The Beast Must Die: Chapter 13
"Where…where are we?"
Shut up, fool! In a short time you will cease to exist, and I shall fully control this body of yours! You have precious few moments to live; I wouldn't waste them asking petty questions!
Varco could indeed feel himself slowly growing weaker. The power that once fed him, that once gave him the opportunity for revenge now was draining him like a leech. It had become strong enough to control him all the time now. What hade come in friendship so many days ago now consumed him, he felt himself slowly draining away…nothing left…wait! He felt power returning! Slowly at first, now stronger, like a light slowly coming closer…still closer…suddenly the purple haze dissipated, and he could see…though not quite normally. The darkness Power still made him able to see in pitch blackness…and it was in pitch blackness that he stood.
Looking around him in pitch blackness he realized he was standing in front of a huge gathering, like one he'd never seen before. All hooded and robed, all swaying, all facing the stage upon which he was now standing. Beside him stood two or three elder hooded figures, one old gray-haired man and…could it be! The four human Pevensies of Cair Paravel also stood before the gathering, bound hand and foot, guarded on either side by two huge black-robed brethren. Varco recognized the littler girl, she stood, much like the others, wide eyed but totally blind; and of the four, terror was etched most strongly across her face. He had to turn away, his eyes scanned the crowded room. At the center of the huge subterranean hall an altar-shaped globe glowed brilliantly and darkly. The seething dark-redness seemed to throb in time to the crowd's rhythmic chanting…a song that sounded chillingly familiar. However, there seemed to be something else…something else entirely. A different force he could feel coming closer, giving him clarity, giving him control again, now the source of this force appeared at the end of the room! What was it? A man? Another Racomine?
It was a lion. The Beast had arrived.
Aslan faced the crowd, whether he could see them or not Varco could not tell, but when he spoke, he seemed to fill the entire place with his voice. His words reverberated in Varco's head.
"I seek Lucy of Cair Paravel! I have followed her trail of blood from the Stone Table to here, and now I will have her back!" The robed figures standing closest to this gigantic majestic animal now drew back in fear, almost in shame. They all perhaps at that moment would have gone home right then and there and given up, but the grey-haired man rose to face him, and spoke from the stage.
"Welcome, Aslan the Great…To the Gathering of the Brethren of the One!"
Varco couldn't believe his ears; that voice! He knew that voice! It was the voice of It! This old man was It!
"I cannot tell you how long I've waited for this moment! We stand here tonight to finish what the Great White Queen started! It is time to answer, oh Great unchallenged Beast, to your successor!"
"I will tolerate this no longer!" again the lion's roaring words consumed the whole room. "You will hand over the children and you will leave! And you, old Manorflaed, you will stand trial for this treason!"
"Oh yes, yes indeed, Aslan…there will be a trial…but not mine! Asnodeth drsschk thiensled VAAS!" Countless years had Manorflaed waited and memorized these words. Countless years had he built this gathering, had he prepared for such a moment as this…now, with the Beast before him…that time was now!
At the grey-haired wizard's spoken command, the glowing sphere of reddish dark light rose, slowly, menacingly, till it almost touched the top of the huge chamber. The orb of the One Dark Power, fed by countless incantations and chants of the One's Faithful brethren now rose above the gathered faithful. All those long drawn-out gatherings, all the promises of a new Narnia of Darkness now began to come to bear before those gathered together. Someone near the wall began to chant, the rest quickly picked up, the hundreds of voices joined now in the familiar Chant of the One. The Orb had been powered since the beginning of time for this purpose, and this purpose alone. Now it was time.
It was time for Aslan to Die.
The Orb flashed out so brilliantly it hurt Varco's eyes, he glanced away, and spotted the four children, now cowering on the floor. The dark red light illuminated their horror-struck faces. Suddenly, a single bolt of pure seething energy protruded from the orb, and, snaking it's way through the air, made for where Aslan was standing.
"Aslan! Noooo!" Lucy was screaming…but it was too late. The power of pure darkness, fed and concentrated for so many centuries now bore down all at once on the Great Lion Himself. He met this attack with an earth-shattering roar, unlike one any of them had heard before. The twisting snack of pure reddish light drew back for an instant, a momentary hesitation, then bore into Aslan himself, striking like a serpent on it's foe. Varco could feel it's effects, he could feel that the clarity Aslan gave him was weakening…he felt It coming back...could it be? The power of the One was now completely filling the Huge expanse of the hall with pure energy. Hatred, evil, pure darkness in energy form completely encompassed Varco, the brethren, the four children, and the Lion. The reddish-purple haze flashed again in Varco's eyes; again he felt himself slipping away…this would be the last time…
A few feet away, Edmund had been twisting in his bonds this entire time, but stopped momentarily and looked around himself now. It seemed his guards were totally transfixed on the orb of energy, and its opponent Aslan. Edmund looked over to see the Racomine, now grimacing and twisting, as if fighting with himself…and dark red light was slowly illuminating his eyes…it looked to him suddenly, and with a mixture of pain and iron will twisting across its face, he reached down to his side where his rusting chainmail held…was that Susan's arrow? Slowly, as if each movement were a struggle, it broke the arrow's head off, and threw it at Edmund's feet! Then, the light blazed strong and full in his eyes, and it acknowledged him no more. Edmund slowly looked down at his feet, at the broken arrow. Slowly he covered it with his foot, then, when nobody was looking, bent down and picked it up. Cradling it in his hands, he slowly began rubbing the sharp end of the arrow tip against the ropes holding his hands. Nobody else noticed him. Everyone, even his siblings stood transfixed on the epic battle unfolding before them…a battle that Aslan was slowly but surely losing.