While darkness surrounded them, Gregor felt secure in his ability to 'see' all around. They were sitting on a ledge far above the bottom of the cavern they found themselves in. They had landed here to allow the bats a rest. They now sat clumped together farther from the edge. Ripred sat to his side, staring into the darkness. Gregor sat with his legs dangling over the side. While he still felt his fear of heights, the proximity of the bats mitigated a good portion of it.
It had been five days since they left, or at least, Gregor had slept five times. It was hard to keep track of time down here. They have been on a rotation, Gregor and Ripred would sleep on the bats as they flew and once they could no longer fly the two found a place to rest and Gregor and Ripred would take watch until the bats were once again ready to fly.
Throughout the many watches Gregor had gone through many different strategies to stay alert on his watch. Practiced his echolocation, studying the surrounding area time and time again until he knew where every crevice, crack, or hole lay. Not to mention the amount of bugs and small creatures filling the empty space. It would seem that the uncharted lands held untold amounts of life, from crab-like creatures scurrying along to the occasional snake making its way down a tunnel, and many, many spiders along the walls and ceilings hunting the hundreds of bugs that pass through, though the majority of them were more akin to their Overland counterparts, about the size of Gregor's hand at the largest.
Around a hundred feet to Gregor's left a small stream meanders through the floor of the cavern, meeting with a much larger stream that followed the center of the floor. A small din of light emanated from the larger stream, lightly illuminating the moss that grew along the edge.
They had been following that stream for the majority of the trip. Despite the moss and volcanic light the water was fresh and the fish were edible, and seeing as Ripred had decided to bring no supplies, that brook served as their only source of food and water on the trip.
Gregor shifted in his seat in an attempt to get comfortable on the rocky cliff. He needed to focus, clearly there was life here, so there may be dangers. Gregor tried his next trick, Scanning the surrounding area Gregor tried to count the various species of creatures he could detect. After a few minutes however, he found that while there must have been thousands of creatures crawling around he could count only a few hundred distinct species. Or at least only a few hundred he could distinguish as different. He was sure that number was wrong, but when you don't have color to work with, all you can really use is size and mannerisms.
Sighing, Gregor focused on the rat next to him. Gregor had joked about it during their reunion, but Ripred really was getting old. His teeth were darker than Gregor remembered, his coat was dull, and was missing a few patches. He even seemed to have less energy than a few years ago. Yeah, most definitely Ripred was getting old. Though Gregor was sure the old rat could still win a fight with most of the creatures in the Underland, he must be slowing down.
Gregor wondered how long rats lived in the Underland. Ripred has clearly seen his fair share of years, and he was only now showing signs of age. Of course it seemed every creature down here has an abnormally long lifespan, cockroaches lasted years despite the overland variants rarely lasting longer than a year. Who knows how long Ripred, clearly on a level of his own, can last? For that matter, how long can one of the huge bats last? Gregor knew a bit about them from the exhibit at the Zoo that has long been emblazoned in his mind, he knew they lasted about sixteen years in the overland, so if all the creatures down here live longer than their overland counterparts, how old can a bat get?
Focusing on the bats now, Gregor could see the two huddled together. The larger one took up a large portion of the ledge they sat on. He was big, even strong enough to haul Ripred for hours. Gregor was quite impressed. In fact he might even be bigger than Ares had been. He had introduced himself as Deimos. He was a fairly quiet bat, speaking very little to Ripred and not saying anything to Gregor since being introduced.
The smaller one curled inside Deimos' wing had introduced herself as Minerva soon after they had embarked. While physically smaller than many of the bats Gregor had met throughout the Underland, she had quite some speed and at least equal endurance to Deimos, if not more. Minerva seemed to be much more chipper than her larger counterpart. It was somewhat off putting to Gregor at first as the bats he had traveled with throughout his many adventures tended to keep to themselves. He wasn't going to complain however, the bright and cheery bat helped keep his mind off Ares.
Ares had been on his mind for much of the last few days, invading his thoughts and dreams, it was hard to lose the thought of his old bond while flying. But Minerva helped distract him, during the hours he spent awake during their flight they would talk about all sorts of things. While Gregor was more focused on the goings on of the Underland, Minerva seemed to have a genuine fascination for the Overland. She wanted to learn all she could about the land miles above them and asked question after question to Gregor.
While it was much more interaction than Gregor was used to after spending the bulk of his time in solitude, but it was comforting in a way he wasn't used to. In fact, these conversations reminded him of the talks he had with Luxa. Those felt like a lifetime ago, he could vividly remember the fear he felt propping her up on Ares' back during the unbearably long flight back to Regalia from the Fire Lands. He could remember talking all sorts of nonsense about his home, about his family, even about Mrs. Cormaci, all to keep her alert, breathing, alive.
