Hello everyone! Thank you for the reviews that have come in! It's been a really stressful week for me, so I'm thankful you guys have made it SO much better by dropping a review by my story. Please continue to do so in the future! Anyway, thanks to the following awesome people: Darklord, A happy reader, TheGreatAthlon5, HumanicHedgeHog, Clytuis, AresTheUnderlander, Myname(nice to see you around again), Alpha Death(thanks for your 3 reviews), Randonfire, FierceDeity24, Thiazzie, 1977(happy easter to you too! Lol sorry for the late wish), SlyIntellect, a guest reader, MarbleSky, trevorarnett32(nice to meet you! Hope to see you around more) and pyro159.

Anyway, I'd just like to talk about a possible Gregor vs Ripred fight. I don't know whether they've ever fought in a serious battle on any other stories, so please let me know if you've read it elsewhere. When I wrote my first story it was never my intention to pit them against each other for fear of it becoming a boring staple in every story, but if they haven't fought in a brutal battle before I might consider… well, I've already decided the outcome of the fight and how it goes, so um… that's all I'll say about it I guess.

Hope you enjoy this chapter. It is a continuation of Gregor's and Ripred's conversation about democracy and the future of the Underland. I hope you enjoy it.

This chapter is written from Gregor's perspective.


Chapter 7: Absolute Power

"LUXA!" Gregor yelled desperately as she stormed out of the Council hall, leaving a trail of broken dreams in her wake. Their relationship was now well and truly over, no matter how hard Gregor tried to and would try to mend it. The founding pillars of trust in their relationship had been breached by a half-truth, and Gregor had lost the one woman he truly loved all his life. A hurricane of confusion and denial swept through him, as he struggled to digest and absorb what he had just seen. What was… Was Luxa really gone? Was this a bad dream? What on earth was happening? Where was the Bane when he needed him? Gregor couldn't believe his own thought process- he prayed for the Bane to appear, to show that this was all a cruel dream meant to toy with his emotions.

But the Bane never appeared. And the nightmare he thought he was facing slowly morphed into reality as he was greeted by a spectrum of faces- of pity, of indifference, of anger, of amusement. And yes, the look of amusement was coming from Ripred. That jarring image of the rat arrogantly staring at him jarred his senses into action. He drew out his blade and pointed the tip at Stellovet.

"DON'T YOU DARE SAY ANOTHER WORD!" he roared at her.

Stellovet looked genuinely confused too, as she looked back and forth between Lorius and Gregor. "I deny the union," Gregor spat at her, shaking with fury, "I reject any marriage between you and me. DO YOU HEAR ME?"

"Peace, Warrior," Daedalus said gently, "We can easily clear up this misunderstanding."

Gregor slowly found the will to control himself, and he stifled another shout rising to his lips as he sat down. He could feel blood rushing around his body and being pumped straight to his head as his mind hummed with sheer anger. The feeling of rage had created a sound similar to his heartbeat, thumping hard against his forehead like a drum and echoing throughout his body. His vision occasionally splintered, revealing the various weaknesses on Stellovet. He gasped as his body convulsed slightly from the urge to get up and fight. He was losing control of his rager side again.

He took in a deep breath and pictured Damien's dead body, which instantly quelled the growing rage inside him. He took another deep breath and his hatred against Stellovet subsided slightly. That was all he needed- two deep breaths and the image of Damien to calm himself down.

It was one of those rare times when his rager tendencies burst to life even when there was no danger around him. And it was these rare instances which frightened Gregor the most. His switch from being heroic to demonic just based on his emotions was starting to edge its way into his life- he nearly lost control in the arena just a couple of weeks ago. He once struggled with controlling his rager side, and now he was fighting against the rage which triggered it. If all it took was just one incident to spark off his anger and turn him into a bloodthirsty monster, then Gregor had made no progress in controlling his rager side. If anything, it meant that he had ironically regressed into a darker, more turbulent and chaotic side of himself which he had no idea how to control.

