Hello everyone! It's been a long week, hope y'all are up for another chapter. To those who didn't review this time round, PLEASE REVIEW. I'm gonna be brutally honest now- I'm considering ending this story here. I just don't know if I have the mental strength to persevere and although it can be fun, writing 5000 word chapters are really exhausting. But it's the reviews that keep me going. So please review! I really mean it this time.
Anyway, thanks to: Clytuis, koipbuiop, phantom1299, HumanicHedgeHog, THExPOTxHEAD, TheGreatAthlon5(it's honestly great to hear from you again), Iron Carnotaur/A happy reader(how do you want me to address you?), DeathDrayanD, Moeez, NoahTheOverlander, and last but certainly not least, MarbleSky(it's been a VERY long time, but I'm so happy to hear from you again).
This chapter does contain a little adult material, I hope you bear with it. But do note that there's a good dose of Gluxa inside as well! The chapter might be edited later on cos I think I might make some adjustments, but otherwise, Chapter 22 ladies and gentlemen!
This chapter is written from Luxa's perspective.
Chapter 22: Brothers and Sisters
Luxa glanced down to make sure that she looked commanding enough. Sometimes, appearances could make all the difference in which army would remain standing at the end of the day.
The colour of her armour was royal purple, with brief flashes of gold streaking across the violet backdrop. She wore no visor- the people needed to see a leader who could confidently display her emotions, even in the face of overwhelming odds. If she had a visor, the people would think she was using it as a mask, a facade, to conceal her fear at fighting an army twice the size of theirs.
Little did they know that her face itself was the very mask they feared she would wear.
Luxa had been careless back in the Council hall, revealing her concern for Gregor's fate. Her people needed to see her as a strong-willed leader who didn't doubt herself. If she needed to emasculate the men around her or become more masculine, she didn't mind doing it. It was all about appearances, and the Underland, while not absurdly sexist, didn't quite entertain the idea of a powerful woman in charge.
But there was something about Gregor that had let her guard down and made her vulnerable. Was that true love? Did true love stealthily break down someone's pretence and expose them to the world? Did it weaken someone's resolve? Because if it did, then Luxa didn't want true love.
And yet, she knew that no matter what happened, she would never stop loving Gregor. Not because he was ridiculously muscled and unbelievably good-looking, but because he made her feel comfortable. He was an honourable, modest man who genuinely cared for the people around him. Soft? Perhaps. Bright? Not really. A great leader? Only if he wanted to be. Naive? Definitely.
But he was Gregor. He was the boy, the man, she had inexplicably fallen in love with, even if she had sworn it off following her parents' death.
Every year she would visit her parents' tombs and talk to them about what was going on. She wondered aloud if they would have approved of her relationship with an Overlander, who was nothing but a lowly peasant in the fast-paced world that roared above their heads. Down there, she was the pinnacle of royalty, the one who held power in a well-established hierarchy.
But as fate would have it, they would be entwined together in the story of each other's life. She remembered the nights where she would stand on her balcony, looking at the city which had fallen asleep, and bitterly cursing how she couldn't sleep with peace and tranquillity. Conrad, though being nothing like Gregor, had done his absolute best to make her life better. She appreciated his attempts and loved him for it, but she wouldn't have died for him. She just didn't love him enough for that.
The only person who filled that void was Gregor, and now he was gone, sacrificing himself because he couldn't find meaning and purpose here in Regalia. Luxa tried to reason with herself how it was mere infatuation with him, how they were never destined to live a happy life together, how they were better off in the different worlds they belonged to.
But reason didn't hold a candle to emotion and sentiment. If it was mere infatuation, Gregor would have been a blot in her memory. Instead, he became the focal point of it, as every joyful moment in her mind seemed to be spent with him. He made her laugh, smile, and forget the tragic fall of the mighty city. Fate would have them as star-crossed lovers, but perhaps there was a happy ending to this tale.
Somehow, against the ruthless forces of nature, this pair of stars could disappear into the galaxy, holding each other close forever.
It wasn't to be anymore. If Gregor was lucky, he would meet a fast death at the hands of her uncle. But she wouldn't accept he was dead until she saw his body. Vikus had told her to hold out hope to the end, and she would honour him by doing so.
The whole world around her began to blur, and whirled around furiously until she was back on her balcony, overlooking the city with Gregor at her side. It had been one of those rare days of peace, when the rebels seemed far away and a distant worry, when the foxes had been thoroughly beaten and the Overlanders had retreated. Those days really were rare.
