Oh my gosh. I can't believe how long it's been since I updated! *hides under table in shame* For those of you that have stuck with this, thank you! And I apologize for the delay.
Edmund
With the taste of Peter's battle cry still in my mouth, I touched the torch to the nearest tree. The flame exploded into a fierce fire, immediately consuming the tree. It toppled over, knocking into the next tree. The fire eagerly jumped to the fresh wood, heedless of the ongoing storm. One after another, the large trees caught, filling the night with heat and light.
What have you done? What have you done?!
Cymopoleia's shrieks pounded in my head. She rushed forward, her incorporeal fingers stretching toward me, a look of murderous intent warping her beautiful face. But before she could reach me, fire took her. Beginning at her toes, it licked up her body, transforming her presence into nothing more than a curling cloud of green smoke. Her dying scream was powerful. It built inside my skull, increasing in pitch and intensity. I squeezed my eyes shut against it, pressing my hands to my ears as hard as I could. Finally, the scream reached a crescendo, turning into an audible noise loud enough to rupture my eardrums. From between my fingers, thin trickles of blood leaked out of my ears. I opened my eyes in time to watch the last of the sea witch disperse into vapor.
On the ground, her serpent released Peter. The enormous snake writhed madly, rolling and twisting as it too burned. Leaving the beast to its death, I dove for Peter. Bright light from the burning trees illuminated the gruesome scene for me. The damage had been done. Peter's right leg was a wreck. His entire calf was shredded, a complete mess of torn fabric, punctured skin and freely flowing blood. Dragging my eyes away from the injury, I focused on his face. Beneath the lines of pain taking over his expression I could see the gleam of pride in his eyes.
"I told you...to go," he panted.
I smirked. "You're lucky I came back."
Unearthly howls, screeches, and wails broke in on our conversation. It was the Fell caught in the growing fire.
"The fire is spreading to the rest of the jungle," I stated, though it was obvious.
Peter twitched his head in a nod. "You need to get out of here."
"Yes, WE do," I emphasized, gripping Peter under the arms and hauling him into a sitting position.
He grunted in pain, and pulled away from my hold. "No, Ed. You have to go. I can't walk."
"Then I'll help you," I countered, grabbing his arm and slinging it over my shoulder, despite his attempts to free himself. My ribs gave me a jolt of pain for my efforts, though I studiously ignored them.
With the trees alight in nearly every direction, I had to scan our surroundings until I found a section not yet burning. "This way, Peter. Come on."
Together, we managed to stand, though Peter immediately stumbled. "Ed, I-"
I didn't let him finish. "Don't you dare say you can't. I have seen you lead armies and battle giants. You've faced ogres and werewolves, and you even dueled the White Witch herself. So don't tell me you're not strong enough to walk with me."
"My leg-" Peter began again.
"Don't tell me I'm not strong enough either," I interrupted passionately. "I'm not a child anymore, Pete. Let me help you."
Peter got quiet for a moment, studying me and the uncompromised determination on my face. Finally, he nodded. And I was nearly knocked off balance when his weight swung onto me. I struggled to compensate, suddenly faced with the enormity of my task.
"Sorry," Peter gasped, sweat streaming down his temple as he clumsily tried to ease my burden by standing on his own.
"Hang on one blasted moment. I just need to catch my balance and we'll be on our way," I grumbled, securing an arm around his waist and tugging at him until he relented and allowed his weight to fall on me again. This time, I was prepared. I braced myself and took a step forward. Then another.
All around us, the fire was ferocious, rapidly swallowing the jungle. The temperature was climbing, adding to the island's natural heat. Fresh sweat broke out along my skin and soon I was panting almost as harsh as Peter was. The terrain was difficult to cross. Though the storm had vanished when Cymopoleia died, thick smoke clogged the air, blocking out the moonlight and making it impossible to see the tangle of roots and vines blocking our path.
The further we went, the more Peter leaned on me, and I was coming to the realization that I had perhaps been a bit too ambitious. Although he was by no means a large man, years of combat training under our tireless General Orieus had packed Peter full of muscle, and he was, as he always had been, several inches taller than me. But I simply gritted my teeth and struggled on. Horrible noises continued to underscore the roar of the flames, as more monsters succumbed to the fire. Beside me, Peter was stifling moans of pain, but I heard them all the same. I opened my mouth to encourage him, but a coughing fit stole my breath and renewed the pain in my ribs.
I was still coughing when a ghoul burst out from the bushes on the left. Its beady eyes were blown wide in panic and it screeched at me before plowing directly into me. Caught off guard, I slammed into Peter, who instantly collapsed. He cried out and I rolled off him, ignoring the blood I felt seep into my pant leg where it had landed on his wounded leg. The ghoul pounced on me, striking me in a seemingly haphazard fashion. It rained crazed blows on my shoulders, head, anywhere it could reach. When it landed one on my chest, I grunted and decided I'd had enough of its attack. I brought my knee up and rammed its stomach. The ghoul squawked and fell to the side. I rolled over and bounced up onto my feet. Taking advantage of its incapacitated state, I kicked it again, hard enough to send it into the approaching fire.
Severely in need of oxygen, I choked on the hot air, bending down to retrieve Peter. He was dead weight in my arms. Alarmed, I grabbed his sweaty face between my palms. His eyes were shut. I shook him, garnering only a moan in response.
"Peter, wake up!" I shouted. "We have to keep moving."
I shook him again, harder. When he didn't answer, I slapped his cheek. That roused him enough to squint at me through pain darkened eyes.
