Hola mis amigos. I am back again with chapter 18. It feels good to be back on some kind of schedule for writing, but I'm still not positive if I'm gonna have one or be able to keep to it. It will all come down to just how much school work I end up having each day. I can guarantee that if I don't post a chapter during the week then it will be up on the weekend. You just gotta love the way school plays with schedules. So get to reading guys.

Chapter 18

It was early morning. Much earlier than Gregor would have liked when he opened his eyes. His entire body felt tired and heavy as he tried to snake his way out of his bed. It wasn't easy when there was a three year old curled up in the bed as well. With a bit of effort Gregor managed to slither his way off the bed without waking up Thomas.

It had been a long night of hyperactive toddler fun. Thomas had been more awake than he should have been. He wanted to play and laugh and talk about nothing with his limited vocabulary. It was interesting for Gregor even though he was utterly tired. It was almost like having another Boots with him. Thomas would point at stuff and show he knew the word, and Gregor taught him new words even. It was after several hours of this that Thomas actually started to grow tired again. His little voice slowly lost some of its energy and he quickly fell asleep.

Gregor had been relieved. He would at least be able to get some sleep. Or so he had thought. When he climbed into bed, his head hit the pillow and he was dead asleep in moments. But it wasn't a peaceful sleep. He dreamed some of the worst dreams he had ever dreamed and they were still very vivid as he walked around his room. It had all started with excitement and joy as he was holding a newborn baby, a halflander. The mother was obscured by darkness. As he cradled the baby in his arms, a bloodcurdling scream had filled the room and bright lights had illuminated the area. Luxa was screaming and crying, holding a dead baby in her arms. It was covered in the bright crimson that could only be blood and the towel it was in was dyed red from it.

Suddenly the baby in his arms gave a terrible shudder and a quick wail as a wound opened on its chest and warm blood ran out quick and fast. With a terrible fear, Gregor had pressed his hand down on the wound, but the blood came out too quick. The child was dead in moments, covered from neck to toes in the warm redness. Gregor screamed and dropped the limp corpse to the ground. And then the scene changed and he was in a chamber full of dead children and skeletons. Tiny skulls were interspersed around the room and little bones were everywhere. That was when he had woken up, drenched in a cold sweat, and shivering. It had taken him some time to fall back to sleep.

The rest of the time he had slept, he was restless and he was barely able to stay asleep for long. He guessed that he had managed at most three hours of sleep, maybe four. In reality it had been around three and half hours, but Gregor had no way of knowing.

He grabbed a torch from the hall and carried it into the room, relighting the torch that was on the wall. He looked in the mirror and saw the bags under his eyes and the mess that was his hair. He didn't look as bad as he was feeling. His body was so sluggish from lack of sleep. He figured if he had just not slept at all he would have been more awake. Water splashed against his face and he hoped that it would wake himself up. It barely helped. But he had work to do. Perdita would probably need him to run errands for her, and he had to visit Luxa before that to give her Thomas for the day. He threw on a clean set of clothes and slid on his boots.

"Hey, buddy. You gotta get up," Gregor whispered to Thomas as he scooped the little boy up in his arms. Thomas' eyes flickered open for a second, but they closed right away as his head sank down onto Gregor's shoulder. He carried the sleepy boy out of his room and to the bath for a quick clean up. It just felt right for him to do it himself instead of having a nanny do it. It felt like he was taking more care of Thomas now. Both him and Luxa. Thomas barely was in the nursery anymore.

With sleeves rolled up, Gregor held Thomas into the water and let it clean away whatever was on him. He gently cleaned him with some soap and washed his little head of hair by pouring water on it with a small ladle. The bath woke Thomas up and he started to squirm against Gregor's grip.

"Me down. Me down!" Thomas said louder and louder until he was nearly yelling. But he was smiling at the same time. He loved to order people around, especially his pseudo dad.

"Give me a sec, buddy. I gotta get you in a diaper first." Gregor reached around and grabbed a diaper from the pile that stayed in the bath now. Quickly he got Thomas into it and threw a shirt on him. It was about time too because he was starting to get behind schedule and he didn't want to make Perdita angry at him; that would just mean more work.

