Victor of Tucson-Chapter 6Book 10: : Letters and Flight

6 – Letters, Light, and Flight

Victor sat alone in his suite on a couch he was acutely aware Valla had chosen, purchased, and placed there. Tes had gone to bed, seemingly quite satisfied with the meal they’d been served, but Victor, despite his busy day, couldn’t muster enough sleepiness to force a yawn. His mind was alive with a thousand different thoughts, but most of all, he kept thinking about the revelation he and Tes had experienced under the influence of his inspiration domain. That was why he was sitting on the couch, staring at a painting of a forest at sunset that Valla had hung. That was why the Farscribe book he shared with her was on his lap.

With trepidatious fingers, he pulled back the leather-bound cover and leafed through the pages until he came to the last entry he’d read. Before he let his eyes drift past it, he reviewed the meat of what she’d written:

…I’m leaving for a new world tomorrow—an ocean world populated by aquatic people who live on islands and swim and breathe freely under the water. It’s called Crydagh, and there are rumored to be creatures living in those waters that rival dragons! Fantastic beasts called Booraghi roam the oceans, unafraid of anything—even your mentor, Ranish Dar, would think twice about crossing one of them. If treated with respect, they’re peaceful, though, and will sometimes speak to lesser beings who visit them. I’m going to seek one out; rumors have it that they’ll grant boons to visitors they take a fancy to. Even if they refuse to speak to me, which I’m told happens often, I believe the trip will be worthwhile. Wouldn’t seeing such a creature be a reward in itself?

He wondered if she’d seen the great sea creatures that had so intrigued her. He supposed that was a good place to start, assuming she hadn’t already written to him about her experience—he hadn’t looked. The thought brought his mind around to the words he’d used in the last letter he’d written. He scanned over them, groaning as he read.

…I don’t know if I’ll ever get over you and the missing piece of my heart that you took with you, but I’m going to try. I’m going to try to remember that no matter what, I love you, and I don’t want you to be gone from my life. So, yeah, I’ll try to be better about writing, but I can’t do it every day, every week, or even every month. I have to give myself room to breathe, to experience life without you, ‘cause that’s what you wanted, and it’s too hard to let you go if I’m constantly reminding myself about how much I miss you…

He hadn’t written to her since, and it had been a lot longer than a month—closer to six. With something like dread in his heart, he turned the page to see if she’d written any sort of response. His feelings were a mixture of relief and guilt when he saw two new letters from her. One was short and quick to read:

Victor,

I’m so sorry for the pain I’ve caused you. I hope you know that my heart is heavy, too, but, as you said, it will be good for you to find room to breathe. There’s so much in the many worlds available to us; I want you to experience the peaks that I’m not ready to climb. Don’t you see that it was a burden on me, too, when I saw you being held back? Don’t you see that I, too, must “find room to breathe?” I love you, and I will write again. I look forward to hearing from you when you’re ready.

Love always,

Valla

Victor couldn’t help a smile from creeping onto his lips as he read. It was just like Valla to use his words against him. She was right, he supposed; if anyone in their relationship had made it hard for the other to “breathe,” it was Victor. He let his eyes drift down to the next, lengthier message:

Victor! I have amazing, wonderful news! My journey to Crydagh has proven fruitful beyond my wildest dreams. Oh, I have so much to tell you, but I doubt you want to read a book-long entry, and besides, I don’t want to use up all of our pages, not until we can meet again and exchange a new Farscribe journal. Let me just say that this world is truly a wonder.

As I told you, the natives breathe freely in air or water, and the chamber where the System Stone deposited me was like a great, inverted fishbowl at the bottom of a shallow sea. I stood in wonder, watching the colorful fish, beautiful people, and strange, moving plants for hours before seeking out a guide.

I’ll get to the good part: I joined an expedition to seek out the Booraghi, and we found one of their caravans—that’s what the people here call their nomadic family groups. They’re simply breathtaking creatures! Bigger than a house—no, half as big as one of the crystal spires at the center of Sojourn! They’re not scaled like a fish but have beautiful, colorful flesh—yellow, orange, pink, blue, and purple. And their many fins flow through the water like colorful wings, though I dare say they aren’t feathered. Rather, they’re like gigantic, elegant fronds—almost plant-like.

I’d purchased an apparatus to allow me to breathe underwater, and, with the rest of my tour group, I swam out with the desperate hope that one of the creatures would speak to me; they don’t use words, but project a surprisingly beautiful song. To most, it sounds like meaningless music, but if they direct it at an individual, it can be understood. So, as the water filled with the trilling music, everyone grew hopeful. I waited and listened, swimming desperately to keep up with the tremendous leisurely creatures, and then, to my delight, one of them spoke to me.

