Gregor and the Prophecy of Fire

Chapter 11

Aurora led them to a cavern, but it was empty. Mostly.

"Katina?"

Emmett jumped off Erebos while he was still in the air. Of course that got another eye roll from Luxa, but Gregor just smiled. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to find all of you. I was not told that we were leaving on the mission the other day."

"There was a reason for that," Luxa told Gregor as Aurora landed.

"I'm sure," he said, rolling his eyes. "It's a dead-end, Aurora. Now what?"

"I think we have more important things to deal with," Howard said as he got off Nike. "You came here looking for us you say, Katina? Emmett said that you knew that we were leaving. He said that the two of you…spent time together beforehand."

"Are you accusing me of something, Howard? If so, I think it would be best if you were straightforward."

"I just want to know what you're doing out here, in the cavern that Aurora thought that the Flamer would be in."

"Flamer? You speak of it as if you all believe that it is real now."

Emmett shook his head. "I did see Katina before we left. Does it matter, Howard? She is here now. Good. We have not done so well on our own. I am sure that the Hero has no problem with her being here, eh King?"

"I told you to shut up about that," Gregor said, frowning. "I got out alive. We can all just drop it now."

"Clearly something happened while we were gone, Devera," Katina told her pure colored bond.

Her bond ruffled her wings. "You said a Flamer was supposed to be here, Howard?"

He nodded. "Aurora heard something. I do not see one now."

Devera said something in her native tongue, to which Aurora responded. Gregor looked to Emmett.

"Now what?"

"You look to me for guidance? Nice change." Emmett looked around. "I see no Flamer here. I think that we should scout this area though."

Katina shrugged. "I do not find fault in his suggestion."

"Of course not," Howard said, still staring at her. "Let me guess? You wish to stay here. You and Devera?"

"Well, I think that someone should stay here, yes. If it so happens to be me, so be it. Devera, though, can take the Overland. Then four of you can go looking and I'll stay here, in case the Flamer returns. After all, you did say that this is where Aurora said they were holding it. What if it comes back?"

Luxa shook her head. "You are very uptight to her, cousin."

Emmett smiled. "I'm glad I'm not the only one to notice."

Howard turned away from them all, looking instead at Nike. "Splitting up? When has that ever gotten us anywhere, Nike?"

She laughed, making Luxa frown.

"Cousin, if you think that Katina is up to something, perhaps you should stay here."

Katina raised an objection quickly. "Howard is merely a medic. What good would leaving him here do?"

Howard frowned at her. "You too are merely a medic."

"What if I stay?" Gregor asked. "I'm the one that's supposed to face the Flamer anyways."

"You do stupid things alone," Emmett said. "What if you and Howard stay together? He seems to be able to think straight."

Gregor shrugged. "F-"

"I want to stay," Luxa said suddenly. "The Overland and Howard both can go scouting."

"Why?" Howard glanced at his cousin. "Surely you and Aurora want to-"

"Aurora pulled her wing before," Luxa said. "When they were taking us. She told me when I found her. We weren't going to mention it, but-"

"Alright. Luxa, Katina, and Aurora stay," Emmett said, shrugging. "Men are better scouts anyways."

He knew that that would rile Luxa up. She snorted.

"I'm am just not going for Aurora's sake."

"Right. Aurora? Are you up to scouting?" Emmett asked.

"This is stupid," Gregor said after a minute. "Katina wants to stay, let her. Luxa, you want to go or not? We're on a mission, not all hangingout together. I'm going. Katina, are you?"

"No."

"Then come on, Devera. You can come with me. Alright?"

The Flier nodded. Gregor climbed on, ignoring the others as the white bat flew away.

"Where to, Overlander?"

"Just…find another cavern. This Flamer has to be around her somewhere."

Devera was silent for a moment before speaking again. "What exactly do you plan to do if we run into the Flamer?"

"I have been told to kill it on spot."

"We know nothing about it though, right?"

"I…No, I guess not."

"And you will just kill it? Because they tell you to?"

He frowned. He had never thought about that. "It is in the prophecy. It never tells me why I have to kill it. It just says that I should."

"So long as you believe in the prophecies, I suppose you can go on with a clear conscious."

"…During the Prophecy of Bane, they told me to kill the Bane."

"You did not, correct? I heard that you were forced to go on trial."

"The first of many, it would seem."

Devera laughed. "A Flamer would have to have parents, right? It would be a child, if it were just born. Could you kill a child now? You could not before."