"Let's go get, Luxa, okay?"

"O-kay!" Thomas squealed as he ran ahead of Gregor out of the bath, his chubby little legs carrying him forward. Gregor kept right behind him in case he fell and to help him down the numerous flights of stairs. That was the only thing Thomas couldn't do. Going up stairs he was fine, but he hadn't managed to go down a flight without issue.

The hospital wing came into view not too much time later. Thomas churned his little legs and 'raced' Gregor to Luxa's room. Gregor walked a pace behind the little boy, listening to the giggles that erupted from his mouth every time he looked back and saw himself still ahead. Gregor just loved to watch him having fun and laughing. It was just like having a little sibling, except this was more. He enjoyed it like he saw father's enjoying playing with their kids.

Thomas tried to push open the door to Luxa's room, but the door wouldn't budge. He looked up to Gregor, "Open." Gregor smiled and picked Thomas up into his arms and gently pushed on the door. He didn't want it to crash open and wake up Luxa if she was still asleep. As the door opened he saw his worries were pointless. Vikus was sitting next to Luxa and the two were talking.

"... they will not take you off the throne, Luxa. I will not allow it. There is no pre-" Vikus was saying before he noticed Gregor standing stunned in the door. When Gregor had seen Vikus there he had frozen not sure what to do. He was almost positive their conversation was not meant for his ears or anyone else's.

"Sorry for interrupting. Just was dropping this little squirt off. I gotta get going," Gregor said as he put Thomas on the floor and gave him a small push. Thomas took off towards Luxa's bed and Luxa smiled at him as she pulled him up onto her bed. She looked at Gregor and he just smiled at her. "I'll come back later, Luxa. This," Gregor said gesturing towards her and Vikus, "is much more important than me having a few minutes with you."

Luxa looked like she wanted to say something, but she stopped when both Gregor and Vikus gave her a look that said "don't question it". Gregor waved to the two of them as he pulled the door closed behind him. As he walked down the hall, he let out a deep sigh. He knew exactly what they had been talking about. Luxa feared that if she couldn't have a kid then she wouldn't be allowed to be the queen. She hadn't told him, but from the small snippet he had heard he knew it was what she was thinking. The entire concept seemed ridiculous to him. She had brokered peace with almost every species in the underland besides the stingers and the cutters. She had made the city larger and more prosperous than any time in the past fifty years, and it had taken her only a few years to do it. If anyone deserved to be the ruler- the queen- it was her.

He knew the people that would think of taking her out of power would be the council that still existed to help Luxa, even though she was the coronated queen. The helped by executing Luxa's orders and acting as judge and jury for trials. Luxa was allowed to attend, but she had no vote. She had no say in the trial. No ruler had for a century. It was one of those rules that seemed to be more democratic than the rest of the system they ran under.

He wasn't sure how they had the power to remove her from power and appoint a new ruler, but if it happened, he would be right at Luxa's side as would Vikus and Mareth and Perdita. They were loyal to Luxa. They were more than that even. They were her friends and her family. No matter what happened, Gregor would find a way to keep her in power no matter what he had to do.

It was getting later, and Gregor didn't have the time to go and sit down for breakfast with the others. Not that there were many to eat with. Margaret, Howard, Hazard, and maybe York and Susannah. They hadn't been out much since Stellovet was taken. York, if seen, was often drinking and Susannah spent most of her time in the hospital. Gregor almost never saw either of them.

He changed his path and detoured past the kitchen just to grab something to put in his stomach and something to wake him up. The kitchen wasn't super busy, but there were people putting together some food and drink. Gregor went to them and looked at the food. He grabbed some bread and a glass of juice. He chugged down the juice and refilled the glass again from the jug. As soon as it hit his stomach he felt more energized and the weariness left him. He scoffed down the slices of bread and was gone. He carried the juice with him as he speed walked through the halls, taking sips as he went. The last drops left the cup and went down his throat right as a servant went past him.

"Can you take this back to the kitchen?" Gregor asked him. The man took the cup and bowed to him before heading back the way Gregor came. Now that he was watered and fed, Gregor felt much better. He picked up the pace and he jogged through the halls towards the tactics room. He passed numerous servants and guards and the occasional important person. He looked like he was the only one that had anything urgent to do. He was also the only one who would probably be yelled at for being late. Servants were hardly yelled at ever and were treated nicely unless they totally messed up, which was more than he could say for himself.

