The next hour went by Gregor in a haze. Neither did he paid little attention in the following meeting with Solovet and her subordinates in the war room, nor did he protest much when she announced Lizzie and Boots would have to accompany them. The rats had gotten into the palace, after all. Where was really still safe, at this point?

Stay together, his mom's words repeated in his head as a pair of soldiers led him to the armory to get his armor. A counterstrike, it was all he had registered from the meeting. A counterstrike... somewhere, while he went to battle the Bane. He could not shake the look in Solovet's eyes when she had announced that. Like it was some special occasion to be celebrated, not...

I didn't even get to make my bucket list, Gregor gritted his teeth when he spotted Miravet in the back of the armory, his black armor had been polished and draped on a mannequin. What would he even put on his bucket list?

"Chin up, boy", Miravet greeted him with a smile. Gregor attempted to smile back, yet he only managed it when Teslas appeared behind her, wearing some sort of leather apron stained in unidentifiable substances. "Oh, Gregor, it's good to see you", he patted his back.

"Hey Teslas, you too! Did you set up a new workshop?"

"Indeed! Right here, next to the armory." For the first time the mouse seemed genuinely happy and Gregor could not bring himself to do what he thought he had wanted to, namely tell his dad what the prophecy said, after his departure. It would be easier for the rest of them to learn it from him, Gregor thought, yet he found no words for it now.

He fell back into his numbness as Miravet helped him get dressed, only when she announced Teslas and her would accompany them as well he listened back up. "Solovet ordered us to come, in case there is some emergency with any equipment, but we might have a little something extra to give." She and Teslas exchanged a knowing wink. "His skill is truly remarkable, and even though we are not all done yet, we will deliver our contribution as soon as we possibly can."

This... was it, he thought as he passively followed the soldiers who had accompanied him here, back out. This was the last time he'd see the palace, Regalia, or any of the people he was leaving behind.

Pictures of his mom and Demeter playing checkers flashed in his mind, the fresh color in her cheeks and the old fire in her eyes. His dad in a corner with Teslas, weighing different types of rock while scribbling something into a notebook. Howard in his hospital, tending to Twitchtip's injuries. He had not seen her, it came to him. Not seen her, ever since the Labyrinth. And now... he would never see her again.

Then Nerissa and Dalia in the code room. Nerissa curled in her favorite corner, under the Peacemaker-poem. Dalia with Stellovet and her siblings. Dalia smiling. The Peacemaker...

"You about ready?"

Gregor's head jolted up as he heard Ripred's voice ahead, Lizzie sat on his shoulders. Dulcet with Boots in her arms stood next to him.

"As I'll ever be", he sighed and took Boots from Dulcet who instantly began banging her little fist on his armor. "Oh, shiny! Gre-go shiny!"

Even Gregor could not suppress a laugh at that. "It is shiny, yeah", he mumbled as he threw Dulcet a glance. Her he would never see again either. Gregor swallowed and threw her his most encouraging smile. "Thank you so much... for all you've done. Hang in there, okay?"

She smiled back. "Be safe, Overlander. And you too, Boots!" She ruffled her curls. "Bye Dulci!", Boots frantically waved as Gregor followed Ripred with her in his arms. "See you soon!"

Gregor instinctively tightened his grip on Boots. Her hair smelled of shampoo and pudding, and suddenly he had to muster up all his strength to not break into tears.

It took them maybe ten minutes to reach the docks, from where the attack had come. To Gregor it felt like ten years though. He was continuously fighting the uprising tears and when lights and voices at last drew near and he saw the black shape of Ares above his head before his bat landed beside him, he almost sighed in relief. "You alright?"

The bat nodded. "The attack was swiftly quelled. Many were injured, but we've not many casualties."

"Good", Gregor gave him a nod. "No Bane?"

"No Bane. He has retreated toward his own land. The others will find him and

regroup their army."

