"Alright, are you facing a wall or not?" Gregor focused on the clicking sound only, it sounded... like empty space, he thought and shook his head in the direction where Henry's voice had come from. "No wall", he added and heard an approving hum. "Very good."

A day had passed, since they had sealed their alliance with the stingers, and they had made camp near where the territories around the Fount bordered the Firelands. Howard claimed it was only around another day's trek to Regalia from here, and so Gregor had seized one of his presumably last opportunities to practice echolocation with Henry.

"Hey?" He slowly peeked out from under the blindfold Henry had him wear and spotted him, only a couple paces away. "What's the matter?", he asked, stepping a little closer. Gregor sighed, removing the blindfold entirely. "You... you're really not coming with us, are you?"

Henry raised an eyebrow. "To Regalia? I can't go to Regalia, you know that." Gregor stared at the floor, before eyeing Henry again – how was any of this fair? Yes, he was aware of Henry's outcast-status, but he'd not properly thought about it before, not since he had discovered his identity. Only now the full realization hit him, that he would never be able to return to the city he had grown up in. He would have to live out here, alone, for the rest of his days.

Gregor had just opened his mouth to put his thoughts into words when Henry jerked around to the entrance of the cave they were practicing in. Gregor followed his gaze and saw the silhouette of Luxa standing in the entrance. She seemed to stare at them for a moment, before raising her voice – "Ripred is back."

Henry took a step towards her. "What?" His voice sounded unbelieving. "But didn't he say something about meeting us back in Regalia?" Luxa blinked at him a few times, before averting her eyes. "He said something happened. That you need to come."

Gregor had already approached her, "Hey, if Ripred's back, it must be important", he remarked in Henry's direction, who nodded. "Let's go."

Gregor took the first step through the exit towards their current camp but turned around when nobody followed immediately. "Hold up, had to grab my backpack", Henry quickly caught up, carrying his bag, which was still half-open. "I actually wanted to give this back to you, because I realized I never did."

To Gregor's surprise, he held out the bag with Mrs. Cormaci's camera. "I completely forgot I still had it", Henry laughed as the two made their way down the tunnel, "and I would have almost forgotten again."

"Oh thank you. Mrs. Cormaci would definitely be upset if I ended up not returning it." Gregor carefully took it and wanted to open the bag to inspect the camera, but as soon as he moved the zipper, maybe half the photos that were still cramped into it fell out and they had to stop to gather them up. "And that is why I gave it back closed", Henry laughed, and Gregor had to admit he had a point.

The camera bag still in hand, Gregor followed Henry out the tunnel and into the cave where they had made camp. A torch was burning in the middle and by the looks of it, Howard was making dinner.

"Ah, the student and the teacher return." Gregor immediately turned to where the oh-so-familiar cranky voice came from and saw Ripred, slouched against a wall. Next to him lied the remains of three fish.

"Gather round, dinner is ready", Howard called now from the opposite direction, and Gregor approached the fire, only now realizing how hungry he was. They had been traveling all day, and he hadn't gotten the chance to eat since breakfast.

Only when they had all assembled around the campfire and Henry started helping Howard distributing the food, Gregor suddenly realized Luxa was not in sight. He narrowed his eyes and glanced around, only to jump a little when she appeared on his left, almost like out of nowhere.

"Luxa, there you are", he addressed her, infinitely relieved, "where were you?" Instead of answering his question, she turned to Ripred. "You have news, you say?"

The rat approached the fire, and only now Gregor saw he was eyeing Kismet, who sat on the other side. "I do, and they are not good, I'm afraid." He plopped down next to Gregor, exactly opposite of Kismet, and glanced around. "The Bane is marching on Regalia."

This was not good – it was all Gregor had the strength to think. Of course, it wasn't good. Ripred had explained how he had almost run into the forces of the Bane, on his way to the city. Apparently, they were already blocking all passages to Regalia, save the rivers, but he had decided it would be the better approach to turn back and warn the group, then to try and reach the city himself.

"There is only really one piece of good news, I heard some of them complain about your farmers having destroyed your crops. They have little food. But from how I know the Bane, that's not going to stop him", Ripred elaborated. His story was followed by grave silence. "And he's not alone, either", he continued, "apparently, he came across our good friend Twirltongue on the way, and we all know how that's going to go."

Gregor shuddered even at the mention of the silver rat, who had so easily manipulated his beliefs and his trust in Ripred.