"I'm a prisoner now. I don't think I have any option than to do what they want. They wanted to kill me already."

"They will never kill you, Overlander. Ever. Not until your time as Hero is complete. Then, if you survive what is predicted, they will surely murder you."

"…Was that sarcasm?"

"Yes, I believe so."

Gregor laughed. Devera wasn't half bad. "I don't know if I'll be able to kill this thing anyways. Since I killed those Shakers, I haven't felt my blazer sense come on. I'm pretty mediocre without it."

"I have faith that you will pick the right decision."

"Thanks." He looked around. The people that were holding them had torches hug in all the caves and tunnels, it seemed. They must have been using this place for some time. "You ever hear where all these people came from? Some told me that they were banished from Regalia, but won't they be in the Uncharted Lands?"

"There are many Uncharted Lands, Overlander. So much we have not explored and do not care to. I am sure that they have found a path that brought them here. Perhaps it is in their prophecy? The one that predicts the Flamer's birth? Maybe?"

"Maybe," he agreed.

It was a mostly quiet flight after that. At one point in the twisting tunnels, they ran into Emmett and Erebos.

"Ah! The Hero. We thought that you had found the action without us."

"None on our side. We haven't even seen any of those creepy people. How did you guys fare?"

"Not so good, I'm afraid. We were headed back. Maybe Luxa found something," Emmett said as Erebos flew past them. "Come. We shall all head back."

On the way there, Emmett attempted to entertain them all with a story. It was a long, winded tale about when he was still training to be a soldier. Gregor found it hard to keep interested.

"Ah! We're back," he said when they finally landed. Katina was there with Howard.

"Guess Luxa got to leave," Gregor mumbled to Devera before realizing the Flier probably didn't care for his comment, if only because she really didn't know any of them.

Devera shocked him by replying. "I can assume she does that a lot?"

"She is queen, after all."

"Really? I haven't heard her mention it."

"More sarcasm?"

The Flier only laughed.

"See? Devera enjoyed my story. She finds me funny," Emmett told Abaddon's bond.

"Clearly," Erebos said, shaking his head. "Where is the Queen, Howard? She and Aurora are not yet back?"

"No." Howard sighed. "No one even came over here while we were waiting. I think that Aurora was off base with her claims."

"Now what?" Gregor asked, making Emmett turn to look at him.

"You sure ask that enough, Overlander. How about you come up with an idea once and awhile?"

"Emmett, do not speak to him that way," Erebos said. "He is King, after all."

Gregor was about done with that joke. "Dude, seriously, just shut up."

"Have we upset you, Overlander?" Erebos pulled in his wings. "It is not our intention."

"It's probably Emmett's," Howard said, rolling his eyes when the older man nodded his head.

"You get off topic a lot," Katina commented as she went to stand with Devera.

Again, Emmett nodded. "It's because we all get along so well."

"Sarcasm?" Devera asked, making Gregor laugh. When they all looked at the two of them, he shook his head.

"It's an inside thing."

"Inside what?" Howard asked. Luxa's arrival freed Gregor of having to explain.

"Any luck?" The Hero asked her as Aurora landed.

"No." She sighed. "This is turning out to be the stupidest quest we have ever been on."

"Meh. I've been on worse," he said, shrugging his shoulders just to annoy her. "Luxa was on all of them. And when she wasn't, she found a way to be. Huh, Lux?"

She shoved him a little before looking at Howard. "Am I to assume that no one else came across anything?"

"No. We did not see anyone either. I think that they have abandoned this area. Sorry, Aurora," Emmett said, shaking his head.

"But just incase, someone should stay here, right?" Katina asked. "I mean, I would hate for us all to head somewhere else and miss the Flamer."

"Quick thinking," Emmett said, nodding his head.

"Is it?" Howard stared at her. "Perhaps we should all stay here."

"We would not want to miss another opportunity, would we? If we are all here and the Flamer never shows, that would be a waste."

"Is that why, Katina, you needed to just randomly show up out of nowhere?" Howard looked at Gregor. "Do you not find it odd that she just showed up?"

Gregor looked at the ground, scratching the back of his head. He and Howard were friends, but Katina… "Well…That time we were going to get the Bane, Luxa just showed up…"

"That was different. Katina and Devera just-"

"If you are going to accuse me of something, just come out with it," the young woman said, crossing her arms. "But if you are just going to continue to talk in circles, I believe we could all find a better use of our time."

