Chapter Thirteen

"The river is below us," Elpis purring voice broke into Gregor's thoughts. "Aurora sends word that Luxa says we will travel fifteen more minutes before we land. We'll have lunch and then you will all start your walking journey."

"What will you bats do?" Knight asked her.

"We will rest for a time, then we shall fly to catch up with you before camping tonight."

Hazard and Eris came to fly next to them, catching Elpis' last words. "Do you think we will find them, Hazard?" Gregor asked him.

Hazard was quiet for a long moment, the bats wings filling the silence before he answered, "Yes Gregor, I think we will. But I do not know how we will do this. I am scared. I'm scared for the Underland." He looked up at Gregor, "I'm scared for Luxa as well, Gregor. If we truly are to go to the Overland, she will very much need you Gregor."

Nodding, Gregor looked toward Luxa again, seeing her turn to look at him at the same moment. "Yes, Hazard I think you are right. I won't let anything happen to her. I won't leave her again, Hazard."

The boy nodded, "That is what I had hopped you would say. Howard has been trying to talk Luxa in to marrying for many months now. He says that as Queen she needs someone who will share her burden with her. He did not believe you would ever return. I am glad that you have Gregor. After all, who is better for a Queen than a Warrior?"

Knight was trying not to obviously listen to the conversation, but as he and Gregor were riding on the same bat, it would have been impossible for him not to hear Hazard's honest words. Gregor felt his face warm, maybe his plan was to marry Luxa, but they had hardly talked about them since the prophecy was unveiled.

"We'll see Hazard, we shall see." Then, in order to prevent Hazard from speaking more about a future wedding, he asked, "Hazard, what do you remember about living in the jungle?"

The boy sighed, "Too much, but not nearly enough, Gregor. The Jungle and all the uncharted lands have their own secrets. To survive is the first thing on our list. Then we shall see what we do next."

Aurora circled a spot where the bats could get through the vines to the jungle floor, "This spot should work, should it not, Hazard?"

"Eris and I shall take a look," Hazard said, urging Eris to dive before Luxa could stop him.

"Aurora, follow him," she commanded quickly.

They all dove to follow Hazard, who after disappearing through the vines, reappeared suddenly just as they all reached them. "It is relatvilty safe," he reported, urging Eris back down to a landing point. "But we still must use care as we are near the heart of the jungle."

They landed and decided to have lunch before they moved out on foot. Gregor looked over his friends, Anna had a small fashionable backpack over her shoulders, but that was the only thing they had besides the large packs the bats wore.

"Anna, can you fit water and some supplies in your bag?"

"I can carry it for you," Knight offered as Anna swung the bag off of her shoulders.

She shrugged, "Sure, whatever you guys think is best."

They ate quickly, wanting to get started in their search for the hissers. The bats gathered into a huddle to rest for a time, while they started out on foot.

"There is only a faint path here," Hazard told him as they lined up. "We must walk gently through the vines, and remember to keep your weapons in your belts until it is absolutely necessary to fight." Although Hazard's speech was made to the entire group, it was Gregor and Luxa that Hazard eyed as he said this.

Not twenty minutes into their walk, Gregory couldn't help thinking how much louder this journey through the jungle was than his last one. On his last journey, Gregor had been the big footed loud walker among them, now there were three overlanders to content with. It also became clear that Anna's designer tennis shoes were shoes in name only. She seemed to be having the most trouble as some of the vines seemed particularly attracted to the shoes. Gregor couldn't prove that of course, but he would not doubt the ability of the vines to reach out to the animal patterned shoes.

Hazard frowned at the trouble the girl seemed to be having walking behind him and he said thoughtfully, "Maybe if we all walk before you, with only Luxa behind you as a guard but Gregor, we will make the path more manageable."

Anna sighed, "Whatever," she grumbled as every adjusted their position. Gregor knew she didn't like being the weakest link in this procession.

They traveled for several hours, that river was tucked into the vines to their right, just out of site. Hazard seemed to effortlessly pick their trail while they all struggled to follow, but for the most part their journey hasn't been too perilous.

Gregor's ear was mostly tuned to the two girls behind him, who were periodically throwing insults at each other. He wondered if he should try to step between them, but then wondered if that would just escalate the differences between them all the more.

"Ah," Hazard said finally, turning to them with a smile on his face. "We must be on the right track."

He pushed back some vines and revealed an opening, the area looked much like where they had camped the night before, a clearing in the mess of vines. There was no spring, but they could see the river now. There were also some mounds of long dead vines piled up in areas.

"What is this place, Hazard?" Gregor asked as he looked around.

"It was a Hisser camp." Hazard told him softly.

They all moved in to look around, Luxa moved to her cousin and put an arm on his shoulder, "Hazard, I always had the impression that Frill was one of a kind. Or at least one of very few. What do you remember about the Hissers?"

Hazard looked at her as though sorting through his words, "There are few Hissers when compared to the Humans, or even the Rats and Nibblers, but they all travel together. They move often through the jungle and stay in places like this. Frill and my father were close, they had what could be considered like a bond and so Frill left the other Hissers. But that was very rare for them."

"Guys!" Anna called, "this river feels awesome on my feet, come try it!"

"Anna, no! Don't-" but before Gregor could get any more out, too many things happened at once. Anna screamed, but Luxa was already at her side, her sword plunged into the water. Anna's screams did not stop as Luxa threw her back into Knight's arms. Using both hands, Luxa pulled her sword from the water, a large eel like fish has been impaled on her sword. It still wiggled and squirmed, blood running from it's mouth, it's sharp teeth menacing.

