Between Waves and Clouds

39 - Viking's way

When Frost opened his eyes, the first thing he felt was a throbbing pain in his head. The first thing he heard was a deafening buzzing and some muffled distant voices. His head was throbbing and his whole body was numb. He opened his eyes with difficulty and was instantly blinded by sunlight. It took a moment for his eyes to get used to it, still everything was white. He was surrounded by ice.

His first reflex was to swim to the bars he noticed, that seemed to seal a window, so he could see where he was. It was a giant ice tower, deep underwater, though it seemed to rise high above the sea too. All along the walls Frost could see other barred windows, cells. He looked up and tried to identify the place, and what was this smaller tower in the middle of this one. It seemed empty, but there was a commotion at the top of it, which seemed to be barely above water.

Countless merfolk were placed around it, looking at it, as if it was some podium were stood a spectacle. There were hundreds of merfolks and the pale colors and large fins said they were enchantresses. It looked like every single merfolk from Sinterklass had gathered there. Was he in their ice fortress ? But how ? The last thign he recalled was...

A door behind him was slamed and he turned around in a jolt. That's when he realise he was not alone in this jail. Selina and his father were here too, both chained like him. They woke up and stood as guards entered the cell. Seven of them. Was that many people really necessary ?

Frost staggered seeing their dark glare and their sneer, and visibly his father didn't like it either because he stood in front of him.

''It's time.'' One of the guard stated.

They entered and grabbed the chains of their prisonners, dragging them with them. Nörth tried to fight back and keep his son next to him, but they quickly got separated. While Selina was struggled like crazy and screaming, Nörth managed to whisper something to his son.

''I'm sorry you had to wake up to this...''

Frost froze. That didn't sound like excuse for the poor sight of Selina's panic, that sounded like a warning the worst was only yet to come. Despite the fact Nörth managed to knock out one of the guards, the others got a hold of him and managed to drag their prisonners where they wanted to, towards the podium. It was surrounded by some blurred aura, bearly visible, but it felt magical. Frost could feel this magic tickling hisbody even before they reached it.

The crowd gathered around the podium wwas hysterical, between impatience, entertainment and rage. They spread up as the guards made their way among them. On the podium, for everyone to see, stood three ice pillars and a group of enchantresses in human shape. One of them stood out, she was wearing a crown made of ice shards and an ice scepter.

The prisonners got hoisted on the podium. First Selina, who was caught up by two of the queen's guards. Deprived of her totem, Selina stayed in her mermaid form but Frost got surprised to see she was still breathing. It didn't take long for him to understand it was the magical barrier's doing. Selina was chained to the first pillar, and Frost realised the other two were for his father and him. Nörth was the second one to be hoisted up, yet once the tip of his tail touched the ground, it turned into two scaly legs covered with scaled patterns that looked like tattoos. He made used of it and fought harder but three guards grabbed his arms and led him to the second pillar, chaining him.

Then it was Frost's turn. Two guards lifted him and threw him on the ice, as if waiting for his tail to turn into legs like Nörth's had done. But it wasn't the case, he crashed on the ice, his fins still there, which earned him boos from the crowd and some harsh words.

''Damn hybrid !''

''Abomination ! Start with him !''

A merfolk hiden in the crow even threw a stone to him.