Disclaimer: I am merely borrowing C. S. Lewis' charming characters and world, and will eventually return them. The only thing that is mine is the plot.
Disclaimer 2: If this story in any way resembles any other fanfiction it is by complete accident, as I go out of my way to avoid reading fanfictions that resemble mine until mine are completed. My apologies to any other great minds.
Author's note: This story is set pre-, during- and post- The Last Battle. I am a first time fanfiction writer and any reviews are appreciated.
Chapter 28: The Lion's Call
Real Narnia
"I found myself here, and then watched most of the end of Narnia from behind you. It didn't feel right to come up and join you at that point," Leona told her audience as she finished her story. Peter, Edmund, Lucy and the others had started out walking along through green meadows as Leona shared her story, but eventually ended up settling down in a glen on the bank of a burbling stream to listen to her.
Peter met her eyes as she looked at him. None of her listeners had interrupted her once during her whole narrative, and she seemed a little uncertain as she waited for a response. Peter knew what she was unwilling to ask him and answered before she had to put it into words.
"I'm not upset at not knowing any of this before, when we were courting," he said. "In a way, I'm glad I didn't know. I think if I had, there would always have been some doubt in my mind about whether I loved you or the girl from Narnia. I already know and love the real you, the fact that we are both Narnian is just one more thing we can share."
Leona's smile was filled with relief and she silently slipped her hand into his. Edmund, Lucy and the others seemed to still be taking the amazing story in and didn't have anything to say. They had gathered a fairly decent crowd while Leona was talking and there were a good twenty to thirty Narnians in the glade with them, some of which they already knew and others that were friends of King Tirian. Prowler had alternated between sitting on Leona's lap and wandering over to the Queen Lucy and Lady Jill, who were more than happy to stroke his soft fur until his purr nearly made the ground vibrate.
"So where were you when we all ruled?" Edmund asked. "If you had been in Narnia then, wouldn't you have at least recognized our names?"
"I didn't spend much time at all in Narnia from the point the White Witch was defeated until well after you all vanished," Leona replied. "Aslan had me in Calormen stirring up trouble. He wanted to make sure that the situation there was unstable enough for the Tisroc to be unwilling to commit an army to conquering Narnia. I only ever saw Peter and that was just the once." She grinned at Peter, who blushed and looked a little uncomfortable.
"I still want to hear that story," Ed said with a mischievous grin. "Anything that can make Peter blush like that has to be good!"
"That story will come out when we have more time," Leona said, taking pity on her beloved who looked anything but keen on having that particular tale recalled. "I may not have spent time in Narnia when you ruled, but Prowler did. I don't know what Aslan had him doing, though."
Prowler stretched out on the grass even further to allow Jill to rub his belly. "I spent three years as one of the Queen Susan's lower messenger pages. It let me stay in the castle to keep an eye on things, but wasn't so busy that I couldn't vanish on occasion if Aslan needed me elsewhere."
The indigo-horned unicorn that had settled himself at King Tirian's side shook his mane and made the first real comment on her story. "There have been legends among the Old Narnians about the Guardian," he said. "I can only hope that when we have the time, you will share some of your tales. If half of the stories I have heard are true, Narnia owes you a great debt indeed."
Leona bowed her head at the unicorn in thanks, and replied, "I have a feeling that my duties are not yet completed."
As if in response to this, a Lion's roar echoed through the air, strong and loud, bouncing off the mountains, rippling through the leaves and sending every living thing trembling as it passed.
"We are summoned," Edmund said, rising to his feet and gazing in the direction the call came from. Everyone, from the humans to the Talking Dogs panting in the shade sat up straighter or rose to their feet. The Eagle sitting on a branch of a nearby bush took to wing with a screech.
"Further up, and further in, we are called!" he cried.
Peter rose as well and pulled Leona up after him. With a look into each others eyes and a shared grin, they took off running, following the Eagle. There was a scramble as the rest of the party followed. It was amazing. Never before had he been able to run this fast! The ground flew beneath his feet and the Eagle overhead could make no better time. It had been years since Peter had run just for the sake of running, and no matter how hard he ran, he never got out of breath or tired. Aslan's roar pulled him like a scrap of iron to a lodestone.
