Welcome to the 3rd installment of my Runaway series! This is Redient. I struggled with wanting to continue the 'immigrant' thing, but everything I came up with just didn't feel right for this. That 'R' thing felt good, though. I really had to do some research to make the connections, which made me feel like one of those real writer things who have to pre-think everything out :P

Redient means 'returning', a play on Luxa's absence, Hazard going to Regalia, of course Gregor and Boots making it through the quest (sorry if that spoils Curse of the Warmbloods for anyone, I'm just assuming everyone has read the series at this point) and some other things.

As always, I don't own The Underland Chronicles.

"Talk to yourself like you would to someone you love." -Unknown

"Gregor, if you do not look at me, I will not kiss you for a fortnight." I've heard her trying to get my attention for the last ten minutes, but I couldn't pull my eyes from the parchment map. I was trying to figure out the Labyrinth from what I remembered and occasional input from Ripred, but the Dead Lands were almost entirely uncharted.

I may have been practically living in the map room, not eating very much, and ignoring my girlfriend in the process.

I sighed and stood, my palms flat over the corners. I tried to turn to her but my failures became so heavy on my shoulders, my head hung uselessly. Tears started to flow from my eyes, something that had steadily become a common occurrence; most the time I didn't have an audience.

I was an emotional wreck. I am an emotional wreck. Ever since Boots and my dad left about two months ago, I spent every waking hour I could in this room, pouring over the maps and trying desperately to find an escape route Luxa and Aurora could have taken.

If I could just prove they had a way out, I could give Vikus hope his granddaughter was alive.

Serenity turned my shoulders and wrapped her arms around my neck. I felt bad because I have relied on her so much to keep me sane, yet I ignored her tries at conversation, attempts to take me to the dining room for meals, and her affections. I don't know why she still tries.

"I'm sorry." I muttered into her hair, it smelled like flowers but I wasn't sure how because I never saw flowers outside of those jungle areas around rivers in the Dead Lands, and I doubt Regalians went to the Dead Land to risk their lives for shampoo scents.

"I miss her, too." She whispered, holding me tighter. "But you cannot run yourself ragged staring at charts all day, you will be better apt to find her if you at full health."

I sighed. "I know, I just do not want to waste any time."

She pulled away from me, immediately losing the sympathy, her hands on her hips with a stern look. "I imagine you waste time when your vision blurs from lack of sleep or nutrition."

I rubbed the back of my neck and tried to give her a charming smile, which she didn't fall for, but she shook her head with a ghost of a smile. "Come, it has been far too long since you ate."

She pulled me out of the room and we walked through the palace hand in hand, down to the kitchens for an in between meal snack. The chefs recognized Serenity immediately and chatted enthusiastically as they prepared a grilled fish for me, adding a larger than necessary portion of cake; I imagine my girlfriend told them to do it I wouldn't be so skinny anymore.

I think she was being ridiculous, I hadn't lost any muscle tone and I had no fat to account for in the first place; my body had gotten used to working on low levels of nutrients. She was right about something though, just because I could get away with not eating every meal, doesn't mean I should.

We stayed in the kitchen a bit longer after I was finished. I leaned back against the counter top and watched with amusement as Serenity schooled the bakers with a perfectly browned pie. I couldn't keep my eyes off her as she moved around the kitchen with ease, her smile and laugh so infectious, it made everyone around her happier.

In the end, everyone had fallen victim to a dusting of flower; Serenity came by when I wasn't looking to streak some across my cheek. Testing the pies was hard being almost burning hot, but we all scarfed down a piece of the delicious pastry. It was too good to wait.

Serenity leaned against my shoulder as we walked back through the palace. I wasn't sure where we were going, but if it took us longer to get there, I was okay with it. I rubbed the back of her hand intertwined with mine, unable to stop the smile from appearing on my face. My shoulders relaxed, my heart beat at a normal pace, and I no longer had a stabbing pain in my abdomen, now that my stomach had been sated.

I glanced down at her, my savior from myself. "Why do you look at me like this?" She laughed, I hadn't realized we stopped moving.

I shook my head and wrapped my arms around her waist, touching our foreheads together; she was the perfect height that I didn't have to crane my neck painfully to meet her. "I do not deserve you. I would be lost without you."

She laughed, a light, airy sound in our close quarters. "Someone must keep you on track. Speaking of," She pulled away and began walking with a purpose, pulling me down the corridors with a quick pace. "We have word from your father, he was scheduled to meet Nike today. They shall be arriving soon."

I hurried along with the new information. Vikus got word to him two weeks ago that another prophecy was coming to pass and he needed to get Boots back to Regalia as soon as possible.

My heart grew heavy. The Prophecy of Blood was the next installment in my increasing line of quests, and it was a hard one to swallow.

Mostly because it was my fault, like ninety five percent of everything bad that usually happens, is.

I jarred out of my thoughts just as we were passing the hospital wing. I slowed, forcing Serenity to as well. She gave me a sad glance and nodded. I released her hand and entered the well-known room. I had visited it dozens of times over the last two weeks, it was the only reason I left the map room on my own accord.

It also would have never happened if I would have left the damn map room like Serenity told me to in the first place. After the diagnosis, I spent even more of my time in that Godforsaken chamber to avoid my own mistake.

After walking down a long hall, I turned into a large room. One side was lined with glass to separate me from the figure behind it. I walked up to the black bat, he tilted his head to meet me. He looked miserable, but despite the pain, he lifted the wing closest to me and rested his claw against the glass.

I covered it with my own through the glass. "I'll come back with the cure, Ares. I swear it."

Just a little short, I know, but it's only the first chapter; worry not, there is much more lovely-ness to come next week. I wanted to give a quick shout out to everyone who's reviewed Runaway and Refugee and pushed me to pump out the best I'm capable of, you guys are the real MVPs.

Hope you all enjoyed, hope to hear from you in a review :)

Yours,

Artemis.