They walk in relative silence watching as the landscape changed. The glowing flowers continued but as they walked further in everything seemed to become… more. It started out subtle as they began to notice different varieties of flower, the plants getting larger as they go. Then it's more than shrubs and vines and flowers, it's trees and rustling in the dense growth that has them all on edge. The trees tower above them, a distinct glow emanating from the leaves and trunk. Like the flowers they were beautiful in a way, but their sheer size conveyed a slightly sinister nature. And the noises… they were quiet, brief, from somewhere far outside their sight line, but enough for them to be aware that something else was out there.

After several hours of walking Gregor found himself bringing up the rear of the group. They had been forced to walk nearly single file because of the density of the growth around them. The hours were getting to them all and they were no longer a compact group, rather spread out and lagging as they trudged along.

Gregor forced himself from his thoughts as he sensed a figure beside him. Luxa had fallen behind and was suddenly walking next to him. Gregor looked at her in surprise and then ahead to the others, Howard was a head of them, some 10 feet up, and Carter was at the front, well out of hearing range. He glances back at Luxa and she was staring at him strangely, but didn't speak, rather continued to match his pace.

Gregor could only handle the silence for a few moments before blurting, "I'm sorry, Luxa, I didn't mean to be talking about you. Well… I mean… I guess I did, but I shouldn't have. It was stupid of me. It's none of my business."

Luxa turned away from him, focused on the path in front, and Gregor thought his apology might have made things worse. Finally she sighed and turned back to face him. "Do not worry Overlander," she said rolling her eyes, "my cousins are idiots. And I do not blame you for being curious. It would be a lie to say I am not curious about the path your life has taken these past years." Here she looked away and Gregor could've sworn she looked almost embarrassed. "But I was not pining."

Gregor laughed. "I never thought you were."

"Good," she said defiantly, "because I am a queen you know, and just because I missed you," a blush rose hard and fast across her cheeks, "does not mean I had time to wait around and be sad. I am very busy."

Gregor laughed again as Luxa stuck her nose in the air. She looked every bit the queen except for the smile threatening to come through and the flush of laughter on her cheeks. "I'm sorry your highness," Gregor said with a smirk, "I didn't realize I was speaking with someone so popular and important. Thank you for blessing me with this small fraction of your time." He bowed, an exaggerated and ridiculous gesture, made worse with his laughter. She was laughing too and Gregor flushes with pride at having been the one to cause it.

"You should be grateful to have just a fraction of my time," she added through her giggles.

Something about her words broke the mood for Gregor and he came to a stop. "Wha-" Luxa began to ask brows wrinkling in confusion despite the smile still on her face.

Gregor reaches out and took her hand , holding it gently in his own. She looked down at their intertwined fingers as if she didn't quite know how it had happened. "I am you know, grateful for your time." Luxa looked up at him in surprise. "And I'm sorry for making you wait."

"I told you," she said in a daze, "I wasn't waiting." There was a slight edge to her voice despite the softness of it. She made a half hearted move to pull her hand from his grasp but he held firm.

"I know," he said with a soft smile, "but I think I was. Waiting I mean. Even if I didn't remember I think I've always been waiting for you." He felt vulnerable and raw, but the words were the truest he'd ever spoken.

She looked as dazed as he felt, but there was also a vulnerability reflected in her face as well. Her mouth parted, and Gregor was struck by how beautiful she looked. "I…" But before she could finish there was the sound of commotion up ahead of them.

They had fallen well behind the group. Carter was yelling Luxa's name and before he had time to think, she had dropped him hand and was sprinting towards the others, Gregor following just steps behind.

They had stopped beneath two of the largest trees they had seen so far. Howard, Hazard, and Carter were crouched beside the path whispering furiously. "Where were you?" Carter demanded as Luxa and Gregor joined them. Luxa scowled but ignored his question.

"What is happening?" Luxa asks.

"Gnawers, two of them. They ran up the tree. It seems unwise to continue our current path as it would lead us right under them." Howard answered, more level headed than any of them felt.

