I was hoping I would get one more chapter up on before I disappeared for the weekend. I am away as of Thursday, and will not be in front of my computer again until sometime Monday, which of course is Labour Day here in North America. I will most likely not have anything new up on the site until sometime next week. Have a great holiday, everyone!
WARNING: Coarse language. GORE. Battle scenes. Not for the squeamish. And Narnia purists… beware…
7: THE BATTLE OF CAIR PARAVEL
Harry slept poorly that night, disturbed by the hellish images shown him the previous evening. Even with Frank in his arms, and Travis still sharing the bed, it was not enough. As it neared 3:30, he kissed Frank on the forehead, carefully levitated Travis into the air, got up, then lowered Travis back into his position. He smiled as Frank moved over and the two of them snuggled against each other. 'You ARE setting them up for an awkward discovery,' his conscience sounded in his head. He only smirked evilly. Despite his sour mood, his Slytherin side was at play, and he wouldn't deny it. Now if only he had a camera…
"Good morning, Harry," said Arthur. He was already up and having breakfast in the dining room, since he had to be at the Ministry of Magic for nine am—or four am local time, due to the five hours' difference between Southern Ontario and the U.K.
"Morning," answered Harry sleepily. He only plucked a banana from the fruit basket that sat at the centre of the table.
"Couldn't sleep, I take it?"
"Those pictures last night… just so disturbing," answered Harry. "Even after seeing so many horrible things in the future, stuff like that still… it still feels like I've been run over by a herd of centaurs."
"Perhaps you should sit down with Miss Kelly again."
"I won't have time today or tomorrow, as much as I should. This is gonna be a day straight from hell, I can see it now. I have to keep my training brief this morning… gotta check the map… give several people a crash flying lesson…"
"Harry, breathe," said Arthur. "I'm sure things will work out just fine. Just think of it this way. The enemy today is not magical; you have an incredible advantage to that end."
"I guess you're right… it's just the numbers… bloody hell, you should see the map. They easily double the Narnians."
"Numbers are only part of the puzzle, Harry. It is tactics that truly win a battle."
"I'll try to keep that in mind. Have a good day at work, Arthur." Harry wolfed down the rest of his banana and stood up.
"That's all you're eating? Molly would have a fit!"
"Not if she doesn't know… besides, I'll eat more later. I have to visit Gringotts before I forget."
A minute later, he stood in the lobby of Gringotts Toronto branch. It was one of a few places that were open 'round the clock in the wizard world. He made his way up to a teller.
"How my I help you?" asked the goblin behind the wicket.
"I need into one of my vaults," answered Harry, producing the key to his family vault.
"Very well," said the goblin, stepping down from behind the wicket and appearing through a small opening in the counter, "This way, please…"
An hour later, Harry returned to the trunk, bringing with him an assortment of items, including several dragon-hide cuirasses, bracers, greaves (lower body armour), and helmets. He had also brought several short swords, long swords, and other weapons.
The most important part of the trip, however, rested deep in his pocket, and it would have to wait until Frank was up. He had waited too long the first time around, and in the end it had cost him dearly. It was one mistake he was wasting no time correcting.
Once he had laid out the weapons and armour on the conference table in the library, he then returned to the Invincible, and in turn, the control room. Surprisingly, it was deserted. A quick glance up at the clock showed it was the same time there as it was back in the trunk: just before five am. All the same, he made a mental note to place a third clock in the common room as a reminder of the time aboard the Invincible; she wouldn't always be in the same time zone as the trunk.
He looked at the map on the table again, and groaned. The Telmarines had wasted little time, and were now within only a few miles of Cair Paravel. There would be a battle today, without a doubt. The hideous photos of Voldemort's handiwork the previous evening had effectively put an end to the strategy session, so there had been no plans hatched for some psychological warfare to be waged on the enemy. It would come down to other strategies, and quite possibly, the power of the Invincible herself. Harry truly hoped he would not have to unleash the cannon; its use could harm more than just the Telmarines.
Then, something dawned on him. With the Telmarines being so close, they might easily spot the Invincible. She was something Harry wanted to keep secret, at least until the last possible moment. He quickly went over to the controls, and turned the ship around. 'Now, where to put her for now,' he thought. He quickly referred back to the map, zooming in on their current location. He would put her back down close to the water, behind what was the castle. It would be good enough to keep her out of sight. He knew he could easily hide the ship entirely using a disillusionment charm, but preferred not to, since they would be using the Hornets, and the Invincible needed to be visible when it was time for them to land. He changed the engine telegraph to 'dead slow ahead'.
"Sir?" Harry turned to see Owen standing in the doorway about a minute later.
"Just moving us out of sight," answered Harry.
"Have a good sleep?"
"No, definitely not. Voldemort and his Death Eaters decided to have a little fun at my expense, owling me disturbing images," answered Harry.
"Sorry to hear."
"I hope I didn't disturb you."
"Don't worry about it. I heard one of the engines start, and I just wanted to make sure whoever was messing about had the authorization to do so."
"Well, it's just me. I'm moving us back to the beach, and out of sight. Although, later on, I want to test fire the cannon… brush up on procedure and so on."
"It will probably be an idea to do it out at sea, rather than so close to the coastline," said Owen.
"I agree. Even with a low-power deployment, it will do a lot of damage. If Tom's hideout in Little Hangleton was any show of it."
