A/N: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING RELATED TO NARNIA OR OTHERWISE! I ONLY OWN MY OC ANNA.
V: Of Gold and Dragons
"He gave them an ultimatum: leave and allow us safe passage to Iraq or he drops me and all the government information he stolen would be sent to all our country's enemies.' I looked up into the eyes of the five before me. From left to right: Edmund, Reepicheep, Caspian, Lucy and Drinian. 'In the end, it was death for me either way. So I hit him in the back of the head with my book. The police shot him but that wasn't what killed him... The fall killed him, I just hit him hard enough to make him dazed."
I didn't realize I was crying until Reep jumped onto my lap and used his tail to wipe some tears away. "I suppose... I believed... that if I saved myself, escaped from his grasp, that everything would go back to normal. That I would no longer be hurt. That my mom didn't betray me." I cried some more, soon only Caspian remained in the room, the others having left to give us privacy.
"Caspian, I know I didn't kill him but why do I still feel like I have his blood on my hands? Monster that he was he was still human. I don't remember what all he did to me but I seem to relive them in my nightmares."
"He's dead now, Anna.' he replied. 'He fell."
I looked at him. "But that's the thing! I fell with him! What if he landed on one of the other islands or Dark Island like I landed near the ship?! He could find me again! He's already in my head, mocking me, calling me 'his fallen angel'..."
Caspian kneeled next to me and took my hands in his.
"~You said yourself he was nothing but a man
Yet while he lived he would haunt you til you're dead.~"
I stood, turned to look away from Caspian, pulling my hands from his and faced the window.
"~Twisted every way
What answer could I give?
Was I to risk my life and win the chance to live?'
I sighed for a moment feeling myself tremble.
'He killed without a thought.
He murdered all that's good.
I knew I couldn't refuse and yet... I wished I could.
Oh God!~"
The man came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me. He softly kissed my temple while he ran his hands up and down my arms in comfort. We both looked up at the now calm sea. Tensions on the ship were still quite high as food and water were starting to diminish more and Drinian was desperate to find land.
We found it soon enough. Though it looked more like a crater to me. All that was missing was the meteor that made it. I could see smoke of some sort rising from one corner of the barren wasteland that was the island. We boarded the longboats and headed towards shore.
"I doubt the Lords stopped here, my Liege.' Reepicheep called to Caspian from where he stood at the front of the longboat he was riding. 'There is no sign of anything living."
"Right.' Caspian agreed, 'Well, once you get to shore, take your men to search for food and water. The four of us will look for clues."
"Don't you mean the five of us?"
We all turned in shock to Eustace. He just gave us a look that said 'What?' before looking away. After a minute he said, "Come on, please don't send me back to the rat."
"I heard that." Reepicheep said. Small chuckles escaped from some of the men.
Eustace frowned and looked away from him, muttering, "Big ears."
"I heard that, too!"
The rest of us laughed at poor Eustace's disgruntled face.
When the boats were pulled ashore Caspian helped me out and Edmund helped his sister and cousin. The crew then took out the baskets and crates used for food storage and headed out to see if they could find fresh food and water. Eustace didn't help at all, because he had decided to separate from the group, believing that he was more than capable of finding something alone, most likely a way back home. He heard a rumble in the distance and headed off to see what it was.
Edmund, Lucy, Caspian and I found jagged rocks that pierced through the ground, vaguely resembling large fangs pointing to the skies.
"Look! We' re not the first ones on this island." Caspian exclaimed as we came towards a hole where a rope had been tied to a nearby rock.
"Someone must have climbed down there." I said looking down into the hole.
"The Lords?" Edmund asked.
Caspian bent down and picked up a small stone.
"Could be.' Caspian said. He picked up a small stone then he tossed it down into the hole to see how deep it was. 'What do you think could be down there?"
"Besides bats?" Anna asked as she noticed a leathery wing fly by the hole.
"Let's find out." Edmund said, he grabbed onto the rope and started climbing down into an underground cave. Everyone watched as he went down, waiting for him to say something about what was down there.
"What do you see?" Lucy asked him, Edmund looked back up to the hole's entrance.
"Come on down!" Edmund called. Lucy nodded and followed him down, as did Caspian. Anna came down last, slowly because of her fear of heights. Once she was on her feet she suddenly shuttered. She slowly turned and looked around, seeing a large pool in the cave. She gulped as a drop of water came down from the ceiling of the cave, and flinched as the water rippled.
"I don't like this.' I muttered as the others looked at me in confusion. 'I don't remember anything. What happens next? I know this place is dangerous, the water undrinkable, but I can't remember why!"
