The Banished

Chapter 34

He made it, of course, through the night and into the next day and the day after that and the one after that… Eventually, they got to a point where they did not make camp when they stopped; they were home.

"You told me that you were nomadic."

Vlad shrugged as he unbound Gregor's blindfold as well as his hands and feet. "We are. We spend little time here. The true tribe. We leave the rest behind."

"The rest?"

"We take some women, children, and elderly with us, if they are direct family of the soldiers that travel with us, so if we perish, they can die together. However, the rest stay here and cultivate the land."

Gregor looked around at the little huts and stone houses. "So this is your kingdom then?"

"Aye," Vlad sighed. "I do not spend much time here, however."

"Why?"

"It is as I told you. I am nomadic. My wife stays here though, governs." He shook his head. "I grow restless, staying here. I must combat that other forces in the Uncharted Lands."

Gregor kicked at the dirt beneath his feet. Sand. "What will you do then? When we win Regalia?"

"I have not thought about that," Vlad said honestly before shrugging. "Go and kill those other filthy creatures, first. The rats and the mice. Prove my value as king. You by my side, of course, ghost. So it is foretold in the prophecies."

Nodding slightly at that, Gregor asked, "So when do I get to see those then? The prophecies?"

"In due time, Overlander." He bumped the other man's shoulder then. "You are free, Overlander. There is a medical station, not two buildings down from here. Go get yourself checked out, if you wish. Then find something to occupy your time. I shall send for you when I need you. Do not get caught outside of the limits off our city, or you shall get far worse treatment than you received before."

"How would I know the limits?"

"There are guards posted," Vlad assured him as Gregor looked around again. The city was well lit by random fires going. From what he could tell, this was due to the fact it was nearing a meal time.

"How many of you are there?"

"Many," Vlad said simply. "Your queen tells us that we have not half her army, but I find that doubtful."

"How-"

"Our tribe goes back many, many decades. And we get more Overlanders than those in Regalia, I am sure."

"Where is the opening?"

Vlad just smiled at him then before shaking his head. "Does it matter, Overlander?"

"No," Gregor said slowly. "I suppose not."

"Explore. There is time for our long lore later," Vladimir assured him before patting his belt. "I have things to attend to. Those who are rarely home typically have much to do when they wander back in their doors, yes?"

He left Gregor with that, though the man did not leave his spot for some time. He only looked down at his fallen binds and blindfold, which were at his feet in front of him.

Free. He was free. Hmmm…

There was much joy that night, as soldiers and families were reunited, but there was also much sorrow. Gregor saw people embracing on the streets while others openly wailed. There were many young children, running around, some in rags, others in nothing at all. None were Zander though and therefore of none of Gregor's concern. If he could help it, he knew that he would try to save all of the children before it was all over, take them back to Regalia and the Fount with him. The only problem was at the moment, he was so far in that he did not know for certain how he would even save himself.

He looked for other Overlanders, more out of curiosity than anything else, but found none. He saw many Halflanders though, some obviously not bore of an Under and Over, but rather two Halflanders or some other mixture. Some had green eyes, other that vibrant blue-hue that both Usha and Zander possessed. Some were blonde, true blonde, while others had dark, coarse black hair. He even found a black man, with those captivating Underland purple irises that was married to another Halflander.

Clearly, the banished were far more open to the mixing of Over and Under than the Regalians ever were.

He did not bother any of the people that he saw, more for fear of hatred or resentment than anything else. And could he blame them if they found him responsible for their son or daughter not coming home? For their husband dying at the wrong end of his blade? Their father or mother burned by then to a crisp from the Regalians' flames. He knew that if anyone he loved had been killed by the banished in that fight that he would not have such a forgiving heart.

Eventually though, he found that he did need the doctor's assistance and did seek one out. His wounds had not been properly cared for and though he did not want to seem like a whiner or overly needy, he badly needed some of them cleaned out. Not to mention he felt kind of groggy, no doubt from the fact that they were no longer drugging him. He figured his body was becoming addicted to it and was not happy by the lack of it.