But amongst all the concern about his lack of control, the one thing that weighed on his mind right now was Luxa leaving him. Only God knew how angry and betrayed she felt, and Gregor had pretty much squandered any chance of being able to convince her otherwise by not running after her. He cursed himself for not phrasing his words properly and for not being careful enough when dealing with Stellovet's allegations. Gregor had botched his attempt of trying to clear up the mess and had done the equivalent of throwing a bucket of shit in Luxa's face.

And he hated himself for that.

He hated himself for not being as sly, or careful, or witty as Ripred. Or Lizzie, for that matter. Or even as diplomatic as Hazard. He was just a dumb soldier who was cast in the strange and foreign world of politics- and because he didn't know how to defend himself, he had lost everything.

The Council said a few last words to the delegates, who seemed to be quite pleased with how the meeting turned out to be. Lorius in particular looked delighted, shaking hands with each and every member of the Council.

The cheerful mood of the delegates was quickly dampened, as they were surrounded by Regalian soldiers within seconds of declaring their intention to leave. Gregor watched on in loathing as they were hustled out in an undignified and unceremonious manner. He felt his skin tingle as he imagined one of the guards plunging his weapon into Stellovet, and he had to shake his head hard to shred that image and stop the tingling.

The rage in his gut never left. Breathing heavily, he got up and paced around as the Council members left along with the generals. Howard cast a sympathetic glance at him before leaving quietly as well, leaving just Ripred and Gregor in the Council hall.

The deafening and intolerable silence only spiced up the anger in Gregor's gut even more. He swung his sword around erratically and furiously, feeling no sense of guilt as it hacked down chairs, scratched walls and scarred the floor. Each time the blade whistled through the air and connected with an object, Gregor felt an odd sense of satisfaction and entertainment. The sound of sword grinding against stone continuously jolted his senses, but Gregor was beyond the point of caring. Nothing made sense to him anymore, anyway.

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," Ripred quipped out of the blue.

Without warning, Gregor succumbed to his rage. Feeling the blood race through his veins and his vision splinter, he spun around and hurled himself at Ripred, swinging his sword with as much ferocity as he could muster. The blade cut through the air and was seconds away from cleaving off Ripred's snout when a pair of claws got in the way and blocked the strike. Gregor looked up and stared in Ripred's eyes, which was similarly flaming with anger.

Both of them began to strain against each other, as Gregor felt Ripred's claws scraping against his blade. The rat's muscles were bulging now, and it was hard not to notice Ripred's rapid breathing as he struggled to hold Gregor's blade at bay. Gregor edged forward with intent, feeling his pulse quicken as Ripred's figure slowly inched backwards.

And then it stopped. The burning embers of anger slowly faded away as Gregor relaxed his body and disengaged his blade from Ripred's claws. He backed off slightly to show he meant no harm and sheathed his blade. Meanwhile, Ripred sagged forward and panted heavily, as huge beads of sweat glistened on his fur. For a split second, Gregor felt a strong ripple of sympathy surge through his body as he saw his old mentor nearly teetering over. The old rat's tongue hung out limply, and it was hard not to feel sorry for someone who was once regarded as the most fearsome and invincible fighter in the whole of the Underland. To see him so weak and vulnerable was as stunning a revelation as discovering the Underland for the first time. This was a Ripred who could actually be killed. And as furious as Gregor was with him, it would be inhumane not to feel pity for the deadliest general the Underland had ever seen.

But the sympathy quickly evaporated and rose off Gregor's chest as Ripred straightened himself up once more. "Oh dear," he remarked with a smile, "Is this where we fight to the death? I didn't expect it so soon."

Gregor had heard that line before. A long time ago, when a boy was fuming mad with a rat who had betrayed his most private, intimate secret to Solovet. A boy who once believed in ideals and once believed in a greater good. An innocent boy who had been thrust into a chaotic world of death and war. A boy who simultaneously admired and hated the rat who stood in front of him, trying to explain what he was doing. A boy who was forced to become a man in the darkness. It seemed like a whole different world, but it was the same one he had fallen down all those years ago. Still the same world. Still the same rat. And still the same anger which had consumed him eleven years ago.

"I have no intention of battling you," Gregor said honestly, almost taken aback by how weary he sounded, "I have fought with enough friends to know it's never worth it. And of all people I could fight, you're the last one on my mind."