"Yes, I do remember that one, sir. A shame Tom wasn't home at the time."
"Little good it would have done, with his Horcruxes. We still had two to go at the time. At this point today, that's where we stand as well, although I know where both are."
"Including the one inside yourself?"
"Yes. That one was destroyed the day before yesterday."
"You aren't wasting any time at all, sir."
"Why should I, when I already know the players and the plays? The quicker we end this, the better off everyone will be." Harry glanced up at the large monitor above the controls, which split between an underside camera, and a view forward. He shifted the telegraph to the 'stop' position, and then changed the altitude so that the ship would hover just slightly above the water, as Invincible had just cleared the remains of Cair Paravel.
Just before six am, Harry made his way into the ordinance storage facility, which was directly below the hangar. There were several elevators that connected the two rooms, inspired by aircraft carriers. Harry was quite pleased with the reasonable number of ordinance present, including 20 mk13s, or, 'OFUs' as his flight squadron had nicknamed them: Operation fuck-ups. He would definitely speak to Remus about donating some of his hairs again next time he transformed… the mk13s definitely had their use.
Climbing the stairs leading up into the hangar, he was pleased to see that some of the Hornets had been pulled out and were already lined up. It had been a number of years since he had flown one, but it was much like riding a bike. You never really forget.
He wasted no time in climbing into the first one. They were almost as manoeuvrable as his Firebolt, and were easily a third faster. A number of employees from the research department of the Firebolt company actually helped in the design of the craft. Harry quickly did a cursory check of the controls and instruments, and then carefully pulled back on the stick. Doing so was just like when pulling back on a broom while riding it; the craft lifted off the floor. Pressing the pedals at his feet spun the craft around so he was facing the half-open hangar door. 'Here goes nothing,' he thought, although if anyone could see him, they would have seen a wide grin plastered on his face. He could feel his palms getting sweaty, his heart begin to race, with anticipation. Hornets were one of the few things that were better than a broom. He pushed the 'throttle' forward roughly, and the Hornet shot from the hangar with incredible speed, plastering Harry to the back of his seat with the force.
Those just beginning to stir on the beach saw what looked like a streak flash across the water, and quickly ascend into the air. Most, of course, had no clue as to exactly what it was. Edmund and Lucy, who had just woken, knew EXACTLY what it was.
"Well, it looks like someone is having fun," Edmund mused, getting into a sitting position.
"Harry is flying one of his air… craft, I would assume?" asked Mr. Tumnus.
"Looks like it."
"And you are sure you can fly one of those, Ed?" asked Lucy.
"Certain of it! Harry did teach me to fly a broom last time he was here, remember?"
"That he did. I just wish he would let ME fly one."
"You're too young, Lu, we don't want you to get hurt," answered Edmund.
Harry finally landed the craft on the beach, close to the canopy they had erected the day before last, seeing the core of his group of friends, new and old, gathered nearby.
"Blimey, Harry, never seen anything like that before," said Fred.
"And you won't. These are exclusive to the Invincible… at least right now."
"Nice of you NOT to wake us up, Harry," said Travis, trying to sound irritated. His grin gave him away, however, as did the grin on Frank's face.
"I thought you two needed some more sleep, so I left you guys as was," answered Harry innocently. "All right. Here's the thing. Those that want to fly one of these things have to have been on a broom before. If that describes you, meet me in the hangar. Frankie, climb in behind me…"
By eleven am, scouts reported the Telmarine forces were within a mile of the beach. It was time to put things in motion. Actually, there were several things he needed to do, one of which involved something that still rested in the pocket of his cargo shorts. So, with that in mind, he had the core group meet again under the canopy on the beach.
"Everything's in place, Harry," said Deric. "The guys—"
"Hold onto that for a moment," said Harry, turning to Frank. "Man, this is bloody difficult… Frankie… I… There were so many times in the future… and I just… What we are about to face… it's something…" Harry reached into his pocket, and pulled out the item he had retrieved from his family vault earlier that morning. It was a simple silver ring, with no engravings. He dropped to one knee, saying, "This ring was my mum's… dad gave it to her when…" He had to stop for several seconds, as his emotions threatened to overrun him. "Frankie Cordell… would you take my name… become my mate, my partner, my everything?"
Frank was stunned. It was as simple as that. Yet, there was only one answer. "I think I would like that very much, Harry Potter." He held out his hand, and Harry slipped the ring on one of the fingers; it instantly resized itself to properly fit. The two of them wrapped in a hug, and sealed the engagement with a kiss.
Those gathered around saw two swirls of light encircle the two lovers; one silver and one gold. One burrowed into Harry, while the other burrowed into Frank.
"What is that?" asked Caspian.
"Concatenatio Anima Materiaque," said Hermione, "Magical soul mates. This happened the first time they kissed, a few months ago now."
"Congratulations Frank and Harry!" said Lucy happily.
"Indeed, congratulations," said Peter, also smiling. 'About time they made it official,' thought the High King.
"On to more pressing matters," said Harry, facing Peter and producing his wand. He held it in front of him and said, "I, Harry James Potter, lend my wand in the defence of the realm of Narnia, against present and future threats, to the best of my ability."
"Harry! You can't!" Hermione gasped.
"Sure he can," Travis piped up.
