A/N: Welcome back, to part II of "Prophecy". This will be a climactic chapter indeed, and I hope you'll find it exciting!
Soundtracks: (chronologically!)
Tundra – Jeremy Soule
Federkleid – Faun
Hamrer Hippyer – Heilung (attack during section 3)
Read on, and enjoy!
"A feast? Are you sure?" Peter's doubtful voice sounded by the large table over breakfast. Caspian rested his elbows on the table, chin resting on his entwined hands.
"Mm, yes. Now that the snowstorm has subsided, and the ground is green once again, along with the thriving crops, I think a celebration is just what the people need." He said, meeting the gaze of Edmund and Lucy, both listening ardently.
"I agree with Caspian. It's a perfect opportunity to gather court in celebration!" Lucy agreed ardently.
"So, like an Equinox feast, then?" Edmund added.
"Yes, I suppose."
"Brilliant!"
Continuing their breakfast over small talk, a guard entered the room, and bowed before the royals.
"Your Majesties, Professor Cornelius requested a meeting with him in his lordship's study."
"Now?" Caspian asked as he turned towards the guard.
"Yes, preferably. He let me know it was urgent."
Caspian wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Very well."
He dismissed the guard, and the two Queens and three Kings made their way to Caspian's study.
Entering the study, Cornelius had donned his cape over a chair, and he was filthy as he was tired.
"Professor, what's going on?" Caspian asked his old mentor, inspecting him for injuries.
"I am fine, my boy. I only hope you can forgive an old man for doing a bidding without consulting with my King beforehand," the old man explained before he dug into his rucksack and handed Caspian the scroll of paper and the key. Caspian accepted it but looked up with a puzzled look ever the same.
"I rode back to Voytek's settlement to retrieve what he asked of me. He assured me it would be of use to you."
Caspian opened the scroll and looked at the rubbing of charcoal.
Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy stepped forward to inspect the rubbing.
"Is that-?" Susan began as she peered over his arm.
"Constellations, yes." Cornelius aided her as she was handed the scroll.
"I found it on a wall inside a small cave, it was well-sealed away. With the use of the key, I was able to find it and take a rubbing."
"But why would Voytek have a star constellation in his cave?"
"My dear girl, that…" Cornelius said, and pointed towards the scroll, "is the location of the next piece of Jadis' wand."
Edmund, Caspian and Susan looked up at him, whilst Peter and Lucy studied the scroll.
"Professor, are you sure?" Edmund asked the half-dwarf. Cornelius looked at the young King with tired grey eyes.
"Voytek revealed to me in confidence that there was traces to be found in his settlement, and so I rode back to find those very traces. He said he spoke untruthfully for your own protection, when he told you he did not know of any other artefacts." Cornelius explained, then looked down to the floor as a wave of grief struck him - he had grown fond of the polar bear.
"We ought to let Glenstorm analyse this …" Susan suggested quietly, looking towards both Peter and Caspian, who both shared glances.
She handed back the scroll to Caspian.
. . .
After assembling the great centaur, he was quickly informed of the scroll's origin, and why they needed it analysed. Glenstorm hummed as he delicately opened the scroll and looked at it in silence.
Centaurs spent whole lifetimes studying the starts and constellations, and, being the only race in all of Narnia that could interpret the Dance of the Stars, gave them foresight into certain events of the future. Glenstorm could be seen standing on the training field before morning to gaze at the stars.
After what seemed like an eternity, Glenstorm finally spoke.
"My liege, may I have a map?" he requested in his deep voice. Caspian mentioned to the map on the study table, and Glenstorm grasped the quill in the ink well, and marked Archenland on the map.
"This constellation can be seen from the great dessert, falling over Anvard at night. Drawing the stars together will give you a new location…" Glenstorm explained and marked a new location on the map. This time, and unmarked location just outside the Great Desert in the North.
Caspian bent over it to study it.
