Frozen Beyond [gxg]

Lost Heart

Elsa squeezed her arms around Keahi's neck as she watched in horror as Crow climbed from the chest of the fallen giant. In his hand, he held something that pulsed red with the rune symbol of fire drawn onto it and fit perfectly in his fist.

Elsa's heart shattered at her feet.

They failed.

She felt Keahi tense under her, her arms gripping her more securely as she felt the shift in muscle in Keahi's neck as she grit her teeth. "You won't get away with this, Crow!" Keahi yelled vehemently.

Crow laughed, clutching the beating heart close to his chest as a pulse came from his body, traveling like a small shock wave along the ground.

An ominous power shrouded him, the energy vibrating, so palpable that it caused Keahi to take a step back.

Black, wispy shadow flames started as his feet before it consumed Crow's body. He looked upwards, under the cover of his dark lashes as a smirk crawled to his face. "I will, and we'll be stronger for it!"

"I don't need to be stronger, we don't need to be stronger, Crow." Keahi pleaded.

Crow snorted and laughed. "Oh, I wasn't talking about me and you, sister. You made your choice and while I couldn't convince you to follow me, you and your siren will regret it. You'll see. Hel will rise once more as she claims the lands." He finished darkly, just as the flames crawled to his neck. Once he was completely covered, a bright flash caused everyone to look away and where he had stood.

He was gone.

The giant's body crumbled into black rock, falling apart as the limbs toppled away and the once living being just became a part of the landscape.

The ground shook, splitting as cracks formed along the ground like broken glass. Steam escaped through them, hissing and causing the surrounding area to quickly rise in temperature.

The ground crumbled below them and Keahi used small explosions under her feet to rapidly shoot her back just as the ground crumbled in that spot.

Rivers of lava flowed beneath, gurgling and bubbling as the cracks grew bigger and bigger and the once open tundra crumbled apart. The lava rose so quickly; the jigsaw landscape and lava cutting them off from their exit point and Elsa heard Keahi grunt under her.

"Elsa,"

"What?" She breathed out, coughing as her lungs burned and ash thickened in the air.

"Ease up, you're choking me." Keahi coughed.

"Oh," Elsa loosened her hold around Keahi's neck, not realizing how tight she was clinging to her.

The ground vibrated all around them and Elsa gripped Keahi harder even though she tried to tell herself not to. "Run!" She urged, panic thick in her voice.

Keahi didn't hesitate and started towards the forest and back towards the beach. Leaping and weaving over rivers of lava and crumbling pillars of earth.

Elsa pulled whatever energy she could from her reserves. Her body was achy, and her mind was blanking as a fog of exhaustion tried to claim her. But if they were getting out of here, they needed to do it together.

So they relied on Keahi's fast, explosive steps to propel them through the landmines and fissures, Elsa loosened one arm to shoot ice at any river of lava they passed, every bubble that popped right when Keahi went to jump. When the ground below them crumbled, she blasted it with ice to keep them from falling.

Just before they got to the tree line, a large fissure opened, the other side raising upwards while their side slid downwards.

She felt Keahi hesitate below her. "Start running and jump as far as you can!" Elsa urged.

"I can't make that." Keahi looked up at the wall of crumbling rock and the lava gurgling below.

"Just trust me, when you jump focus all your fire just below your feet. Like a firework when you light it, it launches up. Right?" Elsa tightened her hold on Keahi's neck as the woman wobbled with the failing ground beneath them.

She felt Keahi inhale deeply, Elsa looked forward, not deterred and so determined to make it out of here.

They just had to.

Together they could.

Keahi didn't question her and ran as fast as she could. Cackling pops beneath her feet had her strides lengthening until she got to the very edge of the fissure.

Just when Keahi pushed off, Elsa raised her hand and pulled forward, the ground beneath Keahi's feet erupting with a pillar of ice that jetted out and launched them into the air.

Keahi focused all of her power below to help them gain enough momentum to make it on top of the ridge.

They were going too fast and the minute Keahi's feet connected with the ground; they buckled and both went scattering along the ground.

Elsa groaned, pushing up weakly. Her ears rang, and she felt something sticky dribbling down her chin. When she wiped it away, she realized it was blood.

She had absolutely no more energy left.

When she felt someone beside her helping her up, she knew it was Keahi.

"Come on, Snowflake, just a little more." But Elsa could hear the dread, hear the exhaustion in Keahi's voice.

Could they make it in their state all the way down the forest and onto the beach?

Just as her vision doubled and speckled, she saw Nokk rushing towards them. He let out a loud whinny and stomped his foot aggressively on the ground.

Thank the gods.

"And here the water cow saves the day." Keahi hastily said as she helped Elsa on Nokk and got on behind her.

Elsa was too weak to hold on and instead, she leaned back against Keahi who put her arms on each side to help Elsa stay up and gripped the ice reigns.

Nokk started like lightening down the slope of the forest. The trees withered and died, turning black and erupted into ash. The ground beneath them heated, causing it to turn gray and then to black char like the rest of the island.

They erupted from the forest and hit the water with visceral power, and Nokk didn't stop until they got to their ship.

Elsa wasn't sure how, or how long it took, but she was suddenly sitting on the deck to their ship. Panic consumed her until she felt Keahi's hand on her shoulder. She whipped her head to stare up at Keahi's tired gaze, the light that was usually within the green of her irises were dull and tired. Keahi closed her eyes and slumped forward a bit, too tired to do anything more.

She leaned back against Keahi, too tired to stand. She understood the empty gaze; she was sure she had it too.

Too mentally and physically exhausted, and their battle wasn't even over yet.

Elsa rubbed her cheek against Keahi's chest just as she heard Anna's voice wash over the deck. "Elsa! Keahi!"

Olaf and Jarrah's voice merged in, everything bubbled and dulled as exhaustion consumed her and she let oblivion take her for the time being.