The Voyage - Edmund Pevensie

21

Caspian wanted us on the island before nightfall. The crew had the landing boats ready in what felt like minutes, and we rowed across the water through the setting sunlight. Up close, the beauty of the island was amazing. Crystal clear waterfalls fell from the rock into the sea below, the lush green of the trees seemed richer somehow, and the sunset bathed everything in a soft glow. The closer we got, the more alive the island became. Bird song and animal calls reached our ears. My anxiety settled a little at those noises after the previous island where there had been absolutely no signs of life. 

At the top of island, on top of one of the mountains hills, sat what looked like an old castle. Almost like a crown sitting on top of the island. When we eventually made it to the beach, everyone was quick to follow Caspian's lead up to that fortress. Hunger and tiredness were evident in the crew's eyes, but also excitement at the prospect of setting foot on new land. 

The sun had fully set by the time we made it to the top. Moonlight streamed in beams through the trees and cast everything in a more ominous setting. Ed led the way with his torch, sweeping it over everything in our path. A stone bridge stretched across a deep chasm between the rest of the island and the castle. Stone birds with wicked curving beaks lined the bridge, sneering at us. Vines and roots covered everything. They snaked up the sides of the bridge, covering the floor and the stone birds. Up ahead, a stone arch lead deeper into the castle also smothered in vines and branches. 

Edmund, Caspian, Lucy and I were the first 4 to pass under the arch. The inside opened up into a large chamber. A long table stretched almost from the entrance, all the way to the back of the chamber. All different types of food adorned the table, from fruit to vegetables to whole chickens. The crew, realizing this, all drifted towards the table. I could practically see Tavros drooling. 

"Wait," Drinian said, effectively stopping the hands that were reaching to grab food. And he was right. Just because Coriakin sent us here didn't mean there wasn't something waiting for us. He'd said we were going to be tested. Maybe the food was a trap.

We all moved deeper into the space and my eyes were drawn to the head of the table. A huge structure of vines and branches covered that area, so thick that you could barely see beyond it. Then, Ed pointed his light over the structure, and we all jumped. Because it wasn't a structure at all. But several men covered in the vines. Men who were all staring ahead with glassy eyes, but not moving. Swords were drawn as Ed and Caspian inched as close as they dared, but still none of the men moved. 

 Over his shoulder, I looked at the man in the direct path of Edmund's light. Then, my eyes followed Caspian's sword as he pointed at a ring on the finger of another one of the men. 

"Lord Revillian," Cas whispered. Suddenly it clicked. I looked around at the hands that rested on the table and saw more familiar rings. "Lord Mavramorn. Lord Argoz."

Lucy and I came up around the backside of the table. She leaned over Lord Argoz, using her hands to pull apart his hair that had fallen in front of his face. A small rasp of breath came from the Lord, causing her to jerk back and let out a startled scream. 

"He's breathing," Cas said, the shock clear across all of our faces. Ed shone his light at the 2 other lords, all of us now seeing the rising and falling of the vines around their chests'. 

"So are they. They're under a spell," Ed said softly. Dread snaked up my spine. How in Aslan's country had they fallen under this kind of deep spell? From what we'd seen, there had been no other signs of human life on this island. I glanced up at the crew in time to see Tavros grab an apple from the table. An apple from a table of food that seemed as if it had magically appeared here. And, what seemed to be the only thing in this castle not covered in vines.