"Is that where we're going then? To where he is?" Gregor glanced around for familiar faces and spotted Euripides with Vikus. The old man had seldom looked so dejected. "Vikus, hey!", he called and strolled over, yet before he could answer he was interrupted by Boots – "Greetings, Princess!"

"Greetings, Princess", echoed Nike as she landed next to Euripides and lifted her black-and-white-striped wings. "We are Princesses", Boots said with a laugh and though Nike visibly tried, she could not laugh.

"Are you coming too?", Gregor asked, and the bat nodded. "I am to carry you and the small ones. Ares will need all his strength for Ripred."

Gregor watched as the rat sat Lizzie on Nike's back. His sister heavily protested at first, but grew silent when she realized Ares shouldn't strain himself trying to carry Ripred and her.

"Keep her safe, yeah?" Gregor smiled at her as he handed Boots to his sister and Lizzie eyed him from large, serious eyes before she nodded. "Keep yourself safe as well, okay?" He could not look her in the eyes as he nodded.

"Do not look like all hope is lost just yet."

Gregor had meant to mount up yet turned when he heard Ripred address Vikus who only turned his gaze down.

"He's right", Gregor stepped closer and for the first time today his smile was genuine. "Hey, can I ride with him instead? Maybe he could use the company." He couldn't bring himself to leave Vikus alone as he was now, with Luxa's supposed death weighing on him.

Ripred shot him something like a warning glare, like to signalize he was not to disclose too much, then nodded. "He could, I think."

"Then let's fly", a voice sounded beside him and Gregor winced as Solovet strolled past them. She was cladded in armor again, though a different type than before. Her long cape was clasped together with a type of brooch or crest, unlike any he had seen yet. It might be an ordinary accessory, though something in Gregor had a feeling it was not. He stared after her figure, all cloaked in white, with something like curiosity.

As soon as she mounted the already waiting Ajax he lifted off, closely followed by the assembly of maybe a hundred soldiers who had joined them. Gregor swallowed, trying to keep his eyes on Ares, though lost him almost instantly. Nike's shape disappeared as well, and he began asking himself if it had been a good decision to ride with Vikus after all.

It wasn't just the uncertainty about Nike and Ares. Only by telling himself over and over he would have to disclose Solovet's betrayal as well if he told him about Luxa, he managed to keep his mouth shut. It's like with Henry's identity, only worse, he thought and bit his lip.

Some ten minutes into the flight he could for the life of him not keep his mouth shut anymore so he began talking about everything else. Gregor told Vikus about how well his family was doing, even about how Lizzie had broken the code, though Ripred had advised him to tell as little people as possible. Then about Teslas and Miravet and how well they were doing, and an hour of mundane yet lighthearted stories later Gregor caught from the corner of his eye Vikus was smiling.

His thoughts had just shifted to Luxa and Henry and whatever they were doing, when he registered Euripides was preparing to land, closely behind Ajax. He had avoided thinking of Luxa so far but now he inevitably asked himself, with all the recent goodbyes – would he even get to say goodbye to her?

"We will make camp here", announced Solovet and Gregor mumbled "thanks for having me" to Euripides as he dismounted and looked around for Nike and Ares. His bond landed seconds later and Ripred slid off his back, but Nike with his sisters remained out of sight.

"I instructed her to stay with Miravet, Teslas, and everyone else who is not here for combat", Solovet placed a hand on his shoulder and Gregor winced before turning to her. "And... what about us?"

Her mouth smiled, yet her eyes were stone cold. "We hold our briefing now. Vikus maybe it is best if you stay with the civilians as well."

Everything in Gregor silently begged Vikus to not leave him alone with Solovet, but he only nodded. "You have things here handled?"

"You know I always have."

Seconds later, Euripides lifted off and carried the old man in the direction they had come from. Gregor stared after Vikus with something like desperation when Ripred suddenly nudged him. "Don't look so dire, will you? We've a war to win. Right?"

