Zyanister's POV
When the afternoon came and most every giant was either napping or on the hunt with the king, we made our way into the kitchens where a little backdoor was located. I was the only door that wasn't guarded and soon we were only waiting for the giantess in the kitchen to go to sleep, but she pottered about and pottered about until it seemed she wasn't going to leave.
Jill, I saw, was examining the cookbook siting on the table, until she gently got all our attention, pointing to one of the entries. It read- MAN. This elegant little biped has long been valued as a delicacy...
I shared a sharp look with Zyan. Puddleglum pointed to the one right below it talking about Marsh-wiggles. "They were going to eat us," I muttered. Finally after a bit of time, the giantess fell asleep. Taking our chance, we all crept out. Looking at Jill and Eustace, Zyan and I were very glad we'd stuck to our own clothes, for they stuck out so much the worst archer in the world could have hit them.
We began to walk to the ruined city, feeling very tense and anxious. We had been getting on for perhaps ten minutes when behind us a hunting horn sounded. "Don't run," I said in a tense whisper. "They haven't seen us." Everyone did as I said, but soon giant voices rose. "Run!" I exclaimed. So we did. The giants grew nearer and nearer, but we ran as fast as we could, Puddleglum, Shifra, Zyan, and I easily outdistancing the other two.
Puddleglum was in front and he suddenly darted into a little hole. Shifra was in after him, then Zyan, and then myself. I watched as the other two jumped in. "Quick, quick, stones, fill up the opening," Puddleglum commanded. We did so, moving as fast as we could. Soon it was full, and not a moment too soon, for the moment it was filled, the sound of hunting hounds were heard on the other side.
"Get further in," Zyan urged. We all gripped hands and walked on. Zyan and I were in the front and before we knew it, our feet slipped. "Stop! Don't come any..." It was no use. Soon everyone was skidding. I could hear Shifra struggling with her wings, but it was far too cramped. She gave a cry of pain and soon simply gave up.
When we had made it to the bottom, we all were breathless. I could feel scratches and cuts all over me, but I soon rose to my feet. "Zyan, are you all right? Shifra? Puddleglum? Is anyone alright?" I asked shakily. I quickly got confirmation from everyone, even if the voices were small and a little shaken.
I was just looking for a way out when a voice asked, "What make you here, creatures of the Overworld?" It was a monotones voice that wasn't very loud, but filled the entire room.
Jumping back to my feet, I shouted, "Who are you!" Shifra lit up her hand, revealing the oddest creatures I'd ever seen. Some had long noses, others almost nonexistent ones. Some had tails, others had horns in the center of their heads. Only one thing tied them together, sadness covered every feature of their faces.
"Earthmen," Shifra whispered, "This is far too close to the crust for you. Why so close to the surface? Unless..."
"The Queen of the Deep Realm wishes to see you," the earthman, as Shifra called him, said in him monotones voice. "I am the Warden of the Marshes of the Underground."
"What does she want with us?" Eustace asked cautiously.
"I do not know," he admitted, "Her will is not to be questioned but obeyed." They lit their own light, lighting up the rest of the cavern. Shifra let her's die, but very cautiously. "Get up." Everyone who hadn't already, rose to their feet.
At that moment each of us heard Shifra's voice in our heads, saying, "Don't fight, just comply. Trust me." I was at the very back so I missed most of the conversation, but eventually we arrived at a boat. Many oars stuck out of the ship and when we had all sat down in the ship, it began to move.
We were handed flat, flabby cakes and while everyone else fell asleep, I fought to stay awake. Soon, however, I had nothing left to fight with and my eyes closed. We all kept in that cycle for longer than we could remember, but eventually we arrived at some docks. There was a city not far from it. Scanning the city, I saw a place I could fly to. When everyone was beginning to get up, I jumped up and sprinted to the side of the boat.
"Zyanister!" Zyan shouted. I made it off the ship, but the earthman were coming after me. My heart rate spiked as I tried to get away, but just as i got on the docks, a large earthman tackled me to the ground. I groaned as they shifted above me and chained my wrists harshly, cutting into the skin. Blood began to flow in droplets from where the cuffs cut in too deep. I was then pulled up to my feet, biting back a cry of pain as they did so.
I was led with the others into the city to a large palace. The chains that bound my wrists jingled slightly behind me as we were led to where two earthmen stood at the door. "I tell you," one said after briefly speaking to the one who'd brought us there, "the Queen's grace is gone from hence on her great affair. We had best keep the top dwellers in the prisons till she returns. Few return to the sunlit lands." I began to struggle at the sound of being locked up.
The earthman who held me hit me across the face with his sword handle, I felt blood run down from my lip, but otherwise my face only sting. A human voice called out, "What coil are you keeping down there, Mullugutherum? Overworlders, ha! Bring them up to me, and that presently. We were led up to see him, but he frowned when he saw my cut lip and already bruising face with the chains. "Let that one go, he's to act as my guest and you don't chain your guests."
"Your highness," Mullugutherum pleaded, "That one has already tried to get away twice."
"It pleases me to be obeyed, old mutterer," the man shouted. The man was dressed in all black and while he looked both bold and kind something with his face was off. I was finally realized from the chains that had cut so into my flesh. My right hand had gotten the worst of the treatment and I held it in my left, wincing slightly. The prince handed me some white gaze to clean myself up, but in the end it was Zyan who helped my bandage myself up.
Using some of the gaze he wiped away the blood and then started wrapping both wrists. While the others were talking, Zyan whispered still banging my wrists, "You shouldn't have fought like that."
