Underland Chronicles: 1 - The Border's Edge (A Gregor the Overlander FanFic)

Chapter 17

Vikus led Pandora to the Luxury Room, where she had breakfast the morning after she had first arrived. "I asked for lunch to be served here for you," he said as he sat on a couch beside Pandora.

"Um... thank you," Pandora said quietly. "But I don't think I can eat right now."

"Perhaps you feel like talking instead?"

Pandora shrugged. "I just want everyone to come back alright."

"I would love nothing else," Vikus agreed.

A servant came in and placed a tray of food onto Pandora's lap. It was a simple dish of bread and stew. "How come you aren't having any?" Pandora asked, noticing Vikus had not been served.

"I had lunch before you arrived," he answered. "The cooks prepared that dish just for you."

Pandora spent more time swirling pieces of bread around in the stew than she did eating them.

"I know you may not have an appetite, but you should still eat," said Vikus.

"I'm just so overwhelmed with everything," Pandora apologized. "I have this bad feeling that someone's not going to make it."

"Which is completely understandable. But you must have hope. Might I suggest you go and take a relaxing bath? It would truly help ease your mind."

"I might as well," Pandora agreed. "All I can do now is just wait... right?"

Vikus nodded with a sad smile. "Sometimes waiting is the most agonizing task someone can do. If ever you have need of me, please do not hesitate to seek my council."

"Thanks, Vikus," Pandora said, trying to make a smile appear on her face. She forced herself to have a few more bites to please her old friend. The curtain swished aside and Pandora looked up to see Hazard entering the room.

Focused on something he was carrying, Hazard did not notice Pandora or Vikus in the room until Vikus greeted him. He sat down on a couch opposite of them.

"How are the Stingers faring in the arena?" Vikus asked him.

"Fine," he answered vaguely. "Mareth and I are to meet with one of their leaders later on today." He was still transfixed on the item in his hands.

"What have you got there, Hazard?" Pandora inquired.

"This was a gift from Gregor," he said, holding it up for her to see. The object was a colorful plastic toy, with pictures of animals on the face of a circle. A lever was attached to the side. "It is an Overland toy. When you pull the lever, it is supposed to play an animal sound." Hazard turned the toy around to continue looking at it. "It has long since stopped working, although I still like to look at it."

"Can I see it?" Pandora asked. He handed it over with a nod.

Turning it around to look at the back, Pandora saw a rectangular piece of plastic connected to the toy by two screws. "It runs on batteries," Pandora observed. "All we need to do is replace them and it will be as good as new."

"It is not broken?" Hazard asked hopefully.

"I don't think so. These kinds of toys don't break easily. The batteries are just dead. This toy needs power for it to work."

"Why don't you two head down to the Overland Museum and try to locate some batteries down there?" Vikus suggested.

"Yeah," Pandora agreed. "Let's fix your toy!"