XXVIII. PEACEMAKER

"So, what do you think? What kind of substitution could it be?"

Gregor fumbled with the handle of Sandwich's... his sword as he sat in a corner of the code room and watched Lizzie speaking with the code team. Daedalus the bat had inched closer now, to inspect the scroll of code before the little girl.

Three days had passed since he had listened to hers and Ripred's conversation and it had been three days of tedious waiting, waiting for something to happen. Someone to call him into battle, Gregor thought and shuddered. Now he was even anticipating it.

Three days of knowing Luxa was not in Regalia. His gaze trailed to the sword in his lap and even though he was perfectly aware she would most likely be safe, with Henry and Kismet, he still felt uneasy at the thought of her not here. Unaccounted for.

Well, at least his mom was doing better with the day. He had finally gotten Lizzie out of the code room to see her, the day after her talk with Ripred, and to his surprise found her out of bed – playing checkers with a brown tabby bat with a splinted wing. The bat had introduced herself as Demeter, and explained she had been injured in battle and placed in the room of Gregor's mother.

"They say I could use some company, now that I am not contagious anymore", his mom had smiled, and Gregor thought she was quite happy to finally have a proper roommate. And most importantly, ever since his declaration after returning from his trip, she had not spoken of going home. Only thrown him more of those unreadable glances, that he thought held resignation, but also an ounce of pride, and sadness.

Gregor's dad had been there too, though he and Boots had moved to the code room with Gregor and Lizzie that day, as the hospital was getting more and more crowded, the longer the war went on. And even though he had taken to visit the hospital frequently, Gregor also noticed he much enjoyed sitting in a corner with Teslas and occasionally some other code team members, caught up in vivid conversations.

Gregor found himself smiling as he turned his eyes upward again, watching Lizzie as she extended a hand to run her fingers over the leather of a code scroll. "I'm not sure... it seems so complicated."

"But the thing is, we haven't much time to crack it", Ripred snarled from behind her. "Tick, tock, tick, tock." He shook his head in frustration. "Oh, now I'm hungry again." He tilted his head but spotted no food in sight.

"Didn't you get the cookies I helped make?", asked Lizzie, without looking up from the code.

The rat stopped in his tracks. "No, I did not get the cookies you helped make", Ripred's yellow eyes instantly fixated on Gregor. "Where are my cookies?"

"In my backpack in the...", he hesitated and frowned, "wait, no, I took them on the quest and gave them to... to the Death Rider at some point, he wanted to carry all food items in one bag." He almost grinned from spite, "He's not given them back."

Ripred's eyes narrowed and he fell to all fours, "Oh, of course he's not given them back", he grumbled, but Lizzie raised her head. "The Death Rider?", she asked, her eyes on Gregor, "the outcast who helped you in the jungle last year? Oh right, you said he is somewhere out with Luxa, didn't you?"

Gregor opened his mouth, realizing he had not told her anything about his most recent trips yet, aside from what had happened to the mice.

He hadn't told Ripred he had figured out the echolocation either, he thought he would tell him when he felt like it. The rat was not his teacher anymore, and what reason did he have to tell him? He would probably only force him into more lessons, and Gregor was entirely contented practicing on his own. Do not let any of them push you around or kick your ass, Henry's words sounded in his mind, especially not Ripred. Oh, don't worry, Gregor grimly thought, I'm over that.

He readied himself to explain the Death Rider had guided them this time as well when Ripred's ears twitched and he sat upright. Only moments later the curtain to the code room was shoved aside and two guards stormed in, scaring Lizzie so much she dropped her scroll of code and shrieked, ducking behind Daedalus' wing.

"Overlander?", one of them addressed him and Gregor tensed up. "Yeah?"

What was going on? Had Solovet somehow heard what Ripred had told him? Were they here to arrest him? His hand tightened around the handle of the sword, would they really arrest him here, in front of Lizzie and –

"You are being summoned to the front", the other proclaimed, throwing a glance at Ripred. "You too, Solovet said."

"Oh!" Gregor almost hastily scrambled up, overcome by a wave of uncalled for relief. He shouldn't be happy about this, he thought, then again, it was miles better than being arrested. "I'm coming."

Gregor followed the two men and Ripred silently to who knew where, not loosening the grip on his sword for a second. They were frequently passed by soldiers, most in full armor, hurrying past in all directions.

Gregor had never seen a full suit of armor in the Underland, but before he had the chance to take a closer look, the soldiers leading them stopped. "We will not send you into battle without armor, of course", one announced, pointing in the direction of a doorway shaped like an arch, directly ahead. Soldiers were hurrying in and out of what was apparently an armory, some of them, as Gregor only noticed now, barely older than he. A girl stormed past him, donning a clunky-looking helmet as she ran. She couldn't have been older than fifteen.

Gregor winced as one of the soldiers patted his back. "Let's go." His gaze met Ripred, "You... do not need anything, I assume?"

"Just anyone try and put me in armor", Ripred giggled, "see you on the field, boy", he mumbled in Gregor's direction before disappearing out of sight. Gregor nodded and somewhat timidly followed the soldiers through the arch. "We brought him, Miravet!", one of them called as he shoved his way past more people to the back of the room, before he and his friend moved away, presumably to get some armor for themselves. Gregor barely made his way through but when he finally stumbled out into open space, he nearly ran over who he only on second glance identified as an elderly woman carrying something she dropped on impact.

