The Just and the Wise

Chapter 15

Your POV

"What did you mean when you said you made them invisible for their own good?" Lucy asks as we follow Coriakin into the mansion.

"It seemed the easiest way to protect them," Coriakin pauses, but his stride remains at its quickened pace down the hall, "from the evil."

I glance at Caspian and Edmund, their faces showing their confusion as well.

"You mean the mist?" Edmund asks.

Coriakin stops, motioning us to enter the room before him.

"I mean what lies behind the mist," he says.

Caspian and I glance at each other as Edmund, Eustace, and Lucy walk to one side of the library and he, Drinian, and I to the other. I look around the room. Books line the walls, and a beautiful galaxy-like magic floats book around the dome shaped ceiling.

Coriakin removes a spiral scroll from a shelf, tossing it smoothly in front of him and completely letting go of it. I watch with wonder as the scroll hovers on its own in front of him, and an old yet magical dust lifts from it. Images begin to appear on it-a map with a beautiful border telling the story of Narnia's Golden Age.

"It's quite beautiful," Eustace says, a half-smile appearing on his face.

He's right, it's most beautiful. We all look at him, a bit stunned at his positivity.

"I mean, for a make-believe map of a make-believe world," he says, becoming defensive.

Lucy suppresses a smile as she looks back at the ground; Edmund and I exchange a look of amusement across the map.

"There," Coriakin begins, motioning the map to move its view, "is the source of your troubles."

The map's scene flies over the Narnian sea to an island.

"The Dark Island," the professor says, "a place where evil lurks. It can take any form. It can make your darkest dreams come true."

He look intently at Edmund, who's eyes are big as he hangs onto Coriakin's every word.

"It seeks to corrupt all goodness," his eyes move to Caspian who immediately looks away, unable to hold the professor's gaze.

"To cloud all judgement," Coriakin's eyes move to me, and I feel what I can only describe as what it feels like to hear the worst possible news but not quite understand what's being said to you.

"To steal all light from this world," Coriakin finishes his statement looking at Lucy, who seems in phased by his statement.

"How do we stop it?" She demands.

"You must break its spell," Coriakin replies with a step toward Lucy, "that sword you carry, there are six others."

Edmund looks the sword at his side.

"Have you seen them?"

"Yes!"

"The six lords-they passed through here?" Caspian says timidly.

"Indeed," Coriakin glides over the map in front of us, "I sent them to Ramandu's island, where you must follow the blue star to break the spell."

A glowing blue orb appears and hovers over Ramandu's Island, which is now the focus of the map's imagery.

"There the seven swords must be laid at Aslan's table. Only then can their true magical power be released," the professor looks gravely at each of us, holding eye contact to ensure we know the seriousness of his words, "But beware: you are all about to be tested."

"Tested?" Lucy and I ask.

"Until you lay down the seventh sword, evil has the upper hand. It will do everything in its power...to tempt you."

Coriakin moves his face close to Lucy's and she looks at the map fearfully.

"Be strong. Don't fall to temptation," the professor moves toward Caspian and me, "to defeat the darkness out there, you must defeat the darkness inside yourself."

My heart beats faster at his words. I know my weaknesses, and I know what everyone else's are as well. We all have our weaknesses, and those weaknesses are as easily given into as stain glass is broken by a cricket ball.

I look at Caspian next to me and he looks back at me tensely. My eyes move to Edmund, who is focused on the blue star, as is Lucy.

"Temptation? Evil?" I ask, drawing Coriakin's and everyone's attention back to me.

"Let's go." Caspian says boldly, and we follow the King out, both empowered and terrified of what adventures lie before us.