"Can I sing you a song?" he had asked.
"How romantic," she had said scornfully. "I didn't know you were the type."
"Well," he had replied, shrugging uncomfortably. "My dad used to play this on the guitar. It was one of his favourite songs."
"Go ahead," she told him, a cocky smile spreading across her face. No way this was going to end up being romantic at all.
He opened his mouth in response, and in a smooth baritone, sang, "Wise men say, only fools rush in. But I can't help falling in love with you."
"Shall I stay?" he continued. "Would it be a sin?"
Luxa giggled.
"If I can't help falling in love with you."
He was good at singing. Luxa remembered being very impressed.
He reached out and took her hand gently, revelling in her touch. Looking more euphoric by the second, he continued, "Take my hand. Take my whole life too. For I can't help falling in love with you."
For I.
Can't help.
Falling in love.
With.
You.
Gregor gazed into her eyes, and at that moment, nothing else had mattered in Luxa's life. All worries and distractions had been exiled for the time being, and she savoured the brief glimpse of joy in Gregor's eyes. For a young man who had to bear the brunt of so much tragedy and pain, there was still so much good left in him. It truly astounded her that he still believed in doing the right thing.
She remembered pondering then whether, perhaps, one day it would all change and Gregor would fall into the abyss. In retrospect, Luxa could never have seen how tormented Gregor would become in the future. They had fooled themselves into believing that the Battle of Regalia was the biggest obstacle they would ever have to face.
But for now, she could still hope.
"Your Majesty!" Perdita called out.
Luxa turned to face Perdita, who trudged towards her wearily. "Bloodclaw and Gorger are leading their forces to the battlefield. They should be here within twenty minutes."
"And the Fount?"Luxa asked.
"They come from the east side of the plains, but our scouts report that the two armies will merge together in front of us," Perdita reported.
"Take no risks," Luxa replied firmly. "Tell Lapblood that should the Fount come from the east side, it is her responsibility to lead her forces against them. I don't want any conflict of interest to be created for the gnawers under her."
"Understood, your Majesty," Perdita responded respectfully, bowing down and rushing off to instruct Lapblood of the strategic change.
The moment Perdita was out of earshot, Luxa unleashed an exasperated sigh. She hadn't been this distressed and emotionally confused for months. The onslaught of rumours, betrayals, battles and losses had taken a toll on her and had almost overwhelmed the entire city. And now, she had taken the gutsy decision to marshall their forces to the plains just outside the city walls, so as to take the fight away from the innocent civilians.
But this move wasn't tactically sound, because they lost the advantage of higher ground. Regalia's walls were difficult to breach for any force- even the schemers had struggled to penetrate it initially. Yet here Luxa was, having made the call to lead them out onto the battlefield.
"Is something bothering you?" Aurora asked.
Another sigh and a couple of profanities spilled out from Luxa's mouth, before she replied, "Those gnawers fighting against us are driven to fight because of my mistakes. This whole war is my fault."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that I let discrimination against them persist and didn't do anything to prevent it. I mean that I took part in oppressing them and didn't take control of my soldiers enough. I mean that I didn't listen to the people who cared for me until it was far too late."
"The price to pay for your pride," Aurora said bluntly.
Under normal circumstances, Luxa wouldn't allow anyone to say that to her and would punish them ruthlessly for uttering such an insult to her personal dignity. But having matured and having seen where pride had gotten her, she decided to accept the criticism gratefully. Besides, this was Aurora. At the end of the day, her bond truly cared for her and even if it did come across as being blatantly disrespectful, Luxa didn't mind. It was about time for her to start listening.
"I find it perplexing that there can be such a drastic difference in the way you treat your bonds," Ripred drawled, as he trotted up to her.
"You should be resting," she said, with a hint of reproachfulness in her voice. "Your injuries are not to be taken lightly."
Even now, having seen him a number of times since his fight with Gregor, Lux still shuddered when she gazed at his lifeless left eye. The blood was cleared up to hide the gore of the wound, but the stark white now that filled the void seemed to make Ripred appear all the more frightening.
And Luxa knew that it was more than just a physical wound, but an emotional one as well. She never quite understood the dynamics of the relationship between Gregor and Ripred or the chemistry they had developed together, but it was evident to everyone that the both of them held each other in high esteem, even if they didn't articulate it. As ragers, they had a complex bond which was perhaps beyond any comprehension, including people close to them like Luxa.
To blind Ripred in one eye was a clear signal of the power shuffle in Regalia and the Underland. Ripred, once the gold standard for fighting, had been beaten by his protégé, his apprentice, his student. Gregor was now the one raising the bar, and Ripred, in his old age, had now fallen behind.
