Chapter 9
"What do you mean, she's coming with us?" Gregor cried, jumping to his feet. "I don't want her fighting!"
Luxa walked over to him and put her hand on his shoulder. "Relax, Gregor. She will not be fighting; she is going to practice flight maneuvers with us. Do not fear." She soothed. Gregor looked over at Lizzie.
"You sure you want to, Liz?" he asked her.
Lizzie took a deep breath and replied, "I….yes."
"Well, now that this is settled, Howard, can you go and fetch Hazard?" Vikus asked. Luxa immediately looked shocked.
Hazard? Why is he coming? He will not be fighting; do you not remember Hamnet's dying wish? He cannot fight!" she cried.
"Calm, Luxa. He, too, will be practicing flight maneuvers with Lizzie and Daedalus on Apollo. It has been decided that you will probably need a translator on your quest, so Hazard will accompany you." Vikus said. Luxa relaxed a bit, but still looked a little tense.
A few minutes later, Howard returned with Hazard. Apollo was behind them. As soon as everyone was there, they all mounted their bats and flew off.
"Remember, do not be too late, we will have a quest meeting before dining!" Vikus called to them as they flew away.
As they flew, Gregor noticed Lizzie looked a little scared. He told Hera to fly next to Daedalus. "Liz, what's wrong?" he asked her.
"What—if I—fall?" she stuttered.
"Do not worry, Daedalus will always catch you. As long as you have a flier, you will be caught." Hera stepped in and reassured her.
"Henry and Stellovet weren't caught." Lizzie said. Gregor had to admit she had a point, but apparently, Hera had an answer.
"That is because their fliers were prevented from catching them. That will not happen with you, we promise." She said. Lizzie looked a little better.
"Do not fear, Lizzie. Do you think I would allow you to fall?" Daedalus, the creamy white bat who was Lizzie's bond, spoke up. Lizzie laughed.
"No, you wouldn't. I'm sorry." She said.
They finally reached the arena. Daedalus, Lizzie, Hazard, and Apollo were beckoned by Perdita and her bat, Theia over to one side of the arena. Gregor, Hera, Luxa, Aurora, Howard, and Nike went over to Mareth and Andromeda. Ripred happened to be there too.
"Hey Ripred." Gregor greeted the rat.
"Gregor." Ripred raised a paw to Gregor. "Hera."
Hera gave a nod of acknowledgement. "Hello, Ripred."
"Okay, let us begin." Mareth spoke up. Everyone mounted their bats and flew upward while Ripred went to sit down. "Okay, while Perdita and the others practice flight maneuvers because some of us do not wish them to fight," Mareth looked over at Gregor and Luxa, though it was not in an accusing way, "we will be practicing aerial attacks and defenses, more complex than you have ever done, because we are not sure what may attack you." he said. "I suppose we should begin with the coiler, in case it is spinners."
Gregor had seen the coiler once before, nearly two years ago. When they had been trapped in a web in the spinner lands, Luxa and Aurora had performed it to great results. Gregor doubted it would be spinners attacking them, but if Mareth thought it was important, he would try it.
"Luxa and Aurora, can you demonstrate?" Mareth asked them.
"Yes." They both replied. They flew down lower and got into position. Luxa held her sword above her and Aurora span in full circles up, at a dizzying rate. Gregor had no clue how he would be able to do that; it was harder then the axle dive he and Hera had mastered four months previous!
"Okay, who would like to go next? Howard, Nike, how about you?" Mareth asked. Howard and Nike nodded. They flew down and tried, but it didn't go great. Howard sword tilted, almost cutting Nike. He apologized, but by then, they had already stopped the move. They tried a few more times, but just couldn't get it. Then Gregor and Hera got into position to try.
They did okay, but Hera occasionally span off-course and Gregor almost fell off. Hard as they tried, they too couldn't master it, so Mareth said they would practice it later.
They moved onto attack positions that they had practiced many times before, for gnawers. The three pairs got these perfectly, with no trouble at all. Gregor and Hera flew well together, as usual.
Their group finished before Lizzie and Hazard's, so they watched them. Gregor clapped as Lizzie held on as Daedalus did a full body roll. Lizzie gave him a smile, and then went back to her training.
After a while, Lizzie and Hazard finished and they all flew up to the palace together. When they landed in the High Hall, Lizzie and Hazard went to find Boots, and Gregor, Luxa, Howard, and the bats went into the council room to discuss the quest.
They all took seats with their species. Hera, Nike, Aurora, Apollo, and Daedalus flew over to the bats, Euripedes, Queen Athena, Nyx, and a pretty tan bat that Gregor was sure he had seen before.
"Luxa, do you know that bat?" he went to ask her, but her head was turned the opposite way, looking at the rest of the humans. "Luxa, who're you…" but he followed her gaze and saw who she was looking at. Kendra, her obnoxious "friend" was sitting with Vikus, talking to him. He remembered now, that was Leda, Kendra's bond. Gregor didn't want to admit it, but Kendra looked nice. Her silvery-blonde hair was straight and sleek, and her deep violet eyes, so dark that they looked almost black, were sparkling. But he already hated the girl, so he didn't think she looked to wonderful.
"Why is she here?" Gregor asked harshly, not really to anyone in particular.
"I do not know!" Luxa answered hotly.
Vikus stopped talking to Kendra and called everyone to attention. "As you know, we are here to discuss the quest described in the Prophecy of Bone. We have made a list of those going." He gestured to an Underlander woman in the council. She stood up and read off Gregor, Luxa, Howard, Hera, Aurora, Nike, Lizzie, Boots, Temp, Hazard, Apollo, Daedalus, Nyx, Ripred, Clipclaw, and with a jolt for Gregor, Kendra and Leda. Luxa immediately stood up, and all heads turned her way.
Why is Kendra coming? What good will she do for us all, besides insulting us?" she cried. Kendra stood up with such force that she nearly knocked the Underlander woman next to her over.
"I have specific reasons for being invited, Luxa!" She cried. At this point, Gregor saw both Leda and Aurora looking at each other hotly, both ready to take flight to defend their bonds.
"For shame, Luxa! She is your friend!" Vikus scolded Luxa.
"Oh, I think friend would be an exaggeration, Vikus! She insulted me at my own party, and interrupted Gregor and I when we were…were…um, eating." Luxa finished lamely, looking a tad embarrassed. Gregor slid down in his seat, and Kendra looked like she was going to burst out laughing. Gregor could tell Vikus knew what Luxa meant, and he had a twinkle in his eye.
"Luxa, she and her bond, Leda, are highly skilled in acrobatic fighting, as are you and Aurora, and both pairs fighting together will be highly sufficient." Vikus spoke calmly. Luxa and Kendra gave one last glare at each other, as did Aurora and Leda, and sat back down.
"Anyway, we have much more to discuss than who will be going." Vikus continued, and went on discussing the quest.