"From the way you described the Bane, and, if she really is all her mother, she will have poisoned and twisted his mind beyond repair, by the time he reaches Regalia", Kismet concluded, and Ripred nodded. "And there is nothing we can do about it, aside from...", his gaze fell on Gregor, "getting the queen and the warrior back to Regalia, before they reach it. After all, who knows how things will be after."

A shiver ran down Gregor's spine at the words. What did he mean? That Regalia was... in actual danger? He thought back to the view on the gorgeous stone city, Gregor realized he had always considered it some sort of safe haven, a place that couldn't be destroyed or conquered, no matter what attacked it. But what if... he had been wrong? His thoughts ran back to all the people there, everyone he cared about – his mom, Boots, Vikus, Mareth... if Regalia fell, what would happen to them?

"We need to go back!" He was surprised to hear his own voice, he had spoken almost instinctively, and now all gazes were on him. Luckily, Ripred backed him up before anyone expected him to make this into some sort of motivational speech or what-not – "Exactly my words. The sooner, the better."

"Then we leave as soon as the fliers have rested", Howard announced. "They have carried us the entire day, they are in no condition for travel or battle." He glanced over to where the bats had curled up together, Ares with Aurora and Hera, and Thanatos with Nike.

"Yes, we need to let them sleep, and inform them in the morning", Henry added, already standing up to collect the dishes. "You others would also do well to sleep now."

Gregor watched the group dispatch to follow his suggestion. He himself remained at the fire. Too much was going on in his head, he couldn't calm his thoughts enough to think of sleep now.

The Bane – he had caught up to him. When the monster's blood is spilled. Of course he had. There was no way this line in the prophecy wasn't referring to him. When the warrior has been killed. Gregor noticed he was biting his lip. They had war. Actual war. Somehow, he realized, he hadn't entirely grasped the full meaning of that yet. Not out here, far away from the city, and the whole officiality of it.

Gregor sighed before finally standing up. There was no use in sitting around here, he would just end up overthinking everything again. Maybe he should go and find Henry or someone else authorized to ask if he could have first watch. Then again, that would mean even more time alone with himself, and more opportunities to overthink.

Gregor was about to walk the few paces he had already taken, back, when he suddenly heard Ripred's voice from the tunnel entrance, where he and Henry had held their echolocation lesson – "But what if they do?"

Gregor froze in his tracks. Don't listen, don't do this to yourself again, it didn't do you any good last time, he tried convincing himself, but it was like he was rooted in place.

"Pah!" Gregor squinted his eyes – was that... Kismet? "You don't know what you're talking about. I think you've spent too much time doing nothing except living for your own gains, out in the Dead Land. So much time, that you've entirely forgotten how politics work. Because it's not like this." Ripred snorted. "And you – what have you done, all this time? Not the same thing, except on the opposite side of the map?"

"At least I have not become a naïve daydreamer", she hissed back, "what is... Whitespur supposed to do against a legend like the Bane? Not least because she is dead, or have you forgotten?"

Ripred was silent for a moment. "She is... but you aren't. And as long as you live, she will be a part of you. Would you, for goodness sake, stop trying to run from it and use it, now that we may actually need it? Or are you so unworldly, so selfish, that you will not seize this opportunity, even if it may pose a chance for us?"

Kismet hissed. "Me? Unworldly and selfish? You're one to talk – don't forget you ran from your past as well, or does your cave-sized ego block your view on that?"

Gregor heard Ripred groan. "I did not come to you to fight. Does this really have to happen every time we try to have a conversation like this?", but she interrupted him, "No, you came to me with a demand, as always. It is always me who has to make the sacrifice. I have always sacrificed, you can't even begin to imagine!"

She was almost screaming now, "I have already sacrificed so much for you, Ripred, I refuse to give you more. Not now, not anymore." Gregor thought he heard something like a crack in her voice, "I can't... I will fight at your side, you know that, but what you ask is not anything I can give."

"Gregor!" He jolted up and around when he heard the voice and felt someone tap his shoulder. "Henry?" He was looking at Gregor with a somewhat unreadable expression. "What are you doing here? Didn't I send you to sleep?"

"I... eh...", Gregor's mind was reeling. "I wanted to ask if... if I could have first watch, actually...", but Henry interrupted him. "I take watch. You need to sleep."

He led Gregor away from the tunnel entry, to the slowly burning down fire. "Join the others, will you?" Henry pointed at the opposite side of the cave where Gregor could make out the already sleeping shape of Howard and Luxa, who was sitting up, with her knees pulled on.

