A/N Well, I have returned after almost a year of not updating this story- 8 months to be precise- and let me just say how sorry I am for leaving you guys hanging. I know how frustrating it can be, waiting for an author to put up another chapter to a story you like (I'm assuming you like this story if you're still reading it). My life has just been a whirlwind of dramatic craziness and I've been so busy with all of my activities and getting over certain events that have happened. Growing up sucks sometimes, but you've just got to suck it up and keep on writing.
Anyways, my life isn't about to get any calmer now that I'm entering my senior year of high school, so I can't promise you guys anything about when the next update will be. I AM writing the next two chapters at the same time, so one of them should be done within the month if I make myself write whenever I get the chance. This chapter will be more about what exactly Zebulan and Vivian are as Encantados. If you actually go an look up information on the creature, keep in mind that I'm altering several things to make them fit within this story ;)
Enjoy!
Chapter 9
A Sinister Milieu
It was early the next morning that Edmund found himself making his way through the halls towards the library. Many of the servants were still slumbering, or just awakening to begin their early duties. The sun hadn't even arisen to greet the land yet. Light dew settled on the grass in the courtyard, weighing down the weak blades until they touched each other. The temperature was starting to dip down low every night, slowly rising again every afternoon. Summer was coming to an end quickly, but it had been a long and prosperous one. The apple trees along the outer walls of the castle were heavy with fruit, more than ready to be harvested. Narnia wasn't an agricultural country, but they had a variety of farmers that provided for Cair Paravel.
Edmund paused as he came to the end of the hall, facing a right or left turn. It was almost amusing; they had lived in Cair Paravel for over seven years now and he still needed a map. Edmund scowled and finally decided on turning left. No matter how much he explored the castle; there were still parts that were unknown to him. Only a week ago the King had stumbled across what looked to be a hidden bedroom near the dining room between a marble pillar and a potted fern. The doorway led down a flight of stairs into a circular shaped room with a rather marvelous painting of the dancing lawn across the ceiling. There wasn't very much furniture in the room; a desk, sitting chair, and long sofa. Nevertheless, it was a quaint treasure within the castle's walls.
A triumphant smile split across Edmund's lips as he spotted the grand wooden doors to the library on the opposite end of the hall. He could always trust his inner compass to get him where he wanted to be. The King looked out the windows as he passed them, spotting the smallest rays of light beginning to peak out from over the sea. As he reached the large entrance, Edmund pressed his palms against the door and attempted to quietly push the slab of wood open. He didn't want to wake anyone up that slept in the rooms down this particular stretch of hallway.
Edmund didn't even bother opening the door the entire way, slipping through the small crack he'd pushed. Hands still on the door, Edmund turned and shut it, waiting until he heard the click of the lock falling back in place.
"Morning, Edmund."
He turned at the sound of his sister's voice and frowned.
"Lucy, what are you doing up this early?"
"We could ask you the same thing." Nyra grunted as she appeared from a long section of non-fiction novels.
Lucy was sitting on one of the long sofas, her legs curled under her as she flipped through a variety of books lying on the coffee table in front of her. The burgundy curtains were all drawn open to let in the light of the sunrise over the ocean, but there were still a few candles scattered around the young Queen. Edmund's frown deepened. They had been here for quite a while.
"We were going to go and wake you," Lucy said, turning a page. "But then we figured that you needed to sleep." Edmund walked around the couch to sit next to his sister, picking up a book as he plopped down and studying the title. Narnia: From the Creation of Aslan
"How long have you been down here?" He asked, folding back the cover and skimming the chapters.
"Oh, only a few hours." Lucy said, shutting her book and picking up another one. Tales from the Talking Animals
"Lucy, what are all of these books for?" Edmund scanned the selection of novels his younger sister had sprawled around her. They ranged from fairytales to geography.
"We are doing a bit of research on our guests." Nyra said, before taking a book carefully between her teeth and carrying it back to the section Lucy had plucked it from.
"Well, I suppose we feel the same then." Edmund muttered, closing the book in his hands. "Have you found anything useful?"
"They're shape shifters." Lucy said. "Snake shifters to be precise." She grabbed an open book on the coffee table and handed it to her brother. "Which is really strange, because technically- according to these legends, they should only be able to turn into humans at night." Edmund read over the page.
"But they came to us during the daylight." Edmund said, mostly to himself.
"Meaning," Nyra jumped in, returning from the section she had disappeared into. "Either they are lying about what they are, or these books are wrong."
"What I can't figure out is if they're humans or snakes." Lucy pondered.
"Neither." Nyra growled, sitting by the table and wrapping her tail over her paws.
"What else did you find?"
"They love parties." Lucy offered. "And… well… they're very… seductive." Nyra snorted and looked at Edmund.
"They're in constant heat." She deadpanned. The King shifted uncomfortably and clenched his jaw, feeling a sudden urge to assign more guards to the two Encantados.
"There's also a legend that suggests they often kill their mates." Lucy said, leaning her head back against the couch cushion.
