Sorry it's been a while since I last updated everyone, but I'm working on it! Thank you for the reviews so far, as always it's wonderful to know that this story and its prequel are much loved! Please review again as it does make me very happy! Enjoy!
That night when everyone was securely asleep the giant footprints appeared in the sand with small thumps, gradually getting closer and closer to the cluster around the fire.
"Seems they've bought a pig." A voice called out in a stage whisper, staying near the snoring Eustace almost curiously.
A footprint appeared on the sand between Edmund and Esha, precariously close to each of their hands which were thrust across the sand, inches from each other.
"This one; it's female." A different voice said quietly. "And there's another…"
"And another." Claimed a much deeper voice, its footprint appearing in the sand beside Gael.
After a moment the footprint by Esha and Edmund moved, materialising instead by her head. The book Esha had left between herself and Lucy was opened at a random page. "This one reads." It was declared with awe, condensation appearing where the creatures face ought to be.
"Which one?" Asked the one beside Gael, hopping over and standing by Lucy's head.
"Dunno." The other mumbled a little sulkily.
The creature that had stopped by Eustace came hopping over and joined his two comrades by the three girls. "Let's take them." He said almost gleefully, Grabbing Esha first and silencing her before she was even awake. Lucy had a split second warning where she woke with a little gasp but then she too was silenced by what appeared to be the air.
The two were dragged through the bushes face first, their feet dangling a metre above the ground, their cries muffled and arms pinned to their sides by whatever carried them.
Lucy fared better than Esha who seemed to be held by a strong creature that held her face and arms in a vice-like grip whereas Lucy had managed to free one hand and was frantically tugging at the air around her mouth.
Esha was dropped hard to the ground first and Lucy followed quickly, almost landing on top of her friend.
Lucy scrambled to her feet and drew her dagger; their only protection for Esha was not wearing either of her swords.
It was knocked out of her hands almost instantly and flung a few metres away, shinning cruelly in the grass at them in the moonlight.
Esha scrambled up and started forwards towards it but was flung backwards, rising a few inches off the floor from the power of the hit to her stomach.
Winded, she relied momentarily on Lucy who pulled her up and clutched her close whilst she recovered her breath.
"There is no escape!" A deep, gruff voice declared from in front of them.
"We're quite scary." A higher, almost strained, voice interjected from their left.
"What are you?" Lucy finally asked, clutching onto Esha's arm nervously, her fingers digging into Esha's soft skin.
"We are terrifying invisible beasts." Esha clutched at Lucy's arm with her own hands, still breathing a little harshly from the hit she'd taken.
"If you could see us you would be really intimidated." The gruff voice said, trying and failing to sound convincingly scary.
Esha cocked her head to one side and turned slightly, trying to count all of the different voices and determine the size of their enemy.
"You forgot to mention that we're very large." The strained voice added, sounding as though he were simply describing something that he found scary and trying to apply it to him and his comrades.
"Well what do you want?" Lucy demanded bravely, her head flicking backwards and forwards nervously.
"You…you'll do what we ask." The gruff voice said in a sort of half-demand and half-request.
"She will." A completely different voice said assuredly from behind them. There were several other noises and phrases of smug satisfaction from around them, all said in completely different voices from the one's they'd already heard.
"Or what?" Esha suddenly demanded boldly, straightening her back and lifting her chin. She had recognised that, though they were completely surrounded, these creatures were stupid. If she and Lucy played their cards right they may be able to escape unharmed.
But then again; stupidity and violence were often found together.
"Or death." The gruff voice said sinisterly.
"Death?" Five others asked in surprise before beginning to chant the word over and over, gradually getting louder.
"Well we wouldn't be much use to you dead now, would we?" She demanded confidently, taking control of the situation and letting her eyes subtly flick backwards and forwards, searching for an escape route.
The grass beneath their feet was patterned with shallow grooves that ran in squares, circles, spirals and all manner of shapes. The trees and shrubbery around them were the same; finely clipped and managed into swirling shapes or perfectly round balls.
There were a thousand possible escape routes; but if they could not see their enemy then they could not avoid them.
"I hadn't thought of that." The gruff voice mused a little worriedly. Esha turned to face the direction the voice had come from. He had spoken the most and so was clearly the leader; seeing someone else take charge should undermine him enough for the two to escape.
