Ven: Part 2

Ch 1.: The revenge of the reckoning of the rebirth etc.

The current softly tugs me to and fro, waves gently lap at my face, the bright blue sky fills my vision.

This sucks.

A shiver runs down my spine as the last bit of air in my ears bubbles out to be replaced with water.

Maybe I should stay here, it'd be better for everyone.

What's that noise?

It's annoying, like a swarm of flies. My brow furrows into a deep frown.

A dark-skinned face casts a shadow on my own, its lips moving frantically.

I grunt, turning myself to tread water.

A high-pitched ringing fills my ears.

Jacob's voice is muffled, I knock either side of my head to dislodge the water pooled in them.

"Huh?" I stare up at him with one eye screwed shut, my mouth half open.

"Are you okay!?" He pulls weakly at my shirt in an attempt to pull me into the small house he'd driven to me.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I shrug him off and start swimming.

The town Vick had mobilised balances precariously on the purple half sphere of his barrier. The outer edge of the town is lined with identical muddy brown houses, the inner streets are made of dirt and the houses of wood, it cuts an impressive figure on the horizon.

"You went flying for a kilometre, and then skipped along the water twenty times!" Jacob turns the floating house around and slowly follows me. "How are you fine?"

"Because I am," I say simply, my arms propel me through the water with ease, the town quickly approaches.

I haul myself up onto the cobbled road of the outskirts of town, taking my shirt off and ringing it out over the side. A plate of metal rises from the depths of the water and picks Jacob and the house he'd been driving up.

I shudder and look away, my imagination replacing the plate with a giant hand. Suddenly I'm very glad to be out of the water.

I shake my head, my shaggy beard and mop of frizzy hair splatter the walls of the houses around me with water.

I squelch my away through the winding streets into the wider dirt thoroughfares.

People wave and call out my name as I pass, all hoping their great hero will come and spend time with them.

I simply wave back and give out some forced smiles.

Their great hero isn't here at the moment.

I reach the town square. Despite the sun beating down on me I'm still dripping wet.

"How'd I do, old man?" I ask bitterly.

"Poorly, son, you know that." Ro appraises me with his deep brown eyes, disappointment etched on his face. "Your mind and body aren't one."

"I'm doing what you told me to, I make the shape with my hands," I put my hands together, my pinkie and ring fingers bent and pressed together at the knuckles, my middle and index fingertips pressed together pointing down, and my thumbs pointing in front of me. "And then I flip them and say "Lightning Release", that's what you told me to do, my mind speaks through my mouth and my body acts with it by flipping my hands up."

"In principle that's what you do," his eyes don't falter, "it's exploding out of you, and that's not right, and while watching you fly through the air is fun, it's not getting us anywhere."

"Then what am I supposed to do?" I snap, "I do what I want every day! That's what you said to do!"

"That's something you need to figure out for yourself, son," he sighs and rubs his face, "I'll always be here if you want me." He shuffles away leaving me staring after him.