The tactics room came into view and Gregor slowed to a walk. Light streamed into the hallway and he could hear muted voices inside. Mareth and Perdita were seated at the long table when he walked in the door.

"Good Morning," Gregor said as he stood next to the table.

"Greetings, Gregor," Mareth replied first as he stood from his chair. "Did you not visit Luxa this morning?"

"I dropped by, but she was busy. I didn't want to be late either."

"Yes, being late is not very enjoyable. I will leave you to Perdita." Mareth saluted to his commander and left the room.

"I still do not understand why he salutes. We are friends and I think of him as an equal," Perdita said with a shake of her head. "Sit, Gregor. How is Luxa this morning?"

"I didn't really ask, but she looked the same as when I visited her last night. Didn't really have time to talk with her. Vikus and her were busy when I arrived."

"Of course. But it is good you are here and earlier than normal I might add." Perdita reached into the seat next to her and picked up a pouch which she placed in front of Gregor. "Here is your payment for the week."

Gregor picked up the bag and realized it felt heavier than normal. He undid the drawstring and looked inside. He counted and realized that he had almost double the pay. There were 10 pounds and some change inside. Perdita had a big smile on her face when Gregor looked up at her.

"You have done much and more these past few weeks. I have given you extra pay for the work. It is only fair."

"Thanks, Perdita," Gregor muttered out as he got up from his chair, his mind focused on if he would have enough to buy his sword. He would have to go and check to see just how much he had and hope it totaled minimum fifty pounds.

"Ehem." Gregor spun around, remembering what he was there for. He let all his joy erase itself from his face as he faced Perdita and waited for his daily tasks. She looked at him, her face serious, and then she smiled. "You are free for the day Gregor. You have done plenty these last few days and I believe you deserve a day to yourself."

"Are you sure?" Gregor asked, not wanting to let himself get overjoyed again. "Are you positive you can get by without me?"

"Oh yes. If I need something sent I can have another do it. Ivan has the day off as well." She added the last bit with a wink. Gregor was excited at the news. It was the other thing he was worried about. If Ivan was working on producing parts for the ballistae he couldn't possibly sell Gregor the sword.

"Well, if that's all, I think I'll get going. Got some important stuff to do." And then Gregor was running through the halls back the way he came. He blew past curtains sending them billowing in his wake. Servants pulled out of his way and Gregor spun around people who didn't seem to want to move. He either leaped down the stairs or took them three at a time. The bag of money was clenched tightly in his hand.

He couldn't have been happier when he reached his room. The drawer with his money in it was open faster than he thought possible, but it didn't matter. He pulled the bags out and dumped their contents on to his bed. He quickly sorted out the three coin types and counted away.

"Damnit," Gregor muttered under his breath when he was finished counting. The pay hadn't been perfectly even every week, sometimes it was more than normal. But the big problem was he was just a little over one pound short of the sword. He had forty-eight pounds, six shillings, and eight pence. And he would have to wait another week before he could go buy the sword. One week to long.

"I'm just gonna go talk to Ivan about it and see if we could just work something out," Gregor thought to himself as he put his money back into the bags and into the drawer. It was his best shot to obtain the one thing he wanted. If Ivan didn't agree with him, then the sword was lost forever to whomever came in and wanted it. "Might as well just get it over with," he said to himself as he strode from his room.

The streets were crowded when Gregor stepped off the lift. The number of differing smells filled his nostrils and he felt free again. Baking food, burning torches, dung, and so many other unique scents assaulted his nose. It was glorious and reminded him of New York with its varying scents. He felt at home.

The crowd parted before him and let him through as he worked his way down the main street past stalls and wagons and so much more. A man was entertaining a small group of people with music he was playing from a pipe shaped instrument that Gregor didn't recognize. It was closest to a flute in shape, but it was played like a clarinet. In his haste he didn't stop to listen but for a second and what he heard sounded phenomenal.

