Justin stares at the wall and lifts his right hand to touch it slightly with his index finger tracing a crack on a brick. Two days. Two whole days AJ had been knocked out. Being down here was beginning to get to him too. All his instincts as a werewolf told him that he needed to be around nature. He needed to smell the air. He needed to see the sun rise and set. He needed to hear whispers in the wind. He needed to feel dew on the grass. He needed to hear the songs on the trees and the water. Above all he needed to fell the earth moving beneath his legs…he needed to run. And he knew that every instinct of all the elves were saying the same thing…only ten times as strong.
The elves down here were too pale. They seemed so sad and somber all the time it was depressing. Elves were supposed to be the stewards of the earth and the people that everyone turned to for help, but now they needed help. Justin had never really met any elves before this. He had always heard stories about them and how his father had nothing, but respect for them to him though they were nothing more of a legend though. A legend covered in victories and good deeds, but now they were stuck somewhere in the middle of losing and victory.
AJ shudders underneath his blankets before his eyeballs begin to move underneath his eyelids darting back and forth.
Justin sighs before looking at him then down at the floor. He could hear the movements down the hallway as an elf walked down the hall as his sword hits against something. He couldn’t hear the elf’s footsteps though…no nothing ever heard an elves footsteps. They could walk on top of snow and never leave a footprint, walk on leaves and never have them rustle. They were God’s gift to the earth the elves were.
AJ shudders again and Justin looks over at him. What was happening?
AJ looks around the black void he had been stuck in what seemed like forever now. Nothing there, but blackness and an uncanny coldness coming from somewhere. He would scream for someone, anyone, to come and help him, but no one would answer him. He remembered seeing Justin for a few minutes though, but nothing more then that. And he remembered Quest’s voice echoing through the darkness from somewhere.
AJ sits down on the floor and pulls his legs up against his chest and resting his head onto the tops of his knees.
“Jesus Christ,” he mutters has his head begins to hurt, “Can’t even find a fucking Advil either,” he says as the pain continues, “Walk it off. Walk it off,” he says to himself standing up and beginning to pace around the darkness, “Shit,” he says as he begins to stagger around as the pain increases before dropping to his knees on the ground and holding his head in both his hands.
“AJ,” Quest’s voice says again, “AJ, we need your help. Help us.”
“I can’t,” AJ yells back at her as the pain continues.
“AJ the darkness…”
“I’m stuck in the damned darkness,” AJ yells.
“AJ…”
“God make it stop,” AJ yells holding his head still.
“You have to see.”
“See what?”
“You have to see what you’re facing.”
“You’re doing this? Jesus Quest stop.”
“You have to see…”
“I can’t…”
“You have to see what you have to conquer…”
“Stop…”
“You have to help my people…”
“STOP…”
“You have to SEE…” she yells at him before the whole world goes black again and his body gives out as he falls to the floor.
AJ’s eyes flutter open slowly and he feels the wet grass underneath him as the dew kisses his face. He opens his eyes widely and he stands up before turning around in a full circle to scan the area. It was dark, but an unusual kind of darkness like there was supposed to be sunlight originally like the way the sky looks before it is about to rain. He was standing in the middle of a clearing and tall trees surrounded him on every side.
“You have to see,” a voice says from behind him and he spins around as he comes face to face with Quest who seemed to have appeared from thin air.
AJ only stares at her as she lifts her right hand and gently reaches up and places it over his eyes closing them slowly. Darkness ensues for only a few minutes before the scenery of dry barren land takes it place. It rushes by quickly as the mountains in the distance approach quickly. The mountains rush by underneath him and once again he is traveling over land this time though the land is covered in rich green forest above it though is a cloud of smoking that has begun to spread over the land. The land rushes by quickly as yet another mountain rushes toward him. As this mountain is passed though the land takes a sudden drop into darkness and blackness and stone replace the green. Around the stone leak streams of lava as the land is passed and they slowly approach a large volcano from which the dark smoke is coming from. Below it, around it, and on it snake lines and lines of Pendragons. Once again he drops down to get a closer look before the land drops out from under him and he is taken down into a crevasse. Lines of ladders cling to its side and on the floor Pendragons are hard at work making swords, knives, and arrowheads from the molten rock. AJ’s vision rushes forward once again through the mountain and he takes a sudden climb upwards to the level land once more. In replace of the rock and stone though this time were lines and lines of Pendragons lined up behind one another dressed in chain mail and carrying swords, shields and bows. War.
