Belle and the Prophecy of Bane

Chapter 2

"Kill her? Why?" asked Gregor, stunned.

"We have been told it is predicted by 'The Prophecy of Bane'," said Ares, marginally more calm now.

The Prophecy of Bane, thought Belle with a frown. When Gregor had left the Underland, with Belle and Ares as his escort, he had told them he was never coming back. Luxa had replied, "That is not what it says in 'The Prophecy of Bane'." Belle had tried to ask Vikus about it, but he had been evasive and hustled her and Gregor onto Ares, then given the command to take flight. Belle had been pestering him about it for weeks, but had gotten nowhere. So she didn't know what it meant, but the first prophecy in which she and Gregor had been mentioned had resulted in the deaths of four members of a fourteen-party quest and had triggered a war that killed countless others.

Belle shivered.

Gregor's face had taken on a cast of dread. "What does it say, Ares?" he asked.

"Ask Vikus," the bat answered shortly. "I do not know, and in any case I am tired of being interrupted."

They climbed on Ares's back and flew back to Regalia without another word between them. All around Belle were tense muscles and chilly attitudes. Ares's breathing was harsh and quick, the way it always was when he became very angry or upset.

When they reached Regalia, it was so quiet it could have been nighttime. Well, nighttime was relative, since the Underland had no sun or moon, but it seemed almost as if the city was asleep.

Ares made straight for the palace and landed in the High Hall, the large, ceiling-less room built to accommodate the arrivals of several bats at once.

Standing in the middle of the huge room, patient and all alone, was Vikus. The aged man smiled, his violet eyes twinkling amid a web of wrinkles as Belle and Gregor dismounted.

"Hey, Vikus," said Gregor.

"Ah, Gregor the Overlander! Ares and Belle have found you. I thought it would be best to seek you in the passage from your laundry room, but Ares insisted on scouting the Waterway. I ascertain that, as bonds, you have already begun to think alike," said Vikus.

Ares and Gregor stared in opposite directions, emanating waves of icy annoyance.

Vikus glanced from one to the other, cleared his throat quietly, and went on. "So...welcome! You look well. And your family?"

"Fine, thanks. Where's Boots?" said Gregor. He had begun to fidget, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Ah, the crawlers should be arriving with her shortly. Mareth led a party to meet them, and I could not dissuade Luxa from joining. By now, Ares has, of course, explained our predicament to you," said Vikus.

"Not really," said Gregor.

Vikus looked around at all of them, but nobody elaborated. Belle licked her lips uncertainly, avoiding her surrogate grandfather's gaze.

"Well, then. To begin with, we should examine together 'The Prophecy of Bane.' Perhaps you remember, Gregor, Belle, I did make some small mention of it."

"Very small," Belle muttered, remembering how Vikus had rushed them off and since then explained absolutely nothing.

"Let us proceed to Sandwich's room now. Ares, you will attend as well, please," said Vikus, and headed off into the palace. Gregor hurried after him, purposefully avoiding the ordeal it would have been to walk side-by-side with Ares.

Vikus did not resume the conversation until they had reached the solid wooden door of Sandwich's room. He pulled a small key from his pocket and turned it in the lock. The door swung silently open. "You will find it on your right," said Vikus, and motioned for the others to enter ahead of him.