Victor of Tucson
Book 11: Chapter 1: A Quick Reunion

1 – A Quick Reunion

When Victor created his portal to Sojourn, intent on visiting his friends there and checking in with Ranish Dar, he set the destination to the long jetty that ran from the back of Dar’s lake house out over the pristine waters. He chose that location for a number of reasons, but primarily because he figured there wouldn’t be much chance of him stepping out into a room full of people, potentially startling someone or, worse, being forced to socialize with people he wasn’t familiar with.

As luck would have it, though, on the afternoon of his arrival, the portal erupted, crackling with scintillating magenta Energy, amid a small swimming party that, apparently, Edeya and Lam were throwing for some of the local adventurers. Victor had constrained his titanic form to that of a large human, so when he stepped through, he didn’t send anyone into a panic. Still, he found himself surrounded by tier-three and -four adventurers, weapons at the ready, prepared to defend Dar’s estate from a potential threat.

Victor scanned the crowd, holding his aura tightly in check, not wanting to send anyone fleeing or into a catatonic state. Several vital, well-muscled fighter-types shouted challenges, but Victor ignored them until his eyes settled on a pair of lithe figures flying in loops out over the water—one with blue-tinted Energy sparkling and glittering from her fairy-like wings, and the other giving off a similar, golden-hued display. Finally, as one man probed a bit too closely with his spear, Victor held up a hand, pointing. “I’m a friend of theirs.”

“V-Victor?” A voice that would have been quite resonant and masculine if it hadn’t squeaked on the second syllable asked.

Victor turned, grinning, and saw Darren, adorned with regal white and coffee-brown feathers that shone in the sunlight, descending the steps from the lake house. He’d grown a solid foot, and his wings were enormous, even folded behind his back. Something about the angular nature of his golden eyes and the curve of his beak made him far more predatory and imposing than he’d ever appeared back when he’d been a standard human. “Darren!”

Whispers and murmurs broke out in the crowd—people repeating his name, conveying hushed explanations to those who’d never heard of him. Victor strode forward as his portal crackled and closed with a weird buzzing pop. Smiling and nodding, he shouldered his way through the crowd until he stood before Darren. He clasped the man’s feather-covered shoulders, looking him straight in the eyes. “You’re looking great, Darren!”

“Victor! You… you seem older.”

Victor laughed. He supposed he would, considering all he’d gone through—his trials and tribulations, his bloodline advancements, his enormous growth in attribute points. It wasn’t that he’d lost his youthful, healthy glow, but there was a certain gravity to his features now—the weight of a primordial bloodline and all of the power he’d piled into his body’s each and every cell. “I’m still younger than you, my man. So? You’re throwing a party?”

“Um, yes. Well, Lam and Edeya, mostly.” His eyes darted to the left, over Victor’s shoulder. “Here they come!”

Victor turned, grinning, and watched the two Ghelli women fly over the water, streaking past their guests to land on the jetty before him. Before he could speak, Edeya threw herself against him, heedless of the water-soaked nature of her skin and swimsuit. Victor’s laugh only got louder as he squeezed her back, making eye contact with Lam, who was beaming at them both. “I’m happy to see you, too!” He chuckled, trying to pull Edeya off, but she might as well have been surgically attached for all the good his tugging at her shoulders did.

“You should have told us you were coming!” Lam chided.

Victor shrugged, despite Edeya’s weight on his shoulders. “I wanted to surprise you.” He glanced up the stairs, toward the house. “Where’s Lesh?”

“With your cousin. They went into the city to check on some items they have at auction.”

“They weren’t in the mood for a swim party?”

“Oh, they were here most of the day. This party’s been going on since yesterday,” Edeya replied, finally loosening her grip on him and leaning back so she could look up at him. “You’ve changed.”

“So have you!” Victor countered. “Well? Is there any food?”

Edeya giggled, grasped his hand in hers, and tugged him toward the stairs. “I’ll go to the kitchens with him, Lammy, but you need to send these people home.”

“Why me?” Lam affected a pout, something Victor never thought he’d see on her face, but then, back when he’d first met her, he’d never imagined he’d see her in a bikini. Was that the right term? It wasn’t exactly Earth fashion, but her swimsuit was definitely in two parts, though the lower half was more like tight-fitting trunks than a—

“What are you staring at?” Edeya asked, giving his arm another tug. “Come on! I want to ask you a million questions.” Before he could answer, Edeya barked at Darren, “You too! Send all your bird friends home! We’re going to wear out our welcome with Dar’s staff!”

