[eighteen: Aslan, please help us]

Whilst Genevieve knelt all alone on the other side of the deck, Drinian was trying to desperately turn the ship - unaware of the fear that flooded across the ship as Lord Rhoop began to jump around in panic, his finger pointing to Caspian.

"Do not think." He shouted, scaring the life out of many of the members of the ship. "Do not let it know your fears...or it will become them."

"Oh, no." Edmund stated loudly as he closed his eyes, his eyes widening as he opened them to see all the crew looking at him.

"Edmund, what did you just think of?" Lucy asked worriedly as Edmund ran to the side of the boat, looking over the edge of the water in fear.

"Oh, I'm sorry." He said panicky as he spotted the scaly body swimming through the water - his breath hitching upon seeing it - then it crashed into the boat. The crew fell but Edmund was quickly to help Lucy up, looking for his wife who was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Genevieve?" He asked Lucy who only shrugged as she looked around.

"You were the last one with her." She commented and Edmund inhaled.

"Shit." He whispered as he looked around. "Genevieve!"

"Look!" Caspian stated as he looked over the ships edge and saw the monster rise from the water and then plunge itself into it. "What is that?"

"It's too late. It's too late!" Rhoop shouted as he ran around the ship.

"It's gone under the boat!" Someone murmured and Lucy turned, watching as Gael sat on the other side of the ship and her eyes widened.

"Gael!" She screamed as the monster dropped in the sea behind her, Gael also screaming and wishing she'd obeyed orders of staying in her room before Lucy ran over to her and took her hand. "Come here! Run!"

"I'm sorry!" Gael whispered as Lucy held her tight. "I got scared in the room all by myself."

"It's fine," Lucy whispered as she stroked the girls hair. "Just stay close to me."

In the skies above them, the power trio were looking at the Sea Serpent with determined eyes - all three knowing that it was their duty to defeat it from above, though Ron was unsure if he could hold on.

"Don't let me down. No fear. No retreat." Reepicheep shouted and Eustace nodded whilst Ron looked down, noticing his cousin trapped in a corner as she knelt to the floor - no armor left on her.

"Eustace," Ron shouted as he pet the dragon's scales with wide eyes. "Get closer to the ship, Genevieve needs me."

Eustace quickly soared downwards above where Genevieve was, Ron giving the dragon one more pat before he jumped off his back - Eustace growling as Ron landed on his feet next to Genevieve who was trapped as the ship began to deteriorate around her. Ron quickly took her hand and hoisted her onto the main deck, Genevieve helping him up after as he embraced her.

"Are you mad? Where's your armor and sword?" Ron asked and watched as Genevieve took a shaky breath and held onto him tight.

"My rings don't work." She stated and Ron's eyes widened in confusion as he looked to the rings on her rings where even the gems had lost their colour. 

"Take my spare sword." Ron said as he handed Genevieve one of his two swords and approached Caspian on deck. "They need us."

"Hold fast!" Drinian shouted as the sea serpent steadied itself over the boat, waiting for its prey - but it never got any and Eustace roared and ventured towards it, breathing fire across its eyes as Eustace hit the serpent down much to everyone's surprise.

"For Narnia!" Reepicheep screamed as he plunged his sword into the eyes of the serpent. "Take that and that! Yah!"

The serpent flung Reepicheep onto the ship, leaving Eustace to defend for himself as Ron watched with wide eyes - not wanting someone he loved dearly to get hurt. The two continued to battle, Eustace noticeably being weaker due to size as the serpent dominated him and treated him as if he were a rag dole in a room full of china.

"Eustace, hang on." Reepicheep screamed from the mast, watching at the two creatures battled across the edge of the ship - Eustace weaker than the sea serpent.

Genevieve quickly rushed to Edmund's side as he pulled her into a much needed hug, his eyes wide as he noticed how she was unprotected and there was blood falling down her forehead. He was quick to rip a piece of his shirt off and dab at the blood on her head in confusion as he wrapped his arms around her again.

"Where's your armor? What happened?" Edmund asked and Genevieve only shrugged as she looked from Edmund to Eustace in worry.

"The rings stopped working."

"What?" Edmund asked in confusion as he saw once again that the ominous glow had disappeared from her rings - even the gems now being clear.

"They don't work, my powers are gone." She clarified as Edmund pulled her behind him - watching as Lord Rhoop advanced to the edge of the deck with his sword, approaching Eustace who had been harshly thrown onto a rock by the serpent as he failed to stand tall and fight back again as he only breathed fire into the serpents face as the crew watched it squeal as they cheered for Eustace. 