Gregor couldn't believe he was still frozen in place, but he shook his head to clear it and ran to Luxa, his own sword drawn to help her kill the creature. Up close, it was even worse to look at. It's milky eyes were fierce, and it made a wailing sound that made his ears ring. Gregor sized it up, although it was thrashing about, he guessed it was close to four feet long. He made his decision and slashed with his sword, cutting off just the head to cut the wailing sound off with sudden sharpness. He helped to steady the dying animal while Luxa pulled her sword free and pushed it into the water.

"Get back quickly, Gregor." She said, pulling on his arm as they left the edge of the water. "How bad is she, Hazard?" Luxa asked the boy over her shoulder, not taking her eyes from the river which was starting to rage and bubble.

The strange wailing that the fish had made was still coming from the water, Gregor stared at it transfixed, realizing that there were more of them and they were angry.

"They can't…they can't get out of the water, can they?" Knight asked the question that Gregor didn't want to speak.

"I know not." Luxa said, finally turning and sheathing her sword at her waste. "But, we must move on before we find out. Quickly, gather up everything Gregor. How is she Hazard?"

Anna was crying and holding onto her foot so Gregor couldn't see the extent of her wounds. He found Anna's shoes and socks and stuck them into the backpack Knight had been carrying. Everything else was gathered up, Hazard had his first aid kit in the small pack he carried, but that was in his hands still.

"It's okay," Anna gasped out between clenched teeth. I just want to get out of here before those things get any closer."

Gregor looked back, wishing they could all just jump onto the bats. The water was splashing onto the banks of the river now, bodies of the mutated fish were tangling together as they bit into the body of the dead fish, and also fought to get onto the shore.

"Knight," Gregor said, "Give me your arms. Luxa, can you and Hazard help Anna to stand and then we'll carry as far as we can."

They couldn't make it far, Gregor knew, but they could at least get out of the reach of the creatures. Hazard lead the way and Luxa followed the trio who moved loudly and not too carefully through the vines. Gregor felt one vine grab at his arm, but then he heard Luxa's sword cut through it and he felt his arm released again.

"Luxa!" Hazard said, whirling to face her. "Your sword will not help!"

"Gha!" Luxa called in response and Gregor turned to see that the vines had no curled around her legs.

Feeling the Rager sensation hit him fully now, Gregor pushed Anna onto Knight's back and told them to run. He then grabbed his own sword and cut through the vines binding Luxa's ankle, and one at her waist, he reached with his left hand to grab her arm and pull her behind him.

"Stop cutting them!" Hazard said, pleading his voice sound as though he were near tears.

"Hazard," Luxa cried, "What would you that we do?"

"Run," he said, "Just run."

He pulled on Luxa's hand and they took off after Knight and Anna, the three of them not letting go of one another until they reached a much smaller clearing. This one was closed in by the vines, the river invisible, and looked more natural than the Hisser clearing.

"Luxa, Gregor." Hazard told them, "The more life we take from them, the more they will try to take from us. That is the law of the heart of this jungle. When you kill something, it has every right to try to retaliate. That is why my father told you not to draw your weapons last time Gregor. That is why it is such a dangerous place for anyone who has been taught to wield a sword." His eyes seemed to be filled with tears as he said softly, "It will retaliate."

Luxa grabbed the boy and pulled him into a tight hug against her, "I am sorry Hazard. I did not know what to do. Perhaps it is crazy to think we may find answers in this place."

"We will, I know we will." Hazard told her finally pulling away. "Let me look at Anna's feet, and then we may make a plan."

The strange fish had managed several puncture wounds on Anna's left foot. They all knew it could have been much worse if Luxa hadn't been so quick to jump in with her sword. Hazard carefully cleaned the wounds and put some kind of ointment on them before he wrapped her foot carefully.

"You will not wanting to be walking on it too much for a couple of days," he told her when he finished.

"She and the other Overlander may stay with the bats and ride them," Luxa said decisively. "It may mean lots of waiting, but there will be no walking and fewer of us on the ground to get hurt."

Anna held onto Knight's hand to pull herself up, then limped over to Luxa, holding her hand out to the other girl. "Thank for helping me, Queen Luxa."

Gregor, like the others, waiting in silence to see what Luxa would do. This was the first time Anna had used Luxa's real title, the first time she had been sincere in her words towards her. Gregor thought it might have been the first moment that Anna really realized that the Underland was real, but not only that, it was as dangerous as they had been told.

Luxa finally reached her hand out and put it into Anna's. She didn't say anything, only nodded in acceptance of the thanks before she let go.

Gregor went to where Luxa sat on a pile of rocks, he sat down beside her and took her hand in his. "Thank you for doing that Luxa. Thanks for doing that for Anna."

Without thinking, she used her free hand to push her gold circlet up on her forehead once again, and then gave a half shrug. Her violet eyes met his and she said honestly, "You have always been kind to those I cared about, Gregor. I shall try to do it with this girl."

Once the bats had found them, they unpacked some of the food and had dinner. They set up a guard rotation for the evening, with Aurora and Elpis going first since the bats had rested most of the afternoon.

As they all rolled out their bed rolls to get to sleep, Gregor noticed that Hazard was standing to one side of the clearing, staring off into the vines. "How long until we find the Hisser's, Hazard? Do you have any idea?"

The boy turned, coming to his bed roll beside Luxa. "I think we will not have too long to wait until we meet them, Gregor. And I do not know that we will find them. There is a good chance that they may find us."