"Sorry", he muttered and quickly picked up the four heavy breastplates she had dropped, handing them back to her.

"Overlander, at last!", she exclaimed, not even a little upset, and set the breastplates aside before eyeing him up and down. "I have been awaiting you. Then again, I have been told you had been out gathering allies with the queen." She extended a hand and Gregor shook it, surprised at how calloused her palm seemed. "It is good to meet you at last."

Her face was stern yet the smile she gave was warm, and he instantly found himself returning it. Only when she then turned to pick up a measuring tape he realized her silver hair was not tied, it was cut short, about the length of his own.

"Alright, let's see...", she whipped the measuring tape around him, "you fight how? With only the sword? In the right hand?"

Gregor hesitated, then understood she was trying to fit him for armor and nodded. "You're... Miravet, right?", he asked on a whim, and her smile reappeared. "I am." Then the professional expression returned as she eyed him pensively. "What does your left hand do?"

Gregor opened his mouth to explain he sometimes held a flashlight in it, when he remembered Solovet's dagger. "I... I actually have a dagger for it now. I left it in the code room... oh no..."

"It is good to see you value my gift so highly", a voice behind him suddenly sounded and Gregor jerked around only to face Solovet, in full armor, holding out his backpack and the dagger. Despite her words, she was smiling, and despite her smile, Gregor gritted his teeth at the prospect of seeing her again. He inevitably asked himself if she secretly wanted his armor to be bad. For him to get killed.

"I'm sorry", he mumbled, taking the stuff from her and dropped the backpack in a corner before fastening the dagger to his belt. "I'm not used to having it yet, I think..."

"You will get used to it shortly", Solovet strolled past him to the far back of the room, "at least when it saves your life for the first time."

Miravet eyed Gregor with what looked like great interest now. "This... a dagger, then", she nodded and began mumbling something to herself as she lead him over to a wall covered in breastplates hanging from hooks. "For the chest", she said, and took down a highly polished number made of silver metal and mother-of-pearl.

"No, Miravet, I want him entirely in black." Gregor's gaze darted back to Solovet who held out a breastplate as well now, only this one was of black metal, and some kind of shiny, ebonylike shell.

"Why is that?", asked Miravet with a frown and Gregor found himself liking her for not immediately jumping to do whatever Solovet suggested.

"To blend with his flier and give an overall impression of darkness." Solovet stepped closer and held the breastplate to Gregor's chest, to see if it was the right size.

"The gnawers will not be impressed by an impression of darkness", Miravet sounded, still stubbornly holding the breastplate she had chosen.

"No, but the humans will", Solovet shot her a stern gaze. "It implies deadliness and strength and will give them confidence to follow him."

"As you wish", Miravet at last gave in. She returned her breastplate to the wall and took the one Solovet had chosen.

It took Gregor some five minutes to change into a black shirt and pants, and have Miravet help him strap on various pieces of armor, all made from the same material as the breastplate.

As he was being fitted for a helmet, Gregor caught sight of himself in a mirror, dressed from head to toe in black. Great, I couldn't look more like the bad guy if I tried, he thought. Then again... there was also something powerful about the blackness, and part of Gregor couldn't help thinking he looked... pretty cool.

But Miravet shook her head as she examined him. "You only emphasize his youth by dressing him so. He has not the hardness of countenance to wear this."

Gregor frowned, his freshly risen confidence evaporated instantly, even though he was not sure what she meant. Hadn't countenance something to do with your face?

"He will", Solovet eyed him like an artist would her completed masterpiece. "If this will be all – then come, Gregor. We have a war to fight."

He sighed, took the helmet Miravet held out, and made his way through the now much less crowded armory and out the arched entrance, after Solovet. Solovet can not be trusted, Ripred's words rang in his head, and he began fervently contemplating how to not end up alone with her for longer than necessary, when she turned back to him. "Do not look so dire. My sister is an expert in armor but not in character."

Gregor's eyes widened in surprise. Her sister? Then again... Solovet. Miravet. The names sounded kind of the same, and it explained why Miravet was not afraid to stand up to her.

"I see", he only mumbled, as she led him through the palace. He didn't want to talk to her, but couldn't get around telling her about Lizzie when she asked, and about how Ripred thought she was the princess.

After what felt like way too long they finally arrived in the High Hall, where Ajax and Ares waited. "We are awaited at the city wall", Solovet announced as she mounted Ajax and Gregor approached Ares. He found the armor at least not hindering as he mounted up and the black bat lifted off, after Ajax.

Gregor almost nervously tugged at his sword as he watched the city fly by beneath them. He'd be fighting soon, officially this time. For the first time. His gaze fell on the outskirts of the wall that was already visible from the evenly spaced braziers mounted on it.

"Do... do you think Luxa is okay, wherever she is?", he asked Ares, swallowing the lump that had risen in his throat. "Do you think... she'll come home soon?"

