Frozen Heart (Dark Side of Fairytales Collaboration)

Chapter Twenty-Two

THE SALAMANDER'S EYES also turned blood-red, gleaming in excitement. Its wide mouth stretched further as it grinned and jumps over to Elsa's palm. It looked very thrilled to see her. Despite the salamander being a fire element, Elsa doesn't seem to be bothered nor was she hurt by the heat emitted by its tiny body.

"I don't understand," she muttered to herself.

A moment ago she felt her fingertips feeling hot and then this fire salamander arrives. She strived to extinguish those flames earlier but having the salamander in her hands right now doesn't make her feel the same way. Could it be because it likes her? Or has her tolerance to hot things increased? But how would that be possible?

Her thoughts only halted when she heard the voice again. Surprisingly, the salamander also heard it too. She softly scoffs.

"So, you can hear it too, huh? It wants me to find." The salamander nodded.

"Do you know where it is?" It nodded again, more eager this time.

"Where do I find it? Can you take me there?"

The salamander's lips stretched even further as it grin before pointing to Elsa in the direction of the voice's location.

"North." She nodded. "Okay we'll go north."

As Elsa stood up to head out; a pair of arms suddenly jumps onto her followed by her sister's worried voice:

"Thank goodness! Are you hurt?"

"Anna! What were you thinking?" she scolded. "You could have been killed! You can't just follow me into fire!"

"You don't want me to follow you into fire then don't run into fire," Anna argued. She noticed the salamander on Elsa's shoulder and instantly points it out. "What is that tiny animal on your shoulder?"

"That's the Evil Flame!" one of Yelena's party members called out. "But how are you not burning alive?"

Anna turns to them; they bore exhaustion on their faces. Some eyes she caught are red and swelling up. It need not be a genius deduction to tell that they are mourning for their losses. They lost a lot of people during the fire. Anna gazed around and finally caught Yelena's eyes. She confronted her.

"You know something about this curse, don't you? Tell us more about this Snow Queen and her curse. Why did she curse my sister? Please, we just want to know the truth." Anna nearly begged.

Yelena doesn't look like the kind of person to trust so easily but perhaps, her astonishment at Elsa's ability to subdue the Evil Flame prompted her to disclose.

Another woman also approaches and gently held Yelena's shoulder. She gave a nod. "We all know this day would come, Yelena. Besides, don't we all want to be free from this hell forest? Our people have suffered too much already and we've lost many of our family. These royal sisters might really be able to help us."

NORTHULDRA IS THE indigenous people who inhabit the Dark Forest; they also go by the name People of the Sun. The Northuldran people have been living in the forest for many decades, and they are none other than the people of the Snow Queen. According to the information Anna grasp within the secret study room, the Snow Queen used to have a castle within the forest, her powers are that of the five main elements of nature; ice, fire, water, earth, and air.

Though she never blessed her people with magic of their own she blessed their land somehow. But in exchange for their healthy crops and bountiful harvests--- they need to offer her a soul twice a week. The Snow Queen is as hungry as Elsa in terms of consuming human souls. Anna mentally stated.

Fortunately, Yelena invited them to the place where their tribe is temporarily dwelling. And there she explained everything:

"Your grandfather, the old king, once tried to make a trade with the Snow Queen in the past. They promised us peace and good provisions in exchange for the Snow Queen bestowing their kingdom power and wealth. Unfortunately, the good trade never occurred when the old king betrayed the Snow Queen. Since then, the forest has existed in pure darkness. Your sister's hunger for human souls is very similar to the Snow Queen.

"But unlike the Snow Queen, a normal person can never have too much or it will become their own undoing. I don't know how many souls your curse has made you consume but there is a limit to everything. One can never have too much."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Kristoff softly inquired, glancing worriedly at his beloved fiancée.

"It means that if the queen absorbs too many human souls and reaches the limit, her own power will turn her into a real monster forever, to which there is no more cure," Honeymaren answered.

Anna gasped and covers her mouth with both her hands. Elsa's been consuming souls since they were kids. Could it be that her limit is nearly reached?

"Do you know if there's a way to lift the curse?" Kristoff eagerly inquired.

Yelena regretfully shook her head. "Apparently, only the Snow Queen herself has the answer."

"That's great! Elsa, let's go find the Snow Queen's castle first and break your curse, then we can resume looking for the voice."

"I believe that's also impossible." The light of hope in Kristoff's eyes was vanquished by Honeymaren's next words: "The Snow Queen mysteriously disappeared after the forest was covered with dark mist. Despite being soul-thirsty, the Snow Queen cares for her home and the people living in it, after all, we were her livestock."

Anna inwardly grimaced and looks away upon hearing the similar trait that her sister bore.

Elsa is beginning to ponder whether the voice she's been hearing might actually be the Snow Queen all along. But why would she call her? And Ahtohallan, what role is that place playing in their journey? Is it also connected to the Snow Queen somehow?

Sensing her sister's silence, Anna decides to divulge their other discovery to them:

"We actually found something else that might break Elsa's curse or whatever the Snow Queen did to her. But I need your help in finding a location and in exchange, we will help you free this forest."

"What do you mean?" Yelena inquired.

Anna then proceeds to take the piece of paper that she and Elsa had taken from the secret room. That was also the same paper where Anna pointed out a paragraph.

Yelena read the words aloud: "The River of Memories inside Ahtohallan contains very powerful water that could melt Elsa's frozen heart."

"It's not really written in detail." Anna seized back the paper. "But our mother wrote it. They wanted to find a cure for Elsa's magic and they believed that this river in Ahtohallan is the answer. I will tell you this once but Elsa is not the monster around here. She's been controlled by her frozen heart this whole time. It takes over her and uses her body to consume human souls. You saw what she did earlier."

"You called her Queen. Was that her name?" Captain Mattias interrupted.

"Yes. That is her name. Our parents deciphered this after they witnessed her first kill when we were kids. They searched for anything until they came across this place called Ahtohallan."

"Honestly, my sister and I only arrived here because of a voice that Elsa's been hearing. I didn't know the importance of this Ahtohallan place would come to light now." Anna pressed her lips. "I genuinely thought that was for another adventure."

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