Hey hey hey. Welcome back to this here story. I was able this time to get this chapter out on my usual schedule. I do have to say that I may change it soon because it is a bit strenuous trying to get chapters out every couple days. I like to post as often so you guys are left hanging around waiting and wondering forever. If you guys want me to I can also push back how often I post and maybe just do two chapters a week or something. Any who, we are rockin' on ahead with chapter 11. This one was a fun write and a long one. It is a marvelous chapter which adds more setup into the main plot. So much exposition guys. I love it. Anyway read and enjoy.

Chapter 11

Gregor's eyes fluttered open, but he quickly shut them. The light in the room was incredibly bright and it hurt to look at. He forced his eyes open and felt the soft silvery blonde hair against his chin. A small body was curled up against his chest as he tried to move. They were so comfortable he just couldn't move them. Gregor rested his head back against the arm of the couch, closed his eyes, and let himself think.

The night before had been one for the ages. Gregor and Luxa had stayed up for hours cracking jokes and watching Thomas play on the floor in front of them. They both had drank plenty of wine, maybe a cask or two. It was hard for him to remember how much. Luxa had asked him to tell her more about where he had moved to and how he had lived. She was impressed by how well he was able to keep his rager abilities under control, never letting them get the better of him when he got angry. She was also intrigued by his dating of other girls, but how he was never able to be comfortable with them. Not like how he was comfortable with her.

The small head moved on Gregor's chest and snapped him out of thoughts. When he opened his opened his eyes, a pair of purple irises looked into his own. Thomas stood up on the edge of the cushion and looked down into Gregor's eyes, from above. A big smile replaced the one that Gregor was already wearing. Thomas smiled big to and giggled to Gregor. The common way a toddler does. Thomas rarely talked, and when he did it was in very short sentences and with simple words. Gregor was sure Dulcet was working with him on it during the days when he wasn't with Luxa or him.

Sitting up Gregor, scooped the boy into his arms and climbed off the couch. His back ached a bit from sleeping there, but with a few quick stretches it felt much better. His eyes scanned the room and saw that it was clean and neat, the two glasses gone from the table and Thomas's toys placed away. Somebody had cleaned when he was asleep, and had done a good job not to wake him or Thomas. The curtain to Luxa's bedroom was closed like normal, so Gregor approached it with caution. He didn't want to wake a sleeping Queen. Nothing good would come out of that.

"Luxa," Gregor called softly through the curtain. There was no response. He put his ear to the space between curtain and wall and he listened. There was no sound of motion nor breathing. He pushed barrier aside, just enough to peer into Luxa's inner sanctum. There was nobody inside, the bed was made, and the room was straightened up. It seemed Luxa had been awake for quite some time if the servants had already done that. And yet she didn't wake him.

Smiling, Gregor shook his head and left the Luxa's rooms. He walked through the royal wing passing nobody. He remembered the guards at the entrance and wondered what reaction he would get from them when he walked out. Technically he wasn't supposed to be there at all unless he was with a member of the Royal family or had a meeting with one of them. When he walked out, however, there were no guards at all. Not a single one stood on either side of the entrance. That seemed odd to him, but he didn't say anything. If it was anything, it was good luck for him. He avoided trouble and explanations. And yet even as he walked along to the high hall, he passed two large, quiet guards walking towards him. They passed right past him without saying a word or even looking at him. Those two were all business. He guessed they were going to their post outside the royal wing. That is the epitome of luck!

The high hall was empty and silent, but there was torchlight coming from the dining room. His stomach rumbled and he took a turn to the door. He expected the room to be empty, yet there were three people waiting for him around the table. Eisen and Mareth sat on one side discussing in low whispers and Dulcet sat on the other side, silent and straight. When the sound of his footfalls reached their ears they all turned towards him.

"It is about time, Gregor. We have been waiting for you to arrive," Mareth said. Before he could blink, Dulcet had taken Thomas from his arms and left the room and Mareth had pulled him down to a seat next to him. A servant quickly brought food in for him. Gregor started to eat under the watchful gaze of Mareth and Eisen. It was creepy to him to be watched as he was eating.

