The sea smell hit his nostrils again and he threw his eyes open. Their ship was still afloat but he had a nightmare that it sank.
"You were tossing in your sleep," Damian said with his back to Dimitri as he navigated the ship.
Dimitri wiped his eyes with his left hand. "I had a nightmare. A bad one."
"We're almost at the island then. It's the island." Damian said.
"And how do you know that?" Dimitri rose to his feet and turned the other way to answer nature's call.
"That's what the legends says." Damian stated, his eyes fixed on the road ahead, the road of vast waters.
"Ah, they even have a nursery rhyme about it. I can't remember much but I do know it says Clarosha is a land where the dead reign supreme, an island cursed by God himself where no man may roam. They also say every weapon you need to kill a vampire, a Fae, a Furie, even the most immortal, is on that island." Dimitri was doing his his business and took a seat on the couch.
"So I've heard." Damian replied.
"And who told you about Clarosha? Surely, you didn't know about it before." Dimitri whipped out a bottle of gin from his inner pocket and took a swig.
Damian nodded softly. "It's true. I had no knowledge of this place. Neither did the others. You see, I'm not the only one who wants the white wooden stake."
"Your uncle and his people do?" asked Dimitri.
"Yes," Damian uttered with disgust. "These men are people I sired."
"If my mother were alive, she'd say, 'Never take the kindness of a man for granted. After all it is the same hand that hold a jewel that holds a sword." Dimitri capped the bottle and put it back in his coat.
Damian went on. "They saw me as a little kid, a man with absolutely nothing, the son of the king! I was their Alucard! Whatever I did broke the rules and they'd punish me."
"And why didn't you teach them a lesson? If I were you, I would," Dimitri returned with a scoff. "You're too kind for your own good."
"Lucia was…" Damian's voice trailed off when suddenly their ship was plunged into a thick fog.
"Don't fear!" he announced to Dimitri who was already shivering.
"It's a bit too late for that, Damian!" Dimitri called back.
"Hold on." Damian maneuvered the wheels to veer away from the surrounding fog. Their ship escaped into the open sea.
Dimitri turned his gaze backwards. "What was that?"
"I don't know but whatever you do, don't look back. They say anyone who does is overcome with something else." Damian said, with his back to Dimitri.
"Really?" Dimitri asked, his gaze stolen by the thick white fog appearing small in his sight as they sailed ahead.
"Really." Damian nodded.
An eerie flash on green reflected in Dimitri's eyes. "I wonder what thing overcomes the man who stares."
"Trust me. You don't want to know." Damian recalled.
Soonest, they arrived the island but it wasn't as they had hoped.
"Clarosha is supposed to be a beacon of death. Why does it look some fairies threw a party here and forgot to clean up." Dimitri asked as he let go off the sail.
Damian replied in the same startled look on his face. "The legends said it was a barren, desolate landscape when it's actually an enchanting place."
He jumped off the ship and landed on the shore, still bedaazle by the magnificent sight ahead of him. Was this really Clarosha, the dead man's land? Or perhaps the map was wrong?
"I can't join you, Damian. You know what happens to humans who sail to Clarosha." Dimitri who was still aboard the ship, called out to him.
Damian took a swerve. Dimitri had been right. How could he have forgotten?
"Can you sail home on your own?" he asked him.
"Of course not," Dimitri shot back. "The course back home is dangerous. Do you know how many hours it has been?"
"I'm only asking because I'm going to die here, Dimitri!" Damian yelled, his deep voice echoing around the place.
Dimitri's eyes went round. "That's - -
Damian turned around, walking towards the white wooden stake, his intended destination. Wherever it was.
"I'll wait!" Dimitri called back again.
"Save your breath, human, and go on home!" Damian shot back.
"You won't die in there and leave me out here to rot. I have wife and two children waiting for me at home. You will find the stake and we will sail back home then you can do whatever you want. Deal?" said Dimitri.
"There is no home for me to go back, human!" Damian yelled as he walked towards the greenery.
"Don't you dare play some kind of iconic saviour of the world! You and I are going back to De Caspia. You can sail to Drakensberg if you like. I don't mind and don't call me human. The name's Dimitri!"
"Fine!" Damian agreed with his deal.
"Hurry up then. I've got no weapons here." Dimitri said.
Damian hurried onward. As soon as he was out of sight, Dimitri looked at around the island. It was truly magnificent - the greenery and wildflowers were vibrant and colourful. Even the beach was shored with pink pebbles and stones of different colours, something you don't see everyday in Kingdom De Caspian.
The sweet fragrance of tropical flowers hit his nostrils hit his nostrils and he laid back down, shutting his eyelids. The atmosphere was cool and tranquil and a strange sense of peace washed all over him. However, the sweet silence was broken by the sound of overlapping waves. He threw his eyes open and what stared back at him made him scream.
Meanwhile,
It was the sound of horses. Now, it was a man's voice. His warm hands were clamped down on her shoulders, giving her a quiet shake. But she refused to open her eyes. The dark and quiet was so much better. Was it?
She remembered him yelling. "Anna, run!"
Her instincts and told her "run, little girl, run" but she couldn't. She was scared. And even when she plucked up the courage to move, everything turned red. Someone had gotten hurt. Now, it wasn't the man's voice, it was a scream.
Anna awoke with a gasp and Bat rushed to her side.
"My darling, are you alright?" he asked, putting his arms around her protectively.