As he ran, he noticed others running beside them, joining their party from all directions. It seemed that the newcomers were not the only ones Aslan summoned. Everything in this whole world had been called to one place for one purpose. He could vaguely recognize his surroundings and knew that in Old Narnia, they were nearly to the Valley of Beruna. He topped a rise and saw their destination spread out before him in a breathtaking vista. Beruna Valley had always impressed him, with the sheer cliff on one end and the mountains rising to challenge the sky. The bowl shaped valley had hosted more battles than any other place in Narnia. Here in Real Narnia it would host the final battle.
He could see people running from all directions to meet on the edges of the valley. Most stopped at the edge and simply stood there, waiting. Peter and the other humans still felt the urge to go further and did not stop running until they stopped at Aslan's feet where he stood on the bluff overlooking the valley. He could see ranks upon ranks of human men and women standing behind Aslan facing the valley. Peter even recognized some of them, King Caspian stood in the front row, and he could see King Cor of Archenland with his brother, Corin beside him. He would have greeted his long-lost friends but felt that now was not the time. Edmund, Lucy, Jill, Eustace, Polly, Digory and Tirian walked over and joined the ranks of Narnia's and Archenland's kings and queens, leaving Peter and Leona to take a place at Aslan's side. Peter's breath caught in his throat as the feelings that Aslan always inspired in him rose in his chest like bubbles. The aura of strength and love that Aslan's mere presence gave off bathed him like the Lion's warm breath. He could see Edmund giving him a proud smile and he nodded in return to his brother.
"Old Narnia is no more," Aslan said. He spoke at a normal tone, but Peter did not doubt that every being, from faun and Talking Beast to human ringing the valley could hear him. "There is but one thing left. Tash must be defeated. He has preyed on the flesh and spirits of my people, and must be banished forever from here. He is a strong and cunning enemy, and will require strong and cunning opponents."
The Lion turned to Leona and asked, "Leona, will you fulfill this last request as Guardian? Will you champion me?" Leona drew close to kneel at Aslan's feet.
"I've followed your will for more than a thousand years; I do not intend to stop now. Yes, I will fight Tash in your name and with your power."
The Lion bent his head down to nuzzle her cheek and she raised her hand and laid it on his muzzle with a tenderness that spoke more clearly than words, her love for the Lion she served.
Aslan turned his head to face Peter. "Peter, High King, come before me." Peter stepped forward and knelt at the Highest King's paws.
"Leona is the Guardian and as such is destined to face Tash," Aslan said. "You have no such requirement. I would have you fight at her side, but I will take no more than you are willing to offer me."
Peter had expected this since Tash had told him that he would join the Guardian in fighting the bird-headed demon, but Aslan's request tore his heart open with awe. Aslan, who Peter knew could destroy Tash with a simple wish, was asking him, a mere man to champion the Lion and fight in his stead. It was a request and not a command; Peter knew that if he so wished he could refuse, giving the honor to some other worthier fighter, but Peter could not let himself decline. He placed his hands upon the hilt of his sword as he drew it and, gazing into the Lion's eyes, swore the oath that had never been required of him as High King.
"You say you will only accept what I offer," he said, "so let me offer everything! I offer my hands, that they may do your will. I offer my obedience, for I am not wise enough to know what I should do. I offer my mind, to think of nothing that is evil. I offer my heart, that it may love without restraint. I offer my very soul, to cherish or destroy at your will." His voice grew stronger in the stark silence of the surrounding listeners, and began to echo - as if calling upon the very earth and sky to witness his oath. "I offer my service, in life and in death, in glory and in humiliation, in freedom and in slavery, in joy and in pain. I offer my failures in hopes that you can make more of them than I; my victories I lay at your feet. I would offer my Kingdom, but it's already yours. I have nothing left to offer, save a ferverent wish that it is enough." Peter's heart was full almost to bursting and he longed with all his being for Aslan to accept his oath.
