Gregor And The Potion Of Power

Chapter 7

Gregor's POV

"We will soon Lizzie, but first we need to gather a few more things and people, then we shall proceed." I say, trying to get used to the Underland talk because it looks as though I might be staying here. 

We soon are all on bats, heading over to their land, so we can ask for permission to take them on a quest.  We also need information supplying Daedalus' whereabouts.  We thought that Lizzie and Hazard were getting a bit old to ride on their sibling's bonds.  When we arrive, there aren't as many bats as there were when I was last here.  It looks like they were hit just as hard after the war against The Bane.   After that war, it seemed as if a third of Regalia's population was gone, and at least another third was injured.  It looked as though the bats had lost that many too. 
"May we see your queen, Hermes?" Luxa asks when we arrive. 
"Most certainly, Queen Luxa." Hermes responds.  I recognize him as the bat who had dropped the crown at Hazard's birthday party.  We all fly in the direction of the spot where Henry so long ago had thrown Boots off the ledge.  Henry.   That seems like another lifetime.  It was 7 years ago, but it feels like so much longer.  I play back through my head meeting Luxa.  How she had done the double back flip and caught the ball with one hand.  "You will have to be stronger or smarter than I am."  Boots looked up at the girl, registered something, and poked her right in the eye."Pu-ple!" she said.  The girl jerked back, dropping the ball.  Boots scrambled after it and scooped it up.  Gregor couldn't resist.  "I guess she's smarter," he had said.  Look at us now.  The bats swooped down, and onto the ground in front of Queen Athena.  We all bowed (except Luxa, she was still in a bad mood, and she was a Queen too!).

"Greetings, Queen Athena.  I am he who calls." I say as a bit of a joke, not really knowing her sense of humour. 
"Hello, Overlander.  What brings you here?" Queen Athena asks, apparently not even knowing there was a joke.
"I need to bring Aurora, Ar-..." I stop myself.  "Helen, Daedalus, Nike, and Andromeda." 
"I give you my full permission.  On one condition.  I come too" Queen Athena purrs.
"Fine by me" I say, but then Luxa steps in and says
"I need you to promise me something. You will not try and take charge like you would on your own quest. I look at Luxa in surprise.  Does she think that she is leading the quest?  Howard and Mareth look as surprised as me.
"Luxa, this is not your decision.  Gregor is the leader of this quest.  There is no denying it" says Mareth, perhaps a bit too forcefully.  Luxa looks at everyone in disbelief.  'Oh no,' I say to myself as her expression changes rapidly from determination to fury.
"Queen Athena!  You are coming!  Now let us depart before Luxa really loses it!"  I jump on Helen, Aurora scoops up Luxa and we all dart away before Luxa can protest any further.
"Where are we going, Overlander?" Athena asks. 
"We think the prophecy is trying to tell us to search the waterway" I respond. 
"Hey, do you think we should give something to Luxa to make her sleep?" I whisper to Howard, hoping Luxa doesn't hear me.  Howard gives me a small bottle and I serve everyone with food and drink, putting some of the stuff in Luxa's drink.  She falls asleep almost immediately, so that's one worry off everyone's mind.  I discuss with Queen Athena our interpretation of the prophecy, and also read it aloud to her.  She tells me that she thinks the 'ore' we're supposed to find can destroy Solovet and the other jade green beings.

This ore destroys those beings of evil.

"Thank you so much, Queen Athena!" I exclaim when she tells me that, and I feel like I should have worked that one out ages ago.  But then again, the prophecies are as clear as water once you know what they mean.  It can just take some time to figure out. By the time we reach the waterway, Luxa has awoken but fortunately, there seems to be no trace of anger from the early incident.  When we touch down, we all ask each other the same question.
"Where do we explore?"
I say we should split up into groups.  Howard and Mareth were to go with Hazard and Lizzie, and Queen Athena and Ripred would come with me and Luxa.  Those were the original groups, but then we decided that Ripred was to go with the others and Lizzie and Hazard.  We would scour in opposite directions from one another until we met again. 

"Fly you high, Overlander" Ripred calls as we took off.
"Run like the river, Ripred!" I yell back as we sail away.  Then the quest begins.

Mareth's POV

We're about to start searching when I notice something.  This is the place we fought Fangor and Shed.  Why aren't their remains still here?  
"Something's not right here guys.  This is the place where we fought Fangor and Shed when Gregor tried to run off the first time he came down.  Why is there not still evidence of their bodies?" 
"I do not know, Mareth" Howard replies.
"You don't think..." I trail off.
"I hope that they did not bring them back; Ripred said they were excellent fighters, on the rare occasion they were sober.  Those were his words exactly, I recall, even after all these years.  This could be the end of us."