Component 11: FROZEN

Gonzeelda Skins watched as her Orc mates carried the unconscious Dwarf across the cave. She was surprised the short bearded man was so heavy in the first place. First Budge had tried to lift him, then Weiggs, but neither could carry the pipsqueak.

"Why so heavy!?" Budge groaned.

"Me no no," Weiggs responded as he heaved the Dwarf's legs up onto his shoulders.

Gonzeelda, who sat with her chin in her hands, muttered, "I guess what they say is true—Dwarves are of the Earth, and they have stone bones."

She giggled to herself when she said that last word. Her mind was in a place Torchwood would refuse to let it go—if he even really existed. After having wielded her Beauty, and learning the truths and weaknesses of the 'Gods', she was beginning to wonder if she should follow her once favored deity at all. If something could bleed, was it really a god? And furthermore if it could be killed, then it SURELY was not worth worshipping.

"Mistress!" Budge dragged out her title in a long whine.

"Shut up, Budge," Gonzeelda said, her mind somewhere in the distance.

She pictured the visage of Torchwood that the Orcs carved into cave walls deep beneath the Moonbearer Mountains and shook her head. He wasn't even that attractive! A god should be gorgeous! Maybe she should be a god? A smile spread across her plump lips—yes, she SHOULD be a god!

Budge and Weiggs made it up to Gonzeelda's sitting spot. She stared off absent-mindedly as her minions looked at each other.

"What wrong with Mistress?" Budge asked.

"I dunno. Maybe she thunking," Weiggs told his taller cohort.

"She thunks a lot," said Budge.

The Belltower Dwarf began to stir and Budge saw this.

"Nuh uh uh, Dwarfy," the Orc chuckled and lifted his hand, delivering a quick punch to the side of Buster's head, knocking the groggy prisoner right back out.

***

Gavin was off scouting ahead of Lavina and Angon. The obviously broken Compass Stone was pointing toward the Malgar Cliffs. The Elf worried about his own ability to climb down those sharp and slippery, sea pounded ledges, let-alone Lavina and this new companion, the Forge.

The Elf finally made it over the last hill and suddenly found himself at a steep drop off. He took a deep breath and leaned over, staring down the hundreds of feet into the ocean below. Huge waves the size of the grandest ships crashed against the rocks, and even still there was at least five score feet of rocks to descend. Hopefully they wouldn't have to travel too far down.

A gust of wind hit the Sol Elf from behind. Caught completely off guard, Gavin cried out and lost his balance, flipping face first over the side. His arms shot out and grabbed onto a root hanging over the side, and his body slammed into the rocky cliff wall, knocking the air right out of his lungs.

"Fetter!" Gavin screamed, "Lavina! Forge!"

Slowly he tried to climb the root, putting one hand over the other, but then even his light weight began to pull him down.

"Fetter! Fetter! Fetter!" Gavin cursed repeatedly.

He knew the Forge and his Half-Elf companion were too far away to hear his cries, for he had ran at least a couple miles ahead.

Gavin kicked his legs and tried in desperation to foot his foot into a niche so he could hold himself up. The wet sea air left moisture on the root stopping the Elf from getting a good grip.

"Ellania, help me!" Gavin pleaded, staring up into the sky, where he could not see a single star in the afternoon sky—he knew he was doomed.

The Elf hung there for many long moment, slowly sinking an inch every minute. He was running out of time—he had to think of something! Gavin looked down to the loop on his belt where his dagger resided. If he could grab it then he could stab the cliff with its sharp blade and perhaps make a new hand hold. It was his only hope, but letting go was not so easy to do.

"Just a split-second," Gavin whispered, reassuring himself, "All I have to do is let go for a split-second and I'll have my dagger."

Gavin sighed. He just couldn't bring himself to let go! It would be fatal! Although he was strong, in truth it had nothing to do with muscles, in fact his muscles were working against him; weighing him down.

His own stubbornness was the cause of his fall. He slipped off the root and fell, screaming.

***

"Gavin has been gone a long time," Lavina complained, as she and the Forge trudged on up and over hill-after-similar-looking-hill.

"Surely we will catch up to the Gavin, don't you think?" Angon asked, shrugging.

He walked by her side, towering over her, and casting a long shadow, leaving her in the shade. She wasn't upset about this, it was nice—considering the weather that day had chosen to be so intensely warm.

"Well all this walking is making me sweat up a storm!" Lavina whined, and wiped the moisture from her brow.

