Chapter 76- the most brutal fights in Kushanku and company's lives part 3 and a heart-wrenching sacrifice
The savage fight between Kushanku and Malefor's groups continued to rage with more Manticores, Triffid-Jaws, Wendigoes, Wolves, Patasola and a number of other horrible creatures arriving to serve as backup to Malefor and company. Triffid-Jaws continuously lashed their venomous tongue-like vine at Kushanku and company only for them to dodge but Nyarth, with his amazing and agile jumping ability, began to leap between tree trunks and the rock face so agilely and fast that the ugly tri-lobe mouth plants became confounded. Then as soon as he had confused the Triffid-Jaws enough, Nyarth surged forward and cut them down with his sword like a machete slicing through plant material. During this, an evil Nekomata telekinetically seized some sharp stones, its eyes glowing with an aqua blue light along with the aura enclosing the rocks, and flung them at Kushanku and company like daggers, the sharp tips aiming for them. However, Kushanku and company ducked and dived out of the way to avoid the arrow-like rocks as they sliced past them. Link narrowly dodged one of the rocks as it flew right over his head, the sharp tip slicing out some of his head hair as it passed between his ears and antlers while Dahlia deflected more of the rocks with her own antlers. After she had batted the last rock aside with her antlers like a tennis racquet, she turned to face a group of Humanoid-Woman-faced snakes as they slithered towards her and Link, malicious hisses filtering out of their mouths. Link backed away timidly as the Nuri-onna slithered towards him and the Jackalope but the latter glared maliciously at the Woman-faced Serpents with the most volcanic glare she had ever harboured in her life. Nearby, Ryn had healed Crystal of her injuries from the Mimicbirds with her Fire-Flower cordial but the Parrot chick had been badly shaken from the wicked small black birds.
"You gotta ask yourselves one question, you ugly Snake-Hags," growled Dahlia as she boldly sauntered towards the Nuri-onna, "'Do I… FEEL… LUCKY?'"
She then stood right before the Woman-faced Snake Yokai as they reared up and bared their vicious fangs, a loud hiss erupting from them. However, Dalia stood her ground.
"Well, DO YA, YA BUNCH OF HAG-FACED SLOWWORMS!?" screeched the Jackalope at the top of her lungs. Then when one of the Nuri-onna lunged at her and attempted to bite her, Dahlia ducked and had the Hag-Serpent bite her antlers instead. After this, the Jackalope charged towards the other Nuri-onna and began to viciously maul them with her sharp antlers. Link looked on in astonishment and said nothing.
Nearby, Crystal (who had been healed), Azula and Nyarth clashed wildly with one of the Wolves, a female who was Romulus's mate while Romulus fought Satoshi, revenge boiling volcanically within the Wolf after what the Nekomata had done to Scar, Malefor's brother. When Romulus's mate swiped Nyarth's legs and knocked him down before turning to Crystal and Azula and tackling the young Parrot and Kiriness away, she sauntered towards the former, her teeth bared and her lips vibrating with the growls. Nyarth backed away as the Wolf approached him until he reached the foot of a tree but before the She-Wolf could longer at him and possibly maul him, a slender orange Cat with black spots appeared out of nowhere and tackled violently into the Wolf's side, sending her flying and crashing hard into another tree trunk. This leafless tree had icicles hanging from its branches and those spear-like ice lances shuddered as the shock of the She-Wolf's impact against the trunk shook them and the tree. The She-Wolf shot a poisonous look at Nyarth and Sandstorm but before she could get up, some of the icicles dropped from the branch directly above her. Romulus's mate only had time to look up at the falling ice spears and within moments, the icicles struck. Sandstorm and Nyarth flinched and looked away from the gruesome sight as the icicles impaled the Wolf and killed her instantly. The Wolf's death was witnessed just in time by another certain Wolf as he drove away Snowwing but the moment his eyes landed on his mate's dead body, a heart-wrenching howl of anguish erupted from his muzzle and he bounded over to inspect it. Nyarth and Sandstorm exchanged glances and backed away as Romulus broke down in tears, a howl saturated with sheer grief and anguish at his mate's death erupting into the snowy dark air. Behind Nyarth and Sandstorm, Molayne had stabbed a Wolf through the stomach with a sword as it leaped at him in an attempt to pounce onto him and bite him. Nyarth and Sandstorm continued to back away as they watched Romulus grieve over his deceased mate but before they could inch away further, they were met with the most VOLCANIC, VENGEFUL glare from the Wolf as he eyed his mate's killers. The Cheetah and Nekomata let loose terrified cries as Romulus, an ENRAGED growl exploding from his muzzle, bolted after them.
Kushanku clashed viciously with Malefor, his large sword striking the Manticore's Scorpion's tail as the Manticore attempted to stab Kushanku and envenomate him. Malefor then whirled round and wing-slapped Kushanku with a Bat's wing, knocking them Nekomata down and knocking his sword out of his paws. As Kushanku scrabbled to his feet, Malefor sauntered towards him like a Mountain Lion towards its downed prey, a menacing grimace stretching his fanged mouth across the width of his face.
