Inkway to Albreton

Chapter Twenty-four

"Nothing like that," said Jasmine. "I'm here to tell you I'm leaving. I have to go back to my world. I've been putting it off for a while."

"I see," King Albert's shoulder's sagged.

"Stop that," said Jasmine. "If you pout at me, the goodbyes will be even harder."

Albert tried not to look so disappointed but it didn't work at all. Jasmine's heart throbbed. She was about to tell him never mind, about to say she didn't really mean it, when Salina came down from her throne.

"Will you visit?" Salina asked with a tiny smile.

"I don't know if I can," said Jasmine. Really, she didn't even know how she was getting home in the first place, let alone how she might go about coming back.

Out of nowhere, Albert hugged her. Jasmine didn't know what to do then, so she just accepted it, patting him awkwardly on the back, eyeing Salina to see if this was really okay. Judging by Salina's kind expression, it was.

"You are always welcome here," said King Albert, letting go. He stared into her eyes to make sure she knew he meant it, "Thank you for everything, Jasmine."

"You're welcome," Jasmine said, her voice sounding squirrelly.

"If you insist on leaving," said Salina, "Then I insist you stay for dinner."

"That an order from the Queen?" Jasmine teased.

"It is," Salina said right back. "And tonight we shall feast!"

And so they did, and when they were finished, gave Jasmine a grand, joyous farewell. Jasmine waved goodbye, getting atop Enkaiein's back, who had offered her a way home, and the red knight blew her a kiss. She watched King Albert and Queen Salina fade into the distance along with Castle Albreton as they passed over the fields of albino and then rainbow grasses, followed by the forest where the nymphs lived, which looked dwarfed and unimpressive after witnessing the colossal trees of Olden.

"Hey, Enkaiein," said Jasmine.

"Hmm," Enkaiein flapped his wings, propelling them faster above the trees. "What is it?"

"Is there really a way I can come back if I leave?" She had not forgotten that it was Enkaiein's ink that brought her to this world in the first place, after all.

"When a path becomes overgrown, do adventurers cease to walk it?"

"That doesn't answer my question."

"Think about it," said Enkaiein, and then in a nauseating flash Jasmine found herself back in her own neighborhood. She was about three blocks from home, standing dumbly on the sidewalk, and the colors were so dull and unsaturated compared to Albreton that at first she thought she might be going colorblind. In her hands, there was a single feather made of dried ink. On the ground, scrawled in black calligraphy, was Enkaiein's message.

See you soon, it said, still glowing faintly with magic.

That made Jasmine smile and cry at the same time. She knelt down to touch the letters, but they faded away as if they had never been there in the first place, sinking into the cracks of the sidewalk like worms. With the moon high above, Jasmine made her way home.

The walk to her door was bland in a surreal sort of way. She had no idea what time it was, but it must have been either really late or really early. Either way, it was the middle of the night. Only two cars sped past her as she went. She breathed in the nightly air, stared at the stars beyond the glare of the street lamps, made a wish for Albreton and the friends she left behind. She could see her breath in little puffs in front of her that blew away in the chilly wind. When she got home, frost twinkled on the windowpanes, though there was no snow on the ground.