"Okay, guys. What's going on?" Gregor asked putting down his utensils. Eisen climbed out of his chair and walked to the other side of the table, so he could look at Gregor without having to turn his head. Mareth followed him.

"Queen Luxa has informed us that you are now a soldier in every way," Eisen began. "This means that you are to follow all orders that your superiors give you. Is that clear?"

"Yea," Gregor said. He had been tested on this when he was twelve and he had failed. Mareth had been there and seen it. Gregor wasn't planning on failing again.

"Good. Then eat while we talk," Mareth said to Gregor, a smile on his face. Gregor didn't react except to pick up his spoon again and continue to eat what they had left him.

"As you know, Overlander, both Mareth and I are high ranking in the Regalian Army. This means we are your commanders, but we do not want you to think of us as just that. We both are your friends before your commanders. Due to this we are letting you have special privileges. One, you can train on your own schedule when you see fit. You are already a proficient fighter on the ground, but I suggest training with your new flier. You need to become accustomed to each other." Eisen cut off and looked to Mareth.

"Two, you are not required to eat or sleep with the other soldiers. You are special and while you may not command you are often in meetings of tactics or involved in planning. You also are often needed for special missions which makes it easier if you are separate of the other soldiers. And three, you are not a soldier. While you will be asked to participate in regular battlefield formations, you will also be alone often or asked to assist in commanding. This makes you different than the rest of the soldiers. But above all that, remember that we are your friends and will help you in whatever ways we can." Mareth finished, before a thought seemed to pop into his head and a smile crossed his previous serious face. "Also, do not worry about us locking you into the dungeons."

A chuckle left Gregor's mouth as he pushed his empty dish away. Mareth had a sense of humor unlike many of the other underlanders. Eisen just stared between the two of them, not understanding the reference to Solovet's actions all those years ago. Gregor climbed out of his chair and stretched his legs. He felt like it would be a good time to go get some training in for the day. Eisen had been right, of course. Artemese was new to him and he needed to learn the bats style and approach.

"There is one other thing we must tell you, Gregor," Mareth said right before Gregor walked away. "This evening is the official ceremony for Eisen's promotion to Second in Command of the army. You are requested to attend by Queen Luxa and Eisen."

"I'll be there of course," Gregor said before he walked out of the room. His feet carried him to the balcony of the high hall, his hand reaching to the hilt of his sword on his hip. It was comforting to hold onto while he looked over the city from hundreds of feet up. Right as he was about to whistle for Artemese, who would be somewhere near the palace, there was a call behind him. His head whipped around and he started to draw his sword, when he saw it was Mareth coming towards him as fast as his prosthetic would allow.

"I have something else for you, Gregor. I seem to be forgetting much this morning," Mareth said when he came within easy talking range. Gregor noticed something held in his right hand. Mareth walked right up to him and, Gregor could see a small scabbard wrapped within Mareth's hand. "I have noticed that you do not have a dagger. In all of our worry and rush of your return and the events of the past few days, it seems that none of us realized you were missing it. Remember to protect your left," Mareth added the last part before he turned and walked back into the high hall, disappearing around the edge of the wall.

The dagger was just as simple as the sword he wore on his left. The short blade was sharper than he thought possible and it sat in a simple bound hilt. There was a small almost non-existent crossbar. He snapped the scabbard onto his right hip and positioned it for the best and smoothest draw. It felt almost like a piece of him that he hadn't realized he was missing had suddenly returned to him. With the dagger in his left hand he could protect himself from attacks on that side that otherwise would get through. Like the one Eisen had inflicted on his leg when they had sparred. Gregor placed his hand on his leg and felt where the scar would be from that. It was just one more to add to the rest that covered his body.

"Well off to training I suppose," Gregor thought as he whistled as loud as he could. Seconds ticked by as Gregor stood and waited for his bat companion.

Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick…

After about a minute, Gregor whistled again. The sound of wings beating the air came from his left. His eyes turned and he saw purple fur of Artemese as he coasted down onto the balcony.

"Greetings, Gregor," he said as Gregor stood to his side. "Where are we heading to?"