"There we have it, then…" he murmured as Peter and Edmund came by his shoulder. The unmarked location was in a small water, undocumented and unnamed.
"This will demand some careful planning," Peter agreed with Caspian.
"The stars never lie, your majesties… The only hope I have, is that your White-Marshal spoke the truth. If he did, then this will not be an easy retrieval." Glenstorm told them. Susan shared glances with the wise centaur, hoping they would all come out of this quest with their lives intact.
. . .
The evening after, the court was gathered in the field by the forests in the courtyard. A great feast was held, and tables were filled with food, fruits, wine and kegs, almost brimming over with delicacies. Torches were lit, and a tent was raised for people to sit and eat. A small band was gathered inside playing various instruments.
A large bonfire was lit, and creatures of Narnia and Telmar danced, sang and drank in joy that the snowstorm had ended, and summer had taken over once again.
Drums, lutes and flutes sounded over the feast, filling people's hearts with joy.
Lucy and Susan were currently dancing with a handful of fauns and dryads by the fire, an upbeat drum and flute-tune played by two fauns and a minotaur.
Caspian was stood by the tent in the company of two lords, stealing glances at Susan as she danced with utmost grace. Her white long-sleeved dress fanned around her as she spun, and her long hair braided down into a French plait, white and red flowers braided into the long plait. She was divine.
The two lords noticed his fleeting gaze, and lord Lucian, remarked where his King's gaze ran off to. Lucian was Caspian's age, and had grown up with him and attended lessons with him, though their families were not connected. Despite his lower position, Caspian considered Lucian a friend.
"Caspian, my lord, why don't you go over and talk to her?" he asked him, giving him a small, yet encouraging nudge. Caspian looked at him deliriously.
"Trust me, she does not want that," he replied quickly before taking a zip of his wine, looking away.
"Oh, is the Gentle Queen not responding to you charms?" Lucian asked wittily, earning himself a chuckle from lord Adriann. Caspian cocked a brow his way.
"No, it's not that, I…" he sighed. "It's complicated." Caspian replied, his answer quiet, yet truthful. He still hadn't talked to her in private after that morning. And when they did talk in public, she was highly formal with him, treating him as her King, and not her friend. It was hurtful, he had to admit. This was not the Susan he knew and cherished.
"I see," Caspian's dark-haired friend replied. From his King's curt answers, he had a subtle feeling there was more to their connection than harmless flirtations. No, he knew Caspian, and he had never seen heartache in the man's eyes until now. He knew the feeling and could tell from Caspian's longing gaze towards Susan by the fire that what they had was deep.
It was sad to seem him like this.
"Well, if that is the case, then maybe I have a chance with the Archer Queen?" Lord Adriann stated with a playful smirk before taking a generous zip of his ale. Lucian snorted less delicately than intended, the alcohol becoming him less and less by each goblet.
"You, Adriann? Hardly – I have a feeling the Queen appreciates a man who knows how to take care of a woman. You, I fear, would take care of her by boring her to death." Lucian argued, raising a straight brow. He was hinting to Lord Adriann's overly time-consuming interest in ontology. Caspian had to restrain himself from rolling his eyes.
"My friends, trust me when I say she can handle herself well, and then some," he assured them both. They shared a brief gaze, before turning back to Caspian.
"Oh, I don't doubt that for a second. I've seen her with her bow, lost a long-range match to her, in fact. Lethal, quick and beautiful – a vision I could gaze upon any day." Adriann said, his green eyes sparkling truthfully. Lucian tilted his head to the side and studied Susan's figure as she moved to the rhythm of the drums, a dryad flickering around her. Despite appreciating her curves and assumingly long legs hiding under the dress, he wasn't all to sure.
"Mmh, I prefer my women less … Fiery, in truth. Much easier to please. Women with more spark happen to be high maintenance, in my experience," Lucian explained, having both Caspian and Adriann look at him with large eyes.