Luxa nodded and Gregor agreed. It meant they would have to back track and take a different route, taking them even longer to get to his sister, but passing directly under where they knew two rats were hiding seemed like suicide. Carter however thought different.

"Come out you cowards," he yelled towards the trees, standing and drawing his sword. "Come out and fight us."

"Carter!" Luxa yelled, gaping at his stupidity. "Stop it!"

"What?" He asked, throwing his arms out. "The gnawers are cowards, they won't fight us. And if they do we'll fight them. And win. We can take them, right?" He had come back to the group and slung an arm around Gregor's shoulders, but the grip was too tight and the words too harsh to have any pretense of being friendly. "I bet our Rager here could take them all on his own. Why waste time when we don't have to."

Gregor shook his head rapidly in firm disagreement. He didn't want Carter to think he was a coward, but there was no way to explain just how much he thought this was a bad idea.

Luxa was looking properly angry at this point, as were Hazard and Howard. Before Luxa had a chance to yell, a sharp resounding crack was heard from above them. It had come from high in the tree to their left, but before they had a chance to react, whatever had snapped the tree branch fell and hit the ground loud enough to make them all jump.

Whatever it was had fallen about 20 feet ahead of them. From the distance it looked like a giant, lumpy, pale boulder. It was probably at least 5 feet above and high. Yet unlike a boulder, the outside seemed more organic, even from a distance. The shell of whatever it was seemed to quiver ether from the resounding shock of the impact or from something else…

The five of them froze. Gregor looked around him at the others but they all looked as shocked as he felt. Something about the object seemed familiar but out of context he just couldn't place it. Was this thing falling an accident or planned by the gnawers.

Just as the group seemed to relax a faint buzzing began to grow. It grew louder and louder and suddenly black shapes seemed to come out of the object, and seemed to be coming forward. The Underlanders seemed even more confused but something clicked in Gregor's head. "Are those… bees?" he asked, even though with every passing second he became more sure that they were.

"No one knows what you're talking about," said Carter defensively, but even he sounded unsure. The group as a whole had begun subconsciously backing away from the oncoming creatures. They were moving slowly and but as they came closer they seemed to lock onto the group, speeding up.

"Are bees friendly?" asked Howard, but he was already drawing his sword, as were the rest of the group.

"Not usually," Gregor winced. He drew his sword, the action making him feel hot and anxious. The bees were upon them all at once. They were bees, that much was clear. The buzzing and black and yellow stripes were a dead give away. But they were larger than any bee he'd ever seen: more than a foot long each. He could here Luxa calling out to them, trying to communicate, but even Gregor could tell they weren't like the other creatures of the Underland. They were a strange hybrid of Underland and Overland: large but without the added intelligence the other Underland creatures had.

What had begun as dodging the creatures, turned into an all out battle. On the surface the bees seemed to have the disadvantage: they're stingers, what Gregor has assumed to be their only weapon, was behind them meaning they would need to turn themself to attack. He hadn't been counting on their strength. Rather than using their stingers, the bees attempted to fly straight into a person. Carter was the first to get hit, before they had begun fighting in earnest. He attempted to dodge the attack but in his surprise he moved too slow. One of the bees collided with his shoulder sending him sprawling on his back. The bee then reversed, coming from his with his stinger. Carter was able to roll out of the way, but the rest took notice and began using their swords to fend off the attacks.

Gregor could feel the sword nearly burning in his hand and his vision going fuzzy at the edges. He knew the rager in him was trying to come out, but he was still shaken from the last time. Luxa and Carter had each taken out several of the bees, sliced clean across the stomach an oozing liquid spilling out across the ground. He knew he should help his friends, that he would be more help as a rager, but the thought of not remembering what he did was terrifying to him and he fought it off, dodging the bees coming for him rather than returning an attack.

"Come on Rager!" yelled Carter from across the path. He had just taken down another bee, it's guts splattered across his arm. "Where are those abilities everyone keeps talking about." There was a wicked gleam in his eyes as he took a vicious swing at an on coming bee. Gregor attempted to ignore him, focusing on his surrounding, but he continued. "Some warrior you are," he goaded, "won't even pick up his sword."

