After the feast, Gregor, Boots, and Temp lazily trudged back to Luxa's room. They had eaten enough to feed a whole army. Gregor wondered if he was hitting a growth spurt, he and Boots. He was sure Cockroaches could eat allot without getting sick. Could they? Were they like wolves? After they eat one whole meal they go out looking for more food? He didn't know.
Gregor crashed the moment his head hit the pillow. Was it true the body becomes tired when it it full of food so it digests better? Boots wiggled up next to him and instantly fell asleep. Temp twitched now and then in his sleep. Even Luxa had seemed tired before they all went to bed. Hazard was the only one who really seemed up to and Boots slept all throughout the night. Gregor had dreams of flying with Ares, and running his fingers through his silky black fur.
Gregor was shaken awake. He swung up and almost hit his head on Ripred's snout. The rat jumped back and snarled.
"Watch it boy! Not only is your sword hand deadly, but your melon is too!" Ripred snarled.
Gregor rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Temp and Boots had already been wakened and were now eating. He stood up from his bed and stretched. On a tray was a pile of food which included greens, bread, and some type of oatmeal. Gregor took a piece of bread and a bowl of oatmeal and sat next to Boots and began to eat.
"So, how are we planning this whole thing out?" Gregor asked. "Who is all going? And...if you are going, how are you going to fly?"
Ripred popped a piece of bread in his mouth. "Oh, they have made this horrid sling type seat that I must sit in. It is tied to two large fliers," Ripred grunted. "The sling is more like a leather seat I sit in and it buckles around me. Anyone may come, not Vikus, his stroke has made him unable to come. Mareth is coming even with his issue."
"I must go," Luxa piped up.
"Well you better listen to your elders Missy. For you are queen now, and you must be a good little queen," Ripred said, sarcasm dripping from every word.
Luxa scowled at him. They were not the best of bonds. They had many differences between them. But when it came to saving each others lives, they were good at that.
"How many bats are we taking?" Gregor questioned.
"What is this twenty questions?" Ripred drawled. "Anyway, part from my chauffeurs, we are taking at least six extra fliers. Two will carry the water, two the food, and at least two who carry blankets and medicine kits."
Gregor finished his oatmeal and cleared his throat, "When do we leave?"
Ripred rolled his eyes dramatically. "After our fun game of twenty questions i suppose," he said boredly.
"Do I go?" Boots asked after a long moment of silence.
"Well...um-" Gregor started, looking at Ripred for conformation.
"You can. If I were you I would stay and enjoy myself loathing," Ripred replied as he chewed on a bone from the night before," I like you a whole lot better now. You are less...annoying."
Boots stuck her tongue out at him and crossed her arms over her chest. This was her 'I don't like you' face.
"You can go Boots, just you have to behave. It is going to be a long trip without many stops. You can go, or stay and keep Hazard company," Gregor replied as he glared at Ripred.
Boots thought this over for a few minutes, "I wanna go," she finally replied.
Gregor nodded as he stepped into his Boots and tied them tight. He might need the boots where he was headed. And not that he did not want her to go, he just did not want her to get hurt or get too bored.
"Well I guess that FINALLY settles it. Let us go," Ripred instructed and everyone followed him out the door.
They walked into the high hall. Many underlander's were loading up bats with baskets and water sacks. Aurora, Nike, Andromeda, were ready to be mounted. A cream colored bat sat with the three others, probably another extra to be ridden. Vikus appeared and he called Gregor over to a pair of bats.
"Zues and Zorro. They are brothers. They will carry Ripred from a long sling," Vikus told as he pointed to
two large bats. Zues was gray with a dark face and Zorro was a light mist color. The two had harnesses of their own with two long leather ropes connected from the bottom of them. At the end of the ropes was a sling.
Vikus walked over to another pair of bats. Zinx and Tine. They carried the two large food baskets. Zinx was the red bat Gregor had ridden earlier on and Tine was a light teal colored bat. The baskets were being filled with many different kinds of food, like meats, cheeses, cakes, and breads and allot of other stuff.