"You know, you look so much like your father when he tried to protect his precious little mate and her four little kits from our raid on their secret den when Lightningflash divulged its location to us and Her Majesty," taunted Malefor sadistically especially as Kushanku flinched at the mentioning of his late father Frosty, "An' I'm surprised that you've managed to survive that fateful night with your two brothers and only sister. But it seems that your luck is about to run out tonight as I am gonna SLAY you and your three SIBLINGS like how I did your BIOLOGICAL PARENTS."
Kushanku rose to his feet and prepared his large sword, its tip aiming threateningly at the Manticore's face. However, Malefor was totally unfazed by the threat of the sword's sharp tip hovering dangerously close to his forehead.
"I may have been a vulnerable and helpless little kit back then along with Nyarth, Satoshi and Ryn, fang-faced brute," retorted Kushanku aggressively, "But I am not a vulnerable and helpless little KIT ANYMORE!"
And with that, he flared his eyes red-orange as he allowed Fury Mode to take him over and lunged at Malefor and attempted to strike the Manticore with his large sword only for Malefor to dodge and retaliate with a paw swipe, sending Kushanku flying and crashing into the snow again. However, he rolled to his feet and glared daggers with his foe and began to circle with him. Growls emanated from Malefor's gritted mouth and made his lips vibrate while the red-eyed Kushanku released a hiss through his teeth. Then after a few more seconds of circling, Kushanku lunged at Malefor once again and tried to strike him with is sword only for Malefor to dodge and send the sword slamming into the snow. Then Malefor slammed his front paws onto the Nekomata's head and back and proceeded to deliver the deathblow in the form of a bite to the neck but Kushanku twisted his tails and powerfully slapped them in Malefor's face, making him jerk his head back and release him. Kushanku rose to his feet and, with an extremely LOUD Cat screech, raised a paw, flared its claws and scored them right over Malefor's face. Malefor retaliated by swiping Kushanku across the face and sent him flying towards a tree trunk but Kushanku landed before it, rolled to his feet once again, twisted his tail branches and took off into the air, before rocketing towards Malefor. After dodging a massive pounce from the Manticore, Kushanku seized his sword and tried to slash Malefor with it but the Manticore dodged, sending Kushanku's seemingly cumbersome sword flying toward a tree trunk, penetrating it and lodging in its wood. Malefor glared sadistically and mockingly at Kushanku as he struggled to free the blade.
"Hah, looks like you've been disarmed, you puny fork-tailed Housecat," gloated the Manticore triumphantly, "There's NO WAY you're gonna dislodge that heavy thing from the tree trunk."
And with that he let loose a cackle as he watched Kushanku struggle to dislodge the sword from the tree's bark. However, the Nekomata soon remembered that the sword was designed to be two swords in one and that the larger blade was in fact a scabbard for a smaller, thinner one. Flashing a glare at the gloating Manticore as he continued to cackle mockingly at his attempts to free his sword, Kushanku twisted the hilt of the sword until he heard a click. He then pulled the smaller sword out of its larger counterpart and before Malefor could predict what was happening, the smaller blade slashed right over the Manticore's left shoulder, opening a wound and making the chimeric Magical Beast release a roar of agony and surprise. Kushanku glared maliciously at the Malefor as he continued to wear that flabbergasted face.
"Looks like the joke's on YOU, Bear-face," yelled the Nekomata, "You've fallen for this tricky sword bait, trap and cage! This sword is in fact TWO swords in one!"
However, Malefor snapped from his surprise at the sword within a sword to pure outrage and lunged at Kushanku as the Nekomata lunged forward with his small sword but as the pair met, Kushanku plunged his sword's blade right through the wicked Beast's chest, inflicting the fatal blow. A scream of pure agony exploded from Malefor's mouth as Kushanku gripped the sword with a twisted face of effort. However, the Menticore's Scorpion's tail stinger snapped like a whip at the Nekomata and struck him in the left shoulder, the same one on which the paw grasping the smaller sword was joined, prompting Kushanku to withdraw his sword from Malefor's chest. One of Kushanku's paws flew to his injured and bleeding shoulder and he gritted his teeth as agony ripped through that area as envenomation from Malefor's stinger took hold. Malefor, however, staggered backwards on his hind legs, his front Lion's paws grasping his fatal wound before he finally lost balance and toppled backwards like a mighty tree, crashing hard into the body of his brother Scar where he also lay there, dead.
Kushanku, his right paw grasping his stung left shoulder, looked on in astonishment as his brain took time to register that he had slain his parents' main murderer. However, a familiar scream nearby pulled him back to reality and when he turned and saw that a Wendigo had seized Alexandrite by the neck and had begun to savagely throttle her, horror tore through the Nekomata and his eyes flashed red-orange once again. Ignoring the agony in his shoulder from Malefor's sting attack on him and snapping his red-eyed gaze to the large sword-scabbard lodged in the tree trunk, Kushanku bolted for the tree trunk and yanked his large sword from the trunk. Then with both swords in his paws, he lunged at the Wendigo and leaped right onto its back, causing the Wendigo to drop Alexandrite and thrash wildly to dislodge Kushanku from its back. However, Kushanku began to fiercely slash the monstrous Goat-like Beast with his swords while Alexandrite hurried to safety. From there, she watched on in astonishment as Kushanku, his eyes red-orange from Fury Mode, prepared to slay the creature.
"Keep your claws…" snarled Kushanku as he then plunged his smaller sword into the Wendigo's back to inflict the deathblow, "OFF MY ALEXANDRITE, you SKELETAL BRUTE!"
