/big sigh\ I guess you guys didn't like my last chapter. I got no comments on it!! Hope you like this one better.
-Dead Chick Walking
Coming Dark. Chapter 16. See You Soon.
Howard took care of all their injuries, Gregor's hurt arm and collarbone, Luxa had a few scratches and Erin had twisted her ankle. This didn't stop her from getting into everything as they packed, or hanging over Howard's shoulder watching him patch everyone up. The group set off after an hour, and after another hour they were out of the twisting tunnels and back into the Dead Lands.
Everyone mounted up and the bats turned their course to Regalia. Flay was flying with Erin on the back of Ariadne. The little rat refused to say anything, and had also rejected all offers of food. She finally fell asleep in Erin's lap during the flight. Gregor had shivers whenever he looked at the white pup now. How could this end right?
The bats managed to swoop into the palace fairly undetected, a few guards noticed them but the group was cleared. Gregor caught one woman glance at the flash of white fur before they swept into the palace, he could see her eyes go wide.
Flay was still asleep, the small rat twitched and moaned fitfully in her slumber from troubled dreams. Erin gently stroked the white fur on the pup's neck trying to soothe her. Everyone was quiet, the image of the rat pup sobbing over her mother was burned into their minds. The humans, Ripred, and Temp dismounted, the bats were tired from the long flight but didn't move.
Howard finally broke the silence, he cleared his throat and said, "I suppose we should tell the Council what has happened." Everybody nodded numbly. Ripred slipped the slumbering pup onto his back, no one else was strong enough to carry her. Luxa raised her arm and made a peculiar gesture, the bats lifted from the floor and flew off to get some rest.
As everyone else walked quietly down the hall toward the Council Room, Luxa mutely considered the repercussions of her actions. It was the right thing to do of course, but the Council would be furious. The young queen had never really care for the Council's judgment but she did wonder about her people.
The Regalians had lost half their population in a desperate and bloody war against the pup's father, they wouldn't take kindly to her Flay living in their city. Flay would have to be confined for her own protection, that alone would go against her instincts, as would living with humans. Ripred would have to go back to the Tunnels to rule the gnawers, they wouldn't trust him if he stayed in Regalia.
Luxa's concerns must have shown on her face because Gregor put an arm around her shoulders comfortingly. He gave her a reassuring smile, she leaned into him, allowing him to comfort her for a little while. But as they neared the Council Room she gently shrugged off his arm, a small regretful smile played on her lips. Luxa pecked Gregor lightly on the cheek and drew the curtain that covered the entrance to the Council Room.
The Council, Vikus, and Nerissa sat in the room, gathered around a table. Luxa walked coolly over to the head of the table, her feet tapped against the floor in a military march. This was her war ground. Everyone in the room looked up, Vikus smiled as he saw his granddaughter but his smile disappeared at the sight of Howard supporting Erin who still could not walk well because of her hurt ankle.
"Welcome back." Nerissa whispered when they had all gotten into the room. Her shadowed eyes locked onto Ripred, who had his back facing the wall, "You brought a gift." was all she said. Ripred glared at her.
"Well?" A councilwoman said irritably, "What happened?"
Luxa smiled faintly, "I thought you'd never ask." she murmured, "We made the trip in the Dead Lands with little conflict, and within two days reached the cave of Terrormaw. It was decided that Flay the Gnawer was no threat." At this ultimatum the Council began murmuring, Luxa glared at them until silence fell. "A flier, Circe, warned us of an upcoming attack. Furyfire and a band of rebels attacked."
The councilwoman sneered, "Furyfire the Gnawer was one of the predominant advocates of peace." Gregor's tired mind could barely understand the words, but he gathered that Furyfire was fairly trusted in Regalia.
Erin laughed lightly, "Oh yes, he wanted peace alright. Furyfire wanted peace so much he decided to kill the Bane's Daughter, the Warrior, the Peacemaker, the heir to the Fount and the Queen of Regalia to boot. Yeah, he was definitely someone who wanted peace."
The councilors glared at Erin and she quieted grudgingly. "Furyfire attacked, and then?" A councilman prodded gently. Luxa rolled her eyes and continued,
"We fought of course, the rebellious rats were eradicated except for Furyfire's mate Shadowshiv. And we lost one." Vikus raised an eyebrow questioningly, "Terrormaw the Gnawer is dead." Many in the room smiled grimly.
Erin fairly exploded, "What the hell are you smiling about?!" She cried furiously, her cold grey-blue eyes glinted and burned into each and every person she turned her gaze on. It was disturbingly reminiscent of Flay's disquieting stare. "Wipe those smiles of your filthy faces! The pup lost her mother and you smile!" The Overland girl was fairly snarling in her anger, and her hand was on the hilt one of her daggers, Howard put a restraining hand on her shoulder.