Ripred chuckled slightly and replied, "Your words now mean little, Overlander. You and I both know that together we are a time bomb waiting to explode. There was always going to come a day when we would turn on each other, and that day is coming. The Underland only has space for one rager and his ego, whether you like it or not."

"There is still hope," Gregor said earnestly, "We've lived together in peace for two years without fighting. Now's not the time to break that streak."

"Oh my, your optimism speaks of how delusional you are," Ripred sneered, "After all these years facing my cynicism, and you still believe in the concept of hope? That's rather disappointing, don't you think?"

"Vikus died believing in it," Gregor insisted, "And I intend to continue that hope."

"And that hope died with Vikus," Ripred sighed, "No matter how much respect you have for that man, he died with a false ideal and corrupted the rest of the city with it. Regalia has been living this dull fantasy and now it reeks of self-deception. Do you know how that smells, Overlander? It smells stale and rotten to me, like shrimp in cream sauce gone bad. And I HATE shrimp gone bad."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Gregor replied defiantly.

"Oh God," Ripred said exasperatedly as he rolled his eyes, "Look around you, Overlander. You have eyes, yes? Look at the statues of fallen heroes and memorials dedicated to misunderstood legends. Bloody hell, we actually have memorials in Sandwich's honour. That genocidal, twisted bastard has a day designated for an official celebration of his 'achievements'. We've been living in the past for far too long and everybody is catching up. The Fount is no longer scared of us. The nibblers are no longer scared of us. Neither are the diggers or the spinners or the crawlers or the fliers. The crawlers actually had the balls to go to war with us. THE CRAWLERS, mind you. That's the same species which dances around a four-year-old pup and calls her a princess."

"You're being racist," Gregor accused Ripred.

"I'm being realistic!" Ripred snapped back, "I'm the only one here seeing through the smoke of false promises and dreams. We've lost our purpose for a very long time and the wars with the schemers have only helped to reinforce that loss. Your girlfriend is partly to blame. Uh, I mean ex-girlfriend."

Gregor nearly lost his cool again. His hand instantly rested on the hilt of his sword and his fingers tightened around the hilt to form a hard grip of the sword. Ripred observed this with casual amusement and remarked, "And you were just saying you had no intention of battling me."

Gregor let go of the hilt and stumbled backwards in shock at how easily he had lost control. He felt his hand trembling uncontrollably as he forced his hand to rest at his side. "You can feel it, can't you?" Ripred pressed, "The anger and the rage that renders all logic useless. The indescribable feeling of hatred against me that compels you to use your blade. Don't bother hiding it, Overlander. I can smell it in you. That's what makes you vulnerable."

Gregor shook his head hard, trying to dispel the violent thoughts which were infiltrating his consciousness. "Don't push me," he warned Ripred, "It won't end well for either of us."

"Then don't give me a reason to," Ripred replied in that snarky tone of his, "Convince people to vote against Luxa. Force her off the throne. It's the only way to protect Regalia and the rest of the Underland at the moment, and even your dull brain can register that."

"You know I can't do that," Gregor responded in frustration, "I can't destroy her."

"You already have," Ripred replied brutally, "Let's face the harsh truth, Overlander. There's no way she is going to forgive you for your… intimate acts with Stellovet. She's not going to take you back, Overlander, and if you truly care for her, then you will vote her off to protect her. Because if it's not me engineering her abdication then the people will do it, and it will be an infinitely more painful process."

"I can still clarify the situation with her," Gregor insisted, "I can get back together with her."

"Keep lying to yourself, boy," Ripred replied, "The only person who loses out in the end will be you. You have a chance to do something that is more than just fighting. You have a chance to become a true saviour of Regalia, and you are throwing it out of the window for a girl with anger issues?"

"You don't understand," Gregor retorted, "You never did."

Gregor fully expected for Ripred to shoot back with a clever quip or insult, but to his surprise the rat's intense gaze softened slightly as he said, "I once did. And I'm trying to stop you from making the same damn mistakes I made. If you want to roam the Underland like a sullen drunkard, be my guest. Otherwise, don't dedicate your entire life to one woman, especially if that woman is Luxa."