"I doubt she is in great peril, with what company she has", Ares assured, though soon continued even quieter, "You worry for her more than for Howard, for Henry, for them all."

Gregor swallowed again. He knew Ares was right, what he didn't know was why that was the case. Or... did he really?

He stopped himself from biting his lip as he envisioned her face, smiling at him. When had she even last smiled at him? Almost instinctively Gregor tugged at his backpack and opened the back pocket, taking out the... she was smiling. Gregor found a smile spread on his own face as he stared at the photo, the one Henry had taken, back when they had camped with the scorpions.

"I do", he finally responded, folding the photo until he could fit it beneath his breastplate. Who knew, maybe it would bring him luck?

As he turned his attention forward again, he saw the battle was already in progress. It was similar to the one his party had joined on their arrival back, how the rats seemed to be positioned in some sort of formation on the field below. But in that earlier encounter, they had never come within twenty yards of the command center. Now they were fighting right up to the base of the city wall.

Ares landed beside Ajax, on the little area the soldiers had cleared for Solovet, and Gregor inspected the wall closer. It was about thirty feet tall, too high for a rat to leap onto. But – Gregor's chest tightened as he peeked down – some were attempting to climb it.

The surface was covered in big slabs of polished stone, but between the slabs

was a network of thin seams. Using these, the more agile rats were able to get a foothold.

But before he could ask anyone what they planned to do about that, he heard a scoffing laugh behind him. "Oh, no. Who are you supposed to be?!"

Gregor twirled around and was greeted with the sight of a giggling Ripred, pointing a claw at him.

"I ordered his armor myself", said Solovet with a somewhat sour face. "Do you not approve of it?"

"You can not be serious! He looks like he fell off of a chessboard!"

Gregor pressed his lips together tightly and for the first time, found he appreciated Solovet's opinion. It hadn't looked bad, not even remotely, but leave it to Ripred to ruin everything.

But before the rat could poke more fun his attention was caught by one particular rat who now made it about half-way up the wall, then a human on a bat swept up and ran it through with a sword. The rat fell, but it didn't satisfy Ripred. "Hmm... all strange attires aside, we must focus on the more pressing issue. Now that she has discovered that route, they will all know it can be used."

Gregor made sure to stay away from him as he scrambled up to the side of the wall and glanced down. As if to prove Ripred's point, a second rat scurried directly up the wall using the same path as the first. It got a few feet higher before a soldier took it out.

"It is time, then", Solovet sounded beside him before she turned and gave a signal.

"Time for what?", Gregor asked – "Time to pour", Ares beside him mumbled grimly.

For a moment Gregor was confused, but then he remembered the prophecy. The prophecy that everyone had taken for a children's song, that had predicted the horrific fate of the mice. He couldn't remember the exact wording, but there had been something there that had spoken of pouring.

Gregor turned to see what exactly they planned to do and instantly spotted them – the cauldrons must have been ready to go at a moment's notice, crafted from thick, black iron with arched metal handles like baskets. Bats now flew them up onto the wall, only for teams of humans, wearing protective gloves and goggles, to tip them forward, releasing gallons of boiling oil onto the rats below.

Gregor winced and instinctively shut his eyes at the horrible shrieks, permeating the air as the oil hit, before opening them again, if only a little. The entire enemy line had fallen back, leaving a half-dozen scalded rats writhing at the base of the wall.

"Shall we torch them?", a soldier asked Solovet.

"Just two, I think", she replied. "I do not want the smoke to interfere with our sight lines."

Burning torches were immediately dropped on the two least fortunate rats, and Gregor squinted again as they turned to fireballs, running in frantic circles and finally rolling to put the flames out, but of course it was useless. Their coats were already soaked in oil.

The smell of burnt fur, then burnt flesh, Gregor could not shut out, even if he were to close his eyes again.

It was one of the worst things he had witnessed in the Underland. Not as bad as the mice being suffocated in the pit, or maybe that moment when mites had eaten Howard's bat, Pandora, down to a skeleton in seconds. But this was right up there, and he felt the urge to gag. From the smell, the atrocity he had witnessed – or both, he didn't know.

Combatting the sensation he looked around at the others, to see Ripred's face expressionless. "That should discourage them for a while", was all he said. Solovet made a sound of agreement but her attention was back on the battle.

Gregor took a deep breath and registered there was no sense of either triumph or revulsion along the wall in general. The Regalians must have seen stuff like this a hundred times. They probably viewed the act as unpleasant but necessary, they all, even Solovet didn't look particularly happy.

At least the rats had fallen back from the wall. It had had the desired effect. Gregor clenched his hands on the hilts of his weapons to steady their shaking. Maybe he was just green. Maybe after a while this was everyday stuff. Maybe that old saying was true – maybe all was indeed fair in love and war.

Gregor had just begun to ask himself if there didn't have to be a line that could never be crossed after all, when a nigh deafening screech permeated his ears from below.

"Ah, so there's my little charge at last", Ripred mumbled, the rest of the assembled soldiers voiced audible gasps as the ginormous mountain of white fur came into view. He reared back on his haunches and gave an earsplitting roar – the Bane.