Aslan shook his mane and gazed with love and pride at the King prostrate at his feet, a true scion of Adam in all the glory and honor the position was meant to hold. The Lion had watched this man grow from a timid and uncertain boy to a High King capable of siring legends that would span millennia. But far more impressive than the adventures endured and the battles won by the High King were the unspoken actions of Peter. Never a coward, Peter would step forward to meet any challenge, even if he doubted he would succeed. He practiced kindness to anyone in his path, from a lost Talking kitten to a broken hearted maiden. His devotion to his duty was unquestionable, for he held himself to a standard far higher than anyone else ever laid on him. He would spend hours with his own battle wounds untended so the dying eyes of a solder who's hand he held would finally close in peace gazing on his High King. Every trial that life put in his path, Peter conquered by sheer will alone. He was not perfect, for no mortal could be, but he tried harder than most.
Above all, Peter loved. He loved Leona, his siblings and family with an all-encompassing depth that was fortified with his willingness to throw himself in harm's way rather than see them suffer. He loved Narnia with a passion that was unmatched by any save Aslan himself, and he gave of himself without reservation to her service.
Almost to himself the Lion said, "And to think - some once wondered what it was that you possessed that would have me name you King over all Narnian kings, both those that came before you and after..." Leaning down Aslan rubbed his cheek gently against Peter's. "I accept your oath, Son of Adam, and take into my keeping all that you offer. You will fight Tash in my name." Aslan then breathed on Peter, and the man felt the weight upon his brow increase as his crown turned into a battle helm. The shield at his side lay forgotten as another sword appeared at his belt. A quick glance showed it to be the sword Leona had given him for Christmas back in England.
He looked at Leona and found her gazing back at him with a look of mingled wonder and pride. With a determined tilt to her chin she turned to Aslan. "Will you be guiding my actions as you usually do when I fight for you?"
Aslan nodded. "I only need to augment Peter's natural abilities and direct his strategies, as he is a worthy warrior on his own. You I may need to take over completely in order to have a warrior on the field capable of holding back Tash while Peter adjusts to my guidance. At any rate, you cannot fight dressed as you are." The Lion breathed on Leona as he had Peter, and Peter watched as her hair went from loose to tightly braided, and her blue gown changed to armor, while a gleaming rapier and a long dagger appeared at her side. Now girded for battle the two champions rose to their feet and each took a place on either side of the King of Kings.
Aslan spoke softly, his words meant for their ears alone. "Tash's abilities are limited here in my land, but is still a formidable enemy. He is also the only creature in this land that can harm you, so be cautious. In balance to that, you are also the only ones able to harm him. I will aid you in every way I can and ensure that you have everything you need to win, but you must still defeat him yourselves. Now, go and destroy the last remnant of evil that this world will ever contain."
With no more than a thought, Aslan moved his champions from the top of the bluff to the center of the valley.
Peter felt a twinge of deja vu. He had fought his first battle on this same place in Old Narnia, and now would fight his last here as well. He unsheathed each sword from his side and saw Leona doing the same. She turned to meet his eyes and said, "For Narnia..."
"And for Aslan," he replied. With a smooth motion, he pulled his visor down. In a voice that had echoed across battlefields and stirred the hearts of his men, the High King called the greatest enemy Narnia had ever had to fight.
"Tash! Come forth and submit to Aslan's judgment!"
In a flash of sheer darkness, Tash was before them, almost as tall as a Narnian giant, with the body of a man, but with four arms and a vulture's head. The grass didn't wither beneath the clawed feet here as it did in Old Narnia, but Peter could sense the earth beneath his feet almost shifting in discomfort at the hated presence of the demon. Tash wore a breastplate of overlapping bone slabs, and little else, though what looked like either strips of black cloth (or shadow given form) clung to his waist and hips. It was the first time Peter had ever been able to view Tash up close and he knew the first tinge of fear since he had entered this world. Aslan was right; if Peter lost, Tash would utterly destroy him and possibly everything he held dear. Leona shifted at his side and gave a small shiver. Peter realized that the last time she had encountered Tash was when she was helpless under the High Priest's spell and about to be sacrificed alive to the fiend before them. He felt a flash of pride that she stood at his side without flinching away from the monster.