The Wendigo froze there, rigid from the deathblow vial impalement through the back, but as Kushanku then withdrew his smaller sword and jumped off its back, the Wendigo fell forward and slammed facedown into the snow, dead. Kushanku then sheathed the smaller sword into its larger counterpart, allowed his Fury Mode to dissipate resulting in his eyes resuming their normal colour and then staggered over to Alexandrite, his right paw clutching his wounded left shoulder where Malefor had struck him. Around him and Alexandrite, Nyarth and the others continued to fight more of Jadis and Krampus's cronies with Satoshi fatally wounding a creature called a Futakuchi-onna, a Woman-like creature with a pair of jaws on its head in addition to the ones on its face, as she tried to snap her head-jaws at Satoshi and Paddy only for Satoshi to run her through the chest with his sword, his eyes flashing red-orange.
As Kushanku fell to his knees with his face twisted in agony and his right paw grasping his left shoulder, Alexandrite immediately reached into her medical potion kit to search for her Fire-Flower cordial.
"Did you know that a Manticore's sting is extremely painful, debilitating and fatal?" said the Nekomata as soon as she found her bottle of the red juice, uncapped it and rushed over to Kushanku's side, "It's a wonder you have managed to slay my would-be killer."
She then tipped the bottle and allowed one drop of the cordial to drip from its container's lip and onto the injury on Kushanku's shoulder where Malefor's tail stinger had made contact and struck. The moment the drip of the potion splashed onto the wound, the skin closed and the wound was sealed while any venom that had entered Kushanku's system was neutralised, pulling Kushanku from the brink of heading down the slow and EXTREMELY painful road to death on which a Manticore's sting always sent its victim. However, the moment Alexandrite had applied her Fire-Flower cordial to her friend's shoulder injury, and while Nyarth, Satoshi, Sandstorm and Ryn, Crystal, Snowwing, Dahlia, Paddy, Link, Cyril, Azula, Desdemona and Molayne continued to viciously fight off Jadis's cronies and those of Krampus, an explosion of pure white fire-lightning erupted and struck a tree, almost hitting Crystal and Desdemona while they were fighting another Futakuchi-onna, her jaws having clamped onto Crystal's bow only to release it from the surprise of the sudden appearance of the fire-lightning. Crystal and Desdemona also let loose startled screeches of surprise when they saw the fire-lightning and flapped to one side. The others including Alexandrite and Kushanku also snapped surprised gazes in the direction of the fire-lightning's source. Kushanku then identified the fire-lightning for he had seen Gandalf and some other Kitsune cast this energy blast before.
"Was that foxfire?" he asked Alexandrite. Before Alexandrite could answer, and while Sandstorm was walking over to investigate what had sent the foxfire blast that had nearly struck Desdemona and Crystal, the sound of hooves pounding snow and the slicing of metal blades on the same stuff erupted and within seconds, a sleigh pulled by some reindeer exploded from the leafless trees, heading directly towards the Cheetah cub. Cyril, seeing this, rushed in and tackled Sandstorm out of the way in time just as the sleigh and reindeer slammed onto the snow, exactly where Sandstorm had been, before swerving round and stopping. Krampus and Jadis's cronies, the moment they spotted the sleigh and reindeer which were white with glistening silvery decorations on them, stopped fighting Kushanku's group and retreated towards their Mistress while she, together with a beautiful but frightening nine-tailed Fox with pure white fur and a fan of shining white tails, rose out of the sleigh and climbed down it.
Kushanku took up a defensive stance while Nyarth, Satoshi, Sandstorm, Ryn, Crystal, Snowwing, Dahlia, Alexandrite, Paddy, Link, Azula, Cyril, Desdemona and Molayne regrouped and turned to face the maniacal tyrant as she, her face saturated with the most acidic and caustic mix of outrage, rancour, bloodlust and other highly venomous things, landed in the snow and strode over to them to confront them, the white nine-tailed Nogitsune, Amanita, her face a carbon copy of Jadis's glare, by her side. Then as the pair stood before Kushanku and his group with the cronies behind them, Jadis glared maliciously at the little group and pointed her sceptre-like wand at them. She was still missing her icicle crown but she planned to forge another one to replace the one Kushanku had destroyed later.
Jadis's face was restored to its usual appearance much to Kushanku's surprise for he thought he had slashed her across the face while Amanita also looked unmarked. However, Kushanku and company might not have noticed that aside from their potency in sorcery such as illusion casting and in Jadis's case, telepathic assault, both Jadis and Amanita had the ability to heal their injuries quickly without the need for Fire-Flower cordial and the pair had utilised this ability to cure themselves of Kushanku's claw marks on the face and the defected Kamaitachi's claw marks on her body respectively. However, Kushanku and company pushed aside the astonishment at how Jadis and Amanita had healed themselves of their wounds and glare back at the Witch and phony nine-tailed Fox. Around Jadis, some very ugly Horrors appeared. They were Succubi and Incubi, a subspecies of Bat-Harpy that had the abilities of a Spectre. The Succubi was the female of the species and the Incubi were the male, and both sexes of the Spectre Bat-Harpies were INCREDIBLY immoral and lecherous like the Satyrs on Jadis's (and theirs by extension) side, and those Spectre Bat-Harpies were wearing the same bloodlust-saturated deadeye glares as their allies as they leered at Kushanku's group. Then as Kushanku's eyes met with Jadis's, the latter began to speak in her bratty, volcanic voice.