"I'm not sure where you're going with this, Howard, but I can vouch for Katina. She's a fine person," Emmett said.

"I'm sure your bed would say the same thing," Howard retorted.

"Bed? As if I make enough for that. Couch is more fitting."

Luxa shook her head. "If she wants to stay here, allow her to stay here, Howard."

"Yeah, Howard, it's not that serious," Gregor said, shrugging. "Katina's seems like…a good person. And Devera's good too."

"Sarcasm?" Emmett asked. When he got no response, he frowned. "You respond when the Flier says it, Overlander."

"It's because we all hate you. Now can we move on?" Luxa asked. "We need to find the Flamer."

"I think that we should-" Emmett stopped speaking a red lit up the clearing they were standing in. Luxa jumped onto Aurora.

"Where are you going?" Gregor yelled.

"To find where the light is coming from."

"How?"

She ignored him as Aurora flew away. Emmett shrugged before jumping on Erebos and following. The light went out quickly, but the four of them were gone.

"Are you going to go after them?" Katina asked, staring at Howard. "Or are you going to stay here and attempt to accuse me of…of what, Howard? I came looking for all of you and wound up here before you. You can ask Devera."

The bat nodded. "She wanted to catch up with you. She did not think that it was right for her to not come back just because Emmett was here now. I made no objections. Now we are here, waiting. I would think it best to go after Queen Luxa and the others, but if Katina wants to stay here, she may. If you are so suspicious, Howard, you can stay again."

Katina frowned. "If you really must."

Devera opened her wings. "Then I will take the Overlander after the others."

Nike seemed to be offended. "You can stay with your bond. Come, Gregor, if we hurry-"

"Why do you assume I wish to stay?" Devera, as she was closer to Gregor, was the one that he chose to climb on to.

"Sorry, Nike. You should stay with Howard," he said as Devera flew away.

"They went this way, yes?" Devera asked, heading to the left.

"Yeah," Gregor mum bled, feeling slightly bad about not taking Nike. It was nothing personal. He just didn't like arguments.

"They are foolish, staying there and fighting when the Flamer is near," Devera commented.

"You think that light has to do with the Flamer?"

"Flamer makes me think of the color red, does it not you?"

"The light is so weird, isn't it? It like fills up everything. I can't even tell where it's coming from."

"Queen Luxa seems to think she knows."

"You know, really, she's not even queen yet."

"According to the loud one, you are king."

"Emmett? He's stupid. He says dumb things constantly. He just tries to get people to laugh."

"I know. I don't like him."

"Emmett? Why? I do. He just…gets annoying. He reminds me of a little kid."

"He is the cause of much drama when it comes to women."

"Yeah, I've noticed," Gregor said, shaking his head. "But-"

"There they are," Devera interrupted. She flew closer and they both saw that Emmett and Luxa were missing. Only Aurora and Erebos were on the strip of rock.

"Where are the others?" Gregor asked as Devera touched down.

"That entrance is too small for us to fit," Erebos said. "They went in there."

Gregor looked at the tunnel entrance and frowned. It was rather small. He could, however, see a small amount of red light emitting from it. He got off Devera.

"I guess I should go after him. You guys will be fine on your own?"

Aurora nodded. "Luxa thinks that this tunnel will lead to the Flamer. Go. If it does, they will need your help."

Erebos opened his wings. "Now that Devera is here, I shall try to find another entrance to the area. Aurora and Devera will wait here."

Gregor nodded before getting onto his hands and knees. "I'll be back, I guess."

The tunnel was a tight squeeze. Gregor was just hoping that it widened before he ran into Emmett and Luxa.

While he was crawling forward, the tunnel came to an end. The tunnel opened above the ground and he would have to fall. Craning his neck, he looked around and saw that it was empty, but also lit up red. Jumping down, he landed on his stomach, but quickly righted himself.

"Luxa? Emmett?" He looked around in the dimly lit cavern, but saw neither of them. The area he had dropped had two different caves branching off of it. Which one should he go down? He was about to pick when the red light finally went out. As the people had not put torches in this area, he was left in complete darkness.

Using his echolocation, he began to move towards the cave to the right of him, hoping that he guess led him to the Flamer. He was walk into the tunnel when he saw the outline of another person. Reaching to his waist, he tried to grab his sword, but then realized that he didn't have it. How could they have all been so stupid to not remember that? Only Howard had a sword and probably Katina.

