Chapter 1 - Parting Ways

Heart aching, wings weary, the warrior's bond returned from his painful, solitary errand. Laying to rest a sweet, kind, happy little bat, who had seen far too much sorrow and hardship.

Thalia… second only to Boots in innocence. Precious beyond words. She who would have bonded Hazard son of Hamnet.

That sweet, joyous future would now never be. The volcanic eruption had nearly killed the entire party. But a moment sooner, and it would have. And but a moment later, perhaps little Thalia would have survived.

Ares had lain the silent, still young bat among the murdered nibblers, that her final rest might not be alone. Lava flowing from the queen would soon bury them all. He saw no sign of the seven nibblers, mostly pups, that had escaped the pit, and he feared they had likely died during the eruption. Most that died in the Underland found their final resting place in the Waterway. Thalia and the nibblers would be set in stone for all time.

Beating his great wings, Ares put the tragic sight behind him. He had lost many companions over the last year, but this felt especially painful. Most of those who died at his side had at least been heroic volunteers, knowingly facing great danger for causes they believed in. Thalia never should have been caught up in this at all.

But she had been. To hide their intent, they had brought innocent children with them on an investigation. And when the earthquake trapped them, Thalia had been unable to return home. Forced into a dangerous journey through the Firelands, she had known fear, toil, tragedy, trauma… and finally death. Caught in the volcano's blast wave. Lungs ravaged by ash and toxic fumes. Her death had not been at the hands of the gnawers… but Ares still held them responsible. It was the horrific intent and evil deeds of the Bane's forces that had necessitated a secret investigation in the first place. Tiny, innocent Thalia could be added to the long list of those who died… because of the Bane.

The Bane. Ares wrestled with the knowledge that he and Gregor had spared the Bane as a pup. They had seen a tiny, innocent creature, in some ways so like Thalia. They had been ordered to kill him. Gregor had been ready to die doing just that… until they saw him.

And yet… I still can't imagine killing the pup.

Even knowing the horrors being perpetrated by the Bane at this very moment, he couldn't picture Gregor cutting a little pup's throat. And Ares certainly couldn't have made himself dig his claws into the innocent, weeping thing. The Bane deserved death now… but he had not when Gregor held his life in his hands.

I… I hate the prophecies…

That thought struck Ares like a thunderbolt, shocking and unexpected. But it was true. The Prophecy of Gray had called for a third of the Questers to die, including a warning about Henry. Ares' original bond, loved as a brother for years. Ares still pummeled himself over his failure to see Henry drifting toward treachery. As his bond, Ares should have seen the danger and steered Henry away from his folly, rescuing the young man from himself. But he had not. His bond had betrayed them all. And Ares had rescued Gregor instead of the boy he had sworn to protect.

Then the Prophecy of Bane had set Gregor on a suicide mission, with everyone expecting an eleven-year-old boy to battle a twelve-foot-long rat. Howard's bond had died horribly on that mission, Mareth had lost a leg, Twitchtip had been lost, and Gregor had nearly killed his own heart.

The Prophecy of Blood had led them all astray. True, Gregor's party had stumbled upon Luxa and Aurora, but the quest itself had been a deadly fools errand. Obeying the cryptic words of a long dead killer, they had journeyed through deadly danger, lost friends in a terrible battle, and all in hopes of harvesting a plant that wasn't even the cure. Without the prophecy, the cure still would have been revealed on the same timeline. Perhaps a little sooner, since Doctor Neveeve had wasted several days preparing to send a team on a quest she knew to be pointless. Hamnet would have found Luxa and Aurora sooner or later, and he would have ensured they were rescued and returned to Regalia. The entire prophecy had accomplished nothing more than the deaths of Mange, Frill, Hamnet, and a thousand nameless cutters.

And the current prophecy? The nursery rhyme none had realized was more until very recently? It had done nothing good either. It's interpretation came too late to do anything more than react to what they already knew.

So often throughout Regalia's history, that had been the case. Prophecies understood only after the fact, when nothing could be done about it. Or prophecies that could only be fulfilled through dark deeds that might otherwise have been avoided. The Prophecy of Failing had influenced King Neltsen to reject an offer of peace from the cutters. The Prophecy of Fingers had caused Quellian of the Fount to murder his own daughter. And the Prophecy of Light had led thirty Underlander families on a journey into the Uncharted Lands, never to return. For every prophecy that led the Underland to achieve a positive outcome, there were three that proved useless or destructive.

Deep in his bones, Ares wished the human founder had never written a single prophecy. The dreary, horrid things caused so much more harm than good.