Tash darted his head back and forth focusing his attention first on Peter then Leona, beak gaping in an avian sneer. The thought went through Peter's head, He's very fast. He can go from complete stillness to lightning fast in a second, I'll have to watch out for that... His vision will be different from ours, we should be able to find a way to take advantage of that blind spot. But that also means we'll have a harder time attacking from two sides... This isn't going to be easy, even with Aslan's aid...
"You dare to challenge me," the demon screeched. "Why doesn't your great Lion fight me himself? Or must he hide behind mere mortals?"
Peter's hands nearly shook with rage. "He has no need to fight a creature such as you, nor should he have to. Your evil was worked upon mortals, and so it shall be destroyed by your own victims."
"Foolish, little king! When this is over, I will make you watch as I ravage everything you hold dear. As for you, little she-cat," Tash said, turning to Leona. "I intended to finish what was started with you on my altar. You wish to fight me, so be it!"
In each of the four hands an enormous curved sword materialized, seemingly shaped of shadow. Peter did not doubt that they were more than solid, particularly as Tash swung one towards a large boulder and the blade sliced through the stone like butter. Peter nearly felt sick at the thought of how easily those swords could cleave through flesh and bone... As the fear started to edge into his mind, Peter could feel a warm presence envelope his mind like a blanket, setting in on the edge of his mind like an unseen watcher.
Courage, dear one, Aslan's voice whispered. You are not alone, I will help you as much as you can let me.
At his side he could see Leona's posture changing as she seemed to listen to a voice of her own. The sword in her hand that had gone slack with fear rose to point at Tash. Peter squared his shoulders and glared at Tash as Aslan's presence sent fear scurrying away. It was time to end this, no matter what the end might be.
With an unholy screech, Tash leaped towards them. Two shadow swords swept at Peter, two at Leona. Both champions raised their weapons to block and the battle began.
Peter had never felt like this before. He could actually feel Aslan's power coursing through him and guiding his movements. He knew when to dodge before he was even aware of a sword stroke coming. He could see Leona out of the corner of his eye and could almost sense her movements as well, because he could always tell when she was going to strike a blow and would automatically know how to follow up on her attack. It was amazing feeling, but still very distracting. He understood what Aslan meant about his having difficulty in letting the Lion guide him. Tash darted in at him and with the instinct and talents learned throughout his time as a Knight of Narnia Peter dodged to the left, but no sooner had he moved than Aslan gave a blast of warning in his mind and all but pulled him to the right. The sudden change of direction left Peter horribly open.
Tash took advantage of that opening with a screech and managed to score the first true blow of the fight, catching Peter a solid blow to the head that knocked his helm clean off and set his ears to ringing. Even though the shadow sword didn't draw blood, Peter could feel the side of his head where the blow struck growing cold and he thought he could feel his skin almost shriveling from the near-touch of the blade. He staggered to his knees, stunned, but thankfully Leona was there attacking Tash and keeping the demon from taking further advantage. Oddly enough, the blow to the head centered him and it was far easier to let Aslan's power flow through him.
Watching how Leona fought was a surprise to Peter. She had said that he had never seen the Guardian fight and she was right. There was a fluidity to her movements that was hers naturally, but the physical strength and fighting prowess were unfamiliar. He caught a glimpse of her eyes glowing and catlike as they passed each other striking blow after blow and blocking each returning strike. Aslan was almost living inside her skin or moving her like a puppet, and Peter marveled at her self control not to fight that sort of possession. He didn't have much time for introspection, as he caught sight of the first true opening Tash had given them so far. While one of Tash's swords stabbed at him, the other three darted at Leona, who dodged neatly. Blocking the sword headed his way with Rhindon, Peter swung his other blade through one of Tash's arms, severing it entirely. Tash shrieked and reeled back. If the situation hadn't been so serious, Peter would have been amused at the look of shock on Tash's face that a mere mortal could have wounded him.
Even though Peter hated to give their foe even a moment to regroup, he dared not rush in blindly. Tash was an enemy that was beyond anything he had ever even dreamed of facing before. For all the hard blade work done so far, somehow this seemed too easy...