Gregor squinted and instinctively swallowed at the sight. He had last seen him up close a few months ago, and he had definitely not been the maybe eleven or twelve feet tall he was now, almost double the size of the largest of rats Gregor had ever seen. His iridescent white coat gleamed in the torchlight, throwing off bits of pink and blue.

Yet to his surprise, Gregor saw the other rats formed a wide circle around him, like they were scared of their own leader. The one closest to him was a rat with deep black fur, in exact contrast to the Bane himself. He kept careful watch and seemed to lash out at everyone who stumbled away too frantically.

"He is even larger than I was led to believe", Solovet took a step back and stood tall, tugging at her armor before her gaze met Ripred.

"I hear he's been gorging himself on dead nibblers in the Firelands. Feed him and he will grow", Ripred shrugged, seemingly careless, but he also left the Bane not out of sight.

"Can he fight?"

"They say he can. But we haven't seen much of him. The rats have been keeping

him somewhat under wraps. He's not even shown up to the last attack."

"He can't beat you." Ripred turned when Gregor spoke, he had seen the Bane attack Ripred and come out on the bad end of it before. And honestly, if there was any constant he would like to believe in it was the one of Ripred being unbeatable. Even though Henry had come dangerously close, back in the Firelands.

"Well, the question isn't if he can beat me", Ripred twitched in almost something like unease before fixating Gregor again, "it is if he can beat you."

All eyes were on Gregor instantly as they realized what Ripred meant. Gregor himself stiffened as it dawned on him. He instinctively placed a hand on top of his breastplate, where he had put the photo of Luxa, then exchanged a glance with Ares who had remained silent, staring down at the giant white rat. "Is it time to find out?"

But before Ripred could answer, a different voice sounded up from below, calm yet clear and striking, even among the cries of the Bane and the murmur of the rats –

"How curious, I've always envisioned the Bane more, well, how do I put this nicely – less like a whiny crybaby, but I guess legends do exaggerate. Somewhat of a shame, if you ask me."

In the silence that instantly engulfed the battlefield Gregor thought he could have heard a pin drop. Though it only lasted for a couple heartbeats. He stumbled back as Solovet whizzed past him to the wall, that crowded with soldiers eager to discover who had spoken.

Gregor thought he had no chance at squeezing his way past them when a paw grabbed him and lifted him up, to sit him directly on the wall. "Whatever she thinks she is doing", Ripred mumbled at his right ear, and only as Gregor scanned the cave he saw her – some ten feet up in a tunnel he only saw her as a shape, but the light grey fur and the posture that still reminded him way too much of Ripred was unmistakable.

"Kismet", Ares who had managed to squeeze his way over to them mumbled, and Ripred's eyes narrowed further.

Before Gregor could ask any questions, a roar emitted from below – "WHAT did you just say?!" The giant mass of the Bane twirled around so fast he mowed down two of his rats who didn't move out of the way fast enough.

The silhouette in the tunnel remained still. "You understood me perfectly well. And understand me now when I say I do not care for the color of your fur, or some dusty old prophecy. You will never be our king. Not of any rat who has retained even a last bit of dignity."

Something that sounded like confused murmur broke out on top of the wall. "Who is that?!", Solovet cried, leaning over the edge so far she almost fell. The rats below remained surprisingly still and began to whisper as well, only the Bane was enraged.

"You do NOT TALK LIKE THAT! You can NOT TALK LIKE THAT!", he roared, rising to his hinds, preparing to lunge at the scarred rat, when a different voice sounded, "It... it can not be...!"

The Bane stopped in his tracks and turned to the black rat Gregor had seen at his side previously, who now slowly moved past his king and towards Kismet. "You...", Gregor faintly heard him mumble, before Kismet finally leaped down and landed before him. He froze in his tracks. "It is her!", he called, retreating a couple steps.

"It is who? Who is that? Will someone finally speak?!", yelled Solovet, angrily shoving aside soldiers to get to Ripred.

"It is... it is... WHITESPUR!", the black rat finally yelled and all rats below instantly froze, like lightning had struck in their mid. The name echoed through the rows silently at first, but soon grew in intensity until it even drowned the cries of the Bane. "Whitespur!", they called, "Whitespur!" – some frantic, some unbelieving, overjoyed, though Gregor also saw some who stared at Kismet... Whitespur with contempt.

"It is Whitespur", she finally concurred, face to face with the black rat, "and Whitespur thinks you must have gone mad, Bonebreak, to fight at the side of such a brainless monstrosity. I know borderline crazy was always your thing, but this has far crossed the borderline, don't you think?"

"Wh... Whitespur?" Solovet had now reached them and had Ripred by the shoulder. "Are they saying Whitespur?!" Never before Gregor had seen a look of greater contempt in Solovet's expression as she stared at the scene below. Though underneath that contempt, Gregor had to squint to make it out, but no, he was not mistaken – underneath the contempt he also spotted something like... fear.

"What?! WHAT?!", yelped the Bane at last and violently shoved the black rat, Bonebreak, aside to stand before Whitespur.

"What?!", aped Whitespur, and niftily dodged his ginormous paw he flung at her instantly. "Of course, you are far too young to have heard of me, though I am sure more than half the miserable creatures who have joined your ranks and still somehow dare call themselves gnawers can tell you endless tales of me. Ain't it so?", she called and earned more murmur.