A person leaned out of building's window a few stories up and shouted down crude words to the people below. They retracted and slammed the shutter closed. Now it really was feeling like New York. The familiar scent of a forge loomed not far ahead of him as he squeezed between two women who didn't want to step back from their conversation and didn't even seem bothered with him as he pushed between their rather larger bodies.

Ivan's store seemed to be empty when Gregor walked in through the front door. There was nobody working the forge, but it was lit and burning. His eyes scanned the counter and the first few rows of shelves for any sign of life inside the building. A bell caught his eye sitting on the counter and he walked forward and rang it. The sound was sharp and sweet, a perfect note that did nothing to annoy the ear.

Ivan appeared to Gregor's right not even a few seconds later. It was remarkable how he could move and not be heard or seen. A large smile was on his small face and his arms were spread wide.

"Greetings, Gregor. How can I be of assistance? Is there something our fair Perdita needs done this day?"

"Not at all Ivan. Like you I happen to have a day off. And I got paid this morning."

"That is wonderful news. With you being here I assume you have enough to purchase the blade I am keeping for you." Ivan walked behind the counter and pulled a bundle out from underneath it. He flipped the cloth to the side and revealed the grand sword to Gregor's eyes.

"Well that's kinda why I'm here." Gregor's eyes were locked onto the sword as he soaked in every inch of it again. "I'm just a pound off the price tag, and was wondering if there was a way we could talk about this." Ivan's face lost its friendliness and went to pure seriousness.

"My work is sold at a certain price and that is the price it will sell at. I will not lower the price no matter who it is that comes in my store. Even the warrior," Ivan had kept his voice level the entire time, but it was obvious he was unhappy. Gregor pulled his eyes off the sword and looked Ivan in the face.

"I don't want you to lower the price. If you just let me buy the sword with what I have now, I'll pay the rest and extra when I get paid next. You'll get the full price, just a tiny amount a week later."

"No," was all Ivan had to say.

"C'mon. I really want the blade more than anything. I'd do anything for the blade! Anything man! I'd kill for the blade if I had to!"

"You will not get any advantage over another buyer because you think you are special. In my store you are equal with every other man. If you do not have the money for the blade and you do not plan on purchasing anything else, I would ask you to leave and to not come back until you do." Gregor locked his eyes with Ivan's and scowled at him. He was determined to not be the first one to look away. He failed. Ivan had an unbearable stare and he almost never blinked.

"I'll get the sword one way or another, Ivan!" Gregor yelled to the man as he left the store. "I will be back!" His emotions were boiling in his chest and he didn't look at where he was going until he slammed into something. Make that someone. Gregor flicked his furious eyes up and sae Roderick's face.

"Sorry," Gregor muttered as he quickly walked away, trying to get as far away from the store as he could. Roderick watched him go before he turned and walked into the store. Unbeknownst to both of them someone else had entered the store, under the cover of dark cloak.

Gregor shoved his hands into his pockets and he forced his way through the people of the streets without even caring. People shouted at him and complained of his brusqueness, but he didn't care. He was furious at himself and at Ivan because he had let himself get too emotional and because he wasn't currently carrying the most beautiful sword he had ever seen. He looked up from his feet and something in his peripheral vision caught his attention. A group of fliers were heading towards the palace. And a rat was riding on the largest.

Gregor knew who it was in an instant. His anger quickly left his bloodstream and was replaced with anticipation and hope. Hope that Stellovet had been found and was currently in that group of fliers. His hands left his pockets and he picked up his pace as he shoved through the crowd that was in front of him. If he had been rude before, then he was being the most disrespectful being on the planet now. He knocked people over, sent things flying, and startle animals as he made a mad dash through the street. He ran right past the man with the cool instrument and startled him so much that he nearly swallowed it.

His feet pounded the cobble as he burst out of the crowd and raced towards the palace wall and the lift that would carry him back up into it. His breath was becoming slightly labored as he pushed himself the last couple hundred yards. This was as fast as he was running and was not a pace he could manage for very long; he ran distance not sprints. Luckily for him he didn't need to as he leapt onto the lift and yanked on the rope. The lift shot up as he placed his hands on his knees to steady his breathing. A few quick deep breaths and his lungs stopped begging for air and his heart rate started to return to normal. He stood and looked down as the ground grew farther and farther away.

