This is my first fanfiction so please go easy on it. If you like the story I'll keep chapters coming. If not keep it to yourself, please don't hate on it. If you find any errors, whether it be spelling, grammar or anything else please just let me know. I've been reading many of the fanfictions on this site but I just wanted to add my own to them.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Underland Chronicles or any of the characters, save the ones that I will be adding. Both the Underland Chronicles and the characters within belong to Suzanne Collins.
-Ssi
Gregor's eyes flung open quickly as his breathing slowed. Another night plagued with bad dreams left him more tired than the prior evening. Luxa was laying on the couch beside him. Her eyes were already open staring up at him.
"Are you okay?" Luxa asked.
"Never better," Gregor repeated her phrase to him from the night before.
"Nightmare?" She asked as she stood up and stretched as much as she could before cringing.
Gregor neither confirmed nor denied it as he sat up and rubbed the back of his neck.
"Ares?" Luxa continued to berate him with questions. He could hear the hesitation in her voice.
"Yeah," he lied easily. His nightmares had not been about Ares that night… but about her. Though, he had plenty of nightmares about Ares in nights prior. "Where are you going?" He asked as she made it clear she was about to leave.
"The war counsel is going to convene shortly, if I were to not be there they would surely kill me," Luxa explained as she leaned over and kissed Gregor's cheek. "When you get the chance please join me, I cannot go through any more meetings without help."
Gregor smiled as he stood up, "yeah, sure. I'll join you."
"Eh, give me a moment before you join," Luxa stated. "We would not want the counsel to get any ideas."
Gregor was about to argue but realized that she was right. The new counsel apparently wasn't a big fan of Gregor for taking Luxa to the Overland. He could only imagine how they would react to finding out that he and their Queen had… whatever they had.
He nodded as she left the room.
When Gregor entered the war room the discussion had started without him so he made sure to position himself in the back corner next to Mareth.
Luxa glanced up at him from the other side of the stone table but continued speaking. "How many?"
"Our estimate puts at least a couple hundred gnawers and six or seven hundred men that were once among our armies," one of the older men around the table replied.
Gregor could see the concern in Luxa's eyes but her voice was solid. "And they have all taken residence at the Fount?" She queried.
"No, my Queen, those are merely the forces that we can account for on the outer sections of the city. Vellac and his stronger forces must be hidden somewhere closer to the center of the city."
The little color that was in Luxa's face left. "Stronger forces? Just how many men do we still have?"
Faces around the room looked around at each other with unease. "Less than two hundred."
Silence fell around the room as everyone glanced around the room waiting for someone to speak.
Mareth cleared his throat, "Our numbers may be few, but we still have one hidden weapon."
The older man shook his head, "Having one rager will not change change the outcome of these odds."
"This one rager," Mareth motioned towards Gregor, "above being the best fighter in all of Regalia, is an icon of hope for the Regalian army and an icon of fear for Vellac's men."
Another man spoke up immediately, "The Warrior died years ago in the eyes of Regalia. He holds little sway anymore. Our armies morale will be altered more by Vellac than that Overlander," he motioned at Gregor.
An older woman added into the mix, "besides, as far as the counsel can remember, the Warrior was not even able to follow orders. He will never be a leader amongst us."
Gregor looked towards Luxa. She didn't seem to be listening. Her head was bowed slightly and her eyes were in deep concentration. Gregor assumed that although he was allowed listen in this meeting they would not be happy if he contributed to it, so as hard as it was, he stayed quiet.
Perdita came to his rescue, "Gregor is an exceptional soldier and will be an outstanding leader. Every single man and woman that fights for Regalia looks up to him and we will stand behind him."
"This is preposterous," the woman exclaimed. "One does not wake up one day and decide to lead an army, he has not been trained for such things and he has not had experience in such things."
Luxa cleared her throat and the room went silent. "Gregor, would you please leave us for a moment?" Gregor opened his mouth to argue but the look in her eyes kept him silent. She looked stressed and scared and almost overwhelmed. None of which Gregor could remember her looking like very often at all.
"Sure," Gregor took a deep breath and headed for the door. "If you need me I'll be in the High Halls."
