The journey back seems to fly by in comparison. There are no surprises this time and the path is familiar. They don't talk much while they walk; exhaustion has finally caught up with them all, but Gregor and Luxa manage to find a way to be close to each other despite it all. They haven't talked about what happened between them yet. Gregor is focused on Lizzie, making sure he's nearby if she feels even the slightest bit of nerves. Luckily she seems to be taking it all in stride. She seems to have bonded with Luxa, a fact that makes his heart swell, and with Hazard, a fact which he isn't quite as thrilled about. He reminds himself to reign in the protective big brother mode until they get back to the city at least, knowing he should be happy Lizzie is doing so well after everything that's happened.
Really all Gregor wants is to talk to Luxa alone again. He knows it's selfish, when they are literally on guard for their lives, but he can't stop thinking about her. Yet part of him is dreading what will happen when they finally do talk. He knows Luxa wants to be with him and he knows she doesn't want to marry Carter, but he also knows Luxa. He knows she would do anything for her people, and if she believes marrying Carter is what's best she might just do it, despite what she feels. The thought is terrifying, but Luxa's loyalty to her people is one of the reason's he cares so much about her.
Between obsessing over what might happen, forcing himself to think about anything else, and watching Lizzie and Hazard suspiciously, they arrive at the entrance to the river before Gregor would've thought possible. There is a boat waiting for them, far larger than it needs to be for their little group, but a more than welcome sight after days of walking. The group loads up quickly, all of them ready to be done with their journey as soon as possible.
Gregor expects the trip to be smooth sailing from that point on, literally, but it turns out the current is very subtly going the opposite direction. Howard explains that fliers are usually used to pull the boats, pointing to the large harness type straps at the front, but that without a safe place to sleep, it was unlikely that their fliers would have been able to stay around for longer than a few days. It doesn't take much to steer it in towards the city, but it does take effort and they soon decide on an order for taking turns rowing.
Gregor never thought he would miss walking but by the end of the first day he was about ready to quit and just let the river take them wherever it wanted. They had all taken several turns rowing throughout the day and would have to continue through the night if they didn't want to have to start over in the morning. Howard assured them that they were closer to the city than they thought, but the prospect of more rowing was putting a pall over the whole group. Gregor agreed to take the first night shift for rowing, only so that Lizzie and Hazard could sleep. The rest of them resumed rowing, no one in the mood to talk, their arms sore and sleep clawing at their consciousness.
After a while the movements became routine. If it didn't hurt so much it might have even been relaxing. Sleep was threatening to overtake him as Gregor zoned out, focused only on the up and down movement of the oar pushing them ever forward.
"What?" Gregor heard Howard suddenly ask. His voice was as sleepy as Gregor felt and he wondered if maybe Howard had nodded off for a moment. He wouldn't blame him if he had. He looked at the others and noticed they too looked half asleep. "Sorry," Howard said, stretching and sounding more awake.
Gregor nodded and turned his attention back to rowing, but Luxa suddenly sat straight up. "Wait," she said, holding up a hand for silence, I think I heard something too."
Gregor was wide awake now and strained his ears to listen to their surroundings. They had all stopped rowing and the only sound Gregor could hear was the soft lapping of waves against the side of the boat and Hazard's soft snores. He was just about to rule it out as their imagination when a resounding 'slap' could be heard from behind them. They all spun, trying to get a look at what had made the noise but by then all that was left was ripples in the water. Yet the ripples were much larger than Gregor would've liked and a cold flash of fear shot through his chest at the thought of what might be out there.
No sooner had the thought crossed his mind did something knock into the side of the boat, throwing them across the ship deck with more force than any of them would have expected. "We're under attack!" Carter yelled as they all jumped into action. The four reached for their swords as Hazard and Lizzie were jolted awake, looking around in confusion. Yet it wasn't until a long, large, and sticky grey tentacle slapped into the deck of the ship that Gregor realized what they were up against.
"It's a squid," he gasped, more to himself than anything, "or an octopus." He was still in shock but the others had already begun hacking at the offending limb. Gregor rushed to help but their actions seemed to be making it angry as more and more tentacles began crashing about the deck or swiping across the length of it as the humans ducked or jumped to avoid being knocked into the water. Gregor took a big breath and prepared to give himself over to the rager side. This was no time to be squeamish, he could already hear the railing begin to crack from the weight of the tentacles and if the ship broke they would be stranded with no way to signal for help. Or worse.