Anna looked around her. They were people, lots of them, walking and talking. The street was loud with music and chants of sales - of who sold the best bread and who does not. This was a marketplace but not in De caspia.
"Bat," she called quietly with a shiver.
"You're alright." he buried her face in his chest, palming slow circles on her back.
"What - what happened in De Caspia?" she clutched his shirt tightly.
Bat pulled her close to him and kissed her hair. "I saved you. That's all that happened."
"I saw a bright red colour before I fell asleep," Anna pulled away to look at him. Then she reached out to cup his face on her hands. "I saw it."
Bat placed his hands over hers. "I know you did but it wasn't either of us. Let's not recall the past, okay?"
Anna agreed with a nod and melted into his arms again. "Where are we?"
"In Canterbury. We're going to find Lucia." Bat replied.
He knew Anna was going to want to leave his arms so he held her in place so she wouldn't move.
"How did you find Lucia? Where had she been all this while?" Anna's eyes filled as she asked.
"When we escaped the castle, I found a Raven carrying a letter. Apparently, it was a letter from the Duke of Canterbury to Count Von Burren. He found Lucia washed up in the shores of his land and wanted her returned."
"Archer? Why would he do that?" Anna wondered.
"You know him?" asked Bat.
"Yes. He was Lady Lucia's former lover."
In the Canterbury Castle, it was the same drama all over again. The servants would serve Lucia's food and she would refuse to give them audience or even receive it. After her confrontation with Archer a few hours ago, she had attempted escaping the castle and had been caught by the guards. Now, she was kept in a room without windows or sunlight. The dim candle lights were the only way she could see and air came from there burly soldiers stationed in the room who follow her around as she paced the room flapping their fans around her.
Lucia grew exhausted from pacing and decided to take a nap. Of course, he had dismissed the guards before going to bed.
Before sleep took her to dreamland, she pondered on how Damian fared. He was now an enemy to the four kingdoms and everyday, the town's couriers and knights passed by notices with his face on them. Tears filled her eyes and she cried herself to sleep.
On his end, Damian stumbled upon a an old castle ruin and went into it for shelter. The rain had just begun and it was heavy. He wondered how Dimitri faired but shortly after, convinced himself that the man would do just fine without him.
After a fruitless search for the wooden take, he decided to rest his head. He laid on the cold, stone slab and shut his eyes to sleep.
It became dark and lightning crackled in the sky.
Lucia found herself standing in the midst of a just confused battle. The stench of death poured out and the quacks of Raven echoed in the darkening sky.
"What am I doing here?" she asked no one. "Where is this place?"
"Archer!" It only echoed with the wind.
"Colette! Anyone!" The reply that came was the echo of her own voice.
"Where am I?" she screamed.
The sound of a thousand flappings approached and she knew she had to take cover.
"God no!" Lucia began to run. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her through the bloody battlefield. When she knew there was no way out, she collapsed to the floor and the birds flew over her.
Their overlapping wings grew faint and she lifted her head.
"They're gone." she exhaled a sigh of relief.
The bottom of her gown was moist and she looked down. It was water. She was no longer on the battlefield. She was now in an old castle ruin.
"What the -" She shuffled to her feet to brush the debris off her clothes.
In a weak, hoarse voice, man cried out her name. "Lucia."
"Who's there?" she asked, looking around the dimly lit chamber.
"Lucia, help." he cried out again.
She looked ahead. An immobile figure laid on the stoneslab. She recognized the clothes on it's body and screamed. "Damian!"
She got to where he laid. "Oh my God. Damian. You're hurt."
Meanwhile, in Clarosha,
In the castle ruin, the floor got too cold for Damian's comfort as he shivered. While he slept, he heard someone calling his name.
"Damian!" she was screaming. He knew that voice.
"Lucia," he called out weakly. "Help."
"Damian, you're hurt," he heard her say with a sob.
"I'll be fine." He whispered. He tried to open his eyes but they were too heavy for him to.
"Damian!"
Finally, he threw his eye open but this time he was no longer in the castle ruin. He was in a bedroom lit with candles. The door as open to let in air. It was a windowless room.
"What is this place?" he asked himself.
A quiet sob came as his reply and he followed the sound of it. He pushed back a curtain and found a maiden tossing and turning in her sleep. It wasn't just any maiden but Lucia. His Lucia.
"Lucia!" he ran to the bed and pulled her into his arms.
"Lucia," he whispered softly as he patted her cheek. "Lucia, it's going to be okay. I'm here."
"Damian, where are you?" She cried in her sleep.
"I'm here for you, Lucia," Damian kissed her forehead.
He wondered how he got there or how he was able to hold Lucia but he was glad she could for one last time. He held her tightly in his arms, not wanting to let go. Ever.
"Damian." came her muffled voice.
"It's okay. I'm here." he kissed her cheek this time.
"Wait, Damian," he felt her small hand push against his chest and she lifted her face to look at him.
A gasp escaped her lips as he cupped his cheeks. "H - how? You're here. You're here."
"I'm here," The corner of his eye crinkled as he flashed her a radiant smile. "I'm here for you, Lucia. I don't know how but I'm here for you."
"Oh, Damian," Lucia put her arms over his neck and hugged him. "I've missed you so much."
"I've missed you more." Damian snaked his arms around her waist, not wanting to let go.
The couple pulled away, looking into each other's eyes.
"You're real." They both said simultaneously.
"I am." Damian smiled.
Without thinking, Lucia grabbed his face again, pressing lip to his in a gentle kiss. One he returned.