Many of the returning soldiers and people were in need of care, so Gregor did not demand anything when he walked into the tiny stone building Vlad had pointed out to him. He waited his turn patiently and though he got a few looks, did receive the same treatment as everyone else. It was obvious to him that though those in Regalia were behind those above ground, those in the Uncharted Lands were eons behind them. They relied mostly on herbs and other plants, which Gregor did not really wish to partake in. but figured it would at least alleviate his pounding head.

They didn't give him anything trippy, really, just enough to make him feel better. They washed his wounds, but did not gauze them or anything. He was sure that their supplies was better left for their own men. He figured one o the questions he would ask Vlad later would be if there were banished spinners would come make them silk.

After that was done, Gregor went to walk around again. He was feeling rather lightheaded, but he attributed it to the drugs and paid it no mind. The fires were dying down and he had to rely more on his echolocation once more.

One of the most interesting places Gregor found was the swordsmith's place. He worked up the courage to ask one of the men around how they found the materials, but the man merely gave him a snort and told him that there were many caves to mine for charcoal and coal as well as any other elements that they needed for such work. The fires there were burning hotly, inside the building, and Gregor did not stick around long, if only not to get in the way.

He didn't realize how hungry he was until he was summoned to Vlad's tent. A tent. People had actual stone homes, much like in Regalia only more rudimentary, and their king lived in a tent.

A king of the people, he was. Real class act. Ha.

"It shall only be us?" Gregor asked as he sat down on the fabric Vlad nodded at. He was seated in front of him, only plates of food between then, no table or anything. The tent was small, basic, and had a dirt floor. He could not imagine the man sleeping there.

Then again though, he was the one that said that he was never home. Maybe he just never had time to demand a palace build in his honor. Maybe.

"Who else would there be, Overlander?"

"Your wife."

"I knew you favored her, no matter what you said," Vlad laughed, wagging a finger at him. There was a fire outside the ten, the open flaps allowing it to illuminate the space Gregor and the man occupied. "She has not arrived home yet, you see. She is still tying up a few loose ends in the Dead Lands. She shall return soon enough, with the rest of the people we have left."

"Why do you have Zander then?"

Vlad frowned at him before shrugging and looking down at the food in front of them. Reaching for a slice of some sort of meat, he said simply, "I believe I misled you before. I do not hate the child, if that is what you think. He is just not mine. But still, he is my wife's child, a prince. I take care of him as I would my own."

"What of his true father?"

Vlad snorted then, looking cross for a moment. Gregor had a feeling that though Vlad had told him that the banished were very open with relationships, that there was some resentment there, towards Usha and the other man at least, about what had taken place.

"Dead."

"You killed him?"

"Of course not. Kill my own people. I am not like your queen."

Gregor sighed then, shaking his head. "I did not-"

"There are many dangers out in the Uncharted Lands, Overlander, things that those from your part of the Underland do not wish to know of nor bother. Things that would kill the unskilled in their ways quickly. He fell to one of those things. It was not my doing. He was merely a soldier that Usha spent her time with while he was on leave here and I was away. Nothing more to me and of little concern. He died before the child's birth."

Gregor looked down at the spread of food himself then before back up at Vlad. "None of this is-"

"I know your discomfort with eating human flesh, Overlander. You think I would trick you?" Vlad snorted. "We are both men here. Men with a common enemy. You passed your initiation without attempting retaliation. You are with us now and I trust you. I would hope that you extend me the same honor."

Gregor watched the man for a moment before nodding his head. Trust him? No. But did he believe him for that moment? Yes.

So they ate for awhile in silence. Gregor was not rather hungry, as the drugs were settling hard on his stomach. Still, he did not know the next time he would get such a nice selection, so he forced himself to eat up.

"Until it is time to head back to Regalia for the attack, you shall be stationed with a family," Vlad told him randomly at one point. "They shall allow you space. And keep an eye on you, of course. I trust you, Overlander, but I am not stupid. Neither are you, I am sure."

"Of course not."

"Right," Vlad said, nodding his head. "We are both going to play this safe. I cannot send my men back in so early, you understand. It might take a few…weeks. You shall stay here, of course, with us."