His question was directed at Solovet and they exchanged a prolonged stare before she finally nodded. "Of course." Turning back to Gregor she placed a hand on his back, directing him forward. Gregor reluctantly followed, thinking it couldn't possibly be so bad with Ripred around, when another familiar shape emerged behind him. "I've called together Perdita and Ruvin, we are good to go, Lord Commander."

Solovet gave Mareth a nod, who instantly smiled as he spotted Gregor. "Greetings Gregor, you have met Perdita, now I wish to introduce you to Captain Ruvin as well."

"Captain?"

At his question, Solovet stopped. "Have you never elaborated the workings of our army to him?"

Mareth shook his head, and as they had to slow their pace for him on his crutch to keep up, Solovet had time to briefly explain "Captain" was the highest rank in the Regalian army, below "Commander". Apparently, all Mareth, Perdita, and a third guy named Ruvin were Captains, each with command over a third of the army.

"I didn't know you were that high ranked", Gregor mumbled at Mareth when they all stood assembled around a large table-like structure someone had left a couple hampers with things you would find on the table of a commanding officer on. Mareth shrugged as he leaned his crutch against the table and pulled a large map from one of the hampers, spreading it in the middle.

"Alright, hear you –", Solovet raised her voice and Gregor forced himself to focus. "First off, I would like you to meet Gregor the Overlander, he will slay the Bane, so the prophecy foretells."

Gregor nervously raised his gaze from the map in the following silence and spotted Perdita, in armor as well, across the table next to a pretty silver bat and a large man with broad shoulders and a short beard. His armor looked similar to hers and only now Gregor registered all three, Mareth, Perdita, and the large man wore capes like Solovet. This must be Ruvin, he thought, as the assembly broke into courteous applause.

"Alright. We must act, as quickly as we can." Solovet pulled out a small bag and scattered something that looked like colorful miniature pyramids.

"Here is where they gather", she took up a bunch of blue pyramids and placed them in the territory of the Firelands, close to the human border.

"Here is where we are now." Solovet placed the same amount of red pyramids closeby, only on the human side of the territory. "Yet the Bane", she took up a white pyramid that was slightly larger than the others, "has hidden away in his former camp on the Plain of Tartarus with only a few guards, so our scouts have reported." She raised her gaze at a woman entirely dressed in black, not unlike Gregor, who nodded.

"Which means", Solovet picked out a black pyramid of the same size as the one she had used for the Bane, "the warrior must venture to the plain to kill him." She placed the pyramid Gregor realized symbolized him by the one for the Bane.

"While we others –"

"While you others", Solovet cut Perdita off, "direct the attention of his forces away from him." She took up the red pyramids she had formerly put by their camp and placed them around the blue ones in a circle. "We have tunnels here, here, and here." From the pocket of a hamper she pulled a pencil and marked down what Gregor presumed were tunnels around the rat's camp.

"Each of you captains will take your division down one of the tunnels. We can encircle and surprise them, keep them in this cave, while Gregor will take this path", she drew another line, a little offside, leading to the pyramid of the Bane, "to the plain."

Murmur instantly broke out, it was who Gregor presumed to be Ruvin who spoke first. "Is it wise to split our forces? The gnawers' numbers are as large as ours, and if they chase us into the tunnels instead, they will have the advantage, as our fliers will be limited in space."

"Then you will not allow them to push you back", Solovet replied and Gregor couldn't help but shudder at the ice in her voice. Only now he registered, while most appeared to be here with their bonds, including Mareth and Andromeda, Ajax was nowhere to be seen.

Perdita and the silvern bat exchanged glances. "Captain Ruvin is right", the bat finally answered, "I have spoken to the scouts as well. Cassiopeia and Elpis told the tunnels are narrow, only a few feet wider than our wingspans. If we traverse them we will have to do so in a column, and if the gnawers hear us coming, they will extinguish us one by one."

"Gaia speaks the truth", Perdita stepped forward and nodded at who Gregor assumed must be her bond. "Lear, Henna, and Bertram told the same."

