression.
"Pardon?"
"I'd like to think we've been through enough for you to call me by name rather than my title."
Edward was reminded of how Anna said the same thing when they first met. He was surprised to hear it from the redhead but hearing it from the blonde who was a Queen made his mind blank for a moment before shaking his head. A Queen like Elsa was very rare indeed.
"Alright Elsa, what do you have in mind?"
Dead bodies laid scattered all around the summit of the mountain Pride was on. His vest had been completely ripped to shreds showing off his impressive physique. His hands were caked in blood as he sat on the edge of the highest cliff on the mountain, not at all worried about the hundreds of feet of air under his dangling feet.
The remnants of Rakat's army in this area were surprisingly more of a challenge than Pride originally thought.. The charged him over and over despite seeing him cut down their comrades with a single sweep of his large swordspear. They used cannons and rifles that didn't slow him down in the slightest. Surprisingly not one soldier considered the thought of retreating, usually after slaughtering half of them, they'd fall back. These soldiers charged relentlessly, as if they were directly trained by Asger the Crusher himself.
Speaking of that brute…
Next to him was a broken body of the remnant's leader, both his legs as well as his right arm had been crushed. Pride had to take extra care to not kill the man, but all the same he disabled him so he wouldn't run while the victor of the battle relaxed and enjoyed the view. It was an hour before the leader regained consciousness and the first sight he took in was the dismembered bodies of his soldiers lazily thrown around the dead battlefield.
"Your soldiers fought well considering who they were up against. I actually had to think about my moves as they all rushed me. Some of them actually managed to hit me a couple of times you should be proud."
The leader turned to see Pride sitting on the edge of the cliff with his weapon impaled into the ground next to him. Angered by the fact this smug son of a bitch was sitting and gloating over the dead bodies of his comrades, the leader began to crawl with one arm. He couldn't do much but the least he could do was push that asshole off the edge of the cliff, even if he was dragged down with him.
Pride knew full well what the man intended but did not move from his perch. When the leader got close enough, he feebly tried pushing the man only for his wrist to be caught in a firm grip.
"I spared you because I wanted to ask you a question. Every other leader of Rakat's army killed themselves before I could thoroughly question them. So this time, I decided to immobilize you so that I may ask you this question. Since death is off the table you are honorbound to answer my question, I wiped out your entire force on my own. Rakat Veera and Asger's view on strength demands that you submit to me as I am the strongest in the military. Even though you broke away from King Alrick's rule you still wear the colors so you still follow the code."
The leader wanted to deny his request but he was right, Rakat Veera's code stated that the strongest shall rule. Pride had defeated all of them and was no doubt the strongest. Killing himself was the only thing he could do to deny the man answers but he couldn't move. He could bite off his tongue but the firm grip on his wrist began to get tighter the longer he stayed quiet. With his pride damaged, he lowered his head in defeat.
"What's your question?"
"Where is Father?"
"I don't know."
The sound of his wrist snapping made the leader howl in pain as Pride kept his face firmly turned to the scenery past the cliff. Apparently the man didn't want to hear that answer and was giving the leader another chance because his grip loosened and the leader felt his pinky being pressed up against Pride's thumb. The leader took a moment to adjust to the waves of pain before he spoke.
"It's true, none of us know where Father hid himself, the only clue to his whereabouts is him saying he needed an alchemist who had the forbidden knowledge."
That definitely sounded like someone Pride knew.
Seems me and dear old father finally have something to talk about.
Remembering he still held the leaders hand in his grip, Pride let go and heard the groan of relief behind him as he stood up off the cliff. He picked up his weapon before finally turning and allowing the injured man to see his red eyes. "Well that does point me in another direction, I appreciate your help, to show my gratitude I will now do what you tried a while ago." Pride picked up the leader by the scruff of his neck and walked to the edge of the cliff until he was one footstep away from falling. The leader had no fear in his eyes, Pride spared no one for long, his death was guaranteed when that demon walked up the mountain.
"Pushing me off a mountain wouldn't have worked anyway but seeing is believing in my opinion so when the force of your body jerking to a stop snaps your neck you'll have a few seconds to see why it wouldn't matter. Better not waste them."
And with that Pride walked off the cliff disappearing over the edge.
In Blackdust's castle was a room that was in the deepest catacombs on the large structure. The old and dank atmosphere would make people think it was a dungeon of some sort. To some it was but to the main occupant it was his workshop. Talib of the Tainted Wisdom hated being interrupted when he was researching something. He rarely left his workshop, preferring to dedicate all of his time to his work, never once showing any interest in other human affairs.