But it didn't last too long.

"Out, creature!" Rhoop screamed as he threw the seventh sword in Eustace's direction, Edmund trying to grasp it but failing.

"No! The sword! The sword!" They screamed as the sword pierced into Eustace's back, everyone gasping as they looked to the dragon.

"Eustace!" Lucy shouted.

"Sweetcheeks." Ron screamed as he watched the dragon fly off with the sword wedged into his back. "Eustace please!"

"No! Come back!" Lucy shouted but Eustace didn't listen as he was gone with the wind.

"We're all doomed! Doomed!" Rhoop screamed as he approached the wheel and tried to grab it himself. "Turn this ship about!"

"Stop him!"

"Someone stop him!"

Rhoop was quick to grasp the wheel as he turned the ship, the boat rumbling due to the uneven distribution of weight on one side of the ship than the other due to the damage that had been caused. Drinian quickly punched the man in the fact, Rhoop falling to the ground unconscious as he finally took control of his ship again.

"Now, crew...to your rowing positions. Oars at double speed!" Drinian commanded as he looked around the ship in hopes of escaping this island. Whilst Lucy closed her eyes and looked on.

Aslan, please help us.

Suddenly as if by magic, a simple beam of light pierced through the darkness - a seagull passing through as if signifying that something was coming, something good. It started to lead in a certain direction, Lucy smiling as she knew Aslan must have done something, He had to of done for there was now a light to lead the way.

+++

Eustace had never felt so bittersweet in his entire existence, even as a dragon which had once been one of his dreams as a young child. The dragon was happy to have made an impact on the crew of the Dawn Treader despite being painfully antagonized in early days but he also hated being in pain, the sword that was deep in his shoulder paining him as he flew.

Eustace spotted a blank island a little while away as he crashed into the crisp white sand, his eyes becoming heavy as he tried to stay calm despite the throbbing in his back. He wanted to help them. He wanted to go back and fight but he couldn't.

It was all too painful for him.

That was of course, until he spotted the lion.

+++

The crew of the Dawn Treader continued to pull on their oars as the creature screeched around them, trying to stop the ship from escaping by damaging it and they knew they had to do it one way or another. The serpent quickly jumped over the ship, destroying the deck as the ship began to collapse beneath them.

"Gael, come on! This way!" Lucy screamed as she grabbed the girls hand and led her to their room, Genevieve following behind the two as she tried to ensure the two were safe. "Now you must stay here until someone comes and gets you. Okay?"

Gael nodded as the two older girls left the room and rummaged onto the main deck where the serpent was waiting to crash into the boat again, killing off as many people as they could and feeding them to the darkness. Caspian watched from the wheel as he spotted the sharp rock Eustace was on minutes ago as a thought crossed his mind, his eyes looking for Edmund who was sauntering in the middle of the deck.

"Ed! Ed. We'll ram the serpent. Smash him on the rocks." Caspian said and Edmund nodded as he looked around.

"Steer her to port. I'll keep it on the prow." Edmund stated as he approached the serpent, Genevieve hot on his tail as the two shared a look and nodded.

"Look out!"

Lucy grabbed hold of Susan's bow and arrows and ran across the deck, knowing the time was near for her to use them as she rain up to the wheel where Caspian was - hoping that she could protect him if the distraction didn't work. Edmund climbed into the head of the Dawn Treader, using his torch to try and attract the serpent who was growing angry at the light in the dark.

"Try and kill me! Come on!" He shouted to the serpent, Genevieve's eyes wide as he did so - watching the serpent aim for the Just King. "Come on, I'm here!"

"No!" 

"Edmund!"

The crew screamed as the serpent bit into the head of the ship, unaware of the grunting boy who had managed to escape being eaten by the skin of his teeth but Genevieve sighed in relief as she saw him. He had to be okay.

Whatever it takes!

"Edmund," Genevieve screamed as her husband neared her and she pulled him into a faint kiss. "Do you trust me?"

"Of course I do," Edmund stated before he realised something. She said this every time she did something selfless. "No, what are you doing?"

"Please remember me." She whispered to him as he pulled him into one last kiss before she turned around.

"What? Genevieve what are you doing love?"

"Hey mullet mouth, over here." Genevieve screamed as she pulled away from her husband and advanced towards the head of the ship - Edmund trying to call after her but she didn't listen as she caught the attention of the serpent before she turned back to Edmund and gave him one last lingering stare. "I love you."

Then she jumped into the water.