Anxiety was the only thing anyone could feel besides the cold that numbed their skin and set pins to rest against their bundles of fur.
The vast emptiness the ice created in the land did little to provide even an illusion of the memory of warmth. They stood silent and still, slightly petrified from the prospect of standing beside corpses, two decades of age. Even the Twins found no fascination, and remained as petrified as the others.
The Elemental Queens were sitting in the middle of the throne room, their knees pressing into the frozen ground. Niki, Heather, and Astrid were sitting with backs as straight as boards, their hands resting neatly on their upper thighs, and breathing slow controlled breaths. At some points when their breathing was synchronized, the clouds of air coming from their mouths would meet in the center and form a large cloud, which rose and expanded into the air.
There was something mesmerizing about watching the girls work, especially those who had the years of training and experience. Niki's nearly two decades of training showed, as her small yet notable movements were performed with so much serenity, most of the others couldn't keep their eyes off of her.
"Serafina, your hands." Mala gently reminded Astrid, who immediately took in a quick breath and released her hands, which were balled into tight fists. She took several more breaths to fall back into the rhythm.
Mala circled around the four women once more, but stopped short and glared at Ruffnut, who was meddling with the ends of her braid. "Becca." she tried to softly say, despite her frustrations. "Ruffnut!" she snapped when calling 'Becca' several times was not enough. "Please, focus."
"Sorry." she said, with a small unnoticeable eye roll before closing her eyes again. "I don't know how to do this though!"
"Calm yourself, then try to feel the power flow within you." Mala tried to explain.
"Ruff, just remember the times you were flying with Wingnutt." Niki suggested instead, which Ruffnut seemed to listen to more than Mala.
"Oh Wingnutt." Tuffnut sighed. "I miss that little guy."
"Who in the name of Thor is Wingnutt?" Snotlout snapped in a whisper.
"He's this cute little razorwhip dragon that lives with the Wingmaidens. It's kinda a long story, but Ruffnut and I raise it now."
"When was this?" Fishlegs asked, but halfway through speaking, several others harshly shushed him. "Sorry."
"Oh Wingnutt and I go-"
"HEY!"
"Sorry sis." Tuffnut corrected. "Wingnutt and us go way, way, way, back."
"Like how far back?" Fishlegs pushed for further details.
"Well, it was after we met Niki, and trained Barf and Belch." Tuffnut scratched his chin. "What would you say Hiccup? Five, six years?"
Hiccup's eyes widened and he turned his body slightly so that his face was out of Snotlout and Fishlegs' view. However if Snotlout was good at anything, it was being too suspicious of something to let it go.
"Hiccup!" He snapped, then quickly brought the volume of his voice down as another wave of shushing crashed on him. "What is going on?"
Hiccup nervously laughed, and tousled his autumn hair. "Oh-hey girls-um-how's the magic going?"
"No Hiccup!" Snotlout grabbed his shoulder and turned him around. "You've been avoiding this far too long. There is something going on here that you're not telling us!" Hiccup opened his mouth in objection, but Snotlout waved his pointer finger in his face to stop him. "Don't deny it! Fishlegs and I are a part of the team now, and as fully fledged members, we deserve to know what's going on."
"I-I-I don't know what you're talking about." Hiccup looked at Eret for help, but he gave a small shrug and held his hands up in order to not be involved.
"Hiccup." Fishlegs spoke up. "Don't try to hide it from us. It's pretty obvious that there is something you aren't telling us. No one learns how to ride a dragon in a week, and if they did, you wouldn't trust them enough to put them on your team. Especially if those people are the Twins."
"Look guys, we should really talk about this later."
"Why?" Snotlout scoffed. "We're just sitting here waiting for these girls to do some magic trick that might not even work! You're using this as another excuse to not tell us, and whenever we get another dull moment, we will just end up having the same argument again until something happens and it's forgotten, then the circle repeats itself!"
"Later, not now Snotlout."
"No!"
"Yes!"
"Just SHUT UP!"