Gregor squinted to make her out better, and suddenly turned his eyes on the tunnel she had come from. If she was here, did that mean they all were? Henry and Howard and... Luxa?

But before he could even bat an eye he nearly fell off the wall in shock as someone darted past him, past him and... down. Gregor desperately clung to the wall and felt Ares at his side, ready to catch him, when he finally made out the figure of Ripred. Ripred who had... Gregor blinked as he stared at the cowering rat, down below, avoiding the remnant of oil as best he could – had he just really jumped from the wall?

Solovet beside him called to order, though Gregor focused on Ripred who fearlessly moved, closing in on the Bane from the opposite side. "In all honesty, I should have told you of her, as the fact I did not makes me seem like a bad guardian. Then again, everything about you kind of does."

The Bane instantly twirled around as he heard Ripred's voice and gave a furious shriek. "You... YOU should be DEAD!" He worked the ground with his paws, "I sentenced YOU TO DEATH!"

"Oh you did, though it takes a lot to kill me", Ripred strolled even closer. Not a single rat dared to attack. "Much more than that, at least."

Had it been anyone else, they would have been dead the moment the Bane leaped and landed, with bared claws, but Ripred was much too fast. He rolled off to the side and lashed at the Bane with his tail, having the white rat shriek in pain and humiliation.

"She is oh so right!", he called, scrambling up to stand at Whitespur's side. "You all who follow this overgrown pup are fools. Let's be honest here", he turned to face Whitespur and there was something in the way he looked at her that had Gregor frown in confusion, before he remembered... remembered his conversation with Lizzie.

Whitespur. Gregor's eyes widened as he stared down at the two rats, scarred, old, yet still proud – side by side.

For a second an image flashed in Gregor's mind, an image of them teaming up to kill the Bane here and now, of liberating their species together, of... the true king, the true queen the rats deserved, under whose reign there would be peace, under who –

"Let's be honest here", Ripred repeated and laughed, "we were all saying it, behind Gorger's back. Who truly held, deserved our loyalty."

Whitespur remained silent but the murmur grew louder, both among the rats below and the humans above. A lot clearly recognized her, some were as confused as the Bane. Gregor exchanged a glance with Ares – and smiled.

"What are you waiting for?!"

He nearly fell off the wall again as someone had his arm from behind, and stared into Solovet's tensed face. "Go to fight him, at last!" Gregor could only blink up at her in confusion. On the side he registered so did some of the soldiers around them. "... Now?"

"Solovet!"

Gregor turned as he heard the familiar voice and saw Mareth make his way over to them. "Solovet!", the soldier exclaimed again as he finally stood before her, gazing down at Ripred and Whitespur who now circled the enraged Bane, not actively attacking but dodging all his spasmic attempts to fight. "Maybe he does not have to battle him at all."

Solovet only narrowed her eyes, dragging Gregor off the wall and shoving him at Ares. "Of course he must fight. This is clearly a distraction by Ripred, you must go now Gregor, you can catch him off guard."

Mareth continuously frowned, and even though Gregor thought he saw her point he found now was a strange moment to attack.

Ares' fur stood on end as he approached him. "Do you not think we can get out of this without a fight?", his bat asked but Solovet pressed her lips together and shook her head. "Like that was ever an option."

Why is she so insistent, Gregor thought, finally mounting up and staring at Solovet, who left the Bane and the rats below not out of sight for a moment. Her face was tense and he saw she was gritting her teeth together almost... nervously.

Before Gregor could ask himself what exactly she was planning Ares lifted off and an uproar went through the assembly of soldiers, like to cheer him on. Gregor took a deep breath and swallowed, drawing his sword at last.

Ares gained altitude, then pulled in his wings and shot downward, directly at the unsuspecting Bane. Maybe Solovet was right, Gregor thought, maybe this was indeed the best moment to attack, as distracted as he was – but then Ripred spotted him and the utter frustration in his eyes at the sight of Gregor confirmed he did not agree.

He could ponder on the fact that he trusted Ripred's judgement far more than Solovet's only a few heartbeats before Ares came into attack distance and Gregor caught the giant white rat from behind who screamed with fury and pain as his sword landed.

Ripred and Whitespur both dove away and the Bane twirled around, snagging the edge of Ares' wing and swinging them in toward his teeth. But before his mouth there was his nose. Gregor's sword sliced through a nostril and the Bane jerked his head back and roared. Ares instantly ripped his wing free and the fight began in earnest.

It was hard to break down the moments, they came so thick and fast. They stayed almost entirely in the Bane's range, with Ares twisting and diving and flipping as Gregor took on the claws and fangs. What seemed to throw the rat the most were assaults on his face, so Ares began to fly at his eyes repeatedly.

If they got in close enough, Gregor could use the dagger to attack as well as defend, and he had just ripped open a foot-long gash over the Bane's eye when it happened. The rat dropped onto his forelegs and whipped his tail over his head, catching Gregor on the left side of his back. He screamed as the unexpected blow knocked him off of Ares and sent him headfirst toward the ground.

