Gregor and the Hidden Prophecies

Chapter 3

"I am Agron." The Flier nodded it's head at Gregor.

"Hi, I'm-"

"I know who you are. I am not foolish." The bat looked at Howard. "I am to take him and the other two?"

"Yes, if you can handle it."

"What do you mean if? Do you not think that I can handle mere Overlanders?"

Howard seemed to get uncomfortable. "Well, it's just that you have not shown yourself worth of a task such as this."

Gregor looked at the Flier before him. Agron was a crimson red with black lines running across his back. Gregor felt weird, standing there as Howard basically told the Flier that he wasn't trustworthy.

"Let me remind you, I am doing this as a favor." Agron looked at Nike. "If it was not for her, I would have no desire to carry around an Overlander."

Nike, who had been entertaining Boots, seemed flustered at the male bats comment. "Well…shouldn't we get going?"

"Yeah just let me find Li-" Gregor was cut off.

"Gregor! Guess what?" Lizzie ran up to the group. "I found Vikus and he wants to talk to you."

"Vikus?" Gregor looked at Howard. "I thought that he would go with-"

Howard interrupted Gregor. "He was still very weak and was not able to be taken from here. Luxa decided that we could take better care of him."

Gregor nodded slowly. It didn't really shock him that Luxa had decided that. She has had a life full of hard decisions. That one was probably a no-brainer. "I'll go see Vikus and then we can leave. Can you watch Boots Nike?"

"Sure." Nike looked down at the girl who giggled.

"Do you have Temp?" She asked Nike as Gregor walked away, Lizzie leading the way.

"Are we going to find Luxa?" Lizzie asked.

"Yeah." Gregor said as they stopped in front of a tent. "Go back to Howard and the others. Stay there."

"But Gregor-" Lizzie started.

"Do it." He ordered, walking into the tent. Vikus was in a chair, seated at a table by himself.

"Gregor, it is good to see you again." Vikus smiled at him. "I had a feeling that our warrior would come back.'

Gregor shook his head. "I-I'm not the warrior anymore, remember? I killed the warrior."

Vikus smiled absently. "Yes, I remember that. Well, what Luxa told me about that."

Gregor cleared his throat after a moment, startling the older man. "Lizzie said that you wanted to see me?"

"Yes, I wanted to talk to you."

"About what?"

"About the war. I know that it seems like a noble act but I do not wish for you and your sisters to be caught up in a war again. From what Lizzie told me, you did not even know of the war before you came."

"No, we didn't. But now I do and I'm not leaving." Gregor said with a firmness that scared him for a second until he shook off the feeling quickly. "But, my parents, they might come after us and-"

"You do not wish for them to get caught by the Gnawers if they do." Vikus finished for Gregor.

"Well, yeah."

"I shall have that taken care of."

"Thanks." Gregor smiled a little. "Is that all?"

"No." Vikus looked Gregor in the eye. "Gregor, there are no prophecies about you doing this. Besides the Prophecy of Time, we knew that you would live. I cannot guaranty that this time. Are you sure about this?"

Gregor nodded. "Yes, Vikus. I really am."

Vikus's smile returned. "Then go. I trust that you will bring balance back to the Underland."

"I'll try my best." Gregor answered modestly. "Well…bye."

"Bye. It was good to see you again Gregor."

"You too." Gregor said, walking out of the tent. He went back to where the others were waiting for him.

"Are we ready?" Howard asked.

Boots shook her head. "No Temp."

Howard smiled at Boots. "Temp won't be with us this time Boots. Maybe we'll see him later."

Boots nodded, apparently agreeing with him. "We go."

Gregor looked at Agron. "I'll be riding with you?"

"Yes." The huge bat agreed. "And one of your sisters."

Gregor nodded. "Liz, you want to ride with Howard?"

"Okay." She said, readily.

Howard was about to get on Nike when he said, "Gregor, I almost forgot. You will need a sword."

"Uh…where are they?"

Howard sighed. "I shall be back."

Howard left as Gregor got situated on Agron. It seemed like forever since he had been on a Flier. Gregor closed his eyes, honoring his lost bond, Ares. When he opened his eyes, he realized that it would take awhile to get to the jungle, and that's assuming that Luxa is actually there.

"Uh…who's your bond?" Gregor asked, trying to make conversation.

"I have no bond." The Agron answered.

"Oh." Gregor mentally sighed. This was going to be harder than he thought.

"Here Gregor." Howard said, walking back up. He handed the boy a sword. "I just want to make sure that we are prepared for anything."

"Yeah, of course." Gregor nodded. He wished he had thought about getting sword. What type of warrior goes into battle unarmed? Gregor shook his head as they took off. What was he thinking?

"Why do you insist on going to the Jungle?" Agron asked after they had been flying in silence for a few minutes.

"I think that if we are going to win this, the humans need to be together. No one is going to take us seriously divided."

"Hmmm. I suppose." Agron chuckled. "That is not the reason I heard though."

"What? What reason did you hear?"

"I heard that you are interested in the queen." Agron did the weird laugh that Fliers did. Gregor had only gotten used to recently.

Gregor looked over at Howard and was glad that he was talking to Lizzie and didn't hear Agron's comment. "Who told you that?"

Agron got silent. "No one. It's just something that I heard. It is not true…is it?"

Gregor was silent, not knowing how to answer it. Part of him wanted to say yes but was Luxa wasn't his only reason. He was truly trying to reunite the divided humans. And, if he had time to get close to Luxa while doing it, then so be it.

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