Beautiful Warrior [Caspian X]

XXXI; the serpent

   Idalia, my princess. I wonder what people will say when they find out the baby has been conceived out of wedlock.

   Idalia gulped down and kept her head high pretending not to hear anything. The words struck her heart harder than she thought and emotions were getting the better of her but she kept still and silent.

   You'll be no good as a mother, you're already risking the child's life and they haven't even been born yet.

   The wish to lash out and yell was becoming unbearable but Idalia merely gripped on her sabre tighter so her knuckles turned white. It was just a figment of her darkest thoughts and they weren't real but in those moments Idalia couldn't convince herself of the truth.

   How will you know how to raise a child when you've never had a loving mother in your life? All you know is pain and survival.

   Her hand flew up to her temples and she squeezed her eyes shut to keep out all of it. Once opening her eyes she turned around and walked over the deck looking at other crew members who looked troubled with fear in their eyes. She raised her head and looked at the top deck where the wheel was. Caspian was standing there looking frightened, no wonder the mist getting to him. All of a sudden they heard yells from one of the rock formations in the cave. Idalia rushed to the edge of the boat and leaned over the railing.

   An old man was standing there and yelling nonsense while waving a silver sword around like a lunatic. ''Keep away! Keep away!''

   ''Caspian his sword!'' Edmund warned.

   ''Lord Rhoop!'' Caspian realised and stepped to the railing as well. ''Let's get him on board quickly.''

   The sailors all grabbed ropes but were a tad bit too slow when Eustace, still in his dragon form, swooped the lord up and dropped him on the deck. The lord seemed to be out of his mind, there was no way to calm him down. He kept speaking and repeating himself as if the second he said her forget whatever it was that left his mouth. ''You should not have come! There's no way out of here!''

   Idalia thought she should shut him up with her sabre long ago, he was getting on her nerves. Between speaking different warning messages and well-known truths he just wouldn't stop.

   ''We have the sword. Let's go!'' Drinian who was still behind the wheel understood the message and started turning the ship around. Idalia sighed with relief. They had all the pieces, they could break the spell and go home without trouble. Or so she thought.

   Then the Lord spoke again. ''Do not think. Do not let it know your fears, or it will become them.'' The crew all looked at one another with thoughtful glances.

   ''Oh, no.'' Edmund cringed and closed his eyes.

   ''Edmund!'' Lucy beckoned her brother. ''What did you just think of?''

   ''Oh, I'm sorry!'' Edmund apologised and looked out on the black sea surrounding the ship.

   Idalia scrunched up her eyebrows in confusion as she had no idea what to expect. Her eyes panned to the ocean as well and that's when she saw it. What little of light there was in the cave glistened off of the dark scales of the creature as its massive snake-like body rose from the surface and dove back into it. Then the nasty snarl of it resonated through the cave as it went higher and higher out of the water. Horror washed over Idalia's face as she had to crane her head way up to see its ugly head.

   ''A bloody serpent?'' She whispered to herself in confusion and gripped on the sabre tightly.

   It snarled again ready to attack but then Eustace came and fought the serpent himself with the help of Reep. The crew watched all with expectant eyes, seeking any sign of a good outcome of this battle when the serpent three Eustace at a rock and the dragon stayed there lying motionlessly. When the serpent closed in on him again the dragon roared fire and the serpent retreated shaking off the red flames.

   Someone moved abruptly beside Idalia and pushed her out of the way only for her to realise it was the lunatic of the lord. He threw his sword, the last one they needed to banish the dark magic and it lodged itself in Eustace.

   ''No! The sword!'' Caspian cried as Eustace roared in pain and took off and away from the cave.

   ''Turn this ship about!'' Lord Rhoop yelled and ran up the stairs to the wheel.

  ''Someone stop him!''

   Idalia glared at the grey-haired insane lord before she bolted after him. He sent everyone off balance when he turned the wheel, making the ship jerk abruptly. Idalia regained her balance and raised her sabre before knocking him out with the handle of it. She didn't need his death on her conscience so shutting him this way was good enough, she had enough of his nonsense talking.

   Most of the sailors went below deck once Drinian ordered them that they will row out of the cave. But the whole crew was far from safe. Idalia leaned on the railing again when she stepped down the stairs and looked at how the serpent dived, making the fire go out before it followed the ship at impeccable speed. Out of nowhere it bolted out of the sea and jumped across the ship and then down under it again. It was wrapping itself around the ship to crush it and take the whole thing out of the way.

   Idalia didn't anticipate where it would next emerge so she went flying to the ground when its enormous jaw appeared in front of her and Idalia moved away from it just in time. She bumped into someone and looked at the person. Kirin sent her a questioning glance which Idalia immediately understood as are you alright. She nodded at him and pushed strands of her wet hair away from her eyes. She still had her sabre and in a moment of rage, she started striking the body of the serpent, hoping that the strikes were affecting the monster in any way.

  ''Ed!'' Caspian yelled from the higher deck. ''We'll ram the serpent. Smash him on the rocks.'' He was mentioning the rock mountain in the near distance.

   ''Steer her to port. I'll keep it on the prow.'' Edmund answered and ran to the nose of the ship.

  Idalia turned to the king and caught his eyes for one split second. His fear-stricken eyes as he was gripping the wheel widened, even more, when he noticed how still she was standing.

   ''Idalia! Watch out!'' He screamed.

   Idalia broke his stare in time to see the serpent hover over the deck coming right towards her. She raised her sabre for protection but her actions were too slow. Pain shot up her torso from the hard-hit and she toppled to the slippery floor before her vision blurred completely. 

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