The volume of the murmur rose and Gregor winced as Solovet slammed her hand on the table. "SILENCE!"

All stopped talking in an instant and she took a deep breath before speaking – "Of course it poses a risk."

Silence.

"Yet we must not forget what our true target, our true goal, is." She took up Gregor's pyramid. "If the monster's blood is spilled, the war ends. And it is our goal to make sure that happens." She slammed the pyramid into the table so hard the white one next to it fell over. "You will assemble your divisions and instruct your Lieutenants to march in five hours sharp. So are my orders."

"Oh well", Gregor winced as Ripred, who had remained surprisingly quiet until now, at last spoke – "If so are your orders, so we will do it, of course." Not a single person dared to protest.

It was not keeping his mind occupied. Not occupied enough. Gregor swung his sword over and over, stance after stance, as he had practiced with Mareth. If only the Bane was here now, if only he could get this over with now. Gregor let out a forced scream as his blade clanked against the stone.

"Careful, there. You wouldn't want to break it, would you?"

Gregor sighed and turned to where Ripred stood, in the entrance to the little cave he had retreated to for practice. Or just some quiet. Maybe that one.

"Are the five hours over yet?"

Ripred shook his head. "Barely two have passed. Though they are all in dismay, of course."

Gregor shuddered as he sheathed his sword and thought back to the array of enraged, confused, helpless, and shocked faces Solovet had left behind around the table. Nobody had understood why she insisted on taking such a high risk, not even Gregor.

"Why is she doing this?", he plopped down beside the hand lantern he had taken from the camp for light. "Like, I thought you said she wanted to win this war too."

"I am not sure." Ripred tilted his head. "Maybe she believes it to be the easiest way to distract the Bane's forces from you, and maybe she is right. Except, of course, the risk it poses. But she will hardly care."

Gregor bit his lip. "Where is she? And where is Ares? And Lizzie and Boots? And Vikus? Are they alright?"

Ripred sighed. "Went to sleep, they all. I checked on the civilians earlier, your sisters and your flier are fine. He went to speak with Nike. She is in some distress, I think."

Gregor narrowed his eyes, yet before he could ask, Ripred interrupted – "How you still squeeze in worry for us others is remarkable, with what you have looming over your own head."

Gregor winced as he recalled Kismet saying a very similar thing, back at the citadel. "I..."

"Let me ask you something", Ripred interrupted again, "do you truly believe you will not live through this battle?"

Gregor's head shot up and he stared at the rat in visible confusion. "W... what are you... I mean, what do you...?"

Ripred sighed. "Ah, it's as I feared. You've let this get to you, haven't you?" Gregor needed not to answer. His strained face with the sunken eyes and the forcibly clenched jaw spoke for itself. "Oh boy, did we truly not learn from our past?" Gregor remained silent and the rat continued, "I've been thinking, recently. About prophecies and all. And... in the past, how many prophecies have we interpreted correctly, on our first time through?"

Gregor froze. His gaze was on the rat, yet he was still not entirely certain what he was getting at.

"None", Ripred answered his own question. "So why'd you assume this one'll be different?"

When Gregor didn't reply again, Ripred groaned. "Boy, will you work with me here for a second?"

"I don't know!", Gregor finally blurted out, "I mean, yeah, we tend to be wrong, but how else can "when the warrior has been killed" be interpreted?"

Ripred tilted his head. "Well, given Henry managed to live through being "the last who will die", who says you won't do the same with "when the warrior has been killed"?"

Gregor froze with his jaw dropped open. Only by gathering all his willpower he managed to close it again. "Y... you mean..."

"I MEAN we don't know how it'll play out, is all I mean." The rat scraped his claw on the floor. "And I'll not have your fighting skills compromised because of some stupid worries, got it? You'll go out there, and you'll kick butt – what's left of the Bane's butt, anyways – and you'll return well enough. I am not arguing about this."

For the first time in what felt like forever, a genuine smile spread on Gregor's face. "Yeah. I can do that."