"You have REALLY CROSSED THE LINE, you FIFTEEN, especially YOU, you mangy FORK-TAILED BRAT!" snarled the Witch and with that, she pointed her sceptre-wand with terrifying accuracy at Kushanku who flinched somewhat for he knew that that wand was capable of. However, he pushed aside the nervousness at Jadis's weapon and stood his ground, the other fourteen standing behind him and also glaring at the Witch maliciously and defensively. Jadis continued.
"YOU don't DESERVE TO LIVE after WHAT YOU HAVE DONE TO ME BACK THERE!" bellowed the Witch as Kushanku began to tremble with rage. Then Amanita came in, her subzero-temperature glare on Kushanku and his group. When they saw the pure-white nine-tailed Nogitsune, the fifteen flinched, wary of the Fox's immense power. However, because Amanita was only a fraction of her ancestors Gandalf and Kyukon's age, she was not as powerful as that couple but Kushanku and company did not know it yet. But not only was Amanita's rushed transformation into a nine-tailed Fox at the Witch's hands intimidating to Kushanku and company. Amanita's malicious glare also reminded them of another Nogitsune who had caused them so much trouble back at Gandalf's (now-destroyed) base.
"How DARE you scratch OUR GODDESS of the HIGHLANDS ACROSS THE FACE, you FELINE FERRET!" snarled Amanita right at Kushanku as he glared back at her, "HOW DARE YOU TREAT HER WITH SUCH DISRESPECT."
"And because of that, you are to be PUNISHED…" said one of the Succubi in a high-pitched, raucous voice, "by DEATH in the most AGONISING WAY!"
"As for your little FRIENDS, including your two brothers and SISTER and also your adopted Cheetah brother," continued Jadis and with that, she moved the tip of her wand and aimed it at Ryn, Nyarth, Satoshi and Sandstorm just behind Kushanku who flinched, "I'M gonna CAPTURE THEM, TAKE THEM BACK TO MY CASTLE and either BUTCHER THEM FOR MEAT or MAKE THEM INTO SLAVES either for my palace or as playmates for my followers."
This sent immense revulsion tearing through Kushanku's group and Crystal seized an arrow, nocked it into her bow and aimed it at the dark coloured Bat-Harpies. Kushanku, however, hardened his glare of fury, especially as sinister and lustful titters escaped the Incubi and Succubi.
"Aslan FORBID IT, you FERAL SNOW ANIMAL!" the Nekomata snarled and with that, he protectively spread his paws across his fourteen friends and stood his ground. Revulsion tore through Jadis and company and one of the Futakuchi-onna, her head-jaws snapping furiously, rushed off to throw up somewhere. This individual ESPECIALLY DETESTED the name of Aslan with a CAUSTIC passion.
"The 'A' word, Your Majesty," said Amanita in outrage, "He SAID THE BLASPHEMOUS 'A' WORD!"
Jadis was about to issue a command to her cronies and also those of Krampus to launch into an attack charge at Kushanku to capture them when suddenly, a howl erupted nearby, stopping everyone in their tracks and prompting them to shoot confused gazes this way and that.
"Now WHAT!?" snarled Jadis bitterly, "Just as when we were about to capture these revolting little creatures as well!"
Amanita also shot wary glances this way and that. Kushanku and company did the same. However, recognition was welling within some of them, especially as another howl erupted, this time louder as the source was closer.
"That sounds like…" said Snowwing.
"A Wolf?" asked Dahlia. Molayne shook his head in disagreement, especially as another howl exploded.
"That's definitely not a Wolf…" said the Dog as recognition of the howl's owner's species took hold. Jadis then turned her attention back to Kushanku and company, prompting the fifteen to prepare for action but before the Witch could bark a command at her cronies to attack the group and bind them, the pounding of feet on snow began and within moments, and to the astonishment of Kushanku and company, a shining ivory and metallic yellow Fox with a fan of nine tails and a pair of eyes blazing orange from fury exploded from the wall of leafless trees, launched himself into the air like a pouncing Cat and flew towards Jadis, a Fox howl of pure rage exploding from his mouth. Kushanku, Nyarth, Satoshi, Sandstorm and Ryn, Crystal, Snowwing, Dahlia, Alexandrite, Azula, Paddy, Link, Cyril, Desdemona and Molayne all drew in astonished gasps as the newcomer then plunged onto Jadis and knocked her clean over and away from the little group.
"MR GANDALF!?" shouted all fifteen of them at the same time when they saw the ivory and metallic yellow Fox with a set of tails spread out like a Peacock's train. The Kitsune, which was indeed Gandalf, then sent Jadis careening towards a tree trunk where he deliberately slammed her head hard against the bark. The Witch, stunned from the impact, then slumped to the foot of the tree, dazed. As soon the Witch was down and stunned, the nine-tailed Fox snapped his orange-eyed glare at the cronies of Jadis as they prepared to attack the newcomer. Amanita, however, had dived into hiding to avoid being seen by the patriarch of the Kitsune species.