The lift reached the end and Gregor took one last look at the city. From the height he was at the people looked like ants and the buildings like toy blocks. But that wasn't important. He stepped off the lift and jumped right into a jog with a pace that would get him through the hallways of the palace in just minutes.

All he heard was the pounding of his feet on the floor and his own steady breathing. He didn't hear the other set of footfalls that were heading towards him around the bend in the hall right in front of him. As he turned the corner he slammed right into a man bigger than him and he found himself sprawled on the floor.

"Overlander, I have been looking for you," the man said as Gregor climbed back to his feet. "You are requested in the -."

"I know, I know," Gregor said cutting him off before he pushed passed him and was off down the hall again. As he turned down the now familiar hallway and the tactics room came into view, he didn't slow down as he had in the morning. He put one foot down in front of the other faster than he needed to and raced the last couple dozen yards to the door. His boots squeaked against the floor as he skidded to a halt right at the door and he wind milled his arms to keep his balance.

"Gregor, you are here quicker than I expected," Perdita said as he walked into the room. Compared to his meeting this morning the room was packed. Eisen and Ripred sat at the table with food and drink in front of them, and several of their men sat further down in the same fashion. All of them looked bone tired as if they hadn't slept in days.

"Yea. I saw them fly over the city as they headed towards the palace, so I came back just in case."

Eisen stood from his chair and wiped his mouth on a napkin. His face was dirty and a rough amount of stubble could be seen on his jaw. His entire appearance was disheveled and rough. His clothes were torn and he carried a heavy odor.

"I do believe you are not needed at the time, overlander. Please leave," Eisen said to Gregor. Or should it be commanded. Gregor stood there defiant, knowing that he had been summoned by Perdita to be there.

"Eisen, sit back down. I have asked Gregor to join us as he has been doing much work with the city while you have been gone. Gregor, please take a seat as well." He nodded to her and took his seat next to Ripred. "Good now, let us begin."

"We left the battlefield in pursuit of the stinger forces, but as soon as we had ventured into the tunnels we knew that there was a small chance that we would find them. The tunnels branched off in numerous different directions and it was difficult to track them.

"We endured and searched on, but we found no trace of the main force or of Stellovet. All we encountered were small scouting parties that we did not engage but avoided. The longer we searched the less chance we had at finding her, so we turned back."

"Is that all, Eisen?" Perdita asked him sensing that there was more to the story.

"Of course there is more, Perdita," Ripred spoke up. "We were coming back here to do exactly what we are doing now when one of our scouts flew up to us and reported that the stingers had attacked a gnawer settlement. With all haste we changed our direction and went to assist them.

"We found the settlement, but there were no stingers still there. The entire population was killed, all hundred or so of them."

"Why was I not informed of this attack?" Perdita asked with a bit of anger in her tone.

"I did not believe that it was important after we had found the settlement destroyed," Eisen explained. It was a poor excuse, but it was the only excuse he had.

"Is that all you have to report, Eisen?"

"Yes."

"You are dismissed then," Perdita said before she strutted from the room.

Gregor sat calmly in his seat as he thought of the outcome of the venture. They hadn't located or even found a possible place where Stellovet could have been taken. They hadn't really done much of anything. He had done more in the city than the entire group had done while out searching.

"Overlander," Eisen said pulling Gregor out of his thoughts, "where can I find our queen? I wish to see her to make sure she is okay." A scowl crossed Gregor's face at the words.

"She's doing fine and she's probably asleep anyway," Gregor said getting very defensive.

"That is fine. I still wish to see her. Where is she?"

"Down in the hospital, of course. I'm not sure they'll let you visit her now anyway."

"And why is that?"

"You're filthy and they don't like that in the hospital," Gregor said as a sly smile replaced his scowl.

"I will bathe then. Is there something you are not informing me of, Overlander? Is there something I need to know?" Eisen's eyes focused on Gregor and he lowered his eyebrows.

"Not hiding anything from you at all. Luxa is in the hospital and she is doing just fine, which is all you asked for and is what I told you."