Gregor was shocked out of his trance by a small tap on his shoulder, Ripred had flicked him with his tail and was now staring at him. "What's up, Ripred?" Gregor kept his voice low to not disturb the sleeping bats.
Ripred spoke softly, "I think it's time you knew what you face in Regalia." Gregor snapped to attention. "As you already know, the situation is becoming quite dire. Conflicts with the rats have increased in regularity and viciousness, many colonies have been destroyed and others are in open rebellion. On top of that unrest is growing in Regalia, many fights have broken out and many guards have been injured. It's not looking good for the city, or for Luxa."
Gregor sat silent for a while, taking in and digesting all he just heard. "Is she in any danger?" Ripred only sighed.
"She is a queen, Gregor. There has never been a point in time where she was not in danger. However, in recent weeks the danger has increased. The council has ruled that she should not leave her chambers without an escort, specifically, an escort chosen by the council." Gregor was surprised to hear that the council still had power after the war with the rats, especially since the council had been killed during the siege of the palace.
Ripred, noticing Gregor's confusion, spoke up once more. "Yes, the council was reestablished shortly after you left, by Luxa, I might add. And while it has less power than it once did, they still have enough to keep her in check." So, unrest in Regalia, open rebellion in many colonies, danger from the rats, and to top it all off, Luxa was in a state of constant danger. Quite the welcoming situation.
Ripred shifted, glancing back at the bats. He sat for a moment, seemingly contemplating something before turning back to Gregor. "There is something else. Since she has become of age and ascended to the throne formally, there has been a shift that you should be aware of. Starting a few months back, suitors began arriving in Regalia. Likely hoping to gain power for themselves and their families."
Ripred looked at Gregor and gave an almost unnoticeable wink. "However, as you know Luxa as well as I do, you will be unsurprised to hear that she has not hesitated to coldly shut down each and every one of them." Gregor chuckled, he knew the depths of Luxa's coldness better than most. He couldn't help but feel just a bit badly for the poor suitors that attempted to gain her favor.
"So, why mention this? Are you worried I'll get jealous?" Gregor asked. Ripred only shook his head.
"Of course you'll get jealous, but that's not why I mentioned it. My point is, Luxa is expected to marry, it is a part of her responsibility. However, she gets to choose who she marries, and the problem is, I don't think she would choose anyone but you." Gregor wasn't sure how to respond to this, Ripred had rarely been so straight forward about topics like this. He could only remember one time, in fact.
Luckily, Gregor didn't have to respond. Ripred continued before he had a chance.
"Now, seeing as that's the case, I took the liberty of fetching you. Overlander or not, the stability of the Kingdom relies on having a King." Ripred paused deliberately while his words began to sink in. Gregor's mouth dried in an instant.
"King?" The word came out nearly inaudible and Gregor had to swallow once before trying again. "You brought me down here to be her King?" Ripred rolled his eyes.
"No, I didn't bring you down here to be her King, at least, that's not the only reason. Regalian politics aside, there is a war brewing and the only creature in the Underland that can keep up with me is you." Ripred sighed, looking back over the vast darkness.
"And let's not kid ourselves here, I'm old. Even older than I was when you first fell. I can still hold my own. But my days of holding off wave after wave of enemies are long gone, the Regalians need someone to pick up the torch. I am convinced that you are that person." He turned back to Gregor.
"Are you willing to do that?" Gregor searched his face. Ripred spoke in a tone Gregor had only heard a few times. He remembered his Grandfather speaking in this tone only once, when he had been on his deathbed. While Ripred was clearly not at that point yet, he was not one to shy away from the truth. Ripred was being earnest, he didn't expect to live for much longer. That thought scared Gregor more than any talks of war ever could.
Gregor pulled out Solovet's dagger, taking it from the sheath and feeling the blade.
"I don't have much choice, do I?" Sure, technically he did. Stay, become Ripred's apprentice in earnest and take over his role, becoming a King along the way. Or leave, continue his life of mediocrity with only a few friends and no real prospects, likely leaving the Regalians and Luxa to an era of great hardship and, likely war.
Gregor gave a small chuckle. "What did you think I would say, Ripred? 'Nah, I'm going to go back to my home where I hate my life and have no real future'? Of course I am willing." Ripred gave a wry smile and nodded his head.
"Good, I knew you would." Ripred sat silent for a moment. "Tell me, do you recognize this cavern?" Gregor clicked once, attempting to find what Ripred meant. "Probably not, I suppose. Last time you were here the ground was covered in a thick layer of ash, and you were pretty out of it." Alarmed, Gregor searched harder. Pretty soon, he spotted it.