And it all led… to the Prophecy of Time. The dire words that had weighed on Ares for a full year.

The moment Gregor was identified as the warrior of prophecy, Ares had known where it would one day lead. While many others hoped that the events of the prophecy might never come, Ares had known better. Something so grim, so dark, so evil… it was exactly what he expected of the prophecies, and the will of the murderous Bartholomew. The young, fatherless boy that had fallen to the Underland was destined to die, after many harsh and painful missions for a people not his own. Ares hated—hated—Sandwich for carving those words. It was no small part of why he had always been rebellious: Everyone seemed to worship the words of one so wicked.

But dwelling on that would accomplish nothing.

When Gregor had offered to bond Ares, to save him from banishment, Ares had initially hesitated. He had known what the future held. That this good, brave, kind boy would surely die if the prophecies ensnared him. Gregor's only hope had been to escape the Underland forever.

But Gregor had leaped. Mere days before, Gregor had chosen death for the sake of the Underland. A choice worthy of any soldier or hero, and he had made it, despite having only just reunited with his father.

And if Gregor had proven worthy of such a choice, it would have been a deep dishonor for Ares to deny him the right to do so again.

So Ares had bonded the warrior. Had tied himself to a boy doomed to die. Had tied that boy to the Underland, eliminating what little hope there was that Gregor might escape his fate.

It had still been right, though. Gregor deserved to make such a choice when the time came. It would be an injustice to prevent a mother from protecting her child, to prevent a soldier from defending the weak, or to prevent one bond from saving another. Even if Gregor was still so young… he had a right to prove his courage.

That boy was growing up so fast. In body, he was still a child. But in his maturity, his courage, his dependability under trial. Gregor was as much a man as a boy in Ares' eyes. Just as Luxa, while yet a girl, was also a woman and a Queen. It was a tragedy that ones so young had so much placed upon them… but they were both worthy.

Ares reached the place he had last seen the others, but only Ripred awaited him. The others had followed a tunnel to a place with cleaner air. Ares offered to carry the rat, but Ripred looked into his eyes, and clearly saw the pain there. "It's alright, flyer. I can lead you there on foot."

Soon enough, they exited the tunnel, and found themselves at the border of the jungle.

Howard was the first to approach when Ares landed. "Where did you take her?"

Ripred had allowed Ares his peace, so the rat now turned to him for the answer.

"Back to the queen. So she might lie with the nibblers and not alone." He paused, hit again by a wave of grief. "The lava will claim them all soon. Half were already covered."

Ripred nodded. "Yes. The Bane does not only want to kill them. He wants them to disappear without a trace. So, it seems the Overlander was on to something about the song."

"You mean that it's a prophecy," said Gregor.

It made Ares sad that his bond was so caught up in these prophecies, especially knowing what it would ultimately mean for him. That a playful children's song had been discovered to be one felt grotesque.

"If it is, we should name it," Aurora suggested.

Nike fluttered her wings. "I have already done so in my head, but the name need not stick. I call it 'The Prophecy of Secrets.'"

"It is well named," said Ares, though he wished they could put the whole mess behind them. "Since the marks of secret led us to it."

"And even its nature was a secret," Howard added. "No one suspected our childish song to be a prophecy."

"One we still need to break." Ripred began to pace. "I think we understand the first two parts now. We know who the queen is. We know about the nibblers. How does the last part go?"

Luxa spoke the last verse. It was an entirely different thing when uttered without the happy melody. "Now the guests are at our door, greet them as we have before. Some will slice and some will pour." She recited the chorus too, but Ares' mind dwelt on the first part.

Howard looked thoughtful. "I suppose the first question is who the guests are?"

Ripred flicked his tail. "Well, if the door opens to Regalia, which I'm assuming since Sandwich called it 'our door,' then given the circumstances, the guests are probably someone Her Highness has recently declared war on."

Luxa's expression hardened. "The gnawers. And we will greet them as we have before: Some will slice and some will pour."

"What does that mean?" Gregor asked. Despite all his hardship and struggles down here, the dear boy was still ignorant of the true scale and horror of war.

"Swords slice," Luxa said. "And when the city is under siege, we pour boiling oil over the walls and onto our enemies."

While the Queen said it without emotion, Ares could easily see Gregor's revulsion at the thought. It's part of why Ares loved and respected the boy so much. Even after many attempts by the gnawers to kill Gregor, the boy still hated the idea of slicing them up or boiling them alive.

Howard didn't look much happier. "I wonder when the attack will be."

"Someone must return at once to warn the Regalians," Nike said.

Ripred shrugged. "No point in me coming of course. Neither side would welcome me. No, I think I may hang around here for a while."