"We're going off to train for a bit," Gregor said as he climbed onto the now familiar bats back. "Me and you need to learn how the other fights while we are airborne. It will be imperative in upcoming battles that we fight like a team."

"Indeed, it shall. It would be an honor to be your partner in training and battle," Artemese replied as he readied himself to take off. His wings were poised to flap down, when he stopped himself. The bats head turned and looked behind him and Gregor followed suit. He looked behind him and spotted a figure in the hall behind them. The hair whiter than most underlanders and the cane gave it away. Gregor slid off of Artemese's back and went to Vikus.

"There you are, Gregor. I have been looking for you for some time now. Did you not sleep in your room last night because I could not find you there?" Vikus asked.

"No. I slept elsewhere. Is there something wrong, Vikus?"

"Oh no. Everything is indeed fine. Your attendance is asked of in the Tactics room at the moment. Come. We shall walk together," Vikus replied as he motioned for him and Gregor to be on their way.

"Rain check on the training, Artemese?" Gregor asked to his bat before he left.

"What is a rain check?" the bat asked him, confusion showing obviously on his face.

"It means we will do it another time," Gregor answered. The bat nodded his consent and took off, leaving Gregor and Vikus alone. "Shall we," Gregor said with a wave of his hand in the direction they needed to go.

Vikus and Gregor walked side by side, Gregor matching the pace Vikus set so the older man wouldn't rush himself. They were quiet for some time as Vikus navigated the flights of stairs. Constantly Gregor could feel Vikus looking at him as if trying to decide whether to ask him something or not.

"Is there something bothering you, Vikus?" Gregor asked him in a quiet voice.

A sigh escaped Vikus' lips and he glanced towards the floor. "I have just been wondering about you and Luxa's relationship." Gregor was surprised with the question. His mind had been filled with thoughts of the same subject the previous day. It seemed to be popping up in regular conversation even if it was on accident. But Vikus was just blunt about it.

"What is there to wonder about?"

"There is much to wonder, Gregor. How serious have you two been?" Vikus asked, digging deeper into the relationship and almost breaching the uncomfortable.

"I think it's obvious that we are both serious about each other. That we both do truly love each other and that's all that matters. We spent the evening last night talking and laughing. It was the happiest I had seen Luxa since I had returned," Gregor replied answering to the best of his ability. It was kinda a work around to the answer. Stating the obvious and all.

"That is good to hear. Would you be prepared to ever be a king, Gregor? You would make a good king. A great king, perhaps one of the best we have ever seen because you bring hope to everyone."

"Can we not talk about that, please? I'm not sure I'm ready to even think about it," Gregor said harsher than he meant to. It was just that he had thought about so much and it was such a touchy subject for him. He didn't believe in monarchies and yet he could become part of one. It seemed so odd to him. But his luck was still with him that day because the tactics room was not far in front of them and the conversation had ended.

The table in the tactics room was crowded with members of several species from all over the underlander. A cockroach sat on one side of the table, talking to Nike. Ripred sat not far down the table talking with Perdita. Truxin took up much of the free space near the front of the room. There were more humans and a few rats further down the table. And Luxa sat in the very first seat. Gregor's eyes flashed when he saw her. She was wearing a simple blue dress, yet she looked more beautiful than ever. Gregor walked over and sat down next to her in the open chair. Vikus sat across from them.

"Greetings, Gregor, Greetings," the cockroach said to him. Realization hit him as he noticed the bent antenna on his head. A smile broke across his face when he saw his old companion again.

"Hello, Temp. It has been a long time." That was even noticeable on his shell. It had taken a slightly grayish tint to it. Temp was getting up in age even for a cockroach, who could supposedly live a really long time.

"Long time, it has been, Long time," Temp agreed with him. Vikus stood up from his chair at that moment and stood at the head of the table. All the heads at the table turned and looked towards him, every voice quieting. Everyone respected Vikus for his wisdom and the respect was deserved. It may not be noted at every time, yet when the time came around everyone came back to looking at him with the utmost respect.