What he had written off as nothing but an outcropping, he recognized to be the rock formation he had landed on after the Queen had erupted. That meant they were about to hit the Jungle, and more importantly, were only a couple more days from Regalia.
—
Soon after his conversation with Ripred, the bats began to stir and not long after they were continuing their flight. This time however, Gregor began to really recognize the landscape before falling asleep.
He woke several hours later as the bats came in for a landing. This time he knew exactly where he was. They landed on a stone outcropping along the edge of the Jungle, where the group had rested before Gregor and Ares were sent back to Regalia after the Queen erupted.
As the bats clumped together to rest, Gregor sat on the edge of the rock. The full weight of his conversation with Ripred was starting to hit him, now that he was back in an area he knew. Pretty soon he'd be back in Regalia, pretty soon he'd see all of his old friends. Pretty soon he'd see Luxa. He remembered the talk he had with Ripred that night. He had told Gregor not to put too much on an uncertain future.
After three years, three months, and who knew how many days, the revelation that soon he'd be with Luxa again felt unreal. Like he had fallen asleep back in his home and had yet to wake. He knew it was unrealistic, he knew he was really back, but it still felt like some fantasy.
For what felt like the thousandth time in three days, Gregor pulled Solovet's dagger from its sheath. Here by the Jungle, with the everlasting glow from the rivers, the dagger truly shone. The light hit all the gems, and the spotless blade, giving the dagger and almost iridescent shine. He fingered the blade, feeling its sharpness.
It had been years since he last wielded this blade, years since he killed with it. And yet, here he was. He was heading back into the storm, likely another war and many more battles but he didn't care. Gregor was just glad he would be able to see Luxa again.
Ripred sat next to Gregor and the two of them simply sat silent for a while, staring into the soft glow that emerged from the jungle. Soon however, Gregor couldn't sit silent anymore.
"Ripred, " He trailed off, not sure how to phrase his question. But it seemed Ripred knew what he was getting at.
"Yes, I am certain she will be just as happy to see you as you will be to see her." Gregor sighed thankfully. He looked down at the beautiful dagger he now held, admiring the nearly spotless blade.
"Do you think she will even have time to see me?" Gregor asked.
"Yes again, she has more responsibilities now than she did, but there are very few people she would rather see during her free time than you." Ripred paused for a moment. "Especially now that she is effectively confined to her quarters." Gregor thought about that for a while.
"Is the situation really that dire in Regalia?" Gregor asked. "She fears her own people?"
Ripred sighed, picking up a small stone to gnaw on while he thought out an answer. For a short while, that was all he gave Gregor. But soon he had an answer.
"Look, the situation in Regalia is dire for sure, but I'm of a mind that the internal threats are far overblown by the council. Much like the Fount, the outer colonies have nearly full independence. They are technically under Regalia's sphere of influence, but only in that they are protected by the crown." Ripred said around the stone. "They have very little reason to blame Luxa for any of their troubles." Gregor let out a sigh of relief, maybe the council was just overreacting due to Luxa's tendency to solve problems herself.
"I do, however, worry about the many external threats posed against Regalia. My lovely brethren are the most obvious, though you know of that threat already. The Cutters on the other hand, are less than happy about Regalia's recent expansion efforts, especially the combined rat and human settlements near the Cutter's borders." Gregor felt another pang of fear rush through him.
He had only fought the Cutters once in the Vineyard of Eyes, where himself, Ripred, Luxa, Nike, Hamnet, Frill and Temp had attempted to protect the Starshade. They had failed under the onslaught of ants, wave after wave had attacked, pushing them back under sheer numbers. That had most likely only been a small part of their larger army, Gregor hoped he would never have to face off against the full force of the Cutters.
"Then there are the outer colonies. Following the war, Luxa and Vikus attempted to rebuild and expand, many of those expansions were outside the Castle walls. Those colonies are scattered throughout the Underland, a few have even been built in what was previously uncharted land. But, following the attacks by the Gnawers and even a few scuffles with the Spinners and Cutters, the remaining colonies are less than happy with the lack of support shown by Regalia." Ripred scratched his ear before continuing.
"So, yeah. Tensions are running high and support for Luxa is running low." Gregor sat for a moment, attempting to digest this information, and failing miserably at that. It was just all so much. He felt hopeless, there was just too much to worry about. Gregor must have shown his worry because Ripred spoke once more.
"Cheer up, it's not like war has already been declared. Besides, with the warrior returning to Regalia, hopefully the morale of the Regalians will increase. And, I'll bet the angry factions will quiet some with your return. But, there's no way to tell until you get there." Gregor looked back at the dagger he still held, turning it over in his hands.
"Is that the real reason I'm here, Ripred? A buffer between Regalia and it's enemies?" Gregor asked.