"And do what?" asked Gregor.

"Those nibblers we saw today… they're only a fraction of the ones who've been driven here The others might still be alive. I was thinking… they'd make a likely army."

"For you?" Luxa scoffed. "They would never follow you."

"That's where you come in, Your Highness," said Ripred. "If we go together, we might be able to mobilize them."

"I might go alone. What do you add to the mix?" asked Luxa.

Ares almost laughed. Only Luxa could dismiss the value of a hardened veteran rager, as if such a monumental mission could be accomplished without his help.

Ripred sure wasn't laughing. "Don't be impertinent. Is it yes or no?"

Thankfully, Luxa's bravado swiftly gave way to wisdom. "Yes. Howard, will you come?"

I will have to, Cousin, if you insist on doing this. Cartesian will want to join us."

"He's too beat up," said Ripred. "But with you two on fliers and me on the ground, we might be able to break them out." Ares noted that he and Gregor were being left completely out of the plans, and he understood why. With the need to warn Regalia and bring the little ones to safety, they would of course need to send Gregor. With the Prophecy of Time looming, Gregor would need to prepare, and to arm himself for his final mission.

Luxa spoke with confidence that no longer sounded at all childish or petulant. She spoke with the will and dignity of a Queen. "I am sure they will follow me, if we can get in close enough for them to hear my voice."

"I'm counting on that," said Ripred. "Let's say four hours' rest, and we begin."

"I'll be ready," Gregor said. Ares approved of his bond's willingness, but it could not be allowed in this case.

But he didn't have to say it. Luxa and Ripred both rejected the idea.

"What?" Gregor said, clearly confused.

"Not you, boy," Ripred said. "You're taking the pups back to Regalia.:

"No, I'm not! I'm going with you!"

"You cannot!" said Luxa. Ares saw her grasping for an excuse, a way to convince him without relating the full truth of the prophecy. "What about Boots and Hazard?"

"I don't know, they can… Howard, you could take them back."

Ripred, Howard, and Luxa exchanged glances. Ares didn't want to get involved. He understood waiting a little longer before giving him the full truth, but he would have no part in their excuses.

"You don't think I can fight," Gregor said bluntly, making Ares smile despite a twinge of sadness. For all the boy's strength, skill, courage, and many victories, he still doubted himself. His humility was part of his greatness and maturity, but he deserved to give himself more credit. "Well, fine, okay. Maybe I did freak out when I lost my light, but it's not really dark here, with the volcanoes and all and I think there's been a few other times when I've shown that–"

"It's not that, Gregor," Howard insisted. "Everyone knows you can fight. Far better than I can.

"Then what?" Gregor turned to Luxa. " You're still mad at me?"

"No, I am not," said Luxa.

"So?"

"Has he not been told anything?" Howard asked.

"About what?" Gregor demanded.

Ripred looked Gregor in the eye. "Just this: You've got to get back to Regalia. Now that the war's begun, you're of no use to us without your sword."

Gregor's hand went to the sword at his hip, his confusion deepening. "I've got a sword..."

"Not any sword. Your sword." Ripred's eyes narrowed. "You didn't lose it in the tunnel, did you? When you fought Twirltongue?"

"What? Yeah, I lost that sword. I threw it behind me at the rats. So, what? There's like, thousands of them."

"No Gregor," Howard said. "He means the sword Vikus gave you. Sandwich's sword."

"Oh… That's not really mine."

Ripred's voice grew more serious. "Yes, it is. It says so in the prophecy I mentioned to you, about killing the Bane. 'The Prophecy of Time.'"

Naming that hateful prophecy aloud was a stab to Ares' heart, but he remained silent.

"And it says I need Sandwich's sword?" asked Gregor.

Ripred nodded. "Among other things. I had assumed Vikus had at least let you know the sword's importance. That you were destined to inherit it. That we all believe it is your sword. Any of that sound familiar?"

"No. he just seemed happy I wouldn't take it."

Ripred turned to Luxa and Howard. "Ever the optimist, your grandpa."

"Yes. Perhaps we should arrange for him to spend a bit more time in the field," said Luxa grimly.

For the first time that day, Ares felt an urge to smack her.

"Listen to you," Ripred said with a chuckle.

Luxa's expression hardened. "Do you know what he said when we were taken prisoner by spinners that time? He said he thought things would be different because of some recent trade agreements he'd made with them. I was eleven and I knew that was idiocy."

The urge to smack her intensified.

Ripred grinned. "He might have been right."

"We might have been dead," said Luxa.

