Karen's POV

It will take us four more hours to reach the Caves. And we obviously have to do it before dawn, but leave a bit earlier than required just in case something decides to jump on our way.

The air is cold, the coolness cutting through our skin and chilling us to the bone, despite all the layers of clothing that we wear. Each breath sends a trail of warm puffs into the air. Iris starts blowing out air just to see those little clouds and is immediately lost in her own world.

I cling on to Kevin, as we ride through the calming silence of the forests. I swear, if industries and factories were to start in this dimension, these forests would all turn into those ugly ass industrial areas, which we often see in our world. Forests are always a different kind of beauty. 

"Guys, I sense water here somewhere," says Iris.

"You sense?" asks Caspian, in front of her.

"Yeah...I'm...you know what I am right?" she snarls. 

Yeah, we do....we just keep forgetting your weird water powers.

"Okay...which direction is it in then?" asks Darius.

"The one which we're moving in," she replies.

"Great, okay then. Let's just keep moving." I say.

Shortly after moving a little more, we find the source of water. Iris jumps down quickly, rushes towards the water, bending down and ....sniffing the water? 

"It smells fine. How about I take a swim?" she asks us.

"Just take your clothes off before transforming. Otherwise, the only set of warm clothes is gonna dissolve into your skin," says Caspian.

"Good point," she says and then begins to strip down. We all look away and I can see that the boys are clearly having a hard time. She has a strong effect on them too, but Darius and Caspian are just amazing at hiding it. Kevin doesn't need to hide it anyway....so yeah.

A moment later, she speaks again

"I'm done!" she announces and I turn around to see an oh-so-gorgeous mermaid, happily flapping her fins at us, right next to which, lies a pile of clothes.

"Now, someone put me inside the water. I can crawl, but I don't want to get dirt inside my fins," she says, her fins still flapping up and down. 

She really does have that attracting aura. I'm getting a little horny just by looking at her, I can only imagine what these men are feeling like. 

"Why are you all staring at me like that?" she asks when none of us move. Kevin quickly snaps out of his trance, walks to her slowly, and picks her up. The scene would've looked better if he was shirtless. 

I can just imagine it!

The sound of leaves crunching causes Kevin to freeze and turns around. If it was loud enough for him to hear, then I definitely did not imagine it.

"What is it?" Iris whispers.

"Shh...." I shush, straining my ears hard to make out any more noise. There definitely is someone there, because I can hear faint breathing.

"Who's there?" I shout.

Then comes, the shuffling of branches, as usual, and seconds later, a man clad in full armor, and armed with a sword raised in our direction, stands before me. I almost groan audibly at the prospect of delaying our journey further.

"Okay sir, I am going to tell you this once and only... once." I begin. "We are here to cause no fucking harm, just minding our own business. Now, if your plan is to take us to your leader and then make us hear all the shit he or she has to say, I'm sorry but we got some important ass stuff to do! So kindly, pretend that you didn't see us, turn around and go back to wherever you came from!"

I think he forgot to speak for a moment because he just stands there, frozen.

"M-Miss, would be kind enough to introduce yourself?" he asks.

"Katarina Silvus Floarea, Princess of Eponine."

He smirks.

"Eponian? Well, you really think that we could let you go?" he chuckles sarcastically. I feel a hand on my shoulder and turn around to see Caspian, looking straight at the smirking man.

"We're in Almine, amare," he says.

Oh crap!

******

"Look at your fates, the very thing you fought with us for, the very thing that you went to war with us for, is now missing?" chuckles King Azivan.

"You stole it from our vault!" Caspian yells.

"My, my, my...." he breathes, and then his expression turns into rage. "Because it was supposed to be ours, Prince Brother!"

"But we found it first, it belonged to us! It still belongs to us. Every grain in Eponine exists today because of the Borat." Caspian argues. The guard holding him pulls him back by his hair and he winces in pain.

"You have no right to do this, King Azivan!" I shout. "The fight between Eponine and Almine happened ages ago, and we are here to cause you no trouble. Then why-" I am cut off but the guard twisting my arm a little too hard. "Then why are you holding us captive?" I grunt.

"It's not like we don't want revenge, Princess! And besides...." he turns to a struggling Iris and places his hand on her chin, lifting her head. "She is such a beauty! You tell me what she is and I will let you go."

"What is that going to do for you, Azivan?" spits Caspian. In turn, he is hit with a kick on his spine by the guard. 

I'll make you pay for this shit, you asshole!

"Just tell me, my beauty, what are you?" he asks Iris, ignoring Caspian. She looks beyond terrified and given whatever happened to her in the whole quest, I can't exactly blame her.

She looks at me helplessly.

"She isn't obliged to tell you!" I snarl and he smiles wickedly.

"Then, she will be staying here. After all, I would her someone special like her to be a performer at my court." he laughs as well as those disgusting guards bounding us from behind. 

God, pray tell me, why in the world is it my poor innocent little best friend always being targeted by whatever dangers we face?

Iris sighs.

"I'm a hybrid. I can shapeshift into a mermaid." She says.

"When we found her, she was in her mermaid form, sire. This boy helped her transform back and wear these clothes on." says the guard holding Kevin as he struggles under his grip.

"What a beauty? Would you mind staying here, little mermaid?" he asks.

"I want to go with my friends. Leave us alone. We aren't here to cause you any harm." she pleads.

"Aziman, what is it that you want?" Caspian asks.

"Her," he answers.

"She's mine, you asshole!" Kevin yells and almost immediately wails in pain as the guard behind him twists his arm in punishment.

"King Aziman, you have no idea about what you are inviting to yourself. Take these binds off us and we can talk in peace. Be a decent king!" I say through gritted teeth.

"Taking out the heir of Eponine will my greatest achievement, don't you think?" he asks.

"You call yourself a king?" spits out Darius. 

Finally, he spoke something besides grunting and groaning.

Aziman smirks and waves his hand in Iris's direction. The guard behind her nods to his king and throws Iris on his shoulder. She screams and thrashes on his shoulder as we watch helplessly. That's when it clicks into place for me. They're taking her away. To god knows where. And if I don't leash out now, it might to too late.

I roar, easily breaking free of my bounds, and taking the guard behind me by surprise. His eyes go wide as I prance on top of him, kneeing his ribs and punching face hard that he passes out. 

Pathetic!

I help Caspian out first since he's is closer to me and the two of us knock out the ever-increasing number of guards while helping Kevin and Darius out. I sprint off to grab my sword from my bag which they threw at the corner of the room and slash it across the shin of the guard carrying Iris, who drops her.

"Thanks! So, we're fighting finally. A chance to use my powers!" she beams.

"Your bow?" I ask.

"Nah, my hydro kinesis!" she answers. 

Right.

"Okay....whatever it is, we gotta help them fast!" I say indicating my head towards Caspian, Darius, and Kevin.

"My man looks hella sexy, with that sword!" comments Iris as we sprint off to fight a goddamn king.