"I… I don't know what to say," said Peter, as a purple swirl of magic wafted from Harry's wand, to drift toward the kings, queens, and prince.
"Say, 'So mote it be'," answered Travis.
"So mote it be," said Peter. A strand of purple magic burrowed into his chest. Each of his siblings followed suit, garnering a similar response. Now, only Caspian remained.
"Does it hurt?"
"No, 'course not!" Travis snorted.
"Oh. Then, so mote it be," said Caspian. The last strand of purple energy vanished into the young prince's chest. He instantly felt a warm sensation wash over him. It lasted only briefly, but right then he knew that he had been touched by magic. It was something he instantly wanted to feel again.
oOo
Caspian wasn't the only one to be touched by the magical oath uttered by Harry. Only a mile from Cair Paravel, yet another individual was touched by the magical oath. As King Miraz continued to lay out strategies against the Narnians, he felt an icy, prickly sensation wash over him. A sensation that was VERY pronounced, and made the man feel VERY uncomfortable. No one was actually DOING anything to him, but yet, it felt like icy fingers were touching him all over.
"My Lord?" asked Glozelle.
"N-nothing," answered Miraz, re-focusing on the map before him.
In another part of the country, far removed from the theatre of war about to open up near Cair Paravel, a magnificent lion paused, as he, too, felt the sensation of magic, similar to what Caspian had felt. It was matched, equally, by the icy, prickly sensation felt by Miraz. Something had just changed in the world, and the all-knowing lion was, for once, completely confused.
oOo
As Harry was getting more congratulations from the group, there was a click on the radio. "MR. POTTER?"
Harry pulled out the device. "Go ahead."
"SIR, THE TELMARINES ARE GETTING INTO FORMATION, AND GETTING READY TO MOVE."
"Thank you. Don't stay too long and put yourself in danger. Over." He clipped the radio back onto his belt. "Okay, guys, it's show time."
"Could either you or Travis transfigure a stand or something for me?" asked Peter.
"Got it," said Travis, gesturing at a stone that lay in the sand with his wand, transforming it into a decent sized stand. With Travis' help, Peter climbed up on top of it. Harry had to admire the young man that truly was the High King of Narnia. He was dressed in his armour, similar to that of his brother, with the only difference being that he wore chain mail from head to toe, whereas Edmund did not. His red tunic had a lion emblazoned on the stomach area.
"Today…" he began, trying to make himself heard.
"Wait," said Harry, quickly climbing up to join him. He drew his wand, placed it at Peter's throat, and said, "Sonorus!"
"Thanks…" He was slightly surprised as his voice carried up and down the beach. "1300 years ago, my sisters, brother, and I fought in a war from within Narnia, to break the realm from the icy cold of the white witch. That battle, so many years ago, was about power and control.
"Today, the battle is NOT about control. It is about our existence, our right to LIVE. Today, we will show our Telmarine foes that we WILL not go away quietly, that we have EVERY right to be here that they have, and that we WILL fight to THE VERY LAST soul, should it be required! I see so many of you here, once again willing to stand up and fight, so I say now, let us show them we mean business! Let us give the enemy a TRUE Narnian welcome!" With that, the enormous crowd of soldiers exploded into pandemonium, while Harry cancelled the charm.
"Right then. I'm off to fly a Hornet. Coming, Ed?"
"Yeah. Good luck, Peter."
"Good hunting, Ed." Edmund gave a little salute to his brother, and linked arms with Harry and Frank, then vanished with a loud CRACK.
They reappeared in the Invincible's hangar and flight deck. "All right, guys, let's get in the air." Harry watched as the others quickly climbed into their aircraft.
"You too, Frankie." He leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Be careful."
"You too, Harry." They both then climbed into their own Hornets. Harry put on a headset.
"All right, check in guys."
"PHOENIX TWO READY," came a reply, belonging to Frank. 'He didn't waste any time,' Harry thought to himself.
"PHOENIX THREE READY," came Travis' voice.
"PHOENIX FOUR READY," came Edmund's voice.
"UM, PHOENIX FIVE READY," came Ron's uncertain voice; he didn't have a whole lot of experience handling a muggle radio.
"PHOENIX SIX…"
"AND PHOENIX SEVEN, READY!" came the twins' voices.
"Great, guys," said Harry. "Let's get on with it, then." He was already lined up with the doors, and so pressed the throttle easily forward; the craft swiftly cleared the hangar, and ascended into the sky, quickly rising over the ruins of Cair Paravel.
He waited for the others to fly up behind, then began the trek toward the edge of the woods. The Narnians had already lined up along the edge of the bluff, while the Telmarines had then began to appear at the edge of the woods.
"WHAT'S FIRST?" came Travis' voice.
"Mk13s. That's code 13," answered Harry. The weapons systems on the Hornets were ingenious, since the ordinance was directly summoned to the aircraft from storage on the Invincible. It was placed in a cradle directly under the aircraft, ready to be deployed by command of the pilot.
"PHOENIX THREE, ARMED." One after the other, the rest of the Hornets reported being armed.
"Wait for the Telmarines to move first, guys. Maybe we'll get lucky."
"I STRONGLY DOUBT THAT," came Edmund's voice. He had no sooner said that when the enemy began to march from the edge of the forest.
