Gregor couldn't help feeling happy as he fell towards the Underland. He had missed the people there, the pale skinned, violet eyes race of humans known as Underlanders. He, Gregor, was an Overlander. Sadness at Ares death was brought back to him but he pushed it away by concentrating of the fact that he might see Luxa soon.
He could tell that Lizzie felt the same way. She had missed the giant rat, Ripred. Gregor's only concern was for Boots. All this time they had been telling her that the Underland was a dream but now she would realize the truth. As the mists swirled around them, slowing their descent, Gregor grabbed Boots and held onto her for dear life. Boots wiggled in his arms and faced him.
"Wasn't a dream," she pouted.
Gregor shook his head.
"Hazard? Luxa? Howard?" Boots asked.
"They're real," Gregor confessed.
Boots grinned at him.
"Hazard," she squealed happily. "Hazard! Hazard!"
Suddenly, Gregor saw a shape shooting towards them out of the darkness. It was a large, black and white striped bat. Gregor, Lizzie and Boots landed gently on the bat's back.
"Nike?" Gregor said incredulously.
"Greetings, Overlander," purred the bat.
"Hi, Nike," replied Gregor, pleased that she hadn't called him "Warrior".
"Geetings, Pincess," said Boots.
"Geetings, Pincess," replied Nike.
"We are both Pincesses," cried Boots and sat down in Gregor's lap and fell asleep.
"How did you know that we were going to be here?" asked Gregor.
"Nerissa," was all the bat replied but it was enough for Gregor.
Nerissa was Luxa's cousin. She could see the past, present and future, a bit like Sandwich, the eerie prophet of the Regalian people. She had probably seen him in a vision and had sent Nike.
"I will let Luxa answer all your questions," said Nike.
Gregor felt like he could hardly wait the ten minute fly to Regalia, the stone city of the Underlanders. He passed the time but watching the lights from the torches grow steadily bigger. Regalia came into view, a beautiful city made of stone houses. In the distance, the palace loomed over the city. It was built like a fortress in case of one of the many wars of the Underland caused an invasion of the city. Here lived Luxa, who would be queen of Regalia when she was sixteen, with her grandfather Vikus. During the war, Vikus had had a stroke. Gregor hadn't seen or heard from him much after the meeting of the delegates and didn't know how he was. Nike flew up over the fortress and landed in the hall. The place didn't have a roof so that bats would come and go as they pleased.
Gregor slid off Nike's back and he helped his sister's get off. Nobody was in the hall. Nike led the three children through the corridors until they arrived at Luxa's appartements. Gregor took a deep breath and opened the door.
Luxa was sitting on a couch in the main room. Nerissa was sitting opposite her and Vikus was sitting beside Luxa on a small grey bat. Ripred sat in the corner. When they sat Gregor enter with Boots and Lizzie, Luxa, Ripred and Nerissa stood up and Vikus' bat flew him over.
Lizzie ran over to Ripred and hugged him. He smiled at her and she climbed up onto his back, examining the wounds he had received in the last war to check that they were healing.
"Greetings, Gregor the Overlander. Greetings, Lizzie, code breaker and Boots the princess. Your arrival was foretold by Nerissa. You have come at a time of desperation. I hope you will be able to help us," Vikus said quietly.
Gregor stared at him in amazement.
"The doctors helped me make a good recovery. I can talk and move but cannot walk. My bond was killed in the war. This is Aria," he gestured to the grey bat. "She is abnormally small, but big enough for me to ride her. She has consented to carry me around."
"Greetings, Warrior," said Aria in a high purr. "Many legends of your success in defeating the Bane have been told and it is an honor to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too," said Gregor distractedly.
He was staring at Luxa. She walked over to him and they hugged.
"Are you okay?" he asked her.
She nodded but looked tired. Gregor turned to face Vikus.
"You said it was a time of desperation?" asked Gregor, hoping he had misheard.
Vikus nodded.
"After our alliance with the gnawers, we had hoped for no more wars for a while. Considering that many of our wars have been with the gnawers, we assumed that a period of peace would ensue. We were wrong."
Gregor gulped.
"A cryptic prophecy has been decoded by Nerissa. We need you here," continued Vikus.
"You told me that there were no more prophecies concerning the Warrior," said Gregor accusingly.
"The prophecy doesn't mention you as the Warrior. You are mentioned as a Prince," said Ripred.
"It might be best if we could all go look at the prophecy," said Vikus and the others agreed.
Vikus led the way to the prophecy room on Aria. Nerissa, Lizzie and Boots rode on Ripred's back. Gregor and Luxa walked at the back of the group holding hands.
"We always meet when the Underland is in grave danger," muttered Luxa to Gregor.
"Yeah," he agreed and they continued to walk in happy silence.
There were so many prophecies in the room of prophecies that it was hard to find the one that Vikus wanted them to read. It was at the back. Gregor started to read:
If the warrior's role was fulfilled
If the monster has been killed
Death defied
But never died.
Gnawers and humans are now at peace
But death had yet to cease
Can you hear them coming now?
Did he keep his final vow?
If his heart still beats
As the blood red cutter eats
He will come back
As your future turns black.
Bring the Princesses from above
The Prince if he is swayed by love
The light of cutter's bane
The light that does not wax and wane
Gregor stared at the prophecy for a moment.
"What does it mean?" he asked.
"We can try to decode it stanza by stanza," said Vikus. "The first stanza talk about the war: you killing the Bane."
"What does the "death defied, but never died" stuff mean?" asked Gregor.
"We don't know," said Vikus. "Defied means to disobey so death defied means that they refused to die."
"But why then repeat it?" demanded Gregor, looking at the "But never died" line.
Vikus shook his head.
"We do not know," he repeated. "Gnawers and humans are now at peace is easy to decode. So is the part about the killing not stopping yet."
"What do y-" started Gregor but Ripred cut him off.
"The can you hear them now part doesn't make sense either," he said. "But the final vow part…"
He looked sideways at Gregor.
I promised Luxa that I would never forget her, Gregor thought. Maybe that's my final vow. But he didn't say it outloud.
"We think that heart beating refers to you still being alive," added Nerissa.
"He will come back, as your future turns black," said Luxa slowly. "Our future is currently dark and now you have returned."
It wasn't lost on Gregor that they hadn't explained the bit about the cutters, the Underland word for ant.
"You have returned with your sisters. The prince and the princesses," said Vikus.
"What is the light bit about?" asked Gregor.
Everyone looked at Luxa.
"My name is connected with light in many cultures," she said quietly.
"And the wax and wane stuff?" asked Gregor.
"We do not know," she replied.
"What is this prophecy about?" demanded Gregor.
"Look at the title," murmured Vikus.
Gregor's eyes traveled slowly up the prophecy and landed on the title.
The prophecy of the cutter's revenge.
