New Dawn: Caspian X Reader

Chapter Six

The monster struck the Dawn Treader, its fangs sinking deep into the belly of the ship, and it felt like with each hit the ship endured, both the Dawn Treader and the hopes of the crew sank deeper into the sea's relentless current. Yells of terror from the crew bounced off of the wood, and (Name) hissed as the ship tipped to side, the wound in her side tearing slightly.

Caspian muttered apologies under his breath as he clutched her to his side, grabbing onto a rope for stability. (Name) stumbled, her gaze wandering past the edge of the deck, and she noticed a large boulder protruding out of the water nearby, the light reflecting off of the surface of the water illuminating the sharpness of its form.

"Caspian... the rocks." Caspian's eyes lit up at her idea.

"You are a genius, (Name)— Men!" His vibrato pierced through the tense and foggy air. "Ram the serpent! Smash him against the rocks!"

Crewmen echoed the command to one another, and slowly the ship began diverting its course. More instructions were sent back and forth between captain and crew, their voices hollering loud enough to battle against the hisses and screams from the monster. (Name) struggled to keep her grip on Caspian, and she was violently thrown away from him as the ship tipped.

Her hands slapped against the splintered wood of the deck, and (Name) whipped her head around, searching for Caspian and her cousins. Edmund, who was still in a slight stupor from the mist, crawled out from the destroyed figurehead, silvery blood coated on his sword. The serpent screeched above him, bits of woods dripping from its maws. It reared to strike once more, but the Dawn Treader slammed into its chest, the back of the monster ramming into the sharp rock.

A high pitched roar echoed through the misty air, and the sea monster dipped into the waves, seemingly beaten. Barely a breath had been taken by all onboard before it rose back up, a shiver running through the serpent's chest as a cavern opened below its jaw. Rows upon rows of sharp boney structures lined the newly formed mouth, and the serpent struck the ship with its newly revealed teeth.

Unlike before, (Name) was prepared for the next few attacks from the sea monster. She crawled along the deck, letting out frustrated grunts as she fought the urge to stand and fight the beast herself. The pang of pain that seared down her side forced her to stay down, however, so instead (Name) pulled herself to one of the remaining masts, using the shredded ropes coiled around its base to pull herself upwards.

A hand gripped under her arm and pulled the woman upward, startling her. She turned and met the eyes of her cousin, who quickly made his way up the ladder on the mast toward the crow's nest. (Name) watched Edmund, flinching as the serpent swung at him as he climbed. By now, the monster's long tail had wrapped itself around the hull of the ship, muscles flexing and squishing the reinforced wood as if it were made of putty.

From up in the crow's nest, Edmund dangled himself precariously, his grip tightening against what was left of the mast, knuckles white and fingers bleeding. He seemed in a daze, his eyes following a clump of greenish fog that circled around his head. The monster, seeing an easy prey, rose above the elder Pevensie. Its teeth dripped with hunger.

The monster reared, a hiss bubbling in its throat. Yelling out in defiance, Edmund sliced through the fog and pierced his sword through the beast's jaw. Bright white light ignited down through the spine and veins of the beast. The serpent screamed, its horrifying cries of anguish amplified by the low clouds and torrential waters. The glow, once held only within the monster, fanned out through newly created gaps in its flesh, and with each new beam of light, the storm above grew quieter — tamed to a soft breeze and honey-coloured sunrise. The monster fell into the sea, sinking deep into the water.

The thick fog dissipated, and in the distance, a cluster of small rowboats drifted toward the Dawn Treader. A few dozen people occupied the boats, and the larger ship's crew shouted out to them. Gael spotted her mother and screamed out for her. Tears rolled down her cheeks and mixed with the sea as she leapt head-first into its depths.