Today he was working on a corpse, it was of a soldier who died a few years ago in Elysion. The tattered Mystic Guard uniform gave away the corpse's identity. The King would be furious if he knew that Talib was messing with the corpses of his fallen soldiers but the fool was too busy bowing to the whim of the council he created to shift the government from a militaristic absolute monarchy to a constitutional one.
Talib couldn't care any less if he tried, Alrick never attempted to recover the bodies of the two hundred soldiers who died in Elysion leaving him to secretly order their retrieval himself. The ones under his control would recoil in disgust when they found the corpses but the alchemist didn't bat an eye at their state. They would be useful in what he had in mind. The organs and muscles had all decayed of course but not to the point where they couldn't be salvaged.
The alchemist spent days and days going through one corpse after another turning them to dust and ash until he finally broke the last wall that was between him and success. Today was the day after forty-two failures, the corpse got off the table on its own. The dead flesh that showed through the clothing strained to keep it upright but it could walk, fantastic results indeed. With no hesitation, Talib picked up a sword that was laying off to the side and chopped the corpse's head off watching its body fall to a heap on the ground.
The alchemist watched and watched in silence. He was still for five minutes before going over to a notepad and was about to write failure number forty-three when he heard the sound of shuffling behind him. Turning slightly, Talib watched in satisfaction as the corpse began to right itself without a head. The alchemist retrieved its head and gently positioned it back on the corpse's shoulders and was happy to see black dust forming around the neck and fastening the head back on the corpse's body.
He made another breakthrough, now he was one step closer to his goal. Father may have ordered him to keep to a schedule but he had done his duties and now was doing his own work.
Speaking of Father…
Talib left the corpse to stand there for a moment as he went to his desk where he opened up one of the many notebooks on the desk. He flipped through the pages until he came upon one of the first reports he wrote when he first started. He should've updated this report a year ago but was too busy at the time getting his affairs in order. Now that he had made a breakthrough in Father's plan it reminded of him this particular report he made roughly ten years ago. He quickly skimmed through the old report and laughed at how little he knew back them compared to what he knew now before picking up a writing utensil and began to write.
The Elemental's abilities have grown at an astonishing rate in the last decade, since it's parents asked me to evaluate them. The shackles I built had no hope in containing the Elemental's magic, given it's emotional instability. Further observation will be required to determine if it will be a threat to future plans. For now no attempt should be made against the Elemental until sufficient information has been gathered.
Talib then remembered something before jotting it down in a little note.
The ice Elemental's ability to breathe life into its creations will need to be studied carefully before being able to replicate and apply to own endeavors.
The alchemist closed the report before returning to his corpse as he remembered what was written at the top of the page.
Subject 12: Elsa of Arendelle. Result: To Be Determined.
It took some convincing but Edward was now sitting in stables with Sven as he waited for Elsa to return. It didn't take her too long it seems as the door opened and he turned expecting only the blonde to walk in. He was somewhat disappointed to see Kristoff, Anna, and Olaf walk in behind her. Disappointed might not have been the right word, he liked them but he didn't want to tell them goodbye.
There was one condition that she agreed to when he said he'd try out her suggestion was that she wouldn't stop him if he wanted to leave. She may not have noticed but she made the cutest frown as she considered it, one second thought she might've hoped he'd cave when he saw the expression. Unfortunately he didn't budge and she agreed but that didn't mean she couldn't bring people to help her.
Anna and Olaf instantly launched themselves in warm hugs when they saw him in the stable. He returned them both before giving Kristoff a firm handshake.
"Let me guess, Elsa brought you three to convince me to stay didn't she?"
Kristoff shrugged before answering. "Well she needed me to show you two the way to get where you two needed to go, Anna and Olaf couldn't help not trying one more time getting you to stay."
Anna went up to her boyfriend's side with a determined expression on her face. "Yeah, I know we can figure this out together. If Elsa can do it you can too!" Olaf chose that time to speak up with his ever childlike happiness. "She's right, I don't want you to leave, no one gives piggy backs the way you do!"
Edward couldn't help but chuckle as he bent down and picked up the snowman again and putting him on his shoulder. "Well I do plan on leaving but I guess I can give you one last ride before I go." The snowman couldn't help but squeal in happiness at being tall again. The young man turned toward the three who were smiling at the display before asking.