"Lovely." Edmund sighed, dropping his book back on the table. Not only were they housing two half-snake siblings, they were probably going to flirt with them and then kill them. Life in Cair Paravel just kept getting better as the years went on.
"Ed, we can't trust them." Lucy said quietly, looking up at her brother through her bangs. There was just something about the Encantados that she hadn't trusted from the beginning- a bad vibe that she could feel radiating through the air. Perhaps it was just paranoia since the siblings were often associated with evil, but Lucy didn't want to be anywhere near them.
"I agree." Said Nyra, moving so that her body sprawled across the wooden floor with her head resting on her paws. Edmund nodded in silent agreement and met his sister's gaze. There was no way in Narnia he would ever trust those two, no matter how good of a sob story they had come up with. The King's line of vision turned to the yawn that split his emissary's jaw.
"Nyra, did you even sleep last night?" He asked. The wolf didn't answer. "I asked you a question." Nyra sighed and lifted her head to look at her king.
"No." She mumbled, not meeting his eyes. Edmund ran a hand through his hair in frustration and Lucy quietly opened another book. A Thousand and One Tales of the Dawn
"Please don't tell me that you were guarding Vivian and Zebulan's room."
"Alright, I won't."
"Bloody hell, Nyra, all night?" Edmund's jaw was clenched angrily as he leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees to better glare at the wolf, who was staring calmly back at him.
"I did what had to be done."
"You're doing no good straining yourself like this." He hissed. "I don't care how much you don't trust those things staying in the castle; you will never do that again."
The fur on the back of Nyra's neck stood on end. "I was only doing my job."
"I don't care." Edmund sighed and leaned back, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves. He continued on with a softer tone. "I need you to be at your very best, and that means you need to rest." The resentment in her amber eyes slowly began to fade away as she understood his meaning.
"Alright," She finally said, looking to her leader. "But I request that I rotate between you and your siblings' rooms at night." Edmund chuckled, she was relentless.
"You know," He said, "You are not the only guard in Cair Paravel."
"Humor me." Edmund shook his head.
"Fine, but as long as you still sleep in our rooms."
"I'm afraid I don't know you all nearly well enough to do that." Edmund rolled his eyes as the strained voice of Carperwel cut through the library. Nyra sat up at the arrival of the griffin, and Lucy turned her head to shoot the creature a welcoming smile.
"Good morning, Carperwel." Lucy chirped, "Did you sleep well?"
"As well as one can in a mouse trap like this castle." The griffin grumbled, making himself at home on the adjacent couch.
"Glad to hear you are enjoying your stay." Nyra quipped, turning so that her back wasn't to the odd Narnian.
"Watch your tone, wolf pet."
"What can you tell us about Zebulan and Vivian?" Lucy cut in, knowing that the conversation between the two would only head south.
"Little more than you know." Carperwel sniffed, digging his claws into the cushions. "If you were wondering; yes, they are Encantados. They just come from a darker branch of the family tree."
"Is that why they have control over their shifting?" Edmund asked.
"That is part of the reason." The griffin said. "Zebulan and Vivian were born and raised in the darkness. They take more power from it than many other beings, but they can still live in the daylight like their distant cousins. They are very strong for their kind."
"Should that worry or impress us?"
"They won't hurt you if that is what you are asking." Carperwel snapped. "They are here for the sole purpose of attaining our aid and getting back their home, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't be on guard." Nyra swiveled her head and shot a pointed look at Edmund, whose annoyed gaze was focused on the griffin.
"Do you think we should help them?" Lucy asked with the faintest trace of reluctance in her voice.
"I think that they won't leave until they get what they want." Carperwel said. "But believe me; they are more likely to try to bed you than they are to kill you. Then again, they are even more likely to kill you after said bedding."
"Fat lot of help that is." Edmund mumbled.
"I say that we are getting nowhere simply guessing about what they're going to do." Nyra said. Lucy nodded in agreement.
"She's right; we need to put trackers on those two."
"Nyra, would you be able to spare any of your scouts?" Edmund asked. "Right now, what we need is someone who can keep track of them, not guard them."
"I'll see what I can do." Nyra stood up and dug her claws into the rug. "By your leave, my lord."
Edmund nodded and watched his emissary as she exited the library. He had complete trust that Nyra would be able to pick her brightest for this task. Carperwel let out a great sigh and brushed the tip of his tail along the cool floor.
"I would be able to stand that wolf a lot more if she wasn't so stubborn all of the time." He hissed, sliding off of the couch. "It's like talking to a brick wall." Edmund smirked and Lucy covered a chuckle as she flattened her dress.
"She only does it to you, Carperwel." She said in amusement.
"Of course." The griffin rolled his eyes. "Well, if we're about done here I will find myself looking for breakfast."
Edmund smiled and waved after the creature's retreating figure. "Good morning."