"Welcome all to this room and to this meeting. This is a time of dire need for many of our species including us humans most of all. As is known to all here, the city of the Fount has been devastated in a terrible attack that destroyed most of the city. This attack was perpetrated by an army of stingers. These stingers seem to be aggressive to humans and their allies, which includes everyone in this room. That is why this meeting has been arranged on such short notice and why we have brought as many minds together, so we may determine a viable strategy to stop an attack like this from happening to Regalia and all the lands that you consider home," Vikus finished and everyone gave him a respected clap. He gave a slight bow before he took his seat again. Truxin faced the table now and began to speak.

"You all have been informed on my own species involvement in the attack on the Fount. It was non-existent. I am here to aid you all in the fight against the stingers known as the yellow legs in our language. If there are any questions please ask them now." The room sat quiet for several moments, each individual thinking of what they may ask.

"Just how many stingers do the enemy number?" asked a small, bald man about ten seats down the table. His voice quavered as he spoke and he was obviously anxious for an answer.

"The yellow legs number somewhere in the ten thousands. That is a larger army than any species besides cutters can amass. And we are not as easily killed as cutters. My species numbers around one thousand, five hundred." Gregor was shocked at the numbers. He had seen just twenty or so stingers and they had filled a cavern. And Truxin had said then that many of the stingers on both sides could grow very large. Things were starting to seem out of hand.

"Who leads them? Perhaps we can negotiate with them instead of going to war with them," a woman down the table even farther than the first man asked. She was more confident her in question. Her voice stayed strong and sharp as she spoke. Truxin's answer only shot her hopes down.

"That I do not know. I was never able to see who lead over them. However, the leader of the Fat tails is myself and my father, Teralax. He is old; however, this allows him to have had time to grow. He is larger than even the largest that have come with me to your city. He sent me due to my ability to speak in human language." A gasp had gone up when he mentioned his father. Everyone had assumed he was the sole leader of his stingers, but with news that his father was also in charge and was quite large added to people's awe.

"What are their abilities as fighters?" came a concise, calm voice form just feet away from Gregor. Ripred was focused right on the stinger and his eyes never wavered. This question could determine everything.

"Yellow legs fight as individuals. There is a command structure based on size on ability. Each stinger varies on how it fights and how it survives. However, this does not change that each one has two very dangerous weapons. Their tails and their pincers," Truxin paused and showed off the weapons, including how large the stinger was. "Compared to me, yellow legs vary in that they have a shorter stinger, but much larger and stronger pincers. They use their pincers more, but when outnumbered the tail is used to clear away enemies. Also, the sting has a potent venom along with it. The good news is that the sting of a Fat tail is far more deadly. Our venom can kill a yellow leg easy. It takes several stings from them to kill us."

The room was dead silent. Three very deadly weapons at each stingers disposal made it seem as if it would be impossible to ever attack, let alone injure them. It seemed like the best way to kill them would be to have the fat tails attack them. But they were outnumbered by almost six to one. It would be impossible for them to do much to an army that large even with the assistance of all the species here. They needed to know the best ways to kill them.

"Truxin, what is their weakness?" Gregor asked shattering the silence in one swift question. The black beady eyes looked at Gregor from behind the imposing pincers. There was no emotion in them or at least none could be read from them.

"The weakest point of the body is the face, Overlander. That is very difficult to attack without being killed. The only other weak points are joints on each leg and the tail. The underside is also weaker, with thinner shells. You would have to be able to flip them over to access this. The rest of the body is covered in thick shells. If they are larger than fifteen feet long then your weapons may not be able to penetrate through the shells unless they are swung incredibly hard and fast and are incredibly sharp. If it is poorly made then the blade will break and you will die."

Each time Truxin spoke it seemed the situation was growing worse and worse. They were outnumbered by thousands, they had to go up against deadly weapons that were larger than normal, and they were really hard to kill without incredible accuracy or strength. That left only two people in this room that may be able to kill them easy and a third was somewhere in the palace. This would not be easy. Not easy at all.

Gregor's attention drifted to Luxa who sat next to him. She hadn't said a word and she seemed to have hardly moved since he had walked in. The news was not easy on her at all. His hand moved to hers which sat on the table. He placed his over hers and gave it a small squeeze. The pressure seemed to snap her out of her state and she reacted. She was out of her chair and standing next to Truxin in an instant.