"Good", the rat moved from the wall he'd leaned on, "then show me what you've got, how about it?"

Gregor had already scrambled up and closed his hand around the hilt of his sword when he stopped and released it again. "Wait... what will we do about Solovet's plan? We can't just go through with it, can we?"

Ripred froze and glanced behind himself. "Uh... my bad, though I can hardly do anything about that. But I believe there – AH, finally!"

Before Gregor could bat an eye he had disappeared out of sight and then returned equally fast – dragging along two semi-protesting, familiar figures. "But these two – who are more than fashionably LATE, by the way – can."

"LUXA!" Gregor instinctively darted forward, at her, before properly registering she wasn't alone. "Henry!"

"Well, someone's eager", the outcast grinned and Luxa punched him, or at least, she tried. He easily caught her hand and she hissed "not fair!"

"You, you're here!", Gregor stammered and looked back and forth between them. This was it, he thought, Luxa was here. His bucket list consisted only of a single thing, Gregor saw it before his inner eye like he had really written it down. She was here, and – and so were Ripred and Henry, who already looked back and forth between the two, exchanging knowing grins.

He pressed his lips together. A thousand questions shot through his head as he stared at Luxa, yet she beat him to speaking – "We've been out regrouping Lapblood's and Splintleg's forces. After Whitespur's death, it was not an easy task." Her gaze darted at Henry, "Yet he was as convincing as she."

"Don't exaggerate", her cousin shook his head, "I can never replace her. But I'll still do what must be done." He exchanged a glance with Ripred. "Then he left us a message in the turtle shaft, informing where you'd be. We overheard it all. There's a cave directly above this one, it is only accessible through the air, but it provides a well enough hiding spot."

Luxa nodded. "Aurora and Thanatos are rallying up the other fliers. We must act now. I will not allow Solovet to send my army into certain death."

For the first time in forever Gregor felt hope rise in himself. Luxa was here, and so were Henry and Ripred, who, as flakey and dangerously irresponsible as they could be sometimes, were both excellent strategists, and way more knowledgeable about the warfare system in the Underland.

"So... you have a plan?"

Henry an Ripred exchanged glances. "You... could say that", the outcast mumbled and grinned.

"So, about half a plan?", Ripred asked and Henry's grin widened. "Well, I'd say more than HALF, but somewhere between the two." Luxa and Ripred began uncontrollably giggling and Gregor barely suppressed the urge to facepalm. It was still Ripred and Henry, at the end of the day.

"So, uh... meet us in fifteen or so minutes in the camp. We'll be rallying up as many soldiers as we can. Sit tight, and don't take too long."

Gregor glanced up at Ripred in confusion, the rat had already grabbed an equally bewildered Henry by the arm. "Come on, we've business to do."

"But they –"

"THEY won't be of much help anyway. Her Majesty's being alive is best announced before an appropriate audience, and I can't even remotely picture the Great Warrior here be useful in this matter." Within seconds the two had vanished from the cave. All that remained was Gregor, Luxa, and the still quietly crackling torch.

Gregor's gaze instantly fixated on her, and despite his best efforts, his heartbeat tripled. His unwritten bucket list came to mind and for a moment he contemplated whether Ripred had somehow guessed all this, whether he had left them alone on purpose. It was hard picturing the rat do anything of the sort for him, then again... his conversation with Lizzie about his own loss came to mind. He sure knew more than one should about saying goodbye.

"You..." – "I..." Both laughed as they had spoken at the same time.

"You first", Luxa shrugged.

Gregor swallowed. He hadn't the slightest clue as to what he had meant to say. "I just... how have you been doing, out there, with Henry? You... seem to be getting along again..."

Luxa nodded. "Much has happened between us, but I have no animosity left. I shouldn't have had any for quite a while now. I...", she glanced at him, "I apologize for being angry with you, after I found out you kept his secret. You had no fault in this. I just... I was angry because..."

