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Lucy had taken it upon herself steal Anna away from her chatter with Caspian to inform her of everything she had missed in the past half an hour. It included one major moment that branched into two, really. There had been sword fighting duel between Eustace and Reepicheep which it had revealed that the crew of the Dawn Treader had a new member Gael. Whom Anna recognised as the girl who had lost her mother to the green mist –– and along with Lucy as they both took upon themselves to ensure that she warmly welcomed and comfortable.

As time drifted onwards, it seemed that Caspian had been right, as the end of the day grew nearer and the sun began to set they came towards another island and it appeared that the lush and sickly green island brought an adventure upon themselves.

Standing on its sandy shores just as the sun truly began to set along with the crew they all scouted for an area to spend the evening. Anna settled herself next to Lucy and Gael for the night, although judging from the loud piggish snores that Eustace made even from a distance it was lucky that anyone got any sleep.

When dawn broke, it seemed only right that Anna would awake first to the lulling sounds of the waves crashing against the sand and the loud chirping birds.

Anna rose and stretched, looked around for a moment to find everyone else asleep and Lucy missing. It didn't seem like Lucy to disappear out of the blue and something within Anna didn't sit right. She waited a mere thirty seconds before she moved to search and find him. Caspian.

She dropped to her knees and shook him slightly, almost afraid to touch him, "Caspian!" She whispered urgently. It didn't take long for Anna to learn that he slept like a log.

Anna sighed walked back to she had slept grabbed the water canteen and proceeded to pour it on his face. He woke up with a gasp, his dark eyes fluttering open as he proceeded to wipe away the water with the back of his hand.

"Anna," He breathed as he looked up to the young woman, very much startled, "What on earth are you doing?"

Suddenly he could see the panic that grew upon her expression as she shook with worry but her words were calm even if she began to recite everything story-like manner explaining everything she had done from the moment she woke up, "I didn't know where she went but I couldn't go alone, I'd get lost. And you were the best option to help me but you sleep like a bloody log. And I'm truly sorry about the water by the way––"

"Anna," He repeated as he stood cutting her off, his hands on her shoulders as his gaze met her dead in the eye, "Tell exactly me what is wrong."

"Lucy, she's missing," That was all he needed to hear before he pulled her by the wrist along with him towards whenever Edmund was but Anna continued to speak, "No one wakes up as early as me and I grew worried when I woke up and found that she was gone because surely she couldn't have been having a loo break."

They spotted Edmund and Caspian shook him awake, "Ed! Wake up! It's Lucy!" Edmund blinked, still heavy with sleep, "What?" Then his expression morphed into clear panic as he registered what Caspian had told him.

Anna pulled on Caspian's shirt as she pointed to the strange extremely large footprints, "Look!"

Her thoughts ran wild –– maybe it was one-footed giants?

Drinian awoke mere seconds later and began barking orders to the crew to get up. Everyone scrambled to follow the footprints Anna had no time to go get her sword or anything else before Caspian had pulled her along with him and dared not to let her go and out of his sight.

They had spread out to search wandering amongst the perfectly manicured gardens that were shaped in very odd ways. It seemed like a strange but remarkable place.

"Caspian, Lucy's dagger," Edmund mumbled reaching out to pick it up before spears blocked the path. Upon the attack, Caspian and Edmund had both shielded Anna behind them.

"Stop right there or perish!" The voice echoed darkly.

Anna had squinted her eyes but she saw nothing but strangely she could hear the creatures thudding footprints. In a mere instant, they were all pushed backwards and thrown onto the grass like dominos.

"What sort of creatures are you?" Questioned Caspian as he stood and turned grew relieved to find Anna beside Edmund and the rest of his crew.

"Big ones," The same voice whirled. "With the head of a tiger and the body of, uh––"

"——Of a different tiger!" Echoed another creature finishing off what the other had said.

"You don't want to mess with us!" They all spat.

"Or what?!" Edmund challenged.

Almost as if it was a spell it washed away to reveal the strangest creatures Anna had never seen. The group of the creatures that looked like dwarves with only one large foot had circled them but despite their appearance, they were not menacing or held power like they seemed to have when they were unseen.