"We must have a strategy for when they attack. Weapons and tactics that will allow for our smaller numbers to handle them."

Ideas started to fly around and only a few were logical and plausible. People suggested finding new technology in the overland or building larger and thicker walls. Others suggested moving and building a new city or trying to develop special weapons designed for killing stingers. The first logical idea was to leave a large group of rats near Regalia to assist with any attack, simply because the stingers had only attacked humans yet. Luxa suggested right after that they make sure every soldier had the best weapon that they could make. Her eyes drifted to Gregor's and he knew exactly why. His perfect sword that he had to buy with his own money. Then Gregor had an idea of his own.

"Okay. I know we already thought of trying new weapons, but we thought way outside the box. We tried to design radically new untested and unwieldy weapons, but I have an idea. There are weapons from ancient times that I've never seen here that could really work well. There would be improvisation because of a lack of wood, but it would be possible. I'm suggesting we build several ballistae. Basically, it's a giant crossbow that shoots several foot long bolts or arrows. They shoot with enough force to puncture through the shell of the the stingers and with enough men could probably fire 4 or 5 times a minutes. The concept is very easy to build and replicate as well."

Some people were nodding, but others looked skeptical. Vikus was one of the people who seemed to understand Gregor's thoughts. He climbed from his chair and walked towards the door. The room silenced again. "I will go look through the library and see if there are any documents on these, ballistae. Please, continue without me."

Minutes ticked by with more and more ideas passed around. They became more simplistic almost to the point that they weren't changing anything other than how to swing a sword or how a flier should fly. Small arguments were breaking out along the table between rats and humans and Nike was glaring down another person somewhere down the table. A few food carts arrived just in time to prevent someone getting their head bashed in or a throat slit.

Gregor had eaten only a couple hours earlier and his stomach was full more or less. He didn't even leave his seat to look at what was there. A vat clanged down on the table next to him and he could hear Ripred scoffing away at the shrimp inside it. Within a minute, the entire pot was empty and Ripred's tongue licked out every last ounce of cream sauce that he could. In a time like this when they should be thinking still, people had to stop to eat and take their time doing it. A hand rested on Gregor's shoulder. He didn't even need to look to see who it was.

"What's up, Luxa?"

"The meeting is over about the actual fighting. After the meal, we have to discuss alliances and changes in land and territory because all of their species are helping us. They will want to benefit from it. If you want to leave you are free to go," Luxa told him. He stood up from his chair and looked at her face. He could see worry and annoyance in her cheeks and mouth. Her smile seemed more forced than natural and he could see weariness in her eyes.

"I'll stay if you want me to," he told her. He could see that she could use a strong shoulder to lean on and someone to rely on if the negotiations became difficult. He would be there if she needed him.

"No, it is fine Gregor. Go and do something productive instead of the pointless arguing that will fill this room in just a few moments." Gregor could only nod and he gave her a hug before he walked to the door. Inside he felt slightly free from the confines of discussion of their small chances to be able to win. He needed to train, to get his blood flowing and to clear his head of all the junk he had just heard. He wanted to get his body to his most perfect ability to fight and to dodge and to survive. To be able to kill as many stingers as he could. No matter how much training it took he would be at his best when the time came, so he could protect all those he loved.

There was a lone figure in the hall in front of him. They were wrapped in layers of clothes and cloaks. Only one person in the Underland dressed in that manner. Gregor picked up his pace so he could talk to her. He was within ten feet of her when she spoke.

"Greetings, Gregor. It has been a long time," Nerissa said. Gregor could only shake his head in disbelief. Of course she would know it was him coming. She had probably seen it in a vision. It didn't matter though as he quickly caught up to her side.

"Hey, Nerissa. How have you been lately?"

"Oh, I have been well, much better than normal, in fact. In the past months I have felt stronger than I ever have and I have also had fewer visions. It seems to be doing well for me," Nerissa replied. Gregor noticed that she wasn't using the wall for support nor was she shivering under all her layers. He even noticed that her arms weren't nearly as thin as they had been. She seemed to be healthier and stronger just like she said.