But before he could hit the floor a tail had wrapped around his torso, breaking his fall only to drop him instantly. "What do you think you are doing?"

No, Gregor dazedly thought, it was not Ripred. His eyes opened and he stared straight at a murky, reddish eye and a scar. Whitespur whipped her tail out from under him and pulled him to his legs before ripping him away in the last second, so that the furious claws of the Bane who now leaped at them only scraped the floor where he had just stood.

Blood was pouring down over his face, staining the pure-white fur crimson. With both his nose and eye damaged, the Bane was becoming disoriented.

"S... Solovet sent me to –", Gregor barely formed a coherent sentence as he gripped his sword so hard his knuckles shone white and searched for Ares with his eyes.

"Of course she did." It was Ripred who spoke now and before Gregor could act, he had wrapped his tail around his torso, lifting him in the air. "The tail", he hissed into Gregor's ear, "take out the tail", before tossing him straight up.

Gregor had barely the mind to spread his legs and Ares was under him instantly, darting out of the reach of the Bane. "You alright?"

Gregor desperately tried to control the shaking of his sword arm and collect himself. "I'm fine", he mumbled, gazing down at the two rats who had darted apart to dodge the enraged Bane. "The... tail", he mumbled, processing Ripred's words. The tail... of course! His eyes fixated on the fleshy whip the Bane now swung at them again, so that the bat barely dodged.

"The tail!", Gregor called, "the tail!"

Ares understood and dove straight down over the Bane's head. As the tail came up in defense reflexively, Gregor mustered up every ounce of strength he could and swung. His blow cut the tail cleanly in two, leaving just a two-foot stump.

A fountain of blood spurted from the wound, soaking Gregor as he collapsed on Ares' neck. Despite the success Gregor instantly writhed in disgust, feeling the sickening liquid drench him head to toe. But he had no time to dwell on that now.

Gregor raised his gaze to make sure he had not imagined it, he caught sight of the Bane confused, circling around to find his tail and finally, when he saw the severed part lying on the ground, pawed at it for a full thirty seconds as if he could bring it back to life.

Ares circled around his head and Gregor stared down, even lowering his sword as he registered the dead silence, in something like confusion.

When the Bane had at last processed what had happened, that the tail was gone, he tilted back his head and gave a wail unlike any sound he had ever heard a rat make.

That's when Gregor realized what he had done. He had thought Ripred had meant for him to take out the tail because it was such a powerful weapon, but of course, it was so much more than that to the Bane.

Gregor's eyes searched Ripred who now approached his former charge, and flashed back to the time he had watched the rat nearly have a nervous breakdown under Regalia. To calm himself, the Bane had first sucked, then gnawed on his tail until it was a bloody mess. It was his comfort, his security blanket, the thing he reached for when he could not cope. And, man, was he ever not coping well without it!

A wave of admiration and disgust with Ripred's cunning overcame Gregor at the same time as the Bane went completely insane, whirling around in a circle, snapping at anything in his path. Then he caught sight of Ares, who had turned and was heading for Regalia, but before he could reach, Ripred had dug a claw into his ear and dragged him back down. "You're not going anywhere." The Bane shrieked and shook Ripred, but before he could move, Whitespur had his other side.

"NoooOOOO!", he yelled, his eyes misted with something Gregor could only describe as insanity.

Ares barely managed to land on the wall and was instantly swarmed by soldiers, dragging Gregor off his back to treat both his and the bat's injuries, but Gregor shook the hands. He was not hurt. He wanted to watch.

It was like the Bane's army was as much in denial about all this as he himself. They stood still, not moving an inch. Or maybe, Gregor thought as he hung over the wall, maybe they were scared of him.

Only Ripred and Whitespur were not scared. "Aww... has the pup lost his favorite toy?", Ripred mocked, slapping a paw across the Bane's side.

"My tail? My tail?", the Bane whimpered again and began to move in circles, trying to locate it. "My tail!"

"Look at him!" It was the voice of Whitespur. "Is this sorry pile really the king you want?"

Suppressed murmur arose among the Bane's army, and Gregor registered not all of it was hostile. They'll do it, he meekly thought. Go Whitespur, go Ripred. Go convince them, you can do it.

But as distraught as the Bane was, as little in control of himself as he seemed, there was someone else to take control –

"In what way does a king need a tail?"

All heads jerked around as a small, silvery figure slipped out in between two of the Bane's rats, until she reached the white rat and niftily leaped on his back, whispering something into his ear.

"What?!", the Bane cried and fixated all his attention on Whitespur instantly, disregarding even Ripred.

"A king does not need a tail." Whitespur stood proud and tall, even before the looming giant of white fur. "Yet apparently, the overgrown pup does."

Gregor saw Twirltongue's eyes narrow even from up where he stood. To their all surprise, she leaped to the floor and soon stood before Whitespur, the rats began circling each other cautiously.

"White... spur", Twirltongue stretched the name into two words, and gave her signature giggle. A shiver ran down Gregor's spine from it. "Whitespur", she repeated, "what in the world do you think you are doing here?" She regarded Ripred with a glimpse, "with scoundrels and outcasts at your side, do you honestly believe you stand a chance? I can only presume you came to be killed. Killed as we all thought you were, long ago."

