Gregor struggles with the realization that he must kill Bane alone. Though he’s naturally empathetic rather than violent, which makes the task harder, he’s determined to start the quest immediately for Boots’s safety.

Vikus assembles a team and secures two boats to take them across the Waterway, an underground ocean. The bats can’t fly them across the water, and they must avoid serpents who could awaken from hibernation. The team includes Gregor, Temp the cockroach, Mareth and his bat, Howard and his bat, Ares, Boots, and Twitchtip the rat. Luxa can’t join them because the quest is deemed too dangerous for her. Gregor feels her absence and questions Howard’s loyalty, despite his sea experience. They enlist two giant fireflies, Photos Glow-Glow and Zap, to light their way.

The fireflies bicker constantly, annoying the group, and are gluttons. Twitchtip threatens to eat the noisy fireflies, which quiets them down.

Gregor rereads a scroll of “The Prophecy of Bane,” which Nerissa gave him, dreading the prophecy’s demand that he kill Bane.