The flight lasts for about ten minutes. It feels like ten hours. Every moment my anticipation grows, and my fear. But then we cross the city's walls and it's like no time has passed at all, nothing has changed.
Torches line the streets, fewer now than during the day, but the red glow that covers everything is still familiar and brings back the happier memories I have of the Underland. I guess my mom was right about it helping to just be here and see that everything is fine.
We fly over the sleeping city in silence and land on the castle walls. The Regalian dismounts and I follow, letting my hand linger on the bats wing to show my gratitude. I stay where I am as the man speaks quickly to a few of the guards. Their gaze shifts to me and then one nods. He hurries off into the castle, probably to fetch Luxa.
The man strides back toward me and says formally, "They've gone to fetch the Queen, Overlander."
"Thank you." I say and the man turns to remount his bat but I stop him. "What's your name?" I at least want to know who it was that carried me home.
"Ade." He smiles a little. "And this is Flite, my bond." I take another look at Flite. He looks more like Ares than I realized. His face is similar and his dark eyes pierce into mine with the same intensity. The only difference is his size, Ares was much bigger than this bat.
"Thank you, Ade and Flite." I avert my gaze, unable to bear the image of my dead friend, replicated so well as it is. "You have no idea how much it means to me."
Ade nods once and then mounts Flite. Without another word they take off across the city, returning to their patrol and leaving me alone with a single guard standing silently off to the side.
Time drags on and I wonder what's taking so long. Isn't Luxa as eager to see me as I am to see her?
Finally, a man comes striding through the door. I've never seen him before but he's dressed in the same garb as the guard over in the corner.
"Overlander." The man bows slightly and I wonder if I should do the same. Instead I stand awkwardly still. "Vikus has ordered me to escort you to a flier. From there you can be taken to whichever exit you choose. You are to leave immediately."
My mouth drops open. I can't help it. Leave? What the heck is he talking about? "Where's Luxa?" I demand, but the guard remains stone faced.
"She does not wish to see you." By the tone of his voice I know this isn't true. He sounds like he's speaking a line someone fed him--like he was told to repeat it without knowing whether or not it was really true.
"I know you're lying." The guard tries not to react but a flicker of fear mixed with shame crosses his face. "Tell me where Luxa is." I take a step toward him. "Now."
"I have orders to bring you by force if you will not cooperate. You do not need to be conscious when you leave." The last sentence is another fed line. Someone told him to threaten me...but who would do that?
Vikus. The guard already mentioned him before. He said his orders were from Vikus, but why would Vikus want to keep me away from Luxa? I know him and the only thing that would cause Vikus to make a threat is fear. But what is he afraid of? Me? And if so, then why?
I decide to play along with the game Vikus has set up, but not the way he intended. "Really?" I let a wisp of defiance and arrogance creep across my voice. "You are going to bring me by force?"
A tremor runs through the guard's features and I feel bad for him. He didn't ask to play this game. "Yes."
I notice that the other guard in the corner isn't responding at all to this exchange. Would he help this guard if I resisted and tried to escape? I really hope not.
"Alright then, I guess you win." I stride toward the messenger with my palms spread out in front of me to show that they're empty and I mean no harm. A look of surprise runs across his face and I really hope he doesn't get in trouble for this.
When he's a few feet away I pretend to stumble and end up running into him, shoving him towards the guard in the corner. Not a very Warrior-worthy move but it serves it's purpose. They fall to the ground in a heap and I take off sprinting through the tunnels.
I know my way around the castle from the countless times I've walked the halls. Well most of the castle anyway. I sprint past another few guards who look up, startled but unsure if they need to stop me or not. I actually recognize one of them as a boy a few years older than me who lay in the hospital bed across from my room after the final battle all those months ago. He recognizes me as well, but only as the Warrior and not someone who watched as his wounds were stitched closed.
I skid to a stop in front of Luxa's quarters and push through the thick curtains that cover the opening. The only real doors in Regalia are the wooden ones that open into the Prophecy Room and the stone ones they use for prison cells. "Luxa?" I call, but there's no answer. I stride through her sitting room and come into her bedroom only to find that the bed is empty and sheet-less. No one has been staying in here for a while.