Everyone jumped in their skin, as Viggo's voice sent echoing blades that would repel against the ice and back towards the Dragon Riders. "The Twins have been riding dragons for nine years after Nikolai found them and started training them! Blame her, but not right now! Because if you haven't noticed my entire family, that hasn't turned evil, is stuck under ice and has been for twenty years! So shut your mouths so they can concentrate and get this mess fixed!" His head was being supported by his fingers that pinched the bridge of his nose and his elbow that was resting on his knee, that was propped up on the throne's stairs.
Silence reigned over the group, as they all tried to inadvertently look away from Viggo, while at the same time giving quick and worried glances in his direction. Niki cracked the eerie silence and stood up from her crouched position, throwing her braid over her shoulder.
"Where are you going?" Mala asked, but not in a stern commanding voice, instead with the genuine light concern of a friend.
"This isn't going to work." she bluntly replied.
"Nikolai just try." Viggo muttered in a tired and aging voice, raising his fingers from the bridge of his nose to give a small gesture.
The glare she gave him in return has the smallest hint of an eye roll added to it when she stuck out her hand towards Heather. "Give me a stick." she ordered. When Heather had grown a stick from her fingers and placed it in her hands, she stuck it towards Astrid and asked her to light it on fire. When a small flame was tickling the edge of the stick, she created a small frost around what part of the stick was enveloped by her hand, then tossed it in the air while kicking Ruffnut in the shin.
"Hey!" Ruffnut yelled and jabbed her fists several times in Niki's direction as a threat. The flaming stick was thrown into one of the frozen walls, but ricocheted off the rest of the walls, until Niki grew tired of the entertainment and dosed it.
Niki gazed upon the scene with small interest then invited the others to watch her observation. "As you can see, nothing is happening."
Calisa clenched her jaw and shifted her weight on her feet. "Tezan einrichts oujoural zu jetet ketzren? (Are you trying to kill us?)"
She shrugged carelessly and tossed her a sneer. "Only a few certain ones."
Snotlout and Fishlegs shared a concerned look, and for the first time they both came to the conclusion that they were the only sane people left in the group.
"Nikolai, I think you need to explain that act." Valka suggested.
She gave a small nod and placed one of her pale slender hands in her hip, from inside her thick Catalezan fur cloak. "Just using our powers isn't going to work. As Mala and I have explained before. The Elemental gifts are not magical powers, they are abilities with strong traces of magic. Just like opening the portal, these alone aren't going to do anything."
"Spit it out Nikolai." Viggo snapped.
Niki's shoulders tensed a little by his sudden grim attitude, but otherwise gave no sign that she was remotely affected by it. "What spells did you try to use to melt the ice?" she asked Calisa. She turned to Viggo, who listened adamantly and exchanged a few trails of thought before translating for everyone else.
"The closest one to success is an old spell she found in one of my uncle's books. It is extremely dark magic that takes an extreme amount of power and life from the person casting it." Calisa clutched the ends of her white dead hair.
"Can she cast it again?" Niki asked.
"She can."
Niki looked at Mala, then at the other Elemental Queens. "I think it will work if we use our abilities as ingredients instead of the core." She paused, to allow everyone to speak their opinion.
"If we are going to do this, we have to be certain." Mala said. "The Elemental Queens, especially Becca, can't stand more than one major usage of their powers. If this doesn't work, we will have to take time to rest. Probably a couple of days at least."
Viggo shook his head. "There won't be another try. As I said, this spell takes life. If Calisa has already tried it, she doesn't have enough left for several attempts. This will be the last time."
"Woah, woah, wait. It's going to kill her?" Hiccup spoke up. "No we aren't going to kill Calisa!"
"Darcoal tascja jetet flatesche. (It won't kill me.)" Calisa confirmed.
"It will just be very close." Viggo bitterly added. "But she is up for it, and I don't see another option to unfreezing this."
"Or we don't unfreeze this." Astrid suggested, and several threatening glares were thrown at her. "I know I don't know a lot about this land, but do you have to stay here? Can you just travel with your people to another country where it isn't completely frozen?"