Gregor looked at her, and back at Henry, when he suddenly realized something. "Have you talked to her yet?" From the way he averted his gaze now, Gregor could guess the answer. "Isn't this your last chance?"

Henry remained silent, he just shoved him towards the others. "Sleep. Tomorrow will be a busy day." Gregor didn't oblige though. "Henry, I... I want to have the watch, not because I am super excited about it, but because I don't think I can sleep now." Henry stopped mid-way, shot him a glance, and sighed. "What is bothering you?"

Gregor bit his lip and suddenly asked himself if talking to Henry would maybe ease his mind. He wasn't a citizen of Regalia anymore, and, as unfair as that was, Gregor thought it did make him less biased than any of them. Besides, he had shared his story with him, so why shouldn't Gregor do the same?

They sat down close to the fire, and, staring into the crackling flame, Gregor decided to start with the easier part. "What exactly... how... IS war, down here? Do you know?" Henry sighed. "Better than most, actually. I have never experienced one, but I have spent a significant part of my life training for it."

Gregor looked up, surprised. "Really?" Only now he realized he knew next to nothing about Henry's life before he had arrived in the Underland, besides how he had been close with Luxa.

Henry nodded. "After Hamnet had left, they had chosen me to take his place as successor to the title of Commander of the Army. I was not heir to the throne, and even as a child always talented in battle, their choice made sense." Gregor gave it some thought. When he looked at Henry now, he could totally see him command an army.

"And... was it what you wanted?" Henry shrugged. "Back then? I was overjoyed. It was a great honor." He didn't bother finishing the train of thought, regarding his present mindset, and Gregor didn't press him for it. Instead, he asked how battles worked down here, and what he would need to expect from this war.

Henry spent maybe half an hour sharing information on the theory of war, different well-known tactics and strategies, and what it entailed to participate in a battle. But even though his explanations made sense, Gregor had trouble seeing it all as something that could really happen soon, rather than an abstract tale.

"You... you really know your way around all that", he finally mumbled, when he had run out of questions. Henry laughed. "I didn't pay attention in lessons, usually, but when it came to that stuff, I did enjoy most of it. So I guess I kept the knowledge. Even if...", he hesitated for a moment, "all of it is lost on me now anyway."

Gregor looked down at his hands. "Hey, for all it's worth, I do think you'd have been... great at it. Being a commander, I mean." Henry shot him a grateful smile. "Thanks. It is worth a lot, actually. But... how about it, are you ready for bed yet?"

Gregor instantly averted his gaze again. He thought about sharing his worries and thoughts on the Prophecy of Time and the state of his family but finally decided against it. Somehow, he felt he wasn't ready to discuss it with anyone yet.

"Yeah, I'm good. Thanks again." He stood up and stretched a little, before turning towards where the others had settled down. "Don't mention it", Henry called back, and remained at the fire, while Gregor thought he would at least try to sleep a little. And if he couldn't, well, there was always echolocation to practice – now, that he didn't feel like a complete failure at it anymore, at least to a degree.

Henry watched Gregor settle down, finally, and sighed. He had tried to sound encouraging, but in truth, he had his own worries. An actual war was beyond the mere theory, after all. I'm never scared of new things, usually, he thought, so why am I now?

Angrily, he stood up and decided to fetch some water for later. He could hear better than any ordinary human, and he was fairly confident should they be attacked, he would hear it coming, whether he was down at the river, that ran through an adjacent cave, or here.

Henry picked up a bucket and finally extinguished the torch before making his way to the water. Only already almost out of the tunnel leading to it, he realized someone was already there. How had she snuck past him?

"It is... strange. I look at him, and I feel like I should know more about him than I do." Henry froze when he recognized Luxa's voice. Her silhouette was now visible against the glow of the river, and next to her – "You, you surely must be able to tell me who he is! You know him... do you not?"

"That is not my job", Kismet replied. She was leaning on the wall, facing Luxa. "But if you want to know so badly – why don't you ask him yourself?" Luxa shrugged. "I... I can't just walk up to him and – I can't..."

She sighed. "Why am I like this...? What is happening to me? Why do I feel like I'm losing control of my own mind, it is –", she interrupted herself, only to wrap her arms around her own body. "I hate it!"

Kismet hummed soothingly. "I know, child. Life has not been kind to you, but you can not let the past determine your present or your future. Look at it, child, look at him, and tell me you don't know who he is."