"You've had one too many, I think, Lucian," Caspian told his friend, taking the goblet off his hands.
"Easy for you to say, Caspian, you've had a taste of her already," Lucian slurred slightly, having Caspian freeze where he stood. His pulse beat strongly in his ears.
Where had he learned of this?
"So, tell me; did her kiss give you any insight, even after three years?" he wanted to know. Caspian exhaled the breath he didn't realize he had held in. Ah, that.
"Yes, but nothing I'll share with you lads," Caspian replied, and emptied his goblet. "Now, excuse me."
"Oh, come on now!" they both protested as he left them.
"Get your gossip elsewhere, you womenfolk!" Caspian said as he backed away and shot them both a mischievous smile.
Edmund and Peter were currently engaged in eager conversation with general Adranos, two guards, and Rhea the female guard along with Trumpkin, all ardently listening in on Edmund's rendition of the fight between the crew and the sea serpent upon the Dawn Treader:
"It was truly brilliant. Drinian and Drinian pulled the beast's head down with the crew, with a strength of ten bears! It screeched ever so enraged, and threatened to throw us all over board, when-" Caspian approached behind Edmund, smiling as he listened in on the story. Knowing his best friend, Edmund's modesty would leave out the part where he courageously defeated the serpent alone with the help of Rhindon, destroying the Mist with it. Ah well, he would shoot that part in – Edmund's victory deserved to be heard, and so much more.
Hearing an intense buzzing sound, alike the song of cicadas, Caspian stopped in his tracks to identify the sound. He brushed away the suspicion of it simply being in very own head as he saw several other court member's halting their actions and looking about.
Susan and Lucy found each other and were to discuss the sound when the flames from the large bonfire crackled unusually aloud. The flickering flames and dancing embers drew their attention as the flames flickered aggressively for unknown reason. Susan's instinct told them to back away from the fire, and as she was to pull Lucy with her, the flames erupted into a bright cyan colour with an explosion of fire large enough to throw the people closest to the bonfire into the air.
Screams, shouts and chaos was the next to come to light.
The explosion was caused by a teleporting character, now stepping out of the flames that still flickered blue.
It was a woman, tall and ancient. Not ancient because of age, but of manners. She walked like a prideful deer, her long legs ghosting across the grass. Her posture that of a noble, yet her sharp chin was tucked against her chest as she scanned the area with light-green eyes, so light they almost shimmered golden. Her dark, thin brows were set down into a deep frown, highlighting her dangerous gaze as she quickly looked about. Those that had been in range of the explosion scrambled up on their feet, those who could that was, and people rushed about as they saw the woman walking from the flames (A/N: Imagine a resemblance to Eva Green)
Susan helped a few young ladies up on their feet as Lucy scrambled up. She heard people rushing to their aids, Peter now approaching her.
But, before he managed to get to her, his eyes fixated on the being before him.
The woman's silver hair floated in the sky around her like a veil, as did her silver-silk dress. Men unsheathed their swords, as did the Kings. The woman approaching the crowd smirked at the sight and raised her hands. Thick, cloudy smoke was conjured from her palms, and the wisps of black smoke flew into the air, going every direction.
As the wisps of smoke landed on the ground, creatures as boggles, ghouls and goblins surrounded appeared as the smoke dissolved. The woman had conjured up dozens upon dozens of creatures, ready to serve her every command. Said woman bore a grin upon her face;
"The girl is mine! The rest… Finish them off!" the woman shouted before dissolving into smoke. More screams could be heard as the creatures attacked the people.
Caspian and Peter shared a quick glance before the Telmarine King looked over to Adranos and Caine.
"The Queens are unarmed! Protect them!" he ordered, and so, Lucy and Susan were pushed into a circle protected by guards with lances, swords and shields. Susan held Lucy close as they could do nothing but watch as the attack happened before their eyes.