"She's the reason why I've stayed on," Gregor confessed to Ripred, "Look, I'm sorry that I'm willing to fight with you over her. I wish it wasn't this way. But you have to understand how I'll look like to her if I garner votes against her."

"I think she's already seen you in that light," Ripred pointed out, "There was that over-dramatic incident where you told Solovet to lock her up. I generally don't understand you humans, but I'm guessing she was furious with you."

"This is different," Gregor argued, "She's been destroyed by Stellovet and me. I can't seal the nail in her coffin. Not after what I've done to her. Look, I'm really sorry but I can't and won't do it. Because I'm no better than the schemers if I do it and destroy her in the process."

"Don't apologise to me," Ripred snorted, "It's a sign of weakness."

"Whatever," Gregor responded with a dismissive wave of his hand, "The bottom line is that I'm not going to fight for your cause. Full stop."

"You need to stop seeing her as your lover," Ripred said as he shook his head in disappointment, "Because she's not going to run back into your embrace. See her as what she is- a queen who has become overwhelmed by the sheer amount of possession in her hands, and who has no idea what to do with it. A queen who rules by emotion rather than logic. A queen who has no idea how to handle her allies and fight her enemies. Luxa is a brilliant woman, but as the sole queen she cannot do it all on her own. Not when she disregards the opinions of her generals, her advisors and her lover."

"And now you've turned to democracy," Gregor countered, "A system you don't fully understand."

"On the contrary, I understand it perfectly fine," Ripred retorted, "It's a system that lends legitimacy to those in power."

"Not when only the elite in the Underland get a vote," Gregor said, shaking his head in disbelief, "Democracy is overrated."

"That's funny coming from an Overlander. You all worship and adore democracy like a god," Ripred shot back.

Gregor ignored him and continued, "You're not lending legitimacy to whoever is in power. That's not how it works. You think you can read a couple of books in the Overland and declare that we should move towards democracy down here? Regalia isn't ready, Ripred. You will only introduce chaos by trying to solve it."

"SO your CREATIVE and BRILLIANT alternative is to leave Luxa twiddling her thumbs on the throne," Ripred mused, "And I thought that the crawlers were stupid."

"I can read right through you, Ripred," Gregor snarled, "Once you throw Luxa off the throne you'll turn your back on democracy. You'll find some way of dissolving the republic and assuming control for yourself. It's what you've always wanted, isn't it? To be in control of so much power. To have absolute power."

"Don't be ridiculous," Ripred scoffed, "Can you even hear yourself talking, Overlander? Even if I did want to do that, would it be so wrong?"

"You would be corrupted by the same power which you claim has corrupted Luxa," Gregor replied, "That's how it begins- the sudden vastness of power that lies before you. It becomes an insatiable thirst for more power, and even the most benevolent of leaders will turn into the most ruthless of dictators given the freedom to exercise such power."

"Thank you for proving my point," Ripred said with an arrogant smile, "You've just eloquently described Luxa."

"Except for one thing," Gregor quickly added, "We have control over her at the moment. You and me. We can hold her back together if we choose to fight for the right cause. There's no need for war or change, Ripred. All it takes is for us to have a little hope and belief, and the will to try harder. You'll only make the wrong enemies by destroying her."

"She doesn't listen to us," Ripred replied bitterly, "Have you been so blinded with love that you haven't seen it? She's become paranoid because of all that power that she can't bear to share it, and we need to shock her senses by removing that power from her. The power has given her a sense of self-entitlement to everything she has at the moment, whether she deserves it or not. That's how all monarchs think and behave, Gregor. They believe it is God who has bestowed power on them and therefore, they can do anything they want with that power."

"Not Luxa," Gregor said, "She's the exception."

"In the name of bloody Sandwich she's NOT," Ripred sighed, "They're all like that. It's become something of a characteristic, Overlander. Her father had it, her husband had it and now she has it. It's not her fault- anybody in her position, as you kindly put it, would succumb to that same power. But it's not our bloody duty to feel sorry for her, it's our bloody duty to act on it."

