Thank You Everyone! If you enjoy the story or have any suggestions please leave a review so I can see your guy's opinion!
The words hit Gregor like a wall. He had not been thinking when he said them. Like his mouth knew what it was doing but his head did not get the message yet. As he said the name, the big bat flew down and landed gently beside him. When Gregor tried to touch Ares, it was like an invisible wall had been placed between them.
"Gregor, why must you be here?" Ares whispered as he fluttered his wings.
"The Underlanders found a new prophecy that said I must ask of you to redeem your life. Please Ares, you must. Everyone's lives are at stake," Gregor replied.
The bat looked confused. "What do you mean I must redeem my life?"
"Well, the prophecy says you can get your life back. Well...if you want. If you don't, a large war will occur. All humans and fliers will lose their lives," Gregor explained.
The big black bat fluttered his wings and shifted his weight. Everyone's lives that he loved were resting on his shoulders. Could he really save everyone? Or was it all a big joke? No...it couldn't be a joke. If so, how could Gregor be seeing Ares at the moment?
"I do not think I can. It does not make sense. I am just one bat, what can I do?" Ares mumbled.
Gregor felt his knees give way, and he toppled through the barrier that was between him and Ares. He fell at Ares' feet, gasping for air. The bat nudged him but he couldn't wake Gregor. Ares took Gregor's shirt in his claws and flew up into the ceiling of the cavern. He burst through the water with a splash. Ares was now flying above the waterfall, in the rock cavern. He landed before the group and gently laid Gregor down. The group looked at Ares, astonished that he was standing before them.
"Do not look at me! The boy needs help!" Ares sobbed as he took Gregor's hand in his claw.
Mareth and Howard ran to Gregor's side with a first aid kit in hand. Mareth grabbed a towel from the kit and pressed it onto Gregor's wound while Howard pumped air into his lungs. After fifteen agonizing minutes, Gregor sputtered out water and heaved. He fell back down from the pain. The towel was soaked in blood but it had stopped the bleeding. Mareth took out a roll of cloth and wrapped Gregor's wound tightly.
"I thought I died," Gregor croaked.
"No, the blade completely missed your heart," Mareth laughed.
Gregor smiled and slowly sat up. Then at the sight of Ares he stood and jumped into his wings, not caring how much it hurt to do so. He threw his arms around Ares and wept into his glossy, black fur. The bat wrapped his wings around Gregor and he to, sobbed. Ares had seemed to have gotten much bigger. He was full of muscle everywhere. He was at least eight feet tall with a wing span of twenty-two feet. He had been smaller before he died.
"You are bigger than I remember," Gregor choked out between sobs.
"Me? I have not gotten much greater in size. But you, your face is much older. You are not a boy anymore," Ares purred.
Luxa and Aurora came up and hugged Gregor and Ares together. As did Howard, Mareth, and Andromeda. Boots walked up and patted Ares's black fur, saying how much she had missed him, and how beautiful his fur was.
"I missed you also Boots. You are not, a small pup anymore. How old be you, Gregor and Boots?" Ares asked.
"I am now fifteen, Boots is six," Gregor replied.
Ares looked at Gregor and Boots. Then he looked at the rest of the group. "It has been that long...three years?"
"Two and a half more likely. Your death has been long," Luxa replied sadly.
"What I do not understand, is who comes back with him? In the prophecy it said other will come with him," Howard said.
"Ah, yes. The others," Ares called.
A flash of wings came up from the waterfall and landed before the group. There was Pandora, Howard's old bond, Thalia, the little bat who was meant to be bonded with Hazard. Pandora carried upon her back Tick, the cockroach who flew into the face of a rat. The last object on Pandora's back was...Henry. Everyone gasped as Pandora's load slid off of her back. Everyone knew he could come back, they just did not expect it.
"What is wrong? Are you not happy to see me?" Henry smirked.
Luxa covered her mouth and covered her face in Aurora's wings. Ares shifted his weight, uncomfortably. Ripred seemed fine with Henry's well being there, like he knew it would happen all along.
"I cannot say that I am happy to see you, or I would be lying to your face," Ripred taunted as he gnawed on a bone.
"Not like you haven't lied to my face before," Henry scoffed.
"You cannot say you have never lied to anyone," Ripred shot back.
Henry scowled at Ripred, like he wanted to rip his head off. He turned towards Luxa. "I see you are still bonded to Aurora...surprising. I thought maybe you would have turned on her, as you did me. Oh Aurora..how I have missed you."
"Do not speak to her! You know what you have done is far more than wrong. You do not deserve to be breathing!" Aurora hissed.
Henry put his hands up in surrender. "Who says I have not changed? You do know...people can change," Henry declared as he raised an eyebrow.
Henry turned to Ares and Gregor. "I cannot believe you Ares. You are bonds with this coward? I am surprised you nor Luxa have killed him yet. Were you waiting for me? How thoughtful of you," Henry claimed.
"I would never kill him. I am not like you, I would never deceive my own bond!" Ares hissed.
Henry took a step towards Gregor, his hand at his hip, though he held no sword. Ares flew between them, his ears back against his skull and his lips pulled back over his teeth in a evil hiss.
"You would not dare kill me again...would you?" Henry laughed.
"I would if I had to," Ares spit back.
Just then Howard came up behind Henry and clanked him over the head with a large rock, knocking him unconscious. Henry toppled onto the ground like a doll. Luxa fell to her knees, burying her face into her hands. Howard tied Henry's hands behind his back tightly and tied his knees and ankles against his back.
"We are taking him?!" Gregor asked, disgusted.
"We must. No matter what bad things he has done we cannot leave him here. He has to have a fair trial," Howard replied.
Howard threw Henry over his shoulder and walked stiffly over to Ares. The big, black bat scowled at the limp body hanging over Howard's shoulder. "He is not flying upon me!" Ares hissed.
"I will fly with him," Mace said meekly.
Howard positioned Henry on Mace's back and tied a rope around the bat's neck and Henry, so Henry would not fall off. Tick positioned herself near Temp and Boots who sat on Ares' back with Gregor. They clicked amongst themselves excitedly. Thalia was to fly under Ares' claws so he could carry her if he needed to. Pandora carried no one. Howard was still shocked that his old bond had come back, how could he have two bonds? The other bats got loaded up and they took off down a tunnel different from the one they had come.
"Do you think there is anymore who have come back?" Gregor asked, as he sat upon Ares.
"Probably. There are most likely many more who have come back, but we must find them first," Ares replied.
"How will we know where to find them?" Gregor asked.
"Well they will either come to us or messages will be sent," Ares replied. "You must rest, there will be many things to do when we get to the palace."
Gregor curled up on the bats back, feeling safer than he had in a long time. He fell asleep, dreaming of the things that he and Ares could do since he was back. Boots laid next to him, warm and flowery smelling.
When Gregor woke up they were flying towards the palace. Ares skidded into the high hall, and slowed to a stop in front of Vikus, who looked as if he had been waiting for them the whole time they had been gone.
Vikus did not look happy. He looked as if he had seen a monster. Gregor slid off of Ares' back and went up to Vikus. "What happened?" Gregor asked.
"There is news...that the Bane..has returned." Vikus said quietly.
"Is he close?" Gregor asked.
"They do not know. The last time he was heard of he was heading towards the Fire Lands. Come, all of yu, there is much to discuss."