Snarling in rage, Tash shook his head savagely, and four of his large black crest feathers drifted on the light breeze to fall to the ground. As soon as they hit the soil, the feathers started to move. Growing from the vanes of the feather came a half-decayed head, then bony forelegs followed by the back and hind legs of an enormous hyena. The skin was only seen in patches with the rotting muscle visible and bones as black as the feather that they had been created from peeking through where the flesh had decayed completely. The eyes of the horse-sized ghouls glowed red with the fires of Hell. Tash shook his head again and the remaining four feathers fluttered to the grass. The first four demon hyenas started circling the pair of humans as their fellows took form.
"Oh, you must be joking," Leona breathed at his side. Peter didn't bother to answer, but simply got a firmer grip on the sword in each hand. This enemy was something he knew he could fight, un-dead though they seemed to be. He figured that if he hacked them into enough pieces these lesser demons wouldn't be able to continue fighting. He could see Tash a little way away trying unsuccessfully to reattach his severed arm. He had a flash of relief that any blows they struck seemed to stay. The last thing they needed was Tash to be able to heal himself...
With a snarling bark the first ghoul leaped at the pair, the others following close behind. Leona brought her sword up as she neatly dodged the first hyena but the creature was fast enough that she couldn't score a hit on it. With uncanny speed it landed and swiftly turned for another attack. Peter ran forward to help, but before he could reach Leona's side he found himself with his own set of problems; three of them to be exact... One ghoul bit at his left ankle while another leapt for his head. The third seemed content to circle him waiting for its brothers to bring him down.
He swung Rhindon in his right hand at the ghoul leaping at his head, and drove the sword in his left hand at the one snapping at his ankle. He struck the ghoul at his feet squarely in the head driving his blade from the top of its skull to its chin. Rather than dying as was only proper for a blow so serious, it simply howled in pain, tossed its head, wrenching the blade from Peter's hand and flailed about trying to remove the sword. Startled by this, Peter didn't get Rhindon in place in time. The second ghoul crashed into him with the force of a giant and bore him to the ground. He tried to score a blow to the creature but could only manage to ward off the snapping jaws. Warm saliva mixed with blood and rot dripped from the mouth bare inches from his head, landing on his face and slicking his hair.
At this moment, Peter finally understood what he needed to do. The answer was so simple and yet so difficult. For a bare moment he stopped fighting; stopped fighting the ghoul and stopped fighting Aslan's guiding presence in his head. As soon as the moment of surrender came, the presence that was Aslan surged forward to lead. Strength flowed through Peter's body and a triumphant peace filled him up. Why was he afraid? His faith was not misplaced and the only thing he had to worry about was his own doubt. His hand took a firmer grip on the sword and as the ghoul reared back to deliver the death blow, he brought the sword forward and with one mighty swing severed the fiend's head.
It seemed that this was the key to defeating the ghouls as the headless body sank to the earth and collapsed into dust at his feet.
Strength and power flowing through every pore of his being, Peter strode over to the still flailing ghoul and severed the wounded beast's head. Picking up his second blade from the ground where it had fallen when the impaled ghoul had disintegrated, he turned to face the battlefield once more. Leona was fighting two ghouls and seemed to be holding her own. It didn't surprise Peter that Leona had an easier time surrendering to Aslan's will; she had centuries of practice at it after all.
He darted towards the four remaining ghouls before they could quite make up their minds who to attack and managed to decapitate one before they had even started to move. The other three were fast, but with Aslan guiding him, Peter was even faster. One snapped at his arm but he managed to dodge it with almost uncanny ease and severed its head as it overextended. The other two circled him from opposite sides, and both sprang for his head at the same moment. At any other time, Peter would have seen his life flashing before his eyes, but now he knew to drop to one knee as they soared over his head. He slashed both blades forward without looking up, and two ugly heads fell to land at his feet before vanishing into dust.
He looked quickly for the other two ghouls but Leona had managed to defeat one already and as he watched she killed the other with a graceful swing. Peter could feel Aslan's presence slowly flow into the back of his mind as he took over his own mind again. He could still feel the little nudges and guidance, but he could tell that the Lion meant him to finish this fight on his own if he could.
Tash was a little ways away, watching as his creatures battled in his stead. Peter and Leona fell into step as they stalked towards the demon.