"The pressure on the throne is intensifying, Ripred," Gregor responded, "The solution isn't to increase the pressure, it's to alleviate it by helping her god damn it! Democracy is an ideal and a lie, Ripred. It lies by telling us we have a better society when we don't. It panders to the majority, even if the majority is hopelessly misguided and dumb. If more than fifty percent of the people want Regalia to surrender to the schemers, that will happen under a democratic paradigm."

"You sound like you're reading off a script," Ripred mocked him.

"I did write that essay back in high school," Gregor said sheepishly, "Before I got kicked out. But the point is that even if democracy works, people like you are working behind the scenes anyway to do what is necessary. You're lying to the people and giving them a false illusion of power in their hands."

"So what?" Ripred snorted, "Let them believe that power. Ignorance is bliss, my dear Overlander. I'd take a gullible and stupid Regalia who are content with their lives than an angry revolution wanting to drink Luxa's blood for supper."

"So that's it, huh?" Gregor said sadly, "We are destroying Luxa because we're scared of a revolution."

"Use your brain, Gregor," Ripred pleaded, "There's no way that we stand any chance of winning against the schemers if we are as disorganised and chaotic as we are. The Fount likes this plan and they are prepared to side with us if this goes the way I think it will go. I hate sacrificing Luxa… ok, I admit I don't hate sacrificing Luxa, but I think we can agree I'm doing the unpleasant job. All I need you to do is to get more votes for me and I'll be satisfied."

"But if people are so on board with your idea as you claim they are," Gregor replied, "Then you don't need me to convince them to vote Luxa off. That'll happen with or without my vote, right?"

"Wrong," Ripred answered, "Not everybody is prepared to take a leap of faith. But if they see the legendary hero of the Underland deciding to put his faith in this new system, other members will do likewise. As much as I hate to say this, you're more greatly revered in the Underland than me. If you convince others to vote against her, you'll effectively seal the deal."

"I've told you Ripred," Gregor responded frustratedly, "If she wasn't so angry about me and Stellovet, I'd do it. But I've broken her already. I won't kill her."

"You're saving her life you idiot,' Ripred growled in exasperation, "It's pretty much the same thing you did when you had her tossed into a prison cell. You're protecting her from herself."

"I'm not!" Gregor yelled, "I'm throwing her out into the cold to fend for herself. She won't survive and she won't accept my help. Can't you see I'll kill her?"

"Nope," Ripred replied, "I don't see at all. All I see is a scared, pathetic soldier who cannot do the simple task of protecting the one he loves."

Gregor once again felt his hand shudder violently as thoughts of fighting Ripred raced through his mind. Fiery images of Ripred's shredded body strewn across the floor unleashed a wave of excitement through him. It was a piping hot passion, almost lustful in the way it possessed him and urged him to draw his sword and fight Ripred.

But he forced those thoughts away. He closed his eyes and strained hard to stop the pounding drumbeats in his head as he gasped from the overwhelming hunger to fight. He could vaguely hear Ripred's voice, but it might as well have been the rustling of leaves in a calm breeze. All Gregor could hear and feel were the drumbeats, pressuring him into drawing out his weapon. A high-pitched noise began to pick up pace and gather volume, as his head rang from the excruciating pain. Ripred's lifeless body seemed to hover in the air and draw nearer to him. He fought the sensation almost as violently as it consumed him, as his head stung from the pain. The image of Damien was nothing but a faint picture, being burnt up by the flames of anger.

And then it was all over.

When his vision cleared, Ripred was still standing in front of him with a look of amusement and… pity? Ripred never pitied anybody and neither did he display his pity if he ever felt it. But Gregor saw it in him. The pity etched all over his face and the pain and the sadness. Gregor could have burst into tears from the deep emotion which Ripred was showing.

But as soon as it appeared, it vanished without a trace. "You're feeling it again, aren't you?" Ripred observed with casual interest, "The anger. You are so easily baited, Overlander. And that is your weakness."

"I can't do it Ripred," Gregor broke down and sank to his knees, "I can stand by one side as Luxa hurls abuse after abuse at me, but I won't bury her. And not like this."