"Hey, guys!' Edmund cried, 'Check this out!" We went over to where he was, and saw...
"What's that?" Caspian asked.
Edmund shook his head. "I dunno. Looks like some sort of... gold statue."
The statue looked like a clothed man, looking sprawled out in the water, every part of him was made of gold. Every wrinkle on the man's face had been outlined perfectly. He looked to be a middle-aged man, somewhere between his mid-forties to early fifties. He looked as if he had fallen in.
Edmund stared at the statue for another second, then went to the wall, taking hold of a dried up root that rested on it and yanking it off. He went back to the water and tried to use the old, stiff root to move the statue, to see if there was anything around it. When he dipped it in the water, he saw something happen to it and pulled it out, seeing the part that had been put in suddenly become a bright golden color that quickly began to spread across the entire stick. He tried to keep a hold on it as the stick suddenly became heavier and heavier, but found he couldn't and dropped it into the pool.
"The Curse of Midas... The golden touch." I said backing away from the pool.
"That explains why it got so heavy.' Edmund said, rubbing his hands as they were sore from trying to hold on to the root as it turned to gold, 'That must've been over fifty pounds."
Caspian walked over, looking at the 'statue' of the man in the water, now knowing the reason for the statue's strange appearance. He kneeled down but didn't allow himself to get closer to the water. "He must have fallen in."
"Poor man." Lucy said sadly.
"You mean 'poor lord'." Edmund said, seeing a golden shield lying a few feet away from the man.
"The crest of Lord Restimar." Caspian murmured, recognizing it.
"And his sword!" Edmund said, pointing to where the sword's handle stuck out of the water.
"We need it." Caspian said. Edmund pulled out his sword and carefully went over to where the sword lay. "Be careful." Lucy warned him as his foot got closer to the water.
As they worked to get the sword, I noticed something green beneath the water. I tapped Lucy's shoulder and pointed it out. Both of us felt our eyes widen as we realized it was the mist.
Edmund cautiously put the blade in the water and hooked it under the hilt of the lord's sword and pulling it out of the water.
"Your sword hasn't turned to gold? Nor has the Restimar's." I said.
"Both the swords are magical.' Caspian said, moving to help Edmund as he moved the sword away from the pool of water. 'Here,"
He held out his hand and grabbed the dry handle of the sword and held it up. I walked over and was surprised when he handed it to me. "The Slavers took yours." I took the handle in awe and grabbed the scabbard that was thankfully not in the water and placed the sword in it before attaching it to my back.
Lucy looked down at the lord sadly. "He mustn't have known what hit him." She said.
"Maybe.' Edmund said, putting his sword down. 'Or maybe he was onto something." Caspian furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
Edmund kneeled down and picked up a conch shell that was lying next to the pool and dipped it in the water. Then he quickly pulled it out and put it next to the pool, watching it turn to gold. He stared at it in awe, and picked it up, keeping his eyes on the shell, a mad glint appeared in his eyes.
"Edmund, you do know what they call 'the root of all evil' right?" I asked feeling uneasy. Edmund glanced at me then back at the pool, then back at the shell.
"Whoever has access to this pool...' He began, 'could be the most powerful person in the world.' The uneasy feeling settling in got worse as when I glanced at Caspian, I saw the same greedy glint in his eyes. Edmund looked over at his sister, 'Lucy… We'd be so rich. No one could tell us what to do, or who to live with."
"Edmund? What are you talking about?" Lucy asked seeing that same green glint become more.
"You can't take anything out of Narnia, Edmund." Caspian said. Edmund seemed to ignore this comment as he kept staring at the shell.
"Says who?" Edmund asked.
"I do."
Edmund looked back at Caspian, seeing his serious face and glared at him, picking up his sword, walking towards him. "I'm not your subject." The Just King growled. I backed away from them both in fear.
"You've been waiting for this, haven't you?' Caspian asked with a knowing, angry look, 'To challenge me. You doubt my leadership!"
"You doubt yourself!" Edmund snarled.
"You're a child!"
"And you're a spineless sap!"
"Edmund." Lucy cried reprimanded, reaching out for his arm, he yanked out of her grip and looked back at Caspian.
"I'm tired of playing second fiddle!' Edmund said, glaring at the older king, 'First it was Peter, now it's you. You know I'm braver than both of you! Why do you get Peter's sword? And why do you have all of Anna's attention?" That surprised me.
Caspian's gaze grew darker. "What about her?"