His name is Oomah, but he tells me it’s much longer and more beautiful in song form. To make a very long conversation short, he saw something in me, Victor. A potential he described as “remarkable.” He’s offered to take me on as a student, something so rare, that only a handful of such cases have been recorded in all of the Crydaghian’s history. To my great wonder and delight, he invited me to join his clan on their migration—to perch upon his enormous back as a passenger. You wouldn’t believe the envy of the others in the tour group!

When we arrived in the Booraghi’s summer waters, Oomah taught me how to create a dwelling for myself, though there are other structures here; it’s apparent that I am not the first or only land-born person to live among them here. Still, for now, Oomah keeps me apart from any others, aside from the Booraghi; he’s teaching me a new way of living and thinking, and it’s been a truly inspirational few months for me.

I catch my own fish and cook it with spices and herbs I’ve harvested from the sea bed. Oh, goodness! You wouldn’t believe the many elaborate steps I went through to come up with something that tasted like pepper. I’m getting lost in anecdotes again! I’ll end up writing a novel, after all, if I’m not careful.

The point I’m working up to, Victor, is that Oomah has an interesting way of teaching and philosophies about life that I’ve never seen before. He’s not entirely selfless, either; his tutelage comes with strings attached. There are worlds where the Booraghi cannot easily travel, and he has…quests for me in such places. He says they’ll all contribute to my development, but I can’t help but be reminded of Ranish Dar and his strange way of “teaching” you. I hope things are going well in that regard, by the way.

Victor, I know you’re taking a break from the Farscribe journal, and I will respect that. Still, Oomah doesn’t mind me communicating with you, and though I have many new Booraghi friends here, sometimes I feel a little lonely. They’re all so vast and they send their words to me from distances that sometimes make it hard even to see to whom I’m speaking. So, when you feel up to it, please send me a note to let me know how you’re doing.

Missing you,

Valla

The whole while Victor read the letter, his smile strained the muscles in his cheeks, and he found himself picturing Valla in a beautiful, colorful, underwater landscape, living in a bubble and swimming in the shadows of colossal creatures that—in his head—looked like gigantic whales. He was proud of her for earning the attention of one of them and being singled out to be a student, though he had to admit some worry entered his mind. Regardless, he was no one to talk; his current circumstances on Ruhn were tenuous at best. Still smiling, he picked up his pen and wrote a response:

Valla,

I can’t tell you how happy I was to open this book and find such a wondrous tale to read. I’m so proud of you! The Booraghi sound like amazing creatures, and I hope your new mentor has a lot to teach you. I got a strange feeling, though, when you said he’s teaching you a new way to think; don’t let him change you too much, okay? There’s a reason people love you. There’s a reason you stood out to Oomah; don’t ever lose the things that make you…Valla. Yeah, yeah, I know: who am I to give advice like that?

Anyway, I’m happy for you. I wish I were there to see what they look like. On my homeworld, there are creatures called whales that live in the oceans, and they, too, communicate with strange songs. That’s kind of what I picture when you describe the Booraghi.

As for me, I think I’m over my sulking. The sting of our parting has begun to fade, though I won’t lie; I think about you all the time. That’s part of the reason I’m writing. I had a chance to take a small break, and I’m currently visiting Fanwath. Everywhere I look in my—our—rooms, I see your touch. It makes me a little melancholy and sharpens feelings that had grown dull, but it’s also nice to see these reminders of you. I know we’re very far apart right now, but as you and so many others have said, a lot can change in the course of years and decades and centuries.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Do you note a difference in my writing? I’ve taken the Warlord Class, and while I’ve only gained a single level in it, I swear it’s been affecting my thinking. It doesn’t hurt that I’ve made some bloodline advancements and gained some new feats, either. I suppose being forced to deal with some politics has affected me more than anything. Using that less-than-elegant segue, I’ll just say that things are progressing well on Ruhn. They could be worse, but an unexpected visitor and her tutelage are, in my opinion, turning the tide in my favor.

Speaking of inartful segues—Tes is the unexpected visitor. She came to see me on Ruhn because of some…waves I stirred up. She’s very worried about you, and I know she’ll be delighted to hear about your experiences on Crydagh. I don’t suppose Oomah will allow you to visit Fanwath? I’ll be here three more days. I don’t even know how long it’ll take for my message in this book to find its way to yours.

Victor paused, wondering how much he should say about Tes. Should he reassure Valla that nothing had happened between them? He felt like broaching the topic unprompted would be crass. He and Valla were just coming to terms with their new status; why should he bring up romance involving anyone else, even if it were simply to deny it was happening? More than that, a denial felt dishonest; he might not have made anything happen with Tes, but he wanted to. Clicking his tongue with faint frustration, he finished his letter:

I’m going to let Tes read your last message as I think it’ll make her very happy, and I hope you don’t mind, but I’ll give her the opportunity to write a note to you in this book. In the meantime, please write again whenever you like; I’ll be checking this book far more frequently.