There was also Azmash. He carried the blankets and pillows so the questers did not get cold. He was a light red colored bat who looked very fragile.
There was also Blaze and Poyo who carried the water sacks. They were two of the largest bats Gregor had ever seen, still not as large as Ares though. Blaze was tan with a white marking on his face and Poyo was a dark chocolate brown.
Vikus led Gregor over to the light cream colored bat that sat near Nike. The bats name was Mace, Gregor was to ride upon him with Temp and Boots. He was young and fast but sturdy. Vikus walked off and Gregor was left alone with the bat. By the time the tour of meeting everyone was over people were closing baskets and getting ready to mount up. Zues and Zorro were lifting up into the air so Ripred could be strapped into his seat. Mareth brought Boots over to Gregor with Temp following behind.
"Mount Mace. It is almost time to depart, Mareth instructed and he flung himself onto Andromeda's back. Gregor helped Boots onto Mace's back and then mounted. The rest of the group showed up and mounted their bats. After everyone said their 'Fly You High's' the group took off out of the high hall.
The group was flying over a large mass of water. Gregor had never seen it before so they must have taken a different route towards the dead lands. The water had little light bubbles popping at its surface. Mareth and Andromeda who were in the lead dipped down into a cave sort of thing in a tall rock that rose high above the water.
The group landed in the spacious cave and everyone dismounted. Zues and Zorro still hovered over the group, Ripred was trying to unstrap himself from the sling. Luxa walked over and undid his buckle like it was nothing. The two bats landed and Ripred hopped out of the sling.
Mareth opened the basket on Azmash's back and pulled out a brush and tossed it to Luxa. Luxa unstrapped the bats from their harnesses and they shook. Luxa began to brush down the fur where the harnesses had bit into their skin at. She did this too all of the bats who had worn harnesses. She put the food and water in a safe place away from the edge of the cave.
"Why do you do this now? And not in any of the other journey's?" Gregor asked.
"We have much time to spare. In the other prophecies we did not," Luxa replied as she brushed down Zinx's red coat.
"Anyone hungry?" Gregor asked as he walked over to the food baskets. He looked around in the basket for meat, bread, and cheese to make a sandwich. No one answered but he made them anyway. He made the humans each one and two for Ripred. Some bats had gone fishing so they could feed themselves and Temp.
"Must you need help?" Luxa asked as she walked over as Gregor sliced through the meat. She must have already finished the rest of the bats.
"Sure, you can slice the cheese," Gregor replied loudly, Boots was teaching Temp how to sing Happy Birthday.
Luxa took a knife from the basket and began to slice the cheese into thin slices. The two bats that had gone out fishing came back with claw fulls of fish. They dumped them in a pile on the floor. Both bats had caught at least six fish each.
Half of the group of bats took a fish each. The rest Temp and Ripred ate. Another group of bats went out to fish for themselves.
"Have you missed the Underland?" Luxa asked.
"Of course. I missed all you guys. You can pair the meat up with the cheese now," Gregor replied as he began to slice the bread.
"Dont you know any other songs! Other than boring, boring, and annoying?" Ripred snarled as he glared at Boots.
"I know the Three Blind Mice song," Boots offered.
"Shoot.." Ripred drawled as he slouched against the wall.
Gregor and Luxa finished the sandwiches and passed them out. Ripred ate his two like he hadn't eaten in years. Boots took hers and began to munch loudly on it.
"Well, at least there is not singing," Ripred said as he gulped down the last bit of his sandwich.
The bats that had gone out to fish came back and dropped their fish in a pile. The bats and Temp and Ripred ate their fill on fish. When everyone had eaten they laid down blankets and pillows and Boots told some stories. She told the story about the Three Little Pigs. When she was done, everyone fell asleep.
Gregor tossed and turned on the cold stone floor. He finally found a comfortable enough position and fell asleep. When he awoke, he awoke to a sight he did not want to see. Ripred was pacing around the room.
Ripred, noticing Gregor was awake, came over to him. "The group has disappeared" he whispered frantically.