“I’ve been tipping them—” Darren tried to object, but Edeya wasn’t having it.

“Victor’s here! Send them home!”

Victor chuckled, threw Lam a commiserating smile, then followed Edeya up to the house. “I didn’t want to spoil any fun. I can just hang out for a while; I don’t mind if you have company.”

Edeya shook her head, looking over her shoulder. “Are you kidding me? I won’t have my attention split between you and a bunch of hangers-on! Most of these people just want to earn a spot in our next dungeon party.”

“Oh yeah?” Victor followed Edeya across the deck and into the house, turning left toward the kitchens. She moved quickly, waving off any of the guests who approached or called her over. “Thought you guys had pretty much anything you needed with the five of you.”

“Well, we’re getting into some of the raid-type dungeons, and some of them require as many as twenty party members.”

“Require?”

“Oh, well, not the dungeon, but the guild or company running it. They have guidelines on who and how many can enter at once.” Victor nodded as they came to the kitchen, and Edeya raised her voice to the handful of party-goers gathered around the counters, filling plates from the trays of prepared foods. “Time to go, everyone. My apologies, but the staff needs to clean the house for an upcoming event. Thank you for coming!”

Her tone had the desired effect, and the people hurried out, although one young woman lingered near the doorway, looking toward Victor and Edeya with almost bashful hesitation. “Um, Miss Edeya?”

“Greeva, right? I’m sorry to send you off, but—”

“No, no, it’s fine. I just wanted to thank you. I had a lovely time, and this has to be the most beautiful location in all of Sojourn.”

“You’re quite welcome. Goodbye, now.” As the woman scurried off, Edeya turned to Victor. “We really are thieves—stealing a great deal of influence in this city thanks to you and Dar allowing us to live here.”

Victor shrugged. “If Dar didn’t like it, he’d kick you out.” He walked over to the trays of food and picked up a cracker topped with a creamy spread and several tiny purple-black olives. “Speaking of the old man, have you heard from him?”

“Mr. Ruln, the steward, says he’s back in the city. I’m sure he’ll come around when he feels your presence.” She looked at him with her big, almond-shaped, blue eyes. “He will feel you, right? You haven’t grown beyond his notice?”

“You think I’m already a veil walker?”

“There’s something about you!”

Victor grinned. “I’m just barely a steel seeker—for all of two days now.”

“You already reached level one hundred? Weren’t you sixty-something when you went to Ruhn?”

Victor shrugged. “When you work hard—”

“Stop it!” She punched his shoulder, and Victor laughed.

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“Fine, fine. I’ll tell you all about it, but let’s wait for everyone. I brought gifts.” He plopped the cracker in his mouth, chewing the tangy, salty treat as he perused the trays for his next bite.

Edeya pulled up a stool and sat on it as she watched him eat. “Gifts?”

Victor grinned. “Patience. So, tell me, how are things?” He nodded toward the doorway leading to the main parlor. “Getting along with everyone?”

“Yes!” She smiled, shaking her head. “I told you as much in my letters. Honestly, Victor, you don’t know how much it helps to have someone to write to, someone I can tell anything. When I was struggling with guilt and, you know, my worries regarding Lam, you were the only person I felt safe talking to. Even when you took extra long to reply, it still helped to know I’d shared my feelings. Thank you.”

“Well, it’s my pleasure, chica. I’d do just about anything for you, and I know you care about me, too. So, yeah, don’t ever think twice about it.” Edeya’s smile broadened as her eyes grew moist. She gently squeezed his shoulder as he continued to graze. As he swallowed a bite, he asked, “Anything new with Sojourn? Anything with the Council and that Iron Prison of theirs?” He was curious about Ronkerz and his eventual plans for escape. He doubted anything had happened in the year or so he’d been gone, but he wouldn’t be surprised, either.

Edeya shook her head, looking a little puzzled. “Nothing I’ve heard. Should I have?”

“Nah, I doubt it.

“You can ask your higher-tier friends, I’m sure. You’ll be staying a while, right?”

Victor sighed, shaking his head. “I wish. I’m afraid I’ll be leaving in the morning.”

“What?”

“Yeah, I’m sorry, hermanita, it’s just that I have a kind of—well, a mission? A quest? Something like that. I have to leave in a couple of days, and I still need to check in on Fanwath.”

“Something Dar is sending you to do?”