"Or I'll claw ya to death!" Spoke one who was balanced in two other's arms to appear taller.

Despite their continued threats, they were empty.

"Oooh scary, I'm shaking in my boots," Anna mumbled under her breath with an airy laugh at her own joke knowing that no one would have heard her but Edmund cracked a large smile in her direction.

"What do you mean? Squash us with your fat bellies?" Edmund spoke and they all seemed to agree with him before they realised what he had said.

"Fat bellies?" They repeated in unison.

"Tickle us with your toes?" Caspian guessed with a laugh as they all toppled over. He turned his gaze to behind him to see Anna biting down on her lip to stop herself from laughing before she mouthed to the King, 'Good one.'

Edmund stepped forwards, raising his sword towards the creature's neck, "What have you done with my sister you little pipsqueak?!"

"Now, calm down," Ordered the ginger-bearded creature but Edmund was ravenous, shaking with fear and worry for his sister.

"Where is she?!" Edmund roared.

"Go on, chief," The others of the creatures ordered to their leader, "Tell him!"

The chief looked down for a moment before he met Edmund's gaze, "In the mansion."

"What mansion?" Edmund asked his voice softer than before whilst he glanced around to look for it. Suddenly, there was a ripple-like some sort of magical spell and the mansion was suddenly revealed.

"Ooh," Edmund realised out loud, "That mansion!"

"Y'know I'm really getting tired of you all leaving me behind––," Eustace mumbled to everyone before coming to a dramatic stop and the short, one-footed creatures referring to him as the pig.

Eustace furrowed his brows together as he took in the sight of the strangely shaped gardens and ivy-covered mansion, "This place just gets weirder and weirder."

The creatures all jumped about yelling on and on about the oppressor, a man dressed in elegant patterned robes and peppering hair and beard with Lucy in tow –– Anna sighed with relief when she saw that Lucy was perfectly fine. Anna had never really stressed so much in her life asides from her schoolwork.

"Lucy!" Edmund said in relief, conveying the emotions of how everyone had felt in just a single word.

The oppressor bowed to Edmund and Caspian, addressing them as 'your majesties.' Anna had noticed this and realised that perhaps it wasn't her place. She had turned to move but Caspian had reached out and caught her wrist and pulled her back to his side before she could even think about moving.

"Caspian and Edmund –– and this is Anna. She's our friend," Lucy introduced with a bright smile motioning to the three.

Anna waved towards the man, then as she remembered something she hurriedly stumbled clumsily though a courtesy even though she had no idea on earth what she was doing as both Caspian and Edmund bowed.

"This is Coriakin," Lucy introduced as the wizard-like man bowed, "It's his Island."

"That's what he thinks!" Mumbled the ginger-bearded chief of the short creatures, "You have wronged us, magician!"

Coriakin stepped forwards the cap between Edmund and Caspian to speak to the creatures that all hopped backwards on their large foot, "I have not wronged you. I have made you invisible for your own protection."

"Protection?!" The creatures all exclaimed in unison wavering with disbelief.

Anna watched as Coriakin continued to steer them back throwing some sort of white-soot-like substance and in a loud manner called, "Begone!"

"Edmund," Anna mumbled in the boy's direction, "Do you think he's going to pull a rabbit out of a top hat? Or he's going to be a real proper magician."

Lucy laughed at Caspian's puzzled expression whilst Edmund answered, "I'm not sure, Anna. I guess we'll find out?"

Eustace looked back and forth between the creatures and the wizard with a look of disbelief, "What were those things?"

"Dupplepads," Coriakin answered.

"Right, of course, silly me," Eustace mumbled folding his arms over his chest with a heavy roll of his eyes.

Anna walked beside the boy who stared at her suspiciously, almost expecting her to tackle him or something but then she just mumbled, "I'm very sorry we left you behind on the small grand adventure. Lucy went missing and I –– we all panicked."

Eustace didn't seem to know what to say as he gaped his mouth open and closed like a fish before Anna darted off at a slight jog, racing towards to find Lucy, Edmund, Caspian and the wizard.

