Chapter 18

EIGHTEEN

Jackson nudged Barrett not surprised to see he'd fallen asleep during the near eight-hour drive. Though he enjoyed the serenity Barrett seemed to experience during sleep, two pairs of eyes were better than one if they were going to find the strange man.

If he even comes anymore.

"Hey there, we"re here."

Barrett made a sound similar to a growl but opened his eyes. Within seconds he went ramrod straight.

"My goodness. The cars are everywhere. There"s … thousands of people!"

Chuckling, Jackson undid his seatbelt. "As we"ve discussed, cars are normal, and there are probably not that many people."

"There"s more than survived in my kingdom."

A solemness settled over them as Jackson got out of the car and shut the door.

Barrett followed suit, and when Jackson offered Barrett his hand, the prince took it with a smile.

"Remind me what this man looks like," Barrett said, though it was obvious he was distracted.

"Tall and thin. Wire-rimmed glasses and a black cloak. An oddly luxurious black coat."

"Okay then." Barrett nodded. "Where do we start?"

The farmer"s market was alive with activity, the bustle of people and animals creating a symphony of sounds. Aromas filled the air—fresh produce and baked goods, spices and exotic herbs. Music drifted through the crowds, carried by gentle breezes that rustled colorful stalls and flags. Jackson led the way, navigating the sea of bodies with ease while Barrett followed close behind him.

The day was cold, but not unbearable as the snow seemed to have only fallen yesterday leading to a sunny winter day today. A slight chilly breeze carried the scent of sweet meats grilling nearby. Vibrant colors painted every inch of the market as vendors called out their wares to passersby.

But despite the crowd, there was no sign of the man they searched. Jackson scanned every face they passed, his eyes searching for anyone out of place or anyone who seemed to be hiding amongst the crowd. He caught snippets of conversations - a mother bargaining over prices with a farmer, a group of children begging for sweets from an old woman - but nothing that matched their description.

Barrett"s hand tightened on Jackson"s arm as they wove through the throngs. He stood out amongst the crowd, even in the borrowed clothes. Barrett was too tall and handsome to blend in seamlessly. Yet his presence only added to the spectacle around them. They drew envious glances from some and curious ones from others, but no one seemed to recognize them as anything more than two men out for an adventure.

As they walked deeper into the market, Jackson couldn"t shake off a feeling of dread settling in his gut. Had they missed him? Had he already sold his wares elsewhere or simply given up on coming here? He tried to reason with himself; this had only been their second trip after all, surely they wouldn"t give up so quickly? But as they continued their search without any luck, doubt began to creep in once more.

After a tiring day of fruitless searching at the market, Jackson knew it wasn"t going to happen. Not today at least.

"Should we go back to the farm? You see how the shops are packing up? If this man was here, he"d be leaving, too."

Barrett only nodded and moved in silence beside Jackson.

Jackson was the first to break the silence, his mind swirling with the events of the past few days. "I can"t help but wonder if we"re chasing ghosts, Barrett. What if this man with the beans only had those three and will never return?"

Barrett stopped in his tracks, turning to look at Jackson with a reassuring smile. "Jackson, we"ve seen things we never thought possible. Magical beans that grow into sky-reaching vines, a world above the clouds teeming with magic and giants. I refuse to believe that the man we seek won"t show up at some point."

Jackson sighed, unable to shake the creeping sense of hopelessness.

Barrett nodded in understanding, his grip tightening around Jackson"s hand. "I know how important it is - how important you think it is to make my father happy. And we will find a way to do it. Together."

His confident words were like a balm to Jackson"s weary heart.

"I think I"ve figured out where everyone can go." Jackson set his hand over Barrett"s before they stopped at his truck.

"Really? Why are you only just now saying something?" Barrett"s eyes sparkled as if Jackson had just promised him the world.

"Well, I wasn"t certain, and it does require some magical help."

"I feel like I need to hear this in the car."

Jackson couldn"t help the smirk that slipped over his lips. He let Barrett"s hand go and climbed in, waiting until Barrett shut his door.

"I want to keep renting out the motel. There"s over a hundred rooms."

"And that needs magic?"

Jackson nodded. "Well, I can"t afford to keep doing it on my own. But if you can make some things grow … like more than my crops, I can keep paying for it."

"Jackson Walker, are you trying to be a cheat?"

He shrugged and pulled out of the spot. "What I"m trying to do is save an entire kingdom that I basically put in danger."

"Well, what you put it like that, I suppose I have no choice."

Weeks passed, the early spring turned into spring, and the summer months melted into fall.

Jackson and Barrett continued to visit the farmer"s market, and many others in the area. All in hopes of catching a glimpse of the man who changed Jackson"s world.

Every single visit left them without any idea if there were more beans left in their realm. And every failed attempt meant they were a step away from finally calming down.

With Barrett"s help the motel housed many from his realm, but others had found jobs in Jackson"s realm.

Which is how King James came to tag along on this one last chance at finding the bean. After this, the king agreed to assume they would be safe from any others growing the stalks because the man had been nowhere to find.

Morning had already come and gone with the three men searching every cart and indulging in more coffee and pastries that were necessary.

As Jackson strolled through the bustling farmer"s market, his boots thudding against the dirt-packed earth, he scanned the stalls with a practiced gaze. Barrett walked beside him, equally determined but also enjoying the vibrant atmosphere around them.

King James followed behind them, his towering figure casting an imposing shadow as he surveyed the scene with keen interest.

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.

"The giants I remember are not the smartest. If you have been gone for months, they have moved on."

"Your Majesty, I will check." Jackson spoke only to ensure that they did not just assume it was safe.

Too much could go wrong if they all climbed back up. Jackson wasn"t taking any risks.