Ok. So, I'm not going to make any promises because the last time I did that I ended up getting burned out working on the sixth chapter, so no promises, however I am excited about this one. I would like to shout out Koipuiop for giving me some great feedback.
"You ready to do this?" Ripred asked
"Ya" we walked down the street and got on a bus, I don't know how, but Ripred managed to make himself look human by wearing a large overcoat that goes down to his knees (while scrunched over) and wearing the largest pair of boots I've ever seen, with the hood over his head and hiding his face. We were on that bus for a good ten-hour ride to New York. When we finally got to New York, we decided it would be a good idea to go to Mrs. Cormaci's apartment and wait until night to go to Central park. When we got to Mrs. Cormaci's apartment I knocked on the door and she poked her head out of the door.
"Oh! Gregor! What are you doing here?"
"I need to go back down, Regalia is in danger. Oh, before I forget, you remember me telling you of Ripred, correct?" I asked
"Yes, I remember you telling me of him. Why?"
"Well then, Mrs. Cormaci, meet Ripred, Ripred, Mrs. Cormaci" Ripred walked past me and into her living room and took off his coat and boots.
"Hello, I've heard of your amazing cooking." Ripred said in his friendliest voice, (It was still gruff).
"Well, hello. This is unexpected."
"Ya, I just found out about having to go back down two days ago. We were planning on staying just until later today, just until nightfall." I told her.
"Ok, Well, welcome" Ding! "oh I forgot, I was just cooking some shrimp and cream sauce. Want some?"
"Well of course!" Ripred exclaimed.
"Uhg" I moaned" he's gonna eat it all isn't he" I whispered to myself as he downed bowl after bowl of the stuff. "Ripred, go easy, you're gonna drown yourself in it." He just ate faster in response. "Well, I might as well take a nap" I thought.
10 hours later
"Wake up boy!" Ripred practically yelled it into my ear.
"W-what? Where am I? Oh" I got up" What time is it?"
"Seven-thirtyish" Mrs. Cormaci yelled from the other room.
"Is it even dark yet?"
"No but the sun is going down"
"Ok" Me and Ripred got ready to go and left soon after. When we got to Central park we went to the rock and moved it with ease." Uh, were above the waterway, how are we going to get to Regalia?"
"A couple of fliers shall be meeting us here soon." Ripred said, and not too long after, I heard
"Drop Overlander" That voice was way too familiar.
"Ares?" I whispered and dropped, I had that all too familiar sensation of falling, then, Wham! I landed on jet black fur." Ares? Is that you?"
"Yes Overlander, I am Ares, however not the one you remember. He was my father; I was born after he died."
"Oh, who is your mother?"
" Aurora." As he said that I noticed some very faint golden streaks going down his fur. As if sensing me studying his fur he said" the golden streaks will get more pronounced in a while, I am still quite young. My mother said that I'm quite large and strong for my age, as Ares was"
"Ah, that makes sense" Ripred on the back of a bat barely carrying him came up on our left side said
"These two are the only people bats I told of you coming down, and I didn't tell any humans or rats. So, these two are going to drop us off a little while away from Regalia and you are going to have a grand entrance."
"Wait, Luxa didn't have you come get me? You came on your own accord?"
"Yep, pretty much. Oh, Here! Here! Drop us here!" The bats had to promise not to tell anyone about me and were told to go back to Regalia. "Ok, you're gonna want to know that they will most likely not realize who you are because of your appearance change, so just follow along."
"Wait, what?"
"Just give them a show."
"Ok" we started walking to Regalia, and of course there was a ball game going on at that time, and we were coming it through the arena. We walked through the curtain and I felt eyes on me almost immediately. And I saw the beautiful golden wings come toward me with an even more beautiful rider on her back.
"Hello Overlander." Luxa said, oh man, I missed he so much. "You shall follow us to the palace and get cleaned up and then we shall talk."
"I'm sorry, your majesty, but I'm not really into getting captured." I said, sarcasm dripping from my tongue.
"I'm sorry? Did we say anything about capturing you?" she asked
"Why else would you want me to follow to the palace?"
"You will follow, or we shall have to capture you."
"Nah."
"Guards!" She yelled and not two seconds later I had about ten guards around me, with swords, and I had nothing. Two advanced on me, swords out. I kicked the sword out of the first guard's hand, and had grabbed the other guard's wrist and twisted, causing him to drop the sword. I picked it up and looked around, two more guards came towards me and I threw the sword over their heads, one of them chuckled at the bad throw, but was on the ground a second later, unconscious. While the other guard was eying me warily I locked eyes with him, when one more snuck up behind me, but I brought my elbow back and hit him square between the eyes. Finally, the other guards started to back off a little bit.
"Those are some guards you got there, Queenie!" I yelled to her, still flying on the back of Aurora. Something was off, she looked sad.
"Gregor?" she asked, it was barely a whisper, but I heard it.
"Yep. I'm back Luxa." She melted, giving me a small smile. I smiled back and Aurora landed. Luxa dismounted and we embraced.
"Ahem" came a gruff voice from behind him.
"What Ripred?" Luxa asked.
"You're welcome" he said in response.
"Thank you Ripred, now we have someone who can actually defend Regalia from the Cutters" Luxa said, Ripred just scowled at her. I chuckled. And the crowd was just confused.