"Another thing I do not understand," Angon said, as he watched her.

Her skin glistened and looked slippery, but yet it made her seem even more appealing.

"Just be glad that you don't," Lavina said, "It makes me feel icky and gross."

"You could never be icky or gross," the Forge chuckled.

"You're just too sweet," Lavina giggled.

They continued on for some time in silence, but finally Lavina broke it.

"Do you want to hear a song Angon?" she asked.

"What is a song?" The tall machine asked.

"Here, listen!" she smiled wide and skipped several paces ahead of Angon, planting her feet on top of a hill, she began to sing.

'The three worlds of Anhsook was once one, now you see they are but three.

The two worlds are gone from the night sky, and they boasted we would all surely die.

The world of Terra--The world of Gaia--the World of Iris. These are the three.

Oh please, oh Stars open the way, so we may all be reunited another day.

Be calm sweet dear of mine, all things are healed through the passage of time.

We may never see the other worlds again... and rest assured we are still friends...

Should Terra or Gaia need call, we will find a way to save them from the fall.

The three worlds of Anhsook was once one you see, now they are but three.'

Angon stared at the Half-Elf, Half-Barbarian girl. She sang with her eyes closed and hands held behind her back. As the wind blew, so did her auburn hair, flowing about in an endless breeze. If he had not felt strongly about her before, he did so now. Not only was she beautiful, but she was enchanting as well. This thing called a song was new to Angon, and he loved it—just like he was feeling he loved her.

Lavina opened her eyes as she finished her last line, and looked to Angon who stared with large glowing orbs.

"Angon," she asked, "Did you like it?"

"It was..." the Forge was at a loss for words.

"Yes?" Lavina smiled warmly.

"It was..." Angon felt as if his inner gears were melting.

"Then you did?" she continued to smile.

"It was miraculous," Angon finally spit out, "How can you make such beautiful sounds?"

Lavina hopped up and down switching from one foot to the other.

"You liked it!" she cheered, "I've never sang in front of anyone before!"

"You have the voice of an angel," Angon smiled and claps together his metal hands.

"Do you hear that?" a woman said.

Angon's head snapped in each direction, looking around quickly.

"Who is there?" He asked.

"Your Elf companion," the woman's voice spoke within his mind, "He is in trouble."

Lavina looked to Angon and cocked her head, "Who said what?"

"There's a voice—" Angon started saying but she spoke again.

"Hurry to the Cliffs of Malgar, or he will surely perish."

Angon looked around again and then looked to Lavina.

"Angon what is it?" she asked.

"Gavin's in trouble!" Angon cried and charged off past Lavina.

The girl didn't even ask again, she whispered a spell of speed she knew she would need to keep up with her friend.

***

Gonzeelda stood before a solid stone wall, several caverns after the one holding the lake.

"Now how I get in?" she wondered, running her delicate fingertips over the stone.

"You sure goddess here?" Weiggs asked.

"Uh, yeah, goddess here?" Budge echoed.

"There is nowhere else!" Gonzeelda snapped, "This is the last room."

"You'll never get in!" a fourth voice joined the argument.

Gonzeelda spun around to find her Dwarven prisoner on his knees, staring up at her.

"So you've awakened, my love?" Gonzeelda asked, strutting over to him, and then squatting in front of him.

"Aye, and I want to cut me tongue out—it touched yours." He grumbled.

"I can arrange that," she smiled, poking him on his nose, "Unless of course you tell me how to get in."

"Ye think I'll tell you how to find Sheeva?" he asked, staring her in the eyes.

The Orcess was talented at telling truth from fiction when she could make eye contact with the speaker, and she could see from the slight twitching of his eyes that he had no idea how to enter.

"You've only delayed my plans, silly Dwarf, Gonzeelda said, "You won't stop them just by trying to act as if you're smart."

Buster clenched his teeth together. How badly he wanted to just lunge for her and chew her neck off, but his hands were shackled behind his back, and a strong Orc guard was on either side of him.

"Maybe this will do the trick?" Gonzeelda asked, holding her hand out to Budge, who had the Dwarf's giant hammer strapped across his back.

"Don't ye be touching me hammer!" Buster growled and did his best to lung for her.

She popped back to her feet and stepped back."

"Feisty little thing, aren't you?" Gonzeelda mused.

"I'll show ye who's little!" Buster shouted and struggled that much harder, still to no avail.

"Budge, if you would," Gonzeelda said.

