Across the Great Sea

Chapter 16

We make it to the entrance of Dark Island. It looked even more menacing up close. My courage shrinks. We stand at the wheel, Leona, Caspian, Lucy, Edmund, Ruth, Tavros, Drinian and I.
"So what do you think is in their?" Tarvos asks nervously.
"The dark sides of us," I answer, shakily.
"Our worst nightmares," adds Edmund,
"Our darkest wishes," Caspian.
"Pure evil," Drinian tells us.
He turns to the minotaur,"Tavros, unlock the armory! Archers prepare yourselves!"
Tarvos gives the order to light the lanterns, while Caspian looks at the four of us,"Let's get ready."
"Alright, Caspian," Leona grins, trying to be cheerful.
Lucy, Ruth, and Iwalk back to our cabin, and get ready for any battle we might face, Gael is with us.
"Verity, what did you mean what you said about our dark sides?" Ruth asks.
"I meant our flesh grows stronger," I answer,"The evil part of us. Our greatest enemy."
I realize that this battle will be harder than any other.
"You're a failure, you'll just die in there." That voice says again.
"How do you defeat it..." Gael asks.
"Stop!" I shout, angrily,"I don't know! I haven't even defeated mine yet."
"Verity!" Ruth asks shocked at my behaviour."What's the matter?"
"Nothing." I reply.
I leave the room, but stay behind to listen to what the other girls were saying.
"When I grow up, I want to be just like you two , not like Verity, she's nice, but she gets angry easily." Gael says.
See you're a failure.
"No, when you grow up you should be just like you," Lucy answers kindly.
I leave in a storm, I was a failure! It hurt that a little girl didn't like me that much because of my anger.
Peter he was way ahead of me in this. Maybe I should just give up.
"Verity, what's the matter?" Edmund asks, as I join him and Caspian at the deck.
"Nothing," I snap. I notice Peter's sword attached to my brother's sword belt.
"You gave up your sword," I say to Caspian.
He nods,"Your brother deserved it more than I."
When the others come, prepared and ready for a fight. Caspian gives a speech. He stands at the high platform, while we all stand below.
"No matter what happens, here, every soul here has earned their place on the crew of the Dawn Treader. Together we have traveled far, together we have faced adversity, and together we can do it again. Now's not the time to fall into fears temptations. Be strong, never give in."
I look at my brother beside me, he has a look of determination on his face.
"Think of the lost souls we're to save." He becomes silent for a moment,"Think of Aslan, think of Narnia."
He ends his speech as we all shout,"For Narnia!"
"And Aslan!" I shout.
"And Aslan!" They shout.
We reach Dark Island, I brace myself, as fog surrounds us. Edmund takes my hand in his.
"I can't see a thing. This fog's to thick," Drinian says to us, as he controls the wheel.
The mist starts creeping towards us.
"You're a failure." Says an audible voice, I turn around to face the most frightening face ever. I don't want to describe it. Is was my accuser
"Peter's so far ahead and you're stuck. Didn't you tell me he just became a Christian and you've been one for what three years! Well, you haven't made any improvements since the day you became one!" He scoffs evilly
"But I try," I answer.
"You don't try or you wouldn't be like this," He laughs.
"No!" Edmund and I both yell at the same time.
"Edmund, Verity?" Asks a concerned Lucy,"Are you alright."
"You look like you've seen a ghost," remarks Ruth.
We both nod in reply, but I knew neither of us were.
"Keep Away! Keep Away!" I hear someone yell.
"Who's there?" Edmund asks, leaning against the railing. Lucy clutched my arm.
"We do not fear you!" Caspian shouts back.
"Nor I you!" The man shouts back.
"Maybe Edmund you could use your light," Leona suggests.
Edmund grabs his torch and turns it on. Revealing a man, clothing tattered to shreds, holding on to his sword. His eyes hollow and frightening and a large grey beard.
"We will not leave!" Caspian calls.
"Keep away!" He continues,"You will not defeat me!"
"Oh really, he looks like he can barely use his sword," I reply sarcastically.
"Caspian, his sword!" Exclaims Edmund.
"It's the seventh!" Cries Leona excitedly, looking up at her brother.
"Lord Rupe!" Caspian shouts, getting down the platform.
"You do not own me!" Cries the man hysterically.
"Stand down," Caspian orders,"Let's get him on board quickly."
Eustace flies from the ship and grabs Lord Rupe.
"Perhaps that was a bad idea," I mutter, as the man shouts with hysteria.
"Well, what other plan to you have," Leona retorts.
"None."
Eustace drops him on the ship and he gets up scared.
"My lord, we are not here to hurt you, I am your king, Caspian," Caspian informs Lord Rupe.
"Caspian!" The old man's voice ring with recognition.
"He's son of Caspian the IX, I'm his sister Princess Leona," my friend walks over to him.
"And we are the Kings and Queens of old," I say, motioning to  my three siblings and me.
"My king and queen and princess you should not have come. Turn this ship about before it's too late!" Lord Rupe cries.
"We have the sword let's go," Edmund says.
"Let's turn her about, Drinian," Caspian orders.
"Aye- aye, your majesty," Drinan replies.
"What do you mean too late?" I ask Lord Rupe.
"Never mind, do not think. Do not let it know your fears or it will become them!" He warns.
"Oh no!" Edmund groans, closing his eyes.
"Edmund!" Cries a frightened Lucy,"What did you just think off!"