Kushanku and the others all dived behind a leafless bush as Gandalf began to unleash his fury on Jadis's cronies as they rushed to attack him. The fifteen watched on as the centuries-old Kitsune retaliated full force against the cronies with his fighting skills and powers he had developed over more than 900 years since his transformation from a Regular Fox by Aslan along with Kyukon shortly after Narnia's creation. Some of the cronies, among them Wolves, Patasola and Manticores were flung backwards in an aqua blue aura enclosing them as Gandalf, his eyes also flashing aqua blue, telekinetically flung these foes towards the tree trunks and the large rock face and slammed them hard into the hard surfaces. Romulus was flung telekinetically towards a tree branch when he tried pouncing onto Gandalf from behind only to be seized in the Kitsune's mental grasp. Kushanku and company flinched harshly when Gandalf psychokinetically and powerfully slammed the Wolf's neck against the outstretched arm, snapping his neck and killing him instantly. The Wolf's body then flopped limply onto the snow, lifeless. More of Jadis's cronies were telekinetically flung against the trees and rock faces where they were either stunned or killed on impact. A Futakuchi-onna was flung against a rock face by Gandalf's telekinesis where she suffered a broken arm. Then Gandalf began to blast a few more of the cronies with his foxfire. Screams of terror erupted from Jadis's cronies as they fled getting fatally charred by Gandalf's fire-lighting which flowed in the form of yellow plasmatic energy beams from the Kitsune's paws at them, fatally incinerating any of them into blackened carcasses on contact. One pair of Wolves who were Nanu's parents, was caught in a blast of Gandalf's foxfire and cooked instantly into two blackened Wolf corpses. Several evil Nekomata were also incinerated. Gandalf, not wanting to use his foxfire too much for it tired him out if he used it excessively, then resorted to using another power some of his descendants such as Tuvok possessed; fire breath, only it was FAR more powerful due to his age. He blasted blue fire from his mouth at some of Krampus's toy minions including some pseudo-Cherub dolls and charred them black as well, and the gingerbread men were turned to blackened sugar lumps on contact. One gingerbread man tried to plunge its candy cane spear into Gandalf's back from above but the nine-tailed Fox snapped his gaze at the candy figure and charred it with his blue fire. Kushanku and company looked on in astonishment.
"I didn't know Mr Gandalf could breathe fire like some of his descendants," said Alexandrite in awe. She flinched as a blackened Manticore carcass was flung at a tree near them. Some Vampires and Wendigoes were also incinerated by Gandalf's blue fire.
Then after using his fire, Gandalf began to physically attack more of Jadis's minions by using his tails, jaws and paws skilfully. One Black Dwarf was whacked hard in the face by a swing of Gandalf's tails and flung against a tree trunk where he slammed into it and slid to the foot of the tree and a Wendigo was kicked square in the face by a bolting of Gandalf's back feet, and Gandalf bit down hard on the hoof of an attacking Carcasus, forcing the skeletal Pegasus to back away, injured. Then Gandalf launched into a speedy run and began to charge around some more of the creatures, among them a few more Wolves, Carcusi, Tenome, Incubi, Succubi, Vampires and Manticores. Kushanku, Nyarth, Satoshi, Sandstorm, Ryn, Crystal, Snowwing, Dahlia, Alexandrite, Paddy, Link, Cyril, Azula, Desdemona and Molayne watched on from behind their bush as Gandalf rushed around the group, faster, and faster, until he moved so fast that he resembled an ivory and metallic yellow comet. The cronies tried to follow the Kitsune's speedy movement but because Gandalf was moving so fast, they were beginning to get extremely dizzy.
"I heard Mr Gandalf had used that ability to confound even that Father Christmas-impersonating beast Krampus and attack him at some point before we met him," said Ryn as she watched in amazement as Gandalf continued whizzing around the cronies. Then as soon as the cronies were severely dazed, Gandalf suddenly pulled out of his speedy dash, lunged at them and savagely mauled them. Kushanku and company turned their faces away to avoid watching the gruesome scene, especially as Gandalf viciously mauled a Nekomata to death. The remaining cronies, terrified at the Kitsune's immense power and fighting capabilities, retreated to Jadis as she shook off her dizziness from the impact of her head against the tree trunk. She rose to her feet and glared maliciously at Gandalf as he snapped a Vampire's neck to kill it with his jaws like a Jaguar dispatching its prey. Amanita peered out from behind a tree and flinched as she watched the nine-tailed Fox kill the Vampire and dropped its dead body onto the snow. Not wanting to be confronted by the truly matured Kitsune and his immense power, the nine-tailed Nogitsune turned tail and fled, but not before Gandalf glimpsed her white nine tails as they thrashed at the air during her escape. The moment the Kitsune spotted the Nogitsune and her nine tails, a wave of grief, the BIGGEST one her had EVER felt, swept through him but he pushed those thoughts aside and turned to face Jadis once again.
Kushanku, Nyarth, Satoshi, Sandstorm, Ryn, Crystal, Snowwing, Dahlia, Alexandrite, Paddy, Link, Azula, Cyril, Desdemona and Molayne all crept out of their hiding place and approached Gandalf as he fanned his tails at the Witch as the huge Humanoid approached him, an icy smirk marking her face.