"Of course," Gregor said slowly, though his mind was reeling at an unimaginable speed. Weeks? Weeks? He would be stuck with the banished for weeks? How would he survive that? There was no way, no way at all. Who would expect…how could anyone…

They would surely find him out before it was over. All it would take was one slip of the tongue and he was done for. They would kill him. He would have to play it very close to the vest, this time, and he was not sure if he would be able to. It was very rare that he needed to fool someone of something. He was typically a very open and honest person. He wasn't like Luxa. The whole reason she did not tell him of the plan to begin with was because she did not think that he would be able to pull off the acting n court and yet she had him out in the Uncharted Lands, among only enemies, expecting him to pull off the greatest scheme of his life! He hated her so much.

…But God did he miss her and home that much more.

"You said something about explaining the, uh, lore to me?" Gregor stammered then, more to distract Vlad than anything else. He did not want the man to be able to focus on him very long, for fear of revealing his worry. "Of how this all got started?"

"Ah, yes," Vlad said, nodding his head. "I am sure that you, being so closely entwined with the crown of Regalia about banishment and the laws surrounding it. How its legality varies from ruler to ruler."

"Aye."

"Then you must realize that many banished die. That is their ultimate fate and everyone knows it. It just makes a king or queen feel better about it, as if they give the man or woman a fighting chance. That is not the case. There is no way that one could survive out here completely alone. Or least it would be very improbable." He paused. "No, you would almost certainly need a group of people to survive. That is why my wife's Underland descendants lucked out. When they were banished, they were banished as a group of four men.

"So they found the most fertile land and built here. There is water, near here."

"Does it connect to the waterway?"

"No. It is another body of flowing water. It goes on for many, many miles. No one knows for certain where it flows to."

Gregor nodded slightly. "So they started a city, like Sandwich had."

"Yes," Vlad said, nodding. "They would await other banished and eventually started a community. The Overlanders fall in an area close to here. It is a small opening, in a mountain top of the Overland, I believe. They all say they are explores and somehow fall through."

"You do not have any currently?"

He shook his head. "Not now, no. We have many Halflanders and other mixes for you to look at."

Gregor snorted. "You act like they are animals."

"It is not what I meant," he said with a shake of his head. "I only meant that as it is disallowed in Regalia-"

"It's not that it's disallowed," he said with a roll of his eyes. "It's just-"

"You know, in theory, Sandwich was an Overlander," Vlad told him then with a shrug of his shoulders. "And yet they will not let you rule."

"Yeah, well, George Washington wasn't a natural born citizen either, but things happen."

He knew Vlad didn't know what he was talking about, but the man only smiled at him.

"Are there anymore questions then, Overlander?"

"Many," he admitted. "But…I do not know them yet."

"Ah, well, when they come to you, ask," Vlad said. "I will not have much to do in the coming days. Most await Usha's return. From there we shall plan. Recuperate. Get ready to invade again. And this time, we shall come bearing our best."

Gregor nodded at him before pausing. Taking a moment to think, he asked slowly, "Do you think I could, uh, you know, see him?"

"See who?" Vlad asked, moving to get back to his food.

"Zander? Err, James?"

"The child?" Vlad gave him a hard look then. "You seem rather attached, Overlander. Tell me, you are not one of those…boy lovers are you?"

Gregor almost chocked on his spit. "N-No! Why would you-"

"Aye, it is merely a concern to have. Tell me, if you had a son and a grown man wished to spend time with him, would you-"

"Luxa and I were merely caring for him. We both grew attacked. I-"

Vlad made a gesture with his hands. "Do not bore me. Besides, the child seems to like you as well."

"What makes you say that?"

"He keeps going to Halflanders with your skin tone, reaching to be picked up. When he finds who it is, he runs off. He's looking for someone. I am sure it is you."

Gregor nodded slightly. "Luxa and I spent much time with him."

With that, Vlad stood, leaving the tent for a moment. Gregor could hear him speaking softly to someone. When he returned a few minutes later, Zander was with him.

The little boy made a loud noise as he rushed over to Gregor, easily falling into his lap. Vlad seemed uninterested as he went to reclaim his spot and finish his meal.