Tash clicked his beak at them in an enraged hiss and words started pouring from his mouth. Peter couldn't understand them and had a horrible feeling that he didn't want to. He came to a stop, unwilling to go any closer until they knew what Tash was planning.
Each foul, hissed sound sent icy chills down Peter's spine, but he raised his sword in defense against whatever was being summoned.
The earth in front of Tash shook as the spell grew in volume and menace. A crack split the ground as Tash cackled in triumphant glee.
Peter watched in horror as a clawed hand reached out of the chasm, then another and another. Every foul, twisted creature that had ever served evil willingly had answered their master's call. Rank upon rank of the damned poured from the crack to bar the path and fill half of the valley with foes. When Peter thought there could be no more, still they came, until the air was filled with their hissing cries. Most had no familiar form and bore little resemblance to any Narnian creature, but he could see what they might have once been in life, now twisted and decayed.
He looked at Leona in dismay. How could they defeat so many? And how did Tash manage to call reinforcements here to Aslan's Country? She looked back at him with a sick look on her face.
The sudden ring of a sword clearing a sheath sounded behind him. Peter whirled around and at the sight broke into a grin. Edmund had come to stand at his right side, blade in hand. Caspian stepped forward to take a place at his left. Peter felt his heart soar and he heard Leona give a delighted gasp.
Aslan's forces filled the valley behind him, host after host of worthy warriors standing shoulder to shoulder. Oreius pawed the ground nearby, and Peter could see King Cor and his twin brother, Corin, heads held high and weapons at the ready. Every warrior and hero from this world's conception to its death were ranked behind him ready to do battle one last time.
Caspian reached out and clasped Peter on the shoulder. "It is true that only you and the Lady Guardian can battle Tash, but let us help with the demon's minions. This is our home too."
Peter turned to Edmund at his right and cocked an eyebrow at his brother. Edmund just smiled his roguish grin and said, "You don't really think I'd let you have all the fun, now did you?"
Peter grinned back, and looked across the field for his true foe. The triumph that had filled the demon's face when he had called his forces to the fight had vanished and was replaced with thwarted rage and a hint of fear. All of Peter's worries and doubts had fled to the back of his mind and his body trembled with sudden energy. With such a host at his back, no misbegotten creature of evil could get between Tash and his sword.
He thrust his blade towards the hissing, screaming mass before him, and shouted defiance at the sky in a call that echoed from one side of the valley to the other.
"For Aslan! Charge!" As he broke into a run, Leona darted to his side and they led the rush as Tash raised an arm and with a shriek, loosed his horde. The thunder of Aslan's army at full charge shook the ground and almost drowned out the unholy noise of Tash's creatures.
Peter saw his first opponent bar his way and without pausing, he ducked the slashing claws and ripped Rhindon through its belly. With a shriek, the creature vanished back to whatever Hell Tash had summoned it from. Another foe drew near and a slash sent it skittering away in fear.
He never knew how long they fought. It seemed like no sooner did he dispatch one foe when another two sprang up to take its place. But, slowly the flow slowed to a trickle and Peter could pause for a moment to take in the battlefield. Both armies had been cut nearly in half, with the defeated pawns of Tash being banished back to their realm and any warriors of Aslan's who fell being summoned back to the ranks of watchers on the valley's rim.
He dodged battling fighters as he made his way to Leona's side and they started looking for Tash. Though there were still plenty of dammed to battle, their leader was nowhere to be seen. The battlefield seemed empty, with no fallen to litter the ground. Tash could not have been slain in the melee and Peter didn't think that he'd be able to run from this fight. The skin on the back of his neck started prickling. He hated not knowing where his true enemy was, particularly an enemy as cunning as this one.
His only warning was a rush of wind as Tash leaped from the top of the boulder he and Leona were standing near, a shadow sword slicing towards Peter's head. With only moments to spare he managed to raise his blades to parry. The other two swords were aimed at Leona but she dodged them with a catlike grace that betrayed Aslan's influence.
Without missing a beat, Leona sprung forward and managed to sever an arm, but paid for it as one of the two remaining arms crashed into her and sent her flying. She landed with a solid thud against one of the large boulders that littered the battlefield. Peter almost felt a flash of worry, but knew that Aslan would help her if he could.