Peter, Edmund and Caspian fought bravely and effectively, killing off any creature that came their way and threatened people around them.
A boggle sprinted Caspian's way, his axe held securely between his paws. His mouth salivated as a pig-like scream escaped the creature.
Prepared to face the creature, Caspian locked weapons with him and pushed him back. Squealing, the boggle staggered.
A sudden tornado of black smoke was conjured before Susan and Lucy's eyes, and the tall woman appeared. Grasping Lucy by her neck with her slender fingers, a red flicker erupted from her palm as she held up her free arm towards Susan. Before she was able to protest, the spell hit her and the guards behind her with such force it once again threw them on their backs further away. A sound off! escaped Susan's lips as she sat up in a hurry. Seeing her sister being assailed by the sorceress and hauled away towards the bonfire, Susan called out her name in alarm once blue flames danced around the woman and Lucy.
Knowing she was about the teleport, Susan grabbed a sword from a nearby dead noble, stood up on her legs, and ran to rescue her sister.
Caspian, Peter and Edmund froze when they heard Susan's call, and their eyes landed on the eruption of flames that appeared around the woman and their little sister.
"NO!" Peter shouted as he sliced the throat of a goblin and ran downwards towards his sisters.
Caspian, distracted for a moment as he saw Lucy captured in a vice grip, didn't hear the alert call of his name before he felt an extremely painful sting across his right cheekbone and brow.
A ghoul had sliced across his face with a shiv, making him stagger and fall back. Edmund was witness to the scene and ran to his aid. His sword true, he dug his sword into the ghoul's back and killed him where he stood.
Caspian jumped up on his legs and lifted his hand to ease the sting on his face. Blood coated his palm as he did so. Leaving it for now, he wiped away the blood from his eye, and moved on with Edmund.
So close, yet so far, Susan had to cut her way past a goblin that threatened her path to Lucy. Parrying him firstly, she then stabbed his stomach and then spun to slice the goblin's long throat.
"Su-" Lucy managed to call out, before the flames danced around the sorceress and young Queen, engulfing them whole. The blue flames then subsided, and with nothing more to it, they were gone, leaving nothing but silent, flickering flames of gold.
Lucy was gone.
Susan cried out at the loss. Her brothers and Caspian appeared in her vision, and together, driven by despair, they bravely fought off the rest of the summoned creatures.
Once Peter had killed off the very last once, the panic died down. It was uncertain how many had died in the attack, but by the look of the scattered bodies across the fields, far too many had perished.
"Susan!" Peter called as he jogged over to his sister, engulfing her in a hug.
Panting in panic, she looked towards the fire once he let her go.
"She was… I- I couldn't-! But, how, she was right there!" Susan rambled in her frightened state, anxiety taking over. Her little sister, gone.
"Sue, it's alright, it's okay…" Peter cooed to try and calm her, but she was inconsolable.
"We lost her…!" Susan exclaimed in tears as she forcefully threw the sword on the ground with a grunt. Now sobbing quietly, Peter brought her against his chest to ease her suffering and self-loathing.
"Why… Why did it have to end this way?" Susan sobbed against his chest, his own tears streaking down his cheeks. Edmund and Caspian shared a sorrowful gaze. Mirthfully, Edmund handed Caspian a cloth to press on his bleeding brow and cheek.
Susan lost strength in her legs and fell to her knees, Peter still holding her close as he fell with her. He sniffled once as he rested his chin on the top of her head.
It pained Caspian to see her so filled with sorrow, and he wondered how he was able to suppress the great sadness filling him as well. He wanted nothing more than to be able to bring Lucy back, to know what could have been done to prevent the attack that happened.
The question lingering on everyone's mind was this: what would they do now?
A/N:
And so, it begins. It's mostly Godspeed from this chapter out, so expect adventure, drama and excitement from now on. If not, slight gore x.x
But, we shall prevail, one way or another!
I'll see you soon!
Dragon