"We would have been dead if it wasn't for your grandpa," said Gregor, clearly offended on Vikus' behalf. "The spiders were going to kill me until I mentioned his name."

"Yes, yes," Ripred said, "you don't have to defend Vikus. But the sword. You know where it is?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Go back and put it in your belt and don't let it leave your side again."

"What is the big deal about telling me about the prophecy? I've been through four of them now. How much worse can they get?"

Ares squeezed his eyes shut, letting the pain flow through him. The horrid prophecies could always get worse.

Howard tried to sound hopeful. "We didn't really know if it was going to happen. Some thought certain events were supposed to occur. But after today, it seems they have."

Gregor took a step toward him. "And?"

Ripred stepped in. "And no one wants to tell you because… the odds are… Look we don't even know if we're interpreting it right. "We're usually wrong, aren't we?"

"What's it say, Ripred?"

"It says… well, it suggests… you're probably going to–" Ripred gave up and kicked the responsibility down the road. "Vikus will tell you. That crazy girl, what's her name? Nerissa. Ask her about it. She'll explain it better than me."

"But I–"

"No! You ask in Regalia."

Their refusal is becoming proof in Gregor's eyes, Ares realized. With even the hardened Ripred unwilling to relate the prophecy, Gregor likely assumes the worst. The dread on the boy's face made it all the more clear. He begins to fear that the prophecy foretells the death of his family… Compared to that, the actual prophecy may in fact be a relief for him.

Putting the question of the prophecy aside, Ripred returned everyone's thoughts to the mission at hand. "As soon as your bond is rested, you can leave. Take the pups and Cartesian and Temp."

Temp immediately rose up to his full height. "To fight, I stay, to fight."

"No Temp," said Luxa, kneeling so she could now see him eye to eye. "I would wish you at my side, but we have much greater need of you at home. You must go to the crawlers, tell them what has happened, and rally them to our cause."

Temp shifted back and forth, torn.

"And I beg another favor as well," Luxa continued. "I need you to look after Hazard now as you have looked after Boots for Gregor. I put him in your care."

Temps antennae rose in surprise. "My care, the boy be in, my care?"

"If you will take him. For there is no one among us who perceives danger so quickly and accurately as you do. Or meets it with such courage."

Ares' earlier desire to chastise Luxa now fell away. Not a year ago, under Henry's influence, Luxa had openly scorned the crawlers. But she had grown so much since then. The sacrifice of Tick, and Temp's unshakable loyalty, had won her over. Every day, Luxa grew into her role more and more.

The weight of Luxa's words were not lost on little Temp. "You, so say, you?"

"I, so say, I. Will you do this, Temp?"

"Yes."

"Thank you." Luxa laid her hand on his head and his antennas gave a quiver. After so much darkness and sorrow, this pure, beautiful moment managed to lift Ares' heart ever so slightly.

After far too little rest, Ares would carry his bond and the little ones to Regalia… while the others sought to rescue an entire nation from the gnawers. There were so few people in Ares' life, so few friends… and nearly all of them would be going on this deadly mission. It was possible, even likely, that Ares would never see them again. He would be all but alone, with only his precious, doomed bond left out of everyone he had truly loved.

His heart didn't want him to sleep… but he knew he had too. The war would demand all his strength. If the nibblers were rescued, many would need to be carried from the Firelands to Regalia, and Ares could carry more than most. Very few bats could match his strength, and none could surpass it.

And when the time came for Gregor to face his end, Ares must be in a condition to make it count. The only thing more terrible than his bond dying to kill the Bane… would be for him to die failing to kill the Bane.

And Ares knew he would die with him. From the moment he bonded Gregor, Ares knew he would share the boy's foretold fate. Gregor would not face "the monster" alone. Ares would be his wings, allowing one so young to battle a beast so vast. The prophecy might not demand Ares' life, but he would willingly give it. Our life and death are one, we two.

Gregor would read the prophecy. After experiencing a fleeting relief that it did not foretell the deaths of his family, what it did demand would sink in.

It would scare him. It would stab him to his core. Gregor would weep. Gregor would waver.

And it would be right for him to do so. It would mean the boy loved life, knew he was precious, and didn't want to leave everyone…

But Gregor would also stay. No fear, sadness, or pain would make the warrior turn aside. He would not abandon the multitude to death. Ares knew this with absolute certainty. If there was only one truth in this world, it was that Gregor was the hero the Underland needed. He might be a boy… but he was also a man. By his actions. By his choice.

Gregor would face his end in this war.

Ares vowed… his bond would not die alone.

