“Not my fault,” AJ says walking down the front path away from the palace.
“What do you mean it’s not your fault?” Justin asks running up to catch up to him.
“I mean it’s not my fault,” AJ says looking at him and smiling.
Justin stares at him and shakes his head, “Whatever,” he mumbles as Kevin rides up beside them on horseback.
“Where are you two going anyway?” he asks looking down at the two vampires.
“Home,” AJ smiles.
“Italy?” Kevin asks.
“I can’t speak Italian,” Justin buts in.
“New York City, calm down,” AJ says looking over at Justin.
“I’ve never been to a city though,” Justin says.
“Trust me you’ll survive,” AJ says, “Just stick close to me. What about you Kev?”
Kevin shrugs, “I’ll be around.”
“Always are,” AJ says.
“Of course,” Kevin smiles.
“NICK!” AJ yells across the lawn as he sees Nick riding up on horseback.
“WHAT?” Nick yells as he reaches them.
“Where you headed?” Kevin asks him.
Nick shrugs, “Wherever I’m assigned. I dunno. I’d like to stay here and study the elves a little though.”
“Where are the others?” Justin asks.
“Lance left already,” Nick sighs, “I think he was ready to go home. Josh is coming up behind me a little. Chris…Chris is sticking around with the elves for a little. They’re trying to reach a compromise between the elves and the dwarfs for once.”
“Makes our jobs a hell of a lot easier,” Kevin says.
“Thankfully,” Nick says.
“Do you not hear me when I say wait for me,” Josh says riding up beside Nick.
“No,” Nick smiles.
Josh shakes his head and sighs.
“Where you headed Josh?” Kevin asks.
Josh shrugs, “Back to France. Paris calls to me.”
“The French,” AJ makes a face.
“The Italian,” Josh makes a face.
“How’s Quest?” Nick asks him.
“She’s doing fine,” Josh says, “She’ll be back to normal in no time. Oleander said he was going to stay in the South until she gets better before they both head up to Victorian to try and rebuild. There is still a lot of work to be done here.”
Nick nods, “You…you think we’ll see Brian again?”
Kevin shrugs, “I don’t see why not.”
“You sure he went…” Nick says before looking up towards the sky.
Kevin nods, “I’m sure Nick.”
“Don’t doubt the elders kid,” AJ says to Nick smiling.
Kevin looks over at AJ and shakes his head.
“You know you never did tell me how the hell you made it back here,” AJ says to Kevin.
Kevin smiles at him brightly, “Long story.”
“Well we have a good few hours of travel to tell it,” AJ says to him.
“And why exactly are we on foot,” Justin asks AJ.
“Because we’re vampires,” AJ says, “and it’s the principal of it.”
“It’s the principal of the fact that you thought you’d be able to fly,” Kevin says to him.
“Shutup,” AJ snaps at him as they near the tunnel that leads back to the outside realm, “Ah the human realm…no place like home,” AJ says as they walk through the darkness of the tunnel and out into the light, “You can almost feel the ozone falling in on you,” he says breathing in.
“I’m going west,” Josh says to them all.
“North,” AJ says for himself and Justin.
“East,” Nick says.
“East,” Kevin nods.
“I’ll see you all later then,” Josh says to them all as he turns to ride off into the west.
“You’re not going back to the shapeshifter strong hold,” AJ asks him.
Josh shakes his head no, “France calls to me,” he smiles before turning around and riding off towards the west.
“I guess I’m going with you,” Kevin says to Nick who nods in agreement, “I’ll see you around AJ. Good luck Justin.”
“As always,” AJ says to Kevin.
“Bye,” Justin says to them both.
Nick nods at them both before riding off into the east with Kevin.
“Just us,” Justin says to AJ.
AJ nods, “I’m gonna miss those guys.”
Justin nods, “We’ll see them again right?”
AJ nods, “Yeah…yeah we’ll see them again.”
“When the cold of winter comes. Starless night will cover day. In the veiling of the sun. We will walk in bitter rain. But in dreams I still hear your name. And in dreams we will meet again. When the seas and mountains fall. And we come, to end of days. In the dark I hear a call. Calling me there. I will go there. And back again.” – Breaking of the Fellowship