Pressing his back against the cave wall, Gregor hoped that the person just walked past him. As the person passed him, however, he realized who it was.

"Lux?"

She turned swiftly, not able to tell who he was in the dark. She had a sword, which immediately was pressed against his stomach.

"It's me. Gregor."

She relaxed, removing the sword. Then she turned again, headed back the direction she came. "Come. I found their armory. You need a sword."

"Armory?"

"It is at the end of this cave," she said, re-sheathing her own.

"Where's Emmett?"

"I was going to look. He went into the opposite cave."

When they got to the end of the tunnel, true to her word, there was a room housing weapons. This room was lighted and clearly used by the people.

"I should take one for Emmett too," Gregor said, picking up one in each hand. "Right?"

Luxa adjusted her crown slightly. "Do what you want for him, Overlander."

Rolling his eyes, he put his sword in it's sheath before going over to the wall and taking one of the torches.

"You probably need this to see, huh?"

"Element of darkness is nice, but if you need it, fine."

Gregor rolled his eyes. "Fine. Let's just go."

Luxa took the torch from him and led the way, like usual. Gregor tried to not be angry with her.

They met Emmett in the next tunnel. He was towards the end of it, squatted down. When he saw the light of their torch, he quickly turned his head.

"Put that out," he hissed, but it was too late. The people in the opening at the end of the cave had seen the shadows the light caused and had come to investigate.

"Ah, Fector will be please. We have found the Overlander and his friends."

Emmett frowned, standing as the guys drew their swords. "Now, now, no need to be so hostile."

"Catch, Emmett," Gregor said, tossing the extra sword. Emmett turned to do so, but also got cut by one of the men in the process. Gregor and Luxa rushed forward to help him.

Gregor rarely fought humans. Really, his time was spent killing Gnawers. Recently though, that seemed to be the only kills he was getting.

"Why do you stab after death, Overlander? Every single time?"

Gregor looked up to see Emmett staring at him, but bleeding also. Luxa seemed untouched, as Gregor had quickly killed both men.

"You are injured, Emmett," Luxa said simply. He shrugged, pulling off his shirt before ripping it in half. He used some of it to wrap his side, where he had been stabbed.

"I can go on. I took a much worse beating with the Overlander."

Gregor could not get his mouth to work properly to respond. Instead, he turned his vision back down to the ground, staring hard at the two dead men before him. He had stabbed them both in the chest, which they surely would have bled out from without much trouble. Yet he still stabbed them, repeatedly. It sped up their deaths, but still seemed like overkill.

"Are you alright, Gregor?"

He jumped a little when Luxa touched him. Shaking his head, he said, "Yeah. I just…it's weird, killing people."

"Is it?" Emmett shook his head as he tossed the remnants of his shirt on the ground. "I have never felt that way."

Gregor stared at Emmett for a moment. If what Jad and Cryion told him was truth, Emmett had seen Abaddon kill many things. People probably were nothing. And to Gregor, other creatures were nothing. What was the difference?

"Did you learn anything from them before we showed up, Emmett? You seemed to be listening to them."

He nodded at Luxa. "The Flamer is near here. The two of them were on break. We should keep going."

Emmett walked out of the tunnel they were in and into the area the men had just come from. Luxa frowned at Gregor.

"You're alright?"

"Fine," he said as she walked passed to follow Emmett. "Just fine."

Once the two of them had left him in the dark cave alone, he turned his sword in his hand before slamming it down, the hilt smashing into one of the men's faces.

"Overlander, are you coming?"

He did it to the next guy too before going to follow them.

"What took you so long?" Emmett asked as Luxa once again led them into another tunnel. Her making sure to get in front of them distracted Emmett. "Why must you always be in front?"

"It's a complex," Gregor mumbled, hoping that making a joke about Luxa would help his head. It didn't.

Emmett didn't notice how Gregor's voice sounded and began laughing. Luxa quickly shushed him.

"It is bad enough that the Overlander needs this torch. "You do not need to alert them we are here with your voice also."

"I do not need the fucking torch."

Both Emmett and Luxa looked back at him, but said nothing. The next burned out torch they came upon, Luxa tossed it from its holder and replaced the one she was holding with the one she had.

"There," she said before continuing on. It was pointless now, really, as the area was already lighted, but Gregor didn't argue with her. He didn't have the strength to.

"Don't let the queen get you down, Gregor," Emmett said, taking in his friend's sullen expression. 'You're king! Have her beheaded."