AJ looks down at it all before he is rushed off again over the land towards the volcanoes walls where buildings and structures cling. He flies closely to a building before darting upwards once again and making a sharp turn inside an open window. The hallway flies by quickly and then he winds his way around a stone staircase and up onto another floor. He heads down the hallway before turning into the third door on his right and entering a dark small room with a small window up near the ceiling. AJ finds himself once again standing in the room and looking around the darkness.
“You have to help them,” a voice says from the corner and he turns around to see Quest staring up at him from her sitting position on the floor in a dark corner. Her hair streaked with a dark blue color and her clothing and skin smudged with dirt, “You have to warn them,” she says softly looking up at him, “You have to before it’s too late. Please,” she says as her eyes well up with tears, “Please.”
“Quest,” AJ says softly as he reaches out his right hand for her, but jerks it back suddenly as the familiar pain returns to his head again ten times stronger.
AJ drops to the floor immediately and holds onto his head as flashes appear in front of him. Flashes of people and events. He sees his son walking in front of his house near a wheat field. His wife laughing as the wind blows her hair. Calphurnia as she opens her mouth and bares her fangs. The Coliseum burning. The battles between Rome and and another army. A flash of Kevin. A flash of Kevin as his body is hit with an arrow. A flash of Brian screaming before he is carried off into the darkness by a horse back rider. A flash of Justin as he falls down into the dark water. A flash on Nick as he falls off a horse. A flash of Justin as he sits by the side of a bed. A flash of Brian being tied up and thrown into a cell. A flash of Josh on horseback riding across a barren land. A flash of Lothlorien. A flash of Elvin troops lining up for battle. A flash of Justin on horseback in the line of elves. A flash of Josh fighting a Pendragon sword to sword. A flash of Lance being struck down from behind by an arrow. A flash of Justin being lifted off his horse by something and then being dropped down amongst the fighting. A flash of Kevin falling to the ground. A flash of Chris charging at something. A flash of Quest being struck down by a Pendragon. A flash of Justin being pushed down an embankment. A flash of Brian’s face as it looks upwards. A flash of blood on hands. A flash of Nick falling to his knees amidst the fighting. A flash of Brian crying out. A flash of a bedroom.
Justin jerks his head over towards AJ as he sees his eyes pop open quickly and he sits straight up in bed breathing heavily. AJ looks around the room quickly before locking eyes with Justin.
“AJ? AJ,” Justin says as he quickly gets up from his seat and runs over to him, “Jesus Christ are you ok?”
AJ turns his head towards the wall and stares at it.
“AJ? AJ? Talk to me, AJ.”
AJ turns his head to face him before pushing him out of the way and standing up. He stagers a bit as the sheets cling to him, but he finally finds his footing.
“AJ get back in bed,” Justin says, “You’re not well.”
AJ shakes his head no and begins to walk towards the door throwing it open and looking out into the hall before racing down the hallway. He could hear Justin racing up behind him as they both ran down the hall. AJ races down the hall and turns toward a large door on his right before throwing it open with a large bang and walking inside. Oleander and three other elves look at him from behind a large wood table with emotionless faces. AJ walks up to the table and slams his hands down onto it.
“She’s in Mono. They’re preparing for war against the elves. They have an army being set up already. They have weapons being made as we speak. They’re going after the elves.”
