Eustace, Caspian, Edmund, Lucy and I started to follow Coriakin through the intricately decorated passages and hallways of his mansion. We left Drinian and the crew on the beach to pack up our belongings and prepare the Dawn Treader to set sail on our voyage once more.
We turned and entered another corridor, the walls were a murky colour, somewhere between a brown, green and grey. The floors were tiled with green and burnt orange slabs, all different shapes and sizes. The door frames were arches all silhouetted with gold and the only source of light were dim chandeliers hanging evenly spaced upon the ceilings. I have a feeling that Coriakin prefers the darkness, it matches his ominous personality.
Lucy was the first to speak and she simply said what we were all thinking.
"What did you mean when you said you made them invisible for their own good?" Her voice as perky as always.
"It seemed the easiest way to protect them..." He started to explain, not providing any significant details. Coriakin is a very cryptic man, it was starting to put me on edge. I was always taught growing up to never trust something that cannot give you a straight answer.
"From the evil." He continued. Evil? What Evil? Evil isn't just a thing... Someone or something has to be behind it. I was about to question everything when Edmund appeared at my side and took my hand and spoke.
"You mean the mist?" We continued to walk down the corridor when we reached some kind of library, he waited at the door for us all to enter. I had forgotten about the green mist, but surely something has to be behind it.
"I mean what lies behind the mist." The magician amended.
The room had small sections of constellations spinning on the ceiling and turquoise bookshelves with golden trim gracing the walls. As we all admired the beautiful room, we hadn't noticed that Coriakin had slipped away and gathered a scrolled up piece of paper.
The old magician walked back into the center of the room and threw the scroll causing it to levitate before unfurling into a large map that embellished the floor like an antique rug. As soon as it was settled a vast ocean appeared and three dimensional islands popped upon it, with clouds hovering above. Around the edges the battle of the White Witch was being presented by some moving illustrations.
"That's quite beautiful." Eustace muttered, hoping nobody could hear. We did and we all turned to look at him, pleasantly surprised that he was opening up to Narnia. I gave him a small smile, Narnia is a place to love. "I mean, for a make-believe map of a make-believe world." He added, maybe not so open-minded then...
"There... is the source of your troubles." Coriakin articulated as the map traveled over to a new location. Suddenly a large black rock was in view with green smoke, the mist, spewing out of it slowly.
"Dark Island. A place where evil lurks. It can take any form. It can make your darkest dreams come true." He added. I wish he would stop being so obscure but I guess that was the old man's nature. As he was saying all of this he kept approaching each of us and talking directly to each of our faces, it made me feel even more uneasy.
"It seeks to corrupt all goodness to steal the light from this world." He continued to lament.
"How do we stop it?" Lucy asked, a hint of desperation in her tone, as Coriakin wandered back over to the map.
"You must break it's spell." He explained to her, suddenly he turned to Edmund and pointed at the blade held firmly in his left hand. "That sword you carry, there are six others."
"Have you seen them?" Edmund asked.
"Yes." He said bluntly.
I finally commented on the conversation. "The six remaining lords, they passed through here?"
"Indeed."
"Where were they headed?" Caspian asked. The map started to move again, it was making me feel a tad dizzy.
"Where I sent them. To break the spell... you must follow the Blue Star... to Ramandu's Island. There, the seven swords must be laid at Aslan's table. Only then, can their true magical power be released." He explained to us, however I can sense a but coming...
"But beware!" Coriakin added. There it is!
"You are all about to be tested." He mumbled, once again being rather cryptic.
"Tested?" I questioned, becoming slightly annoyed at the elderly man.
"Until you lay down the seventh sword, evil has the upper hand. It will do everything in its power to tempt you." Tempt us... With what cake and ice-cream?! Cause that sounds quite good...
Coriakin continued his small speech. "Be strong. Don't fall to temptation. To defeat the darkness out there... you must defeat the darkness inside yourself." We all looked around one another, nodding at one another. The five of us started to prepare to leave the mansion and head back to the rest of the crew awaiting our arrival, to go back to the Dawn Treader and set sail once again.
I double checked I had all my belongings, sword, quiver, bow... I had them all and just as I went to walk out of the door when Coriakin addressed me.
"Queen Guinevere." I turned to look at him, he was holding a hand behind his back. "I notice that your bow doesn't look right. You don't seem as comfortable with you weapon as any good archer should..." I frowned knowing he was right. This wasn't my bow. My weapon of choice was back on the ship in multiple pieces beyond repair, or so I thought.
He pulled his hand from behind his back presenting the bow I had used since I was young out towards me. I gasped in shock. My bow, it was in one piece.
Coriakin approached me and placed the bow in my hand. "Take good care of it, for when you have trust in this bow, it shall not easily miss." I smiled at him for quoting the most famous story of the golden age, I noticed Lucy laugh a little too. "You never know how crucial an artifact can become to history... think about Queen Susan's horn and what that accomplished." He whispered to me with a small gleam in his perplexing eyes.
We all turned to leave once more when I turned around and hugged the old man tightly, he returned the gesture. " Thank you; you have no idea what this means to me!" I whispered back before we all walked back to the beach, where Drinian and Taveros were waiting with a longboat. Time to head on with our journey to find the Blue Star and stop the evil once and for all, no matter the trails we may face.
YOU ARE READING
Two Hearts Reunited
FanficA few years after the grand Kingdom of Narnia was returned to the great lion Aslan from the Telmarine invaders. Harmony had been restored, A Son of Adam and a Daughter of Eve were able to take their rightful places on the throne. However, this only...