"I am seriously done right now, Emmett. Just shut up for once, okay? We're here to kill the Flamer so that I can go back home. Not so that you can make a million jokes and try to get people to like you. It's just not going to happen. So just leave me alone."

Emmett turned around to face forward, not saying anything else. Luxa glanced back at Gregor, but he just stared blankly at her, as if to let her know that she too would be in for a reality check if she spoke to him. So, for once, she didn't.

The next time they ran into people, Gregor didn't even give them a chance to speak. He slaughtered them in moments. Emmett shook his head, but kept silent.

"You have given up on waiting, Gregor?" Luxa asked.

"I just want to get this over with."

She did a sweeping motion with her arms. "By all means."

He sent her a look, but didn't comment on her mockery. Instead, the trio trekked on, now with the Hero leading. Gregor occasionally glanced behind him and would see Luxa walking a little too close to Emmett for his liking. Were the two not enemies hours ago? She seemed genuinely concerned with the wound he had, though he kept denying any pain from it. One time when he looked behind him, Luxa caught him and swiftly picked up her pace, now walking ahead of Emmett and closer to Gregor.

The next opening they came to was full of people. Luckily, the tunnel they came from had not been lit, so they were able to hide in the shadows caste from the area in front of them. Emmett pressed his back to the wall, watching the other two mimic him.

"Have you seen Berum and Deliri? They went on break and never returned."

"No. Fector will be most displeased with this," one woman said, shaking her head. They all seemed to be taking a break themselves, but it was to eat. Gregor frowned when he realized how hungry he was.

"Maybe they went after those kids that have been hanging around."

"They are not kids. One is Princess Luxa," a man Gregor recognized as Vents commented. "The other is Abaddon's little helper. Or was. Emmett was his name, I believe."

"What of the Overlander?" A man asked with a mouth full of what looked like fruit.

"What of him?"

"They say he is king."

"Perhaps."

Vents shook his head. "Luxa is still too young to rule. She would not marry yet. She is not queen yet, just prefers that title."

"The boy has the ring," another man argued.

"And no crown. Nor no sword. Nor did Luxa recognize him as king. We all heard her pompous self yelling as they took her to be held. She claimed she was unmarried." Vents never looked up from his food. "The boy saved his ass from being killed. Fector got tricked. He is a fool."

One of the men jumped up and pulled his sword. "You respect our leader."

"Not when he can't even kill a kid to save us!"

The other people were just as angry as the one with his sword drawn. Two men forced Vents to stand. As the one with the sword rammed it into Vents stomach, Gregor swore the man looked through the shadows and stared into his eyes as he died.

"Vents," Luxa whispered as the men let him go and the other pulled his sword from his body. Gregor couldn't turn away from his violet eyes.

"Good man," Emmett mumbled, also staring at Luxa's fallen guard.

Slowly, everyone cleared out, having to go back to their duties. They left Vents body where it was his blood staining the ground, much like the other bodies of the men Gregor had killed. For some reason, even though he did not know Vents, his death felt worse than the others.

The three teens did not move for a moment before Luxa ventured out of their hiding place and rushed to Vents.

"He is dead, Luxa," Emmett told her in a less joyful mood than he normally had. Abaddon's little helper… "It is best we keep going."

"What is the point, Emmett?"

"You are not mourning him losing his light this badly, I would hope."

"I meant we have yet to see the Flamer. We went the wrong way or something. There is no Flamer here."

"There is also no other way out. The tunnel we came from is too far off the ground. We must keep going this direction."

When Luxa didn't move, Gregor moved pass his annoyance and spoke. "Vents was your guard."

Luxa sighed. "And my father's, before his death. Many accused him of…being apart of Abaddon's death. Though he was acquitted, he eventually left Regalia. A suicidal choice. We thought of him dead…now he is."

"How did you know that, Overlander?" Emmett looked to the younger boy.

Gregor frowned at his tone. Slowly he went to stand next to Luxa. "We have to keep going, Luxa. Now."

"Answer my question, Overlander," Emmett repeated. Gregor was about done with everyone accusing each other of things, but never coming outright with their accusations.

"I don't answer to you, Emmett."

Luxa shook her head. "Your egos are not right in front of the dead. Come. We must keep going, right?"

Gregor just nodded before walking to the other cave, not sure of what was ahead, but knowing it was better than dealing with Emmett at the moment.