Victor chuckled, shaking his head. “No. In fact, I’m hoping he doesn’t get too pissed when he finds out. It’s for one of my ancestors.”

“Really? Are you teasing me?”

“Nope.” Victor picked up a little shot glass fill with chilled, orange-colored slush. “What’s this?”

“Some kind of alcohol-laced frozen fruit. The glasses are enchanted to keep them cold.”

Victor tossed it back, smiling at the tart, sweet flavor and the afterglow of strong booze. “Nice.”

“Only one day, Victor?” Edeya folded her arms and fixed her vision on a point somewhere below the countertop.

“Hey, chin up, chica. It won’t be for all that long this time. Not if I can help it. I just need to conquer a city and take control of a System stone, then I can travel around while I’m working on the rest of the, uh, quest.”

“Conquer a city, Victor?” Edeya sighed heavily, shaking her head.

“Relax!” Victor smiled as he slurped down another shot of fruity alcohol and ice. “I just conquered a whole world, didn’t I?”

“Dueling! Well, I think. Are you going to tell us about—”

“I’ll tell you everything, I promise.” He nodded toward the hallway again. “Speaking of which, you think your guests are cleared out? When do you think Lesh and Olivia will be back?”

“I’m sure Lam’s gotten everyone moving toward home. As for Lesh and Olivia…anytime, I suppose. They’ve been gone for hours.”

“Ah, that’s—” Victor stopped mid-sentence as he felt a familiar weight. He turned toward the other kitchen entrance, the one that led toward the tunnels and catacombs under the house. Dar stood there—stony flesh, blazing eyes, and a lime-colored, loose-fitting, flowing outfit. Victor straightened and tilted his head respectfully, “Master Dar.” In his mind, he wasn’t calling him “master,” he was just acknowledging the man’s mastery over Spirit Casting.

“My wayward pupil.”

Edeya suddenly looked very nervous. She hastily stood, swallowing visibly as she said, “Um, I better—um, I’ll give you some space. Welcome home, Master Dar.”

“Edeya, you don’t—” Victor started to say, but she was already on her way out, hurrying through the swinging doors and into the hallway. Victor sighed and turned back to Dar. The man didn’t seem happy, but then, Dar never really looked joyful. “I appreciate you being so kind to them—my friends.”

Dar waved a hand. “It’s nothing. Better the house is lived in and enjoyed than sit empty, collecting cobwebs.” As he stepped into the kitchen, he chuckled and added, “Perhaps you’d like to purchase it? I understand you’ve come into some wealth. Kynna tells me you hold more titles on Ruhn than anyone save she, herself.”

Victor shrugged. “I mean, I did basically wrap the entire world with a bow and hand it to her.”

“So cocksure, are we? Your note a few months back didn’t sound so confident.”

Victor recognized the attempt to get a rise out of him. Rather than scowl, he smiled and arched an eyebrow. “You’d hold a desperate man’s words against him? I was on the edge, Dar. Much has changed since then.”

“Much indeed,” Dar agreed, now only a few feet from Victor. Suddenly, his hot, angry aura lashed out, crackling around Victor like the corona of a dying star. It was harsh and heavy, but Victor didn’t flinch back. He let his own aura expand from his Core space, forming a wedge-shaped barrier that pierced Dar’s aura, letting it flow around him. He smiled into his mentor’s glare. Dar’s eyes blazed, but the nature of the fire wasn’t angry. In fact, it looked almost cheerful. After a second or two more, he relented, pulling his aura back, and his thick gray lips parted in a smile. “That settles that, then.”

“What have we settled?” Victor asked, wrapping his aura around his Core space, shielding it from prying eyes.

“Whether or not I can approve of you choosing your next…growth opportunity without my guidance. If you can so blithely stand against my aura, then I can, with a clear conscious, allow you to swim in more dangerous waters.”

“Was that your full aura?” Victor asked, honestly, a little surprised.

“Don’t get too full of yourself, student mine. An aura is one thing, but you certainly don’t have the Energy reserves of a veil walker. Moreover, you won’t have the spells and techniques of those who’ve vaulted to that tier of existence. Your tenacity and ungodly stubborn refusal to die will take you far, but you’ll need to learn much before you take on a veil walker of my caliber.”

Victor nodded. “I wouldn’t challenge you. I wondered that, though—there are tiers among the veil walkers, aren’t there?”

“Nothing so finely laid out and labeled, but yes, there are veil walkers and then there are veil walkers. Do you understand?”

