The Ice Princess
A Countdown to Final Ragnarok short story
By Dan Wright
By Dan Wright
Lying on a stone surface was never the most comfortable of places to rest ones’ head – but it was all the luxury that Zarracka was afforded. At least they had given her a pillow this time – though the straw that ‘padded’ it was so thin it offered no protection.
Zarracka turned to her side, since lying face up had done nothing. This was just as bad, as her shoulder now screamed for the weight being put on it. She grit her teeth and sat up, lightly massaging her neck.
“That’s fine,” she pouted, “I didn’t want to sleep tonight anyway.”
She lifted her feet up onto the slab that was her bed and pushed her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. She wasn’t sure how late it was, but she did know that it was a cold one tonight. And she didn’t have the luxury of a blanket either.
Surely this is cruel? Zarracka thought. I have rights, don’t I? I know Daniar’s still pissed at me, but I must be entitled to something to keep me warm?
“How funny is that?” came a dry voice. “The Ice Princess complaining about the cold!”
Zarracka looked up and gasped.
Mordak was at the end of the cell, leaning with arms folded and staring at her with his lifeless white mask. He gazed around the cramp location, tutting to himself. "How the mighty have fallen, bet you didn’t have this in mind!”
“How are you-” Zarracka didn’t need to finish her sentence. “You’re not here, are you? You’re in my head.”
“Darling,” Mordak chuckled, “I was always inside your head.”
Zarracka grunted and turned her full body away until all she saw was wall. “Really not in the mood for hallucinations right now.”
“Oh, come now, is that how you talk to an old friend?”
“We aren’t friends!” Zarracka snapped back. “You almost had me kill Benji!”
“Did I?” Mordak asked.
“Leave me alone!”
“Haven’t you forgotten that it was because of me that you were able to get to Benji in the first place?” Mordak reminded her. “Heck, if that idiot Kalak hadn’t messed things up, you, I and Benji would be one big happy family now.”
“Shut up!” Zarracka put her hands over her ears as forcibly as she could.
“How is that going to work if I am, as you say, inside your head.”
“Shut up, shut up, shut up!”
“I thought you would be glad of the company, seeing how alone you are.”
“I don’t need you!” Zarracka snapped back. “I’m not the same person, and no matter what you say, I’ve changed.”
“And… how is that working out for you?” Mordak asked. “Oh right, you’re stuck in this cell. Did you really think that Daniar would instantly forget about everything and welcome you with open arms? You thought she’d forget about how you hurt her and her family?”
“Shut up.”
“Did you honestly think she would believe that you changed? Do you even believe it?”
“I said shut up!” Zarracka grit her teeth so hard that she almost cracked them.
“Who are you really trying to kid, Zarracka? This charade about you mending your ways is just that. Not a very convincing one either, I don’t anyone will believe you. A lifetime of evil can’t be made up with just a few good deeds. Hell, when you tried to be good, they just locked you away in this cell.”
No matter how much Zarracka tried to block the voices out, they continued regardless. Mordak enjoyed every single moment of seeing Zarracka squirm.
“You’re evil, through and through, Zarracka. That’s why I chose you. Benji may have been fooled, but I sure as hell aren’t. Everyone close to you dies – everything you touch becomes corrupted. Daniar knows that all too well, that’s why she locked you away. You can never change, Zarracka. You are, and always will be, an Ice Princess!”
A chortle started within. He placed a clawed hand to the side of his head as the chortle expanded onto a belly laugh. “Oh, Ice Princess! Oh, how funny!”
No amount of trying to block out the sound helped Zarracka. The laughter echoed through her skull, threatening to burst her head open. The more she tried to ignore it, the stronger it became.
“Stop it! Stop laughing!”
But Mordak didn’t stop. In fact, he just laughed louder.
“STOP!”
Zarracka’s breath crystalised with her scream, forming a shard. Zarracka grabbed the shard and threw it towards Mordak. But it struck only wall and shattered into pieces.
Her chest heaved up and down as Zarracka struggled to get air. She placed a hand to her forehead, wiping away the sweat. It’s all in your head, he’s gone, she kept telling herself, nothing of him remains. You can-
“Wait.”
She noticed the melting shard on the ground, shattered into several pieces. She stood off the slab and gingerly walked towards the shard. As they melted away, Zarracka’s confused reflection stared back at her.
“I created that,” she gasped.
