AllFreeNovel
Share Us
They circled around another group of vendors selling freshly picked fruits when suddenly something caught Jackson's eye: an old man sitting atop a small cart piled high with colorful fabrics and trinkets from afar-off lands. A glint of recognition flashed across his face as he spotted what looked like one remaining magical bean nestled amidst the fabrics. "Excuse me!" he called out over the crowd noise, making his way towards the man amidst some confused glances from passersby. "Have you seen this man before?" he asked while holding up an image on his phone - it was a sketch of their mysterious bean seller from previous encounters.
The old man squinted at it for a moment before shaking his head no but gesturing towards another stall further down where there were more people gathered around than usual. Without wasting any more time, Jackson rushed ahead while Barrett quickly trailed behind him followed by King James who looked grim yet determined to get what he wanted.
Only as they were preparing to leave empty-handed again did Jackson hear the whisper of a crazy bean guy.
"Where?" he nearly grabbed the woman by the shoulder but restrained himself.
"Over that way," she answered with a smile and a hand signal to the left of where she stood. "He's been there only a few minutes but most people don't have time for nonsense."
His eyes widened as he pushed through the throng of people toward the man.
"Excuse me," he gasped out between breaths, "are you. . .the man from before?" Jackson couldn't risk his eyes deceiving him. Not now.
A smile spread over the man's lips before nodding at King Jame's as the man approached. "I see you planted my beans."
"I knew it!" Jackson hollered, drawing more than a few glances his way.
"We need more beans," Jackson blurted out, his voice shaking slightly with excitement.
The seller chuckled and shook his head, reaching into a small pouch at his side. He pulled out a single bean. "This is all I have left. Though I am not looking to sell the final one."
King James stepped forward then, his towering presence and regal bearing making even the bustling market go silent for a moment. He narrowed his eyes at the seller and cleared his throat, commanding attention. "We require your service," he boomed loudly enough for all to hear. "We require the magic of that bean."
The seller bowed to the king. "Your Majesty. I had no idea you were here. You do not recognize me, but we knew each other, decades ago."
"Explain." The king growled.
"Let's get away from prying ears." The man jumped down, his cloak billowing behind him for a moment.
Jackson followed behind, keeping an eye on the man as if he would dart away at any moment. Instead, he merely walked toward the outer stalls and faced away from those in them.
"I am from the Realm Above. I fell - and only my magic saved me. Once here, I had only the enchanted beans from one of your son's playtimes to get home."
Jackson's jaw dropped, but the explanation made sense. Barrett made things grow.
"Only, I didn't want to leave. I found myself rather in love with this world."
"Valemont?" James stepped forward.
"Yes."
"My god, we had no idea what became of you."
The man gave an exaggerated bow. "I fell below."
"You must come back with us. We are all here now, I suppose in thanks to you." Barrett jumped in.
Jackson's head still spun too much to follow all that was going on.
"I want that bean destroyed. There can be no accidents for people journeying above."
"Have you ever thought that it may be safe again in the clouds?" Valemont's lips quirked into a very strange grin. "Think about it, With this bean, we could potentially rebuild our home in the clouds. We could start anew. Has it not been months since you left?"
Jackson didn't want to put them back in danger. Not after Thorne sacrificed himself so they could all escape.
King James and Barrett exchanged looks before turning back to Valemont. Jackson could see the excitement bubbling within them.
"Is it possible?" King James asked, his voice laced with hope.