"Well, well, if it ain't that smarty-tails Gandalf," crooned the Witch mockingly as she sauntered like a false and evil Snow Lioness towards the Kitsune, "Not come to try and fight me, eh? You know I'm totally immune to your telekinesis, foxfire, fire breath and speed attacks, like how one of your sons who had also been a nine-tailed Fox had tried to attack me only for me to overpower him and turn him to stone."
Gandalf bared his teeth and began to viciously and threateningly growl at Jadis when his onyx eyes which were flashing orange, caught-sighted some familiar forms. However, he identified them without turning his head their way to look straight at them.
"Kushanku, folks," said the Kitsune seriously, "get outa here right NOW while I hold her off."
"But Mr Gandalf," protested Satoshi, "You know you'll not stand a chance against that Devil Woman!"
"Think of the demise of one of your nine-tailed sons when he tried taking her on!" put in Kushanku. Gandalf, however, was aware that he would not be able to stand a chance against the Witch but he knew he had to hold her off for Kushanku and company to get to safety. The Witch then prepared her wand, her face morphing from a taunting look to a look of acidic outrage and pure rancour. Just then some aqua blue auras appeared around some of Kushanku and company and before they knew it, they were levitated off the ground. Sandstorm, Satoshi and Ryn were also levitated off the ground but not by a telekinetic grasp, but by the hands of beings made purely of air. Kushanku, as he levitated in an aqua blue aura, shot confused glances this way and that until his eyes landed on a Sphinx as she hovered in the air, her eyes glowing blue. Ptériga, who had Cedrus, Thundersparx and Trotterhoof riding on her back, had come to pick up Kushanku and company and carry them to safety while a couple of Sylphs, beings of the air, had seized Sandstorm, Satoshi and Ryn to carry to safety. Gandalf's helpers who had come with him upon spotting the migrating crowd in danger, had left to help the others to escape the Witch's vicinity.
As they were lifted towards Ptériga and company, the Sylphs carrying Sandstorm, Satoshi and Ryn, Kushanku gazed back at Gandalf as he continued to confront Jadis. The Kitsune first blocked Jadis's attempt to telepathically assault him like she had done to Thundersparx by flashing his eyes white just as she flashed hers white in an attempt to project her HIGHLY immoral thoughts into Gandalf's mind. When Jadis saw that Gandalf was blocking her psychic attack, she aborted it and prepared her wand.
"Gandalf, PLEASE, come with us!" cried Kushanku desperately as Thundersparx took him onto Ptériga's back the moment the Sphinx had telekinetically lifted him and the others them close to her while the two Sylphs kept a hold on Sandstorm, Satoshi and Ryn as they also tearfully watched Gandalf as he continued to confront Jadis. Gandalf flashed a glance at the Sphinx and the others.
"Take Kushanku and the others to safety," commanded the Kitsune, "While I keep this Devil Woman at bay."
"Please come with us, Gandalf!" cried Kushanku again, his eyes beginning to stream tears. Satoshi, Ryn, Sandstorm and Nyarth also began to weep as Gandalf continued to glare at Jadis.
"You certainly are a foolish Fox despite being over 900 years old, aren't ya, Kitsune?" crooned the Witch as she prepared her wand, before her voice tone faded to one of threat, which she uttered gutturally, "Now I'm gonna give you to the count of three to either get your mangy Kitsune tails outa my sight... OR face my fury! One…"
"Look, you NEED to continue your journey, Kushanku, folks," barked Gandalf in a more desperate voice, knowing Jadis's attack was imminent.
"Two," said Jadis.
"My journey ends here but yours goes on," continued Gandalf and with that, he turned to face Jadis. Kushanku and a few others began to weep all the more. Then when 'Three' escaped Jadis's mouth, the Witch twirled her wand and shot it forward at Gandalf, casting her petrification spell at the nine-tailed Kitsune, the white-blue energy shooting out of her icicle-like wand's tip. Gandalf countered by thrusting his paws forward and sending a golden yellow stream of plasmatic foxfire from them at Jadis. The two forces of energy clashed in the middle of the foes and formed a two-layered, vertical pancake in the middle.
Kushanku, Nyarth, Satoshi, Sandstorm, Ryn, Crystal, Snowwing, Dahlia, Alexandrite, Paddy, Link, Cyril, Azula, Desdemona and Molayne watched on as Gandalf, his eyes glowing yellow from his foxfire use, strained as hard as he could to keep the energy blast of Jadis's petrification spell away from him with his foxfire for as long as possible while Jadis was straining to push her spell towards Gandalf. The result was a push-of-war between the Witch and the nine-tailed Kitsune and the two began to struggle to push the pancake towards each other with Jadis trying to force it towards Gandalf and vice versa, resulting in the energy pancake moving back and forth. But because excessive use of foxfire was a Kitsune's Achilles heel, even for a 900-plus-year-old, fully matured one like Gandalf and Kyukon, Gandalf was fighting a losing battle which he had anticipated, but he still exerted all the energy he had in fighting against Jadis's petrification spell. Then within moments, the pancake was beginning to move back in the Kitsune's direction as Jadis was beginning to overpower him, and as foxfire usage was beginning to cause fatigue to well within Gandalf. Gandalf continued to struggle harder and harder despite the pancake approaching him as Jadis forced it towards him. His eyes were screwed shut and his teeth were gritted, and he was grunting fiercely with effort as he exerted every ounce of strength he could muster to keep the pancake from him but this was becoming more and more difficult as the foxfire usage was sapping him of that strength. Kushanku and company continued to watch from above.