"Ant teqzevalky zet plabnahar? (And abandon the people?)" Calisa cried out in horror.
Astrid held up her hands in defense. "I'm just saying, if impending doom and some super powerful wizard guy is coming to destroy all of us, I'd choose to keep my strongest allies at their full strength and get more allies, then spend time bickering over people who are most likely dead."
"Ant paj zeky tezan azugva? (And if they are alive?)"
"They've been stuck in ice for twenty years, I think they can last a little longer." Niki's voice cut through the hearts of those standing in the conversation.
Viggo burst up to his feet and stared wide eyed at his fiance. "You agree with Astrid? You just want to leave everyone here? Did you forget that Iren is one of these statues?"
"No I didn't, I'm very aware what position Iren is in right now. I'm just saying that statistically-"
"Statistically! Of course that's all you think about, isn't it? War. What the people can do to make the war easier, faster, better. What can they do to help you?" As Viggo jabbed his finger at Niki, he didn't seem like himself. He seemed to have lost all of his composure, and that nothing really mattered anymore but unfreezing the ice. "You know what, I don't think you should get a say in this conversation. Because it's not like you have the best track record for deciding what your people truly want."
Anger flared in Niki's eyes, but it quickly disintegrated into mourning pain. Her hand slapped against his cheek and the defining sound echoed across the hall. She kept her mouth shut however as she watched his face, looking for any sign of remorse to feed off of.
"Woah okay, Niki, Viggo, let's take a quick breather for a second and calm down." Hiccup stepped in between the two lovers while Heather stood up from the floor.
"Either way, we are losing time. Drago still has the Defenders of the Wing Island, there are still soldiers dying from a mysterious disease, and pretty soon there will be an attack on Berk and the portal. Either we do it now, or we don't do it at all."
Astrid agreed. "We can't forget our mission. Finding the Father Dracones must be our top priority."
"Astrid, you can't be serious." Hiccup looked astonished at his wife, who normally was able to agree with him on issues based on morals.
"Keeping them frozen definitely will increase their chances of surviving if an attack on the portal comes." Dagur argued.
"An army can't travel through this maze of people!" Eret replied. "They would just smash all the statues and then we have defenseless dead people."
"I'm with Eret." agreed Valka.
Behind the group, Fishlegs gave a nervous laugh. "Heh-heh, um guys, let's just take a second to breath and let ourselves cool off."
"Zi cashia poscivier tasch halente strasdreis, Zi beznekj mosrek zu kefqaz aurk. (I've been freezing for twenty years, I don't need to cool off.)" Calisa rolled her eyes.
"Calisa is willing to do it, why are we even arguing this?" Viggo argued.
Fishlegs flinched and turned his head to look at two groups giving death threats at each other. "Um, Snotlout, anytime now!"
"Oh no no, you look like you've got it all under control." he sarcastically remarked. "Hookfang." he opened his arm and gestured towards the group. Hookfang roared and lit his body on fire, then ran between them.
"Look guys, fighting amongst ourselves is only going to make things worse." Snotlout was surprised, but nevertheless relieved that the small instinct of being a leader kicked in as he stood on his dragon's back and called out to the others. "Just shut your mouths for a minute and think about what you're saying!"
Their stomachs lurched at the sight of Snotlout taking control of the group, and when they all stopped for a moment, they were embarrassed to realize he was the only one acting sensibly. Slowly as they began to ponder into their own thoughts, the two mobs broke off and everyone started to scatter amongst the frozen statues.
"Can we light a fire at least?" Tuffnut asked, but was immediately shot down by mala, who mumbled something about Astrid needing to save her strength. "Urgh, fine."
Viggo walked back over to the throne's steps, and stared into the little boy's lifeless eyes. He walked behind the boy and reached out to touch him with his bare hands, but the moment his fingers rested on the boy's small shoulder, a loud crack sounded and any reminder of warmth or feeling was swept out of him. His fingers stiffened and turned a sickly purple, as a violent shiver sent him to the ground.
"Viggo!" Hiccup skated over the ice to him. "What happened?" he asked when he saw Viggo clutching his hand and violently shaking.