He was watching Gregor with a fierce glare, daring him to react, waiting for him to react. Gregor ignores him, tiring quickly from dodging and holding back the rager in him. Carter's taunting wasn't helping. Carter laughed as Gregor nearly dived out of the way of an oncoming attack. He was so focused on Gregor that he didn't notice a bee coming straight for him.

"Carter!" Howard snaps, but it's too late for him to react. Howard jumps forward, pushing the other boy out of the way, taking the full force of the impact. Because of the angle, Howard is hit in the head, dropping to the ground with a resounding thud. The sight of his friend unconscious is enough for Gregor to give himself over to his Rager side.

When he comes to himself again he is out of breath. His arm is drenched in bee guts and his sword hangs limply from his hand. He drops it to the ground and quickly walks away from the carnage around him, fighting the urge to puke. The world seems to be spinning a little too fast as Gregor crouches low and takes a few deep breaths. It's not till his breathing has slowed to normal that he is able to even think about checking on the others. He wants nothing more than to take a shower and wipe away even the memory of what just happened, but the need to check on his friends takes over and suddenly he can't sit still till he knows they're ok.

He returns to the part of the path where the fighting happened, purposefully glancing away from the bees scattered across the ground.

Even from a distance Gregor can tell something is wrong. Howard is still on the ground where he fell. Hazard stands nearby holding his arm gingerly. Carter seems to be saying something to Luxa as she sits on the ground, holding Howard's head in her lap. Carter's words are too soft to hear, but Luxa was shaking her head. Carter tries again, but it's obviously the wrong thing to say as Luxa explodes. "Get away from him!" she screams, anger and frustration clear with every word. Carter straightens up after that, stalking away, shooting a glare at Gregor as he passes.

Gregor hesitates before going over. Luxa was obviously upset, but he can't bear not knowing what is wrong with Howard. He joins Luxa quietly, but she doesn't even look at him. "Is he okay?" he asks, fearful of the answer.

Luxa takes a shuddering breath as if holding back tears. "Yes," she says finally. "Just unconscious I think. His breathing is normal. He will be in pain, but he should wake up soon." She takes another calming breath and pushes Howard's hair back out of his eyes.

Gregor wants to hold her hand, give her a hung, something to comfort her, but he can't bring himself to do it. "How are you?" he asks Hazard instead.

Hazard shrugs, "I'm fine. My shoulder just got knocked around a bit." He looks more shaken than fine, but Gregor doesn't want to push it.

"Can I see?" Gregor asks, trying to think back to the first aid course he took in PE class. Hazard nods and holds out his arm. Gregor feels around it, and while Hazard bites his lip in pain, he doesn't cry out. "You're probably gonna have a wicked bruise, but I'm pretty sure nothing's broken. Why don't you go get something to eat." Hazard nods and nearly collapses beside the packs.

"Luxa, I'm so sorry. I should've- I could've done more to help. If I had, this wouldn't have happened. "

Luxa shakes her head. "This is not your fault Gregor. I know you do not like being a Rager. It is not fair to ask that of you. Carter should not have…" she trails off, shaking her head again. Her brow is creased in frustration and Gregor can tell she's holding off from saying more. Gregor feels so useless watching her brush Howard's hair back from his forehead.

"I'm… I'm going to start a fire," he finally settles on. It's not much, but it will give him something to do. Luxa opens her mouth to argue, but he beats her to it. "Please Luxa," he says, "let me do this. We're tired, and Howard needs rest." Finally she nods and Gregor lets out a breath he didn't know he had been holding, grateful that he can be of use. "We should move Howard too. We'll set up camp away from… all this," he says gesturing vaguely to the damage around them.

Luxa agrees and together they carry Howard back up the path toward where Hazard has been sitting with the packs, as big of a clearing as they're likely to find along the path. Luxa sits beside Hazard, Howard's head once again cradled in her lap, while Gregor attempts to start a fire. Luckily the tree they nearly passed under had dropped its share of branches and there is more than enough fuel for the campfire. Before long (after a few failed attempts) he has a strong flame going.