But underlying the wound was a sense of emotional betrayal, and Luxa wondered if their relationship would ever truly heal. Judging from the reports she had been given, Gregor was apparently seconds away from delivering a killing blow to end Ripred's miserable life. But out of the blue, the Warrior had hesitated and ended up dropping his blade. Given that Ripred and Gregor had been rather guarded with their words over the last few days, it was unlikely for anyone to find out what truly transpired between Gregor lifting his blade and then dropping it suddenly.
Luxa was jolted back to reality by Ripred's voice. "You rarely display such concern for me," Ripred chuckled, almost disdainfully. "Someone's getting soft."
"A lot has happened over the last few days," Luxa replied wearily. "Perhaps we should leave the banter for happier times."
Ripred's expression seemed to darken at her words, but he quickly bounced back. "I'll never quite understand the obsession with grim moodiness youngsters have these days. It's come to the point of self-parody already."
"War is no time for jokes, Ripred," Luxa responded sternly.
"Aye, but a couple of jokes now would be harmless at best, no?"
Luxa ignored his remark and stared ahead, hoping each second would pass faster so they could just start fighting already. As every minute crawled by the soldiers became more restless and nervous, which was not the ideal mental state to be in before battle. "How do you defeat them, Ripred?" she wondered aloud.
"You're asking that now? You do realise we're minutes away from fighting, right?"
"Not in battle," she clarified calmly, trying her best not to get irked by his sharp and unforgiving sarcasm. "How do we defeat a cult's ideology?"
"Much better," the old rat snorted, "although it still isn't exactly the most appropriate time to discuss ideology."
"Just answer the question," Luxa sighed in frustration.
"Ideology is what happens when a social construct is made to seem natural," Ripred explained. "That's why it's so sinister. It makes people develop a true belief in something, and that's how radicalism and extremism is spawned. When these people are indoctrinated to truly place their faith in something, it becomes nearly impossible for their beliefs to change. Because to them, no logic can break down whatever they have devoted their heart and soul towards."
"What's your point?" Luxa asked.
"Patience, pup," Ripred replied with a low growl. "I'm teaching an amateur here, not someone who possesses a similar intellect to mine."
"Fine," Luxa replied, choosing to swallow her pride for once while dealing with him. By Sandwich's holy name, Ripred was truly insufferable when he was in the mood.
"Ideology can take many different forms," Ripred went on, "but in the case of the cult, it's pretty much impossible for us to beat their ideology. As long as people believe that the Bane is a god, the cult will never truly die. And there's nothing we can do against the power of belief. It compels the best of us to do the worst of things."
"All that talk just to say it's impossible to beat," Luxa smirked.
"I was just educating the queen," Ripred shot back. "But yes, it's impossible to beat them. I mean, if I could show them what he was like back when he was still called Pearlpelt, I'm not so sure everybody would continue worshipping him. You can ask Gregor about that one, I do believe he saw the little shit sucking his own tail."
"A disgrace to his mother's and father's name," Luxa said with a hint of a smile. Then, she decided to send the mood plummeting towards darkness again. "Do you really forgive Gregor for what he did?"
Ripred turned away and eyed Regalia's forces, which was arranged in rigid formations. His eye then shifted up and the rat just looked around aimlessly for a while.
"Ripred?" Luxa called out to him softly.
Ripred's lone eye stopped wandering about, and the old rat sighed. "I'll tell you what I told him years ago- Life is short, and there are only a few good things in it, really."
"What are you trying to say?" Luxa asked.
Ripred looked up at her with his solitary eye and said, "I'm trying to say that Gregor is the best that we're going to get, at least in the near future. He's an honourable man who truly cares for this city. I can't say the same for many other men."
He then broke eye contact with Luxa and continued to gaze about for a while, before adding, "So yes, I forgive him. I won't say that I agree with his point of view, but at the end of the day I owe him as much as he owes me. And that's something which can never be forgotten."
Ripred's profound monologue was abruptly interrupted by blaring horns from the Regalians. "Battle positions!" Perdita roared, and the commanders started to readjust their positions as both armies came into view. The soldiers shifted like disciplined ants, shuffling across each other quickly under the gaze of their mighty queen.
Time for the mask to be put on. As she had practised in the mirror countless times, Luxa's body naturally flowed into place, gracefully displaying her confidence as she radiated an aura of authority. Body language sometimes spoke more than words.