Victor nodded. “I think so. Just as I was an iron ranker, and yet, I stood above all the other iron rankers I met.”

Dar nodded. “Just so.” He let his gaze run over Victor’s figure for several tense seconds, then said, “You’ve advanced your bloodline significantly. That’s no easy feat for someone whose bloodline was already epic. More than that… There’s something different about the flavor of your aura, what little bit you let me feel. Have you changed something about your affinities?”

Victor smiled, pleased to know his mentor couldn’t see past his aura. Even so, he saw no reason to hide the truth from the man. “I found the true nature of my glory and inspiration—hope.”

“Fascinating.” Dar rubbed his stony chin with a raspy, scraping sound. “Does this change involve the karmic debt you mentioned in your letter?”

Victor folded his arms, suddenly hesitant. Was he feeling protective of his ancestor’s privacy? Would Chantico want him to mention her to Ranish Dar? She hadn’t said anything about it. Still, he felt a fierce filial loyalty to her, so his voice was guarded as he replied. “I communed with a great ancestor, and yes, she helped me to find the truth of my affinities. It was a process that opened my eyes to much about myself. I’m indebted to her for that and more.”

“More? She didn’t lift that curse off you, did she?”

Victor chuckled, shaking his head. “No, though it was trivial after my time with her.”

Dar’s blazing eyes narrowed as he stared at Victor. “There’s more about you that’s changed, isn’t there. Stronger Core, stronger aura, steelseeker, but that’s not all. Tell me, lad, how did you defeat your curse? Did you disperse the void Energy? Did you…” He trailed off, but Victor grinned, too proud to deny.

“I consumed it. I made it part of my Breath Core.”

Dar clapped his hands with a crack like thunder. “Phenomenal!” He stepped closer and put a hand on Victor’s shoulder. “I’m very pleased with you, Victor, not only for your personal growth, but for what you’ve done for my family name back on Ruhn. I’ve never been a good father—let alone a decent grandfather—or, in Kynna’s case, a many-times-great-grandfather. Still, it makes me feel a little good about myself, knowing I sent you to her and that you accomplished so much in my name. Thank you.”

The words touched Victor more than he would have expected. Having Dar acknowledge him like that and offer his thanks without any reservations untied something that had knotted in him a long time ago, and he felt himself relaxing as the tension he hadn’t realized was there bled away. “You should be proud of Kynna. She’s a kind woman who leads her people with love.”

“Ah, so I’ve surmised. A pity that beloved leaders rarely last long. They fail to see the vipers coiling amid the wildflowers. I took your suggestion to heart—the one about sending potential students to her, to serve and advise as a means to earn my attention. I’m still debating the idea.”

“Well, I know you aren’t exactly known for making snap decisions. In any case, I’ve left a friend there who’s filling that void, at least for the moment.”

“Good to know, good to know.” Dar rubbed his chin. “So? Do you have any questions for me? Has the System been guiding you in the process of constructing your class?”

Victor had let his arms drop, but once again, he folded them over his chest. “Well, to be honest, I, um, rejected the System’s assistance.”

Dar shook his head, tsking, but his eventual words were more relaxed than Victor had feared they’d be. “Well, you wouldn’t be the first. Have you figured anything out?”

“It’s only been about two days, and I’ve been busy with all the, you know, fallout, I guess. I still don’t know where even to find this Energy-well that’s supposed to be in my ‘spirit space.’ I haven’t spent much time on it, but, yeah…”

“Hah!” Dar chuckled, his voice grinding in his throat like river rocks being polished. “Nothing easier, lad. If you look within your Core space, you can find the aperture to your spirit space there. Come”—he clapped a hand on Victor’s shoulder and tugged him toward the exit—“let’s retire to my study, and I’ll walk you through a few things. I’m sure your friends are eager to spend time with you, but this is important, and it shouldn’t take long.”

Victor allowed himself to be pulled along, surprised by his mentor’s eagerness to help and his lack of objections when it came to him going off to help Chantico. He was still feeling rather pleased with himself for so easily standing against Dar’s aura. The man could have driven him to his knees before he’d left for Ruhn! Unfortunately, with increased intelligence came increased paranoia, and Victor wondered if Dar had truly used his full aura on him. In fact, hadn’t the Spirit Master dodged the question when Victor asked?

Frowning, irritated that he had such a suspicion, but also irritated with himself that he’d so eagerly told Dar about his accomplishments, he followed his mentor, hoping his mind was simply being overactive and that he was worrying about nothing.