It had been three weeks. Three weeks since Gregor had had any happiness. Three weeks since anyone in Gregor's family felt like they were part of something, belonged somewhere.
Gregor woke up to a bright light. He was finally starting to get used to it again. All the bright lights, city streets, going to school were just a side to the fact that he felt insignificant again. Gregor would just wake up, get ready for school, take him and his sister Lizzie to school, learn, ignore the flirts of other girls, learn again, eat and complete lose it by the end of school. The rager inside of him was still there, and didn't feel any different. It was like riding a bike. Once you started learning, you couldn't forget how to.
On some days, his friends Angela and Larry would actually avoid him. Gregor remembered the day he would regret. It was a fine cool morning, but as Gregor's unused rager sensations built up, he got twitchy and unstable.
As Gregor and his two friends were walking out of class, Larry accidently tripped Gregor. "You babbling fool! The very likes of you upsets me!" Gregor had no idea what he had just shouted, but Larry seemed to have got it. He walked away with depressed. "Gregor, what has gotten into you?" Angela said angrily and went to go calm Larry. In all, things were going terrible for the Overlander and his family.
The torches flickered as Howard and Mareth tried to silence the palace. The once beautiful and calm city of Regalia only lasted about three weeks. Then, in the middle of the night, both Luxa and Vikus had disappeared. Mareth remembered spotting the last gnawer leaving on their path not make any quirky comments like most gnawers would. The group of rats, to Howard's metaphorical view, had snuck under our nose just as we looked to the sky. "Those gnawers were smarter than usual. They preformed a silent, stealthy capture, no brute force and no killing." Mareth reported. But all the gnawers at the council denied it. "You really think we would start this century long war over again?" Ripred quizzically would ask in anger. Without the two rightful rulers or Regalia, the place was carefully run by Mareth and Howard.
Three nights ago, the incident had happened. Nobody knew what was going on because the rats were so stealthy, and had not said a word. "Well," Ripred had confessed "There have been rumors of a secret rat organization. They didn't exactly appreciate the fact us gnawers had to share land with the humans. They broke off and claimed power themselves."
Mareth considered this. "Is there any way we can stop them?" Ripred looked into Mareth and Howard's hopeful eyes and just blankly said "With only one rager and a few soldiers? No, I'm afraid we're going to need at least two. And you know the only second one on this half of the world."
Nerissa led Howard, Mareth, and Ripred out of the prophecy room. "As you can see, Gregor was fighting for a very long time ever since he found out he was a rager." Nerissa sighed. She briskly walked down the hall towards their destination and continued "Being in the overland and I'm guessing, not being able to fight, has contained all his feelings and more importantly, rager energy. That could all lead him to a mental breakdown, physical spasms, and possibly insanity. Ah, here it is." Nerissa led the three into a room with many decorative curtains. The place smelled of dust and wood, not too helpful with the smoking candles. A very frail and unsightly nibbler sat on the prettiest carpet and made a series of hand movements to Nerissa. All she said back was "Greetings ancient." Nerissa explained that this nibbler was known as a prophecy nibbler and could almost always predict the right outcomes of things. Reaching over one hundred years old, this nibbler could make a difference. Nerissa spoke up in a slow voice "Gregor, the warrior, are we to use him to bring back order to our palace immediately or find another way?" The nibbler replied with a series of hand movements, up and down, left and right, twisting. "Oh dear," Nerissa said. "What? What is it?" Mareth ordered. "He says if we don't bring Gregor back in about two days, he would drive himself insane. We must rescue him right now."
Gregor was flying all by himself in a space of blackness. For no reason, he just glided through a big black space. Then, out of nowhere, Luxa's voice screamed out. Gregor tried to find her but he couldn't. He felt himself drifting away, unable to do anything but live a normal life.
Gregor bolted up in bed. Well he felt like he was in bed. What was going on? He was lying down, but not in his bed. The sky was normal, a lot of stars. Stars? Last time Gregor remembered, he slept with a roof over his head. He also felt the sensation of being carried. Gregor struggled to move, but his hands were bound, and his eyes were covered. Just then, he fell asleep again.
Gregor awoke with a start. His dream had drifted off into the thought he had been abducted. At least it was the weekend. Gregor looked up to see a very bright light. The whole room was lit up with torches. All around him were pale, violet eyed, silver haired people. The addition of bats, rats, and cockroaches, all unusually big were there too. "I'm… I'm back." Gregor said to himself. "He's finally awake!" Ripred shouted. "You need to get some more beauty sleep if you're thinking it's going to change your appearance boy!" Ripred snickered. "Gregor," Mareth said and patted Gregor on the back "We missed you." Gregor finally worked up his words after being speechless for a long time "Why am I here? Not that I didn't want to see you guys, life's been horrible in the overland but why? Where are my parents?" Howard sighed and put his head in his hands. "Your parents are fine, we have them in a locked room, but they have all the care they need. Beds, food, water, and bathing. We need you however, to pull off something that is good for you and the overland." Gregor saw this coming "Oh no! I'm not going on some crazy mission again. I thought I would be coming down to be happy and live here. If you guys think that my mom will let me stay after another prophecy…" "It's not a prophecy Gregor!" Ripred cut him off. "The city has been in chaos because secret organizations of gnawers have decided they want the whole land. They didn't want peace. Almost a third of our best rats have joined their side. We need another rager to pull off our mission." Gregor considered this. This mission could either connect him more with the people he loved or completely separate him from them. "Not to mention," Ripred said "Vikus and Luxa have been kidnapped. This mission finds out their location." Those two names immediately chose for Gregor. "Yes, I'll do it."