"And now," Ripred said steadily, "the fall of the Underland begins."
Those words were more poignant today than ever before. The Underland's relentless pursuit of its own self-destruction had finally reached its zenith today, as the superpowers met together for what looked like a final clash, before the schemers swooped in and devoured whatever was left of the stragglers.
Bloodclaw was leading the forces from the front, but Luxa could clearly the silver hide of Gorger, his figure perched on a rock, overseeing the battlefield laid out in front of him. The scouts had predicted correctly that York's forces would merge together with Gorger's. Her heavy built uncle, meanwhile, trudged in front of his army, his imposing build and posture suggesting that he meant business today.
But Luxa's blood froze when she saw six soldiers marching behind him, placing an object on their shoulders…
It was…
It was…
Gregor's body. The black armour was unmistakable even from that distance.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ripred stiffen slightly. "It is as I feared," he mumbled.
Luxa felt her world starting to whirl around her, causing her to feel dizzy and unfocused. Everything seemed to crash into her at once, the body, the memories, the shock, and…
And…
So much pain. Her heart had been broken before when she thought Gregor had died, but out here in the battlefield, she was being forced to cope with it while maintaining her performance of stoicity. The bitterness and pain felt so much more unbearable now that she had to conceal it rather than venting it out.
Any tears that welled to her eyes were quickly shut down. Crying wouldn't bring Gregor back from the dead, but her people needed her to be strong now.
"Your Majesty," Ripred's voice cut through the internal weeping. "I do believe we got more than we bargained for. And it's not exactly pleasant."
Luxa's eyes scanned the plains and they arrived at a stocky figure who bore rusty armour. The faded gold, however, gave his identity away instantly.
"Conrad," she breathed.
The former king seemed to nod in her direction, before walking towards Gorger and taking his place on the gargantuan rock as well, although Luxa was conscious of the fact that Conrad had deliberately placed himself behind Gorger. The hierarchy here was crystal clear, which made Luxa sneer slightly. The king had traded his position of privilege to be another slave of Gorger's.
And although she couldn't deny she still harboured slight feelings of affection towards him, standing alongside the rat who killed her parents wasn't going to help his cause when he ended up grovelling at her feet, begging for mercy.
If he ended up grovelling at her feet, begging for mercy. Beating the massive army in front of them was no easy feat. In fact, they probably held the advantage in numbers, while the presence of ragers for Regalia had been rendered obsolete, now that Ripred was half-blind and Gregor was…
Gregor was…
Gone.
Sentimentality, rage and disbelief all got stirred together and churned out a chaotic mess in Luxa's heart. She swore under her breath that neither York nor Gorger would leave the battlefield alive at the end of the day, whether victory belonged to their armies or not.
"What we have here today," Bloodclaw boomed, "is the Bane granting us justice from heaven!"
His words elicited loud and crude cheers from the rats, while the soldiers of the Fount just looked ahead grimly.
"First of all, I would like to announce a convert to our religion," Bloodclaw continued. "He is the former king of Regalia, and though he has committed many wrongs against our brotherhood, the Bane has told me in a dream that he wishes for Conrad to be forgiven and pardoned for his sins against us. This is a sign from heaven, that the balance of power and the scales of justice have shifted in our favour."
A number of rats clearly looked disgruntled and bothered by Conrad's presence amongst their ranks, but the large majority of them proceeded to cheer anyway.
"He's more charismatic than his brother," Ripred observed of Bloodclaw.
"No," Luxa disagreed tersely. "They're just gullible."
"Are we not?" Ripred replied philosophically, managing a weak smile before turning his attention back to Bloodclaw.
"And the Great Emperor Gorger has taken his place on earth, as a prophet sent by the Bane!" Bloodclaw hollered. "He was resurrected from the dead by our god, and now he is here to lead us to salvation!"
"I'm not so sure releasing Gorger was a good idea," Ripred mused.
"It wasn't," Luxa shrugged. "It was a terrible idea, but he was just as important a factor as Gregor in the exchange for the hostages."
"And here we are now," Ripred said, unable to keep out the tinge of bitterness in his voice. "Gregor's dead, Gorger's alive and in power. Perhaps we should have left the hostages to die."
Luxa shook her head. "Gregor wouldn't have wanted that."
"He's idealistic," Ripred said bluntly. "It makes him weak and it makes him a fool. He couldn't make the hard decisions, and now he's paid the ultimate price for it."
Luxa's blood went sub-zero as the thought of having lost Gregor once again conquered her mind, instilling so much pain and anguish in her heart. "Perdita!" she called out.