"N-Nnn-nothi..." his voice faded out as his teeth shattered.
Hiccup frantically looked around. "Guys he needs help over here!"
"What happened?" Heather was the first one over, followed quickly by Astrid and Niki.
"In the name of Helena-" Niki pulled off her heavy cloak and wrapped it around him, then quickly rubbed the sides to try to create some heat. "What did you do? Astrid light a fire."
As soon as requested, Astrid ignited a fireball in her hands and held them near Viggo. Heather squatted down in front of him and tried to unwrap his hands. "Viggo you have to let us see them. Yes! Right now!" Once Viggo released his hands from pressed against his chest, Heather had to pry the fingers apart in order to see the damage done. Her skin paled when she saw his fingers blackening like crisp ashes and it slowly crawling up his hand. "Niki water now." she demanded, hastily weaving together grains of wood into a bowl and thrusted it into Niki's hands. "If we don't move fast he'll lose his fingers. Astrid check his temperature, the ice probably sucked all the heat out of him."
As the girls worked, Calisa rushed over. "Viggo?"
"No." Eret held her back before she could get too close. "Don't get in their way." They all watched as the girls worked to fix Viggo's fingers, and return his temperature to a safe one.
"What happened?" Dagur asked, hoping he wasn't going to disturb the girls by asking.
Calisa was speaking, but with Viggo unable to translate, no one could understand her. Instead Eret held her in a comforting grasp, which she reluctantly leaned into.
"He's not warming up." Astrid said, rubbing her hands together and placing them on the back of his neck. "Is there anywhere warmer?"
"Kolitz. (No)." she shook her head.
A heavy draft of guilt folded over the group, as they stood and realized what this meant. If Viggo wasn't warming up with Astrid's help, and there was nowhere warmer...
"Nep cashia zu bez zet jinuhk. Lppondi. (We have to do the spell. Now.)" Calisa pulled herself away from Eret and walked up to the girls. "Jnak mk krillog nep jomkut chierspern zacht. (There is a chance we can save him.)"
"I'm sorry what are you saying?" Astrid asked, not even giving her eye contact as she continuously rubbed her hands together, and checked to make sure the water was still warm.
"Something about a um..." Niki squinted her eyes together and asked Calisa to repeat what she said. "We, to do, spell...I think, now?" she looked up at Calisa who nodded then pointed to the center of the throne room. "Guys we have to do the spell." Niki fully translated. "It's the only way."
Both of the girls hesitated in stopping their efforts to keep some type of warmth in Viggo. "Girls let's go." Mala agreed, pulling Ruffnut away from the others to follow Calisa walking to the center of the room. Niki gave Viggo a quick kiss on the cheek and wrapped her cloak around him tighter.
"I'll be back in a few minutes. Just hang in there."
The girls formed their circle and closed their eyes. Niki found it harder to concentrate this time, but soon found her balance by putting her walls up and concealing most of her emotions. Heather's adrenaline was still pumping, allowing her composure to remain intact. Ruffnut stared around the group, as clueless as ever, but more determined than last time to help in any way she could. Astrid took a deep breath of air, sneaking a small glance at Hiccup before falling into concentration.
In the center, Calisa stood with a vial of powder which she sprinkled around her feet. Then she started chanting, her voice echoing off of itself and of the walls. Her pupils overtook her eyes, and dark shadows formed over her eyelids as the darkness flew through her veins. She was terrifying to look at, like watching someone rise from the dead. Wind began to pick up, and swirl around the girls, as the Elemental Queens slowly began releasing their elements into the spell.
It was chaos in the center, and with the spell's mist combined with the four elements and the wind circling them, it was impossible for even Mala to see what was happening. Then all the air was sucked out of their lungs, and the moment right before they started to panic, it was released back into them and they stumbled onto cold carpet.
Words: 3137
Hey guys sorry for the super late update! I know this chapter may not be much but I have been working on a lot of schoolwork lately, and thinking of where this book is going to go. So good news for the future, longer and more complex and interesting scenes are coming!