Zander was still making loud noises, patting Gregor's chest before wiggling slightly. Gregor just smiled down at him, watching. Sure enough, after calming down, he went back to hitting himself in the head.

"What is he doing?" Vlad finally asked.

"When he was with Luxa, she would not let him touch the crown on her head," Gregor mumbled softly, moving to grab the boy's hand and still it. "He wants Luxa."

Vlad grunted slightly. "He'll grow out of it."

"Yeah," Gregor sighed, watching the little boy who only giggled up at him. "He will."

He could remember still the first time that Luxa tried to send him away. He kept replaying it when he laid down to sleep that night, in a backroom of someone's shop or house or something. He was sleeping on the cold, hard ground and all he wanted to was to be back at the palace, with Luxa. Not to mention Howard and Hazard. Aurora and Nike. Mareth and Perdita. Vikus and Nerissa.

He was alone then though. Not a part of Luxa and Gregor. Just Gregor. He wondered if she missed him too. Probably. Or maybe she was too busy to think of him. That was just as likely.

Still, memories helped him and the one that came to him happened to be that night. It was about a year into her reign and he had spent only a few weeks in the Overland. She was insistent that he went frequently and, as they had somehow found peace once more, it was acceptable for him to be gone. Those times though didn't count as her attempting to send him away though.

It was spurred from a fight that they had. And as most of their fights, it started off rather playfully. Then it just escalated, as always, into something much worse.

"Do you feel good?" Luxa had asked him as they sat there, on her bed, her going over some kind of scroll from a scout or something. Gregor was mostly trying to fight off sleep, as he would need to sneak back into his room for that.

"About?" he had questioned back.

"Just in general. Right now. Do you feel good?"

"I don't feel bad," he told her as he shifted on her bed, moving to lay on his side and face her. "So I guess I feel good."

"Bad and good are opposite one another, fine, but in between them in neutrality. You feel neutral, more than likely."

"How are you going to tell me how I feel, Luxa?" He shook his head slightly. "Why do you want to know how I feel anyhow?"

"I only wished to know, that is all."

"You planning on making me feel better?"

"No."

"Well then."

"I was merely curious."

"No way."

"Hmmm?"

"No way," he repeated. "You have some sort of double motive here, so just come out with it already."

Luxa hardly glanced at him as she continued to read the scroll. "I only wished to know because I thought that there were many things that would have made you very happy today."

He blinked. Then, letting out a long breath, he said, "Alright, Luxa, you got me. What are we talking about?"

"You seemed to rather enjoy yourself at the reception tonight."

He frowned. 'I was invited, Lux, so were you. But since apparently I can't spend any time with my own girlfriend at a party that we're both at and I have to see her hangout with all these grown men that want to, like, screw her and become king or whatever, I have to find something to do."

"You sure found entertainment for yourself."

"I'm sorry that you think that you can flirt with other men and I can't even talk or dance with other women. My bad."

She gave him a look for that. "I do not…flirt with other men."

He had to stifle a laugh from how silly that sounded coming out of her mouth. He wasn't even sure if she truly understood the definition.

"Yes, you do," he finally said, making a face at her. "And in any normal person's eyes, Lux, I am single. It would only be natural for me to-"

"You are not," she reminded him. "And I will not let you portray yourself that way."

"That's how you want me to portray myself, isn't it?"

"No," she said, clicking her tongue. "I do not want it to be overly obvious that we are…"

"Together."

"Yes, together. I do not want that to be obvious," she told him. "But by the same token, I do not wish for you to pretend to be interested in other women."

"Pretend? Some of them were-"

"Do not get kicked out, Overlander."

He smiled at her then. "You're really upset, aren't you?"

"Not upset, no, but I am not happy."

"What exactly did I do that bothers you so much? Dance with others? At a party?" He snorted. "You should live above. The way you guys dance is-"

"Why could you just not spend time with your male friends?"

"Because my 'male friends' were all over their chick friends. What the heck did you expect me to do?" He made a face at her. "I mean, God, Luxa, even Mareth went home with a chick tonight. You're just lucky that I'm here right- I'm about tired of you hitting me."

She did it again. He only shifted further away, frowning.

