Chapter Four
Gregor sat there for a second, thinking this over. "The Dead Lands?" he asked.
"No, the Land of the Dead."
"Wait…I'm confused."
Luxa sighed. "It's like this. There's a place deep in the Uncharted Lands no one has ever been to. It's believed to be the housing of the dead, where all souls go. It's like paradise. For some, at least."
Gregor understood. "Like in Pirates of the Caribbean."
Luxa looked puzzled. "Py…rates?"
"Forget it," said Gregor. "So this means…that…everyone who we knew that died…is still alive somewhere?"
Luxa nodded. "If it exists, that is. It's just a tale, and many have died in search for it."
"Well that's a heartwarmer," thought Gregor. But the hope that he might actually see so many people again warmed his heart and took over the void. He may see Ares! And Twitchtip, and even maybe Hamnet! "Is it possible to bring them back?"
Luxa shook her head and sank to the floor, leaning her head against the wall. "No one knows. It is said that the being they are trying to bring back must do it on his own accord."
Gregor felt a burst of hope. "Well then, that'll be easy! Who wants to be dead all the time!"
Luxa looked at him solemnly. "Gregor, some will be in paradise. They will not want to leave. They may not even remember or recognize you."
Gregor's hope dropped.
But Luxa was not finished. "And remember, the people we want back are just a fraction who died. It will be filled with rats, and even the Bane. It will not be an easy crossing."
"But it's paradise."
"Do you remember Heaven?"
Gregor nodded. "Well, I don't remember it technically, but I know what it is."
Luxa looked at him gravely. "And what's the alternative?"
It was dawning on Gregor now. "So which one do we pass through first?" he whispered.
"Luckily, it is believed to be paradise, which will be lucky for us. We may get supplies and maybe even our friends, depending on how they judged themselves."
"What?" asked Gregor. "They can let themselves into Paradise and…not Paradise?"
Luxa nodded. "That's at least half true. To enter Hades—call it that from now on—you must judge yourself based on the list prepared for you. But to enter the Golden Lands, you must not only judge yourself, but pass a test."
"What's the test?"
Luxa was silent. She was very interested in twirling her hair.
"What's the test, Luxa?"
When Luxa looked back at him, she was crying. "They must fight or be banished."
It took Gregor a few seconds to think about this. "So they have to fight…who?"
"Another creature that wishes to enter as well."
"And if they lose?"
"They are banished. Their soul becomes immortal, but is tied to a single tree, up side down for eternity."
"Not really what I'd call 'hangin out in heaven'," thought Gregor, but he didn't think now was the time for jokes.
"So what do we need to take on our trip?" he asked Luxa.
"The prophecy says the warrior and the other three."
"So me, then three more."
Luxa nodded. "You can choose."
"You, Aurora. That's two. And one more."
Luxa seemed to be thinking. "Ripred is not well enough, he is still recovering."
"Even now?"
Luxa nodded again. "The mites did more damage then we realized."
"Shoot." That had been Gregor's last choice, and Luxa had known it. Without him by their side, then what would they be able to do? They could take Mareth, but he wasn't doing anything on his leg for at least another half of a year. The only one that Gregor could think of was—
"Howard," said Luxa.
Gregor agreed. "That's what I was thinking."
Luxa looked at him. For the first time, Gregor noticed how tired she looked. How stressed and burdened. The job of ruling Regalia wasn't an easy one, he knew that, but it looked like Luxa took it as seriously as possible. There were bags under her eyes, and her lips were in a frown at all times. Her eyes already seemed half shut, and she looked like she hadn't slept in weeks.
"Take a rest, I'll wake you up."
"Gregor, I can't," she said, but then she yawned.
Gregor gave Luxa the oh, really? look and raised an eyebrow.
"Fine," she said, and laid her head on his lap.
Gregor started thinking, about how he had intended to simply visit, but then got caught up in a whole new prophecy. And how Luxa had been avoiding a specific part. It wasn't like the last time, but it was still a bit unnerving.
After the second uprising,
There will be a beast.
He will be like nothing ever seen,
On the Underland's blood he feasts.
So there was going to be another beast, and he was going to do a lot of damage. Why weren't they making a bigger deal about it?
He was thinking, all these thoughts wrapping around his head. Thoughts of home, of here, of Luxa, of Ripred, of Hades, of The Golden Land, when he fell asleep.
"Well would you lookie here, Vikus! I can honestly say I told you so!"
Gregor awoke with a start. Luxa got up slowly after him. She yawned and stretched. When she opened her eyes, the face of a rat made her yelp.
Ripred laughed. "So queenlike," he muttered.
Vikus made a gesture for him to relax.
"So what were you two lovebirds doing in the prophecy room?" asked Ripred.
"Looking at prophecies. What else?" replied Gregor.
"And just what prophecy were you viewing?"
"I believe that's none of your business."
"And I believe that you better make it my business, or you are going to wind up on the business end of my tail!" sneered Ripred.
Luxa walked over to the prophecy and pointed at it. "That one. There. Go. Leave. Now."
Ripred smiled. "As you wish, madam," said the rat, and left the room. Vikus stayed and had a questioning look on the good side of his face.
"We were reading the prophecy. She looked tired, so I let her sleep. I fell asleep too."
Vikus nodded and left.
Just in time for him to be pushed out of the way by Jezebel and four guards. "Lock them up!" she screamed.
And so, they were both in the dungeon together now. Alone. With nothing to do except for huddle in a corner and tell stories and relive the adventures they had been on together and what a jerk Jezebel was. And how much they loved each other. And how great it would be if they were reunited with their long-lost cohorts.
"Including Henry," thought Gregor.
As it turned out, Henry would be the turning point in their journey, but that comes later.
Because now, Gregor was in the middle of doing something.
It was called kissing.
