The Queen's Tales

Chapter 25: The Storm

"It's quite beautiful," they heard Eustace whisper as he inspected the map. Chloe and Lucy both turned to him surprised, the boy caught himself, "I mean for a make-believe map of a make-believe world," he backpedaled unconvincingly.

Edmund smiled, catching Chloe looking at him, the pair of them chuckled before looking back to Coriakin. The magician pointed to a spot on the map, "There is the source of your troubles," the map moved through the sea until a dark looking island appeared. Care to venture a guess as to what it was called? "Dark Island," Thank you Coriakin. "The place where evil lurks," he looked to Edmund seriously, "It can take any form. It can make your darkest dreams come true," He stood in the middle of the map, the others standing around him, "It seeks to corrupt all goodness...to steal the light from this world."

"How do we stop it?" Lucy asked firmly.

"You must break its spell. That sword you carry," he pointed to the refurbished sword Edmund now carried, "There are six others."

Chloe nodded, "They were given to the other Lords we're trying to find."

"Have you seen them?" Edmund asked him.

Coriakin nodded, "Yes."

"They passed through here?" Caspian breathed.

"Indeed."

Chloe looked down at the map, inspecting the Dark Island, "Where were they going?"

"Where I sent them," the map moved again, the Dark Island no longer visible, "To break the spell...you must follow the Blue Star..." A bright blue light appeared above the map, "To Ramandu's Island," the island appeared on the map, "There the seven swords must be laid at Aslan's table. That staff you bare?" He looked to the staff in Chloe's hand, "You, too, must place it with the swords on the table. Only then can their true magical power be released," Chloe looked at her staff, tightening her grip on it as the others watched her, "But beware...you are all about to be tested."

Lucy looked back to Coriakin, "Tested?"

"Until you lay down the seventh sword and the sorcerer's staff, evil has the upper hand. It will do everything in its power to tempt you. Be strong. Don't fall to temptation. To defeat the darkness out there...you must defeat the darkness inside yourself."

Soon after that cheerful interaction, Coriakin was kind enough to give them some extra food and sent them back to the Dawn Treader. The sun was out and it was smooth sailing... for a bit.

💜

A few days later, the sky went dark and the waves were crashing on the sides of the ship. The wind was smacking against the sail roughly and everyone on deck was being sprayed with sea water. How many days did they battle the storm? No one would be able to give a straight answer; Eustace, who never went above deck would later say it was fourteen days, but others would disagree.

The men were exhausted but Drinian was barking orders to all the men in attempt to get the ship under control, there were four men alone gripping the wheel of the ship trying to keep it steady while Chloe stood on the mast struggling to control the waves.

"Three spokes to starboard!" She could hear Drinian bellow from the deck

The minotaurs and others were grabbing ropes and running around deck when Chloe saw the ship going over a large wave, "Brace yourselves!" She bellowed trying to make the landing as soft as possible.

Even with Chloe doing her hardest and exerting herself, purple haze glowing vibrantly from her hands as she grunts to ease the ship back onto the sea. Still, she wasn't strong enough, and there was a crash as the ship fell back, and water splashed all over the deck and soaking them even more than they already were.