"Yes, your Majesty!" the general replied. "What orders from the crown?"
"Kill every last one of them," Luxa said coldly. "Leave none alive. Lapblood's forces are to fight York's and the humans will fight Gorger's forces. There is to be no mercy shown to any enemy."
"Aye, your Majesty," Perdita acknowledged, before relaying the order to the commanders under her.
"I hope you don't regret that," Ripred told her. "You know what? I'm just going to go ahead and bet a life full of shrimp with cream sauce that you'll regret it."
"It's easy to bet now," Luxa responded icily,"when you know there's a chance to return back home."
"How optimistic, your Majesty," Ripred snorted sarcastically. "This is exactly the kind of attitude your people need right now from their mighty queen."
The six soldiers carrying Gregor's body marched forward solemnly and gently lay Gregor's body down. Luxa balled her fists as tensions across the plains heightened considerably. It was hard not to notice how every single Regalian's head dipped in mourning at the sight of Gregor's body.
Bloodclaw strode across haughtily, grinning throughout. Standing in front of Gregor's body, he declared, "And now our enemy has been vanquished! By the power of the Bane, he has smote his archenemy and left him to rot in front of his people. Such is the mercy of our Lord- he leaves no evil alive in his wake."
Despite the hyperbolic rhetoric that promulgated rabid extremism, some of the rats still looked guilty when they looked at Gregor's body. Some of these rats had once taken part in honouring the Warrior, who was undoubtedly the reason why Regalia still stood till today. The hateful radicalism preached by Bloodclaw and disguised euphemistically as "justice" was not convincing to some members of the cult.
And perhaps, in remembrance of Gregor, Luxa could capitalise on that. She could offer innocents a chance to step away from this horror.
"Gnawers!" she called out. "I cannot speak for all of you, but for those who still have doubts, doubt no further! This day does not have to involve unnecessary bloodshed if we choose to take a path of peace. So to all those who do not desire war, return to the city! We will protect you from this massacre."
"Cheap words," Bloodclaw thundered, a wry grin flowing across his grizzly features, "for a queen who has failed her people. These gnawers choose the Bane because they realise the scum that control Regalia will never give them a chance to be treated equally. They have a filthy whore for a queen and a pathetic old gnawer for a general. The traitor Ripred has been rewarded by Regalia for his crimes against his fellow gnawers, so every rat that stands alongside Ripred is as traitorous as he is!"
Bloodclaw's stream of invective was surprisingly powerful, and Luxa found her words caught in her throat as she struggled to conjure up a response to his speech. In the end, she settled for saying, "We have a chance to choose today, and that choice CAN be peace. Gnawers, if we can end this day without bloodshed, I promise to put myself and the Council up on trial, with our fate to be decided by the people."
Her voice began to hurt from the strain of having to yell across the battlefield, but Luxa refused to drink water. There were to be no signs of weakness.
"SHE LIES!" a familiar voice bellowed.
Luxa's eyes involuntarily widened as a figure behind Gorger walked forward to speak up. Conrad, in all his jaded glory, seemed to rise out of the abyss like a demon rising from hell. With passion burning in his eyes that, in all honesty, made her yearn for him sometimes, he said, "I know Queen Luxa well! And I can tell you that she will not put herself on trial. She lies to survive because that is part of her character. While I was still married to her, she went to find the Warrior and sleep with him. She had an affair behind MY BACK!"
The former king stared at her defiantly, his proud expression provoking her to respond to him. But Ripred quickly nudged her and whispered, "Don't get baited, pup. It would not be wise to fight his words with yours, because nine times out of ten he slays you in that fight."
It was true. In a verbal sparring session, Conrad was difficult to best. Even Ripred struggled to keep up in a battle of wits in him, which suggested how eloquent and quick-thinking her former husband could be if he was "on the ropes". A favourite phrase of Gregor's whenever he described someone who was close to defeat, although Luxa never quite understood what the "ropes" referred to.
But even though she recognised the need to remain silent in the face of Conrad's barrage of allegations, Luxa couldn't help but feel her pride take a fatal blow, especially with intense whispers screaming across the battlefield. People knew that she began sleeping with Gregor since Conrad left, so the idea of having an affair with him while Conrad was still around was not inconceivable, although it was untrue.
Luxa had been a faithful wife to Conrad, at least in terms of who she slept with while she was married to him. Of course, it was worth noting she never actually did consummate her marriage, but the fact remained that she had never slept with anyone behind his back. Yet here he was, spreading vile rumours of the state of their marriage and publicly shaming her. Scandalised by the impropriety of the accusation, she knew she had to restore her reputation immediately.
