The eerie moans continued to get louder as the ship crept further into the island. Slowly, nearly everyone on board the ship had moved to the side to try and get a look at what was making the noise. Soon the moans turned into words.
"Keep away! Keeeep awaaaayyyy!" the voice continued to call out in the darkness. Raelyn narrowed her eyes and spotted a few rock outcroppings in the middle of the water but could see nothing else. Edmund rested a hand on her back.
"Can you see anything?" he quietly asked, knowing that her gift allowed her to see better in the dark. Raelyn huffed in frustration.
"Not this time, the mist is too strong here." She admitted. Edmund moved his hand up to squeeze her shoulder in comfort.
"Who's there?" he called out into the darkness.
"We do not fear you." Caspian added, however there was a slight tremor in his voice. The island was getting to everyone.
"Nor I you." the voice responded from one of the rocks. Raelyn reached out her hand to try and cast a light that direction, however the task was much harder than she was used to. She frowned down at the faint light that was coming from her palm. It wasn't nearly strong enough to light up anything in this place.
"Edmund." She muttered worriedly, looking up at the boy with wide eyes. Edmund pursed his lips in a frown and reached out to grab her hand.
"It'll be alright. Don't worry to much about it right now." He quietly told her, keeping his own worry in check for her sake. Thinking quickly, he reached back for his torch that was in his belt. Surely things from out of this world would work here. Thankfully he was right. Edmund let the beam scan the rocky outcrop just before them. At the bottom, hidden among the rocks and the fog was a bedraggled old man.
"Keep away!" he warned again, flinching away from the light.
"We will not leave." Caspian shot back, staring at the man. The stranger raised a sword in the air with both hands, prepared to defend himself.
"You will not defeat me." He shouted right back.
"Caspian his sword." Edmund quickly pointed out. The man paused at he name, lowing his sword to shield it from sight.
"Lord Roop." Caspian pieced together the facts, making his way closer to the edge of the ship. Lord Roop scurried towards another rock to hide behind.
"You do not own me!" the man shouted, despite all the commotion on board.
"Stand down." Caspian ordered his crewmen, making his way to stand by Edmund and Raelyn.
"Let's get him on board quickly."
"I don't think he'll like that very much." Raelyn pointed out, watching the crazed man. The crewman began to gather ropes to lasso the man, however a beast emerging from the other side made things much easier for them. Eustace quickly scooped up the man and dropped him onto the middle of the ship deck. Once he had collected himself Lord Roop quickly scrambled to his knees and swung his sword around wildly. Edmund quickly yanked Raelyn and Lucy backwards away from him.
"Off me demons!" Roop snarled. Caspian quickly shooed his men away to hopefully calm the man down.
"No, my lord. We are not here to hurt you. I am your king….Caspian." Lord Roop slowly turned around to face the man.
"My lord." Roop gasped, reaching out to touch Caspian's face in realization.
"You should not have come, there's no way out of here. Quickly, turn this ship about before it's too late!" He wailed, looking around at the group wildly. Raelyn flinched away from the man's wild gestures, staring at him warily.
"I'm with him." she added with a nod.
"We have the sword let's get out of here." Edmund agreed.
"Let's turn this ship about." Caspian quickly ordered, turning to help out at the helm.
"Do Not Think!" Roop shouted, causing everyone to pause and stare at him.
"Do not let it know your fears or it will become them." He warned, grabbing at his head.
"Why would you even say that! Now everyone is going to be thinking!" Raelyn snapped angrily. Lucy shot her an odd look. It wasn't like Ray to be so irritable with people. At her outburst Edmund clenched his eyes shut and his stomach dropped.
"Oh no." he muttered woefully.
"Edmund, what did you just think of?" Lucy asked anxiously.
"Oh I'm sorry." He apologized before running to the side of the ship. He watched in horror as the rocks in the water turned into ridges on the back of a serpent.
...
