After they'd left the Black Woods, the Humans were feeling in high spirits.

For once, Regis didn't comment on the travel song, so it was left to Ikhan complain.

"Guys, can we maybe pick a different song?"

"We like this one!"

Ikhan thought about it. "Well, can you at least stop after you get down to 'no Balrogs on the bridge'?" he asked.

"Never!"

They continued on like that for some time. They were walking along the side of a lake, and being very loud and obnoxious about it, so it was really no surprise when a tentacle wrapped its way around Shinwoo's leg and hung him upside down over the water.

"Watcher!" he called out to them.

Seira made to fit an arrow to her bow, but Yuna stopped her from firing. "Wait," she said. "Watchers need to be touching you to talk to you," she explained. "Shinwoo, what're they saying?"

"Umm... Garmon here doesn't like how much noise we were making, so as reparation for waking him up, we've got to build a monument to him on that island over there."

The six of them considered that. Regis was glaring in annoyance. The others, however, seemed less hostile. "I suppose that's fair," said Suyi. She wasn't about to argue with someone vastly more powerful than they were.

Shinwoo paused, as though listening. "He also says that Regis, Seira, and Ikhan don't have to help, since they weren't singing."

"To heck with that," muttered Ikhan. "If we're going to build something, I want in."

"We'll help too," offered Seira.

Shinwoo listened a moment. "Garmon can take us to the island, or we can swim."

"I want a lift," said Ikhan. "I don't like getting wet."

"I guess I'm for riding with the Watcher," said Suyi.

"Me as well," said Yuna.

Regis and Seira preferred to run across the water.

So, after a few minutes, they were on a heavily-wooded island in the midst of the lake.

They were standing on the shore of the lake. Garmon was watching them lazily from the shallows. Yuna was drawing, one of Garmon's tentacles wrapped around her ankle so he could offer feedback on her design.

The others were talking about what materials to use. "Well," said Ikhan. "We should be able to start with wood, and then I can transmute it into copper. It'll be the wrong color for awhile, but it should turn green after a few months."

"He's not really green, though," said Suyi. "More of a greenish-black.

"I can't believe we're actually doing this," said Regis.

"You'd rather turn this into a fight?" asked Shinwoo. "You're usually the one telling us we should find non-violent solutions to our problems!"

The Elf shook his head. "That's not it, it's just... do you have to put so much effort into it? It's not like we're getting paid, and we'll never come back here. Why not just throw up a few rocks and carve 'Garmon is Great' across them?'

"Well," said Yuna. "It's either fight, retreat, or build the monument. We're not fighting, we aren't able to run away, so we're stuck making a monument of some sort. We're investing some time into this, no matter how we go about it. It's like life: even if you're only there a short time, you might as well have fun and make it something to be proud of."

"It's like anything else, Regis. Whatever you do, do it well," said Ikhan.

"Come on, guys, get into the spirit of the thing!"

Regis and Seira, against their better judgment, were smiling, caught up in the enthusiasm of their companions. "What about using polished stones for his eyes?" suggested Seira.

"Good idea," said Suyi, as she looked over Yuna's shoulder at the sketch she was making, and frowned. "Garmon, you have far too many arms," she said.

That night, they camped on the island, within sight of the statue they'd created. It was a terrifying replica of a creature with twenty arms. Its copper skin and eight onyx eyes gleamed in the moonlight, watching over the sleeping travelers.

Their party stayed together for another ten months, raising heck and traveling the realms of light and darkness. During their time together, they didn't manage to kill anyone, but they did build up five stockpiles of gold, which they buried in various corners of the world, in case they needed them someday. They didn't come across any royalty in disguise, but they did tour the six marvels of middle-earth, and get kicked out each and every one their tourist towns' taverns (Shinwoo and Suyi had made a list on the subject: "33 ways to get thrown out of an inn"). They also didn't save the world, but they did camp outside the home of a corrupt Union official for five and a half weeks until he resigned. All in all, it had been a most fulfilling time for the six of them.

And now it was over.

Regis' twenty months in the Human realm had been served, and now he and Seira were able to go back home. He was happy about it, but he was also worried. What if things had changed back at home? And he was also depressed. This might be the last time he saw Shinwoo, Ikhan, Yuna and Suyi.

They'd escorted them to the boundary of the Elven woods. Suyi and Yuna had hugged them both. Ikhan and Shinwoo had clasped their hands.

Then, the four of them turned and started to walk back to the Human town.

"Bye, Regis, Seira!"

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"

"Show 'em all what a tough guy you've become!"

"See you someday!"

Regis and Seira's expressions were stiff, but controlled as they called "Goodbye" to their friends.