"You don't deserve an Angel like her. Your older then her, I'm her age! She would be better off with me! Especially if she has to leave Narnia at the end of our journey."
"She's Mine!" Caspian snarled, his look terrifying me as it looked the same as the man who held me prisoner. And for a second I thought it was him!
"I deserve a kingdom of my own! I deserve to rule! And I deserve her as my lover!"
"If you think you're so brave... That you really deserve her...' Caspian began, 'Prove it!"
He shoved Edmund roughly and he stumbled back a step. Edmund swung his sword at Caspian, and it clashed against his.
"ENOUGH!" I yelled, voice echoing through the cave, swiftly jumping between the two and blocking Caspian's blow with my dagger and Edmund's with the hilt of my new sword. Looking at the three of us, someone would like us to Genesis, Angel and Sephiroth from Crisis Core in the famous VR Ion Cannon scene. Both their eyes widened seeing me between them.
Lucy stepped forward and looked between the two boys and said, "Look at yourselves. Don't you see what's happening?' Edmund and Caspian looked at each other, lowering their blades slightly. 'This place has tempted you. It's bewitching you. This is exactly what Coriakin was talking about.' They both lowered their swords completely and I straitened, seeing the glint of greed, jealousy and desire leave their eyes. 'Let's just get out of here."
She walked past the two boys, I followed, heading for the exit. Caspian and Edmund looked at each other, sharing an apologetic glance. Caspian put his sword away, and followed us. Edmund looked down at the shell in his hand and tossed it into the pool of water. He didn't notice the green mist as it disappeared somewhere deep within the pool.
As Caspian climbed out of the hole, I waited for him, leaning against the tooth-like rock with arms crossed over my chest. When both he and Edmund were out, I slapped Caspian across the cheek and Edmund across the back of the head.
"Ow!" Caspian said, his hand going to his reddening cheek.
"Hey!" Edmund said, putting his hand to the spot where I had hit him.
I glared at them. "Greed is the Root of all Evil, Jealousy is its Trunk and Desire its Bark. Evil stretches out it's branches through temptation and once in its shade it's hard to get out.' Edmund frowned, still rubbing at the spot I had hit him, as did Caspian. 'My Grandfather told me that as he was teaching me the Legacy of Prussia's Knights. If either of you do something that stupid again, you're gonna get a lot worse than a smack."
"Right…' Edmund mumbled, following Lucy as she walked back to the longboats. I was about to do the same, when Caspian caught me by the arm and kissed my cheek. I blushed and raised an eyebrow at him.
"A kiss is not going to make me forgive you for your attitude so easily." I said.
"I know.' He replied softly taking the hand I smacked him with and kissing it. 'but it and my apology can be a start. I am sorry for my attitude down there."
I sighed. "I know. I know. But you... When you growled out 'She's Mine!' you looked like him. Do you know how terrified I was? For a moment, I thought you would become him!"
His eyes became sorrowful as he hugged me close. "I'm sorry I frightened you."
As he led me back to the boats, I paused hearing an eerie growl echoing in the distance.
"Anna?"
"I thought I just heard... Never mind. Probably, my mind playing tricks on me."
We saw the crew was loading up baskets of what must have been food back to the ship. Not much of it though.
"What food did you find?" Caspian asked, going over to them. I came over and looked to see the baskets were half-empty with different assortments of greens, and some root vegetables, but not much else. I winced at the fact that this was barely enough to feed a fourth of the crew. We'd really have to ration everything now. Rhince came over kneeled next to the baskets and looked up at Caspian.
"It's volcanic, Your Majesty.' He said apologetically, 'Not much grows." Caspian sighed unhappily.
Lucy looked around, noticing the absence of someone. "Where's Eustace?" She asked aloud.
"Out looking for food for himself perhaps?" I said but Reepicheep shook his head. "I believe he's out, not helping us load the boats."
Caspian sighed exasperatedly.
"Eustace?' Lucy called out, looking for any sort of reaction from the island around them but there was nothing but huffing and hissing steam. 'Eustace!"
"I've got a bad feeling about this. I heard something earlier, I thought it was just my imagination but now that I think about it... Volcanic or not there has to be something living here." I said biting my lip.
Lucy nodded before looking to Edmund. "Ed."
He nodded. "I'll go find him." Turning to start looking for his cousin, Caspian spoke.
"I'll come with you." Edmund looked back at him and nodded, Caspian looked back at me, "You go with Lucy back onto the boat."
I nodded unhappily, crossing my arms over my chest. Caspian followed Edmund as they headed off and I turned around to help the crew load the boats.