The Pevensies were sitting in Peter's study in the library sometime after lunch when Nyra reappeared. Although the issue of the strange creatures was on their mind, they still had much business to attend to. For one, fall was approaching and winter wouldn't be that far off. With the colder seasons; many Narnians found it hard to survive, even though they lived a hundred years with it. The highest starvation rates were in the winter, and it was a problem that the Pevensies were determined to solve. The previous year they had tried supplying food weekly to the creatures that needed it, but the stock had quickly disappeared since Narnia was bigger on import than agriculture. The year before that, they took in as many Narnians as they could to Cair Paravel- with little success. There was just no good way to go about this problem.
"Well, how are the farms near Glasswater Creek faring?" Susan asked, picking through a pile of reports.
"We didn't start soon enough." Edmund said. "The crops won't be ready to harvest in time. It shouldn't be a problem next year, but that puts us back at square one."
"Perhaps we should just increase our trade with Telmar- they have plenty of produce this time of year." Lucy suggested.
"But the funds might not last through the rest of the year, Lu." Susan sighed. Peter rubbed the side of his head, elbow on the table as he slouched over the reports he had to sign. His pen lay far from the ink, dripping what remained on the mahogany desk.
"Excuse me, your highnesses." Nyra's head poked through a crack in the door, and Lucy smiled at the wolf, gesturing for her to enter the room.
"Good afternoon, Nyra." Susan said. "What can we do for you?"
"I have brought the scouts Edmund and Lucy requested." The wolf said, pausing next to the chair Edmund sat in. Peter looked up from his desk, his expression similar to Susan's- as they were both uninformed.
"We decided," Said Lucy, "that it would be best to put scouts on our guests to constantly track their whereabouts." The older siblings were silent for several moments, before nodding.
"Bring them in." Peter ordered.
Nyra turned and stuck her head back out the door, shouting into the hall. Not two seconds later came the sound of small paws echoing through the library as the scouts followed the sound of their captain's voice. Nyra pulled her head back into the study with a deep breath. She was really going out on a limb with the selections, but she trusted that these creatures could get the job done. The wolf sat next to Edmund and looked up at him with a helpless expression as the scouts stumbled in. The King merely smirked.
Through the door came a black tabby, a raccoon, and a weasel. Lucy stifled a giggle behind her hand as she stared at the brown and white weasel.
"May I introduce the scouts I have… hand-picked." Nyra said. She turned, going down the line of who entered first. "Kai, Tallis, and Pavel."
Each creature bowed as their name was said, but only the weasel stepped forward.
"My lieges," Pavel said in excitement, "I would just like to express my gratitude for this second chance." Peter raised his eyebrow and looked at Nyra, who glared down at the weasel.
"Thank you, Pavel." Susan smiled. "Will you three please excuse us for a moment?"
Kai, Tallis, and Pavel all bowed once more before turning to exit the room. Nyra followed them closely, making sure they stopped at the end of the hall. As soon as the creatures were clear of the room, she shoved the door with her shoulder until it closed and turned back to the Pevensies with their curious stares.
"I know what you're thinking- and trust me; I thought the same thing too at first." Nyra explained, walking back towards the middle of the room.
"Wasn't Pavel the one that spooked my horse in the stable a few months back?" Susan asked, an amused smile growing on her lips.
"And didn't Orious catch Tallis sleeping on the job?" Edmund followed up with.
"Yes," Nyra said, "But please, you must trust me on this one. They may seem like strange choices, but they are the best at what they do. I would not have picked them otherwise."
"Then that's enough for me." Everyone turned their head in surprise to look at Peter, the last person whom they would have thought to say such a thing. The King leaned back in his chair and rested his elbows on the arms.
"If you say they will get the job done, then I believe you." Peter continued. "Have you briefed them on the twins yet?"
"No, I was going to wait until after you all met them." Nyra said, silently pleased by his approval.
"Who are you going to assign to whom?"
"Kai will watch the female, Tallis will watch the male, and Pavel will serve as the messenger." Peter nodded and ignored Edmund's jealous glare.
"Sounds good to me, does anyone have any objections?" Edmund, Lucy, and Susan were silent- the girls still amused at how easily Peter had agreed. Edmund was a different story, however.
The dark King had never really liked Nyra having a good relationship with his brother for some reason; it rubbed him the wrong way. It seemed to him that she was his friend and his only because he had been the one to receive and raise her. He was never one for sharing, and that didn't stop with friends. Not to say that he wasn't trying though. For the past few years, Edmund had been trying- unsuccessfully- to detach himself from his emissary. He kept telling himself that he couldn't be so possessive over her. It was a dangerous thing caring so much about someone else, especially someone whose life was constantly put on the line. Any one of these days she could be killed, and he would have to keep going strong. Or at least that's what Susan kept telling him.
"I will go and prepare them then." Nyra said. "By your leave, majesties."
So, here we are, adding in 3 new characters! I'm very excited to start working with Kai, Tallis, and Pavel (who's named after one of my favorite Star Trek characters). There will definitely be a lot of humor revolving around the three of them, and possibly even a few chapters featuring just them in the future. Any guesses on what's going to happen next?
I hope you guys liked this chapter!
Any questions, comments, or life threatening concerns don't hesitate to pm me!
Charlii