"He's starting to get tired," said Dahlia worriedly. The group watched on in horror as Jadis continued to force the bi-layered pancake of her spell and Gandalf's foxfire back towards the weakening Kitsune. Gandalf continued to expel every last ounce of his strength using his foxfire to counter Jadis's petrification spell but eventually, his strength gave out and the pancake was forced back against him. An explosion erupted and Gandalf was propelled towards the large rock face where he crashed hard against the stony surface before flopping to the foot of it, severely exhausted. Although Kitsune, especially older ones such as Gandalf, had an acceleratory healing factor and thus the ability to heal their injuries as quick as the properties of Fire-Flower cordial, and so could recover from wounds quite quickly, over-exhaustion from overuse of foxfire prevented the Kitsune from using this ability and because of this; Gandalf was unable to recover from his overuse of foxfire and as a result, he was now extremely vulnerable.
The Witch, after overpowering the Kitsune, then strode towards the downed and severely exhausted Gandalf as he struggled to rise to his feet, his front legs shaking under the weight of his body and giving away, causing the Kitsune's upper body to collapse onto the floor. Then as the Witch's cronies and Kushanku's group watched on, the Witch stopped before Gandalf and twirled her wand-sceptre elegantly. Then before Gandalf could realise what was happening, he was run through the chest by the Witch's sceptre, making him go rigid as he stiffened in agony from the fatal blow.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" screamed Kushanku and a number of others in tears as they watched the Witch fatally impale Gandalf with her wand which can sometimes be used like a spear as well as a magic casting tool. Gandalf then flashed Kushanku and company one last pleading gaze as his life ebbed away, and that gaze read, "Get out of here, NOW! Get to Archenland and stay there until the Aslan brings the Dawn of Spring."
Kushanku began to scream hysterically as he and the others including Cedrus, Ptériga, Thundersparx and Trotterhoof and the two Sylphs as they held Satoshi, Sandstorm and Ryn watched on as Gandalf finally breathed his last. His head dropped and the Kitsune became still as the Witch withdrew her sword-like wand, its icy tip running and dripping with his blood. Then Ptériga felt it was time to flee.
"Hang on, my riders," commanded the Sphinx and with that, she prepared to launch into a rapid flight to flee while the two Sylphs prepared to carry the other three who were also in hysterics for Gandalf, after her. However, Kushanku, the immense grief at the loss of Gandalf still gripping him, did not want to leave the Witch to take Gandalf's corpse as a trophy. Alexandrite, despite the immense anguish over Gandalf's death at the hands of Jadis also boiling within her, began to try and snap him out of it.
"Come on, Kushanku," said she as her eyes sent rivers of tears down her cheeks, "We need to leave for Archenland as Mr Gandalf commanded. Mr Gandalf's gone."
Kushanku continued to sob and wail and refuse to comply as Ptériga began to leave. Then Fury Mode exploded within the Nekomata and his eyes flashed red-orange once again. His fur puffed out and the insatiable urge to launch himself off of Ptériga's back to fly at the Witch and savagely attack her in revenge for Gandalf's death brutally took hold.
"I DO NOT WANNA LEAVE FOR ARCHENLAND!" he bellowed, his red eyes still oozing tears, "I WANNA KILL THAT SNOW MAGGOT!"
And with that, and to the alarm of Trotterhoof and company, Kushanku twisted his tails and took off from Ptériga's back, much to the Sphinx's alarm. Immediately, she stopped her course and turned round.
"Kushanku, GET BACK HERE!" she bellowed.
"We MUST LEAVE FOR ARCHENLAND!" put in Cedrus as he held on to Nyarth to prevent him from falling off Ptériga's back.
"Yes, just as Gandalf commanded us to," added Thundersparx. However, Kushanku did not hear them and continued flying in the direction of the Witch, his eyes still flaring red-orange. Then one of the Sylphs handed Ryn to Ptériga who took hold of the sister of the enraged Nekomata in her paws and tore after Kushanku like a gust of wind.
Kushanku continued flying in the direction of the Witch when he felt hands made of pure air seize him by the nape and spinning forked tail. When the young Nekomata noticed this, he exploded into a violent paddy.
"LET ME GO!" he screamed, "I WANNA FLAY THAT SNOW SERPENT!"
"Look, that Snow Beast is TOO DANGEROUS and TOO POWERFUL for you to take on, young Nekomata," demanded the Sylph as she struggled to restrain the writhing and Fury Mode-fuelled Kushanku, "NOW SNAP OUT OF IT AND LET'S LEAVE FOR ARCHENLAND RIGHT NOW!"
Kushanku; his red-orange eyes still oozing a huge river of tears down his cheeks, continued struggling and writhing in the Sylph's grasp in an attempt to free himself and throw himself at the Witch to savagely claw her. Then an aqua blue aura enclosed the writhing Nekomata and the Sylph and they were pulled towards Ptériga who was using her telekinesis based on her glowing blue eyes to return Kushanku to the others. Kushanku continued flailing, wailing and screaming like a Nekomata possessed until he was finally back in the safety of the Sphinx's reach. This done, Cedrus seized the Nekomata and pulled him into a tight hug, along with Thundersparx, Nyarth and several others on Ptériga's back as the Sphinx then launched into a flight with the two Sylphs, one of them still carrying Satoshi and Sandstorm. The trio was desperate to put some distance between themselves and the Witch as well as get to Archenland with the other evacuees. However, they had someone in mind that they wanted Kushanku and the others to see first.