Carter eventually returns, sullen and brooding. He sits by himself, eating the small ration they had set out for him. Gregor checks Hazard's arm again, before going to collect more firewood. When he returns, Howard is just waking up. He's a bit dazed, but after having a bit of food and water he seems to return to semi normal. They all agree to spend the night there, and Gregor volunteers to take the first watch. He's far too wired to sleep and thoughts about the past few days won't leave his mind.

The clearing is still lit from the plants so Gregor is able to move further out from the campfire and still keep an eye on the others. There's a chance the gnawers are still lurking nearby, but part of him was certain that they had made their escape during the fight with the bees. The night passed slowly as he watched the quiet valley and the sleeping forms of his companions. He knew he should wake someone to take his spot soon, but sleep seemed elusive as he replayed the days events over and over.

"You should sleep," comes a voice from behind him. Gregor spins and sees Luxa watching him with a sleepy smile. He's embarrassed that she was able to sneak up on him, but in his defense, he had been lost in thought.

"I was thinking," he pauses to gather his thoughts, "if the gnawers were out here, and able to escape so quickly, that probably means we're close to their hideout. Even gnawers need a place to rest."

Luxa nods and moves to stand beside him, looking out down the trail. "Yes, I had the same thought. It is the only reason they would try such a reckless trick. We must be close."

Gregor sighs in relief at having his theory confirmed. They were that much closer to rescuing Lizzie. "We will reach your sister soon," Luxa whispers, quiet to not wake the others, but it's the comfort Gregor didn't know he needed.

They stand in silence for a moment, the soft sounds of nature the only noise, before she looks up at him again. "Gregor," she bites her lip, hesitates, before continuing, "I just wanted to thank you for what you did earlier. I couldn't… I'm glad you were there."

Gregor shrugs embarrassed. "It wasn't something I wanted to do," he mutters, "maybe Carter is right, maybe I am a coward."

Luxa grabs his arm and glares at him fiercely, "Gregor, you may be many things, but you are not a coward. Not wanting to fight does not make you weak." Her fingers are digging into his arm and he has not choice but to nod at her determined gaze. She nods back at him, then glances away, her features softening. In the light of the flowers he can see her cheeks stain pink. "But that's not actually what I meant." Gregor's brow wrinkles in confusion before Luxa finally turns back to him.

"I meant thank you for… after. For looking after Hazard. For setting up the camp. For helping me with Howard. I just… I could not do it. And you did. Thank you." Luxa's cheeks were pink, but she forced herself to meet Gregor's eye. There was nothing but open sincerity in her expression and Gregor was blown away. He had never thought… the things she described weren't acts of bravery, they were just common sense. But Luxa was looking at him like he had just hung the moon.

"Luxa…" he starts, but he doesn't know how to finish. He wants to tell her how much more he wishes he could do. How sad he is that she doesn't have people who would do the same. That she deserves so much more. That she deserves so much more than him.

But she shakes her head and moves closer, taking his hand in hers. She stares up at him, violet eyes into brown and his breath catches. "I am glad you are here." And suddenly they're kissing.

It's soft and sweet, just the gentlest brush of lips, but it feels like coming home. He wants to stay in this moment forever. His heart is bursting and his mind's gone numb; the only thing that matters is her. In one stunning moment it all becomes clear. This is what he wants: he wants Luxa. He wants to do everything in the world with her and to never leave her side. He wants to be better for her.

But just as he's coming to this realization, his fingers twinning with hers, she's pulling away. He's stunned for a moment, not quite understanding what's happening, but Luxa is already backing away from him. "Luxa, I…" he doesn't know what to say, but she stops him with a shake of her head.

"We cannot," she whispers, expression pained. "Carter… I am…" she looks away, biting her cheek. When she faces him again, her expression is blank and her back is straight. "Gregor, I am still the queen. And I made a promise. I cannot break it, even for…" she doesn't finish, turning away before he can see her expression and going back towards the camp.