Chapter 6: Greeting Caspian

Jill looked at Eustace as he told her his plan.

"Are you sure this will work, Eustace?" she asked.

Eustace nodded. "I shall transform into a dragon and fly out to find Caspian's ship. When I do, I shall talk to him about his missing son. Hopefully he can give us some information."

"Can I come?"

Eustace considered. "I guess you can come. You are going to be on this mission anyway."

He turned his back to her and looked out at the ocean, sighing.

"Eustace?"

He looked at her. "Yes?"

"How did you become a dragon?" Jill asked.

He sighed. "It all happened when Edmund, Lucy and I came here. We didn't actually come to Narnia but we went on the Dawn Treader, Caspian's ship, and had an amazing adventure. When we came to this island, I sneaked away for a walk and found some gold in a cavern. I went down there, touched some, and the next thing I knew I turned into a dragon!"

"Wow. Did you like it?"

"At first, no. But then along the way I grew to like it. When Aslan changed me back into a human, he told me that he gave me the ability to transform at will both here and in our world."

"What's it like, being a dragon?"

Eustace smiled. "It's amazing; I can't even describe the feeling. The ability to fly, breathe fire, immortality..."

Jill's eyes widened. "Immortality?"

"Dragons are immortal; didn't you know that?"

Jill shook her head. "But if you're immortal, you can't die. Am I right?"

Eustace nodded. "That's right. It means I'll live forever...but I won't age. Well, we better get going. Ready?"

Jill nodded.

Eustace closed his eyes and started to transform. Gold scales spread all over his body. His chest deepened a little and then more as scutes covered it. A tail burst from the base of his spine and continued to lengthen until it was a full meter long. His arms and legs thickened with muscle, the knee joints reversing themselves and forced him to all fours. His hands and feet became paws; the two inner fingers joined leaving him with three fingers and a thumb per hand. The same thing happened to his feet, except that he had three.

Eustace's toenails and fingernails lengthened into curved claws. He grew larger in length and height as bat-like wings grew from his shoulder blades, his neck and torso lengthening as his face pushed out into a muzzle. His teeth sharpened while his tongue narrowed and forked like a snake's. Curved horns pushed out of the top of his skull, one on each side, hair receding and replaced by hard scales. Spikes ran down his back, ending at the tip of his tail. His ears became three spine fans, the eyes moving slightly to the sides, narrowing into slits.

Are you ready to go? he asked.

Jill walked up to him and climbed up on his back. "Ready!"

Eustace unfolded his wings and took off into the air.

The Dawn Treader had been sailing for about 20 minutes. King Caspian was on deck when Captain Drinian ran up to him.

"My Lord, there is something you must see!" he yelled.

The king sighed. "What is it, Captain?"

"A gold dragon has been spotted a few feet away from here. It is currently following the ship."

"A dragon? Are you sure?"

Drinian nodded. "It's headed this way as we speak; it's not too far from us."

Caspian was about to speak when he heard the crew shouting something about a dragon attacking. He ran up to the edge of the ship and looked. He gasped as he saw the dragon; it was flapping its wings and roaring.

"My Lord? Shall we attack?"

Caspian had an eerie sense of deja vu. This was just like last time during their voyage east. A gold dragon had attacked the Dawn Treader during their stop at Goldwater Island. The crew had been defending themselves against it, only to find out that the dragon was Eustace Scrubb.

A gold dragon...just like the one from last time...can it be? Caspian thought.

Drinian was still waiting for the king's orders. "My Lord? Are we to defend ourselves?"

The king shook his head. "Nay; do not attack. I have a feeling that there is something oddly familiar about this dragon...let it land."

Drinian nodded and turned to the crew. "You heard the king; let the dragon land!"

The crew watched anxiously as the dragon circled above them, looking for a place to land. It dove downward upon the ship, causing everyone to duck. As Jill climbed off the dragon's back, it set touched down on the ship and started to transform. Everyone stood up amazed as they saw what was happening. The dragon's scales and wings vanished, toenails and fingernails replacing claws. Paws became hands and feet. The horns and spikes retracted and its muzzle shortened as did the teeth, torso and tail. Leg muscles shrank as did the dragon's body. Its tail vanished completely, eyes going to their normal position and becoming round.

The crew looked in awe at Eustace, who looked at Caspian and kneeled. "Greetings, my king," he said.

Caspian walked up to him. "Eustace, my friend. I never thought I'd see you again; how are you?"

"I am well. How are things doing in Narnia?"

The king frowned. "Not to well. I assume you were sent here by Aslan?"

Eustace stood up, nodded and motioned Jill to come forward. "This is Jill Pole, my friend. She was sent here as well."

The king nodded. "I thought Aslan turned you back into a human. How is it you can change shape?"

Eustace grinned mysteriously. "Aslan did turn me back into a human but he gave me the ability to transform into a dragon at will, both here and on Earth."

"I see." He turned to Jill Pole. "And what brings you two here, Jill?"

"Aslan wanted us to help find your son, Rilian," she told him.

Caspian's eyes widened. "My son Rilian? How; I thought he was dead?"

Jill shook her head. "Aslan told us he was alive. He sent us here but before we can begin our quest, we need to ask you how he got kidnapped. Will you help us?"

Caspian sighed and then smiled. "I will tell you all I can."