"Phoenix two, three, and four, take left. Phoenix five, six, and seven, take right," said Harry. He watched as the other Hornets split and took their respective sides. Just then, there was a loud CLUNK, as something struck the bottom of the aircraft. "Watch out, guys, they know we're here."
"THEY CAN'T REALLY HURT US, THOUGH, RIGHT?" came Edmund's voice.
"Keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times," said Harry. He heard Travis snort and let out a snicker.
"THEY'RE FIRING ARROWS AT US," came Ron's voice.
"I sort of expected that. All right, let 'em have it." Harry pressed the trigger beside the armament request pad.
oOo
The Telmarines were expecting an easy fight that morning. With the easy slaughter of half the enemy's forces two days before, and overwhelming numbers on their side, Miraz had expected little resistance. So, when strange flying machines suddenly appeared over the ruins of Cair Paravel, Miraz knew that it would be anything BUT an easy fight. It was confirmed, when the seven strange machines dropped long cylindrical objects on the surging forces. They each exploded, sending shards of material and men flying.
That was only the beginning. Moments later, the men struck by debris from the falling objects began to change—abruptly and grotesquely. Old Telmar stories told of werewolves, men who changed into a wolf-like state during the full moon. Whatever was in the strange cylinders dropped from the flying machines, was causing men to become something LIKE a werewolf!(1) Worse off, they were attacking each other, attacking men around them unaffected by the substance, or doing other things that seemed completely insane. The commanders were forced to order the affected men killed, for the safety of the rest.
The unexpected attack had all but halted the Telmarines' advance on the defending Narnians as another round of cylinders fell from the flying machines, once again plastering scores of men with the substance. In all his years of skirmishes and battles, Miraz had not seen anything like it; the attack held him baffled. How could he combat something like that in the air, from machines that seemed to be immune to attack themselves?
oOo
While the Telmarines halted their advance, the Narnians did not. The two armies finally met with a clash of weapons and humanity.
"All right, guys. We can't use the heavy weapons now, we might hurt our own as much as the enemy."
"BOULDER BOMBS?" came Edmund's voice.
"Yes. Code 104," said Harry. It had actually been Lucy's idea, and had taken about a half-hour to put together. A larger cylinder filled with medium-sized boulders would be summoned from the ship, much like the other weapons. It could then be dumped, and the cylinder jettisoned.
oOo
Seeing the Hornets dropping 'boulder bombs' was the signal Susan needed, and gave the signal for the griffons to take off with boulders of their own. She was with a group of archers off to the side, leading a ranged attack.
The griffins—winged animals that had an eagle's head and a lion's body—were quite effective using boulders like bombs. Unfortunately, they were far more vulnerable to the Telmarines' archers, and a number of them were quickly felled, never able to deliver their payload.
oOo
Peter and Caspian fought side by side, cutting a swath of carnage through the wave of Telmarines that surged forward. It was truly brutal, as both now wore the blood of their enemies many times over.
They were suddenly joined by one of Deric's men. "All right, sirs?"
"Fine," said Peter, dodging yet another stab from an attacker.
"REDUCTO!" cried the soldier, wand thrust at the attacker's chest. It effectively blew a hole through it, destroying the man's lungs and heart. The body dropped to the ground with a sickening plop.
"Gruesome, but effective," said Peter. His face would have been quite pale, had it not been covered with splatters of blood.
"That it is—EXPULSO!" The soldier directed his wand at an approaching enemy, which promptly exploded, sending bits of himself in all directions. The young prince ended up wiping pieces of the victim's skull from his face. 'I would have to believe this man is actually ENJOYING this,' thought Caspian, as he once again brought his sword up to protect himself against yet another attacker.
"The name's Dale, by the way," said the soldier, drawing his side-arm and rapidly dispatching two more Telmarines, one of which was about to plunge his sword into Peter's back.
"Close one, your majesty," said Dale, gesturing to the now dead attacker.
"Thank you."
"Don't—" Dale spun around, and put two more bullets into the skull of yet another attacker, "…mention it."
"Your weapon… it is quite effective," noted Caspian.
"Rather not use it, but…" he fired off several more rounds, "Sometimes muggle methods work better than magic." He let off several more shots, each finding their mark, either seriously injuring or killing the target.
"I am still not used to…" Caspian jabbed his short blade into the stomach of an oncoming attacker. "…to your use of magic."
"It doesn't surprise me." Dale shrugged. "Most muggles aren't." He let off several more shots, dropping two more Telmarine attackers. He ended up having to shoot the second one again, as he still seemed to pose a threat.
"If you continue to hang around Harry and his friends, you must get used to it, Caspian. They are not about to change." Peter leaned on his sword for a moment to catch his breath; it had been non-stop since the two armies clashed.
"Are you all right, my liege?" Reepicheep had found his way over to the trio.
"It is fine, my friend," said Peter, wiping some of the guck off his face. Only now did he regret not wearing his helmet.
"WATCH out!" Dale spun around to both shoot and curse a foe that seemed to come out of nowhere. The skin seemed to dissolve off the victim's body as he let out a blood-curdling scream.
"That is most disturbing," said Reepicheep, as the man drew his last agonizing breath.
"War is disturbing, my friend," answered Dale.
oOo
It didn't take a lot of math for the Telmarines to realize that those with sticks were far more dangerous than those with swords. So, gradually, they began to instead use ranged attacks against the stick-wielding humans. It was through this type of attack that Alastor found himself in the care of healers on the beach, having taken an arrow in the buttocks. Most embarrassing for the retired Auror.