Oleander stares at him as Justin comes walking up to the table as well, “I see me fearing the worst was right. It is good to have you back among us sir,” he says to AJ, “I take it she spoke to you.”
AJ nods as Oleander looks down at his hands, “I was hopping she would contact me, but nonetheless she has warned us…” he says trailing off, “Very well then,” he says quickly standing up, “Call the men together,” he says to an elf to his right, “We leave for Lothlorien tonight.”
“Are you sure your ok?” Justin asks looking over at AJ from onto of his horse as a team of elves cross the land towards Lothlorien with them.
“Fine,” AJ says pulling up the hood of his cloak.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Justin asks.
“No,” AJ says simply.
“Ok,” Justin says.
“Oleander,” AJ says.
“Yes,” Oleander was looking back at him.
“Can she tell you the future…Quest?”
“She showed you something you didn’t want to see I take it?”
“You can say that,” AJ says.
Oleander nods, “Quest has powers that none of us have you see. No one knows what she is capable of. Her mother was a witch you know. Her father had an affair and the woman had her. That’s why her stepmother always hated her and her father loved her so much. She is capable of many things, so it wouldn’t surprise me if she could show you the future. Many of the times though it is what she sees what is going to happen unless something changes. What she showed you isn’t set in stone.”
“Ok,” AJ says, “Good.”
“That bad then,” Oleander says to him.
AJ nods.
“Just think of it this way. If you only saw portions of it she saw all of it.”
AJ nods before looking up at the night sky and the stars.
Justin looks over at him before looking up at the stars as well.
“Then we can stop it?” AJ asks.
“Yes…there is a chance we can stop it,” Oleander says.
“Can we beat them?”
“That…I do not know,” Oleander says.
“My people will help,” Justin says quickly, “I can get my father.”
Oleander looks at him before down at the ground, “This is an elves fight.”
“If the elves fall we all fall,” Justin says, “Let me get help.”
Oleander nods, “Thank you. We will decide on it when we get to Lothlorien though. I fear that I by myself cannot make that decision.”
Justin nods.
“I though you didn’t get along with your father,” AJ says to Justin.
“I don’t,” Justin says, “but when it comes down to this I can put my differences aside.”
AJ nods.
“When my father dies,” Justin starts, “I become the leader of the pack. I’m supposed to find a wife and have children soon.”
“You don’t want it?” AJ asks.
“No,” Justin says calmly looking out at the land before him.
“What happens when we get to Lothlorien?” AJ asks Oleander.
“We hold a counsel,” Oleander says, “The elders will decide on the action to take and then we carry it out.”
“What about Quest and Brian?” AJ asks, “Who will save them?”
“I have a feeling that the reason you were all split up was to finish these tasks,” Oleander says, “Everything in nature has a purpose…yours is to do this. The Rider will find her and the chosen one.”
“What if he doesn’t,” AJ says.
“He will,” Oleander says softly, “He will.”
“Day break sir,” an elf in the front of the line yells back.
“We must move faster then,” Oleander says as the sun starts to rise.
“Yes sir,” the elf says as he yells out in elfin afterwards and the horses begin to race across the land.
AJ looks over at Justin as the two of them race across the land side by side towards Lothlorien.
They had been riding all night long with the elves and the elves showed no signs of slowing down. Oleander wanted to make it there in a day and a half, which meant that they would probably not stop over the course of the next day. They were both tired and hungry already more AJ then Justin though. The moment the sun touched his face and the wind brushed past his ears Justin seemed to awaken. He smiled brightly as the first rays of sun hit his face. He was back where be belonged. Where the sun kissed his face. Where the world cleaned away his fears in rain. Where the wind whispered to him as he raced over the land on horseback. Where the trees sang stories to him of long forgotten days. Where he could close his eyes and still feel that he was going in the right direction. The elves too seemed to awaken as the sun touched their faces that had sensed nothing but darkness before. God what AJ wouldn’t give to feel that way.
And together they all raced towards a common goal…Lothlorien.