As the two Sylphs and Ptériga continued to fly away, Kushanku sobbed hard into the weeping Cedrus's shoulder while Alexandrite came in and nuzzled against his face, a massive stream of tears running down her cheeks. Trotterhoof, Thundersparx, Nyarth, Crystal, Snowwing, Dahlia, Paddy, Azula, Link, Cyril, Desdemona and Molayne also joined in the hug along with Satoshi and Sandstorm as the pair were carried to them by the Sylph. The other Sylph also took Ryn from Ptériga's front paws to allow her to join in the hug as well, their eyes also sending a stream of tears of anguish and grief from Gandalf's demise down their cheeks as well. This comforting group hug from his friends and siblings was enough to snap Kushanku out of his Fury Mode and return his eyes to their usual colour as he continued to break down. As she flew along and carried the group on her back, Ptériga also wept. She had known Gandalf since the beginning of the Eternal Winter and the Witch's reign, along with Kyukon, and had been one of the Kitsune couple's closest friends, and the two Sylphs were also grieving for Gandalf as well. However, the grieving for the Kitsune who had been forced to sacrifice his life to save Kushanku and the others, as well as the other migrating Narnians, would have to wait as Ptériga knew she had to get Kushanku and the others to safety as soon as possible.
Back in the area where Kushanku and company had had their fiercest battle in their lives, the Witch, her wand still soaked with Gandalf's blood, glared without a sliver of remorse at Gandalf's now-lifeless body, his nine tails sprawled out like silk scarves behind it in the snow. As she did that, her cronies gathered around her, among them Pazu, the leader of the Shadows. As they did that, many of the cronies also gathered around their fallen comrades, among them Aku No the Tenome who had suffered a fatal head injury at the talons of Cyril when he slammed her several times against the rock face, much to the other Tenome's anguish; Romulus and his mate much to the grief of the Wolf pack; and Scar and Malefor the Manticores who had been slain by Satoshi and Kushanku respectively, much to the grief of the Manticore pack. Ganondorf the Lizard-Man leader, however, was still alive but he was in a right state. Padparadchsa's savage attack on him had left him in a bloody and scratched mess, and he was wincing from the pains of his wounds as he was being tended to by his Lizard-Men underlings, and the Siren-Head that had been fatally shot by Crystal, and the dead Mimicbirds and the Hag who had tortured Azula with a voodoo doll shaped like a Kirin, were also being seen to. A small group of Bonehead Crawlers, Xenojaws, Slender-Men, Siren-Heads and the Giants on Jadis's side then began to start to pick up the bodies of the fallen cronies to take back to Jadis's palace for burial. While the skull-like headed crawlers and company did that, Amanita approached Jadis as she continued to glare at Gandalf's dead body, two Black Dwarves, a Carcasus, and an Incubus (singular of Incubi, the male Spectre-Bat-Harpies) flanking her while some Fiend-Fairyflies buzzed just above the Nogitsune.
"Your Majesty," said Amanita, "What are you intending to do to that nine-tailed Fox?"
Jadis stood up and thought for a while as she continued to glare at Gandalf's deceased body, her eyes on the nine tails sprawled out like beautiful snakes of ivory and metallic yellow silk behind the Fox's rump.
"Well, I was gonna make this nine-tailed Fox a part of my collection of statues," said the Witch at last, "but because I have been forced to kill him when he wouldn't behave, I'm afraid that is out of the question. However…" a devilish smirk formed on the Witch's bone-white face as an idea formed into her beyond-corrupted, psychotic mind, "I have something else planned for this Fox."
Amanita and her friends gazed at the Witch as she turned to a Bonehead-Crawler as it carried Malefor's carcass to a Slender-Man to carry.
"Zugaikotsu," called the giant Humanoid. The Bonehead-Crawler with this name pulled himself along with his arms, the only pair of limbs all Bonehead-Crawlers had for they did not have legs, and approached the Witch, prostrating himself the instant he was before her before rising to face his mistress.
"Take this Kitsune's body with us," commanded the Witch, "I'm gonna make use of his nine tails while the rest of his body will be processed into meat in order for us to celebrate our triumph in defeating the patriarch of the Kitsune species."
Zugaikotsu nodded obediently and without question, he seized Gandalf's body and whisked it away. After the Bonehead-Crawler left with Gandalf's carcass in tow, Amanita turned to the Witch.
"Well, what now, Your Majesty?" the nine-tailed Nogitsune asked, "Now that those migrators have gone, what are we gonna do?"
"Let's return to my palace and we'll discuss it there," replied the Witch nonchalantly, "Furthermore, I could do with synthesising a new crown to replace the one that fork-tailed Feline Rat destroyed." She then turned to Amanita.
"Gather everyone else and command them that we're returning to my castle," she ordered. Amanita nodded in obedience and left to carry out the command. The Witch gazed in the direction of Kushanku and company's departure one last time before finally turning and leaving after her followers as soon as they had gathered every last body of their fallen comrades including the torn and trampled remains of Krampus's toy minions who had been destroyed by Kushanku's group during the battle.