by Raven, C L
"Nobody passes through Goblin's Pass."
"Then the name's false advertising."
"We chose it because it sounds mysterious and dangerous. I wanted Only the Cave. I was outvoted. What brings you here?"
"I'm going to the Snow Queen's palace."
The goblins laughed. It sounded like tumbling boulders.
"You really want to die, don't you, mortal?"
"Not until I've completed my Power Rangers sticker book. I'm going to kill her."
They stopped laughing.
"You don't look like a traitor."
"I'm an upgrade for the new season, with extra accessories. She has my friend, Ythan." She described him.
"He was dragged this way, like a tin can on a wedding car. His soul is lost."
"I'll check Lost and Found after I've rescued him."
He looked her up and down. "You wear the Warrior's cloak. So you're a traitor and a deserter?"
"Ok, now list my good points. Do you know the way to the palace?"
He stared at her for so long she thought he'd fallen into a trance.
"Any enemy of the Snow Queen is a friend of the goblins. She entranced the angels to attack us and steal our kingdom."
"Angels can be entranced? I thought they were neutered."
"They will be when we reclaim our kingdom. We were carrying a magic mirror up to the angels to destroy them. It fell and shattered. Any shard that enters a human will turn their soul to ice. One must've entered your friend. You have my sincere apologies."
He relinquished her daggers and food then whistled. Syra heard wings then stumbled when a gust of wind hit her. A dragon with iridescent black scales landed on the path. "Talgorrah knows the way. Congratulations on being the first Warrior to survive Goblin's Pass. Every time we greet a Warrior, they fall to their deaths. Perhaps our welcome is too enthusiastic, but we rarely have visitors. They shouldn't let clumsy people become Warriors. Perhaps we should put up signs, warning them to stay away from the edge." He vanished into a cave and returned with a cloth parcel. "You'll know when to use this."
"Thank you!" She hugged him then leapt onto the dragon's back. "How do I save Ythan's soul?"
"You have to melt his heart."
***
Tyrannos smiled seductively as she sashayed across the room, unfastening her bodice. Ythan lay on the ice bed, his injuries healed by her witch. Her dress fell to the floor, revealing a silver corset and knickers. He licked his lips as she climbed onto the bed and crawled towards him. She straddled him, kissing him. He responded eagerly.
"You're mine," she whispered, ripping off his top. She kissed his chest while he squirmed.
Something pricked his memory but the moment Tyrannos unhooked her corset, he forgot it as he cupped her breasts and kissed them. She laughed and stroked his hair.
"I can make you do whatever I want."
***
Wind whipped Syra's tangled hair around her face, stinging her eyes and tugging her clothes. She shielded her face in Talgorrah's neck. Demetar looked miniscule. She clung on, terrified she'd fall to her bloody death, wondering if she'd feel the moment her broken body collided with the earth.
She admired the dragon's raven scales. Sometimes they appeared purple, other times blue, sometimes green. Sometimes all of them. Talgorrah tipped sideways, soaring above a lustrous lake. The beautiful calm water was a facade. Everyone who swam in Demon's Creek drowned. Every now and again a body floated to the surface, its eyes and tongue missing.
She averted her eyes and concentrated on finding the Snow Queen's palace. Talgorrah swooped, landing in the middle of standing stones. He roared, a fireball erupting before disintegrating. Syra slid off his back and kissed his nose. Talgorrah nodded then flicked his tail, his massive wings beating the air as he departed. Scorched into the ground were symbols with words beside them. Identical symbols were carved into the stones.
"You've given me a map."
A bottle labelled Dragon's Breath lay beside the map. She slipped it into her bag. She'd repay the goblins if she ever returned alive. She worked her way around the circle, deciphering the code. She examined the landscape then stepped out of the circle. A fireball struck the ground, devouring the map key until all that remained were ashes that scattered in the wind.
She headed north, pulling her cloak around her and tugging gloves on. The snow reached her knees, making each step laborious. She wished Talgorrah was here to melt it. After an hour, she stopped for some food. She shivered as she ate, her lips freezing when she drank. Ice shards floated in her flask. She rubbed her arms. At this rate she'd die of hypothermia. That wasn't a Warrior's death. No-one got a name plaque for that.