"I do not understand why you even need to go to social events. You are nothing, but my guard."

Gregor shook his head. "I was invited because I know that guy. He's nice to me. You know how rare that is?"

"You still did not have to go," she told him stiffly. "And why are those women concerned with you anyways?"

"Geez, maybe because I'm unbelievably sexy?"

"Truly, Overlander, why?"

"I don't know," he said with a frown. "I'm different, I guess I'm an Overlander. The same reason you want me to fuck you."

That one got him another hit, but he was completely expecting that.

"Be serious, Overlander."

"Why? This is a stupid argument anyways. I talk to other women. So what? Huh, Luxa? So what? Who cares? I know that I don't. I mean, God, what if I said something every single time I thought that you were getting little too comfortable with some guy? Then what? You'd be mad at me."

"I am to be courted. That's just how it always shall be."

"And I am, technically, a bachelor."

"You-"

"Admit it, Lux. You got jealous."

"I do admit it," she said, glaring at him. "I do not like it when you are with others."

"Ha."

"What? You are not winning anything. You belong to me, Overlander. I have made that abundantly clear. Therefore, I do not like it when you spend too much time with others."

"I belong to you?"

"You are the head of my guard."

"That's funny," he said. "'cause I kind of think that you belong to me."

"In what way?"

"Uh, in every way. I mean, I'm, like, the only thing keeping you from being murdered by whoever it is that hates you at the moment. That means that if it wasn't for me, you would be dead."

"I can take care of myself, Overlander."

"Ha! Really?"

"Yes. Of course."

"Then what am I doing here?"

"I ask myself that everyday."

"Then maybe I should just go."

"Then go. I shall not stop you."

He gave her a look. "You're very annoying tonight, you know that?"

"What do you want me to say then, Gregor? You are the one that wished for me to speak my mind. You cannot get upset with me for doing as you asked."

"You do it to me all the time."

"You are tiring me, Overlander."

"And you think that you are not me?"

"Then leave. I have said this now, many times. Just go."

Letting out an extended groan, he rolled over onto his back. "You're a real piece of work, Lux."

They fell into silence then, for some time. Gregor was pretty sure he fell asleep, though he had no idea for how long. When he awoke, it felt like only moments, but he really was unable to tell.

"Get up." It was Luxa shaking him that awoke him. "Get up, Gregor."

"Mmmm? What's wrong?"

"I told you to leave. So leave."

"Go away. Sleeping."

"Overlander-"

"Lux, we're finally not arguing. So maybe-"

"Leave."

Shoving up then, he glared heavily at her. "You know, I'm really tired of this, Luxa. One minute, we're cool. Then we're fighting. And now you're trying to kick me out of your room?"

"I do not understand how I can make myself more clear."

"Luxa-"

"Just leave. You need to anyways. It was the plan from the start." She literally shoved him then, which only made him more upset. "Get up and get out."

"Fine," he grumbled, pushing out of her bed then. "You know, one of these days, I'm going to, like, treat you the way that you treat me and I promise you that you won't like it."

"Leave silently, Overlander."

He shot her a look once he was a the curtain partition. "You know, that one woman I danced with, Jane, was it? She invited me back to her home and I turned it down to come here with you. You know, so we could not have sex and then I could be forcibly awakened to finish a fight that ended. But now, thinking about it, I think I might just go take her up on her offer, 'cause I sure am getting damn tired of you."

Luxa picked up the closest thing to her then, which happened to be the disregarded scroll, and threw it at him, easily hitting her mark.

"Damn it, Luxa!"

"Just leave then, Overlander."

"I am. Straight to-"

"To the Overland," she told him, being far too loud. They were young back then and had yet to learn the art of whisper fighting. Stealth was everything, after all. "Go! I don't want you here any longer. Just leave."

"Oh, that's it then? Really? God, Luxa, you really-"

"Me? Me? You're the one-"

"I can't hear you over the sound of me hating you so much!"

He would have gotten something else thrown at him, but he left then. He knew that the thing that Luxa probably hated most in that moment was the fact that she had not gotten the last word in. It was probably one of her most annoying qualities.

