Dancing On Ice

In Place of Me

The ice rumbled; trembling, cracking and chipping.

Kazimir held Cole even closer as he looked around them, frantic as the sea shook. His mother towered above them, the icy spears shattering from the vibrations but this wasn't her doing.

The force was shaking the frozen surface loose.

The sea below was starting to warm – still far too cold for a human to survive in but it was returning to its normal temperature.

Pathways began to form through the ice and Kazimir took the first one he could, pushing the ice aside when it got in his way and dragging Cole across towards the ship.

A mighty grinding and screaming echoed from beyond the ship and the roar of water pouring free signalled the release of the trapped waterfalls but no sooner had the dragging of the racing currents started, they stopped as the sea sewed itself back together again.

Kazimir threw a hand up when he was at the side of the galleon and Perry was there to meet them, each grabbing the other's wrist before he flew upwards, dropping both on the deck, Kazimir landing on his back, Cole's broader form in its trembling dead-weight state crushing his lungs until he rolled Cole off and struggled to sit up.

Dray and Perry huddled around their captain, other crewmembers scrambling forwards. The doctor of The King's Command came forwards with his equipment, startling Dray before they turned their attention to Cole, warming his body and stemming the blood. Perry moved around them, itching to help but Dray snapped each time to stay back, he wasn't allowed to interfere, he was already doing too much.

To distract himself, he turned his attention to Kazimir who transformed back into his human form, abandoning the awkward tail for a time, shivering in the cold and quickly ripping the clothes off a dead man, not noticing the looks of discomfort the action caused on the faces of the humans who saw it.

"How did she do it?" Aeralie said as the pair rushed to the edge of the ship, just in time to see Icadora knock Dago off his feet, sending him sprawling across the ice, almost falling over the edge as another chunk fell away.

The king's eyes flashed in an undisguised terror before he gathered himself, shoving to his feet.

"How did she get her Heart back in?"

"Brute force? Maybe it just needs to be near its owner?" Kazimir said, not taking his eyes from his parents.

"Dalton held it, it didn't do anything."

The ship rocked violently under them again as the sea tore through the ice.

"What the hell is your father doing?" Kazimir snarled, clinging to the rigging to keep his balance.

"It's not easy to put the sea back together when its enchantment that messed it up," Aeralie snapped, holding Kazimir's arm.

"Well it's going to be all fine until he sinks the ship."

"Like that matters. We'll be fine."

"I'm talking about them," Kazimir said, sweeping his arm back to indicate the humans of the two ships.

"They'll satisfy the sea for a month or so."

Kazimir glared at her.

"Alright, alright, I'm sure your Cole will be fine."

Kazimir looked back to his mother. She reached for Dago and he threw up a shield of ice in panic, scrambling back, stalling her for no more than a second before she threw the ice aside.