Eternal || Edmund Pevensie (The Chronicles of Narnia) [2]

Chapter 29

CHAPTER 29

POSTED 1/12/23

"So, you met Aslan?"

"Sort of."

"Wait, start from the beginning. What happened after the whole sea serpent incident?"

As the Dawn Treader continued to sail its course, its passengers eventually settled in and were simply enjoying the ride. Mary, Edmund, Caspian, and Lucy all made it a point to get to know the new members aboard the ship and make sure that they were all safe and comfortable. After having spoken to a couple of the Narnians who were previously taken by the green mist, Mary somehow wound up with Eustace.

"It's a long story, really... I don't want to bore you," Eustace, who sat across her with a towel still hanging around his shoulders, was saying.

"I'm all ears," Mary said genuinely. She was eager to hear what he had gone through, and she wanted to spend a little more time with this Eustace. It actually felt like she had spent more time with him as a dragon rather than a human being. With a hint of humor, she added, "Besides, when have you ever not wanted to talk?"

Eustace grinned in amusement and gave in.

"Alright, then. After someone struck me with the sword —"

"That someone was Lord Rhoop," Mary rolled her eyes. Even if everything turned out fine in the end, she was still miffed at that man's careless actions; it could have cost them their lives. "Sorry, go on."

"Well, after he did that and after I was practically beaten up by the sea serpent that cousin Edmund conjured..." Mary didn't know whether to laugh at the jab Eustace was making or to defend Edmund, so she ended up keeping quiet. "I don't know, I think I was just blinded by so much pain and fear because before I knew it, I was flying off to who-knows-where. I can't remember much about where I was going or what I did during that, but when I awoke again, I was stranded in some island."

"How did it look like?"

"It was pretty bare. Just a plain beach. But the sun was out and the sky was clear, which was quite nice compared to all that darkness we were surrounded with back in Dark Island."

"What happened next?"

"That's when I saw Aslan," answered Eustace, already sounding like he deeply respected him. "He was a lion — well, of course you would know that — but he felt far from what normal zoo or wild lions in our world are like. It was like I could feel that he was powerful and wise, you know?"

"I know what you mean," Mary said, smiling at the memory of her first time meeting Aslan. "When I met Aslan, he asked me if I was the one who said I'd kick his butt once he got to Narnia."

"Kick his butt? What insolent fool would say something like that?" said Eustace.

"Hey, I was only joking when I told Lucy that — I didn't think she'd actually tell him," Mary huffed.

"O-Oh, so you really did say that?" Eustace winced.

"Yes, and I will never forget how humiliated I was when he exposed me in front of everyone," Mary groaned. In hindsight, though, it was a funny memory to look back on. "Anyway, go on. Did Aslan say anything when you saw him?"

"I can't remember if he did," Eustace said in mild disappointment. "I was going in and out of consciousness. But then I saw him come closer, and he roared, and a strange feeling came over me — something like both pain and comfort. I think that's when he changed me back to a boy."

"It must've been a relief to be back to normal after so long."

"It was, but being a dragon wasn't so bad, either," he admitted.