Caspian, Edmund, Cara and Drinian were on deck, looking at the island. Not a Narnian flag was in sight.
Edmund ordered a landing party, but was told it was Caspian and Cara's ship.
Caspian gave an order to row longboats to shore.
Lucy got ready in her room.
Her attention was turned to knocking and opened the doors to reveal Caspian. He grabbed a purple vest while Lucy put her red one on. The Valiant Queen wrapped a leather belt around her waist and put her cordial and dagger in their respective slots.
Caspian glanced at her and asked, "Are you ready?"
Lucy nodded and Edmund and Cara walked through the doors and said, "We're ready."
The two of them followed Edmund and Cara up to the main deck. Caspian, Edmund, Lucy, Eustace, some crew and Cara rode ashore in longboats. Reepicheep's excitement was more than obvious. "Onward! The thrill of the unknown lies ahead."
Caspian, Edmund and Reepicheep climbed ashore. Two crew members held their hands to Cara and Lucy to help them out. Eustace remained in the boat, crossing his arms. "Could this have waited till the morning?"
"There is no honour in turning away from adventure, lad," Reepicheep told him.
"Listen," Lucy said, glancing towards the town. "Where is everyone?"
Cara frowned, looking about the town. "Perhaps they're hiding?"
"Maybe," Lucy answered, as they followed Caspian. Reepicheep tried to help Eustace out of the boat, but he rejected.
"I'm capable of doing it myself. Oof!" Everyone turned to see Eustace fall on his face.
Caspian glanced at Eustace and said to Edmund, "And you're certain he's related by blood?"
Edmund smirked before walking off. Caspian readied his crossbow as we cautiously looked around. Something felt off and Cara couldn't place it, which worried her. She jumped, hearing the town bells echo through the island. A flock of birds flew off in the sky.
Caspian glanced at the mouse. "Reepicheep, stay here with Drinian's men and secure the place. We'll head on. If we don't come back by dawn, send a party."
"Yes, Your Majesty," Reepicheep answered, walking back towards Drinian.
The four royals and the irritating cousin walked into town to find deserted buildings. The town was incredibly decrepit. There was rubble coming up in the streets, broken shutters, and not a person in sight. Eustace peeked into a house, saw people, turned back and said moments later, "Yeah, looks like nobody is in. Do you think we should head back?"
Caspian, Edmund, Lucy and Cara were standing outside what looked to be the main building. Edmund turned to his cousin and asked, "Do you want to come here and guard... something?"
Eustace nodded and his voice took on a bright tone. "Ah, yes. Good idea, cousin. Very uh... logical."
Edmund smirked and when he looked back at Eustace, he saw a hopeless look on his face. He tried to mask it with reassurance. "I've got it. I've got it. Don't worry."
The four of them exchanged a glance knowing that Eustace certainly did not have it before they stepped into the building.
Cara winced briefly as the door creaked and they entered, weapons drawn. She looked at the ropes and cages hanging from the ceiling and noticed the others doing the same. Caspian's foot stepped on something that jingled softly. He looked down to see a silver charm bracelet and bent to pick it up.
"Uh, I'm ready to go when you are!" Eustace called from the outside.
Edmund, Lucy and Cara made their way to a stand with a large book that was wide open. Edmund shined his torch upon it. Lucy studied the names and asked, "Who are all these people?"
"Why have they been crossed out?" Edmund wondered, as Caspian stepped closer to him.
Cara pointed to numbers and Lucy said, "It looks like some kind of fee."
"Slave traders," Caspian and Cara informed.
The town bells rang again and they jumped their separate ways, seeing slave traders descend from the ropes.
"Look out!" Caspian yelled to Edmund.
Edmund took two of them with his sword while Caspian took another two, and Lucy and Cara both fought off the other two. They managed to hold their own until a high-pitched scream caused them to stop. Eustace was being held against his will with Caspian's dagger to his throat. The royals each glared at him as the doors slammed shut.
The man who had Eustace said, "Unless you want to hear this one squeal like a girl again, I'd say you should drop your weapons."
"Like a girl?" Eustace repeated in an annoyed tone.
"Now!" the man yelled, holding the dagger closer to Eustace's throat.
Edmund and Lucy threw their respective weapons to the ground while Caspian and Cara did so slowly. Edmund frowned at his cousin. "Eustace."
"Put them in irons," the man demanded.
A guard grabbed hold of Caspian. "Come here, you." Caspian's hands were put in chains.
Eustace, Edmund, Lucy and Cara were grabbed by their ears. Eustace cried out in pain.