Ripred studied him for a moment. "Is that not what you'd already been? Face it Gregor, the Bane, the Plague, hell, even your father. All of those quests were about you doing something to either help the Regalians or hurt their enemies. Is it all that different now?"
"I don't want to be just a weapon, Ripred." Gregor sighed. "I know that I am, err, was the Warrior. But I had hoped I could be more than just that, a Warrior." Ripred chuckled sadly. He waved his tail in a circle over the two of them.
"You and I, kid. We're warriors. It doesn't matter if we want to be or not, it's what we are." He said.
"But, you're the Peacemaker. You have the scars to prove that." Gregor said, waving at the old rat's face.
"Yes, yes. I'm the Peacemaker according to Sandwich. But let's be real here Gregor. Look at all the peace I've made. It'll all come crumbling down soon enough." Ripred gestured toward one of his many scars adorning his body. "That, do you think that came through peace, Gregor? No. It came through a bloody battle where I killed the creature that made it." Gregor noted the vagueness of the word 'creature', but elected to ignore it.
Ripred had a point. He'd been in countless wars, killed thousands, and despite that he was no more able to stop a war than Gregor would be. He may be called the Peacemaker, and Gregor knew that Ripred wanted peace above all else, but that peace came at a price. A high, bloody price.
"You want to prevent a war Gregor? Then be a warrior. Everyone in the Underland knows of your prowess and loyalty to Luxa. You show that you aren't afraid to defend those you love, and the Underland will listen." Gregor mulled this over. He knew Ripred was right, if he really wanted to prevent a war all he needed to do was make a point that was so obvious that nobody in the Underland could ignore it.
But it didn't feel right.
Gregor didn't want to force the Underland to his will through intimidation. It wasn't like him, it never had been.
"There has to be another way." Gregor said. Ripred flicked his tail, narrowly missing Gregor.
"I have tried every other option I know of and they have failed. But if you think you can do it Gregor, then please do." Ripred said.
They sat in near silence for a long while after that. Gregor studying the dagger, lost in his thoughts, and Ripred gnawing on that stone. Eventually, Ripred rose from his seat.
"Well, I suppose it's time we got going. We've a long flight ahead of us, and I'm sure you're itching to get back to your girlfriend." Ripred roused the bats. After a short break for food, they were back in the air.
The glow of the Jungle followed them for some time, but soon they were back in the pitch blackness of the caves. Gregor had been sure he would be unable to fall asleep with everything on his mind, but soon after the light of the Jungle receded, Gregor was swallowed into a deep sleep.
—
Many hours later, Gregor was awoken by Minerva speaking to him.
"You must wake Overlander. We have arrived." His eyes opened and he shut them on instinct as the bright lights from the city overwhelmed his eyes. After a few moments he reopened them to see Regalia.
They were high above the city now, circling the Palace. Looking down, Gregor saw the city in its full glory. Lights blazed all across the city, illuminating the populous moving through the streets. They looked like ants in a colony from this high up, going about their duties. A sense of awe washed over him as he took in the city he hadn't seen in over three years.
"We will be entering the Great Hall now, I believe Luxa is expecting us." Minerva's soft voice echoed through him. He was here, Luxa was here. It had all still felt just a little unreal until this moment.
"I'm ready." He said, attempting to regain control of his rapidly beating heart. Minerva began the dive into the Palace, Deimos following closely with Ripred. They landed in the Great Hall where a small procession awaited them.
Gregor saw about twenty humans and bats clustered in the hall. He recognized Howard, Nike, Mareth, Vikus, and Aurora at once. It only took him another moment to recognize Hazard. And clutching Hazard's hand, was Luxa.
Luxa, she was as beautiful as he remembered, no, more so. A long, detailed gown trailed her as she moved forward. Her golden hair was put up in an elegant crown braid with long strips falling down the sides of her face. Sitting atop her braids was a small silver crown, larger than her circlet had been though smaller than the crown he had seen Gorger wearing. It was decorated in all manner of inscriptions and jewels, but its beauty was nothing compared to the woman who wore it.
His eyes traced her face before locking on her eyes. Her eyes, he had forgotten how beautiful they were. Those Violet eyes seemed to see right through him, and his heart skipped a beat when they locked with his.
Luxa strode another step before stopping about five paces from Minerva. He was captivated by her beauty, unable to move, or even speak. She gazed at him, and he felt all the weight of a queen staring him down. Her face softened for just a moment, and Gregor felt a joy he hadn't had for years. The softness of her expression melted into her words as she spoke.
"Welcome back to Regalia, Gregor."
I hope you've enjoyed the latest chapter. I know it has been quite a while, but I would like to think it was worth the wait. Cheers.