Luxa isn't here. She must have moved her quarters to somewhere else in the castle, but why she would leave the rooms her parents lived in, I have no idea. I start to leave but then the messenger guard comes running through the door, the corner guard just behind him. As I watch, the three guards that I passed in the hall follow in quick succession. All of them have swords drawn.
Great. Now what am I supposed to do? I'm weapon-less and surrounded by weapon-bearing guards. I've never tried using my rager sense without a sword in my hand and I doubt it will work. I also don't want to hurt them if I go out of control, so I don't even attempt the shift to rager mode.
The messenger guard crosses the space between us in two steps and yanks my arms behind my back, not being very gentle about the whole 'by force' thing. I don't blame him. After all, I did just shove him against a guard and embarrass him by escaping and defying his orders. Vikus' orders.
"Now you will leave, Overlander. If you attempt to escape I will have to--"
"Yeah, yeah, I know." I mutter. "You'll have to knock me out and then make me leave."
The five guards surround me as I'm led through the halls and back up towards the castle wall. The hopelessness that evaporated as soon as I entered Regalia is returning again. I can feel the sadness coming back and wonder if I'm in for another round of blood memories after I leave.
"Stop!" A voice calls suddenly from behind us. I want to turn but the guard holds me firmly in place by my arms, another stands in the way so when I and twist my head I can't see who is approaching us from behind. The soft pattering of bare feet on stone gives away the identity though. Only one person I know would be crazy enough to not wear socks or shoes while walking on the freezing cold rock.
"Nerissa?" I ask, ignoring the guard as he tries to silence me. "Is that you?"
"Unhand him." When she speaks again I know for certain that it is her. Only one person could speak so firmly while hiding the weary tremor in her voice.
"We have orders from Vikus to escort the Overlander to the Overland." The guard refuses, but I can hear doubt in his voice. "Immediately."
"Well I am telling you to unhand him. You know Queen Luxa's orders that, due to my ability, I have authority over Vikus and the Queen unless directly challenged by them, so unhand him." She pauses and I can hear the smile in her voice at the next word. "Immediately."
My arms are released and without hesitation I turn to Nerissa. Her arms are already open and I embrace her. I can tell by the way she squeezes me that she knows why I'm here and what I've been going through. Her visions must have shown her. "Thank you." I say and pull away. "But why--"
"Vikus is right that you should not be here Gregor. He is right that you should leave." I stare at her, dumbstruck. How could she say something like that? And what does she mean by it?
"Then why did you tell them to release me?" The guards have already left but Nerissa still glances around to make sure no one is listening.
"It is a matter that we cannot discuss until both Vikus and Luxa are present. Ripred should hear this as well." Her grave eyes almost make me afraid. What's so important that we can't discuss it here? She must read my question in my eyes because she leans close to my ear and whispers. "A prophecy has arisen."
With those words she collapses onto the floor.
"Nerissa!" I drop to my knees next to her and lift her into a sitting position. It's easier than I remember and I think she's lost even more weight. She's still conscious and quickly apologizes.
"I'm sorry Gregor," Her voice is weak and frail, her moment of strength in front of the guards was more taxing than I thought possible. She seems even more sick than usual and I wonder if she's really gotten worse or if I've just been gone too long to remember. "We need to get to Vikus and Luxa. They must know. Come, help me up."
I raise her to her feet and we begin walking down the hall. "You'll have to direct me." I say. " I don't know where their new quarters are."
"Luxa has been staying with Vikus." Nerissa tells me. "She hasn't been able to sleep alone after--" She stops and looks at me in a knowing way. "After the blood memories."
Wait, Luxa has been having these memories too? Do they cripple her until she can't move? Is Vikus' touch, like Lizzie's was for me, the only thing that can calm her? If that's true then she doesn't have a place she can escape to to have hope again. For me, ever since I crossed the outer wall of Regalia I've felt safe and the sadness has lifted. I know that one sight of Luxa will drive it away completely.
        I hope one sight of me will do the same for her.