School boy | Prince Caspian

20

"One. Two". Peter's voice was strong in Otto's ear. The blonde boy standing at his side, sword gripped in one hand. Edmund was next to his brother. Both Pevensies perched on the eve of the battle field, the golden lion on their chests bright in the sun. Otto twisted his wrists to loosen up his arms, actions nervous. The thundering of hooves grew steadily closer as the telmarine Calvary charged towards them. Black and silver armour creating shadows which loomed ahead of them like a dark wave.

"Three, four". Peter continued counting. All three boys watching as the army grew closer. Waiting for the right chance. Otto knew that below his feet, Caspian was counting too. "Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten".

A horn echoed up from the earth and Otto grinned as Caspian launched the first attack. The ground creaked and crumbled in the middle of the field. The tunnels stretching out from the temple all collapsing as Caspian and his force destroyed the supports. The horses cried out as they stumbled. Telmarines being tossed from their backs as the cavalry all fell into the trap.

"Fire!" Otto heard the cry from the temple. Hundred of arrows rained through the air, piercing the stranded soldiers and slaughtering them like goldfish in a barrel.

"Charge!" Peter's cry echoed off the forest. Otto raised his spear and yelled out war cry as he followed Peter and Edmund into the fray. The second half of their army swelling up around them as they swarmed the battle. Emerging from tunnels behind the cavalry, Caspian and his force turned around and charged too. The telmarine cavalry was stuck. Those lucky enough not to be picked off by arrows, slain with blades.

Otto struck the first soldier around the face with the butt of his spear. Before the man could regain his bearings, he twisted the weapon round and drove it into his chest. The man fell back, dropping his sword. Otto pulled his spear out and moved to the next man, concentrating on staying alive. He was conscious of Peter a few feet away. A figure of red and gold moving efficiently through his opponents. Edmund had found a horse and stolen a crossbow. He was galloping round the pit and shooting anyone who came too close. Around them thuds echoed from the still falling stone from the catapults. One landed five feet to Otto's right. The blast of earth and resulting shock had him loosing his footing. He tumbled backwards with a cry.

He landed heavily in the hole, rolling head over heels through the earth. Dirt was in his mouth and Otto was pretty sure he had tumbled over a dead body. There was blood and scratches on his arms and neck. He finally came to a stop at the bottom of the pit, head spinning dizzyingly. "Get up lad", as voice hissed. Otto felt someone pull him to his feet. He shook his head and peered down at a badger. The badger shook its fur and picked up Otto's spear.

"Thank you", he replied, taking it. He pushed himself up further, grimacing at the forming bruises.

"This is not the time to loose your footing", the badger huffed. He scrambled up the side of the pit and held out a hand. Otto took it and together, they managed to pull him back out.

Peter was screaming. "Back to the How!" Otto looked around. The griffens had joined the fight. They were swooping over the telmarine forces dropping pieces of rubble on them. Some were holding dwarves. The little men shooting down at the army below. The telmarines had responded with huge cross bows that fired fifteen arrows at once. Otto watched as a griffen was shot down. The magnificent beast falling out of the sky with a burst of feathers.

"Back to the How!"

Otto rolled onto his feet and sprinted after the retreating narnian's. The badger at his side, running on all four legs. Peter was somewhere at the front of the force. Edmund still on his horse. Otto got a glimpse of him to his right. Caspian, he couldn't see. He looked around and spotted the prince behind him, bring up the rear. Caspian's long dark hair flowed over his shoulders as he galloped towards the temple, sword glinting in his hand.

The narnian's halted as a a stone projectile hit the temple. The entrance collapsed, blocking off their escape. Otto stopped at Peter's side. The blonde boy king looking at the temple with desperation. Above them, the stone balcony crumbled and Susan screamed. Trumpkin caught her arm as she fell and for a moment she dangled there. Red dress bright over the stone. Then the dwarf was swinging her over to a lower layer where she landed safely. She looked up and gave Peter a nod, climbing down to join them on the ground. Otto turned to face the telmarines as Caspian jogged up to his side.