The tall Orc stared at her like the moron he was. She shook her head and tapped her foot.

"Uh Budge," Weiggs said, elbowing him in the side.

"What that for, Weiggs!?" Budge growled.

"Give Mistress da hammer," Weiggs told him.

"Oh," Budge said, staring at Weiggs.

Several seconds passed and finally Gonzeelda snapped.

"Budge give me the fettering hammer!" she screamed.

"Uh, right!" Budge said, quickly taking the hammer and holding it out.

Gonzeelda grabbed the hammer with one hand and it slammed to the ground.

"Ow! Dammit you fool!" she shouted at Budge, "Tell me before handing me something that weighs two tons!"

Buster chuckled under his breath, and luckily for him, Gonzeelda was too busy fuming at her Orc minion than to pay attention to him.

"You want me to do?" Weiggs asked.

"Why thank you for volunteering," Gonzeelda said, and pointed at the hammer, then the wall behind her.

She swapped places with Weiggs, who heaved the hammer up with both hands and approached the wall. He set the hammer down and spit in his hands, rubbing them together, then picked up the hammer again.

"Here go!" Weiggs shouted, and was about to bring the hammer back.

The glowing blue weapon's magical properties shut off as soon as Buster whispered the power word. Suddenly the hammer flew from Weiggs hands, soaring straight for Budge. The Orc was too dumb to evade and the hammer crashed right into his chest, sending his sprawling. Buster swept his legs out from beneath him and took Gonzeelda's legs out. She fell to the ground, landing hard on her tailbone and crying out in pain.

The mad Dwarf charged forward and used his head like a battering ram, knocking straight into the Orcess' skull. She fell flat on her back after the Dwarven missile made contact.

"Yeah, me skull made of stone, ye filthy bitch!" Buster laughed.

He spun around as Weiggs began coming after him. The Dwarf was quick to jump into the air and bring his cuffed hands out in front of him. He shoved his palms forward and shouted, "Holy Bomb!"

A glowing white orb of energy shot forth from his hand and rocketed toward Weiggs, who barely was able to dodge out of the way, but did so right into a wall, bouncing back right into the path of the oncoming destruction. Weiggs screeched as a holy explosion went off, lighting up the cave as the sun had risen inside. Buster was smart enough to shield his eyes and when it was dark once again, he found all three Orcs spread out around him, singing sweet lullaby tunes to their Orcish God Torchwood.

"That was easier than expected, heh heh," Buster chuckled.

He walked over to his Hellsmasher hammer and grabbed it with one hand, then marched to Gonzeelda and grabbed the brown pouch from her belt, which contained every piece of the Soul Rupture. He expected to hear the voice of the sentient weapon, but when there was silence he realized shattering the blade must have silenced mind within.

"Eh, good riddance," Buster whispered, "Pour soul would've just cried out for his boy for all eternity."

The Dwarf quickly grabbed the key from inside of Gonzeelda' chest wrap and unlocked his shackles, and put them on her. He threw the key off into the darkness as hard as he could and then approached the dead-end wall.

As Buster put his hands on the wall, he felt a pulse of cold energy. He put his ear to the wall and listened and he was able to feel the pain in his heart—pain that was familiar. A silent pain that had been plaguing him for seasons... it was Sheeva alright—his Goddess was somewhere through this wall.

"Sheeva," Buster whispered, "It is I, your humble servant, come to find you—let me in."

For a moment, nothing happened, but when Buster sucked in his breath, thinking he was too late, the wall began to produce light—nay, it was becoming clear and light was shining through it. Seconds ticked by and the Battlepriest Dwarf smiled as he saw the ice cave beyond.

"Buster Ironheart," a woman's voice echoed through the caves, "Enter."

His heart filled with glee, he walked across the threshold and into the cave where the ground, walls, stalactites and stalagmites were all made of ice.

"Sheeva, me Goddess!" he cried, tears pouring down his face.

For the first time in a long long time, he could feel her presence clearly, she was in this ice cavern. But that pain remained—she needed his help. He took one last look back at Gonzeelda and her ugly Orc minions then ran off into the cave, hoping the wall would close behind him—unfortunately for him, Gonzeelda was already sitting up and staring at the ice cavern in her own form of awe; an angry one.

"Budge, Weiggs," Gonzeelda said, "Let's go!"

But neither Orc answered. She climbed to her feet and grabbed each Orc by his booted ankle, then dragged them across the threshold and into Sheeva's Temple.