"Get your hands off me!" Lucy and Cara cried, struggling against the two men.
"Take these three to the market," the man who had captured Eustace said. He pointed to Caspian and Edmund. "Send those two to the dungeons."
Caspian tried to get out of the grasp of the two men. "Listen to me, you insolent fool! I am your king! Cara is your princess! Do not harm her!"
Edmund fought against his guard and was slapped in the face. "You're going to pay for that!"
The leader walked forward and said, "Actually, someone else is going to pay, for all of you."
Lucy, Eustace and Cara were dragged towards the doors, still fighting their captors. "No! Edmund! Edmund!" Lucy cried.
"Caspian!" Cara screamed. "Edmund!"
"Lucy! Cara!" Edmund yelled, struggling to break free.
"Cara!" Caspian cried, desperate to rescue his sister.
"No! Edmund!" Lucy and Cara yelled again as Caspian and Edmund were both hit in the head by the hilt of a sword.
DUNGEON
Edmund mentally yelled at himself. He couldn't believe he'd let his sister, the girl he was starting to care for and his cousin get captured.
Caspian kicked at the iron doors with all his strength and turned when he noticed Edmund was up. "You all right?"
"Yeah," Edmund groaned, sitting up. He tried ignoring the throbbing in his head. Caspian resumed kicking the door, desperate to rescue his sister and the Valiant Queen.
"It's hopeless," a voice said from the darkness. "You'll never get out."
Instantly, they turned towards a dark arch. "Who's there?" Edmund asked.
"No one. Just a voice in my head," the man replied.
Caspian walked toward the man and the light showed him to be older than the two by far. He stared at Caspian with a confused expression.
"Lord Bern," Caspian said.
Lord Bern stared up at Caspian with shock before shame overtook his face. "Perhaps once, but I'm not longer deserving of that title."
"Is he one of the seven?" Edmund asked. Caspian gave him a nod before kneeling before the old lord.
Lord Bern seemed to suddenly realise who Caspian was. "Your face... You remind me of a king I once loved well."
"That man was my father," Caspian answered melancholily.
"Oh, my lord!" Lord Bern exclaimed. "Please forgive me."
Caspian helped the man up. "No, please. Please."
A horse's neigh from outside caught their attention. Edmund perched himself on the iron bars and clung to them, peering outside to watch. Caspian quickly followed the younger king's actions. They saw a ground of women in irons being transported into boats. A man and a little girl ran after them, shouting for someone.
"Mummy!" the small girl in a purple dress cried.
"Helaine!" the girl's father shouted. He reached for his wife, but a guard punched him and knocked him to the floor.
"Rhince!" Helaine called.
"Mummy!"
"Stay with daddy!" Helaine told her daughter.
Lucy and Cara both held a hand to their head, horrified at the sight and terrified at what was to come.
Edmund and Caspian continued staring out the window to see another group of women screaming and struggling. They were forced into a boat and pushed out to sea.
"Where are they taking them?" Caspian asked as he glanced to Lord Bern.
"Keep watching," Lord Bern instructed.
They focused our attention back outside to see black clouds cover the blue sky. A green mist appeared from nowhere and completely surrounded the boat while the women screamed helplessly and disappeared moments later.
"What happened?" Caspian wondered.
"It's a sacrifice," Lord Bern explained.
"Where did they go?"
Lord Bern shook his head as the kings jumped down. "No one knows. The mist was first seen in the east. Reports of fishermen and sailors disappearing out at sea. We lords made a pact to find the source of the mist and destroy it. They each set sail, but none came back. You see, if they don't sell you to the slave traders, you're likely to be fed to the mist."
Edmund turned to Caspian and said worriedly, "We have to find Lucy and Cara before it's too late."
OUTSIDE
Lucy and Cara were standing on a wooden bidding deck. The leader of the slave traders was standing next to them. Lucy was holding her head down in shame and Cara was glaring at the slave traders, almost daring them to go after her. Eustace was looking scared.
"I bid 60!" a man shouted.
"I bid 80!" another man yelled.
"100 for the little ladies!"
"120!"
"150!"
"Any more bids?" their captor, Pug, asked. Seeing that there were no more bids, he placed 'sold' signs around their necks and picked them up roughly. He handed them over to the man that had bid for them.
The man who captured them yelled, "Get the other one out!"
Caspian, Edmund and Drinian appeared and Reepicheep yelled, "I'll take them off of your hands! I'll take them all off your hands! For Narnia!"