She turned back to the Bane's army, strolling over to Bonebreak almost casually. "Do you honestly think they will... will what? Follow you?" Her laugh sounded all the way up to Gregor. "Follow someone who abandoned them? Hidden the truth from them – the truth she was alive all this time!"

Only on the side Gregor realized the tone of the murmur in the Bane's army had shifted. More hostile voices sounded now, some yelling out questions, some even baring their teeth, growling.

Gregor felt his heart sink. This was not good. If nothing happened, Twirltongue would turn them, of course she would. She could turn anyone. He nearly laughed.

"She lied to you!", Twirltongue called, spreading her front paws before pointing a claw at Whitespur. "She is no leader. Not any leader you can follow – you can trust! Only a coward who comes out only when she feels like it, not when her people need her most."

An angered uproar went through the rows of the Bane's army and Gregor clutched his hands around the rim of the wall. "We have to do something", he mumbled at Ares who had remained at his side, but a different voice from behind cut him off – "You can not. You did your part, and you did it well." Gregor twirled around to Solovet, catching a glimpse at her satisfied expression. "If the gnawers desire to fight their political quarrels out now, allow them. Any death among their rows will only aid us."

Gregor furrowed his brows, about to remark Ripred was still down there as well, when Twirltongue spoke again – "You talk of honor, Whitespur? You call those who follow our rightful king scoundrels? Yet look at yourself, at the size of your own army, or wait, you can not, as you have no army for no honorable rat would ever even consider joining with you!"

"She's a FRAUD!", the Bane barked out behind Twirltongue, gnashing his teeth so hard Gregor squinted from the unpleasant sound. "I will KILL HER!"

It is over, Gregor meekly thought, shutting his eyes. They won't question Twirltongue. Who ever questions Twirltongue? The Bane will kill her, and that will be the end of that.

"No army, you say?"

Gregor's eyes instantly jolted open as he heard the sound of a different voice cry out, a voice he hadn't heard in –

"Who are we then?"

An uproar went through the rats below and Gregor had to blink a couple times before his brain registered who the rat was, now standing next to Whitespur and Ripred. Her fur shone in a nice light brown and Gregor thought he knew her, yet before the name came to him, the Bane yelled it out – "LAPBLOOD!"

"That is correct!" The cream-colored rat stood tall between Ripred and Whitespur. "And I am not alone."

Beside Gregor Solovet audibly gasped and only now he saw the number of rats below had multiplied significantly. From all sides more of them were streaming in, soon a second rat Gregor had never seen before took his place with Whitespur, Ripred, and Lapblood. "Is this army enough for you?", he cried out, baring his teeth at Twirltongue.

The silver rat actually hesitated, retreating a couple steps, before running back to the Bane, who gazed around in something like confusion. "Who are they?", he barked, "Who are they and how –?", only then he registered Lapblood. "YOU!", he screamed and rose, almost knocking Twirltongue off his back. "YOU SCUM! TRAITOR SCUM!"

The silver rat held on to his ear and urgently talked to him, possibly in an attempt to soothe. The Bane's own army was in utter dismay. Some of them even broke the formation and approached the four rats around Whitespur, exchanging words with her and the others.

"Your forces are crumbling, white pup!", Whitespur called at last, "Or should I say Twirltongue?" She gave something like a laugh, exchanging glances with Ripred. "You are Twirltongue, are you not? We have never engaged, but I've heard tales of you, and your late mother!"

For the first time Twirltongue actually froze, gawking down at Whitespur. "My... my mother?"

"She was struck down by the Death Rider, have you not heard?"

Gregor's heart skipped a beat as he registered the voice, the voice and the shape, that now emerged between Whitespur and Ripred. Audible gasps ran through the soldiers around him, growing more excited with the second as they all stared down at the shape of the girl... the girl with her torn shirt, her tousled braid and carelessly draped cape – yet she still wore it, Gregor felt a wide grin spread on his face as he saw the shimmering of gold – her crown.

"QUEEN LUXA!", it sounded around him as everyone broke into cheers, "The queen! It is QUEEN LUXA!"

Luxa. Gregor's hand darted to where he had stored her picture.

Like on cue, Luxa raised her sword and only now he saw there was something strapped to the handle, something that had a lever she pulled now. In a sizzling jet flame her sword lit on fire.

"ATTACK!"


Henry stared out into the darkness on the little ledge he had taken position on, focusing his hearing for any shift in sound. He closed his eye and consciously relaxed his body.

They... would be safe. With Lapblood, Splintleg and their armies, they should stand a chance. To lure the Bane away from the city walls, to split his army... into sections. If they split them up, the Regalians would have an easier time taking them out.

Henry took a deep breath. Howard and Twitchtip had needed to return to Regalia, so he had had Thanatos and Nike take them. Luxa was needed to get the army's attention, to get them to follow. She had only stared as he had taken her sword from her to strap on his old device to distribute ignifer pellets. "It is loaded with three pellets, each will burn for around fifteen minutes. Use them wisely", he had urged, and she had hesitated, but taken the sword from him. Not smiled, not even looked at him. Only nodded.

