4

Gregor sat in the hot bath, but it did not help ease him. In fact he felt sick. "How am I going to get home," he thought. Vikus explained that the passage leading to his old apartment building was collapsed by the spinners, and the war with them prevented the Regalians from spending time to clear it again. The other exit was in an area currently controlled by spinners. Gregor assumed that having lost the battle, the Regalians did not have control over the hole that he and his cousin just fell through either. "How am I going to tell Wynn?"

Gregor got out of the tub, and put on clean clothes. Unlike last time, where he and his sister stayed in a bedroom together, Gregor and his cousin were given more of an apartment. There were two bedrooms, their own bathroom, and a small living room with a dining table. Gregor wondered if they were preparing him for a longer stay.

He walked out to the living room, and was surprised to see Howard sitting at the table. He stood up when he saw Gregor enter.

"My apologies, Gregor. I did not mean to intrude," he said.

"It's fine."

"I know that you must not feel well considering everything that has happened to you, but I thought you might enjoy eating and talking with us."

"Us?" Gregor asked.

"Luxa must stay awake because of her concussion, so I thought you might join us for some time," Howard explained with a weak smile.

Of course Gregor wanted to see Luxa. He tried not to seem too hasty. He peaked into his cousin's room to make sure she was still asleep, then followed Howard down to Luxa's quarters. The guards let them in, and Gregor wondered what he should say to his old friend.

She was laying on the couch, but sat up when they entered. Mareth was with her. Gregor assumed he was telling her news of the battle.

"So you have decided to return, Overlander. What makes you think we want you back?" Luxa said failing to hide a smile.

"Well I didn't come on purpose," Gregor replied. "I don't know why you would think I would want to come back."

They laughed together, and Mareth gave him a bone crushing hug. Howard brought over a platter of food, and they caught up while eating. Gregor had to start, so he explained that his father had made a full recovery and was teaching again. Lizzie still remembered the Underland, but Maggie (the Regalians laughed when they heard his sister thought Maggie was more grown up than Boots) only seemed to remember certain crawlers and fliers. His family had moved to Virginia four years ago, but was now planning to move in with is cousin in Pennsylvania.

"And the woman who was in the cave with me?" Luxa asked.

"My cousin. We fell from a cave behind her house," Gregor explained.

Luxa explained how Wynnora came after her in the cave after seeing spinners head her direction. She then reprimanded Howard for sedating her.

"She was panicking, and we had to flee," he explained, but he blushed slightly.

"You did not even give her a chance. I should take away your sedative privileges."

"Luxa is right. You should work on your skills with women," Mareth teased. They laughed at Howard, who only blushed more. Then he explained how she reacted when she realized what the Underlanders looked like, and they all laughed.

"Strange how one as colorful as her could think our appearance is alarming," Howard noted, no doubt referring to Wynnora's blond, slightly red, hair and pink cheeks.

"You think she's colorful now," Gregor said, "wait until you see her blue eyes." None of them had seen blue eyes before, and were not fully aware that eyes could be blue. Gregor laughed because to him violet eyes, what every Underlander had, were strange.

The Underlanders explained how the spinners made the first attack by seizing Regalian land about a year ago. Before that, the Underland was relatively peaceful. There were few problems with the gnawers, and the city was able to focus on other areas like botany and medicine. However, when the spinners stole land, the Regalians took it as an act of war.

Mareth informed Gregor that he had gotten married, and went on about his wonderful wife, Perdita, until the two cousins made him stop. Gregor was happy to see that Luxa and Howard acted like siblings rather than enemies now, and that Howard stayed mostly in Regalia. They were very close it seemed. Howard said he had not bonded with Nike, because they both traveled too much and were not together as much as they would like. Luxa praised his skills as a doctor, but he insisted he had a lot yet to learn. Luxa said Hazard was visiting the Fount at the moment, and Ripred should return tomorrow from a council with gnawers.

Luxa herself had a long year. It was her first year as official Queen of Regalia, and the adjustment was difficult. The war with the spinners did not help matters. Her cousin said she was doing an excellent job so far, and only suggested that she stop sneaking into battles.

They talked for what felt like hours, about anything form the past four years. Finally, Mareth left, and Gregor felt too tired to stay up. He went back to his room, and fell asleep immediately. He just had time to think how the darkness did not feel as heavy as it did the first time he fell down to the Underland.