Ares curled next to Nike and Aurora, missing the presence of little Thalia in their comforting huddle. Swiftly, he found sleep. Ares dreamed of the foretold confrontation with the Bane, and he met it with absolute conviction. He saw all the gnawer armies chanting and lusting for blood, while the human armies quailed. Gregor faced the Bane without fear, and Ares surged with pride. The dream tried to become a nightmare, with the Bane ignoring Ares, focusing only on Gregor, seeking the boy's life… But even in dreams Ares would not abandon his bond. Ares sought ever to keep himself between Gregor and those terrible claws. The Bane wanted the warrior dead, but for as long as he breathed, Ares would be the boy's shield.

No nightmare could take Gregor from him. He had let one bond fall, but only so that this brave child might live on.

If the Bane was destined to kill the warrior… he would have to go through Ares first.

Cartesian the nibbler awoke from uneasy sleep. With the exception of the two littlest humans, all the others were awake and swiftly preparing for departure. Despite his terrible pain and injured legs, Cartesian forced himself to rise. It appeared the group intended to split. He quickly discerned they were trying to hide the truth from him, but it was a wasted effort. There could be only one reason for any of them to remain out here.

"Despite your hunger, weariness, and sorrow… you intend to rescue my people. The young Queen will risk her life for the nibblers, and you support her, as the mission will fail without her."

The others couldn't bring themselves to deny it.

"I will join you on this mission. You all know that."

"You cannot," Howard said. "Your injuries–"

"I must go! I must find Heronian! You will need her to break the code!"

"Heronian?" Ripred nodded. "I'll keep an ear out for her. But you're going to Regalia."

"I will not! You cannot force me to abandon my people! Father, mother, sister, brother! Would you run to safety if it was the gnawers that faced annihilation! There is no justice in it!"

"Your legs are still broken," Howard said softly. "What could you realistically–"

"Irrelevant!" Cartesian practically shrieked. "Even if I can do no more than delay one gnawer for the brief time it takes to kill me, I will pay that price!" His mind raced, replaying the horrid sights. His people being forced from their homes, believing the gnawers' lies, despite Cartesian and others trying to give warning. The hushed conversation between the rat General Flayer and one of his subordinates, who admitted to abandoning his three pups in order to join the Bane. True, that rat sounded like he regretted the decision, but he had promptly severed himself from any mercy or sympathy on Cartesian's part. Not long after the conversation, he had participated in the operation to drive Cartesian and his neighbors over the side of the cliff. He had survived only by landing on the heaped bodies of those who fell first…

Luxa tried to dissuade him, and on some level Cartesian appreciated her care for him. "Your testimony will be vital in uniting my people! I need them to send reinforcements!"

"The warrior's testimony will be more than enough!"

"Please don't make us force you," Aurora said softly. "If you came with us–"

"The monsters cannot be allowed to kill again! Any soldier would willingly offer their life to prevent such a slaughter! Don't you dare deny me that right! Let me help! Let me fight!"

The huge black flier, Ares surprised Cartesian by taking his side. "His words are true. He has a right to fight for those he loves." But then he smashed Cartesian's hope. "But, Cartesian, even if you are willing to give your life for them, I would have you buy as much as possible with that price. If you return to Regalia for healing, then when the time comes for you to fight, you will be able to accomplish far more. If you must sell your life, sell it dearly. Not just to slow one rat, but to successfully save lives."

Cartesian understood the logic, but his heart couldn't accept it. A rage began to build in him, as Ares had for a moment made him believe they would let him stay. Pain and trauma began to overwhelm him, his face twisted in disgust and desperation, and he was on the brink of saying things he would regret.

But then a new ally came to Cartesian's side.

"Enough!" Howard strode over. "Cartesian is right. They are his family, his friends. He must be allowed to go! But first…" He knelt, dug through his medical kit and produced a small reddish bottle. "But first you must take a dose of this. It is an elixir of potent herbs to give you strength."

Eagerly, Cartesian gulped down the contents.

Just as he swallowed the last of it, Cartesian realized… any elixir such as Howard described would have been worth issuing to the others long before now…

It was too late. The medication hit Cartesian like an avalanche. If his people were rescued, it would be by humans, fliers, and a gnawer.

He was unconscious before he hit the ground.

Author's Note:

This story is set earlier in the same timeline as "Hold the Line," "Remember Them," and "Regalia Bleeds," which fills out the canon story of the books without making significant changes. As such, it can be considered another prequel to my upcoming larger work, "Hazard the Halflander." Other than the attack on the palace, the mission to rescue the nibblers from the death camps in the Firelands was the most important event that Gregor didn't personally witness, so I hope you find this version fitting. Expect six more chapters and an epilogue.