"That's great to hear Nerissa. You look great, by the way."

"That is nice of you to say, Gregor, but it may be only a cycle. In a few weeks I could be bedridden and sick. I have seen myself alone in bed, in deep pain. It is impossible to know when this could happen." Gregor knew Nerissa to be solemn and a realist, but that was just weird. She seemed to be content with the fact that she had seen herself possibly dying and she didn't even blink at it. If he knew it was going to happen he would try to stop it from happening. That just seemed like the normal thing to do.

"There is one thing I must tell you before I leave you, Gregor. Please be wary about your feelings for my cousin. There are things that may happen if you become too close to her and her to you. The upcoming conflict will not be easy either. Be careful and make sure you watch your back." With those words Nerissa took a turn and went a different way than Gregor. But Gregor hardly noticed. Her words were cryptic and they spun around in his head. "What does she even mean by half of that stuff?" Gregor thought as he walked towards the high hall. All of his ideas of training were gone. He just needed somewhere quiet to go and think. And he knew just where to go.

He reached the high hall and let out an earsplitting whistle. Artemese appeared right before him and Gregor jumped right up onto his back without saying a word. His mind was already in a race."Can you take me to Ares Hideout?" Gregor asked without even thinking about what he was saying.

"Gregor, I am sorry, but I do not know where that is," Artemese replied, just a bit confused and also worried. Gregor looked at the bat and realized he didn't know how to get there either and had asked something so silly of him. He was about to dismount and go back to his room or something when he saw a spot of gold in his peripheral vision.

"Follow me, Artemese. I will show you the way. It may come in handy sometime," Aurora told the bat as she started off. Artemese followed quickly behind her. He did not talk as he committed the route to his head. Gregor looked around at the cavern walls with his echolocation and saw the amount of different paths that branched off in every direction. There was a reason this place was a secret. Unless you had an incredible sense of direction you would get lost in seconds. He was lost and he had tried to remember every turn they had taken.

The familiar lake loomed before them and Aurora ducked into the narrow opening, disappearing from view. Artemese followed her in and the cave blossomed open inside. There were still dusty blankets and torches against the wall. Gregor grabbed one of the torches and something to light it with. He would rather think in the light than in the dark. The torch flared to life and he stuck it in a crack in the wall, about a foot from the ground. He slid to the ground and leaned back against the wall, alone as he watched Artemese dart out of the cave.

Gregor's thoughts rushed through his head. "Nerissa had been so hidden in what she said. If she had seen something usually she would tell it to someone in the entirety, especially if it was bad. Yet all she told me was to be careful and to be wary. They are simple words of caution that anybody could tell me. Perhaps she knows that Luxa and I are growing closer together and that it might affect how she runs the Kingdom. Or she fears that someone might attack me if they found out. Someone else who wants to love her."

His thoughts circled around and around, hitting all the way on conspiracy theory mumbo jumbo all the way down to simple warnings for him to be careful. He remembered his conversation with Howard after he had left the hospital wing. Howard had told him to not let his relationship with Luxa get in the way with how she ran her kingdom. That seemed oddly familiar to what Nerissa had told him even if it was in different words. The part he couldn't figure out was that she wanted him to watch his back during the battles to come.

Had she seen him getting hurt from behind? Perhaps someone he knew was going to die right behind him in battle and he wouldn't notice. The warning had to mean something more than a reminder to be careful in battle. Gregor was careful when he was fighting foot soldiers. His only serious injuries came when fighting the bane, a monster that moved faster than something its size should have been able to. He had not been quick enough to avoid the terrible blow to his back from its tail. However, there was no way that would happen again. His back was more protected and he was a much better fighter, ready to assume the worst would come.

Time kept passing by him like a clock with broken gears. The hands must have been spinning because what felt like mere minutes turned out to be several hours. Gregor had sat leaning against the wall, unmoving even when his torch burned out. He just sat in the dark and thought not even noticing that the light had gone out. A noise outside the tunnel to the cave alerted him that someone was coming. The orange glow of a torch appeared coming down the passage towards him. Only one person knew where this cave was, so Gregor didn't even move to grab his sword.

