Second Chance
Chapter 7
Building the Bridge
Jesse groaned in pain, lifting a heavy plank to put as a guardrail. They had finished rebuilding the castle; now, all they had to do was build the bridge – the entrance to Terabithia, now that the rope had been broken.
He had found the rope itself several miles upstream, and gave thanks that she hadn't been on it when it had broken. He knew what would have happened if she had been.
"Jess! Look at this!" Leslie yelled from the treetops, several feet above him. He worried when she went that high. He wasn't about to let her do anything too risky, especially not when he had the certainty that Death itself was after them.
He climbed the trees, moving rapidly. It felt to him almost as though he was flying up the tree trunk, like he had years ago – when Leslie had first christened Terabithia.
"What is it, my Queen?" he asked, scanning the horizon.
"Methinks the Dark Master's forces are on the move, my King. Terabithia is under attack."
"I'm not sure it is the Dark Master, fair Queen."
"Then who?"
Death, he thought to himself, though he wouldn't tell Leslie that. There was no point. His old reality had become a personal taboo. But war would come, this he knew. Not in Terabithia, not against the Terabithians; rather, it would come against Jesse… and all who knew him, even Leslie. Especially Leslie. After all, he had beaten the Ruler's game for her.
"I do not know, but I fear it may be much more dangerous than him."
"Who could it be, though?"
"I pray that it is not the one who razed our castle."
Leslie nodded. This she understood. Any being that could breach Terabithia's magic was one to fear, and the creature had definitely targeted Terabithia itself.
"It may be."
"Then we must construct the bridge, so that our forces can easily cross the border."
"Very well."
With that, Jesse climbed down the tree, heading toward the bridge. The next few minutes, nothing was heard but the rhythmic tap-tap-tap of hammers nailing in nails and an occasional "ouch" – Jesse getting his hand stuck under the hammer itself. Prince Terrien ran around the base of Leslie's tree, barking at his mistress – as though to tell her to get down, that the tree was too high. She listened.
"How goes the building, my King?" she asked upon planting her feet firmly on the dirt. Jesse breathed a sigh of relief.
"It goes well," he replied. "Soon, the bridge will be complete."
Leslie nodded, smiling vaguely.
The Ruler stood in his throne room. His throne itself stood in the middle of a white void; the walls were grey and drab.
His eyes pierced the blinding whiteness of the room around him, and, as he watched, his face twisted into a scowl.
"So, Aarons," he hissed. "You've found my army. Well, no bridge or your imagination will save you from the army of Death. Griffon!"
At his call, the door opened, and a creature, taller than him, entered. Its face was humanoid, but ended in a long beak, above which two piercing black eyes glared. Wings framed its body, which was human enough, but covered in red feathers – red like blood, in fact. This was Griffon, the Ruler's head military servant.
"You called, Master?" Griffon asked.
"Yes. I want you to attack Jesse Aarons. Don't kill him – not yet. Just hurt him. And, if you can, hurt his friend as well, but don't take unnecessary risks for her – she is not your primary target."
"It shall be done."
Griffon's attack came without warning; none save Prince Terrien's incessant barking, which Jesse and Leslie tried to quell in vain.
The hybrid dived at Jesse, knocking the boy down. Jesse rolled away frantically, avoiding a kick.
"Leslie, run!"
But Leslie would not leave her king in danger; she rushed at the beast, which simply smacked her away and into a tree. She fell to the ground, unconscious.
"Leslie!" Jesse yelled, before swinging a board he had taken at Griffon.
The board smashed into Griffon's head with a loud smash that resounded through the forest. Startled, Griffon flew away, vanishing to his world.
The battle over, Jesse crawled over to Leslie. His knees were scratched badly, but he paid them no mind; all he saw was his best friend, his queen, unconscious against a tree.
"Leslie?"
Her eyes opened slowly, taking in light. A soft groan of pain escaped her lips, before she looked at Jesse.
"Jess?" she asked. "Why are you crying?"
"I thought," he said. "I thought you were dead!"
"Why would you think that?"
"That thing… It hit you so hard…"
"Don't worry; the Queen of Terabithia doesn't die that easy!"
Jesse hugged Leslie, tears streaming down his face; no longer, however, were they tears of sorrow. Instead, they were tears of happiness. She was taken aback for a second; Jess had never been a very physically-emotional person. But this was different, and she let herself be drawn into the embrace.
"I won't let anything happen, Leslie. No matter who targets you. The king of Terabithia will protect his Queen until his very death."
"But do not hasten that, my King. Now, we must finish building the Bridge to Terabithia."
"I agree, my Queen. We must."
Griffon landed in front of the Ruler.
"Did you do it?" the Ruler asked.
"Well," Griffon said. "He chased me off with a wooden board."
"What? You mean a mere mortal drove away the most feared warrior of Death with a board!? You fool!"
"Please, give me one more chance, Master. I will do it. The bond between Aarons and Burke just proved stronger than I thought."
"No. I have an army in waiting. They think it's their imagination. But, when the army reaches Terabithia, blood will spill in their 'Sacred Grove'."
A/N: The plot thickens quite a bit now, as the Ruler has declared open war on Terabithia.