"Do not take attitude with me, Overlander. I still have control over you. It would be smart of you to remember that." And with those words Eisen prowled out of the room.

Gregor felt happy that he had spited Eisen, even though there was no reason for it. Eisen still may want to be with Luxa, but Gregor knew it was impossible. Luxa and him were in a relationship that had no breaking point. There was nothing that could split them apart.

"Boy," Ripred snarled at Gregor from the door. He hadn't even seen the rat get up from the table. "Get over here." With a sigh Gregor climbed from the table and walked towards the door. Of course, Ripred still called him boy, but his mind drifted to the words he had overheard Perdita saying the other day. He was a man and he was not even close to a little boy anymore. That had disappeared long ago.

"I'm not a boy, Ripred. I'm a man."

"Oh, shut it," Ripred yelped at him with ferocity, that Gregor shut his mouth in an instant. "At least you can still take orders. Now what was that back there?"

"What was what?" Gregor asked trying to avoid the question.

"You know what I'm talking about. Spit it out!"

"Fine. I just like to toy with Eisen because he thinks he still has a chance with Luxa and is totally oblivious to how me and Luxa really feel about each other."

"That is the most obvious thing. It radiated off of you the entire time you were talking. And who is to say that it is written in stone that you and our queeny will stay together?"

"I would assume that I would have the say in that," Gregor replied with a bit of a laugh.

"That's not a laughing matter. You have no say in anything down here. I'm just gonna warn you to watch your back and try to hide your relationship better. It can be quite obnoxious at times." Ripred finished and sauntered off in a different direction than Gregor. His last few words seemed to be etched in his head. He hid his relationship as best as he could simply because he didn't want to be forced into an outsider and hated. But was he really not hiding it that well.

Most of his friends knew of his and Luxa's relationship, but how many others did? It wasn't something he truly thought about. Most of the doctors could probably tell and maybe the servants, but the guards and the soldiers and the regular citizens couldn't know. Neither of them broadcasted it to anyone, but sometimes things happen and people can figure it out like Susannah did. But of course Ripred wouldn't warn him about it if it was nothing.

There would be people that would want him dead if they found out about him and Luxa. He could easily be assaulted in the streets or have an assassin sent after him. Anything was possible. And if it was possible than it would have to be taken as probable. That there was a chance that a random pure hearted citizen would not want an overlander ruling over the city even if there was no rule against it. Even some of the powerful people in Regalia would not agree with it. He could think of one very easily.

"But why should I care. I'm going to listen to my heart and not my head," Gregor said to himself as he strolled through the halls. "I have nothing and no one to fear. And no reason to either. I'm just going to let my life play out in front of me and hope for the best. I will make it the best if I have to. Nothing could make me feel bad about myself and how I am living my life. Nothing will stop me from being who I am."

Gregor felt good about himself. The best he had felt in quite a while. It seemed that it took someone telling him to do something or to be careful or something like that for him to figure out what he needed to, even if he hadn't been down in the dumps.

He took in his surroundings and saw that by habit, he had wandered into the high hall. A flier was departing with a rider on its back. Gregor watched them fly off and wished he could have Artemese back so he could just go fly off and think for a little bit or have someone he could talk to. Instead he was stuck with silent, gloomy Ptolomus that only helped him if he was assigned to do it. It was no fun for either of them.

An urge drew him towards the balcony, and he looked out over the city. From the height he was at, everything looked small. The glow from the fields was barely visible and the wall was just a line on the so called horizon. The immense number of torches flickered and the light seemed to move in ways that it didn't when you were on the ground. He leaned over and looked down to the clear area directly below the palace. His focus cut out and his fear of heights overtook him.

He took a step back and slumped to the floor, resting against the wall of the rail. It was peaceful and calm there. No one bothered him and there was nothing really happening in the high hall either. It was the time of the day where everybody tried to relax for a little. He closed his eyes and let his mind wander.

The sound of laughter drew him from his daydream. He opened one eye and saw Mareth and Perdita walking towards the Balcony, laughing about something. Gregor pushed himself up from the floor to the surprise of the pair.

"Gregor, I did not see you there," Mareth said.

"It's fine man. It's probably better anyway that I got up. Never know if there's gonna be something to do."