Gregor really was going to leave the night. He wasn't sure for where, but he knew for certain that in that moment, he very well could go back up to New York without a second thought. He also knew that there was no way that he was going to find that Jane girl.

…Mainly because she didn't exist.

"Gregor!"

He was practically back to his room when Luxa came running down the hall after him. It was so late that no one was around really, but still, he knew that she must have been desperate to track him down.

"What are you doing? Get over here. Now!"

"Sorry, your highness. I was just relieved of my duties. I-"

When she got to him, she grabbed one of his arms, tugging hard. Though he hated to admit it, his girlfriend wasn't helpless. And considering he wasn't resisting much, it wasn't hard for her to get him turned around, facing her.

"You are the most infuriating person I have ever met," she hissed at him, moving to cross her arms over her chest then. Then, looking off, she said, "You're really not leaving…are you?"

"I don't know," he mumbled, staring at her. "Am I allowed to stay?"

"Do not push my patience further, Overlander."

"Well," he started slowly. "I guess if you're forcing me to stay-"

"Continue on to your room then, Overlander." She finally looked at him, their eyes meeting. They used to be the same height; used to be. Now he was still growing, but she had finished. It was another thing that annoyed her to no end, as the taller he got, it only cemented the fact that he was most definitely stronger than her. Bigger. It was just bothersome all the way around. "That is all, guard."

When she turned though it was his turn to grab her arm, forcing her to face him once more. He kissed her quickly as they were out in public where anyone could see. It was still thrilling back then to them. Rebellious. It still earned him a hit to the chest though.

"Goodnight, Luxa," he had whispered then, grinning at her. She only nodded at him, though she was blushing still from the kiss, as if that was worthy of such a thing after they had only been in bed together minutes before. She was really cute when she wasn't trying to be.

"I'll see you when you report for duty, Overlander."

"Yeah," he had sighed, turning as well to head to his room. "Love you too."

The next morning was spent helping around town where he could. He was rather muscular compared to most, so it was mostly spent helping people carrying things from one place to another. Just when he finished helping one family, another requested his assistance. Gregor did so without complaint, figuring it was best if they all learned to trust him.

It would just make it that much easier to stab them all in the back.

Around midday, there was a big commotion in the center of town when Queen Usha arrived. She came flying on the back of one of their fliers. The men with her came later, but it was her arrival that caused the most joy. Apparently, the people loved their queen. Not that Gregor should be shocked. Regalia loved Luxa just as much. Maybe it was just a chick thing, appealing to your people. Or just an all the guys want to bone you thing. Either or.

Not soon after her arrival, Vlad himself came to get Gregor. He was busy helping move boxes of some kind of crop when he came for him, but the woman he was doing it for immediately fell to her knees and praised Vladimir, who only looked bored with it. She was an older woman though, older than both of them, so that was probably the source of his disinterest.

"What is it?" Gregor asked as he followed the man out off the stone house and into their technical street. "Vlad?"

"I have a surprise for you. A treat, you could say."

"A treat?"

"Aye," the man said before laughing as if he were enjoying something immensely. Then, sobering, he said, "And do not worry. I would not go through all this trouble if it was my wife."

Again with that Usha stuff. Ugh.

"What is it then?"

"You shall see."

Gregor sighed, clicking slightly even though there were a few fires around, enough so he could see. They were walking away from them, off to a secluded part of the town. When they stopped, they were at a hut, off by itself, most of Vlad's men gathered around. He quickly barked an order at them to get lost, that he was there to take care of things then.

"Go inside then, Overlander," he said, nodding towards the opened place. It had no door, obviously, but it was so dark where they were that all Gregor could make out inside was a person. Clicking again, he paused before looking at where Vlad had been, but the man was walking off, leaving him alone. Sigh.

"Uh…hello?" Gregor walked into the hut , frowning slightly. It was rather cramped in there and the person was seated on the floor, upon closer inspection, bound and gagged as well as blindfolded.

That was not what interested in though. Instead, it was the band that he could see around the top of person's head. He knew if he had some light, he'd find it to be a gold crown.

Dropping to his knees quickly, Gregor moved to pull the person closer to him. Breathless, he whispered, "Luxa?"