Chapter 8- The End

Thelonius, Graff, Emmska, Bakuri, Lattera, Matthias, Renji were dressed in black, solemnly sharing a bottle of red wine around a campfire. Even Graff wasn't his usual chirpy, sarcastic self.
"It was a good funeral," Emmska commented, shattering the silence.
"You gave a good speech, Mattypoo" Lateera said quietly, clinging to Matthias' sleeve.
"It was hard to hear you over all the sobbing; I can't believe it that I'm a General and I get a seat at the back." Graff pointed out.
"A General of what? Rolling Thunder is nothing without Jules to lead it, and Verne always said he'd disband his Regime once he'd tracked down the people responsible for the attack on his facility." Thelonius explained. The others thought about it; could they lead regular lives now.
"NO! I don't care if I have to do it alone, but I'll find whoever is responsible for this!" Matthias said, his determination filling the air.
"I would love to help but I must return to my job as a humble bank clerk. I told my supervisor I was going for a ten minute break; that was eight years ago," Thelonius said sheepishly. With that, he shouldered his rucksack and set off into the forest, joining the stream of soldiers dropping their weapons and walking away.
"Jules was one of my closest friends, I'm with Matthias." Graff said in a tone most unlike his own.
"You know I would follow you anywhere, Mattypoo." Lateera said softly with a smile. Matthias smiled back, blushing. He quickly shoved his hands in his pockets. There he grasped a diamond ring; a diamond ring meant for Lateera's third finger on her left hand.
"Jules was more than a friend to me. I won't rest until I bring his murderer to justice" Bakuri said as she brushed a tear from her cheek.
Everyone turned and looked at Emmska. She simply spread her hands, shirked her shoulders and said, "why the heck not?" a cheer rose from the group, they were on a new quest for a friend's memory.
"Wait a minute. What about him?" Graff asked and nodded at Renji, who was leaning against a nearby tree.
Renji blinked twice. He raised his clenched hand. Everyone tensed. Renji raised his thumb and smiled; a smile without any trace of deviousness, just sincerity.

*

Matthias was standing alone in front of Jules and Verne's graves in the parish graveyard near the Hazelwood Academy. The others were waiting for him under a nearby tree. They had changed the name from Rolling Thunder to Requiem.
"Hello, Jules. We're about to leave now. We're going to track down Alice. You were right. This isn't the end, it is just the beginning."
Without another word, he turned and walked away slowly.
Jules smiled.

The end. Or is it? Yes, this is the final chapter of Rolling Thunder. But, coming soon, Requiem.