Tempest-A Jack Frost and Elsa Fanfiction

Jack-Chapter 17

Jack felt as though he were dying. It literally felt as if the life inside of him was slowly being pulled out of him and dissolving into the hot, dry air. Vatra was a beast.

"Tell me why I need to be here again?" Jack asked Mara as he attempted to create an icy barrier around him, but his ice kept dissolving into the hot air. "Not only is this physically painful, but the giants hate me. I say we should leave."

"The Vatra king requests an audience," Mara said, her intense gaze focused on the black, spiral castle looming over them. If Jack could help it, he never set foot in Vatra except strictly during the winter when his services were needed, but even he could feel the hatred of him looming off of the thirty-foot giants. After all, Jack did kill a whole army of giants in order to protect Ledas. Unfortunately, the giants brought it on themselves.

As they entered the front gates, Jack gripped his staff tighter in his hands, eyeing each giant they passed both cautiously and suspiciously. He didn't feel good about this. Not one bit.

And then he saw the king on his black, smoldering throne, like pulsing lava ready to burst. King Matei always made Jack want to cower away in fear, not just because he was massive and could kill him if he really tried, but also because the king's eyes were a dark, soulless ebony that chilled him to the core.

"Your Majesty," Jack said as he gave the giant a curt bow. "You wanted an audience?"

Matei sat up straighter, his movements slow. "Yes. I'm not one for formalities. I'd like to cut to the chase. The giants are not happy, Jack Frost. Not happy at all."

Jack shuffled his feet nervously, but he never stopped being unaware of his surroundings. True, Mara could whisk him away at a moment's notice, but it still didn't hurt to be cautious.

"Why are they not happy?" Jack asked, his steely gaze becoming even harder.

King Matei leaned forward so his gigantic face was only feet away. "I think you already know, Jack. But let me refresh your memory. I believe you killed two hundred and thirty-one of my giants, and they're not happy about that. I fear unrest. The giants are becoming restless, Jack, and it's only time when I cannot control them any longer. But... I'm willing to make a deal."

A lead weight dropped in Jack's stomach as he stared back at the king, trying not to let his own fear show through. "And what deal would that be?"

The king grinned maliciously, his teeth slimy and black. "I want your staff. Trade me your staff, and I will give you peace. That is the deal I am offering."

Jack's heart pounded in his chest. "You will not be able to use it if I give it to you. The staff only works for me."

Matei laughed, a deep rumble that shook the very ground beneath their feet. When his laughter died down, he leaned back in his chair. "I do not need to use it in order for it to be a fair trade. Give me your staff, and I will give you peace."

His words came across loud and clear. What the giants really wanted was for Jack to be powerless. But why? What were the giants planning that made immobilizing Jack necessary? Could it possibly be another attack?

"Jack, don't do it," Mara whispered with wide eyes, shaking her head ever so slightly. "You can't do it."

Jack stared at the staff in his hands with uncertainty, feeling the weight of this heavy decision on his shoulders. He saw what the giants could do. He had seen it first hand and it scared him. He didn't want anyone else to get hurt. He could never forgive himself if that happened.

But what would happen if Jack didn't have his staff anymore? What would the giants do?

"How long does this offer last?" Jack asked, gazing back into the black pits of hell itself.