Sorry for the late update guys, had a lot of homework to do. Anyways, next time, I will update sooner, so you don't have to wait an entire weekend to read this. Anyways, things are starting to get more fun. The stage is almost finished being set, and the real conception of the story is going to be shown soon. Due to this, I am thinking that as a commemoration for the 100 review milestone, I will do a DOUBLE CHAPTER RELEASE this next week on the condition that I get a total of 25 reviews for both this chapter, and the one that will come out Friday. If I do, I will post the next chapter Saturday. Anyways, to the next chapter…
Gregor marched fiercely back to the Palace, ready to settle the score. The meeting with Eurydice was unpleasant; Luxa was injured, the weapons from Matthew possibly ineffective. You or I would be extremely angry, under the tense stress of the situation, but Gregor? Imagine being in his place, and discovering that the place that took everything from you, decided it wanted more. The loss of friends, comrades, and life, essentially had really screwed with your psyche. It would be impossible to return to being the carefree person you once were.
Even more so, having found someone that is more important to you than life itself, that you find to be perfect in every way; personality, beauty, intelligence… and then have them taken away from you after the feeling becomes mutual, with no hope of seeing that person again.
Can you feel it? The burning inside, the rage that sharpens your eyes, flares your nose, and balls your fists? You want to expel it on something, don't you? What did that to you, what caused you that rage. Seeing to it that it will never cause such harm again. That is how you and I would feel.
Gregor, on the other hand, was beyond us, in such an incomprehensible way, it casts a shadow of shame upon the brain. So I shall attempt to describe his mental turmoil as the following:
When such a catastrophic, apocalyptic anger possesses' a person (the only kind of person that are capable of feeling such wrath being ragers), it hides itself, in a very, very bizarre way. It can be compared to the eerie calm before a hurricane hits, or the deceptive tranquility before a madman attacks innocent people during wartime. That treacherous feel is what Gregor was experiencing right at that moment.
As he brusquely marched his way back to the pride of Regalian architecture, the citizens, most of who were trading in the small market like area, fell silent. They gave the impression that they felt darkness around him, like the anger radiated off of him, forcing them away. Gregor didn't seem to notice, just kept his head slightly down, hair keeping his eyes from the view of judgmental Regalians. It was like this all throughout the city, all of the way up to the front of the Palace.
The guards were hesitant to send down the lift for Gregor, his aura effecting them to. It only took a death stare from Gregor, two hundred feet below them, to reconsider. Once at the top, he walked by the guards with a silence that gave off nothing, save the deep mixture of anger and sadness. Gregor still held the notebook Eurydice gave him in his hand, holding on so tight, his entire hand was chalk white.
It took Gregor two minutes to find Vikus, most of is was just walking to the destination Gregor expected him to be at. Gregor asked the doctor where Luxa's hospital room was, and he was fearfully directed to the end of the hall. He quietly opened the door, finding Vikus clutching her hand. Gregor's expression remained the same at her condition, solidifying even harder now at seeing what had happened to Luxa.
She lay on her bed, eyes covered by some kind of partial mask. Her face was paler than usual, and she was slightly trembling all over. Vikus looked over his shoulder at the sound of the door opened, and managed to upturn the corner of his lip slightly, seeing that it was Gregor. Using his head, Gregor indicated they talk outside the room, where Luxa wouldn't be disturbed.
As soon as the door was shut, Gregor began walking down the hallway. "We need to talk somewhere more private." Vikus caught Gregor's underline meaning, and led the way to a small dining room, which Gregor had flashes of memories of. It was after the Prophecy of Blood, when Luxa had returned; they were eating with Nerissa.
"What is it, my boy?" Vikus asked, slightly concerned. He took a seat on a chair nearby, where Gregor sat opposite. Only a small table stat between the two. "You seem out of sorts." Vikus finished.
Gregor threw the finale of Matthew's brief autobiography onto the small table, where it slid to Vikus. "Read it." Gregor ordered. Vikus felt that complying would be his best course of action, rather than asking questions. As Vikus opened to the first page, his eyes exploded in shock, immediately recognizing the handwriting. "What…" He asked, voice slightly wavering. "What is this?" Gregor looked Vikus in the eye.
"How we're going to win the war."
It took only a few minutes for Vikus to finish reading the rest of the book, craving the information that was so secretive. As he finished, he carefully closed the book, and laid it softly on the table. His face reflected his state of mind, which was deep, almost philosophical contemplation. "What do you think of this, Gregor?" he asked pointedly.
Gregor answered without hesitation. "It means we have to go on that quest as soon as we can. Matthew clearly says that I must find this sword, and I have a hunch where it is, actually." Vikus raised an eyebrow at the boy, a clever gleam in his eyes.
"Where do you think it is?" Gregor leaned back against the couch, elbows resting on the back upholstery. "The Lost City." Gregor said. "It seems too perfect for Sandwich to pass up to me. He is a man that loves satirical irony."
Vikus smiled wryly. "Indeed he does. I, too, believe that it is within the Lost City. However, it is probably well hidden." Gregor nodded in agreement.
"He would never make this easy for us, that's for sure." Vikus chuckled.
"Gregor, I must tell you," Vikus continued, somberly. "Ripred went to do some reconnaissance in the gnawer's land; he wanted to get more information about the Lost City." Gregor looked up, piquing his interest.
"Did he find anything?" Gregor asked. Vikus took an old, wrinkled hand and smoothed out his beard.
"Yes," Vikus replied, wary of his wording. "He said he has found it's location."
Gregor shot forward in his seat, anxious to know where this infamous city was. "Where is it Vikus?"
"Gregor," Vikus said. "The location of the Lost City, it's," Vikus hesitated.