"Oh, I'm sorry!"Edmund runs to the railing and both of us follow.
A large snake like body edges around the ship. Sea serpents!
"I thought they didn't exist!" I gasp.
"Well, in your mind they do!" Edmund replies.
"This is terrible, oh, so terrible!" Exclaims a frightened Ruth.
The creature bangs against the ship, causing us all to fall on our knees.
Edmund helps both Lucy, Ruth, and I up.
The others all join us at the railing.
"It's too late!" Cries Lord Rupe.
"What is that!" Asks Caspian.
"What does it look like!" Cries Leona in fear.
"Gael!" Cries Lucy, I watch as the sea serpents rises its big head out of the water, aiming to attack the little girl on the other side off the deck.
We both run over and help her up. The creature glares at me as I pull out my sword.
Edmund pushes me behind him, beside Lucy, who has her arms around Gael. He points his sword at the creature.
The sea serpents attacks the ship, breaking a few things, and causing a fire.
I clutch at Edmund's shoulders. Eustace tries to attack the sea serpent by flying onto his face, while Reepicheep tries to stab it, throws him against a rock.
"Eustace!" I cry out in fear, we run to the deck.But the dragon doesn't stay defeated, he gets up and breathes fire on the serpent, who puts it out by dunking his head in the water.
"Out creature!" Lord Rupe yells as he throws the sword at Eustace.
"How could you!" I glare at the lord.
"Eustace, no come back!" Cries a terrified Lucy as the dragon flies away.
"What will we do now!" Cries Ruth.
"We're doomed, we're all doomed!" Shouts Lord Rupe, heading for the wheel,"Turn this ship about."
He heads for the wheel.
"Stop him!" Orders Caspian.
Drinian knocks the man out and yells,"Now crew to your rowing positions double speed."
I climb onto the deck of the ship and start slashing my sword at the creature. He unfolds his fangs in provoke.
"Verity!" Cries Lucy and Ruth, as I slip.
I find myself tumbling overboard, but I feel a strong hand grab me first.
"Help me get her up!" Edmund yells.
A man from the crew grabs my other arm, they both haul me up.
"Never do that again!" Edmund scowls at me.
"Well, nobody else was doing anything," I retort as I get up.
"You're only 15," Edmund tells me.
"Oh, so that's how you're approaching it, my age, well what about height, because two years ago I was taller than you," I reply.
"Stop it!" Ruth cries,"We've a monster to fight and all you can do is agree."
"Sounds pretty stupid," remarks Leona,"And were you actually taller than Edmund."
"She's right, we've got to be ready," I say.
Lucy turns back to the sea serpent,"Aslan, please, help us," she prays.
I see an albatross fly overhead, an albatross was something like a dove.
"That's Aslan," I whisper to her.
She squeezes my hand gently. As the ship begins to move the sea serpents coils itself around the ship.
"Lucy, take Gael below deck," I order my younger sister.
"Gael, come on, this way," Lucy tells her grabbing her hand.
"Ed! Verity! Leona! Ruth! We'll ram the serpent, smash him against the rocks!" He yells to us.
"Steer it to port. I'll keep it on the prow," Edmund yells.
"I'm coming with you!" I say to my brother, who heads to the mouth of the dragon head at the bow of the ship. I climb up beside him.
"Verity, no!" Ruth tells me.
"Verity! Get down!" Edmund orders me.
"I'm not letting you die alone," I say to him.
We both unsheathe our swords, Edmund turns on his torch pointing in the serpents face, who was inches away from us.
"Try and kill us, come on, we're here!" Edmund shouts.
"We're not afraid!" I challenge the monster, who bites the prow, Edmund pulls me close to him. I expect to meet face to face with death.
"No!" I hear Lucy and Ruth cry, we must still be alive. Edmund loosens his arms around me.
"Edmund! Verity!" I hear Caspian yell.
"Are they alright," I hear Leona say.
We stand up half the prow was gone."That was close," I mutter. We climb up the top.
"Archers to the ready!" Drinian yells.
"We're still here!" Edmund tells the serpent.
An arrow hits the creature in the eye. I look below, Lucy is using Susan's arrow and Ruth her own.
"Good shot, Lu!" I call down to her.
"Brace yourselves!" Caspian shouts, the ship rams the serpent against a rock. Edmund and I tumble to the floor of the ship. I fall onto the slimy back of the sea serpent.
Edmund helps me up, Caspian slashes his sword against the sea serpents many legs. It disappears like mist.
"We can beat this," he says.
"Alright then," I nod in agreement.
"We have to get it closer," Edmund replies.
"But it already is wrapped around our ship," I protest.
"Come on, Verity," Edmund tells me.
"All hands on main deck. Ready the harpoons!" Caspian orders.
"We'll need every weapon available to kill this beast," Leona calls.
I climb up with my brother to the rigging, where.
Every weapon available was shot at the beast, Edmund and I our swords ready, were about to stab the serpent.
"Verity, I don't know how you can be could enough? You've failed many times. I now what you're made of," my accuser appears again.
My sword lights up and so does Ed's.
"The Lord is my shepherd," I hear myself say,"I shall not want!"
Ed and I stab the serpent and like electricity the serpent falls into the ground water.
"It's dead, we defeated it!" I exclaim.
We get down the rigging.
"It's clearing up," Lucy whispers."Edmund, Verity, Ruth,Caspian, Leona! Look!"