To Henry's surprise, Luxa now held something up, something small, square-shaped. Against the light of the river he couldn't make it out, but she apparently could.

"I... I...", she stammered, her hand was shaking. "He is... he...", she took a shaky breath, "he... is dead. He has to be. He is dead."

"Is he now?" Henry jolted around when Kismet's voice suddenly sounded closer. Luxa's head jerked up as well, and now they were both staring at him. But Kismet's gaze wasn't angry, only sympathetic. "You need something?"

"I... I just wanted –", he raised the bucket instead of an answer, and she chuckled. "Alright then. I have done what I could anyway. Now it is your turn." With that, she disappeared into the tunnel, and Henry stared at her until she vanished out of sight and his gaze darted back to... Luxa.

Henry felt the silence ring in his ears, almost like it was suffocating him. All he could do was stare at her and curse Kismet for doing this, then again – they would part ways when they reached Regalia, tomorrow. This was... his last chance.

From the corner of his eye, he saw her raise the square-shaped object again. Only now he realized it was one of Gregor's pictures. Had it fallen out of his pocket, earlier?

"You...", her voice was almost trembling, "Are you... really here?"

He finally returned her gaze. "Can you see me? Can you hear me? How can I not be here?" Luxa blinked a couple times, before lowering her arm with the picture again. "Are you...", she hesitated, "... are you a... ghost?"

Henry was taken aback by the question at first, but the more he thought about it, the clearer it became – to her, that was exactly what he was. He knew he wasn't the Henry she had once known anymore, even he had asked himself the question numerous times, as to what exactly he was – a walking corpse, a shadow of a once-living human? Or... a ghost. Why actually not.

Henry threw her a little smile. "Yeah. I'm a ghost. An illusion your unconscious has dreamed up to... to help you deal with whatever is bothering you. So shoot away, tell me everything. It's what I'm here for."

Luxa blinked a couple times as she watched him step closer, until he sat down at the bank of the river, gesturing her to join him. "Hey, don't make my visit be in vain. You don't get the chance to talk to a ghost every day, do you?", he tried to sound upbeat, and apparently it worked, as Luxa carefully sat down next to him. Her gaze was firmly fixated on the shimmering water, but... she was here.

"I... you... came to see me, to hear out my worries?" She was still not looking at him. "Yeah. It's what we ghosts do." Luxa bit her lip, but Henry saw her suppress a smile. "I... I can't seem to let the dead rest in peace", she finally mumbled, and Henry felt his throat tighten.

"The... Dead? Is there... someone specific?" She nodded. "He was... my cousin. I once loved him dearly, like a best friend, like the... the older brother I never had. We protected each other, we could talk about everything, share secrets, adventures, memories." Her voice was audibly shaking, "I remember when we were little, he was always the first I came to with news or ideas... and he came to me. He was always... there. Always. But then...", she lowered her gaze, "then he wasn't anymore."

Henry realized he was clenching his jaw so hard it almost hurt. "He...", Luxa swallowed, "he betrayed me. He conspired with king Gorger to capture Gregor. I never... never even learned why." She sniffed, "I lied awake many nights, you know? Asking myself... why. What... what had gone so horribly wrong that he would...? What... I had done wrong?"

For the first time, she raised her gaze to look at him. "But he can't tell me anymore. He is... dead. He died with Gorger, two years ago." Henry realized his own hands were shaking. "But...", Luxa audibly took a deep breath, "He still comes to haunt me. He... he can not let me go... and neither can I let him."

They stared at each other for what could have been seconds or hours. "Do you know what his name was?", she whispered, and the exiled prince nodded, slowly. "Henry." Her voice rang in his ears, even though she had barely whispered.

The silence that followed was almost unbearable. Henry felt like he had trouble breathing, let alone facing her. "Do you... are you happy he is dead?", he finally asked, and heard Luxa wince. "W... why would you say that?" She sounded almost mortified. Henry didn't look her way. "Because I am."

"Why...", she started stuttering, "why would you be?"

Henry bit his lip. "Because he deserved it. For what he did to you. You suffered at his foolishness and arrogance, and that is unforgivable. You said it yourself, did you not?" He finally looked her way, "Nothing is ever forgotten."

Luxa stared at him, her expression unreadable. "I can not undo what... what he did", Henry's mind was reeling, nonetheless he suddenly had an idea, "but... but I can offer you something different."