Drinian made himself known and Caspian punched one of the guards while Edmund and Cara took on two others. Lucy was handling her own. Cara punched a guy who tried to hit her and kicked him, knocking him down.
Reepicheep came and undid their chains with his sword. Lucy smiled. "Thanks, Reep. I knew you'd come."
"Your Majesties," he answered, bowing to them.
He turned to attack a guard while Lucy took on two with a book and Cara took on another with a kick.
Lucy went after another guard and Cara noticed someone sneaking up behind her. He lowered his sword to stab her and Cara pushed him out of the way.
Pug tried to escape, and would have done so had he not been caught by Drinian's blade to his back.
Eustace made his way through the fight and found a set of keys on the floor. He unlocked himself and raced towards the docks.
When the fighting had ceased, Reepicheep asked, "Sire, what to do with this one?" He gestured to Pug.
Caspian shifted his stance slightly and said, "Take him to the dungeons with the others, where they shall await a proper trial for their crimes. I hereby declare every man, woman, and child free of slavery."
The crowd cheered and Drinian grabbed Pug's collar. "To the dungeons with you." He turned to Caspian. "Shall we make back to the Dawn Treader, sire?"
Caspian gave the captain a sharp nod. "Yes. Thank you, Drinian."
"Your things, Your Majesties," a faun said, handing them their belongings.
Edmund walked up to Cara and asked, "Are you all right?"
She nodded. "Yes. Did you see all that? I've never had a chance to fight like that before. It was exhilarating!"
Edmund chuckled softly. "I'm glad you're okay, Cara."
"Me too. But thank you for the brave rescue."
"Even if you didn't need it?"
"The thought is what counts."
---
Eustace climbed into a boat unsteadily and stood, waiting. "Oh, you're a boat in a magical land. Can't you row yourself?"
He stood and tried to position an ore the wrong way round. The leader of the slave traders snuck up behind him with a dagger. Eustace lost his balance and accidentally hit him with the ore, knocking him into the water.
"Oh God, I hope that wasn't the British Consul," Eustace muttered, climbing out of the boat and running back towards the main square.
---
As they neared the ship, Rhince ran towards them, calling, "Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"
"Hold it!" Drinian ordered, preventing Rhince from getting to Caspian.
Clara walked over to him and asked, "What is it, good sir?"
He looked at her and said, "My wife was just taken this morning."
Drinian was still holding the man back and Caspian said, "It's all right, Drinian."
As they walked, Rhince remained next to Caspian. "I beg you, take me with you."
"Gael!" a woman yelled, chasing after a girl in a purple dress.
"I want to come," Gael said stubbornly.
Rhince shook his head. "No, Gael, stay with your aunt." He turned to Caspian. "I'm a fine sailor. Been on the seas my whole life."
Caspian was silent for a moment before saying, "Of course you must."
"Thank you."
"But daddy!" Gael cried.
Lucy and Cara stayed back a moment while Rhince spoke to his daughter.
He looked into her eyes and asked, "Have I ever not come back?" Gael shook her head and her father hugged her tightly. "Now, be good."
They walked down the stone ramp leading to the dock and Lord Bern approached them with a sword. "My king. This was given to me by your father. I hid it safely in a cave all these years."
Edmund studied the sword. "That's an old Narnian sword."
Lord Bern nodded. "It's from your Golden Age. There are seven such swords, gifts from Aslan to protect Narnia. Your father entrusted them to us. Here. Take it. And may it protect you."
Caspian took the sword as the crowd cheered loudly for him. "Thank you, my lord. And we shall find your lost citizens."
He placed a hand on Edmund's shoulder as they made their way towards the boats. Edmund and Caspian helped Cara and Lucy into the boats and then back onto the ship.
Cara stared out across the water, momentarily catching Edmund's eye and the two exchanged a small smile.
The brunette's attention was caught by Reepicheep saying to Edmund who was cleaning the sword, "It's going to be magnificent. Do they come in a smaller size?"
Cara saw a seagull fly and land on a barrel in front of Eustace. He started speaking to the bird. "In England, we have mouse traps for that sort of thing. Speaking of food, you don't know where I could get any, do you?"
"Uh, why are you talking to that bird?" Tavros asked, looking at Eustace in confusion.
"Well, I just naturally assumed that you can-"
Tavros burst out in laughter. "Ha-ha! He's talking to birds."
"He's mad as a loon, that one!" the guy replied.
"Yeah!" Tavros answered, smacking the guy's back.
"Oof!"
Eustace glared at the bird and made a shooing motion. "Shoo! Go on, get off!"