The Tragedy of Being

Until The Death

Ise Esi O Pandodynamos Theos by Nikos Politis

Cass could feel the blood rushing through her ears. Here she was, clad in heavy silver armor on a horse, next to Peter at the front of the battalion facing off against the Witch and her armies.

She could feel Peter's nerves radiating off of him. He wanted to make it out alive, and let the Narnians return to their families. But he was seeing the impossible odds stacked against them, and realizing that his hopes may be a bit misplaced.

"Hey, we can do this." Cass says to Peter. His dark blue eyes flash to her, and for a moment she sees him exactly as he was, a boy scared of dying. Cass wondered what she looked like in that moment. Did she look like a scared little girl, or someone who had no qualms with their life ending abruptly?

"Are you with me?" Peter asked Cass. It seemed like her answer would determine the balance of his fate from the way he asked the question.

"I am. Till the death." Cass said. It felt like a crackle of electricity passed between them. But Cass was ready for this fight. Come hell or high water.

Peter drew his sword, staring at the approaching enemy armies. His sword glistened in the sunlight. He waited a moment, finding his courage.

Peter glanced at Cass, and she gave him an affirming nod.

"For Narnia! And for Aslan!" Peter shouted. He pointed his sword towards the approaching armies.

Griffins flew over their heads, flying towards the enemy armies with rocks. Cass really hoped this would work.

The griffins dropped the rocks on the biggest opponents, and targeting their archers. Watching their opponents crumble under the weight of the rocks gave Cass a glimmer of hope.

Peter drops his sword down, and all of the troops of the Narnians start running towards the enemy.

Time seemed to slow for Cass. She pulled out her sword, now going to use it for the first time since the wolves. It was like her hand was drawn to the hilt, magnetized to it.

The moment her gauntlet touched the soft leather, her body began to hum with electricity. Her pupils dilated. She could see every opponent's weakness now, as if it was the easiest thing to spot in the world.

A big black ghostlike dog ran towards her, and a chill went down her spine. Somehow, she knew this thing was vicious, and would love to kill her and eat her soul. The evil dog launched at her, and she swung, cutting the ghost to pieces. The ghost dissipated in a cloud of smoke. She knew that thing wasn't coming back for a long while, inherently.

"Well done, little one!" Orius praised somewhere distantly. Cass' eyes snapped over to him, seeing him kicking a wolf's head in, both of his swords drawn.

Cass takes her legs out of Gypsy's stirrups. Gypsy whines in protest.

"Go find Susan and Lucy. Look after them, and take them somewhere safe." Cass demanded.

Gypsy whined again, but took off at Cass' command.

Cass noticed her feet sinking into the dry ground. Something was wrong. She brandished her sword, ready to attack.

A muddy fist appeared out of the ground that was slowly sucking Cass in deeper. She was already ankle deep in the mud. The fist swiped at her, trying to nock her down into the mud. Cass dodged the blow, but almost fell over due to her ankles being detained in the mud.

She couldn't find a way to kill this thing. Cass slashed and slashed at the mud, but the globules would fall to the ground and rejoin with the mud that was detaining her. She had sunk in a quarter way up to her shin.