"What is it?" Her voice was so quiet it was barely audible. Henry swallowed. "He died... without ever getting the chance to, to... say goodbye, you know? There were many people he loved, despite what he did, and he... he would like to ask this of you, tell them in his stead, what he never could."

He heard Luxa beside him shift, and when he looked up, she was staring at him with the round eyes of a child. "I... I can."

Henry took a deep breath. "First... Tell Nerissa...", he hesitated. This was his one chance to get a message to his beloved sister, he realized he did not think this through entirely, after all...

"... That... that he is very... Very proud of her always, and that she is always in his thoughts. She... She will be alright, he knows that and... he will never forget her. And", he chuckled, "tell her she needs to continue kicking everyone's ass like she always does."

He vividly saw Nerissa's narrow face, her huge, sorrow- and worry-filled eyes, and was suddenly painfully aware of how he would most likely never see her again. He had to blink away a tear, but he couldn't afford to cry now. Not now.

Luxa stared at him, apparently at a loss of words. "I... I will tell her", she finally whispered, not taking her eyes off him.

"Thank you", he tried shooting her a smile. Then he took another deep breath, formulating the next message. "For Mareth... tell him... tell him that serpents are bitches... And that losing a leg doesn't mean he's any less capable." He managed to chuckle a little, "Tell him, that he'll pull through, and that he can still kick all your asses, even without the leg."

This time, Luxa just nodded. He shot her a glance and suddenly realized she was eagerly waiting for more. Henry bit his lip, trying to think of more people to leave a message for. This was probably the only chance he'd ever get, after all.

"Tell Vikus... that he is sorry for... for how they parted. That he would have forgiven him, was there anything to forgive, for leaving us- them, with Ripred. Tell him...", Henry felt a sting of shame when he thought of how he and Vikus had last parted, back in the Dead Land, "tell him – Fly you High." The Fly you High I denied him, not aware it would be my last chance, he thought bitterly.

When he looked back at Luxa, he realized a tear shimmered in her eye. "I... can tell him." Henry nodded and tried to find the strength for the last goodbye he had on his chest. The most important one.

He took a final deep breath – "Tell... tell Luxa, that...", he realized his vision was blurring from tears, "That... he knows this sounds stupid, but... he never meant to... hurt her. It was... He wanted...", Henry forcefully swallowed, stubbornly staring at the ground, "Tell her she... she is always on his mind, that she'll kick ass as queen, and to tell hers and Gregor's future kids stories... about their uncle Henry, so that they may remember him as more than... a traitor, if that isn't too much to ask."

He finally raised his gaze at her, only to see a tear rolling down her cheek, "Tell her he loved her. And he still loves her. Always."

Luxa was visibly trembling now. She stared at him for another moment, before finally looking down. "Can... I ask you a question too?" Henry nodded, "Anything." His heart was beating so loud he wouldn't be surprised if she could hear it.

She almost angrily wiped her tear away, "Can you tell him, tell Henry... that Luxa, that I... also still love him?"

It was like someone had dumped a bucket of cold water over his head. Her words rang in his ears, and Henry had trouble comprehending them, even though he knew he hadn't misheard. "You... you what...?" He almost didn't recognize his own voice.

"I... you...", she looked up at him again, and for the first time in what had now been two years, Henry thought she was actually looking at... him. Not the Death Rider, not whoever she had seen him as during her period of denial, but at him... at Henry.

"You... came back... to me." She was stammering and blinking, like she didn't know where to look, before shakily rising to her feet, only to stumble a few paces back. "You came... back."

Henry rose with her, almost instinctively taking a step towards her. "I always do." He hesitated for a second, "You know I always do."

She stared at him for a second, before taking a first, uncertain, step towards him. "Are... are you... real?"

Never since he'd gone into exile had he heard Luxa sound more like a child. She didn't look like a child anymore. She had grown so much, and the almost gaunt face, the somewhat messy hair, and the purple bags under her eyes indicated she had the worries of a grown-up too. But now she stared at him with the eyes of the same child he had known... and betrayed, back then.

He already opened his mouth to assure her he was, when she took another step back. "You... aren't." His head was spinning. What was she...

"You said it yourself –" Her voice sounded desperate now, like she would burst into tears at any moment, "that you're a ghost!"

Henry stared at her, trying to understand what was happening – "So at last, stop HAUNTING ME!", she finally cried, turning around and rushing back through the tunnel towards the camp, leaving Henry to stare after her, on the beach... alone.