Zarracka could indeed freeze things with her breath – but she couldn’t create something with it. At least, not before she met him.
Maybe Mordak was still a part of her after all.
Zarracka turned to her side, since lying face up had done nothing. This was just as bad, as her shoulder now screamed for the weight being put on it. She grit her teeth and sat up, lightly massaging her neck.
“That’s fine,” she pouted, “I didn’t want to sleep tonight anyway.”
She lifted her feet up onto the slab that was her bed and pushed her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. She wasn’t sure how late it was, but she did know that it was a cold one tonight. And she didn’t have the luxury of a blanket either.
Surely this is cruel? Zarracka thought. I have rights, don’t I? I know Daniar’s still pissed at me, but I must be entitled to something to keep me warm?
“How funny is that?” came a dry voice. “The Ice Princess complaining about the cold!”
Zarracka looked up and gasped.
Mordak was at the end of the cell, leaning with arms folded and staring at her with his lifeless white mask. He gazed around the cramp location, tutting to himself. "How the mighty have fallen, bet you didn’t have this in mind!”
“How are you-” Zarracka didn’t need to finish her sentence. “You’re not here, are you? You’re in my head.”
“Darling,” Mordak chuckled, “I was always inside your head.”
Zarracka grunted and turned her full body away until all she saw was wall. “Really not in the mood for hallucinations right now.”
“Oh, come now, is that how you talk to an old friend?”
“We aren’t friends!” Zarracka snapped back. “You almost had me kill Benji!”
“Did I?” Mordak asked.
“Leave me alone!”
“Haven’t you forgotten that it was because of me that you were able to get to Benji in the first place?” Mordak reminded her. “Heck, if that idiot Kalak hadn’t messed things up, you, I and Benji would be one big happy family now.”
“Shut up!” Zarracka put her hands over her ears as forcibly as she could.
“How is that going to work if I am, as you say, inside your head.”
“Shut up, shut up, shut up!”
“I thought you would be glad of the company, seeing how alone you are.”
“I don’t need you!” Zarracka snapped back. “I’m not the same person, and no matter what you say, I’ve changed.”
“And… how is that working out for you?” Mordak asked. “Oh right, you’re stuck in this cell. Did you really think that Daniar would instantly forget about everything and welcome you with open arms? You thought she’d forget about how you hurt her and her family?”
“Shut up.”
“Did you honestly think she would believe that you changed? Do you even believe it?”
“I said shut up!” Zarracka grit her teeth so hard that she almost cracked them.
“Who are you really trying to kid, Zarracka? This charade about you mending your ways is just that. Not a very convincing one either, I don’t anyone will believe you. A lifetime of evil can’t be made up with just a few good deeds. Hell, when you tried to be good, they just locked you away in this cell.”
No matter how much Zarracka tried to block the voices out, they continued regardless. Mordak enjoyed every single moment of seeing Zarracka squirm.
“You’re evil, through and through, Zarracka. That’s why I chose you. Benji may have been fooled, but I sure as hell aren’t. Everyone close to you dies – everything you touch becomes corrupted. Daniar knows that all too well, that’s why she locked you away. You can never change, Zarracka. You are, and always will be, an Ice Princess!”
A chortle started within. He placed a clawed hand to the side of his head as the chortle expanded onto a belly laugh. “Oh, Ice Princess! Oh, how funny!”
No amount of trying to block out the sound helped Zarracka. The laughter echoed through her skull, threatening to burst her head open. The more she tried to ignore it, the stronger it became.
“Stop it! Stop laughing!”
But Mordak didn’t stop. In fact, he just laughed louder.
“STOP!”
Zarracka’s breath crystalised with her scream, forming a shard. Zarracka grabbed the shard and threw it towards Mordak. But it struck only wall and shattered into pieces.
Her chest heaved up and down as Zarracka struggled to get air. She placed a hand to her forehead, wiping away the sweat. It’s all in your head, he’s gone, she kept telling herself, nothing of him remains. You can-
“Wait.”
She noticed the melting shard on the ground, shattered into several pieces. She stood off the slab and gingerly walked towards the shard. As they melted away, Zarracka’s confused reflection stared back at her.
“I created that,” she gasped.
Zarracka could indeed freeze things with her breath – but she couldn’t create something with it. At least, not before she met him.
Maybe Mordak was still a part of her after all.