Wandering Fortunes

Chapter 3: Homed Out

"Why do I have to go back to the Micagox?"

"Because you belong to them."

"No, I don't. I lied."

After Alden had nearly fainted, Top had shaken him back to his senses. He'd woken up further when Spenk and Jamal splashed a bucket of water over him.

Now Alden and Top walked through the forest. Alden had swapped to a looser, thinner t-shirt that was cooler (and dry), along with a pair of leather shoes as thick as tree bark up over his ankles.

He had to return Top to the Micagox. He let Top come to his home, so he had to be the one to bring Top back. That didn't mean he wanted to. It didn't sound like Top wanted to, either.

"You don't want to go back to the Micagox?" Alden asked.

"Not really," Top said. "Some of them are okay. Most of them are just boring. They talk way too much. Not like me. I hardly talk at all. All my fun times and humor come from physical comedy. Hey, look, a bird. What's that over there? By the way, you might want to find another tree to get impents from. They tasted a bit off. Talk, talk, talk, talk, talk."

Alden stopped paying attention. If Top wanted to leave the Micagox, that might make the mages angry. Would they blame Alden? Would they force Top to stay?

Duth_Olec: Dramatic irony again.

Wally_Plotch: Breaking the fourth wall again.

"Besides, I didn't know they were scary and dangerous," Top said. The ball shook and wailed like a child surrounded by monsters. "I'm scared. I don't want to go back!" Top jumped onto Alden's head. "Hide me! I don't want to meet scary cleeple."

"But you already met them. You were with them before," Alden said. "If you didn't know they were dangerous, surely they didn't treat you badly?"

"Oh, yeah. Well, one did try to cage me, but I think they were just having a grumpy day. Or year."

"Well, maybe..." Alden looked up at Top. "How long are you going to stay on my head?"

"Three more seconds," Top said. One, two, three. The ball hopped off to the ground.

"Maybe you can visit us," Alden said. "You are a funny beach ball, even if you do eat enough for a village. Not at all what I would expect the Micagox to have. I'll almost be sad to see you go."

"I'll be sad to see me go, too. I don't wanna go back. I wanna stay with you. Don't make me go back." Top hugged Alden's legs, eyes shut. "I'm not going back. You can't make me! They can't make me! Waaah!"

"I don't think they'll be too keen on the idea," Alden said.

"We don't have to tell them." Top looked up at Alden. "It can be our secret. We can be secret friends, and the Micagox can be secret jerks who aren't friends."

Alden shook his head. "They'll come looking for you. I don't want to risk my family being attacked."

Top jumped back and held up an arm. "Then I will take my case straight to them. They can't make me stay there. I'm an adult. I'm almost two months old. I can make it on my own. With a roommate. And his siblings. And uncle. And an alien robot who is studying for a law degree so they can become a lawyer."

"What are you talking about?" Alden asked.

"Freedom! Liberty! And the Amicagox way." Top and Alden stared at each other. Top shrugged, an impressive feet for someone with no real shoulders to speak of. "Or maybe we can just tell them I wanna move out. Let's go!" Top ran ahead.