"Get up," I ordered, not caring how harsh or unsympathetic I sounded. The fire was nearly upon us, already brushing us with blasts of scorching air. "Get up!"
With a bitten off whimper, Peter complied. I jammed my shoulder under his arm to steady him as he wobbled to his feet. I supported him as he switched all his weight to his left foot, allowing his right to hang limply, blood alarmingly visible oozing from the many terrible gashes. We only managed a few steps before Peter tripped. With my ribs as they were, I was unable to properly catch him, and we both crashed to the jungle floor. I cursed my weakened body and attempted to lift him once more. He batted away my arms.
"It's no use," he mumbled. "I can't go any farther."
I didn't bother giving an answer to his idiotic comment.
"Stop. Ed, stop. Stop it, Edmund," he begged, pushing me away every time I came near.
Finally I paused, only long enough to let my expression tell him just what I thought of his request. But he placed a hand against the side of my neck, fingers sticking in the blood trailing from my ear.
"You need to get out of here," he repeated. "Get back to th' Cair. Make sure that witch's really dead 'n' there's no more pirates..." he slurred, eyes blinking languidly, though I could tell he was fighting to concentrate on me.
I shook my head, denial a sharp stab in my gut. "No."
"You hafta...leave me," Peter panted.
"You're my brother. I'm not going to leave you," I argued vehemently.
Peter's gaze sharpened and he angled his head to better meet my eyes. "'M not talkin' as your brother but as your king. Givin' you an order."
"No," I mouthed, voice too choked with emotion to actually produce sound.
He appeared agitated by my refusal somehow, as if he had truly believed I was capable of leaving him behind to die in this inferno.
The tree next to us abruptly caught fire and a burning bough snapped off, plummeting onto Peter's injury. He jerked, then his eyes rolled back to expose the white before his eyelids closed over them. I shoved the branch away and felt caught in a sickening time loop as I attempted to bring Peter around again. He didn't respond to the shaking or slapping this time and my heart stuttered. A jet of hot air and the crackling of flames prompted me to turn around. There was only one path left through the burning trees and it was slowly shrinking as the fire spread.
"Alright, Peter," I murmured to my unconscious brother. "You'll have to do better than that if you want me to leave you behind." After hooking my hands under his armpits, I upturned my face. "Aslan, give me strength," I prayed. Then I started dragging Peter.
The heat from the blaze was nearly unbearable, the smell of it overwhelming. The acrid smoke pulled tears from the corners of my eyes. I clenched my jaw and ground my teeth as I strained to pull my brother out of danger. With only a single course open to me, I had no choice but to go in that direction. There was no way to know if this would lead me to the beach or further into the jungle. After only a pitifully small amount of steps, I staggered. But I forced myself on, knowing that if I stopped, I was condemning us both to death. Groaning with effort, I pressed on, watching as the conflagration gained on me.
Ash clouded the air, drifting down like black snowflakes. My head was spinning from the lack of oxygen, the lack of water, the lack of rest, and the trauma I had already endured throughout the course of the day. Peter seemed to grow heavier with every step and my muscles quivered with the strain. Without warning, my legs collapsed from under me and I landed on my back, Peter splayed across my lower body.
I couldn't go on. I hadn't imagined dying like this, burning to death, practically alone. A defeated sob rattled past my damaged ribs, and I tilted my head back, hoping, in spite of the smoke, for one final glimpse of the sky. What I saw transformed my cry to a giddy laugh and I surged upward with renewed hope.
"It's the beach. I can see the beach!" I exclaimed.
Fresh strength filled my veins and I desperately clutched Peter to me as I rose to my feet. This was our last chance at survival and I was not going to fail him. Narnia needed her king. I needed my brother. Orange and gold roared at me on either side but I kept my eyes firmly fixed on the white sand, barely visible through the screen of smoke. The undergrowth grabbed at me but I surged forward. A collapsing tree threatened to block our escape. Somehow, I found the courage to stay on course and made it past just in time. The thick trunk slammed into the place I had just been, spraying me with sparks. I took no notice, for I was nearly to the beach.
Finally, the treacherous jungle floor gave way to soft sand. I slipped, grinned like a mad man, and slipped some more as I lurched further toward the shoreline, and away from the fire. Once I had gone what I judged to be a reasonably safe distance, hopefully out of harm's way, I toppled to my knees, dropping Peter as well. Having been given the title of Just by Aslan Himself, I did my best not to relish in the defeat of my enemies. But kneeling in the cooling sand, watching the terrible jungle burn, I didn't even try to stifle the thrill of satisfaction running through my exhausted body. The red of the flames gave way to the green-tinted smoke and I absently found Peter through touch alone, gaze glued to the blaze. My hand fisted in the back of his tunic and then the world tipped sideways and there was soothing sand beneath my cheek as my eyes slipped closed.
Ohana1575: Thank you! And I hope you're still here, though I won't blame you if you aren't.
ChildofGod: *pulls out emf detector* *and also covers laptop with sheet to protect it from ghostly tears*
NarniaGirl: Well, this is obviously what happened next. It just took me a looooooooong time to say so ;P
DorothyDryad: I continued the reference/backstory in this chapter. I'm assuming you'll catch it, but if not here's a hint-it has to do with the color of the smoke.
Ally: Thank you so much!
Guest: It was actually your comment that gave me the kick in the pants I needed to actually carve out the time to just sit down and write this already! So thank you! (I apologize for getting distracted by other fandoms.)