It also didn't take long for the wizards to notice this.
"It looks like they've caught onto us," said Dale. It had been several minutes since they had been approached by the enemy.
"This has worked far better than I could have hoped," said Peter, taking advantage of the break. It was then that a hail of arrows fell around them. Dale quickly conjured up a shield, but not before several fell amongst them. "Everyone okay?"
"Not I, I'm afraid," said Caspian, gesturing to his leg, which now had an arrow jabbed into it.
"Shit!" Dale unclipped his radio. "Black watch five to Phoenix support, over."
"PHOENIX ONE, GO AHEAD," came the reply.
"Caspian needs a healer at once."
"SEND UP SPARKS WITH YOUR WAND SO WE CAN FIND YOU."
"Copy that." Dale pointed his wand skyward and sent a bloom of red sparks into the sky.
Only moments later, one of the Hornets descended close to the group, while Dale again provided a shield.
"What happened?" asked Travis.
"They're using ranged attacks against us," answered Dale, while Peter helped Caspian into the rear seat of the aircraft. "I'm not seein' where it's comin' from."
"Right. We'll have a look," said Travis.
"PHOENIX THREE, WE'LL DO A SEARCH. TAKE CASPIAN TO THE BEACH," came Harry's voice.
"Copy that," said Travis, "All set?"
"I think so," said Caspian, "This… is just like a broom?"
"Pretty much," answered Travis, "Ok, guys, watch yourselves." Dale, Peter, and the mouse all stepped back from the aircraft, which then rose into the sky. Very quickly, Travis cleared what had become the battlefield, and then lowered over the bluff, down to the beach.
oOo
As much as Lucy wanted to help with the offence against the Telmarines, she had been convinced by her siblings, as well as Harry, to help with the wounded. She remained on the beach, along with a number of others, who would bring the wounded down from above the bluff for treatment. Molly and Lisa were on hand as well, along with several medi-witches from Upper Canada Hospital and St. Mungo's. Harry had been able to convince both hospitals to loan a couple of staff each. They were all placed under a secrecy charm.
Seeing the Hornet settle on the beach near the extra tent that had been erected, one of the medi-witches went out at once to determine what scenario they would be facing. They had already dealt with some gruesome injuries, including a faun who had had one of his legs completely severed. He would need more than a few days' care to ensure everything reattached properly.
Caspian's injury, in comparison, was mild.
"No, no, stay put," said the young witch. "I can handle this from here." She waved her wand and banished the arrow, then cast a healing charm on the wound. "There you go, good as new."
"I thank you."
"Think nothing of it," answered the medi-witch, giving the prince a warm smile.
"Where is Peter?" asked Lucy, joining the medi-witch at the side of the aircraft. It was low enough, that when seated in it, those outside could easily see into it.
"With one of the… err… SAU… soldiers, and the mouse Reepicheep," answered Caspian.
"They're using ranged attacks against us now, at least those of us that are wizards," said Travis, "We gotta go."
"Be careful!" said Lucy as the craft again lifted off to again soar above the bluff.
"Right. I think I see our little problem." Travis gestured to what looked like a group of men gathered off to the side of the battlefield. Occasionally, a throng of arrows burst from the group. "Caspian. There are identical controls to mine in your compartment. Can you take care of the throttle?"
"What? Which? Err… I don't know…" the prince sputtered, surprised at this request.
"It's simple. It's a lever on your left side. I need a hand free to use my wand." The craft suddenly shot forward, then came to an abrupt stop.
"Err… sorry."
"Easy with it. The more you push it forward, the faster we go. Phoenix one."
"GO AHEAD," came the reply.
"We've got our little problem. They're launching arrows from the ruins side of the beach."
"COPY THAT. ARE YOU TAKING CARE OF IT?"
"Copy." He paused. "Give me a bit of speed… gentle."
"All right." The craft put on a bit of speed.
"Perfect," said Travis. "Man, I can't believe how well these things fly."
"They have been most effective today."
"Yeah, for sure. Okay, give me a bit more speed. Let's see if we can't toast the fuckers."
oOo
Seeing the strange flying machine approaching low and fast, the Telmarine archers again attempted to knock it out of the sky with their arrows, without effect. They turned to run, but it was too late. A red bolt of magic erupted from it, struck the ground amongst the archers, and instantly created an ungodly conflagration where they stood. Travis had used a modified 'Incendio' charm, which not just set a specific item on fire; it actually created a small inferno. Within a minute, only burning bodies remained.
oOo
"Aguamenti," said Travis, gesturing at the ground with his wand. Water gushed out of the end of his wand, effectively extinguishing the remaining fire. "Don't want that to spread," he supplied.
"PHOENIX THREE."
"Go ahead."
"WE'VE GOT ARCHERS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FIELD. YOU MIND?"
"Got it," answered Travis, glancing once more at his handiwork.
oOo
The battle was going incredibly poorly for the Telmarines. By Glozelle's estimates, they had been reduced to a third of their number in the short time the battle had been ongoing. The hellish flying machines had easily decimated their numbers, and the magic-users? They were like ten regular men.
"My lord," said Glozelle, "If we do not withdraw…"
"And make our army look foolish?" Sopespian was incensed at the suggestion.