She could barely feel her hands and feet. Ice clung to her hair. Mournful moans resonated off the mountain. Ghostly shapes rose from the snow, swirling around her. Their icicle fangs glinted as they nipped her flesh. She fumbled for her sword, but their bitter breaths turned it to ice. Their red eyes glowing, they pounced, their fangs and talons piercing her skin. Her dagger passed through them, a coating of ice smothering the blade. She reached into her bag for the Dragon's Breath. It slipped from her numb fingers. The cork popped out. A fireball engulfed the ghosts and they evaporated, their screams echoing off the mountains.
She fell to her knees, her weakened body begging for a suicidal surrender. She picked up the bottle, put the cork on and dropped it in her bag. Through the blizzard, she saw the Ice Palace. It resembled a fairytale castle. She staggered to her feet, frostbite needling her arms. Two guards flanked the door. She ducked back then snatched up her daggers. Her frozen fingers refused to work. She blew on them before sneaking back. She threw a stone at the door. When one guard turned around, she leapt on his back and stabbed a dagger through his eye before slitting the other one's throat. Their blood seeped across the snow like spilled rubies.
She slipped inside.
The ice spiral stairs had a black carpet running up the centre. Each room she peeked into had ice furniture. She crept down some steps. The narrow passage gradually became steeper and darker. The walls weren't smooth like the rest of the palace. Obviously the way to the dungeon didn't deserve the same breath taking beauty. She touched the frozen wall, using it to guide her down. At the base of the stairs she discovered a gate. A tall guard blocked it. Before he unsheathed his sword, she hurled her dagger. It lodged in his throat and he crumpled to the floor, gagging. She removed the Dragon's Breath from her bag and freed the cork. The liquid inside ignited. She held it against the bars. A flame snaked up them, the ice popping as it melted.
She ducked through the hole, frigid water trickling down her back as she dragged the guard in. Yanking her dagger free, she chipped ice off the walls to conceal the scarlet trail. Ythan sat huddled in the corner, wearing just his shorts and ice shackles around his wrists and ankles. She hurried over.
"Ythan!" She held the bottle against his shackles, watching water drip from them as they melted off. "We have to leave before she notices I killed her guards."
"Get away from me!"
"What?"
"Why would I go anywhere with you?"
She sat back, stunned. He glared at her. "Ythan, that slut's brainwashed you. We have to get out of here."
"The only one who's leaving is you."
She shook her head. She didn't fight this hard to walk away.
"We've been training to be Warriors since we were six. Why do you want to throw it away to be some bitch's sex slave?"
"I'm not a Warrior. I don't know you. Piss off before she sees you."
"You're Ythan. I'm your best friend, Syra. We're trainee Warriors at the Castle of Hykrew. We graduate this year. I kick your arse with every weapon except the bow." He stared blankly at her. "If you don't come with me, I'll shred your Power Rangers photo." She hauled him up. He pushed her away. "If I have to drag you out, I will. I won't be gentle. You'll have to wear makeup at the graduation ceremony." She reached for his arm.
He punched her. "Queen Tyra
nnos will be here soon. She'll kill you."
Footsteps marched down the stairs. The ice dungeon offered nowhere to hide. The gate opened and four guards entered. Syra drew her sword.
"Release us and your deaths will be swift," she threatened.
A guard shouted. The dungeons shook as more guards hurried down the steps.
"Always with the backup. You too scared to fight me alone?"
The guards parted, revealing Queen Tyrannos, wearing a white satin dress that trailed on the floor in her wake and was tight enough to prove she wasn't wearing underwear. Her crown was made from icicles. Her lipstick and eye shadow were silver.
"Who is this infidel?"
"Syra of the Castle of Hykrew. I've come to claim Ythan. Release him into my custody and I'll spare your life." She hoped she sounded fiercer than she felt.
"Seize her!" Four guards grabbed her as she struggled. "Bring them to my chambers."
"See what you've done?" Ythan hissed, kicking her as he was dragged out.
"This is the last time I try to rescue someone," Syra muttered as the guards carried her out of the dungeon.