"So where are we going."
Kristoff moved past him and began hooking up his sleigh as well as putting Sven in front of the two horses. The reindeer finally was able to ride again and they would be going back home. "We're going to the Valley of the Living Rock where I grew up. The trolls I mentioned might know a way to help you with your problem as they did with Elsa. I warn you though they may seem a little strange and overbearing at first but they grow on you."
When everything was ready they all loaded in the sleigh with Kristoff, Anna, and Olaf in the front while Elsa and Edward sat in the ice bed in the back. According to the mountain man it wouldn't take them too long to get there especially with three animals pulling the sleigh. As they rode through the forest the three in the front took up most of the talking while the two in the back enjoying the passing scenery.
On the way a heavy bump made the sleigh violently jump that made Elsa end up in Edward's arms as he grabbed the railing to stabilize himself. The two blushed at how close they are and attempted to disengage from one another when they hit yet another bump in the path causing them to end up in the same position. Resigning themselves to the ride, Elsa remain close to Edward as he gripped the railing preparing for another bump. In the driver's seat Kristoff shot Anna an exasperated look as she tried looking innocent but failed miserably as she stole a couple glances to the two in the back who was turned away from her.
As the ice harvester said the scenery changed to moss covered rocks surrounding them. Kristoff went deeper inside until there was a small archway of rocks ahead of them. Announcing they were here and dismounting the sleigh he tied the horses to a nearby rock before untying Sven and helping Anna down. Edward awkwardly let Elsa out of his arms as he jumped out of the sleigh and held out a hand to help her down. She took it with a slight blush then followed him as the six of them went through the archway.
The walk was short when they arrived at an open valley that had steam flowing from the cracks in the ground. Elsa and Anna smiled when they saw Kristoff and Olaf0 get excited and started talking to moss covered rocks that littered the valley. Edward on the other hand looked confused, he expected to see large trolls stomping around like the ones he heard about in stories but none were to be found. Instead, his friend who he thought had a good head on his shoulders was talking to rocks, he excused Olaf because he was like a child but still the sight distrubed him a bit.
He turned to the two women who were trying very hard not to laugh at his confused face it wasn't until he heard the rocks beginning to rumble did he turn around. All at once all the rocks started to roll past him toward the middle of the valley where the mountain man had his arms spread out in greeting. When they reached him, they did the most curious thing, they unfolded two arms and legs revealing a head with two eyes and large ears.
It was quiet for a moment before the entire valley erupted in joyous shouts.
"Kristoff's home!"
The mountain man got swarmed by the trolls as they doted on him like a son. It was kind of sweet honestly if not a little off putting. He could now see why Elsa and Anna found his confused expression funny, he'd probably laugh too if he could see someone else look at Kristoff like a madman while he talked to rocks. The young man didn't notice when one of the trolls turned and saw Anna and if he thought it was loud before, the volume doubled when someone shouted.
"And he brought Anna!"
The Princess was immediately thrown off her feet and carried over to Kristoff who caught her when they threw her over. She received the same treatment as the mountain man as they started to dote on her as well. Elsa couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped her lips as she watched. This was only her second time here so she didn't expect the same enthusiastic reception as the two in front of her. There was only one troll she needed to see.
And it seemed he knew it as well.
Elsa and Edward turned behind them to see an old troll slowly making his way to them. The young man could tell by the troll's expression that he was far older than the others and could sense the gravity of his situation since the creature had been intently staring at him.
"Queen Elsa, it is good to see you, I hope you've been well." Elsa could see that Grand Pabbie only wanted to retain his manners but he couldn't keep his eyes off Edward who met the stare unflinchingly.
"I have and it's good to see you too Grand Pabbie. This is Edward, he's having a problem that I was hoping you could help with the same way you helped me."
"You mean of the entity that is inside, yes I've seen this before, very dark magic indeed. Usually one cursed in such a way would not retain their former self but this young man is different."
Edward tried to get an idea of what the old troll was thinking, he hadn't taken his eyes off the young man since revealing himself. The look in his eyes wasn't fear, nor was it anger caused Edward would've felt that, instead it looked like he was remembering something from long ago. Perhaps he was, the troll had said he's seen this before and he was right in saying that usually hosting something like Wrath would've erased one's former self but Edward managed to keep his self intact somehow.
"That's why I'm here, even though I'm still myself, the demon inside is trying every minute of every day to take over. Elsa seems to think you have a way that can help me control myself and keep the demon from doing that."
