Lady Of The Ice And Wood

Chapter 6: The Catalyst

The throne room was filled with bustling activity. The king had suddenly been dragged through a portal by the rulers of the other Elf kingdoms, throwing everyone off track. Some panicked and some pretended to panic while planning the best way to kill the king's sons and take the throne.

The four Elf courts were never exactly on friendly terms, so the king of the Wood court being dragged off by the other rulers was a very strange scene. Some of the courts had deep rivalries with each other, especially Fire and Ice courts. The rulers appearing together had troubled the Elves of the Wood court so much that even their centuries of experience could not cover their shock and apprehension.

Lily was still staring at the gaping portal, now slowly closing, when a hand dragged her out from the sea of Elven nobles that had swarmed the throne room. The Elf pulled her along several corridors, not stopping to let Lily rest. After many confusing twists and turns, Lily was finally allowed to stop and catch her breath. 

They were in an enormous room, sparsely decorated with dark curtains covering every window to the outside world. The room was very neat and tidy and bathed in a very pale, weak light. Moonlight. Was it night already? Lily didn't know. She didn't know how long she had been in Elvicia, but to her, it could only have been several hours, so how could the moon be out already? She didn't have much time to wonder, however, because the Elf that had dragged her there was Nathaniel Lightstrike, first in line for the crown. 

Nathaniel stared at her, different coloured eyes glowing in the dark half-light. He studied her intensely as if trying to pry through her mind through her eyes. Lily felt very uncomfortable and after moments of this, she decided to break the silence and blurted out, "Why did you drag me here? Actually, no. Why did you drag me to Elvicia?" she demanded.

"You saved my life. It was only right to bring you to Elvicia so that I can repay my debt to you."

"I don't need you to repay my debt! Please, I just want to know what I am! Just tell me, and then I'll count that as your debt paid."

Nathaniel was silent, pondering this thought. His eyes flitted to hers, and he sighed, raking a hand through his dark ashy hair. "Fine. Follow me."

"Wait! What about Jack? Where's Jack? He has to come too!"

"Jack is probably with the servant assigned to him."

"Come one! Let's go find him then!" Lily drags Nathaniel by the sleeve and rushes out of the room in a hurry. She dragged him in a random direction without thinking, until he finally said,

"Do you even know where you're going?"

Lily turned back to look at Nathaniel, and replied(guiltily) "Er..no"

Nathaniel chuckles, and says, once again, "Follow me. And actually do it this time."

His hand softly holds onto Lily's, and he pulls her after him as he navigates the twisting corridors. They finally arrive in front of a door with vines twisting up from the ground into spiralling patterns around the edges. Nathaniel knocks once, twice, three times, before he places a hand on the wood and bursts it to pieces. Jack runs over, his shirt off and just out of the shower.

"Hey! Do you mind? Can't a guy have a shower around here?"

Nathaniel smirks at him, before saying, "Not when your prince knocks on your door."

"Jack!" Lily cries, before flinging herself into his arms. "I didn't even know whether or not you were alive! I was so worried..."

Jack smiles down at her, his hand stroking her hair. "I'm fine. I'm Jack Sparks, remember? I've survived nights in the woods, and crazy politicians trying to poison me. This is nothing compared to those."

Nathaniel regarded them coolly, and said, "Actually, no. Crazy politicians and nights in the woods will be the last thing on your mind when you're in Elvicia." He smirked at them and strode out of the room.

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The trio of them approached a small, dilapidated shack that sat in the shade of a large willow tree. It was an unnoticeable little structure, something you wouldn't have noticed unless you were specifically looking for it. A hazy green fog seemed to float around it, creating a creepy swamp-like atmosphere around it. The little shack was dangling precariously over a cliff, the tree the only thing keeping it from tumbling over the side.

Nathaniel walked up to the door, and knocked, politely this time. After a few minutes of knocking, an old Elf bent and stooped over walked out. He was a squat-looking Elf and had no sign of the beauty and elegance that the other Elves carried. His face was wrinkled, full of warts and old scars. Only in his eyes and ears did the beauty he once had remain. The old Elf looked up and croaked,

"Yes? What do you want, you stupid youngsters? Come to bother me about my looks, have you? Well, go away! I don't want anything to do with you!"

Nathaniel gently and politely replied, "We don't want to do anything like that. Actually, we're here for your help. Lily," he pointed to Lily, "needs to find out what type of Elf she is. We can't seem to finger out what she is."

The old Elf looked hard at Lily, and finally, he said, "Come in, then. Lily, follow me. You two," he pointed at the two boys, "Stay out of the way." The old Elf brought Lily into the shack, and into a small, dark room filled with random pieces of human objects. There were toys, watches, water bottles, and even human food all lying about. The room smelled dank and musty as if no one had cleaned for decades. 

The old Elf motioned Lily over to a chair at a small cluttered desk in the corner of the room. Lily obliged, and at last, the old Elf began to talk.

"What is your name, young one?"

"My name is Lily."

The old Elf impatiently clicked his tung, and said, "No, not your nickname. I want your full name."

For some reason, when he said this, it sent chills down Lily's spine. She stared at the old Elf, and deciding she would have to trust him, she said, "Lilliana. My name is Lilliana Goldenheart."

"Ah!" At this, the old Elf began to rummage around the room, looking for something. Lily was just about to offer help, when he exclaimed, "Aha!" The old Elf had found a thick, musty old textbook. It had a velvet cover and stained and yellowed pages. The old Elf plonked the textbook on the small desk, making dust fly up into the air and choking Lily. He took no notice, however, and began to flip through the book. He finally reached the page he was looking for and began to mutter under his breath.

Finally, when Lily was almost bursting with curiosity, he looked up from the book. He looked at Lily as if he had never so pitied anyone else, and said gravely, "You are The Catalyst. You will either save Elvicia, or you shall doom it. You are not any of the Elf types, you are a hybrid of Wood and Ice. You, Lilliana Goldenheart, are the child of the legendary couple. You are the child thought to be dead by many. And you are also the child that raised the Great Elf War." he leaned close to Lily, and whispered, "Keep your secret safe. Tell no one what you are. Not even your closest friends. There is no one that wouldn't betray you for the reward that comes with your head. Choose only one type of Elf you want to be, and never show your other half. You have a long journey ahead of you, Lilliana. You must make choices even great kings have not done. But remember, not everyone is as they seem."

The old Elf disappeared in a puff of dust, leaving Lily frozen solid in her chair, staring at empty space. What just happened? Will acting how I normally do, end up killing me? Lily buried her face in her hands and sobbed. I didn't want any of this. And what does he mean by not everyone is as they seem?