The Underland Chronicles book 6: A new face
Chapter 1
I was walking around Central Park when I heard something moving underneath one of the concrete slabs that made up the sidewalk. I walked to the slab at which the noise was loudest and I started to pry it up. Underneath it there were stairs leading underground. I put the slab back, then I walked back to my house. I put two waterproof flashlights, sixteen batteries, two packs of bubble gum, three bottles of water, one roll of duct tape, and a crowbar into a backpack. Then I took the crowbar of of the backpack and put the backpack on but I had the crowbar in my hand. I walked back to Central Park and pried the concrete slab up. Then I duct taped a flashlight to my arm and moved the concrete slab back over to it's place so no one would follow me. I heard something make a noise. I shined my light at where the noise came from and then I stumbled back in surprise. I was looking at the face of a giant rat. The rat lunged at me ready to rip out my throat. I swung the crowbar into its head killing it instantly. I heard more rats running in my direction so I ran. All of a sudden I was falling downwards. I landed with a splash in icy cold water. I felt a hand grab the back of my shirt and pull me out of the water. Then I blacked out.
Chapter 2
When I woke up I was lying in a bed in a place that looked like some type of a hospital. I sat up and then I saw another human. But he looked different then most people. His skin was a bit translucent and his eyes were purple. His hair was blond but it had a metallic sheen to it. "Who are you?" I asked him. "My name is Vikus," he replied. "Now may I ask what your name is." "My name is John," I replied. "Now if you feel well enough to walk I will show you around," he said to me. We were walking around when a giant bat landed in front of me. The bat was white and it had black stripes on it. "Hello, my name is Nike," the bat said to me. "Hey, Vikus, what is the name of this city?" "It is called Regalia," he replied to me. Then all of a sudden a large gray bat landed next to Vikus. "Let me introduce you to my bond Euripedies," Vikus said to me. "Hello Overlander," said Euripedies. "What do you mean by bonds," I asked Vikus. "The humans and the flyers have always been friends but some have a link between them and then they usually become bonds," he replied. "In the Overland flyers are known as bats right." "Yes." Then I asked the question I had wanted to ask since I first met Vikus. "How did you guys end up down here?" "I will tell you during dinner," he said. "After all you must be hungry." "Now follow me to the palace."
Chapter 3
We walked into a big room and sat down at a large table. "So I ask again how did you guys end up down here," I said. "Let us eat first before we talk about that," replied Vikus. They laid out fish and bread. The fish did not have eyes so I guessed they lived down here for generations. Then Vikus showed me my room and I layed down on the bed and fell asleep.
Chapter 4
Five years later. I ran to the center of the cavern and stopped to catch my breath. "I guess this will decide if this quest is successful or not," said my friend Will. "Yeah, but we wouldn't be on this quest if we hadn't got stuck in that stupid prophecy," I replied. "There's about 2,000 cutters on their way here to kill us and destroy the starshade so all warmbloods die," said the chameleon named Fang. "Well if we have to make a last stand lets do it here," I said to all the others. Then I drew my sword and prepared to fight. The cutters came in a seemingly endless onslaught. I slashed and hacked and stabbed any cutter I saw. I managed to pull my self onto a rock that the cutters couldn't get on. The cutters kept on going through the cavern until they left it. Then Nike landed with Will on her back. "The cure is gone," Gregor said as he climbed up onto the rock. "No it's not," I replied. The I pulled twelve bundles of the starshade out of my bag. "Come on, lets get this back to Regalia." Fang grabbed Will and went towards Regalia. Then I got on Nikes back and she flew us all the way back to Regalia. When we got back Vikus ran up to us. "Do you have the starshade," he asked us. "Yes," I replied. Then I fell off Nikes back and on to the cold floor.
Chapter 5
I woke up in my room. I got up and walked over to the table and grabbed my journal and started to reread it.
Entry 1
Turns out there's a lot of creatures down here in the underland. There are gnawers, nibblers, spinners, crawlers, diggers, stingers, hissers, changers, cutters, twisters, and shiners. Gnawers are rats, nibblers are mice, spinners are spiders, crawlers are cockroaches, diggers are star nosed moles, stingers are scorpions, hissers are lizards, changers are chameleons, cutters are ants, twisters are snakes, and shiners are fireflies. From what Vikus has told me I believe that there is another city and it is called the Fount. He also introduced me to the queen of Regalia. Her name is Luxa.
Entry 2
I was walking around Regalia when I bumped into someone. He said he was from New York. Then he said his name was Gregor. He told me he had completed three prophecies already. In the prophecies he was called the warrior.
Entry 3
A plague has erupted in the Underland. Any creature that is exposed to it will be infected. Many gnawers and humans have died from it. I was looking around in the prophecy room when I found a prophecy called the Prophecy of Death. From what the first part of the prophecy said I had to go on a quest to find the cure. The members of the quest were me, Gregor, Nike, a chameleon named Fang, a stinger named Click, and a underlander named Will.
The entries stop here.
I put my journal back down onto the table. Then I got up and walked around looking for Vikus. I saw underlanders rushing around with weapons in their hands. "What's going on," I asked Vikus as he rushed by. "The cutters are attacking," he replied. "Regalia is under siege."
Chapter 6
"John, Vikus wants us to go to the arena now," said Will, who is my best friend.
"Well then lets go there," I replied.
"I'm going to find Hermes my bond so see you there," Will said. Then I went to find my bond Shade.
"We gotta go to the arena Shade."
"Why?"
"Vikus wants us there, for training I think."
"Well then lets go." I hopped onto Shades back and then we flew to the arena. "You wanted to see us, Vikus, right?"