Luxa jumped off Aurora's back and came to Gregor. She had worry etched across her beautiful face as she leaned down in front of him. His previously blank face flashed a weak smile to her and his eyes regained some light.

"Have you been here since you left the palace?" Luxa asked Gregor. He nodded to her not wanting to talk. She really looked worry now. "What are you doing here?"

"I just needed somewhere quiet to think and clear my head is all. The better question is what are you doing here?" Gregor retorted, using his most sarcastic voice for the last sentence. Luxa rolled her eyes and grabbed his hand, pulling him to his feet.

"Eisen's ceremony is in ten minutes. I want you there and when I couldn't find you in the palace or the arena or the city, I knew you could only be one other place. Aurora confirmed my suspicion and her I am. Now we must get back to the palace and to the ceremony." Luxa nearly dragged Gregor over to Aurora and basically pushed him onto her back. As they flew out, Aurora flipped over and Gregor fell off and on to Artemese's back with a solid thud. It had not been expected at all.

The two bats zoomed through the tunnels and back out over Regalia in a matter of minutes. They were to the palace in even fewer. The high hall was empty except for them as Luxa grabbed Gregor's hand and pulled him behind her. Their feet pattered across the stone floor as they turned corners and scurried down flights of stairs. Gregor knew where they were going. In a second they stopped right outside the council room's doors. They were open and Gregor could see that the place was full of the most important people. Luxa quickly fixed her hair and Gregor finally noticed that she was wearing a gorgeous purple gown. It flowed down her body and made her look stunning. His eyes sparkled.

"Okay, I am going to the front. You sit next to Mareth." Luxa said as she gave Gregor a small shove. He walked in as quiet as possible and made it to his seat on the aisle with only a few people noticing. Mareth gave a quick glance and a smile before turning his attention back to the front of the room. Gregor focused and he saw Eisen sitting two rows in front of him at the very front. He was wearing a large red cloak over what appeared to be intricate body armor. Perdita sat on the opposite side of the aisle in her usual attire. His thoughts snapped as Luxa flowed past him, walking like a spirit, barely seeming to touch the ground. She reached the raised spot on the floor in the front and turned towards those assembled.

She spoke with a loud clear voice. "Today we are here to promote a comrade to a higher rank, the second highest rank in our army. Eisen, a weapons master and excellent strategist, is here to be rewarded for his actions and abilities with the rank of second in command. Eisen, please stand." Eisen rose from his chair and approached the raised area. He stepped up next to her.

"Perdita, if you will," Luxa said gesturing for Perdita to join them. In her hands she carried a long pillow. She stopped on Luxa's other side as Luxa began to speak again. "With these items, I grant you the power to lead with great strength and a clear conscious." Luxa grabbed off the pillow a badge of gold. Eisen kneeled down and Luxa pinned it on his cloak right over his heart. She reached for the pillow again and pulled a beautiful sword off of it. The hilt was encrusted with jewels and the blade was tinted blue. It was the second most beautiful sword Gregor had ever seen. The other was waiting for him to buy.

Luxa handed the sword to Eisen hilt first. Eisen's fingers wrapped around the handle and he slowly pulled it away from his Queen. He hoisted it into the air and the assembled clapped and cheered for their new commander. Gregor just noticed one thing as his hands clapped. He always focused on eyes because they never lied about what a person was thinking or feeling.

Eisen's were filled with power.

So what did you guys think of that? Pretty good, right? I just wanna say thanks to everyone who has read this far already and to those who give me the motivation to keep going.

Thanks to a suggestion from Tytonic, a loyal reviewer and a great author in his own right, I'm going to start posting questions at the end of each chapter. Spice it up and make you guys think. I actually have two for this week.

Question 1: What do you think Eisen is thinking when Luxa gives him his official position?

Question 2: What do you think of the chapter lengths? Too long or perfect?

Leave your answers for me guys and tell me what you think of the story as a whole. Thanks for the support guys. It means a lot.