Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or any characters you may recognize from the books or the movies, I wish I did but I don't... I also don't own the Narnian Calendar. It belongs to Elecktrum who was kind enough to let me borrow it for my story. Her own stories are awesome and you should go read them too.
Summary: A stranger arrives in Narnia one year after the Pevensies begin their reign. Accused of being a witch herself, she risks her life in an attempt to save young Queen Lucy from falling prey to a terrible plot.
Warning: There will be mentions of torture, murder, and some scary moments. So, this is a mid to high T..
Chapter Nineteen: The Sorcerer's Lair, Part Two
They had taken the Fell Beasts by surprise when they followed Katerina and the Werewolf to the sorcerer's lair, allowing them to enter without detection fifteen minutes after Katerina had disappeared inside. Now they worked quickly and efficiently to eliminate as many of the Fell Beasts as they could before an alarm was sounded. They needed to be closer to the heart of the lair before the real battle began. Oreius prayed to Aslan that this plan actually worked or they would all lose their lives within this labyrinth.
A Ghoul rounded the corner and screeched before Edmund cut him down, and they could hear answering cries start to echo down the tunnels ahead of them. Oreius swapped his two swords for his claymore as Peter raised Rhindon and shouted, "For Narnia and for Aslan!" Oreius and the rest of the soldiers joined their voices with Peter's until the tunnels nearly vibrated with the cry. "For Narnia and for Aslan!"
Stealth was no longer needed and Oreius gladly charged through the tunnels cutting down any Fell Beast who got in his way. He kept an eye on Sefu who was following a trail of blood that should lead them straight to the heart of the sorcerer's lair. Together, with the kings following right behind them, the Centaur and the Leopard charged deeper into the labyrinth while other soldiers split off to purge the rest of the tunnels of the Fell Beasts. Aslan, let us find the sorcerer before he harms the queen. Please let this work.
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Katerina felt a flicker of satisfaction as she watched the triumphant confidence in Jannes' good eye fade to something less certain. "What have you done, girl?"
She smirked at him. "Exactly what needed to be done to take care of business, Jannes."
A roar came from beyond the doors and Jannes flinched when the words "Narnia" and "Aslan" came through clearly. He hissed in rage, "No. I won't let this happen. You are to help me reclaim my throne, not interfere with my plans." He called over his shoulder. "Isak, kill the little queen." He turned back to Katerina Alambiel with a triumphant leer. "What are you going to do now, my little pawn?"
She looked over his shoulder and laughed, "Well, I'm not going to worry about Isak."
Jannes stared at her in disbelief then twisted around only to see both Werewolves fleeing through the trapdoor in the ceiling of his throne room. He shrieked in outrage. "No! What are you doing? You owe me your allegiance. Curs, mongrels, be cursed to serve my kind forever or until one of my blood sits on the throne of Narnia!"
Katerina knew the moment he had spotted her because he started screaming, "NO! DO NOT TOUCH THAT SWORD!" She ignored him and jumped up to pull the sword from its wall mount. She freed it from its sheath and whirled to face Jannes, but he had stopped and just stood staring at the sword in her hands with utter disbelief. "How? This cannot be. It is impossible." He stumbled backwards as Katerina lifted the sword and dropped into a ready stance, then he looked at Lucy who was still chained to the wall.
Katerina shifted until she was in front of Lucy, but the chains put Lucy's head and most of her upper torso a half foot above Katerina's head. It would be difficult to protect Lucy if she continued hanging up there. With his good hand, Jannes pulled a dagger out from the folds of his cloak. He threw it at Lucy, who let out a terrified scream.
Katerina jumped up and swung Esti's sword with all her might against the chains, praying the trick would actually work. With a metallic ring, the chains snapped under the force of the blow and Katerina fell back to the floor with Lucy landing on top of her. She shifted Lucy over so that she was in between Lucy and Jannes. She raised the sword again and watched Jannes for some sign of what his next move would be.
Then a shout rang out from just outside the throne room, "Lucy! Lucy, where are you?"
Katerina never looked away from Jannes, but she could easily hear the relief in Lucy's voice when she started shouting, "Here! Peter! We're in here! Help!"
Jannes growled and threw a large flat dish at them, then he fled into a tunnel behind his throne. She grabbed Lucy around the waist and dragged her out of the way as the dish clattered against the wall leaving a trail of dark liquid dripping from the point of impact. Katerina pulled Lucy back against one of the braziers before she stood up again. "Stay here. Tell your brothers and Oreius that I'm sorry for the mess but I have to go after Jannes." Lucy nodded and Katerina pulled a torch free of its wall scone before she too ran down the tunnel behind the throne.
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Lucy jumped in fright when the doors to the throne room were slammed open, then she relaxed as soon as she saw it was Oreius who burst into the room with her brothers right behind him. "Peter! Edmund!"
They spotted her by the brazier and she watched looks of shock and rage appear on all three of their faces before Peter and Edmund ran over and dropped to their knees beside her. Peter carefully ran his fingers over her bruised face and swollen eye before he engulfed her in a warm hug. "Thank Aslan, you're all right, Lucy."
Edmund glanced around the room then turned to Lucy with a puzzled look, "Where's Katerina? She was supposed to meet us here."
Lucy gasped, "Oh, no. I almost forgot. Katerina asked me to tell you three that she's sorry for the mess but she had to go after Jannes."
Peter frowned, "Which way did they go, Lu?" She pointed at the wall behind the throne. Peter nodded and was about to speak when Sefu stepped into the room followed by Ardon and one of the army healers.
Taking advantage of the distraction, Oreius stamped his left fore hoof and gave Peter and Edmund a stern look. "Wolfsbane, How, stay with your sister. I will go after Katerina Alambiel and the sorcerer. Sefu, Ardon, remain with them. I will return as soon as possible with Katerina Alambiel." Lucy noticed that nobody argued with Oreius, instead Ardon just handed him a torch that she was inordinately pleased to see had a normal orange flame. The healer started fussing over her, but she hardly noticed his presence as she started to pray. Oh, Aslan, please guard Katerina and Oreius against Jannes' schemes. Protect them please. Please help them to defeat Jannes and then come home in one piece. Please, Aslan help them. Protect them.
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Oreius kept up a quick pace as he journeyed down the tunnel, though he had been forced to slow down from a gallop in order to avoid constantly hitting his head against the low roof of the tunnel. He rounded a bend and was pleased to see Katerina Alambiel running just ahead of him. The tunnel suddenly widened into another room and Katerina moved down the steps with her sword held at the ready. Oreius approached the tunnel opening and Jannes hurled himself around a pillar and shoved a lever down. The brief sound of metal scraping against stone was the only warning Oreius had before rods of barbed metal slammed point first into the rock floor of the tunnel and effectively cut him off from entering the room or reaching Katerina Alambiel. She stared at him in wide-eyed disbelief while Jannes started laughing manically on the other side of the room. Aslan, I pray You give Katerina Alambiel the strength to face this confrontation with the sorcerer and win. She needs it. Guide her hands as she battles this servant of darkness.
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A/N: Please read and review! There are only two chapters left in this story. If I get 3 new reviews by tonight, I will post them back-to-back tonight instead of waiting until tomorrow. Click the little review button below and let me know what y'all think about the story and if you think it will be Katerina or Jannes who will win the upcoming fight.