Queen Tyrannos led the way up several flights of stairs to her chambers. It was carved from a glacier with streaks of blue in the ice. A man was shackled to the bed, wearing black shorts and a collar. Ythan was tossed onto the bed while Syra was dragged to the wall and forced onto a small raised platform where she had a good view of the bed. Shackles were fastened around her neck, wrist and ankles.
"I think I'll keep you." Queen Tyrannos stroked Syra's jaw.
"Touch me again and you'll lose your fingers. Your Majesty."
"Do you know what happens to traitors?"
"I'm guessing they're not awarded medals for bravery."
"Do you know how it feels to freeze to death? Unbearable, agonising cold, for what seems like an eternity before your organs fail one by one?"
"Just chop my head off and mount it on a plaque. It'd be an interesting ornament for your guests to admire."
Queen Tyrannos smiled and touched Syra's arm. Ice crept up her skin, sinking into her veins until her blood became rivers of ice. Queen Tyrannos unfastened her dress and let it tumble down her naked body before joining Ythan and the prisoner on the bed. A guard grabbed Syra's face and held her eyes open, forcing her to watch Ythan enjoy the pleasures of the man and Queen Tyrannos. Everything Ythan had said about Queen Tyrannos yet he abandoned his morals the second she undressed. Betrayal knifed her heart. This would haunt her forever.
Queen Tyrannos touched her prisoner. Ice crawled over his skin, until he became a sculpture. She clicked her fingers. He shattered, the shards cascading over the bed.
Queen Tyrannos dressed and sauntered over to Syra. "Ythan wants me. You risked your pathetic little life for someone who would kill you at my command. Ythan," she beckoned. Ythan scrambled off the bed and hurried over. "Kill her."
Ythan looked at Syra.
"Ythan, no! It's me, Syra. Remember how we plan to go travelling after we graduate? Find a castle and build an army that would make the other kingdoms tremble in fear?" The ice spread up her arm, creating a numbing ache.
"She's trying to take you away from me." Queen Tyrannos slipped a dagger into his hand. "Kill her."
"Remember during the wilderness training, you tripped over our camp fire and face planted in my food?" She tried ignoring the cold creeping up her face. "We joined so we could be Power Rangers."
Ythan raised the dagger. A lone tear tumbled down Syra's face.
"All we've ever experienced, all we've ever planned, all I've done for you and our friendship means nothing to you?"
The tear splashed into Ythan's eye. He blinked.
"Fine, kill me, but look me in the eyes when you do it."
Ythan gasped as fierce burning ripped through his heart. He dropped to his knees, clutching his chest. The dagger fell from his grip. He cried out as a fireball imploded inside him. His skin glowed red before fading. Flames danced in his eyes.
He staggered to his feet. "Syra?" He looked around. "Where are we?"
"The Ice Palace. Queen Tyrannos kidnapped you to be her sex slave. You were just about to kill me, you jerk."
He grabbed his head as memories assaulted him. His eyes were stricken as he stared at Syra. "I could never kill you! You'd haunt me 'til I never slept again."
Queen Tyrannos folded her arms. "Touching. Now knife the bitch."
"No!"
She lowered her dress. "Kill her or you'll never have me again."
"Half the kingdom's checked into your STI clinic."
"You included." She smirked.
"You don't get a lollipop for that, Ythan," Syra said.
Ythan punched one guard then snatched up the fallen dagger and stabbed another. He grabbed Syra's sword and hacked the shackles. Syra ducked a guard's sword and kneed him in the balls. Ythan seized another guard and threw him over his back towards the bed. He hit one of the ice posts and slithered to the floor. Syra snatched up her bag.
"I have a present for you. A truce." Syra offered a cloth to Queen Tyrannos.
She took it and unwrapped a mirror shard. Frowning, she gazed upon it. And screamed.
Guards chased them through the passageways, their feet slipping as they dodged some and fought others. Ythan stabbed Syra's sword into the floor and swung around it, his kick toppling the guards backwards down the staircase. They skidded to a stop at the door. Blocks of ice barricaded them inside.