Vikus spoke calmingly, "I apologize for what must seem their cruel thoughts. Terrormaw caused many deaths in Regalia, however, and many are not sad to see her go."
"Yeah?" Erin snapped, "Well I can think of one person who was very sad."
A silence fell on the questers, each brining up their own mental image of the grieving rat. Vikus looked sorrowful, "Yes, the pup, what happened to her?" Luxa's lips pursed thoughtfully,
"I will show you." she said quietly, "Ripred?"
The large grey rat sank to the floor, and Flay gently slipped off, her eyes were still closed, and her breathing was even but it was impossible to say if the slept or not. For a few moments everyone merely stared at the white gnawer pup, her fur covered in her mother's dried blood. Then the Council went ballistic, screaming, cursing, or just glaring angrily at the group. The rat pup on the ground stirred slightly, and then her eyelids flickered, those frightening grey eyes opened. Erin glowered once more, "Great…" she murmured huffily, "now you woke her up."
"Welcome to Regalia." Ripred said sarcastically, gesturing at the council table where everyone glared at her with undisguised loathing.
"Lovely." Flay sighed, "They do not look very happy to see me."
Ripred shook his head, "You father wasn't very nice." He told her sagely.
The pup snorted, "Like I need someone to tell me." Her odd grey eyes with their glints of gold surveyed the room with slight interest, they looked dead to Gregor, "I think I'll just solve everyone's problems right now." Flay said as she rose to her feet.
"And how do you mean to do that?" Ripred asked his eyebrow raised curiously.
Her grey eyes turned to him, "Throw myself in the Waterway, off a cliff, onto a sword. Something to that effect." The white pup's voice was completely monotone, Gregor could tell she was serious.
Erin let out a soft cry, the girl pushed herself off of Howard on whom she was leaning and slipped down next to Flay, "You can't." she said simply.
"Why not?" Flay retorted. Erin leaned down and whispered something into Flay's ear, "Really?" the pup's eyes drifted to Ripred, "Stripes?" she whispered pensively. "I suppose I could stay for that."
Ripred glared at the teenage girl, Luxa sighed and said, "Then it's settled."
"What is settled?" Vikus said, he looked confused.
"Flay is staying, on the condition she does not go out into the city." Luxa replied, her gaze drifted to the white pup, who shrugged,
"I don't want to see a bunch of ugly humans anyways, I won't leave the Palace."
There wasn't much the Council could say to that. Not that they didn't try, but Luxa steam rolled over any protests they made and after ten minutes Ripred took Flay to the gnawer room where visiting rats stayed.
Gregor and Boots stood on the dock, they had been there four times before, heading home after saving the Underland from the latest threat. But this time Ares wasn't taking his home, Gregor felt that familiar stab of remorse although it was a little less sharp than before. Luxa smiled at him as their eyes met. Those violet eyes were soft with compassion, she knew what he had been through, was still going through, and that gave him strength.
"Erin," Vikus said formally, "It has been a pleasure having you in Regalia." Erin tilted her head to the side curiously, it sounded like he was saying goodbye. Probably can't wait to get rid of me, she thought silently.
"Didn't Howard tell you?" She asked, seeing everyone regard her oddly she sighed, "Didn't he tell ANY of you?" The grey-blue eyes rolled, "I'm staying here."
Gregor smiled, Erin would be good for the Underlanders, they needed someone to remind them they weren't always right. Howard fairly grinned at the surprised faces of everyone gathered.
"Oh?" said Luxa slyly, Gregor was surprised by her tone of voice, "And when did the two of you discuss this? While you were 'bandaging her ankle' hm?" Howard and Erin flushed bright red, Erin stuck her tongue out at the other teenage girl. Luxa laughed softly.
While she attempted to resurrect her dignity Erin stalked over to Gregor, "Here," she said and shoved something into his hand. Plastic cut into his palm, he looked at it and saw a Visa logo.
"I can't take this…" he managed to say.
Erin shoved him playfully, "The rats don't take Visa's, Gregor. I'm not going to need it, besides I have plenty of cash. The pin is 8393." Gregor tried to hand it back to her but she glared icily at him, "Take it, use it, like it." Gregor matched her fierce look, but shoved the credit card into his back pocket.
"Thanks." he said, and gave her a swift hug, then began to make his farewell rounds.
Gregor gave Vikus a hand shake, and did the same with Nerissa, although he didn't really shake her hand, more brushed it with his fingertips. He hugged Howard and whispered, "So, exactly what were you doing with Erin?" Howard gave him a look and Gregor laughed a bit. The Overlander kind of patted the bats and Temp, and then got to Luxa.