Grand Pabbie look pensive for a moment as he considered something.
"There is a way to subdue what is inside of you but it is very dangerous. First you must understand that the entity inside you is you now and there's no changing that. No matter what you do it'll always be a part of you, you're finding it difficult to control because you feel it is separate from you when it is you. When you can come to terms with what you are, control will come more naturally."
"So you're saying that I accept that I am a murderous monster who enjoys tearing people apart? I am so glad I came all the way out here to hear that."
Edward didn't mean to sound snappy at the troll but he couldn't help it when he heard that. How could he possibly accept the thing that killed both him and his mother was him now and that embracing it would get him control. From what Grand Pabbie said, he should go out and let Wrath go wild on innocent people. What a load of bullshit. Edward was ready to turn on his heel and walk back to Arendelle and board the earliest ship when Elsa grabbed his wrist and halted him.
"There's more isn't there Grand Pabbie, you said it'd be dangerous, how dangerous do you mean?" Edward was intrigued, he let the troll's first sentence fly over his head when he heard that he and Wrath was one in the same. He didn't think to ask what would be so dangerous, the troll said he must first understand, what came after that?
"Yes, I'm aware that accepting the demon inside you would be difficult. That's why I was going to suggest you face the demon yourself and discover you two are one in the same. It is possible you can overpower the demon by force and wrestle more control but it would only be temporary, to truly gain control you must learn to accept the demon. However, doing so is extremely dangerous, bringing that entity to the physical plane opens up the danger that the two of you can be killed. If you two venture too far from one another you'll both die, I can contain the two of you in a space so you can confront that part of yourself. But remember, the hate you feel toward the demon is most likely mutual, so there's a chance it could use this opportunity to overpower you. I can stop it before it gets that far but there are still many dangers."
Edward considered Grand Pabbie's proposal for a moment. Facing Wrath was dangerous given his track record. Last time he faced the demon, he died and had his body taken over, what would happen this time? He also didn't want to put anyone in danger, but the thought of forcing Wrath to submit was alluring. Maybe it was the demon talking but the young man crouched down to the troll's eye level before speaking.
"Are you sure you can contain the two of us and stop things if they go too far.?"
"It'd be better if you discovered on your own that there's only you in your body but yes I can do so without putting anyone else at risk."
"Then let's do it."
Elsa couldn't stop the worried expression that crossed her face as she and Edward followed Grand Pabbie. Kristoff, Anna, Olaf and Sven managed to pull themselves away from the excited trolls to follow the three of them. They all ducked into one of the tunnels that was around the valley and it led them to an open room with red crystals lining the walls giving them light.
In the open room was two stone mounds across from one another, Grand Pabbie raised a hand for everyone to stop. "This is where you go alone, sit on the stone and your other self will face you. We will remain here just outside the room, I will seal the room so neither of you can leave and will only step in when I feel you're in too much danger." Edward nodded and was about to step into the room when the troll grabbed his leg to halt him again.
Grand Pabbie turned to Elsa and noted her concerned expression. "He will require a weapon your Majesty." The woman looked caught off guard with the request but quickly shook it off before creating an ice sword and handing it to the young man. Edward took a couple of swings with it and frowned, the weight was off and he could tell the blade was dull.
"Elsa, I need the blade and handle to be thinner. Also this needs to be sharper, I know this might be your first time creating a weapon but if what Grand Pabbie says about this being dangerous I need to be prepared." The woman focused more on the weapon and watched it shrink a bit so that it resembled one of the thin swords she saw in Captain Stonewell's office once. Sharpening the blade took more effort but it was enough for the young man to accept as he walked into the open space and knelt on the stone mound. He shot his friends a quick reassuring smile before turning ahead and was surprised to see something kneeling across from him on the other stone mound.
It was a creature that was red and scaly, its body was built with thin muscle that had red claws on its hands. Its legs were covered by the same pants he wore himself. Its neck was thick with muscle and its face had no nose just a large array of sharp teeth. It was the eyes that made him recognize the creature, the irisless red eyes he's never seen before but the way they made him feel gave him no question who was sitting across from him.
"It's nice to finally meet you face to face, I am Wrath."
Hey guys new chapter, I know its a bit rushed but I've been playing Gears of War 5, don't judge me XD. I'll write a more quality chapter next week then after that I'll be gone until October 18th, hopefully I have more reviews when I get back.