Gregor paced back and forth near the balcony. He had no idea why Luxa had removed him from the meeting but it couldn't have been good. After they had mentioned the size of their armies, that had been when she started to look concerned. He wasn't sure why that seemed to bother her so much. Yes they were outnumbered but weren't they nearly always outnumbered? What was different this time around?
"Gregor." his name made him spin immediately to face Iris.
"Oh," Gregor replied, "Hey Iris, what're you doing here?" He said trying not to sound too stressed himself.
"I was summoned by the Queen," she answered.
"Luxa? Why?" Gregor asked in confusion.
Iris tilted her head, "I know not. When I saw you here I thought that maybe you would know?"
"I truly have no idea," Gregor answered.
Luxa caught the edge of Gregor's eye as she entered the High Halls being followed by Mareth and Perdita.
"What are you planning Luxa?" Gregor could hear Perdita asking as they walked towards him and the white bat.
"Whatever it is, please take a moment to think it over before you act," Mareth pleaded with her.
"You, Flier!" Luxa addressed Iris quickly and bluntly.
"Yes Queen Luxa?" Iris asked as she bowed her head formally.
"Luxa, wha-" Gregor started before he was cut off.
"Do you know the passage to the Overland near the Waterway?" Luxa asked.
"Of course," Iris responded immediately. "Why?"
Luxa ignored her question and focused on Gregor. He knew something was wrong. She stared into his eyes for a moment before moving toward him and embracing him. As comforting as it was, it was equally as unnerving. Not nearly as unnerving, however, as her next words.
Luxa whispered just loud enough for him to hear, and no one else. "I am sorry Gregor… But one of us has to live." Before Gregor could do or say anything Luxa turned on her heels and started walking away quickly. "Guards," she yelled before Gregor could follow her, "arrest the Overlander!"
"What?" Mareth and Perdita shouted at the same time as Gregor. The guards surrounded Gregor immediately.
"Stand down soldiers!" Perdita ordered but none of them listened.
Mareth drew his sword and stepped in front of Gregor. "Stand down!" He repeated Perdita's order. When it was clear that they ignored the lesser order again Mareth looked over his shoulder at Gregor. "Run!"
Gregor watched Luxa disappear into the crowd without as much as a glance over her shoulder and he swore to himself. "Jump, Overlander," Iris called out to him as she lifted into the air quickly.
Gregor weighed the options in his head for the fifth or sixth time before he turned towards the balcony and vaulted over it. Iris caught Gregor immediately and soared over Regalia.
Screaming out in rage Gregor slammed his fist into the sides of his head and tried to breath deeply. He had no idea what to do. He knew why she had done it too, she had even used his own words against him. But that was different, he told himself. He was protecting her after he had already known he was a dead man walking. She was now trying to protect him by practically sacrificing herself on top of ever man, woman and child in Regalia. She knew they needed him! How could she do something like that.
Gregor looked down as he tried to calm the rager side of him that seemed to be boiling inside. The water below calmed him for a moment. The soft wave that slowly crashed aside the rocky walls. The light was gone but he could see clearly in the dark. "Where are we going?" he asked Iris.
"The Waterway, Luxa made it fairly clear that she wanted me to take you back to the Overland, did she not," She answered.
"We're not going to the Waterway and I'm not going to the Overland!" Gregor said sternly.
"But Luxa-", Iris started.
"I don't care what Luxa wanted," Gregor's voice was stony as the words of the new prophecy echoed in his head. "If I leave now, Luxa is dead for sure. I'm not leaving." Gregor said forcefully, not to scare Iris but to make certain she understood where he stood on the matter.
After a moment of silence she spoke again, "Where, then, are we going?"
"The Fount," Gregor responded immediately and then thought for a moment longer. "But first… we have to make a quick stop."
This wasn't the fastest chapter but I'm happy that it was faster to get out than the last few. I'm sorry is Luxa still seems a bit out of character but i think you can see why and understand that she even acted similar to this at the end of book 4 when she told Gregor she wouldn't blame him if he went back home. Either way she may be just a bit out of character but i think it suits her to show this side of her if even just for a moment around Gregor. I hope you enjoy the chapter. As always please rate and review. Any and all feedback is welcome.
ScourgeofshadowsKarx thank you for letting me know about that mix up, I feel rather unintelligent and I'll use the excuse that it was darn near 4 AM when I "posted" this chapter.
-Ssi