Love always,

Victor

Victor closed the book and leaned back with a sigh. He felt lighter, like he’d shed a burden he hadn’t known he was carrying. It was good to have all that off his chest. It was good to know Valla was doing well. A sudden yawn gripped him, and he arched his back, wringing forth several pops. Grinning, he got ready for bed and climbed into the soft sheets, letting the enchanted feather mattress engulf him. In moments, he was asleep, his chest rising and falling with slow, steady breaths as his untroubled mind drifted into oblivion.

When Victor woke and went downstairs to find some breakfast, he found Tes in the kitchen, teaching the cook, an elderly Ardeni woman named Grissa, how to make what she claimed was the “flakiest, tastiest, tart crust in seven universes.” Victor was no tart expert, but when the timer dinged, and the little pastries came out of the oven, he couldn’t stop eating until he’d consumed seven sweet fruit tarts and three savory sausage ones.

When Grissa tried to hand him another, he laughed and shook his head. “I could eat twenty but save some for the rest of the household.”

“But, milord, they’re all away!”

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“No, Grissa, I meant you and the others working today. Enjoy yourselves!” As she blushed, curtseyed, and thanked him, Victor turned to Tes. “Care to join me outside? I figure I’ll try another one of our patterns before we fly off to visit the Shadeni.”

“T’would be my pleasure.” She stood, smiling in that confounding, “I know something no one else does” way of hers, and followed him to the gardens where they strolled down the trail to the beach. After they’d put a bit of distance between the garden wall and themselves, she looked up at him. “You seem different this morning. Lighter. What happened?”

“Seriously?” Victor looked at her, shaking his head. “Is that a dragon thing or a Tes thing?”

“What? Being able to read someone close to me?”

“Yeah.”

“Hmm, maybe a bit of both. So? Out with it!”

“I read Valla’s latest letter and wrote back to her.” He smiled, nudging Tes with his elbow. “I’ll show you if you like. I told her I would.”

“I’d like that! Nothing too personal?”

“Nah, nothing you don’t already know.” They were both quiet for the rest of the walk to the beach, but when they arrived, Victor looked at Tes, clasping his hands behind his back. “You pick the spell I do this morning.”

“I was hoping you’d ask! Let’s see how your new light spell works.”

Victor smiled and nodded; he was eager to try it, also. If it worked the way they hoped, his new spell would replace several others: Enraging Orb, Globe of Insight, Dauntless Radiance, and Harsh Light of Justice—all his light spells. They all had almost identical patterns, only slightly altered by the System when Victor channeled different Energy affinities into his Globe of Insight pattern. This new spell took that pattern, added to it, perfected it, and, just like his new Core Domain spell, contained a matrix for altering and modifying the spell based on what Energy Victor channeled into it.

In other words, if things went right, the new pattern would be a more powerful utility spell that would work with any Energy type; he wouldn’t have to build four subtly different patterns to effect different outcomes. Those thoughts idly passed through Victor’s mind as he reviewed the spell’s pattern. Despite only being a “light” spell, it wasn’t exactly simple, consisting of three pages of densely packed designs. “No, that’s not right…”

“Hmm? Found a mistake?”

“No, a mistake in my thinking. It’s not just a light spell anymore.”

“No, each of your affinities should provide different benefits. Will you start with inspiration?”

“Yeah, I actually really like my Globe of Insight spell, so I’m nervous about losing it. I’ll feel better when I see the new one isn’t any worse.”

Tes chuckled and plopped down on the sand. “It won’t be.”

Victor knew she was right—in theory. They’d built the pattern together, after all. He knew the matrix would take the spell’s attuned Energy and run it through a refinement algorithm—a construct in some elder spell patterns that would alter the spell’s final effects to maximize the potential of the Energy running through it. “Here,” he summoned the Farscribe journal he shared with Valla and handed it to Tes. “Write her a note if you want.”

Tes took it, her eyes bright, and suddenly, a fancy, sapphire-studded onyx calligraphy pen appeared between her fingers. Victor turned back to his pattern, slowly building it in his pathway as he worked his way through it. It wasn't easy, but not nearly as hard as the Core Domain spell. The funny thing was that it was a similar spell—just a much cheaper, watered-down version. Like the domain spell, this light spell would affect him, his allies, and his enemies, though the effects would be less significant and wouldn’t affect the environment beyond the obvious—light.