"What is it, Vikus?!" Gregor exclaimed. Vikus choked down the sadness, and the inevitability Gregor would share it. "It's beneath the Plane of Tartarus. It's where you fought the Bane."
Gregor didn't move, the disbelief resonating through his veins, immobilizing his body. "No, it can't be." Gregor said. "It can't be!" he screamed, flipping the table over in front of him, sending the diary of Matthew flying. "It can't be!" he repeated, lifting the couch off the ground and throwing it against the wall, a satisfying noise of damage emerging from it. Gregor then took his rant to Vikus.
"Vikus, this can't be true." Gregor said, kneeling before the old man, starting to contain his upset attitude. "Please. Tell me it isn't." Vikus looked at the young man on the floor in front of him. Was it really only a year that Gregor was in the Underland? To Vikus, it felt like he had watched over Gregor since he was born. Seeing him now, broken and begging on the floor, it took all Vikus had to not break down with him.
"Do not fret, Gregor." Vikus said, patting Gregor's shoulder soothingly. "We will be fine."
"How?" Gregor asked, turning his eyes up to Vikus, imploringly. "You know I have to go there now, Vikus. Whether I like to or not. It's not like I can just sit here and watch people die, knowing there was something I could have done to stop it!"
Vikus caught his breath in his throat. There was nothing he could do to help the boy but be there for him now. It would hurt Gregor to go to the place where his bond died and retrieve a weapon to kill more, and risk being killed, rather than do nothing and be fine for the time being; but then watch as innocent and loved ones were being hacked down by a sociopathic race.
"Gregor," Vikus said. "I know this is hard for you, but it is of utmost importance that you listen." Gregor quieted himself down to hear what Vikus had to say. "I believe there is someone you need to see. Come now." Vikus stood and beckoned Gregor to do so as well.
A brief minute later, Gregor was in the room where he found Vikus, next to Luxa. She looked so fragile, cold sweat breaking down her trembling, pale, face. She mumbled again, causing Gregor to reach out and hold her hand. Luxa still had the mask over her eyes, making her look disoriented and afraid. Gregor shook his head. She was in no condition to go on the quest; she would just be a liability to herself and the other people on the quest.
Howard was on duty that day, still moving up in the ranks of Regalian doctors. He walked in the room, trying not to disapprove of Gregor being there. Gregor didn't seem to notice. Seeing his cousin in such bad condition didn't improve his already sour mood. "It seems," Howard began, looking through a cluster of parchment at the foot of Luxa's bed. "That she suffers from a mild concussion. However," Howard said, checking her pulse and her temperature. "It seems that she is going through another ailing as well. These are not symptoms of a concussion." Gregor looked at his love, and was taken over by concern.
"Is she going to be all right?" Gregor asked. Howard shook his head.
"It's impossible to know now. All we can do is wait."
Wait Gregor may have done, but, he found some unused parchment and a decent quill pen at the foot of Luxa's bed. After a few seconds of sitting there in his seat, thinking, Gregor wrote, with a heavy heart. He finished quickly, knowing exactly what he wanted to say once he started. Letting it dry for a minute, he set it onto a small alcove by the door, making a mental note to retrieve it later.
It was three hours after Gregor sat down with Luxa, and he had drifted off in his chair. The room was dark, it being considered night in the Underland. A small rustling noise broke the silence, and a thin form rose from its position. Luxa yawned slightly, and removed the mask from her head, letting her eyes adjust to the darkness. A sharp pang in her head caused her to fall back only to catch herself, and press her palm to her forehead, hoping to minimize the pain.
The commotion woke Gregor from the dreamless slumber he was in, giving him shock to see Luxa sitting up in her bed. For a second they just sat where they were, taking in each other's presence. They both knew what tomorrow was, and how things might never be the same after it. When Gregor saw Luxa's white smile shine like a beacon of light in the darkness, he went after her.
Gently, due to her concussion, he laid her down on her bed, kissing her as he did so. Luxa put her hands on Gregor's face, holding herself closer to him. They fell together, tongues interlocked. Luxa felt her temperature rise in her chest due to Gregor being pressed up against it. Eyes were closed, for they had no need to see; both of them already knew the other enough to know what to do.
Five minutes of making out and getting hot and heavy, Gregor and Luxa lay in the bed holding tightly to each other. "Are you doing okay?" Gregor asked, nuzzling her neck, causing her to giggle and smile. "I am doing fine. Though I suppose I am not in pristine condition for the quest, though." Gregor cleared his throat, nervous for what he was about to say. "Luxa, I don't want you to come on the quest." Luxa looked up in surprise at Gregor. "What do you mean? I have to go!" Gregor shook his head sadly.
"Not with a concussion. It's too dangerous!" Luxa grimaced at the volume of his voice.
"See?" Gregor said softly, stroking her cheek gently. "Don't worry," he smiled. "I'll be back before you know it." Luxa hid her eyes away in shame. "What's wrong, Luxa?" Gregor asked. "Make sure you come back to me." She said. "Don't you dare die!" She hit him with a punch on the shoulder, beginning to cry. "Don't leave me." Luxa said, letting the tears free fall. "Please."
Gregor smiled, kissing her wiping away each tear and replacing it with a word. "I love you." He said. "And I will never make you cry. Ever."
Well, hope you like it. Remember guys, review! I just need twenty five for these two chapters by Friday! Also, should I do those sneak previews for every chapter? I don't mind doing it if you guys like it.
Sneak preview:
"Ripred," Gregor asked. "In case I don't make it back," Gregor handed a folded piece of parchment to Ripred, who stuck it under his leg. "Not if I can help it." He said.