"And if we stay here, there will not BE an army LEFT!" Glozelle snapped back.
"No, there will be…" Miraz did not finish, as Dale, Peter, Reepicheep, and two more SAU members appeared right in front of them.
"Actually, I would probably follow his advice," said Peter, gesturing to Glozelle with his free hand. In his other, he had his sword already drawn in a defensive posture. They had been there for the past ten to 15 seconds, listening in while under a disillusionment charm.
"What… how… this is WITCHCRAFT!" Sopespian exclaimed as several Telmarine soldiers drew their swords.
"Your weapons won't matter against us," warned Dale, "although I believe you have already realized that. It didn't take us long to figure that much out."
Miraz looked enraged, staring at the young king standing before him, seeming to look… almost arrogant about the whole affair. He snapped, lunging forward, drawing his sword all in one motion. Peter quickly matched it. Glozelle attempted to step in, but found himself stunned, courtesy of Dale's wand. "Anyone ELSE want to interfere?"
"SAU lead to our location at once," said a second SAU member into his radio.
"SPARK YOUR LOCATION, PLEASE," came the reply, as Peter and Miraz' swords clashed again.
"Copy." The SAU member raised his wand to the sky, and shot off a shower of red sparks.
Peter and Miraz continued their close combat, with Peter taking a wide swing and slashing Miraz' leg. The usurper faltered briefly, a look of surprise briefly crossing his face, and then lunged at the boy-king. Peter was ready, however, and easily blocked the rage-filled strike.
"Why… continue… with this, boy?" Miraz rasped.
"Because I thought it best to defeat you and your army in every way possible," answered Peter, as they glared at one another. A series of POPS drew everyone's attention away, as seven additional men suddenly appeared around the camp, all dressed identically to Dale. All had their wands drawn, as well as a side arm.
"It's over, Miraz," said Peter.
"It will NEVER be over!" Miraz roared, taking another wide swipe with his sword. Peter easily parried the strike and followed through, piercing the king's shoulder. Miraz dropped to his knees.
"I want to hear you say it. Order your army to retreat."
"Or I shall make you beg for death," said Deric menacingly.
"No," said Miraz icily.
"Fine." Deric thrust his wand at Miraz. "Crucio." The screams that erupted from the prone Telmar king made the others' skin crawl as he thrashed about on the ground.
"Sir, that's enough," said Dale. Deric nodded and released the curse, leaving Miraz heaving.
"Do you surrender?" asked Peter. "I strongly doubt you want another dose of whatever curse he just used on you."
"F-f-fine," Miraz wheezed, "We… we surrender."
"Unconditionally?"
"Un… unconditionally. S-s-sound retreat!" Miraz shouted.
"Do it, or you will feel the pain of your king!" Deric barked. The generals gathered around quickly took off to carry out the king's orders.
"I think we've got one last piece of business here, then," said Dale, nodding to Peter.
"As High King of Narnia, I charge Miraz of Telmar with high treason. You are under arrest." Deric only nodded in understanding, having not been privy to the conversation between Dale and Peter earlier. He gestured with his wand, and Miraz found himself instantly bound with magical cords. "Take him to the Invincible." Two of the SAU members nodded, grabbed onto Miraz, and they vanished with a soft POP.
"Any Telmar soldier found in Narnia two days from now will be arrested," said Peter, "You have two hours to get yourselves away from Cair Paravel, and we are not in the mood to be lenient."
oOo
The sounds of horns were echoing across the battlefield now. The Hornets were all hovering at the edge of the bluff, each observing the fast retreat of the Telmarines. Once the Narnians figured out what the horns meant, they retreated to the edge of the bluff as well.
The battlefield itself was a gruesome scene, with many bodies littering the field, blood feeding the soil. A decisive victory for the Narnians, it was still costly, as many Narnian soldiers paid with their lives that afternoon. It was far outweighed by the number of fallen Telmarines.
"Right. I think we can return to the Invincible," said Harry.
"COPY," came a chorus of voices over the radio, as Harry turned the Hornet around.
"I'LL WANT TO GET DOWN TO THE BEACH RATHER QUICKLY," he heard Edmund say.
"CASPIAN SAYS THE SAME THING," came Travis' voice.
"Let's land on the beach, then," suggested Harry, as he gently lowered the Hornet to the beach. Those on the ground were already celebrating.
"A most decisive victory, Harry!" Mr. Tumnus exclaimed, as he helped Harry out of the aircraft. He was dressed in a set of dragon hide armour Harry had provided.
"That it was. We did better than I expected. And Frankie here…" he gestured to Frank, "I think you might have enjoyed that."
"I'll never tell," answered Frank.
"You would be singing an entirely different tune, had you been on the ground," said Travis, walking over with Caspian trailing.
"No doubt there, I guess."
"I can't believe it's over," said Edmund, also joining the group.
"Let's go find your sister," Travis suggested.
"She is over with the healers, I believe," offered Mr. Tumnus.
"No doubt, her cordial was most certainly used often," Edmund smiled. Just then, there were several POPs, and Deric appeared a short distance away, along with the rest of his men, and Peter. They quickly joined the group.
"Miraz has been captured," Deric declared. "He's in a holding cell on board the Invincible."
"Anyone else that should be added to that list?"