Gregor looked around; everyone battling their own tentacle and although they couldn't see the body of whatever was attacking them, they were being kept more than busy fighting off further damage to the ship. Luxa and Howard were at one end of the ship, Lizzie, without a sword, was wedged between them. Hazard was holding his own in the middle of the ship but as more tentacles began swinging towards him, it was clear he would need help. Gregor tightened his grip on his sword, ready to dive into action, but before he totally let himself go, he found himself boxed in against the railing, by a sword blocking his path.
"What are you doing?" he demanded, more shocked than anything. Carter had swung his sword around from where he had been holding off a tentacle on Gregor's left at the very front of the ship. With all the chaos on the ship he doubted anyone else was seeing Carter's bizarre behavior. He had a strange look in his eye, half anger, half something Gregor couldn't quite describe. Another tentacle came towards them, but instead of moving to give Gregor room to defend themselves, he shouldered him closer towards the railing, further boxing him in, and reaching around to fight back the tentacle himself. "Move," Gregor demanded again, trying to elbow his way past and towards the others. But Carter was stronger than him and had trapped him in tight. Gregor could only watch helplessly over Carter's shoulder as his friends and sister fought on without him.
"You think you're so brave and strong, don't you," Carter hissed close to Gregor's ear. Gregor froze, confused, angry, and surprisingly afraid.
"What are you talking about?" he asked, trying once again to push past. Still no one had noticed what was happening between the two boys, the fighting too intense to notice anything more than what was right in front of them.
"I heard you!" Carter yells, his face turning blotchy and red in his anger. He pushes against Gregor's chest, shoving him backwards till he hits the railing with a resounding thud. Gregor glances over towards the others once more, but even Carter's yell couldn't be heard over the sounds of the battle. "I heard you and Luxa talking," Carter yells again.
Gregor swallows thickly and feels his veins grow cold. Of course Carter had heard them talking, that was just his luck. Of course he had expected this at some point, but he had hoped it would happen somewhere a little less precarious.
"You think you can come back here," Carter continues in what is clearly a rage, "after years, and steal my fiance?" Gregor looks around helplessly for a way to duck around Carter, but he's trapped. He still has his sword, but he still doesn't want to hurt the guy. There was truth to what he was saying. "She hated your guts when you first arrived back here. I doubt it will take her very long to forget you after you're gone." Gregor frowned in confusion, but a small part of him was stuck on what Carter had just said. Would Luxa forget him?
He doesn't have time to think about it though as another tentacle goes flying towards them. They both duck, but as they stand Carter propels himself forward as if playing tackle football instead of fighting for his life. Gregor barely has time to process before Carter's whole weight connects with his chest, lifting him off his feet and over the railing.
The water is icy cold as Gregor struggles back towards the surface, but that's not the most alarming part. As he fought his way through the waves, kicking to as hard as he could to make his way back up, even underwater he couldn't help the shudder that wracked his body as his foot made contact with something moving beneath him. More than once. He finally made it to the surface and coughed up water, trying to breathe as deeply as possible. Everyone on the ship, including Carter, was still absorbed in the fight and hadn't noticed his desperate attempts to get their attention. But the waves and current were carrying him further and further away from the ship. If he didn't find a way to get back to it soon it would be too late. Yet he stilled him movements in fear of attracting the attention of whatever beast moved below him.
It really was not his lucky day as no sooner had he taken two strides towards the ship did he feel a tentacle wrap around his leg. He gasped in surprise and water filled his throat as he was pulled under. Just as Carter wanted, he thought as he struggled to break free, clawing at the tentacle, he would die here and nobody would know Carter had anything to do with it. The thought coursed through him with a sudden rush of anger and Gregor managed to fight back enough to break the surface once more. His lungs were aching, but he had still not managed to free himself from the tentacle. He was pulled down once more with a raising sense of despair. His head was beginning to spin and a distant part of his brain knew he was beginning to lose consciousness. It was becoming harder to think and just when the thought of giving up crossed his mind he felt something sharp claw against his back. He winced in pain and was about to give up hope that he might have a painless death when he was suddenly coughing up water.