Perhaps sensing her anger and disgust, Ripred warned her again, "Think this through, your Majesty. Only he stands to gain if you choose to blow up at him."
Despite her brewing anger and sense of loss, she could hear Ripred's earnestness shining through his tone. Realising how Conrad could flip the situation on its head and against her, Luxa did what was completely unexpected.
She listened to Ripred and shut her mouth.
A few puzzled and bewildered glances were cast in her direction by her own soldiers, but they quickly shut up when they realised their queen had no intention of speaking. Even Perdita called out anxiously, "He's insulted your honour, your Majesty. Will you not respond?"
"He's not worth my time," Luxa replied bluntly, but loud enough for the whole Regalian army to hear her.
Conrad actually looked surprised and mildly irritated that she didn't react to his provocative remarks. He backed down, while Gorger seemed to smirk in amusement at Luxa's lukewarm response.
Bloodclaw cleared his throat and continued, "As you can see, there stands the mighty devil- Queen Luxa. Long has her reign of tyranny punished those who were weak and oppressed rather than liberating them. But the Bane will see fit that today, she pays for her sins! Just like the Warrior behind me, she will be sent into the fires of hell by gnawer teeth and claws, just like her cursed parents!"
Without warning, Gregor's body jerked upwards and in a blur, his arm was wrapped around Bloodclaw's neck, with Sandwich's magnificent blade gleaming brilliantly as its owner placed it against Bloodclaw's throat.
"I'm not so sure about that!" Gregor yelled.
Within seconds, Luxa's heart burst with relief and joy, while every single Regalian belted out a deafening roar of ecstasy. Even Perdita managed a smile, while Ripred just shook his head and said, "Why does he revel in pretending to be dead?"
Meanwhile, the rats all gasped in shock and began to gnash their teeth furiously, perhaps vexed and confused as to how the mighty Bane had failed to exact justice for them. Conrad looked like he was about to throw up, while Gorger merely raised an eyebrow.
Gratitude to fate flooded Luxa's soul as all the pain sudddenly dissipated, killed by the appearance of the man she loved. Even as she deliberately concealed her excitement, she couldn't help but allow the smallest of smiles to play on her lips
"We don't have to fight!" Gregor shouted as his voice reverberated through the plains of the Underland. "We can end this peacefully! Just put some faith in Regalia again!"
"What about the Bane?" one rat called out. "He will condemn us to hell should we betray his ideals!"
"The Bane's not a god!" Gregor replied scornfully. "I killed him myself, and he's no real leader. Because any leader who sends his followers to their death is no leader, but a complete psychopath."
"Blasphemy!" Bloodclaw spat. "The heretics will burn!"
"Maybe the Bane was once good," Gregor went on, ignoring Bloodclaw and pressing the sword even harder against the rat's skin, "but he became a symbol of evil because he was just like one of you. He was converted by a bunch of power-hungry maniacs! Don't make the same mistake he made."
When they didn't respond, Gregor begged, "Please, I don't want to do this."
Gregor's pleading sounded so genuine and sincere that some of the rats seemed to back away hesitantly, which was surprising since most of them had committed themselves to the dogma of the cult. But with the "resurrection" of Gregor, the foundations of their faith seemed to be shakened.
Luxa afforded herself a small smile. What looked like a tragic affair was becoming a steadily hopeful one.
And then Bloodclaw roared, "THE FOUNT BETRAYED US! KILL THEM ALL! LEAVE THE REGALIANS FOR ANOTHER TIME!"
Gregor slit Bloodclaw's throat and shoved his body down, leaving the rat to suffocate from his own blood.
But it was far too late.
"ATTACK!" Gorger yelled.
That's it for this chapter! We're getting our next major battle since, what, chapter 18? It kinda depends on what you consider a "major battle". Will leave it up to y'all in the reviews section.
Anyway, it's worth pointing out that this chapter was heavily influenced by numerous chapters in my series, but I still made a point to make it original. For instance, Bloodclaw riling up the rats was a callback to how Bloodblur, in book 2, riled the people up to fight in chapter 14. I guess it was an unintended homage to my second story, but I hope you didn't mind. This chapter still maintains its originality.
Favourites/Follows please! Reviews are encouraged, of course. I really really need them.
Question: What is your favourite battle scene in the original series, and what is your favourite battle scene in my trilogy? Share your thoughts in the reviews section!