His plan was foolproof, he thought. The only part he hadn't considered was what to do with himself, so now he could only wait. And he hated waiting so much.

Henry nearly fell off his ledge as he first heard the cries of rats. His hand was at Charos' hilt in a heartbeat, yet before he could leap down, the golden fur of Aurora with Luxa on her back whizzed past him, flaming sword raised above her head. On her tail followed many rats, yet before the first could reach her, Henry had leaped and dug Charos into its neck. It shrieked in pain and went down, and the exiled prince voiced a battle cry and allowed himself to slip into fight mode.

He watched not for where he swung his blade, all that attacked Luxa or him was dead in moments. Charos tore through the enemy rows like a black lightning bolt, striking with deadly precision.

It was only when Henry caught his first glimpse at a spot of white fur when he snapped out of it. He barely ducked and rolled away as a furious white mass leaped at him and over his head. Henry barely registered it was the Bane, and as his eye followed the ginormous rat his heart stopped.

The white rat voiced a livid scream, leaping some thirty feet forward, with his claws outstretched at, at... No – Henry barely moved his body yet he knew he was much too far away to reach her in time, to reach – "LUXA!"

His eyes saw it perfectly well, that Aurora had no time to dodge, that Luxa had her back turned, she could not block him, not –

Henry winced from a different cry that permeated the air like a blade, a figure darted out of a niche and rammed her head into the Bane's side, throwing him off course.

"KISMET!" Henry barely blocked the claws of a rat as he made his way to the Bane, whose roar shook the very air around them as he bared his teeth at Whitespur, who had her teeth deep in his front paw.

A different rat leaped to tackle him from the side, mowing him down and tearing three deep gashes into his cheek.

Henry cursed as he was nearly tackled by three rats at once and angrily shoved them aside, he had no time for this. Not now. Not when –

Luxa's burning sword lashed at the Bane's face, he rose and both Ripred and Whitespur had to let go. He flailed his paw almost blindly at anything, and Henry cried, not from the pain the claws a rat had dug in his arm brought, but from the sight of the paw latching onto Whitespur.

For a second he held her up like she was a weightless pup, Henry heard the blood drip from his claw like the battle around him had silenced, then he released her and she dropped, she fell, only to be swept up by Ripred.

Henry cried out as something tackled him from behind and he fell forward, twisting around in the air and slicing the neck of the rat who had attacked. Where was she, it rang in his head over and over as he attempted to shake the rats coming from all sides. Where was Whitespur... Kismet? "KISMET!" With the last of his strength he leaped on the back of a rat, disorienting it so much it mowed down a path forward for him. She had taught him that, he thought, she had taught him to...

There – Henry swiftly killed his ride as he caught a glimpse at Ripred's tail disappearing in a niche, some ten feet above the battlefield. A narrow path led up and with the last of his strength Henry moved up, climbed until there was nowhere left to climb.

"LEAVE ME!"

Henry winced at the voice, it sounded not like it always had. Not like it was supposed to.

"Will you be reasonable?", Ripred shot back, Henry made them out at the back end of the cave. "I will take you to Regalia. They have doctors, you hear? Doctors who can help!"

"Re... Regalia...", she broke off and reeled to the wall, her paw rose to her own throat and she voiced a sound unlike any Henry had heard before. Like a forced gurgling, that turned to strained coughs.

"KISMET!"

She glanced up as the name slipped from Ripred's mouth, fixated him for a moment before she cowered down and darted forward. Ripred's cry as she struck his face with her talon vibrated the air around them. "LEAVE ME!", she cried once more before reeling to the opposite wall, "Leave... mm...m..."

Even the sound of Charos slipping from Henry's hand Ripred disregarded, and the exiled prince could not move a muscle as the rat cowered over Kismet. Whitespur. Was it neither? Both? He would not have been able to tell had his life depended on it.

"I... I'm s...", she coughed and barely registered Henry at her side. "S... sorry..."

"Kis... met..." Henry saw the wet spot of her fur, glistening in blood. It dripped from Ripred's face, mixing with her own. Then her eye as it met him. "It was... all I c... could offer...", she uttered, fighting to keep speaking, "it w..."

"It was more than we ever asked." Never had Henry heard Ripred's voice as it was now. "You should have never..."

Her paw struck his mouth, if only lightly. "It is...", her eyes darted to Henry, "a good way too...", she interrupted herself before closing her eye, "Is it you... Nox?"

Henry only registered his cheeks were wet from tears on the side as he cowered over her. I should not be here, he thought, I should not... I should have... "It is... me, it's always been me."

"Take care... of him for me... will you? I will tell them you loved them, like I, who..."

"SHUT UP!" Henry winced as Ripred barked out the words. Was the rat... cradling her? He could barely see from the tears undauntedly streaming down his cheeks.

"... loved you."

Henry had no strength to move. All he could do was sit and take it in, hear Ripred's cries permeate his ears, for her to shut up, then for her to speak, for her to move, then nothing.

The blood that had seeped from her wound, mixing with that from Ripred's face, had spread to where he sat and Henry raised his gaze. It was a smile, he thought, barely comprehending he could make it out with only his echolocation.

She... smiled.