Chapter 52: Unthinkable Schemes

"Jo, are you alright?"
Jo hears Brans voice but she cannot manage to reply. She can hear a slight ringing in her left ear. She stares at Bran's face. He seems to be saying something but she cannot understand anything coherent. All she can hear are slurs and constant ringing.
She touches her left ear and feels something wet and sticky there. She inspects her hand... It's blood! Her left ear or some part close to it is bleeding.
Bran helps her sit up and positions her under a nearby tree so she can use the trunk to support her back.
Jo closes her eyes to refocus herself. She feels so disoriented. Wait... now her mind is starting to make sense again.
When she opens her eyes, she observes her surroundings and finally notices their campsite that seems to be blown by a hurricane. Her attention is caught by Caspian's desperately worried expression.
"Anna..."
Jo gasps in horror when she connects her black out to the last incident she recalls.
"Everything happened so fast. One moment we were in the tent then we were suddenly surrounded by three scary creatures. Oh my gosh! They took Anna!"
Jo utters weakly as she attempts to stand.
"Please stay put, Jo. You are hurt. I think one of those monsters threw you like a doll and thought it got rid of you."
Bran explains to Jo as he holds her still against the tree trunk.
Caspian remains speechless but busily flips everything in the campsite looking for some clues...anything to help him so he can find his Princess.
All of a sudden, Jo screams in pain. She clasps her left arm with her right hand. She can feel the burning sensation there as well as smell of charred flesh. She stares at her arm which is now ablaze with orange flames. She continues to scream in pain and panic.
Bran cradles Jo's arm in an attempt to soothe the pain. He whispers a silent spell to try and counteract whatever is happening. But nothing changes. Jo's arm remains that way like a flaming sword.
Caspian rushes to Jo's side and murmurs another kind of magic spell. Still, nothing...
Jo loses consciousness once more.
"Jo! Jo! Can you hear me?"
Bran shouts in panic too.
Then the blazing flames disappear abruptly as if extinguished by water. The flames are replaced by words scribbled in orange.
"Come after your Princess my nephew."
Each word starts to vanish after Caspian utters it.
Jo's arm returns to its spotless condition, not even any scar or burn at all.
Bran carefully rubs Jo's arm in disbelief.
"Alirion!"
Caspian shouts out in anger as if the Dark fairy can hear him.
"Bran, I have to go back to our realm. King Merlion and Queen Alina must know about this at once!"
Caspian tells Bran.
"What about Jo?"
Bran replies, as he combs back Jo's hair away from her unconscious face.
"You must stay with her. She cannot enter our realm. I will send for Nurse Zella. Wait for her. She will know what to do to help Jo. Don't worry, she will be alright."
Caspian instructs his friend. This is the first time Bran ever got worried.
"When she awakens, explain to her everything but please you both must not let Popsie and Marmee find out about the truth. Tell them that the Princess and I had to go back to the Green Haven for something important. I know Princess Aria will not want them to get worried. This is for the best. I will get her back Bran!"
Caspian touches Jo's face gently while saying,
"Jo I promise to bring her back. I am sorry we left you alone."
*****************
"My King, forgive me for my negligence. There are no excuses for this."
Caspian's head is bent so low. His shame for losing Princess Aria in his watch is indescribable not to mention his fury at himself and his evil uncle.
"We must take action at once. Aramir gather all our rangers now and we shall head for the Dark Mountains immediately! We shall inform the other realms along the way."
Aramir does not speak. He bow instead and takes his leave.
King Merlion shouts his orders slightly ignoring Caspian. The King does not like to say anything out of anger for he is aware that he cannot blame Caspian solely for this.
He is frustrated with himself too because this seems to be history repeating itself all over. He has taken the Dark fairy lightly again and again. Due to that oversight, those who are close to him suffer or die. Marion, Hagan, and now...he cannot even bear to think about it.
"My King, I would go ahead now."
Caspian exclaims when King Merlion has not uttered a single response to him.
King Merlion takes a deep breath and says,
"Caspian, I apologize for ignoring you for a moment there. We cannot afford to let Alirion get his way. He obviously plans to get you alone by using my daughter. He might have been spying on us for some time now. I am to blame for this as well."
Caspian is about to reply but the King is not yet done.
"We shall face him together, along with the other fairies of the four realms. Our unity is what we need. That is the difference between him and us. United, we will stand and divided, we shall fall. This will be the key to our triumph against him."
"Time and time again, he hurts others for he does not care about anyone but himself. He used his sister, his only friend, now you and my daughter. He stooped down so low to such unthinkable schemes for his greed for power."
"This time it has to end permanently."
King Merlion stops then pulls Caspian to stand. He makes Caspian face him by placing his hands on both his shoulders.
"Caspian, we would be victorious only if we stand together."
King Merlion embraces Caspian after that.
"My King, we will get her back."
Caspian promises. That is all that matters to both of them.
"Now, let us go and gather all our allies in the four realms."
The King responds.
King Merlion and Caspian exit at the same time with determined expressions to face what they have prepared against for such a long time now.