When the others were about to go back to the ship I heard a roar in the distance.
"Ma'am?" Drinian placed a hand on my shoulder. I shook my head and whispered to him. "Please tell me you heard that, Captain?"
"Aye. I did." He muttered.
I looked at him. "I'm no royal, noble or anyone of importance even though Caspian is courting me. Take the Valiant Queen back to the ship, I'll go warn the Just King and Caspian that this island might be more dangerous than we thought."
Before he could reply, I rushed off. I walked over the edge of a valley until I saw the two surrounded by treasure. My eyes widened as I remembered something I learned from reading 'The Hobbit'.
"Edmund! Caspian!"
They both looked up at me in surprise. "Anna?!" I slid down the side, landed in the gold before them and rushed over, pausing at the skeleton.
"Lord Octesian." Caspian said.
I shook my head and looked at Edmund. "Ed, ever read a book called 'The Hobbit' by J.R.R. Tolkien?"
He nodded. "Yes. It was published five years ago. I read it with Lucy two months before we met Caspian."
There was another screeching roar in the distance and we all looked up and around for it.
"Then answer me this:' I said as I watched Edmund pick up what I realized was the skeleton Lord's sword. 'What one and only creature in the book lives on it's own near a heat source, roared and collected this much treasure? We're dealing with a Smaug here, Ed!"
His eyes widened as he understood but Caspian looked confused. Ed and I both grabbed one of his hands and dragged him up and away from the treasure. I released Caspian's hand and ran ahead looking around three-sixty before seeing a huge golden dragon landing on the mast of the Dawn Treader.
"EDMUND! THE DRAGON'S ON THE MAST OF THE DAWN TREADER!"
I ran to the top of the hill to see if I could see it better. However by the time I did, it had left the ship and was flying back to the island. I watched as it flew east and disappeared. There was a pause.
"ANNA!"
I spun around but screamed as I was picked up by a pair of front paws. "CASPIAN!"
I screamed and closed my eyes. "Don't look down. Don't look down.' I heard my name screamed again and looked to see the ship below me and the crew boarding the longboats to head to shore. 'Lucy!"
The dragon quickly flew away and back towards the island. I squirmed and struggled to get out of the beast's grasp as it flew over a mountain, and I was greeted with a very strange sight. Parts of the dried, black lava from previous volcanic eruptions had been set a fire by something, spelling out some very poorly made, but easy to read, words.
I AM EUSTACE
I admit, I stared jaw dropped before looking up at the dragon, who looked down at me sadly, then back at the words he had used his fiery breath to write into the ground.
"You've got to be kidding. Eustace, I'm so sorry!"
He just nodded before heading to a hill near the shore. He set me down gently and I hugged his head looking into his human eyes that were just as blue. I turned when I heard my name again and yelled to them, "This is Eustace! He was cursed by the treasure he was tempted with."
They all looked at Eustace in wonder as he stood before us, trying to get a golden arm band off of his front paw with his teeth, and when that didn't work, he tried to get it off by dragging his paw against the ground. The scaly former boy glared down at the arm band that had caused his skin to swell painfully from its small size.
"Anyone knows that a dragon's treasure is enchanted.' Caspian said in a matter-of-fact like manner, making Eustace let out a low snarl and glared at the king, 'Well, Anyone from… here."
Lucy walked over to Eustace, and he hopped back slightly, still holding up the paw with the arm band. She reached out and yanked it off of him, walking away with it as Eustace seemed to let out a sigh of relief. I looked over at Caspian as I sat down next to Eustace and rubbed the sore arm. "Is there any way to change him back?"
"Not that I know of." Caspian said, looking back to Drinian, who looked away unsurely. Eustace looked at all those who were there, hoping one of them would have an answer. Edmund looked back at his cousin.
"Aunt Alberta will not be pleased." He said. Eustace growled and I leaned back as he slammed his paw onto the ground, hanging his head.
"Sorry about the hand, old boy.' Reepicheep apologized with a sheepish smile, 'I… can be a little overzealous at times." Eustace glared at the mouse, a low growl coming from him.
"A little?" I asked raising an eyebrow. Reep chuckled nervously.
"The boats are ready, Sire!" Tavros said from the shore. Lucy looked over at Caspian.
"We can't leave him alone." She said.
"Well, we can't bring him on board, Your Majesty." Drinian said, Caspian sighed and handed him the sword of Lord Octesian.
"Drinian, you and the others take one boat back.' He ordered, 'The rest of us will stay here 'til morning and…' He looked over at Eustace. 'Work out what to do."