"Life calls on us to make difficult decisions every day, Overlander," Ripred bullishly insisted, "If democracy is a lie as you say, then let it be so. Let it give the people hope, since you treasure hope so much. I'm almost tempted to sympathise with your sad little plight, but life's tough, boy. I've lost my friends, my parents, my allies, my mate and my pups over this shitty life I've lived. It never stopped me from doing what was right and what was necessary."

"Is there anyway out of this?" Gregor begged Ripred on his knees.

"What's your plan?" Ripred asked him abruptly. Gregor instantly found himself floundering as he searched his mind for something, anything, to change Ripred's mind. But in the end, he found himself gawking stupidly at Ripred.

"No plan, I suppose," Ripred commented gruffly, "Then you know there's no way out of this. I need you to be strong now, Overlander. All I need is a couple more confirmed votes and then we're done."

"Your revenge will be complete," Gregor sighed.

"You think this is revenge?" Ripred chuckled, "It's far from that, Overlander. If I wanted to take revenge, she'd be completely destroyed by now and you know it."

Gregor shook his head. He didn't want it to be this way, but he was done with all the shit in the Underland. "I'll consider your request. But if I do choose to do that, then I'm done with this place. I've given you warnings about democracy and about taking Luxa off the throne. But no more. If I destroy her, I can't bear living in this shit hole anymore."

"Fine," Ripred said simply, "Frankly, I don't care what you choose to do once the voting is over. You can leave for all I care and mope around in the Overland. Bit when you're down here, you owe a duty to this bloody city and I intend to watch you perform that duty."

"Why me?" Gregor wondered, "Why do I have to do all of the dirty work for this city?"

"Because you chose to," Ripred replied a little sadly, "Because you chose to return to this place, knowing that it only holds suffering and pain for you. Not a wise decision, Overlander. Sometimes, things are better off being the way they are."

With that, the old rat stretched in the air before slowly trudging out of the Council hall. "I'll give you a little while to consider my proposition," he said over his shoulder, "But make up your mind. Change is coming to Regalia soon, boy. And it's time you chose which side you're on."


Gregor opened his eyes as blinding light suddenly slammed into his eyes. He winced slightly but felt no acute pain in his eyes. Reopening them again, he saw the light slowly dim as an enormous figure ambled into view. The features of the room around him became more defined- the cavern walls, the blood-stained floor, some light trickling through a hole in the cavern. A lifeless body was propped up against a rock, and while Gregor didn't identify who it was immediately, he did see a pair of wings attached to the body of the figure.

"You've nearly lost control of yourself three times in the space of an hour," a voice taunted him, "All because you couldn't keep your temper in check. Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not to you," Gregor replied scathingly, "You're the last person anybody should talk to."

The Bane was now in full view, his white fur glistening brilliantly in the weak light filtering into the cavern. His eyes burned a bright red, reflecting his lust for blood. At least that's how Gregor remembered him. The delusional, bloodthirsty dictator of the gnawers who pretty much wanted to commit genocide. Gregor absolutely detested him, but this was when he truly needed a conversation. Just as much as the white rat was his bane, he was also Gregor's darkest ally. The Bane represented the bleaker, more chaotic and evil side of his personality. At least that was what Gregor had come to believe. Sometimes the Bane appeared a bit more life-like than gregor wanted him to be, and now was one of those instances. And during these instances, Gregor wondered whether the Bane was truly just a figment of his imagination, or something much more than that.

"You've felt it intensify recently," the Bane continued, "You've even clashed with Ripred once today. At this rate, one of you will be dead by tomorrow."

"Wouldn't you be happy?" Gregor replied sardonically, "You make it sound as if it is a bad thing."

"Ripred mentioned that the both of you fighting each other is inevitable," the Bane recalled, "What are you going to do when that day comes? Because based on what I've seen and heard, that day is coming."

"I'll do what I do best," Gregor grunted, "I'll fight him."

"That's mighty specific," the Bane said sarcastically, "And on a similar topic, what're your thoughts on Gorger?"