"Because I wasn't being honest with you? That was the hardest part, you know?" Gregor sat down by the wall, Luxa followed him shortly.

"How did you..."

"I listened to him and Ripred talk", shrugged Gregor. "Me and Ares. He asked me to keep it a secret, so that he could fulfill that vow he made with you. He thought you wouldn't let him if you knew who he was."

Luxa remained silent for a while. "I was very angry with him... but I believe I... I have sensed it was him for a while. I did not acknowledge it for I did not want it to be him. But Henry and I have known each other too well in the past for me to genuinely overlook this. I just...", she shook her head, "Part of me could not process the one who had betrayed me in the past would ever return to aid me again, I..."

"Did you blame yourself for it?"

Luxa's following silence spoke for itself. "I know I shouldn't have", she eventually spoke on, "but how could I not?"

"Betrayal's always sort of a personal thing, isn't it?"

She nodded. "But then I thought of Dalia and what had happened to her, and slowly it became harder and harder to stop myself from contemplating whether he'd had a... a reason of the sort as well."

"Well, I'm glad you're getting along again", Gregor didn't look away from her until she returned his gaze. "He's really changed for the better."

Luxa nodded. "He has... but he also has not."

Gregor smiled as he recalled Ares had said a very similar thing, back when they had first found out. But despite the seemingly happy topic, she wasn't smiling.

"Hey... are you okay?"

Luxa averted her gaze again. "He has found his place", she mumbled, "I sometimes wish for things to just go back to the way they were before, but... they will never be as before."

"What... do you mean?" Gregor scooted even closer. His hand hovered over her shoulder before he finally placed it down.

When Luxa looked up he spotted in her eyes more sorrow than he had in a long time. "He is not coming back, Gregor."

"Not... you mean...?"

"I mean", she energetically pulled her knees on, "he has informed me he will never go back to Regalia, even if there was a nigh-absolute guarantee for him to be pardoned."

"... oh." He had no idea what to respond to that. His mind flashed to Henry and his seemingly established life out here. Before they had met up again, to try and save the mice, he'd gone to explore new places, he'd been getting by well-enough. For himself he couldn't imagine anything of the sort, but for Henry, life as an outcast may just be what would make him happy.

"I know I can not force him, Gregor", she sniffed, "but perhaps this was also a reason as to why I refused to believe he had returned. Because, deep down, I knew he would not be moved to stay. Because I knew I would regain him only briefly, because I knew I would... lose him again."

Gregor barely registered what he was doing until he had already wrapped his arms around her. "I'm sorry", he muttered, and there was hardly anything else he could say, at this moment in time.

He could not tell for how long they sat there, eventually she had rested her head on his shoulder and everything in him refused to move, but he knew their time here was limited. They were awaited.

"There is... something I wanted you to have", he finally sighed and eased his embrace to somewhat arduously pull out the photo of them he had once again stashed beneath his breastplate. "Just to keep safe, for..." He stopped himself before he could say "for in case I won't come back".

"For until you return?", Luxa finished his sentence and Gregor nodded. He watched her face lighten a little when she recognized the photo.

"I still have that one of us dancing at Hazard's party to keep for myself, well, somewhere...", he managed a grin.

Luxa looked up. "Yes, that is a good one." She gazed at him pensively, though there was also something new in her look. Something that had Gregor's heart ache from sadness and beat faster from excitement at the same time. "There... is also something I'd like you to have", she finally mumbled and her eyes fluttered down. "But that is something I want you to return later. Can you do that?"

Gregor frowned. "Uh... sure, but what –"

Before he could finish his sentence she had pulled closer and kissed him. Despite the brevity of the moment, something not unlike the rager sensation, but warmer, more tingly, traveled through his body. Their lips parted and he could see her face registering the feeling as well. For a heartbeat they held each other's gaze, her hair still brushed his cheek.

"Can... you do that?", she repeated, and his mouth curved into a grin. "Yeah... I think I can."