'But you've no provisions!' Rhince said incredulously. 'And no means of staying warm, your majesty." Eustace's eyes shifted as he looked for something, and then he lifted his paw to block my front as he shot fire out of his mouth and lit a piece of dry wood.
"You were saying?" Reepicheep asked with a smirk. Everyone smiled at his words, and some laughter escaped from their throats as Eustace smacked his lips together, as if breathing fire had left a strange taste in his mouth. He lowered his paw and looked me over as if to make sure I wasn't burned.
"I'm alright. Thank you, Eustace, you clever boy." I muttered the last part as he nuzzled me with his head like a cat.
I lay next to Caspian as we looked up at the stars late that night, our hands linked together. A few feet away Edmund was sleeping soundly, Gael and Lucy shared a blanket a few feet away from him. Opposite the fire pit was Eustace, who lay on the ground on his side, trying to get to sleep in his new body. Reepicheep lay curled up a few feet away from him, sleeping pleasantly, and a few feet away from Reepicheep was Rhince, who had tucked his arm under his head as a make-shift pillow.
"I've never seen these constellations before." Caspian said as he looked up at the stars.
"Me neither.' I said, 'Except... That one with the two big stars and four little ones in a row. Cygnus the swan.' I pointed it out. 'Imagine the four stars are the long neck, the big stars as the body and running crosswise are the wings." Caspian nodded. "I see it." There was a pause between the two of us.
"When I was a boy,' He began and I turned my head to look at him. 'I used to imagine sailing to the end of the world... finding my father there." I rubbed my thumb gently against his hand.
"Maybe you will." I said, Caspian looked over at me, smiling softly. I smiled back and gave him a soft kiss.
"Anna...' Caspian began, 'I've been thinking—"
"Don't hurt yourself from doing it to much." I smirked, Caspian let a small scowl come across his own lips, but it left as he continued.
"Do you think,' He said, 'when this journey is over, you will return home?" My eyes widened and I slowly sat up.
"I... I'm not sure... I mean, I'm only seventeen, not of age yet. From what I understand, since I can at least remember knowing He killed Grandma and the fact mom will be in prison or an asylum, I'll would have ended up in an orphanage or foster care for a few more years. After that, I would have to find a steady job to pay the bills and find a place to live.' I shook my head and looked over to Caspian. 'What else can I do?"
"Get married.' Caspian said sitting up. 'Start a family. Why can't you do that?"
"I'm too young to start a family."
"I meant later on in your life."
I looked at the young King beside me. "Caspian...' I took his hands in mine. 'Remember when I told you what Aslan said to me?' I briefly looked up to see him nod before looking back down at his hands. 'I fell. Off a cliff. That bordered the Ocean.' I looked him in the eye. 'The only place I'll be going if I do leave would be the same place your Father and my Father and Brother are. Aslan's Country."
His eyes widened. "You...died?"
I pressed my lips tightly together and nodded. "That is what Aslan hinted at." It suddenly hit me that I was dead in my home world and I began to cry. Caspian held me tight and let me cry into his shirt. He softly started humming, then sung what I recognized was a love song from my world but also knew it was one from here as well.
"~Do I love you because you're beautiful,
Or are you beautiful because I love you?
Am I making believe I see in you
A girl too lovely to be really true?
Do I want you because you're wonderful,
Or are you wonderful because I want you?
Are you the sweet invention of a lover's dream
Or are you really as beautiful as you seem?"
I sighed as I felt him rub my back before I continued the song.
"Am I making believe I see in you
A man too perfect to be really true?
Do I want you because you're wonderful,
Or are you wonderful because I want you?"
I wrapped my arms around him as he laid his chin on my head.
"Are you the sweet invention of a lover's dream
Or are you really as wonderful as you seem?~"
I felt Caspian move and glance up to send him looking down at me, he kissed the top of my head. I closed my eyes at his kiss and snuggled into him. We fell asleep listening to Reepicheep trying to cheer up Eustace with a story of his youth.
"Trouble sleeping? Now, now, all's not as lost as it seems. I'll stay up with you, if you wish… Keep you company. I'll wager you didn't even believe in dragons this morning. Yes… You know, extraordinary things only happen to extraordinary people… Maybe it's a sign! That you've got an extraordinary destiny. Something… Something greater than you could have imagined. I could tell you one or two of my adventures, if you like. Just to… pass the time. Believe it or not, you're not the first dragon I've encountered. Many years ago, too many that I care to mention, I was with a band of pirates. I met another dragon, much fiercer than you…"