He was dropped with a thud and he had lost the motivation to move. It took him a moment to realize he was back on the boat, his only thought of getting air. He soon came back to himself though and could hear someone, or someone's, calling out his name. He struggled to sit up and found it was Luxa's hands on his face, pushing back his soaked hair, and Lizzie calling his name, fresh tears staining her cheeks. He glances to the side and jerks in surprise to see Aurora perched beside them. So that's what happened, he thought, putting it together much slower than usual. Aurora must have grabbed him from the water, her claws sharp against his back as she pulled him up.
"Gregor, are you okay?" Lizzie asks, reaching for his hand. Her voice is shaky with tears and he tries his best to give her a reassuring smile.
"I'm fine, Liz," he manages to croak out, his voice rough. He does feel better though, the air literally giving him life. He manages to sit up fully, his body stiff and he notices for the first time two fliers attached to the harnesses Howard had shown him earlier. They were moving quickly now and Gregor was sure they would be back in the city before his clothes even had a chance to dry.
"The fliers were waiting for us," Luxa murmurs as she notices his gaze. Her hand rests on his arm half in support and half in comfort. "What happened? If Aurora hadn't saved you, I don't know what would have happened."
Gregor looked towards Aurora and gave her a tired smile and nod in thanks. The deep relief he felt was almost enough to make him forget what had happened, but his head stopped spinning and he was able to think clearly once more his memories began to come back. Carter.
He looks across the boat and his gaze finally lands on the other man. He's standing to the side, partially obscured by Howard and the wreckage from the ship, but as Gregor meets his eye, his gaze hardens. "Carter," is all he has to say before Luxa follows his line of sight to her fiance.
Standing, Luxa turns to him, voice half disbelief and half anger. "Carter? Did you have something to do with this?" Her posture is stiff, and even though he can't see her face, Gregor knows this must be hard for her. He is forcibly reminded of Henry's betrayal all those years ago, and how his forgetting must have seemed like his own type of betrayal. Her hand hovers near her sword and Gregor wonders if she's even conscious of the small action.
"Of course not," Carter spits, straightening with a glare. "What exactly do you think me capable of?" That is evidently the wrong thing to say as Luxa crosses her arms across her chest. "Darling, please," Carter tries again, softening, obviously realizing his mistake. "Who are you going to believe? Your fiance or the boy who abandoned the Underland." His words hurt more than they should, but when Luxa turns back around, she is obviously not convinced.
"Gregor," she demands, so forcefully that he thinks he may be the one in trouble, before she speaks again. Her words are like thunder breaking across the waves as she continues. "Tell me his wrongs but once and he will be banished from Regalia for good."
Gregor is both stunned and in awe as she stands before him: during the trip he had fallen for her all over again, but part of him had forgotten that she was still the queen. It was amazing, and intimidating, to have the full force of her power directed at him for the first time in what felt like a very long time. But he paused. He had no doubt that she would follow through with her word, but having that much power over someone's life was overwhelming. He couldn't form the words despite the fact that Carter had attempted to kill him.
It turns out he didn't need to think. He felt Aurora move behind him before she wrapped a wing around him, in a move he had only ever seen her do with Luxa. "I saw," came her soft voice from beside him, answering when he could not. "Carter has done wrong." Luxa shared a long look with her bond before nodding and turning back to Carter.
"Carter, your actions have proven you to be a coward and a liar. You are far from the man I hoped you to be and far from the type of man I need at my side. Our arrangement has ended and once we arrive in Regalia, you are to leave the city and never return."
"Luxa," Carter gasps outraged. He moves forward, but Howard restrains him before he can move forward anymore. "Luxa, you cannot be serious."
Once again he has said the wrong thing, as Luxa turns back to him with fire in her eyes. "You may believe in my seriousness as you will, but know this: if I hear of your return to the city for any reason, you can be sure it will be followed shortly by a trip to the palace dungeons."
Carter was left gawking as Howard dragged him to the far end of the ship and Luxa collapsed beside Gregor and Aurora. She burrowed into Aurora's fur and reached out for Gregor's hand with a sad smile. Gregor obliges, holding her smaller fingers in his own and allowing himself to drift back off to sleep.
