The clock was ticking loudly in the study. The wooden desk looming over where Otto was knelt. The chill of the stone floor harsh on his knees, creeping through the rug as he tensed. The grey shorts of his primary school uniform not protecting him as he shivered. He was ten again, young and choking back tears as the click of sharp shoes circled him. The shadows seemed to envelop the walls of the room until it was just him and the desk. The cold and the fear making him tremble as footsteps echoed and there was the sharp click of a cane.

"What did you say boy?" The booming voice, seemingly magnified beyond recall.

Otto felt tears drip down his cheeks. He sniffed, resisting the urge to wipe his nose on his jumper sleeve. The jumper too big for him. "I want to go back to grandpa's". His voice was a small high thing, like a fragile fluttering bird. A thwack of the cane on the desk made him jump and he bit his lips as not to make any sound.

"Don't be stupid boy. They're dead. Your mother and your grandparents are dead. You cannot go back".

"But father please!" Otto felt his heart drop in disappointment and he cried out. Death seeming like a impossible concept. They couldn't be dead.

"Silence!" Another sharp crack. Otto flinched and curled up. Childhood body trying to make itself even smaller. "Do not take that tone with me!" There was a swish of air and the tip of the cane hit the floor a few inches away from his leg.

"I'm sorry father! I'm sorry!" The pleas falling from his mouth as tears dripped down his cheeks. "I'm sorry".

"Father!"

Otto felt something jerk and he blinked open his eyes, the nightmare leaving adrenaline pounding in his veins. Outside, thunder cracked and sharp flashes of light briefly illuminated the wooden walls of the ship. The rope of the hammocks creaked as they swung. The storm raging overhead. Around them, the rest of the crew slumbered on. Their forms shadows in the gloom. Otto was lying on his back, Caspian draped over him like a blanket. It was the man's twitching jerks that had awoken him. Caspian was muttering in his sleep, fingers gripping Otto's shirt. "Father!" He gasped and then his eyes were jerking open and he was pushing himself up on to his elbows to glance around.

In the next hammock, Edmund was already awake and watching them, Lucy standing at his side. She was still in her nightdress, skin pale as lighting flashed. All of them silent for a moment as they exchanged looks. Otto didn't feel very well rested and but the looks of the bags under Edmund's and Lucy's eyes, they weren't either. "I can't sleep", Lucy muttered in a hushed whisper.

Edmund sighed grimly. "Let me guess, bad dreams". Around them the thunder cracked. Otto felt Caspian's grip on him tighten and the man rested his head back into the junction of his neck, deep breaths ghosting his skin. He hugged the man tighter, the tremors of his own nightmare still haunting him. The warm presence at his side helping to ground him as he tried to keep breathing. Edmund sighed again. "So either we're all going mad, or something is playing with our minds". Then he laid back into his hammock as the thunder boomed.

It wasn't a pleasant thought and Otto gripped Caspian tighter. Arms around his waist as he tried not to let the fear plague him.

——

The storm had broken by morning, leaving a cloudless sky and before midday they had sailed up to another island. It was a volcanic looking thing of sharp rocks. Steam and mist lingered over it like a cloak. Like before, they left the ship to Drinian and took three boats for a landing party. One boat to look for resources and another to accompany the kings and queen to search for any sign of the lords. "I doubt the lords stopped here my liege", Reepicheep called from where he was perched on prow of the second boat. "There's no sign of anything living".

Otto had to agree with him. The island didn't look very hospitable. "Right", Caspian called out as he rowed. Otto and Edmund helping. "Once we get ashore take your men and search for food and water. The four of us will look for clues". He changed plans and the crew nodded at his orders.

"Hang on, you mean the five of us", Eustace Objected. As one, the pevensies and Caspian turned to look at him. The blonde huffed. "Oh come on, please don't send me back to the rat".

"I heard that", Reepicheep called. Eustace slouched in a pouting sulk in his seat as the others continued rowing.

"Big ears".

"I heard that too". The remark made Edmund chuckle and they shared a slight laugh at the silliness of the conversation.

When they reached the shore they split up. Otto, Edmund and Lucy following after Caspian. Otto had his spear as he clambered over the rocks. The island seeming a mess of granite and sandstone from what he could tell. All bleached yellow rocks and sharp corners. They made their way up from the rocky beach and round to the right first. It wasn't a big island but it was still big enough that the cliffs to the right were a bit of a trek. When they got closer to the top, Caspian picked up speed. "Look! We aren't the first ones on this island". At the top of the cliff was a crack in the ground, big enough for a man to climb down. It led down into darkness. Next to it was a pointed bolder with the aged tether of a rope tied around it. The rope itself looked old but sturdy, evidence that someone had climbed down there.

"The lords!"Edmund suggested. Caspian nodded hopefully as they turned to peer down the hole. Otto picked up a pebble and tossed it down, listening as it bounced and clattered. It didn't seem very deep. Maybe about twenty feet.

"What do you think is down there?" Lucy asked.

Edmund shrugged and grabbed the rope. "Let's find out".

They went down one by one. Edmund first, then Otto, then Lucy. Caspian coming down last. The caves were much bigger than expected. Vast halls of orange tinged stone with pillars holding up the ceiling. Cracks above let sunlight stream down, filling the area with light. Everything echoed. Wind whistling, water dripping, their footsteps as Edmund wandered between the pillars. Otto gripped his spear and followed, stopping at Edmund's side. The dark haired boy was gazing down into a deep pool of water. The pool was unnaturally clear, like looking through glass. They could see the deep bottom, about eight feet down. Lying there was a shining figure. A man in narnian clothing reaching out with a open mouthed look of shock and exclamation on his face.

"What's that?" Caspian asked as he joined them.

"I don't know. Looks like some sort of gold statue", Edmund replied. He gestured at Otto's spear. "Go on, see if you can touch it".

"No", Otto shook his head. "I like my spear and we have no idea if that it safe or not".

Edmund shrugged and turned to the walls. Dried roots of some long dead plant crossed over the stone. The cracks as he snapped off a long branch echoed around them and made Otto wince. He returned with the stick and knelt down at the pool edge to dip it in the water. As soon as it had touched the surface, gold covered the end. It crept up the stick, shining in the light, towards Edmund's hands. The boy dropped the stick and reared back with a yell before it could touch him. The golden stick falling into the water and sinking to the bottom. All of them watching in shock.

Caspian took a few steps closer to the water, dropping down to peer through the surface. "He must have fallen in".

"Poor man", Lucy muttered.

"You mean 'poor lord'", Edmund pointed to where a golden shield lay a few feet from the statue. The star on the metal a recognisable emblem.

"The crest of Lord Restimer", Caspian stated.

"And his sword", Edmund exclaimed, waving at where the blade lay. It was on a higher part of the pool, closer to the surface than the Lord. He unsheathed his own sword and dipped it into the water.

"Your sword hasn't turned to gold", Lucy pointed out. Otto reached out to hold Edmund's shoulder as the boy hooked the black under the hilt and gently pulled the blade free of the water.

"Both the swords are magical", Caspian explained. "Careful". He reached up as Edmund brought the sword round and caught it by the hilt.

Lucy was still staring down at the golden figure of the Lord. The man's face trapped in surprise and shock. "He mustn't have known what hit him". Otto looked down also, hoping that what she said was true. It was not a pleasant way to go.

"Maybe", Edmund nodded. "Or maybe he was on to something".

Unedited