Sure enough, Leona was back on her feet in seconds and at his side driving the now badly wounded Tash against one of the larger boulders in hopes they would be able to get his back to a wall. Even wounded, Tash was dangerous and vicious blows had both champions battered and bruised from the falls and tumbles needed to avoid the chilling blades. They were not tiring as they would have in Narnia or England, but they could not keep this fight going forever. The smaller battles around them barely intruded on Peter's mind, all his focus was on this one, most terrible opponent.
At long last, he saw an opening and went for it. Darting in, he swung Rhindon with all his strength at Tash's last remaining right arm. Too slow!! his mind screamed, Aslan's guidance barely registering as the Lion let his champion prove his worth. Tash realized his mistake and moved to try and counter before Peter could finish the blow. Desperation adding speed to his attack, the High King lunged wildly, hoping to sever the arm before the opening was gone. In a movement no mortal being could have managed, Tash twisted his blade and scored a deep gash in Peter's side as he passed. But, the opening remained and thinking of nothing except his goal, Peter gave a mighty slash and Tash's arm fell to the ground as the demon screamed in pain and rage. Peter staggered back as well, a gasp of pain and shock escaping his lips as his entire side went cold and weak. He could feel a measure of dizziness twitch at the edge of his consciousness and he knew that if the blade wasn't poisoned it was at least tainted by Tash's malice. The sword in his left hand dropped from his weakened grip to fall to the ground and he clutched his arm to his bleeding side. He didn't think it was a fatal blow, not here in Aslan's Country at any rate, but it left him badly weakened and whatever evil tainted the wound had spots swimming in front of his eyes.
Tash crouched in on himself, his only remaining arm still clutching a sword. The hatred and rage in his eyes would have driven Peter back had he not been bolstered by Aslan's golden presence in his mind. As it was, his wound was swiftly weakening him and he had to fight the urge to sink to his knees for a moment's rest. Sensing weakness, Tash moved to finish off the wounded king.
Leona barred the way with a wild cry, putting herself between the demon and his prey. Peter could see Aslan's influence in her movements as she gave blow after blow, driving her foe back. She almost managed to connect, but Tash twisted out of the way and the demon's retaliating strike sent her sprawling to the ground, her sword knocked from her hands. Tash dove towards her in fury, beak snapping, intending to bite her in two.
She scrambled backwards trying to get to her sword, but the demon was almost on top of her when he stopped, standing motionless, Peter's sword at his throat staying his strike. He had seen Tash's attack on the woman he loved and all pain and weakness were driven from him in his panic. With all the speed he could force from his body he ran to her side, praying to reach her in time. He could feel Aslan reaching out in his mind and he let the Lion take over. He was within a foot of Leona as he swung Rhindon in a last desperate attack, the angle of the swing aiming to sever Tash's head as he charged.
Time seemed to slow and any noise from the battlefield dimmed to nothing as his entire world focused on the arc of his blade as it flew towards Tash's neck. Panic filled Tash's eyes as he desperately tried to pull back enough to avoid the fatal blow. Earth flew up in chunks beneath the clawed feel as he managed to stop, Peter's blade resting menacingly at his throat. Peter noticed absently that Tash seemed much smaller now than he had been at the beginning of the fight. Perhaps as his strength wained, so did his size.
"Do you yield?" Peter panted, blood streaming down his side.
Tash snarled wordlessly at him and Peter dug his sword deeper into the fiend's neck. "Do you yield?"
The reply from the beaked mouth was angry and grudging as Tash turned to face Aslan, and snarled, "I yield to your justice. I am defeated."
At those words any of Tash's remaining fighters vanished. The valley exploded with cheers as every being lining the battlefield raised their voices in triumph. It could have been minutes or years before the noise died down and Aslan spoke. Leona had gotten to her feet by then and joined Peter in holding Tash at sword point.
"Be gone from here," the Lion pronounced. "Be imprisoned in your own place, with those who already follow you. You will never attempt to return to any of my countries. This is my judgment."
Chains materialized around Tash's neck and one remaining arm. With a final angry scream he disappeared in a flash of darkness, and was gone for all eternity.
TBC....