"He's harmless for now," Gregor replied bluntly, "There's nothing he can do in that prison."

"You think Gorger is harmless? What world do you live in?" the Bane giggled, "That rat can do anything anywhere. And he can escape out of that prison if he truly wanted to. Hell the rat has even escaped the jaws of death right before they were going to snap shut on him. You saw the fall yourself. No ordinary rat could have saved himself the way Gorger did."

"It was a fluke," Gregor responded, "It just happened there was another rat near him so he could use that rat to break his fall. If he was falling down all on his own, he would never have made it."

"He had the brains to use a rat to break his fall," the Bane pointed out, "Then he feigned his death by lying there until all of you were gone. And then he somehow escaped from the pit, before being captured by the foxes. He was in their custody for six years, Warrior. No ordinary rat survives in the foxes' base of operations for so long and lives to tell the tale."

"He's under our custody now," Gregor replied confidently, "There's no way he can escape that cell. You and I have both seen it."

"Don't underestimate Gorger of all people, Warrior," the Bane warned him, "If he can escape the clutches of the schemers, then he can escape the prisons of Regalia too. It just depends on when he thinks it is worth it. And you better hope that time won't be soon."

"You concentrate on telling me why you are here," Grego replied, "I'll concentrate on watching over Gorger.'

"Perhaps you know the answer to your own question, Warrior," the Bane responded, "The only reason why I'm here is because of you."

Gregor nodded slowly, before answering, "I don't know what to do next. Luxa's given up on me and I don't think she wants to talk. Ripred and I disagree with each other and there's no way I can convince him to change his mind. I have no idea what I'm supposed to do. Maybe this is the moment I'm meant to leave this place."

"Yes it is," the Bane said with a sly grin, "But not the Underland. Leave Regalia and fly to the Fount. Find out what on earth is going on back there and find out what they are truly hoping to do. And don't forget to clear up that… misunderstanding with Stellovet."

"Sounds like a plan," Gregor agreed, but when he looked up, the Bane was gone.


Gregor's eyes shot open. Everything seemed obscure and hazy, but his vision finally settled and focused itself on Hazard's concerned face. "Why are you lying on the floor?" the young man asked candidly.

"I don't know," Gregor replied groggily, "I guess I'm just… tired."

"I heard Luxa's angry with you," Hazard told him matter-of-factly, "And I saw you and Ripred arguing. I heard some of the sensitive material you guys discussed too."

"How much did you hear?" Gregor asked, feeling the back of his head. His head felt so light it seemed as if he was hovering in the middle of the air

"Everything," Hazard confessed, "Can't say either of you are wrong."

"Mmm," Gregor grunted as he slowly got to his feet, "I got to go."

"To the Fount, right?" Hazard blurted out, and noticing the look of shock on Gregor's face he quickly added, "You were babbling about it while lying on the floor. You're not going there to consummate your marriage with Stellovet, are you?"

"NO!" Gregor exclaimed in disbelief, before softening his tone, "I'm doing quite the opposite. I need to clear up this political mess before anybody gets hurt. If Luxa gets voted off the throne… Ripred can expect a revolution too. We've got to find a way to end this shit before it starts."

"What do you need me to do?" Hazard called after him as Gregor jogged for the exit of the Council hall.

Gregor paused abruptly in his tracks. He turned around, gave Hazard a wink and said, "You can keep a secret, right?"


I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Like previous chapters, not much action but the start of my stories generally do not have much action anyway. The story should start to become clearer as we progress, and I hope the dream sequence with the Bane helped to clear some things up, especially the way Gorger survived and found out more about the schemers. I'll be adding more details to this story as we go along, but I hope you are satisfied with this brief explanation so far. Also, there are two lines Ripred says in the previous series that I have included here. Have fun looking out for them!

Oh, and in case it wasn't explicit enough, the Bane's scene with Gregor is a dream sequence. The Bane is a figment/projection of his imagination, and is o way actually an existing character in my story.

Favourites and follows for this story are always welcome. Please remember to review too(if possible)!

Question: Here's a fun one! In a fight where Ripred goes up against the Bane and Gorger, which side would win?