It was a dim place with little light as Anna followed Coriakin and the others down an extravagant passageway as Lucy turned to Coriakin, "What did you mean when you said you made them invisible for their own good?"

"It seemed the easiest way to protect them from the evil," He admitted with a shrug of his shoulders.

Edmund shared a look with Caspian before he spoke, "You mean the mist?"

Coriakin motioned to a large wooden doorway and for the group to step inside as he spoke, "I mean what lies behind the mist."

Anna glanced around the room filled with a large array of books rested upon shelves across the walls of the room and the high arched ceiling with its projected stars but as she peered closer she noticed books floating.

"Wow," She breathed under her breath, her eyes sparkling at the library before her. The sounds of wrinkling paper startled Anna as Coriakin rolled a long massive piece of parchment that turned out to be a map out on the floor.

"It's quite beautiful," Eustace mumbled softly under the illuminating glow of the map and all eyes turned to him in disbelief at his words. Over the course of the time, Anna had been around Eustace enough to know that he was one to deny and joy anything to do with Narnia.

Around the edges of the map were a collection of painted moving images and as Anna glanced along with it she noted it was a story. The story of the prophecy and how two daughters os Eve and two sons of Adam had destroyed the white witch and sat on the throne of Cair Paravel.

"I mean for a make-believe map in a make-believe world," Eustace grumbled in defence.

Coriakin glanced upon the group as he raised a hand and the map shifted, "Here is the source of your troubles. The dark islands. Where evil lurks."

The wizard turned to Edmund, "It can take any form. It can make your darkest dreams come true."

Anna could feel the wizards eyes trail to her lingering for a moment as he spoke, "It seeks to corrupt all goodness. To steal all light from this world."

"How do we stop it?" Lucy asked with unwavering determination.

"You must break its spell," Coriakin told her and turned back to Edmund, "That sword you carry. There are six others."

"Have you seen them?" Edmund asked wavering with curiosity and a need for answers.

"Yes," Was all the wizard Coriakin spoke.

Caspian and Edmund shared a glance, before Caspian spoke, "Six lords. They passed through here?"

Coriakin moved across the map, his eyes meeting Caspian's, "Indeed."

"Where were they headed?"

"Where I sent them," The wizard spoke with a swish of his robes, moving across the map.

"To break the spell you must follow the blue star to Ramandu's Island. There the seven swords must be laid at Aslan's table," The magician glanced around for dramatic effect, "Then only will the magical power be released––"

"My goodness, a quest! I've always wanted to go one!" Anna blurted before blushing crimson red as all pairs of eyes in the room turned to her, "Sorry sir, uh, I won't interpret again. I'll hold my tongue."

The wizard's mouth twitched slightly in amusement before continuing, glancing around as if he was peering into their souls, "––But beware you are all about to be tested."

"Tested?" Lucy repeated.

"That's how a quest works Lucy," Anna admitted with a shrug of her shoulders as she met her friend's gaze, "It's supposed to challenge the heroine, make them suffer and ensure they have a decent amount of character development before they face the evil dragon or whatever the writer fancies. Although I do believe this grand adventure would be different. We aren't characters from a book."

The wizard sighed at Anna before she noticed all eyes were on her as she held up her hands in both defeat and surrender, "Okay. Okay. I understand. I'm rambling and taking up too much time. I'll close my mouth and shut it and lock it with the key and throw the key away."

To prove her point Anna pretended to zip up her mouth and throw the key away behind her shoulder. From across from her Caspian bashfully smiled at her theatrics and did not hide it.

"Until you lay down the seventh sword evil has the upper hand. It will do everything in its power to tempt you," The magician lent down into Lucy, his gaze meeting hers before he whirled to face everyone else, "Be strong."

"Do not fall to temptations," The wizard advised firmly, "To defeat the darkness out there you must defeat the darkness inside yourself."

Anna looked like she wanted to say something but was firmly keeping her word but everyone in the room could see it pained her and she remained silent until they had set onto the sea, telling Reepicheep everything that had transpired since they last saw one another.

It hung heavy in the air as they set to sail so evidently that they all seemed to be aware that everything was going to change.