Chapter 26
As the ship backed away from the giant rock, the serpent let out another series of blood-curling screams and charged at it. When it got closer, the monster's body began to glow a yellow-green light, which eventually enveloped the thing like a cocoon.
On the ship, Caspian had helped Edmund up, and Edelle refastened Lucy's body protection, which came undone some time ago.
When they looked up, they saw that the monster had opened up its cocoon like a cape, and was now twice as large and intimidating. It was hissing and wailing and threateningly shaking its hundreds of spikes.
"MOVE!" Caspian shouted to Edmund, and the next minute the beast shot its head to the place he was standing. Luckily, Caspian was quick enough to push him aside from the attack.
"TAKE THAT, SIREN!" Edelle shouted and hastily chopped off a good dozen of the smaller spikes in a single swing of her sword.
The bits fell down and dissolved in the air.
Caspian and Edmund stared down at the place the spikes had just been
"It could be killed." Caspian reasoned.
Just then, Edmund saw the monster's head furiously shooting down towards Edelle, who had turned around a moment before to check on Lucy. Not wasting a second, he rushed to her, grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the way. Just in time- a second later the monster clashed into the deck, sending shards of wood flying everywhere.
"I owe you one." Edelle exhaled, a bit stunned from almost being smashed.
Meanwhile the monster was biting off pieces of the ship's struts and sails.
"I'll get it closer." Edmund said and ran up to the mast.
"PREPARE THE HARPOONS!" Caspian shouted, as Drinian tried his best to control the sailors.
Edmund skilfully jumped on a rope and swung to the nearest beam, starting to climb upwards.
"READY!" Caspian shouted "NOW!" And all the sailors, including Lucy and Edelle threw their harpoons towards the beast as hard as they physically could. Most of them hit the serpent and it started hastily moving around, trying to get them off of its body. The sailors grasped tightly the ropes attached to their harpoons and pulled them down with all their force, effectively distracting the beast, as Edmund was reaching the mast.
Once he was there, however, Caspian and the sailors had pulled the beast to a very unfortunate angle, forcing it to toss right to the place Edmund was standing, making him have to jump away, almost stumbling down.
As soon as he was back firmly on his feet, he heard a familiar misty voice to his side
"…Edmund…What are you trying to prove?...That you're a man?" the White Witch questioned, rather sceptically.
Even though he knew it was just the evil mist trying to confuse him, Edmund still found himself unable to say anything, or even think clearly. He just stood there numbly, captivatedly staring at the figure.
"I can make you that..I can make you my king…" the witch chanted.
From the bottom deck, Edelle looked up at the mast, only to find Edmund staring into the mist, as if hypnotized. «Oh, no» she thought
"EDMUND! SNAP OUT OF IT!" she yelled at the top of her lungs.
"…Come on..take my hand." The witch said, reaching out.
At that moment Edmund's thought were hazy and blurred, he didn't even know why he was listening to the misty figure of his old enemy. Let alone, why was he actually considering lowering his sword? It was as if some magical force was corrupting his mind. All the other noises seemed faint and far-away…
"Just give in…" the witch half-whispered.
"Edmund…EDMUND, GET A GRIP!" he heard another female voice somewhere from below. Edelle…he thought…And then he felt his mind magically being shaken out of the trance, returning him to his senses.
I am a man. And I am a King! He thought, and that moment the sword he was holding started to glow a bright blue light, beckoning to be put in action.
The witch's figure nervously glanced down at it
"COME ON!" Caspian shouted and Edmund turned around to come face to face with the giant serpent.
He valiantly pointed the sword at the beast, the bright blue light taunting its eyes. The monster opened its jaws and lashed towards Edmund, attempting to swallow him whole. But wasn't quick enough to close its jaws, as Edmund's sword pierced through its throat, sending waves of electric currents through the entire body, and making the White Witch cry out and disappear.
Edmund pulled out the sword and looked at the beast: it rapidly tossed back, the powerful currents visibly flowing through it, and in several moments it was over. The serpent fell backwards into the water and slowly disappeared in its depths, never to rise again.
At that point, the dark clouds in the sky had miraculously begun to melt away, being replaced by the sunlight piercing through them, symbolizing the defeat of the dark forces.
Lucy looked at the dissolving rocks and stone walls, instead seeing something amazing approaching them.
"Edmund, Edelle, Caspian!" she called out and they all looked around, astounded by the evil's retreat and breathing out in relief. They had stood through it and attained victory.
"Narnians!" Caspian exclaimed, as he saw the dozens of boats swimming in approach to the Dawn Treader.
Everyone clapped at the sight of all the rescued people.
"ELAINE!" Mr. Rhince cried in elation, as he saw his wife in one of the boats. Instantly he jumped into the water and swam his way to her.
Edelle laughed good-heartedly at the scene, and Edmund smiled, standing between her and Lucy, putting his arms around the girls' shoulders.
"Get them aboard!" Caspian told the sailors and came up to the three.
They turned to him.
"We did it!" Lucy said, sounding quite surprised.
"And there was you, thinking we wouldn't." Edelle teased, a playful smirk on her face.
"It wasn't just us, though." Edmund corrected, thinking about their fire-breathing companion.
"You mean…?" Caspian started and just then they heard a familiar voice from the water.
"HEY! I'M OVER HERE! I'M IN THE WATER, LUCY! I'M A BOY AGAIN!"
They sprinted to the opposite deck and bent over, to find a very human Eustace thrashing about in the water.
"I'M A BOY AGAIN!" he cried in delight.
"Eustace!" Reepicheep appeared from behind them "I see your wings have been clipped!" he joked and jumped in the water, swimming towards his new friend.
The girls chuckled, as the noble mouse started to sing his song
"Where the sky and water meet, where the waves grow ever sweet…" then some water accidentally got into his mouth. "It's sweet…It's sweet!" he announced in amazement.
"Look, look!" he pointed to the horizon, and they all saw the clear water several yards away disappearing under a linen of floating white flowers.
"Aslan's country." Caspian stated "We must be close."
"Well, we've come this far." Edmund said and soon the five of them were down on a boat, swimming through the snow-white flowers.
"So how was it, when Aslan changed you back?" Edmund asked.
"No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't do it myself. Then he came towards me. It sort of hurt but…it was a good pain. You know, like when you pull a thorn from your foot. Being a dragon wasn't all bad…" he said and Edelle and Lucy looked up at him, intrigued. "I mean, I was a better dragon then I was a boy really. I'm sorry for being such a sob." He said and looked down in embarrassment.
Everyone could tell he really did mean it.
"It's okay, Eustace." Edmund smiled "You were a pretty good dragon."
Edelle beamed, fondling a flower she picked from the water "Yeah, even though you burnt his butt."
They all laughed and didn't notice as they slowly approached the land.
"My friends, we have arrived." Reepicheep announced as they turned their heads
The land was not big, with nothing on it but sandy shore and a huge vertical wave along it, as if it was shielding something from everyone's eyes.
Finally the boat hit the shore, and the five young people and a mouse stepped out and walked forward, advancing the wave.
As they walked, another shadow joined the five of theirs. The shadow of a lion.
A/N. I know I said this chapter would be the last. But while I was actually writing it, I realised that I was only halfway there, and it was already more than 1700 words, so I decided to split it in two. The next one is definitely the last, though.
By the way, it was my birthday a couple of days ago, so for my present I would like reviews from as much of you, my lovely readers, as possible. Come on, I know you can do it)