"Let us deal with that later," suggested Caspian.
"Agreed," said Peter, as they made their way over to the large tent.
Inside, most of the group stopped dead. Lucy was there, talking to an enormous lion. The other occupants of the large tent seemed to be uneasy with the large cat's presence. Of course, who wouldn't, it WAS a lion.
"Why did you not seek me out?" the lion was saying.
"We had it sorted, Aslan," answered Edmund.
"Indeed, so it seems," said the lion, turning to face the group. He did not look happy.
"Aslan. It is good to see you again," said Peter, giving a slight bow. Edmund did the same, and Caspian followed suit.
"And who might you be?" Aslan gestured to Harry with his left paw.
"Harry, sir. Harry Potter. These are my friends Frank, Ron, Travis, and Deric," answered Harry.
"This is Aslan," Lucy introduced, seeming to bubble with joy with the presence of him.
"Peter, Ed, Lucy, and Susan have told me much about you, sir," said Harry.
"Indeed, I am sure they have," said Aslan, "Although I must inquire how you managed to place yourselves here in Narnia."
"It was by accident a number of years ago, at least for me," Harry explained, "About 1300 years ago by Narnian years, I guess."
"They arrived about two years after you left, Aslan," said Peter.
"I had to return to retrieve one of our ships that were left behind when we had to return to my world. Unfortunately, we found… well… things not as we expected," Harry explained.
"Yet, you have interfered in the nature of Narnia, in the business here. This battle… was not yours to fight," said Aslan.
"Why isn't it?" asked Travis. "Peter and Harry are friends… and, I mean, friends help friends… at least in my part of the world. I don't know how it works here… but Peter asked Harry for help, and Harry gladly gave it."
"You asked strangers from another world? Rather than seek out my help?"
"You weren't exactly accessible, Aslan. Harry was here, and quite willing to fight," said Peter.
"You… appear unhappy at our victory here," said Caspian. "Surely, the end justifies the means."
"There were lessons to be learned here, which were not…"
"Is it just me, or is he channelling Dumbledore?" Travis snorted.
"Travis!" Harry hissed.
"So, when WOULD you have shown up, then?" Travis continued. "I have just met you, and man, I already don't like you."
"You are troubled, son of Adam," Aslan surmised.
"Oh PLEASE. Not more biblical nonsense," Travis snorted. "I'm a fucking human being, leave it at that. I'm not troubled, trouble finds me, that's all."
"Travis! Quit it!" Harry repeated.
"NO! Harry, don't you see? He's EXACTLY like Dumbledore! He lays out a bunch of tests for people, or whatever, watches things from a distance, then shows up at the last minute, and 'evaluates' them on how they did. He moves people around like pawns on a chess board… and quite frankly, I HATE people that do that!"
"I quite assure you, that is not…" Aslan began.
"He wouldn't do that, you're wrong!" Lucy exclaimed. She couldn't believe that what Travis had just said could be anywhere near the truth.
"Travis… without his help… I would still be a stone statue," pointed out Mr. Tumnus. "Aslan is only of good intentions."
"Good intentions, right. So does the end justify the means?" asked Travis, deciding to paraphrase Caspian.
"The road is not meant to be easy, Travis," said Aslan.
"You can say THAT again," Travis agreed. "For me, there hasn't BEEN a fucking road… more like a worn path full of sinkholes."
"At least you have a road at all. There are those who have no sense of direction whatsoever, and are hopelessly adrift."
"Um… Peter, were you aware you have a nasty cut on your arm?" Frank gestured to Peter's left forearm, where his bracer had been slashed.
"Allow me," said one of the medi-witches, mustering up the courage to approach the group and the lion. She quickly banished the bracer, then lifted his shirt sleeve, and cast a healing charm on the cut.
"Blimey, didn't even notice it… heat of battle and so on," said Peter.
"You look an absolute mess," said Lucy. "And so do you." She gestured to Caspian. Both looked equally messy.
"I think I can help there," said Harry, gesturing at both king and prince with his wand. "Scourgify!" They found themselves instantly looking far cleaner.
"You are of magic," said Aslan, sounding surprised. "Sons of Myrddin."
"Sons of Merlin," said Travis, quickly understanding the translation.
"One of his many names," supplied Deric.
"And you used your magic on the battlefield?"
"Of course! We used whatever means, whatever tactic, to get the result," said Deric.
"Most disturbing indeed," said Aslan. "Not even the white witch manipulated magic in such a manner."
"Oh God, come off it!" Travis snorted. "We got rid of the fucking Telmarines. That's what needed to happen here, and we were quite happy to help. I'm sorry if that disappoints you."
"What disappoints me are the lessons that remained unlearned, son of Myrddin."
"What, you mean, waiting until it's too late, and there's no time to come up with a better plan… being forced to rush out a panicked solution that could have ended in many deaths? What kind of lesson is that?" Travis challenged.
"Actions have consequences…"
"As if we don't need reminding of that, Aslan!" Peter snapped, as the wheels turned in his own head. Although the lion did not say it, it appeared he knew very well all that had happened over the past few days. He COULD have intervened at any time, but chose not to, so it seemed.
"Look," said Harry, "what's done is done, we can't exactly use a time-turner and go back three or four days. I think what's more important here is what happens next."