"Yes," he replied.
"I wanted you to meet Ripred."
"Hello Overlander," said Ripred.
"Y-y-you're a rat."
"Yes I am." Then Gregor walked into the arena. Then Hermes landed next to Shade and Will jumped off and walked over to me. "According to what Luxa says, you both are ragers," Vikus said.
"He also says their bonds are ragers too," said Ripred. "So lets find out if he's right." Then Ripred and Luxa attacked us. We drew our swords and we started to fight. At some point in the fight Ripred started to spin. We were unable to harm him while he was spinning. "I have an idea," I yelled to Will. I backed up then ran straight towards Ripred. Right before I ran into him I jumped upwards and smacked Ripred on the head with the flat edge of my sword. He lost his balance and smashed into Luxa. They both got up. "Yep, he's definitely a rager," said Ripred. "But their backs are their weak spots when they're not fighting together. Their bats are very fast but they don't use that speed, and Shade can break necks with those wings."
"You guys should eat some food and then get some rest," said Vikus. I went and asked the cooks for some food then I brought it to my room. I ate some food and wrote a bit more in my journal.
Entry 4
We found the cure to the plague and completed the Prophecy of Death. Cutters destroyed most of the starshade but I managed to save twelve bundles of starshade. Brought the starshade back to Regalia. Found out that the cutters have Regalia under siege.
Entry 5
Day two of the siege. The creatures in the Underland are taking sides. On the humans side are the rats, the nibblers, the crawlers, and the fliers. On the cutters side are the twisters.
Entry 6
Day three of the siege. Vikus wanted me and Will to go to the arena. I met a rat named Ripred. According to Gregor me, Will, Hermes, and Shade are ragers.
Entries stop here
I put my journal back on the table and went to sleep.
Chapter 7
I was running around looking for Shade when I found him. "Ripred wants us on the wall right now."
"Well then, lets get to the wall." We flew to the wall and landed next to Ripred. "You wanted to see us," I said.
"Yes. I want you to go with Luxa, and Will to persuade the spinners to help us win this war." I got back onto Shade and we flew around looking for Will. "Where's Luxa?"
"I don't know."
"Ripred told me to find you and once I found you we were supposed to leave no matter if Luxa were not. So I guess it's just us now."
"Well lets go." Then our bats took off and we headed towards the place where the spinners lived. At some point we stopped so we could eat some food then we continued flying. When we got there the spinners started to attack us. We had to fly all the way into the uncharted lands. On the way to the uncharted lands we persuaded the hissers, the stingers, and the changers to join our side.
Chapter 8
One month later. "Come on follow me so we can get into Regalia," I yelled.
"It'll take too long though," said Will. "Well then we attack." Then we charged at the cutters. An army of hissers, stingers, and changers followed us. I slashed and hacked at any cutter, spinner, or twister that came close to me. Blood was flying everywhere. Then at some point our enemies started to retreat. Me and Will had cuts and bite marks all over us. Then we fell down half-alive half-dead.
Chapter 9
I woke up in my room. My first thoughts were, "Why is it that I always end up in here?" I sat up and looked around. Will was lying in a bed across from mine. My journal was on a small table beside me. I picked it up and started writing in it.
Entry 7
Day four of the siege. Vikus and Ripred want me and Will to go with Luxa to persuade the spinners to join our side. We couldn't find Luxa so we left on our own. When we got there the spinners attacked us we were forced to flee. We went to the only place where we knew the spinners wouldn't follow. We had to go to the uncharted lands.
Entry 8
Together me and Will managed to amass an army of stingers, hissers, and changers. I can tell we are very close to Regalia. We are planning to split our army into three groups. One group will attack the cutters and their allies from the left. Another group will attack from the right. The third group will attack from behind. I wonder if I will survive the fight.
Entry 9
I survived the fight. The siege is over or at least has been put off for a while. But many lives were lost. Both me and Will were lucky to survive. I have cuts almost everywhere. Everything that happened in the battle is now a blur to me. It hurts when I try to speak or eat. Right now I can't stand up easily without my legs hurting.
The entries stop here.
I stopped writing in my journal and put it down. Then I fell back asleep.
Chapter 10
When I woke up I saw that Luxa were in the room. "You've finally woken up," said Luxa. I managed to stand up. I was walking down a usually unused hallway. All of a sudden two cutters attacked me. My first thought was, how did they get in here? One of them charged at me. I managed to sidestep it. But then then the other cutter rammed me from behind. I ended up falling down some stairs. I grabbed a torch and set both the cutters on fire. I fell down and I looked at my leg. It was really bloody and it was sticking out at an unnatural angle. I was unable to move my leg so I just sat there with my back to the wall. Then I blacked out. When I came too I was still sitting down in the hallway. Then I saw Luxa running down the hallway towards me.
"Come on, let's get you to the hospital," Luxa said.
"I can't move my leg," I replied. Then Luxa ran towards the hospital to get some doctors to come to where we were. Then everything became hazy.
"Do not fall asleep John," I heard someone say. I saw the doctors come and they put me onto a stretcher. I was finally able to have something to moan about. "Can't move my leg," I mumbled to the doctors. Then one had me drink some medicine. Then I fell asleep.
Chapter 11
When I woke up I sat up and saw Will sitting down in a chair. "They left a crutch here for you so you could walk around Regalia, once you are well enough," he said. I grabbed the crutch and used it to walk over so I could stand next to Will. "How did the cutters get in?" I asked.
"I don't know."
"So what happens now?"
"We will just have to wait and see."
