In the cloud filled sky with the sun blocked by the grey masses a large gloomy island floated in the air. A black stone castle with matte finish, long towers stood on the mass of land.

The castle had a large courtyard a mixture of dead grass and pebble footpaths that all reached the middle to an eerie statue in the middle.  A figure floated in the air before soaring down to hit the ground hard. The recovery was quick as they had bent their knees sending all the shock to the earth.  Standing up straight it gave a sly grin.  With long legs and torso the person walked out to the far end where others of his kind were coming out.

“Kyuhyun’s back,” a girl with long blonde hair and a blouse half tucked into a grey skirt commented to her companion. He was only a few centimetres taller than her and in a red shirt with jeans.

“Leader’s going to be cross.” He said before they kept walking. “Come on, the hunting party will have left if we don’t hurry.” She agreed and they sped off.

Inside two large doors opened into a huge room with windows and a table in a peculiar diamond shape with jagged edges. Those seated around this furniture arose.
“K-Kyuhyun,” they all just stared at him as he pulled out a sit without touching it. He sat down, legs crossed with dignity. “Hello council.”

“H-how can this be?”

Kyuhyun raised his arms with his shoulders up. “I’m here now. I do apologise for being a bit late.”

“You haven’t been here for the past three—“

“—Heechul.” The man was stopped; frustration at being interrupted clouded his handsome, feminine features. He slumped into his seat as the person at the head of the table and of the group faced Kyuhyun. When he wasn’t being expressive he appeared dead for his eyes were darker than that of the others. But this time he was amused by the sight before him.

“So Kyuhyun, you left two months ago and actually came back without warning. It must have been important.”

“Oh very much Kangta,” Kyuhyun got some glares for addressing the leader informally.

“Hmm,” Kangta was in thought, he lowered his head slightly to face Kyuhyun again. His nose appeared flat from this angle. “Are you considering changing position again? Do you want to be hunter again?”

“Ah no,” Kyuhyun declined, flustered.

“Very well,” Kangta didn’t push the topic further. “Changmin, make sure you watch your friend from now on.” The youth two seats down from his left nodded in shame. He stood out among those at the council for having a reddish hue to his skin. When the meeting was finished he would give his friend a piece of his mind.

~~~

“Are you crazy?” Changmin demanded as they walked down the hall. “This is the fifteenth time you left without a word! Do you want to be banished?”

“Relax,” Kyuhyun said with a smile. “I know what I am doing.”

“Well… Stop it before you get me into trouble!”

Kyuhyun glanced at his friend. Seeing Changmin uptight about his venture caused him to smirk and then chuckle. “Oh Changmin; you’ve never been to the human realm have you?”

“Why do you have to keep going there?” Changmin frowned. “You aren’t a hunter anymore…”

“But that doesn’t mean they evoked my ability to pass through the realm and back.” His statement caused Changmin to sigh.

“Just give me reason why you have to. Are you over indulging?”

“Good grief no,” Kyuhyun denied it firmly. “I’m happy with the sheep and the cattle they bring us; oh and the occasional human that comes every full moon.”

Changmin was getting close to the end of his line. “So if it’s nothing important then stop going. Come and be more active in the council. You’re lucky Kangta allowed you to change because of your great intelligence. Not everyone gets that chance.”

“Oh Changmin you’re no fun.” Kyuhyun suddenly cut in front of Changmin, stopping him before the door to their destination. Black like the walls it was covered in a melted texture like it was made out of wax. “Come with me.” His friend tried to reach around but Kyuhyun got in between him and the handle. “I really would like it if you got to see why.”

Changmin’s gaze was rock solid. Even for his closest friend he didn’t change his mind. Kyuhyun stepped away; he understood this better than anyone else.

“Very well,” he looked at the door handle and it opened. “I should have expected that much from you.”

“Hey what does that…? What are you doing?!” Changmin watched as Kyuhyun took out a large trunk from under his bed. Undoing the catches on both sides he opened it. A rather fragrant smell came out of the box. Changmin clasped his nose.
“This is what they like,” Kyuhyun said this while looking at the bouquet before him. White lilies, pink tulips, yellow daffodils, it wasn’t the typical combination. “Flowers,” Changmin sat on his bed, getting a book from the shelf on the wall next to him, uninterested in what Kyuhyun was talking about.

Kyuhyun went to their wardrobe, taking out some black jeans, a deep red sweater and a scarf a shade lighter.
“Hey that’s my…” Changmin protested seeing Kyuhyun get his beige jacket which was his.

“Sorry can I borrow it? I’ll take good care of it.” Something else occupied Kyuhyun’s mind for a moment. “I should go.”

“G-go…?” Changmin sat up in shock. Kyuhyun hurried out of the room before Changmin had a chance to ask. He dropped his book and sped after him, his speed wasn’t as fast as Kyuhyun’s but he realised one thing. He didn’t have the ability to leave. Not yet anyway.
 

~~~

Changmin knocked impatiently on the door labelled ‘Leader’s lair’. Only council members and the heads of the hunting groups were allowed to enter. The door opened, Kangta stood by the table, watching others like them talking and socialising.

“Changmin, did you need something?” Changmin nodded. He went to join Kangta at the window. From the distance he saw Kyuhyun take a large leap and disappear in the grey sky.

“Off he goes,” Kangta mused. “Do you want to follow him this time?” He wasn’t the leader for nothing.

“Is that alright leader?” Kangta gave a nod.

“Kyuhyun’s behaviour is puzzling. It’s somewhat irrational for a vampire to keep going back and forth without any prey in its grasp.” He stepped back from the window walking towards a jar on the edge of his desk. Inside it was a lot of yellow shapes clouded by the liquid they were pickled in. Changmin watched as Kangta un-did the lid releasing a rather sour smell.

“Are those lemons?” He asked.

“We give them to all hunters when they start out. It helps combat the motion sickness associated with the shifting from one realm to another.” He fished in the jar to take a half out. “Take the juice and you will feel better than those who didn’t take it did.”  Changmin held the lemon in his hands the acidity burned like nothing else.

“You have my permission to go to the human realm whenever you please.”

Changmin courteously thanked Kangta with a bow. “Thank you. I promise I’ll bring him back.”

“Don’t worry about doing that. Just keep an eye on him. I’m starting to doubt whether or not he’s really faithful to us.” This statement concerned Changmin but he decided not to take a stance until he knew the truth.

While walking down to the courtyard for take off Changmin squeezed the lemon as hard as he could. His eyes squinted shut as the strong bitter taste ran down his tongue and throat. He cleared his throat, discarding the pulp on the side where it became grey and wrinkled rapidly.

Standing at the edge before the spot where the wall was shorter than the others to accommodate the hunting vampires who weren’t good at landing. He’d never been outside of their realm. Truly he was from another estate but had moved to the current one for a sea change. Now he was about to face a change he’d never experienced.

Closing his eyes he focused on the steps to take. “Jump, soar, when you see blue and green stop,” with a short pause he took a step forward. Counting in his head he opened his eyes at three and let his body take flight.

Well how did we find it? Welcome if you’re new to my stories and enjoy the journey.