The prince was breathing heavily and had lost his horse. He gave Otto a wide eyed look. Otto smiled at him through the dirt and sweat, bouncing his spear against the ground. Caspian ran and hand through his hair and huffed. He raise his sword and smiled grimly back. On Peter's other side, Susan and Edmund had joined. Edmund discarded his now broken crossbow and drew his sword. His horse lost in the chaos too. Susan plucked and arrow from her sheath and raised her bow. Peter looked at them all as the telmarines encircled them. His friends and his family.

He lifted his sword and charged in a final stand. Otto silently lifted his spear and followed, Caspian at his side. The Narnian forces attacked the telmarines with renewed energy. The three Pevensie children, Caspian and Otto dived into the battle with single minded intent.

Telmarine soldiers fell around them but their numbers just seemed to keep on redoubling. Otto had lost count of how many he had killed. Edmund and Peter had both snatched up other swords and were fighting with two blades. Soldiers twice their age and size falling around them. Susan was standing in the middle of a circle of dead. A bear and a satyr on either side of her as she shot down any solider who came too close. Otto caught a glimpse of her whipping a soldier across the face with he bow. Her face set with steely determination.

A yell made Otto turn. A solider was running at him, sword lifted up in the air. Otto raised his spear to block it but the wood had taken too many blows. It wouldn't last forever. As the sword collided with it, the pole cracked. Otto fell back with a cry. He landed in the grass, the remains of his spear falling out of his hands as the soldier towered over him. For a moment he was looking death in the face. Weaponless and defenceless as the solider grinned. It was a ugly expression of joy. He raised the sword up again and Otto lifted his arms up over his chest instinctively. Fear lacing through him.

The soldier gasped and Otto blinked as a knife sunk into the man's chest. The man's eyes rolled back and Otto managed to roll out of the way just as his corpse collapsed to the earth. Breathing as sigh of relief, Otto looked up. Caspian stood a few feet away. His sword in one hand as he fended off another soldier's blade. He flashed Otto a brief smile as he sliced the solider back. Otto grinned and pushed himself to his feet. Warmth flooded his chest at the save. But he had no time to blush like a school girl. He snatched up a fallen lance from the floor. It was a curved blade, more like an axe head than a spear. Otto twisted it in his hands and dove back into the battle. It was not like his spear, he thought as a solider fell back from the blade, but it would do.

Otto fought in a blur of motion. His new weapon a black blur as he twisted and spun it in his hands. He stuck as close to Caspian as he could get. The prince a firm presence at his side. It was because he was so close, that Otto watched as a solider knocked Caspian back off his feet. He was too far away to do anything but watch as Caspian fell backwards into the pit. Otto beheaded the solider attacking him and sprinted over to where Caspian had fallen. The solider who had pushed him fell back with a cry, red gushing from the huge slice in his chest.

"Caspian!" Otto called, peering over into the earth. Caspian was lying in the dirt, sword just out of reach. A man stood above him, lance pointed at his exposed neck. Otto recognised the man as the captain of the guard. The captain looked down as Caspian's wide eyes and hesitated. Otto felt his pulse quicken in panic.

Then a brown tendril shot out of the earth and wrapped itself around the captain's waist. The man gave a shout of alarm as he was picked up and thrown into the earth wall. Caspian lay there gaping as he watched the captain slump into unconsciousness. Otto jumped down, landing evenly on his feet. He took Caspian's arm and pulled him up. Caspian was panting heavily, eyes dark with fear and adrenaline.

"What was that?" He asked as Otto handed him his sword. Around them telmarines were fleeing. Their panicked shout and screams echoing around them as they abandoned the fight and ran.

Otto looked up at the battlefield above them and blinked in shock. "Trees", he gasped. "The trees have come".

Unedited

An: final battle everyone. It's almost over.
You ready for it?