"That is indeed a good question," said Aslan. "Most important. Sons and daughters of Myrddin. If you have completed your business here, it is best for you to not linger. This is not your place."
"And what makes that your decision?" Travis challenged. "I think I actually like it here, I might like to stay a while."
Aslan let out a terrifying roar, directly at Travis. "I have had just about ENOUGH of your attitude!" he snarled.
"Are you DONE?" asked Travis, appearing not to be fazed in the least. At least, by outside appearances. He knew he was dancing a dangerous dance, facing a creature that easily weighed three times as much as he did. "I don't give a flying FUCK what you think of my attitude! You have no RIGHT telling me and my friends we can't be here, man. I think that's up to Peter and his brother and sisters, really."
"Perhaps, we might just leave these issues for now," Caspian suggested, trying to defuse the situation. "We do have other issues at hand."
"Indeed we do," said Aslan. "Part of which involves you, young prince."
"He will, of course, take the crown that was rightfully his," said Peter.
"Regretfully, that cannot be so," answered Aslan. "Certain events were not able to transpire…"
"You bastard," Travis hissed, as Caspian turned, and stormed out of the tent. "He's already had the throne stolen from him once. And you would do it again? Fuck you, you useless cat." Travis too, stormed out of the tent, leaving behind a speechless group, which included Aslan.
It was nearly a minute before anyone could say anything.
"I daresay," Mr. Tumnus finally managed, "that went rather poorly."
"You'll have to forgive Travis, he has had a tough go of things as of late," said Harry, finally reorganizing his thoughts. "He lost his partner during a battle about three weeks ago."
"I see," said Aslan, "The picture does come a little clearer."
"It's still not right, meddling as you have, sir," said Deric. "If I understand correctly, Prince Caspian is the rightful heir to the Telmar throne. What prevents him from taking it?"
"Miraz still lives," answered Aslan.
"He'll not set foot on Narnian soil again," said Dale. "He did commit treason. He attempted to have Caspian murdered. So either way, he's by all intents and purposes gone. What more do you expect?"
"The Telmar people do not know that."
"We arrested him in front of his commanders," Dale rebutted.
"And they will only report back that we kidnapped him," answered Edmund. "Aslan is right."
"Nothing a few memory modification charms can't fix," said Deric.
"Well," said Ron, "the Telmar waged war against Narnia, why not return the favour?"
"Absolutely out of the question," answered Aslan, surprised by the suggestion. "It is not what Narnia is all about."
"Why not? We already did it once… it was by no means a success, but… if Harry is willing to help," said Peter.
"Sir, we COULD deploy the weapon…"
"Deric, you already KNOW my answer regarding that."
"And what weapon might that be?" asked Aslan.
"From what I've heard, it would make the Telmar castle look like Cair Paravel does," said Edmund.
"Our primary weapon will, if we deploy it, destroy everything within a half-mile radius. So absolutely not, we won't be using it," Harry vowed.
"It is good you carry a bit of sense, son of Myrddin," said Aslan.
"I didn't say I wouldn't help," said Harry. "If the Telmar are anything like I think they are, they'll be back. And like I've promised, I will do whatever I can to help the kings and queens of Narnia, all FIVE of them."
"I have only named…"
"I did not say five by mistake, Aslan. Caspian belongs here, while Peter and his siblings do not. Unless you planned on keeping them here this time," said Harry. He was already much aware of them returning to England, to be summoned back only a few days before.
"I think I would be a bit irritated if my life kept getting interrupted that way," said Frank.
"That's how Susan feels," said Lucy.
"And for that reason, among several others, she and Peter will not be returning to Narnia again," said Aslan.
"And by doing that, you prove Travis' words to be absolutely true," said Harry. "You have no right. Guys… I think we need to properly debrief what's happened today. SOC, ten minutes."
"See you there, then." Deric turned to leave.
"I don't think we're done here," said Aslan, severely.
"I do," said Peter, shaking his head. He checked his sword in its scabbard, and then walked out of the tent. Edmund only shrugged and quickly followed. The rest followed, leaving only Lucy and Aslan behind.
"I still believe in you Aslan," said Lucy.
AUTHOR NOTES: First off, I have to acknowledge ReflectionsOfReality, for her awesome reviews. I think she's on to me, touching on a few points I've been writing about already.
Now. The battle scene wasn't spectacular by any stretch of the imagination, but also realize, they came in meaning business. Harry and co. had some awesome firepower, and they used it. Magic vs. muggles? The winner here, I think it's gonna be obvious, right?
We also see Harry finally pop the question to Frank, correcting yet another mistake he made… or more like, something he failed to do in the future.
Aslan being manipulative? Think about it, his actions could be analyzed that way. The Pevensies don't realize it, but in the grand scheme of things, Aslan DOES slightly manipulate people. To teach lessons and so on, but that's beside the point. Travis reacts very poorly to this kind of thing, and given his mental state, that's going to be even more pronounced.
(1) I'm drawing on canon here. Remember when Hermione took the polyjuice potion in 2nd year, and she accidentally used hairs from Millicent Bulstrode's cat. It wasn't a complete transformation, and somewhat messy. So the men wouldn't do a complete transformation into a werewolf, but it would still be absolutely terrifying… and again, remember, the mk13's are also laced with LSD. A strong DOSE of LSD. They might not have the mind of a werewolf, but they would be almost as insane as one!