Gregor was lead through various halls and stairways, which felt familiar. Mareth had finally spoken up "Gregor, I'm sorry for all the commotion, but thank you for accepting. These rats, they're like nothing we've ever seen. They use tactics like it's their only source. These rats are smart. They've even invented a few things." What Mareth had said, had scared Gregor to the point of stopping, but was hauled along until he reached the armory. "But we have also taken our tactics into mind."
Gregor watched as weapons of great craftsmanship were thrown into targets. "Whoa man, you weren't kidding." Gregor exclaimed. Gregor saw a lady in white walking towards them carrying a black robe and other objects. "Dress in this please." This woman looked familiar, but Gregor couldn't think of it.
Too many things seemed familiar. He felt that rager buzz in his skull, being unused and turned into fear and paranoia.
Gregor put on his weird robe, which wasn't a robe after all. It was a long sleeved jumpsuit that was all black. Even darker boots were put on, high up to his shins. A black cape that went to his thighs was put on, and a bag that had one strap strung around his chest kept stuff inside it. A bandana was put on to cover his mouth. "There is also a hood, you will be ordered when to put it on, but always, always, take it off during combat." The woman pulled back Gregor's sleeves and put something onto his wrists. "Oh great, more black." Gregor thought. A trigger that went on it was the one thing he was told not to touch. The woman in white pulled triggers on both his wrists and eight inch scimitars whipped out on the sides of his arms. One for each arm, on the right side for his right arm, and left for left.
"A concealed weapon!" Gregor gasped in excitement which bothered him. He felt like a little kid getting a new toy. But he was getting a weapon.
All that was left were elbow and knee pads. "Check inside the bag," Mareth told Gregor "There are five throwing knives, a dagger, and a bat whistle."
"Bats…" Gregor thought. "How will I be transported to…wherever?" Mareth didn't know to either smile or frown. "Didn't they tell you?" Mareth asked. "Doctors are attempting to bring Ares back to life." Gregor's heart jumped. "How?" Mareth answered calmly, guiding him to the high hall. "Ares has been discovered to be actually in a deathly coma. He's not entirely dead. He's just asleep. Doctors stitched his through back up, it's barely noticeable now, and have reattached his claw. Ares himself will be brought back to a normal heart rate and consciousnesses with the voltage from Shockers, or as you know them, electric eels. Just very big." The thought of getting Ares back made Gregor want to laugh, cry, and take back his hope.
But he was rushed back into the high hall with Ripred, Mareth, Boots, Aurora, and several other bats and soldiers. "Why are you bringing Boots?" Gregor asked with concern. "A good luck charm I think." Ripred laughed. They had started to take off and were going over the city. The torches cast a glow over the city. It seemed to be noon. In a city full of war, the peace seemed so beautiful. Markets busy, kids playing, and streets of people cheering on their veterans to go bring home a queen.
Mareth spoke to Gregor from another bat "Nerissa wanted me to remind you to use stealth, not war craft, and do whatever the plan says." The flight was short, but complicated. If the bats weren't as skilled flyers as they were, the noise would've gave them away.
A big building made of blue rock sat against one of the cave walls. The flyers were left at the end of a tunnel and two soldiers were sent to go inside the building. Ripred whispered to Gregor as they lay down about twenty feet from the building "They're going to tell the leader of that base they're negotiating. You follow me, Mareth will follow you, and the soldiers will set a perimeter."
Before Gregor could question him, they started running towards the building. Ripred grabbed footholds and climbed up the building like a monkey until he was right to the left of the window. Gregor found he was a natural climber and stayed under the window. Mareth stayed to the right. The soldiers inside were talking to the leader rats of the fort. A wooden box of papers showed where their info was. A rat looked out the window the gang was hanging from and stayed there. "Now." Ripred whispered and grabbed the rat on the windowsill and swung him off the edge of the building neatly. Splat. The gang jumped through the window and took position. Gregor instinctively let all his rager out there. A neat cut to the neck, a block followed by a torso stab, and a double slash. Those hidden scimitars could really be moved through the air quickly and cut through flesh. Ripred grabbed the short and lanky leader of the fort and jumped out the window. "Go Gregor!" Mareth shouted. Gregor jumped out the window, expecting to fall and die, but landed on floor safely. He missed the bats. He would have to catch up to them.
Gregor ran as fast as he could, and the rats were still getting back up after the serious blow. However, some where agile ones were able to run after him, and almost catch him. Gregor ran up a hill and jumped freely. Mareth's bat caught him easily. The bats maneuvered and flew back to Regalia.
Gregor waited and thought inside his room. Well, it was Luxa's room, but he was given that room to stay at for now. His battle suit had been removed and he was wearing the usual Regalian cotton clothing. "Gregor, are you happy?" Boots asked. She still had trouble with some words, but was able to say some sentences perfectly. Gregor was happy to answer "Yes. We captured that bad rat, and now some things are going to be better."
Mareth entered the room and looked at Boots. "I thought you would like to see this one." At the same time, Temp crawled in. "Temp!" Boots giggled and hopped onto the roach's back. "And you Gregor," Mareth continued "Have some good news coming for you. Follow me."
The council was a fit of excitement over what to do next. The rat had given up the information of where Vikus and Luxa where held, in exchange for his life. Gregor imagined himself in the rats shoes, but still human. Working to capture a rat king, and succeeding. Then getting caught. He either would give away his friends or his life. "Rats were always selfish." Gregor thought.