Further Heroic Adventures

Kristoff - The Invasion of Cortez

Today started as just another workday for me and my best buddy Sven. While my kids were busy at school, my wife Anna was busy at work helping Elsa with meetings at Arendelle Castle and my good pals Miguel and Olaf busy with their coastguard duties today, we were busy finding more ice to harvest and deliver to Arendelle.

After a good morning's work, we had lunch. Sven had carrots and I had some vegetable sandwiches. I couldn't remember what vegetables were in my sandwiches, but they didn't really care because all that mattered was that they were delicious which they really were. They were delicious because of my daughter Rika's magical powers. She used them to make Sven's carrots and they were his favourite kind as well. Then I played my guitar singing songs with Sven (me singing with my voice for Sven when it was his turn to sing) while we let our tummies settle.

We were just about to return to work when I heard a cry. It sounded like a cry for help. I looked around and tried to find that cry of help. Then I saw a man running in my direction. He appeared to be an indigenous man of some kind, as he had dark skin and was wearing some something like shorts. Then he cried for help. That sounded a lot like the first cry of help I heard earlier. Then I learned why he was running and crying for help. More men were running behind him. They were different men. They were white men wearing silver armour and carrying swords and guns among other weapons. So he was being chased.

I took Sven behind the nearest tree to hide from the men in armour. I felt bad about not helping the poor man, but we were weapon-less. All we had were my ice harvesting tools and they would be no match for those men. After I told Sven to lay low, I was about to climb up to the nearest branch when it gave me an idea. When I saw the man who was being chased got close enough to me, I grabbed him and told him to climb up to the nearest branch. I was glad that he understood me as I climbed up after him. I told him to be quiet as we watched the armoured men past us. I was glad that they didn't stop to look up at where we were. They didn't even spot Sven hiding low. After the men were out of sight, we climbed back down the tree.

"Thank you," the man said.

"No problem," I said. "What's your name?"

"Adcud."

"And why are those guys chasing you?"

As he told me the story, I was shocked and gasped a few times. After he finished, I decided to take him back with me and Sven to Arendelle. We left the ice we were harvesting behind because this matter was way more important and the sooner Arendelle heard it the better.

We arrived at Arendelle Castle in just under an hour I thought. It was lunchtime and I saw Anna, Elsa, Olaf, Miguel and Matthias having their lunch and talking in the courtyard. When they saw me, they stopped talking and turned their attention to me and my new friend Acdud.

Acdud repeated what he told me before we came here to Arendelle. He told everyone about how he was living peacefully in a nice little village in the jungle with his family and friends when these army of arm invaded and ransacked his village and killed everyone who lived in the village except him. They took him and enslaved him to the ship after he failed to find a lost city of gold. He had lost track of how long he had been the men's prisoner for, but it was at least a few years. About two days ago, these men docked their fleet in a forest nearby. After they made camp, he managed to pick up a rock with his foot and cut the ropes loose around him with it. He immediately escaped from the camp and for two days he thought he had lost it before he learnt some of the men have been after him since he escaped. He got spotted and chased by them until he lost them, thanks to me.

"Wait a minute," Miguel said. "Do these men have metal armour and have swords and guns?"

"Yes," Acdud said.

"And does the leader have a very stern face and a very harsh tone?"

"Yes."

"Miguel, do you know him?" Elsa asked.

"Yes, Your Majesty. He's an old enemy of mine. He's Cortez."

"How do you know, Miguel?" I asked.

"Well, he's from Spain like I am and he's hailed a hero over there. He was the one who had me and Tulio thrown into the brig on his own ship when he was sailing to conquer the New World until his horse Altivo helped us escape. And he was the one who would have sacked El Dorado, kill the people and take the gold if my friends and I didn't block the city's hidden entrance."

"Do you have any idea why he's in Arendelle, Miguel?" Anna asked. "Arendelle is not known for having gold."

"Unless it could be hidden gold," Olaf said. "Do you think he's starting a gold mine?"

"Or maybe he's after some magic," Miguel said. "For glory purposes."

"I was not the only one Cortez and his men captured," Acdud said. "When we came here, we arrived in some sort of forest and they captured everyone who was living in there."

"Our Northuldra friends!" Anna gasped.

"The Enchanted Forest!" Elsa gasped.

"What are your orders, Your Majesty?" Mattias asked.

"We go and deal with this Cortez," Elsa decided. "Ready the army, General. We leave at once."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Then Mattias left to get the army ready.

In less than an hour, we arrived outside the Enchanted Forest. The only ones who didn't come with us was Anna who stood behind to look after Arendelle in case anything happened to Elsa and Olaf who was the coastguard at the harbour.

Elsa ordered everyone to halt outside the forest. Then she gathered me, Matthias, Sven, Miguel, Acdud and a few soldiers and we gathered around to make the plans for stop Cortez. First, Elsa fired a spot of snow onto the ground and used a stick to draw out a map of the forest. After I asked Acdud the place he was where he escaped, he described it being by a river, so we assumed that Cortez's camp was by the river and that's where we put it on that map. We started to discuss the plans to rescue our Northuldra friends and send Cortez and his family away when we heard a loud bang and scared all of us.

"What was that?" I asked.

"Gunfire," Miguel said. "Cortez and his men must know we're here."

"Stand your ground, men!" Mattias ordered. "Stand your ground and keep your eyes peeled!"

But we couldn't stand their ground because out of nowhere brown nets were pushing us down and capturing us. We couldn't escape, except Elsa who used her powers to turn our net into ice and then made it vanish to free us.

"Come on, let's free the others!" Elsa ordered.

But before we could move, something hit her on the back of her head that made her fall to the ground unconscious. We all looked see who did it. It was a big strong man wearing silver armour. He had a very stern-looking face with a dangerous beard on it.

"Miguel, is this Cortez?" I asked.

"The one and only," Miguel replied.

Some of Cortez arrived behind him. "Men, seize everyone and bring them to camp." He picked up the unconscious Elsa and carried her while the rest of his men captured us and dragged us to their camp.