"There's only one way out," Queen Tyrannos spoke, striding down the passageway. "The blocks must be rearranged to spell a word. Only then can you leave."
Syra grabbed her bow and arrow, opened the Dragon's Breath and dipped the arrow head into the liquid. It instantly ignited. She lined up the shot.
"You'll never hit her at that distance." Ythan wrestled the bow and arrow off her.
"You won't kill me," Queen Tyrannos called.
Ythan released the arrow. Its burning head pierced Queen Tyrannos' heart. She screamed as fire ignited inside her, water dripping from her skin as her body surrendered to the fire's devastating heat.
"Think she wanted to do her megalomaniac spiel," Syra said.
"This isn't an action film and we don't have people coming to rescue us."
Water gushed towards them as the Snow Queen's dying screams echoed through her Ice Palace. Her white dress drifted on her watery grave.
"Knew she was a cold hearted bitch." Syra smirked.
"I need my clothes."
Syra tossed the dress at him. "It's your size."
He threw it back. "Wrong colour. And if you touch my Power Rangers photo, I'll feed you to the goblins."
Syra poured the liquid over the ice. Black letters gradually appeared, floating inside the blocks. They slid the heavy blocks around, arguing over the order.
"Got it!" Ythan directed Syra which blocks to move.
The palace shook. Stalactites crashed from the ceiling as they dived out the way, curling up to protect themselves. Queen Tyrannos' taunting laugh haunted them as the doorway sealed.
"It was a trap." Ythan stared at the blocks. "This wasn't an escape route, it was a curse."
"Good going, genius." Syra flicked the Dragon's Breath over the door. Nothing happened. Slowly, their veins turned silver. "There has to be another way out."
The guards knelt before them. "Welcome, Snow King and Snow Queen."
"This better not mean we're married." Syra stared in horror at the black letters.
ETERNITY
Operation: Midnight
The door blew shut with a BANG! The power died. Blackness exploded, drowning me, blinding me. My senses ignited like fireworks, creating colourful displays in my brain. I stood, edging towards the fuse box.
And tripped over my tool box.
I cursed amid the deafening clatter of spilled tools. The number of times I fall over, it should stop being embarrassing. I reached the fuse box, grabbed the torch resting on it and flicked the switches. Nothing.
Something moved in the darkness.
I turned, dust dancing evocatively in the torch's curious beam.
I was alone.
I stepped away from the fuse box, my torch skimming my tools. The beam fell on the large wrench and I swooped, sweeping it up and raising it threateningly. I crept around the garage, my biker boots echoing. I listened for intruders but either my ears were lying about the noise or someone was staying unnaturally still. Unlike my previous boyfriends, my ears never lied.
The lights hummed, flickering like a snake's tongue before gaining full power. I whirled around, wrench hoisted, ready to inflict so much damage on someone's skull even a 3D puzzle enthusiast couldn't put it back together.
I was alone.
"Just because it's dark, doesn't mean there are monsters."
I crouched by my bike. The chrome glinted wickedly beneath the garage lights. I listened for any sound that might betray the boogeyman. There was nothing. But I knew something was there. I could feel it watching me. Taking a deep breath, I turned my attention to the bike. Just the finishing touches and I'd have it purring. I reached for a spanner.
"Ella?"
I whirled, hurling the spanner. That boogeyman was going to die.
The man caught it then dropped it, cradling his hand. "That's quite a throw."
"I was aiming for your head."
"Oh. Glad you missed. I'm out of Ibruprofen."
He reached into his PVC coat pocket. I snatched up my gun from my thigh holster, ready to turn him into a human doily. He raised his hands in surrender. He had short dark hair and stubble. Not the boogeyman's usual appearance. Wonderful. The first hot guy I see in ages and I clobber him with a spanner and hold him at gun point. No wonder my mum said I'd die alone.
"I'm fetching my ID."
"I scored top on the shooting range and in the field. If that's not your ID, I'll shoot off every finger. You can spend the rest of your life wearing mittens."
"I've just got used to wearing big boy gloves."
He retrieved a black wallet and flipped it open. "Finton Granger. MI6. Your boss recommended you for an assignment. You're one of MI5's top agents."