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

Chapter 20

Pandora wiped her eyes dry on her pillow and sat up, knowing her cheeks were puffy and red. She decided to see Luxa and get the entire account from her point of view. Her first choice would have been Ripred, but she didn't know where he would be. She also considered talking to Nike, but Pandora knew she would be too upset to talk about it. At least she had a general idea of where Luxa was: the hospital floor.

She made her way to the nearest staircase and descended to the appropriate floor. She could instantly feel the mood of the Palace change as she saw doctors and nurses walking up and down the halls. The hustle and bustle was very different than the floors Pandora was usually on.

At first, she had no idea who to talk to. There wasn't a sign of a reception desk, like in Overland hospitals. She would just have to ask someone at random and hope they knew where to direct her. Who wouldn't know, Pandora mused. Luxa was their queen; if anything, they would be the ones embarrassed for not knowing!

"Excuse me," Pandora asked a woman who walked by. The woman slowed to a stop and looked at her kindly. "Could you tell me where Luxa is?"

"Why of course," she answered with a smile. "Her majesty is just down the hall. I will take you to her."

"Thank you," Pandora said as the woman led her not too far away.

The hospital room looked very similar to the one Pandora was in when she first arrived in the Underland. It had a couple simple furnishings and was very clean. Luxa was sitting up in bed, propped up by pillows, with a huge gauze wrapping covering her left arm from shoulder to elbow. A tray of food lay on the table, completely uneaten.

"Uh, hi," Pandora started awkwardly, moving closer to the bed. "I wanted a quick word with you, if that's alright. I know you should get some rest."

"It was fortunate you and Hazard left," Luxa said. Pandora took note that it was the first time Luxa spoke openly to her without a hint of sarcasm or menace. "It would have been nearly impossible to guard two unarmed persons while fighting the cutters."

"They probably were relentless," Pandora nodded. "And I imagine everyone did everything they could to make it through."

Luxa looked down at the floor beside her bed. "Yes," she agreed. "I am not counting the shiners. They cowardly flew towards the top of the cavern and did nothing."

"I wasn't counting them either," Pandora said.

Luxa smiled weakly at Pandora's comment. "I was pleasantly surprised by Pan. I can honestly say without him, none of us would have made it back to Regalia."

"I caught a glimpse of his superpower as Nike was leaving," Pandora said. "It was remarkable. The cutters closest to him moved away."

"And others were immobilized momentarily at a farther distance. His gift is extraordinary; I would never have known such a small bat would have been capable of such a power."

Pandora wanted to point out that Luxa had almost not let Pan travel with them, but held her tongue. She knew berating her judgment skills would not be a positive thing to bring to such a conversation. "Thank you for giving him a chance."

Luxa's nod was almost imperceptible. Pandora noticed she moved her head gingerly, and guessed her injury made it painful.

"That must be a nasty wound," Pandora said, motioning to the layers upon layers of gauze on the left side of her body.

"Our fight got increasingly desperate as time went on," Luxa said.

"Care to elaborate?" Pandora asked, expecting Luxa to decline. She didn't blame her after the atrocious experience, but after a minute or so, Luxa began to recall the events from the cavern. Pandora sat at the foot of the bed with her hands in her lap.