The ship lurched violently as it was hit by something underwater. Everyone on deck was knocked to the ground. Edmund quickly rushed back over and helped Raelyn and Lucy stand back up.
"Look, what is that?" Caspian pointed out a long creature sliding up around the boat underwater.
"It's too late. It's too late!" Lord Roop wailed. Slowly people began walking away from the railing of the boat.
"Gael!" Lucy shouted, spotting the little girl on the other end of the deck. Just behind her a large head and slimy body popped out of the water. The grotesque head wielded beady eyes and rows of sharp teeth. The sea serpent hovered closer to the ship, making screeching roughly as it did so. Lucy quickly darted forward and pulled the little girl away from the creature. Everyone on deck pulled their swords out, preparing for the attack. Once again out of the mist came Eustace, flying towards the beat with Reepicheep on perched on his head encouraging him. The dragon shot out a blast of fire at the beast's face.
Coming back around Eustace latched onto the serpent's head for dear life, clawing at it violently while the serpent tried to shake him off. Everyone watched anxiously as their friend fought the creature. As Raelyn stood there she saw a small figure flung off the sea serpent. She barely registered the figure in time as Reepicheep came flying towards her. Just getting her arms out, she softened the large mouse's blow while he knocked her to the ground.
"Are you alright?" he asked, scurrying off her.
"I'm just fine, glad you are." She nodded, turning her head back to the battle in front of them.
"Hang on Eustace!" Reepisheep shouted, now unable to be there for the boy. After a few moments the sea serpent flung him off and over the ship. Eustace quickly got his wings out and flew back around to fight it again. This time the serpent was ready and snatched the dragon out of midair before diving underwater.
"Eustace!" Raelyn shrieked, sprinting towards the other end of the boat to see where they went. Others followed. The serpent popped out of the water and flung Eustace onto a nearby rock. The dragon huffed in pain as it lied on the rock. The serpent went in for the kill but Eustace still had some fight left. He turned his head and sent a large fireball into the serpent's mouth. With a loud screech the serpent flailed away, trying to quench the flames. It dove back underwater. Eustace slowly stood on top of the rock, shaking off the water weakly.
"Be gone from here!" Lord Roop shouted a war cry, heading towards the railing with his sword in the air.
"No! The sword, the sword!" Caspian tried to stop him but was too late. Roop threw the sword towards the dragon, hitting him in the shoulder.
"Eustace!" Lucy shouted worriedly as the sword impaled him. Eustace roared in pain and quickly flew away.
"No Eustace come back!" Raelyn shouted, her eyes widening as she spotted the serpent making its way back around. She growled and turned to look at the crazed Lord who was making his way to the wheel.
"We're doomed. Turn this ship about!" he shouted, knocking bewildered men out of the way.
"Someone stop him!" Drinian ordered. Raelyn snarled and instantly a beam of light shot from her fist, hitting Roop in the head and sending him flying into the wall behind him. Everyone froze and stared at her for a beat. Raelyn's eyes widened in alarm and she gasped, holding her hands up to her mouth in shock.
"Ray?" Edmund called quietly, watching her from the side. Raelyn shook her head, tears in the corner of her eyes.
"I'm so sorry. I don't know what happened. I'm never violent." She sobbed, fearful of what was happening. Edmund quickly rushed over.
"It's this place. I hate it, I don't know what's happening to me." Raelyn sniffed into his shirt. Edmund held her tightly.
"Hey, breathe. We'll get through this but you need to hang in there." The girl nodded, pulling herself back and wiping the tears away.
"Ok, ok." She answered shakily, knowing this was not the time to have a breakdown. As if on que the ship lurched again. The serpent had returned.
"Oar crew, to your rowing positions!" Drinian shouted from where he had reclaimed the wheel. From across the ship the captain nodded his thanks at the redhead. Raelyn clenched her jaw tightly, not proud of what she had done, even if it had been helpful.