When he stood, Tes looked up from her writing and watched as Victor finished the last flourish of the pattern in his pathway. The spell flashed, began to fill with Energy, and then, to no one’s surprise, the System stepped in:

***Warning! The spell being cast incorporates and alters other System-granted spells. If you complete this casting, your System-granted spells will be removed.***

***Warning! The spell being cast does not follow System-designed iterations and may be too powerful for you. Proceed at your own risk.***

***Warning! Non-System spell pattern detected! You will only receive this warning one time. Do you wish to halt this process? YES/NO.***

With a resigned sigh, Victor quickly selected “NO.” The spell finished populating with Energy, and then, to his delight, a blazing orb of white-gold light appeared in the air before him. It almost looked like the old iteration of Globe of Insight when he overcharged it with Energy. He noticed a difference in the effects, however. As always, the world seemed brighter, and everything he focused on was sharper and more detailed, somehow made bigger and clearer without actually being any bigger.

He turned in a slow circle, staring at the waves as they crashed, wondering what it would take to build a pier. Could he do it himself? He started imagining where he’d put the piles and what type of wood or stone he’d use, and then he thought about how he’d place the beams and joists. “Man, some teak planks would go nicely for decking. Imagine! We could walk out there and fish; how relaxing would that be?”

“Hmm?” Tes asked, her voice a little dreamy.

“I was thinking about building a fishing pier out there.”

“Funny, I was just thinking about your armor. We’ve put off evaluating your new pieces too long. You have to fight soon! Old gods! When was the last time you checked on Lifedrinker?”

“Hah! Not long ago. She’s almost done, I think. We can both look in on her after our visit to the Shadeni. How’s that sound?” Lifedrinker had taken a lot longer to consume her latest bit of magical metal—the second of the two he’d gotten in the Iron Mountain dungeon. Tes thought it was mostly Victor’s fault; the axe had barely finished incorporating the silvanite when he’d given her the ferrithium to process. Tes had been annoyed to hear about it, saying he should have spent some time with her, learning what had changed with the silvanite, but the damage had been done; he couldn’t interrupt the process half-done.

“It sounds good—Victor! This light is quite impressive; I’ve felt your old orb, and this one is certainly a great deal stronger as far as the inspiration influence goes. Was the System pleased with your work?”

Victor chuckled and looked at the messages awaiting him:

***You have discovered a new spell: Prismatic Illumination – Epic.***

***Your new spell renders System-granted spells obsolete. Removing.***

***You have lost the spell: Harsh Light of Justice – Improved.***

***You have lost the spell: Dauntless Radiance – Basic.***

***You have lost the spell: Globe of Insight – Improved.***

***You have lost the spell: Enraging Orb – Basic.***

***Prismatic Illumination – Epic: You wield the power of light itself. This spell will conjure a multi-faceted aura of illumination, capable of banishing darkness, revealing hidden truths and insights, or striking fear or blind rage into the hearts of foes. Depending on the Energy channeled, the light shifts in nature, offering a spectrum of boons to allies and banes to enemies. Whether bolstering resilience, confounding senses, or unleashing destructive brilliance, Prismatic Illumination adapts to the given affinity. Its intensity and duration scale with the Energy invested. Energy Cost: Variable.***

***Warning! This spell is not System-designed! Use it with caution—there are no safeguards in place. This is the only time you will receive this warning!***

Victor read the spell description to Tes, and she clapped her hands. “As we anticipated! Well done, Victor! Your second epic-tier design!” She wasn’t counting Core Domain, as it was complete in the book he’d found.

“Well, I had your help.” She didn’t reply, and he added, “I’m interested to see how the new Alter Self works.” She’d helped him make nearly a hundred adjustments to his first elder magic spell. When he’d created the pattern so long ago, struggling simply to comprehend the notes Tes had given him, he’d made a few mistakes, and Tes had admitted that she’d left out a few components to simplify it.

“Now? Let’s fly! You can do it later! You’ve only three more spells to try out, and we still have three days of vacation!”

“Vacation? Is that what this is?”

“For me, yes! You wouldn’t believe the nonsense I’ve been putting up with since Coloss.”

Victor folded his arms over his chest. “I might believe it, you know, if you told me about it.”

Tes nodded, sighing as she reached out to rest a hand on his folded forearms. “Fair. I’ll try to communicate better. But, seriously, can we please fly?” Victor answered by summoning his fiery wings, but Tes grabbed his wrist, narrowing her eyes at him. “Don’t make me take my natural form to show you what true speed is! Let’s make it a fun flight, not a race! I want to see some of the sights.”

Victor nodded, gently extracting himself from her grip. He turned his gaze to the north along the beach. “Want to see where I killed Karl the Crimson?”