"I know, but I panicked ok," I replied.
His grip suddenly tightened causing me to wince again. "Sorry," he muttered, "I can't lose you, ok? Just, don't die on me." I merely smiled and turned back to the conversation.
"...If you were not so young a warrior boy, you and I must have fought to the death over this quarrel. I can hear no words against my lady's honor. But of this you may be assured," the prince was saying. I rolled my eyes as he kept talking on and on. "Why we have met before. Was it not you six that I met with my lady on the bridge?"
I sprang to my feet. "So she was the reason they were going to eat us!"
The prince also got to his feet, advancing towards me. "Whatever she does, she does with good intent! You'd be wise to remember that before you say something that will have you thrown into the prison."
He was so close to me now that Zyan only just had room to spring up between myself the the prince. "Step back," Zyan hissed, "or I will see to it your head says goodbye to your shoulders."
The prince only laughed, a barking, unpleasant noise. "You are a fun lot. What is your business here anyways?"
Because anyone could stop her, Jill exclaimed, "Please, we are looking for prince Rilian of Narnia." Everyone glared at her, but the prince showed no interest.
"Rilian? Narnia?" he asked, "Narnia? What land is that? I have never heard the name. It must be a thousand leagues from those parts of the Overworld that I know. But it was a strange fantasy that brought you seeking this-how do you called him?-Billian?-Trillian?-in my lady's realm. Undead, to my certain knowledge, there is no such man here." He laughed his barklike laugh and seemed to find it all hilarious.
I looked over to Zyan, who had by now sat down when I and the prince did. Food was soon brought to us, but Zyan and I refused every bit of it. I listened only half interested as the prince explained about some curse that he was under. He spoke of how he was cursed and the Queen had freed him from it, but there was one hour in which he wasn't free. During which time he was tied to a silver chair and he would become furiously angry and kill all those around him.
He also explained some story of how he'd only be free when he became king over a land in the Overworld. "The land is already chosen and the very place of our breaking out. The land is very fertile and as soon as I kill off their people and take over, all shall be well,"
"Those are not your people!" Zyan exclaimed, "They probably already have a king!"
"You wouldn't understand," the prince laughed, "You're nothing but a boy." A low growl escaped Zyan's lips. I gripped his shoulder to calm him down, but it barely worked. He invited up to join him during his fit.
When we came back he was tied down by his waist, wrists, ankles, and knees. Sweat poured from his forehead, but when he saw us he said, "Come in, friends, the fit is not yet upon me..." He continued on, but I tuned him out, not wanting to listen to his rambling any longer than I had to. When he had stopped talking his face grew very pale and be began to moan.
"Ah," he groaned, "enchantments, enchantments... the heavy, tangled, cold, clammy web of evil magic. Buried alive. Dragged down under the earth, down into the sooty blackness...how many years is it? Have I lived ten years, or a thousand years in this pit? Let me out, let me go back. Let me feel the wind and see the sky."
"I'm sane now," the prince said, "Every night I am sane." He stared at me carefully, his eyes piercing through me. "Zyanister? My old friend? Can it be you, after all this time." I was frozen.
"How do you know me?" I demanded, fear showing in my voice.
"Oh you may have grown, my friend, but you still have the same eyes, the same face, but something in you is different. You have much pain in you," the prince revealed.
I looked away from him, then I looked back. When I did, I did recognize him. "Rilian?" I breathed, "It is you." Turning to the others, I begged, "We need to release him."
"How do you know this is him? Did you even meet Prince Rilian?" Jill asked.
I turned back to her, desperation filling my eyes, "While Zyan was off learning how to be king, I spend much time in Narnia. Rilian was my best friend. We need to let him go!" I crossed the room to get to my sword, but Eustace blocked my path. "Really? Get out of my way."
"No," Eustace retorted. "I can't let you do this."
"Please!" Rilian cried, his voice rising to a shriek, "Once and for all I adjourn you to set me free. By all fears and all loves, by the bright skies of the Overland, by the great lion, by Aslan himself, I charge you-"
Everyone apart from me gasped. "The forth sign," Jill muttered. "But what do we do?"
"Let me at my sword!" I screamed. "You have proof, let him go! Move Eustace!" Finally he did. I unsheathed the first sword I saw and made my way over to my longtime best friend. He was shrieking my now and foaming at the mouth. With a swift movement of my blade Rilian was freed. He instantly grabbed my sword from me and struck down the silver chair, cutting it into thousand of pieces.
When the fire had died out in his eyes, he turned to Puddleglum. "What? Do I see before me a Narnia Marsh-wiggle?"
"Oh so you have heard of Narnia after all?" Jill asked.
"Had I forgotten it when I was under the spell?" he asked. "You may believe that I know Narnia, for I am Rilian, Prince of Narnia. Everyone apart from Zyan and I bowed. He then turned to the two of us. Glancing down at the sword in his hands, Rilian looked at us in concern. "This is the king's sword. The Archenlandian Sword passed down from king to king. Your father..."
"Is dead," Zyan interrupted curtly, taking back his sword which was the first one I had grabbed.
"Zyanister, I'm sorry," he replied, pity clear in his tone.
"It is no matter now," I retorted, grabbing my own sword and Zyan's sheath from the table. Handing the ladder to my brother, I attached my blade to my waist. "For now, we need to get out of here."
"Yes," Rilian replied, "Before the witch returns." With that the door was flung wide open, but not by any of us.