Venture Unleashed (The Venture Books) Read Online Free PDF

trick.”
    “That’s good.”
    Grover Wisecarver, whose son, Border, had been a constant thorn in Venture’s side throughout his years at Beamer’s Center, was a politician who’d been working to get fighting centers banned in Springriver County. He was only too happy to push the agenda of Prowess Longlake and other members of the Crested warrior class, whether to garner their favor or their silver as he tried to stamp out the growing threat to the Cresteds’ renown as the greatest fighters in Richland.
    “We’ll see what they come up with next. Seems like it’s always going to be something—at least until Longlake gets tired of trying.”
    “You never told me why you came. Is everything else okay?”
    “Everything’s fine. Don’t worry about that right now.”
    “Come on.”
    Earnest leaned back and scratched the back of his head. “I quit Beamer’s.”
    “You quit?”
    “I just wanted to get out and see what my other options are. I want to train future champions, just like I always did. None of the boys Beamer gave me when you guys left had the fire.”
    There was a rustle from the other bed, and both of them turned to see Dasher Starson sitting up, looking at them thoughtfully. “You wouldn’t be interested in coming with me, would you?”
    “What?” Earnest said.
    “I’m done with this place. Done with belonging to any place. I don’t want anyone having so much control over me again. Besides, I’ll have twice the trouble keeping Will Fisher out of first place if I’m still here training with him, and that arrogant jerk still treats me like I’m beneath him, like it was some kind of fluke that I beat him. Never mind that he never would’ve been anything without the falls and the blows I’ve taken for him. And every time I start to creep up on him, up to his level, somehow I end up getting injured in practice. It’s no accident, and I can’t afford to let it happen again.”
    He shook his head, all the years of built-up anger evident only in the flash in his eyes. His voice, his body language, stayed calm, controlled. “A breakaway is just what I need.”
    “What are you going to do?” Venture said.
    Starson got up from the bed and leaned against the wall next to Venture. “Travel to the best training centers. Everyone wants to train with me. All the coaches want me to come to their centers. So I’ll visit, practice on their fighters. And when I’m ready, I’ll move on.”
    “And you’d take me with you, as your trainer?” Earnest said.
    “Why not? All I need is someone who wants me to win, to be a second set of eyes, to help me strategize. Someone who’s not bound to any center, someone who I don’t have to worry about being loyal to anybody else. Someone who’s ready to go, right now.”
    Earnest let out a long breath. It was what he’d longed to do, ever since it became clear he wouldn’t be a fighter. Train champions. He nodded at Venture. “He’s the one I came to see, because he has the fire. He’s the one I want to train. I thought I might be able to work something out here.”
    “Earnest,” Venture said, “are you crazy? Go. He’s the Champion of All Richland.”
    Starson smiled. “And you’re a champion in the making, if Earnest here has his way.” He shrugged. “Bring the kid along. He’ll have to follow along with my schedule, miss a lot of the youth competitions, but we can give it a try.”

    It took a week for them to exchange messages with Justice and Grant Fieldstone, and finally get their approval for this new arrangement. Justice had been unhappy, to say the least, to hear of Venture’s treatment at Champions Center. At first he’d insisted that Venture come home and give up fighting, but he’d come to trust Earnest over the years, and a letter from Dasher Starson himself helped persuade him, too.
    Now they were ready to get out of this place, and Venture was checking the sick room one more time. Earnest had brought Venture’s things from the