"That is very true," Perdita agreed with him. "I am sorry we interrupted your…" She left the sentence hanging not sure what Gregor had been doing.

"I was just daydreaming about stuff," Gregor filled in for her. "Nothing really important. I guess I'll leave you two alone for now."

"You do not have to do that, Gregor," Mareth said, obviously just trying to be nice.

"Its fine, man. Really. You two have a bit of fun. I have some stuff I need to do anyway."

As Gregor started to walk away, the heavy sound of many hurried footfalls, reached his ears. Both Mareth and Perdita heard it as well, as they both stopped and listened closer. From the far end of the high hall, Roderick and a group of ten soldiers rushed towards them. Roderick's face had fury etched in every line. It burned in his pupil's like twin flames.

"YOU! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?" Roderick screamed as him and the soldier's spread out around him.

"I didn't do anything," Gregor replied, curious of what Roderick was doing.

"Liar! Guards arrest him!" he ordered and the men closed in on Gregor, their hands gripping their weapons. Both Mareth and Perdita sprang towards Gregor, but were cut off by the soldier's as they surrounded him.

"What did I do that you need to arrest me!?" Gregor yelled at Roderick who stood outside the circle of soldiers.

"Murder," was the one word that left Roderick's mouth. Both Mareth and Perdita were screaming that it wasn't possible and that Roderick was out of line, but Gregor didn't really hear much of it. He was more concerned with why Roderick was accusing him of murder and who it was that Roderick thought he murdered. The guards inched closer and Gregor's hand reached for his sword. As his hand grabbed the hilt, something struck his hand and he pulled his hand back. He felt his belt fall from his waist and his sword with it.

He was weaponless against ten men that each were holding a sword or a club. The ods were highly against him, but he wasn't going to let them arrest him for nothing. He wasn't going to go without a fight when he had done no wrong. He kicked away the split belt , so he wouldn't trip over it, and then he lunged for the closest man. He grabbed his sword arm and twisted it, knocking the sword out of his hand. With a quick flick of his wrist, Gregor set the man off balance and followed it up with a palm strike to the brow. The man slumped over unconscious.

"Apprehend him, NOW!" Gregor heard Roderick yell and the soldier's pressed him harder. A sword cut into his arm and that was it. He had been holding back his rager ability so he wouldn't kill any of the solider's, but now he was hard pressed to keep it down. A club swung down on his left, and he quickly back stepped out of the way. Quicker than a snake can strike, Gregor had grabbed the man's arm and flipped him over into one of the other soliders. The two men sprawled on the ground in a heap.

He sensed one of them coming up behind him and he spun around, leaping into the air. His foot swung around and connected with the side of the mans head. He fell to the floor like a sack of flour. The other six guards all pressed him at the same time, and he felt a club slam into his back and then another into the back of his head. He stumbled and fell to the floor. The pressure of a knee against his upper back kept him from getting back up. His arms were pulled together and he felt restraints slipped onto his wrists. He pulled against them and tried to snap them, but the leather held tight. He felt another pair slide on to his ankles, and he knew his fight was over.

A foot kicked him in the stomach and he curled up as all the air was forced out of his lungs. Another blow sank into the lower portion of his back, and another rained down onto his legs. The guards rained blows down on his arms and legs and kicked him over and over. He could hear Perdita yelling at them to stop. The sound of metal on leather and the glint of light off of a blade told him someone had drawn their sword and was holding it over him.

The beating stopped, and he was forced to his feet. A guard in front of him spat on Gregor's face and laughed at him, as he was marched away to the dungeons. He could only hope that Perdita and Mareth could help him get out. Or Luxa could do something about it. That was his only hope now. Fighting could only go so far. Now he had to hope for some help from his friends. He couldn't win this alone. But he felt more alone than ever as he was forced into the cell. The bond on his ankles was removed, and they rebound his hands in front of him.

The stone door slammed shut and left Gregor alone with nothing but his hopes.

This was a fun chapter to write and I really enjoyed trying to make it get you guys wondering. Please, please, please tell me what you think of it. I want to hear every single person's opinion on this chapter.

Question: Who did Gregor supposedly murder?