The Seeker from Above: A Gregor the Overlander Fanfic

Chapter 4

Previously...

"I believe she may play an invaluable role in 'The Prophecy of Bane,'" Ripred said while trying to catch Stella's gaze.

"Wait what?" Stella asked out of curiosity.

Ripred seemed engrossed in this whole prophecy thing. "You are the Seeker who must help the Warrior slay the Bane." Ripred said delightedly.

.

.

.

Stella was confused. Solovet raised an eyebrow. Ripred just smirked.

What's a Seeker?  She thought

"And how do you know of this?" Solovet asked Ripred.

"I looked into her eyes when I met her in the Deadlands." He said "It felt as if I was peering into the eyes of a Twister. If my assumption is inaccurate, on the contrary, what do we have to loose?"

Solovet turned to face Stella, "What is your name Overlander?"

"Stella," she replied.

"Well, Stella, welcome to Regalia. It was quite lucky for you to be found by Ripred, else you would've been dinner to a greedy Gnawer." Solovet sighed.

Stella nodded. She noticed that Gregor had climbed off the black bat and was waiting patiently. 

Gregor seemed to realise that she was looking at him, "hi Stella, nice to meet you," he said. "You look like someone I know."

Stella thought for a moment. Then it hit her, "oh wait! I think you know my brother... do you know Leo?"

"Oh, Leo's your  brother? I've played with him in a concert." Gregor seemed to be connecting the dots. "You're twins?" He looked dumbfounded.

"Yeah we are," Stella said. Gregor nodded slowly as if he was trying to understand the whole thing.

"You were supposed to meet an escort guard at Queenshead tomorrow," said Solovet, turning back to Ripred.

"Was that tomorrow? I felt certain it was today. And we waited and waited and poor Twitchtip was so eager for her first glimpse of Regalia that I didn't have the heart to disappoint her another minute. Right, Twitchtip?" Ripred said, poking the rat with the tip of his tail.

Twitchtip yanked her nose from the moss, snapped at Ripred's tail, which he whipped out of reach just in time, and shoved her nose back in the earth.

"Isn't she a charmer? Isn't she just irresistible?" said Ripred. "And I've had her all to myself on a journey from the Dead Land. Imagine the fun."

Twitchtip glowered at him but didn't attack again.

Stella shook her head. Ripred was really annoying.

"And for what reason do we have the pleasure of her company?" Solovet asked, eyeing Twitchtip.

"Why, I brought her as a gift. For you, for your people, and for Gregor here. Possibly Stella as well. Yes, but especially for Gregor," said Ripred.

Gregor looked at the rat. "For me? She's a gift for me?"

"Well, not literally. It's not as if I own her. But I made a bargain with her. She's agreed to help you find the Bane, and I've agreed to let her live with my merry little band of rats in the Dead Land if she succeeds," said Ripred. "You see, she was driven out of the gnawers' land years ago and has been surviving on her own."

Stella didn't know what the word 'Gnawer' meant but she felt a twinge of sympathy for Twitchtip.

"Because she is mad," Solovet said, as if that were obvious.

"Oh, no, not mad. Twitchtip is gifted. Show the people what you can do, Twitchtip," said Ripred. Twitchtip just glared at him. "Go on, show them, or it's back to living with me, myself, and I for you."

Twitchtip reluctantly lifted up her head and brushed the moss and dirt from her nose. She tilted back her chin, took a deep sniff, and grimaced. "The boy's sister is located on the third level of a large circular structure in a room with eight other pups and two grown ones. She's just eaten cake and milk. She's cutting a new tooth. Her catch cloth is wet, and her shirt is pink," Twitchtip spat out. Then she crammed her nose back in the moss.

Solovet's eyebrows shot up. "She is a scent seer?"