Ven: Part 2

Ch. 13 A friend in the highest place

We sit in silence.

I stare at him blankly.

"I imagine you have questions," he says slowly.

I shake my head.

He raises an eyebrow.

"I think," I begin, "given the circumstances I can guess at what happened."

"Oh, can you?" He steeples his fingers.

"You were the king, the four kings rolled in and then you weren't, and then I rolled in and out, then the World government rolled in and took over, and then I rolled back in. Either you didn't get the chance to or don't want to be king anymore, you knew their names because at some point you had to while you were in charge, and you've brought me here to show me you were king," I slump back in the chair, the tension in the air gone. "That about the size of it?"

He leans back in his chair, his hands waving out in the air, "That is indeed the size of it."

I run my finger along the dust on the desk and immediately regret it as the hayfever sets in. My nose begins to burn as sneezes threaten to overtake me.

"Now," I stand up and sniffle, "I'd rather you didn't pull anymore power moves like this, I'm tired and I don't want to walk up all those stairs ever again. Keep the study, trash it, live in it, I don't mind. I'd love your input on the goings on of the town, and you're welcome to take some responsibility for the people too. Just make sure it's what you want to do. If you'll excuse me, I have a call to make."

I quickly make for the exit.

"Don't you want to know what I swore?"

I stop with one foot out the door.

Who cares what an old, defeated man swore?

"Sure," I reply.

"I will never be king again if I fail." His back is still to me. "Make good use of this castle, Ven, it's full of incredibly potent magic."

The sword at my back suddenly feels heavier.

"I'll do my best," I answer. "Whose magic is it anyway?"

He waves his hand through the air and rings with diamond shaped crystals coloured a deep vermillion appear on his fingers.

"I'll do right by them," I finger the hilt of the sword. "See you round, Barn."

I leave out the door and begin the climb down.

I need Vick.

I need old man Ro.

I need them to be here.

I need them to be safe.

I pull my phone out my pocket and tap at the small buttons.

Nothing happens.

I place my finger over the charging port and channel electricity in.

The phone starts up with a little jingle and I press keys until Vick's number shows on the screen and it starts ringing.

"Hey, you okay?" He sounds relaxed.

"Hey, I uh... I need you to bring the Caravan Palace somewhere," I say to him.

"Where? Has the war started? We'll be there!" He sounds almost excited.

"No, nothing like that!" I say quickly, "I've uh... had a change of heart, I guess, just... come home..."

The line goes silent.

"I am home, Ven," he eventually says.

"No, I know, but I need you to come home home, where we met, well in the part of the country over, where I came from when I first met you."