"No, you hadn't." A new voice called out from behind the girls.
"Fair point." A similar voice said a little begrudgingly. Esha ignored them all and continued to stare into the air in front of them, her jaw set and brow creased in a frown. On the outside she appeared to be looking at them with disapproval and annoyance, but it was a mask; really she was squinting slightly and trying to see if there was any hint or indication at all of where their enemy was and what it was.
"Alright, then we'll just kill your friends." Another suggested, clearly delighted with his idea.
"Oooh." The circle of creatures almost hummed, the very air seeming to vibrate a little.
"Good idea."
Lucy looked to Esha worriedly, her fear unabated at the sight of Esha's ashen face. She knew that it was simply the time of day; the sky was gradually brightening and her own face had taken on an unhealthy pallor, but however rational her mind was being the knot in her stomach would not loosen.
"Well feel free." Esha declared, lifting her chin defiantly again. "They are no friends of ours. As a matter of fact we were their prisoners; you've done us a great favour by taking us."
"I hadn't thought of that." This one replied, echoing the leader's earlier words.
"No, you hadn't."
"Ok, we'll kill your friend!" The leader said excitedly and Lucy was suddenly wrenched backwards with a jolt.
"No!" Esha practically shouted, reaching for Lucy as a reflex action. She clapped a hand over her mouth as she realised she'd given it away; if she'd stayed cool she could have acted like Lucy meant nothing to her and the two could have escaped, but now it was obvious that the threat to Lucy's life had her in the palm of their hands.
"What do you want with me?" She asked, glaring into the thin air above Lucy's head.
"You will enter the house of The Oppressor." The leader declared happily. A hand was smacked into her back, sending her tripping forwards with force.
"What house?" She demanded, irritated that they'd found a way to ensure she did as they wanted, but she could not do what they asked if they set her an impossible task in a house that didn't exist.
"This one." The leader declared as a sliver of light appeared in the air in front of Esha. A set of double doors opened slowly, gradually beginning to show the face of the wooden doors with the old Narnian crest on them rather than the extensive fields beyond where the two were being held.
Esha stood stock still, her heart beating faster. The creatures may call this the house of The Oppressor, but she knew that it was a magician's house. Yellow light filtered through the doorway and allowed Esha to see the red-velvet carpeted stairs directly in front of her. She glanced around quickly, her gaze taking in the stone floor and statues of griffons and other Narnian beasts frozen on little tables.
"Upstairs, you'll find The Book Of Incantations. Recite the spell that makes the unseen seen." The gruff leader instructed her.
"Well put, Chief. Well put." Another praised. More noises of admiration were made around the circle as though the Chief had given a great speech that would save the world.
"Well go on, we haven't got all day." One of them hurried her.
"Remember what will happen to your friend."
"You've been warned."
Esha glanced back at Lucy and saw the fear that was plastered all over her face. She could not leave her alone with invisible beings who were clearly a little inclined to aggression.
"Why don't you do it yourself?" She asked curiously, stalling for time whilst she thought of an excuse to either take Lucy with her or for the two to exchange places.
If this was indeed the house of a magician then he should recognise Lucy for the queen she was and he'd be able to help them. Especially as the Narnian crest was on the door; the inhabitants would undoubtedly be supporters of Narnia else they would have removed the crest.
"We can't read." The Chief told her, a touch of embarrassment to his tone.
"Can't write either as a matter of fact."
"Or add."
"Yeah."
Esha almost wanted to laugh at them; they seemed to feel the need to have the last word; even if that word was literally 'yeah'.
"Nor can I." She suddenly declared, looking Lucy in the eye. "Only my friend can; why not let her come with me?"
"Yeah, why not?" One of them asked in confusion.
"No!" The Chief declared.
"No?"
"No?" Was echoed around the circle again with tones of worry.
"She stays here!" The Chief insisted.
"Well, at least allow us to exchange places; she can read and I can't…therefore I cannot recite the spell." Esha reasoned.
"Yeah."
"Alright."
Lucy was released and Esha was instead dragged backwards heavy-handedly.
"Beware the oppressor, he's very oppressive!" The gruff voice informed Lucy. "What makes the unseen seen, got it?"
"Don't forget."
"Don't forget that."
"Yeah."
"Right."
With one last glance backwards Lucy walked slowly into the house, leaving Esha behind with the invisible enemy.