" People of Regalia! Your Warrior has returned! "I yelled as loud as I could and the crowd erupted into cheers. "As for you Luxa, I think we have some catching up to do." I mounted Aurora. "So, Aurora. I met Ares."
"You did? When?" Aurora asked.
"Well we came in through the one over the waterway, I needed some way to get here." I answered." He's a lot like his father, big and strong, but he's a lot friendlier than his father was."
"Yes, as you can tell, he gets most of his physical appearance and voice from his father, while getting my personality." Aurora purred. At that point we had gotten to the palace.
"Well, it was nice to see you again Aurora."
"You too" Me and Luxa walked to the royal chambers.
"Well, you go wash up and come back and we shall talk. I will tell the guards to let you through." I walked off to the baths, it always amazes me the way they work. After I got cleaned up and put my cloths that had been set out for him on. While walking back to Luxa's room I ran into Vikus walking with Mareth, I got a rib-crushing hug from Mareth and a weaker, yet heartwarming hug from Vikus.
"Gregor! Its's good to see you again! How are you?" Mareth asked while Vikus was hugging me.
"Gregor, I heard you gave the people in the arena a welcome surprise." Vikus said after letting go.
"It's good to see you both, I'm good, and ya, Ripred told me to just go along with it." I answered. "I better get going, who knows what Luxa'll do to me if I'm late." Mareth laughed while Vikus just hugged me again before walking away with Mareth. When I got to the royal chambers I was greeted with two swords in the way.
"I'm sorry, didn't your queen tell you who I am?"
"No. Who would you be?" asked one of the guards.
"Oh, nothing really, only the Warrior. The guards backed off quickly, clearly embarrassed. When he walked into Luxa's room, she looked like she was crying.
"Hey Luxa, what's up?" she looked up at me, and I realized that they were tears of joy not sadness.
" I am just so happy you came back to me. I was starting to lose hope on you coming back. " She said, as happily as I've ever heard her. In fact, it kind of surprised me. So, I walked up to her and pulled her into one of the strongest hugs I've ever given." Gregor?"
"Ya?" I asked
"What would you say if I were to tell you…" She drifted off.
"Tell me… what?" I asked
"I am getting married." She looked up at me as she said it. But she had the slightest twinkle in her eye.
"I would say, that that's bullshit." I answered, calling her bluff. She just looked confused.
"What is, b-ull sh-it?" she said, trying to get the pronunciation correct.
"You're lying, that's what it means." I said, trying not to laugh.
"Hey, what's so funny?" She asked, it sounded so innocent that I just laughed harder." Seriously."
"I was just remembering when I first came down. How when I first met you, I had trouble pronouncing your name." I said, explaining. And we both sighed in remembrance." Man, it has been years since I last saw that beautiful smile that I love so much." I thought" In fact, around six years, wow. How did I manage?" I was ripped out of my thoughts by the sound of my stomach growling.
"Sounds like you need some food" Luxa said in response.
"Ya, when's dinner?" I asked
"It was over an hour ago, but I am most certain that the cooks could make a small meal for the Warrior." Luxa said, smiling.
"Don't call me that." I said, a little annoyed.
"Why? That is what you are, correct?" She said, confused.
"Because the Warrior died six years ago." I snapped.
"Alright, fine. I shall call you prisoner and throw you in the dungeon." She said. And I cracked a smile, remembering how Solovet sent me to the dungeon all those years ago.
"Fine, call me the Warrior" I said. She nodded and we headed to the High Hall. When we got there Luxa asked a servant to have the cooks make me something and we sat down." In all seriousness, when are you going to be forced to marry? I asked.
"Well, I am able to marry now, and will be forced into marriage at the age of twenty-one." She answered." However, the council has been shoving suiters down my throat since I was old enough to marry."
"Do you have plans on marrying?" I asked, by this time the food was out and I had food in my mouth, so it sounded more like" do y h-ve plnz n maring." But she understood what I was saying( I have no idea how) and said.
"No. I do not, and shall not until I find someone who actually cares about me and Regalia and not just being king." She said, practically spitting out the last words.
"Well, it seems you are in need of some sleep, speaking of… I don't believe that I have any quarters." I said.
"Well, you shall have to sleep in my quarters then Warrior." She said smiling.
"You're not going to give that up, are you?" I asked while getting up.
"No, no I will not." She answered, as we walked down the hall, we ran into Dulcet.
"Hey! Dulcet! How are you?" I asked, happy to run into her.
"I am great Gregor! My job just seems to be getting better and better. Oh, how could I forget? How is Boots?" She asked.
"Boots is great Dulcet; however, I couldn't bring her with me, I'm sure she wanted to come." I said
"Well, that's nice to hear, I must be going, I have children to watch. It was nice seeing you again Gregor." She said starting to walk away.
"It was good seeing you too Dulcet!" I said, turning back to Luxa and we walked to her chambers.
"Get some sleep Gregor, we have a long day tomorrow." Luxa said when we got to her chambers.
"Alright Luxa, I'll see you tomorrow." I said drifting into sleep, I felt her curl up next to me as I slipped out of consciousness.
So? How was that? Was I better with the he said, she said things? Again, be brutally honest, I want to hear it. It helps more than you might know. Cya Guys!
