The Heir I Need

Part III: Chapter 8

"We need to find them," Caspian immediately stated.

"I'll go with you," Edmund offered.

"Me as well," I nodded jogging to join the two.

The three of us sprinted toward the source of the scream. If I had felt the terrain was difficult to traverse before, aI found no difficulty with it now. I tried to keep the fear and panic down as we searched for the two boys. Eventually we came upon a valley full of golden treasure. A plain brown shoe caught my eye.

"There," I called pointing it out.

Edmund climbed down first with Caspian and I following close behind. He picked up the shoe slowly.

"Eustace?" he breathed, sounding nervous.

I frowned in confusion until I realized why. The shoe was singed at the tip and was ripped apart. I then saw a pile of burning, ripped clothing.

"Oh no..." I breathed, kneeling beside it.

The clothes were Eustace's too. Edmund knelt beside me picking up the clothes with a crestfallen look. My heart began to hammer as I looked around. Where was Percy?

"Percy?" I called.

"Percival!" Caspian joined in.

We were answered only by the jets of hot air from the nearby geysers.

"He was just a boy," Edmund breathed clutching Eustace's journal is his hands.

"Don't talk like that!" I snapped.

Both of them looked at me with surprised expressions. I swallowed back tears shaking my head.

"They're- they're not dead," I stammered, looking around again.

"Aewryn-" Caspian sighed gently, reaching out.

I smacked his hand away, getting to my feet as tears began to sting my eyes.

"No! They- they aren't! They're alive!" I cried, my voice cracking as the tears began to spring out, "They can't be- no..."

Percy...my little baby...no he-he can't be gone...

A cough sounded somewhere nearby. I turned sharply, my eyes scanning the area. It was nearly impossible to see though as I tried to wipe away the tears to clear my vision. Another cough sounded followed by a weak groan.

"Percy?" I called stepping in the direction of the coughs.

"Aewryn-" Edmund began.

"M-mother?" a weak voice called out.

I gasped rushing toward the sound. I rounded a corner into a small alcove and there he was. He was on his side, curled up in a ball, his eyes barely open and his pants leg smoldering.

"Percy!" I cried falling to my knees at his side.

"Mommy?" he whimpered shifting and then squeezing his eyes tight in pain.

Caspian and Edmund ran over as I carefully pulled him into my lap. I held him tightly to my chest crying softly.

"Praise Aslan," I whispered kissing his head.

My joy was dampened slightly as I looked him over. His right leg was burned from the knee down.

"What happened?" Caspian questioned, kneeling on the other side of Percy.

He reached out to take Percy into his arms. I let him knowing I couldn't carry him all the way back on my own.

"Eust-Eustace...Dra-dragon," Percy stammered, crying out in pain when Caspian picked him up.