"Fly you high, Gregor." She whispered, her eyes were watery.
"Fly you high, Luxa." Gregor returned and clasped her slim form to him, she withdrew slightly and they kissed, Gregor was amazed at how soft her lips were. "Don't worry," he said as the came apart, "I won't stay away for four months again." The girl gave him a trusting smile. Beside her Ripred chuckled darkly,
"I wouldn't be too sure of that."
Gregor glowered at the rat, "Farewell to you too." Ripred nodded at him. Finally Gregor came to the one person he dreaded, Flay. What was there to say to her?
A disconcerting change had come over the white gnawer pup, she no longer joked with Erin, or mocked Ripred, or did anything really. Her grey eyes, with the glittering flecks of gold, were dead. They had no more emotion in them than stone, perhaps less, if you held a rock in your hand long enough it would warm. Flay's gaze was colder than the grave. The pup wasn't allowed anywhere save for her room, a small room off the kitchens where she ate, Erin's room, and the library. The white rat was cut off from her natural instinct to prowl and she was restless, not that she let it show. Everything about Flay was emotionless, monotone, dead. Even as she stared at Gregor, he had to hear her breathing to see if she was truly alive.
"Goodbye Flay." he said, the rat shook her head with a sigh and gently brushed Gregor's hand.
"Bye." it was barely above a whisper, it was like the pup couldn't even gather enough care to make her voice heard. Gregor was moved by a sudden whim to take Flay in his arms like he would Boots and cuddle her and hold her until he made her smile. But Flay would probably resent that.
Boots had been making her rounds as well, and she came to Flay. Her hand reached out and stroked Flay on the head, "Bye, Flay. See you soon." the toddler said, Boots was smiling. Flay allowed herself to be pet for a few moments then withdrew into the shadows, her eyes the only things that could be seen.
Boots merely shrugged and ran back to her older brother. Gregor scooped her up, grunting as he did so-she was heavy-and mounted Spica.
"See you soon!" Erin called as the striped and speckled red bat took off from the docks.
Gregor's hands gripped the edge of the vent and he lifted himself up just a fraction of an inch so that he could see the laundry room. He let out a breath, it was empty, "All clear," he called to Spica. The bat lifted up and Gregor hauled himself into the laundry room, Boots clung to his back.
"Fly you high, Spica." Gregor said and patted the bats multi-colored fur, Spica purred the greeting back to him and swept away, into the shadows.
Gregor barely made it two steps into his house before his mother was upon him, "How DARE you!" She shrilled, "How could you leave us again? Your father was worried sick, and Lizzie hasn't been eating, not to mention child services rapping on our door!" Gregor backed up into the door, his mom was so mad there were literally waves of anger rolling off of her.
"Mama!" Boots objected, "You're too loud, don't yell at Gregor!" Grace swept Boots up into her arms and held her close.
"Oh Boots, oh baby, I'm so glad your ok." Her gaze shifted to her oldest child and only son, "I'm happy your back to Gregor, but you have a ton of explaining to do." Gregor opened his mouth to tell her everything that happened but Grace shushed him, "Not me, honey." she said and Gregor's eyes widened. More people? It was enough that Mrs. Cormaci knew, Ripred and Luxa had verbally flayed him just for telling her, who else?
Grace stared at her son, she knew exactly what was going on in his head, but he was thirteen now. He needed to mature and take responsibility for his own actions, and deal with the consequences. She put her hand on Gregor's shoulder, "Come on." she told him. The two walked into the living room.
Rae Kenton, looking as pretty and winsome as always was sitting on the arm of the couch, her legs were crossed. One hand cupped her chin, the other clutched a scrap of paper, her eyes were focused on the television. For a brief moment his eyes flickered to the news broadcast, it was captioned 'Teen Heiress Missing' without watching further he immediately knew who it was. Sure enough a picture of a brooding fifteen year old girl flashed onto the screen. She had blue streaks in that picture, but there was no mistaking Erin.
Gregor cleared his throat, Rae turned to look at him, her long red hair rippling with the motion. Green eyes fixed him with an accusing stare, "So," she said as he walked toward her, "The Underland, hm?"
Rae extended her hand, crumpled in it was the note he had written to his mother, five days ago? Only five? Wow, it seemed so much longer. Gregor took the note and sighed, Rae's hand rested on his shoulder.
"You can trust me."
And that's the end! Keep an eye out for the oneshot: 'New York Night Out' and my POV story, 'Memoirs: Bane's Story' the sequel to Coming Dark, 'Deepest Night' will be out in a few weeks. Until then check out my website: tucrpgame. you high, Run like the river, Eat much cake, and all the rest
-Dead Chick Walking alias: Ariadne