Victor of Tucson-Chapter 19Book 10: : Getting Organized

19 – Getting Organized

Victor spent the rest of the afternoon watching Arona experiment with his new teleportation array. He was interested, of course, but he was in a sour mood, uncomfortable, and too mentally distracted to really help. While she moved furniture around to make space and laid the array out on the ornate rug of his sitting room, Victor contemplated his future or the potential lack thereof.

It was hard to forget that he was facing a deadline, what with the painful reminder burning and boring its way into his chest. He wanted to be angry at Ranish Dar but knew he was being unreasonable. Considering the culture the Master Spirit Caster was a part of, he was actually a pretty decent guy. Yes, he put a virtual collar around Victor’s neck in exchange for helping his friend, but there were many powerful beings in the Sojourn-controlled part of the universe who would have taken much more.

No, Dar’s letter hadn’t been overly spiteful or demanding. In fact, he’d been encouraging, and the man had offered to help Victor as a last resort. Sure, he’d said it would cost Victor, but he’d explained those costs, and though Victor thought further debt was a little out of line, he had no real idea; perhaps it would cost Dar, too. Maybe it would take something out of the man to battle the curse in Victor’s spirit, or maybe he’d lose significant opportunities by taking the time to do so. The point was, once again, Victor wasn’t the person in the position of power, and he couldn’t fault Dar for that.

It was that feeling of powerlessness that rankled, multiplied by the pain and—barely suppressed—fear of his current condition. How much stronger had he grown since first being summoned to Fanwath? A hundred times? A thousand? A million? Whatever the amount, he was still weak compared to so many. He was weak in the face of his current predicament. Perhaps that was why Dar’s words had rubbed him the wrong way—they were true. He had to get stronger. He had to beat this problem on his own.

He'd considered using the dream crystal Tes had given him, reaching out to her for help, but Dar’s warning struck true—if someone else solved this for him, he’d lose something. Even if Tes could do it perfectly or knew someone who could, Victor would lose the opportunity to prove himself to…himself. In the back of his mind, he’d had that option before. Hadn’t he gone crawling to Dar? Before reading Dar’s reply, he wouldn’t have been bothered by that. Now, though, he couldn’t stomach the idea—another reason to feel irritated by his mentor.

Dar had made it clear that Victor ought to be able to beat this curse, thereby making it impossible for Victor’s pride to allow him to beg other, more powerful people for help. No, he had to solve this. He had the means: he was a duke in one of the wealthiest kingdoms on the planet, and, aside from that, he’d just gained a king’s ransom of treasure. Kynna owed him natural treasures, and he could buy more. He needed to do what must be done to push his advancement.

“I’ve got it!” Arona said, clapping her hands.

“Yeah?” Victor looked to see she’d arranged the glowing crystal cylinders around the golden, rune-etched control module. Each of the crystals shone brighter than before, and Victor could see them slowly gaining brightness. Presumably, they were charging up. All in all, the array only had about an eight-foot diameter. “I was wondering—how long will the portal last if we pick up everything so we can travel through it? You know, like a one-way trip.”

“We’ll test that as soon as it’s charged up. Here.” Arona tossed the destination orb his way, and Victor caught it. It was just as heavy as he’d imagined—a solid ball of gold. He gripped it tightly for a minute, then stood, tossing it back to her. “Don’t go anywhere, please. Keep an eye on it while I go and speak to Kynna.”

“What about?” Arona made a strange face, and he could tell she felt like she’d overstepped, getting into his personal business.

Victor answered quickly so she could relax. “I want to ask her about the fallout from the duel and get an idea of how much time I have before the next. If I’m going to take Dar’s advice, I could use a little time.”

She nodded, uncomfortable expression melting into a solemn nod. “I’ll keep the array safe and wait for you.”

“I won’t be long.” Victor summoned a shirt from one of his rings and shrugged into it. When he buttoned the front, he left the top few buttons open so the spot of void wouldn’t destroy it. Thinking about that, he reached for the chain holding his marble-sized vault and key. It hung a few inches above the void, but what if it grew? If he lost the vault to this curse, he’d be furious. He removed it and looped the chain a few times around his wrist, turning it into a bracelet for the time being.

Outside his quarters, Bryn met him, frowning as she laid eyes on the void still swirling, the size of a fingernail, at the center of his chest. She’d seen it when they arrived but had left the room as Arona and Florent tried to help him brainstorm a solution. Victor shrugged. “Still there.”

“Hmm.” Bryn jerked her chin up and down. “You should cover it. We don’t want rumors to spread.”

“It’ll just destroy my shirt.”

She leaned close, peering at the void. “I think not. If your shirt is loose and if you don’t press on the spot. It seems to have sunk very slightly below the level of your flesh. Besides, your pectorals are significantly higher than the center of your chest.”

Victor frowned, but he supposed she was right. His other shirt had been ruined by his movements and constant reaching up to worry at the itching, burning wound. He buttoned his shirt, and when it didn’t immediately dissolve, he nodded and stepped onto the elevator. “Do me a favor and guard that door. Arona’s working on something valuable.”

Bryn frowned and folded her arms. “I fail to see what sort of threat I could stop that she couldn’t.”

“Well, maybe not, but you can at least alert her so nothing takes her by surprise.” Victor pushed the button to descend and, as the doors closed, added, “Thank you, Bryn.”

She continued to scowl but offered no more objection. Once the elevator descended, Victor hurried through the palace to the wing Kynna had commandeered. Her guards led him to her in the same study she seemed to favor, the one bordering the flower garden. When he stepped into the room, she looked up from the divan where she sat, wreathed in the red-orange glow of the sunset. “Victor! Tell me: how bad is it?”

He waved a hand. “It’s nothing. I suppose Florent squealed?”

“He was very worried, Victor. Don’t hold it against the man.”

“Why would I? I counted on him telling you. It saves me the trouble.”

“So? Has your other companion found a remedy?” She patted the cushion beside her, but Victor sat down in a wide, comfortable chair with its back to the garden; he enjoyed the feel of the fading sunlight on his neck.

“Not exactly, but your ancestor has given me guidance. This is something I’ll need to conquer on my own. However, there are ways that you can help.”

She set her wine glass down and leaned forward. “Anything!”

“Well, first, I need you to keep me informed, with as much accuracy as possible, on the dates of my duels. I’ll need to accomplish things between them, which will require careful timing.”

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“I will do my utmost to do so, but you know there are many unpredictable factors—”

Victor waved a hand, interrupting her. “I know. Just do your best.”

“What else can I do?” She looked so earnest. Her eyes were so wide and bright, the white flames dancing hypnotically behind their crystalline surface, that Victor struggled not to stare into them. She licked some droplets of wine from her bottom lip and almost seemed embarrassed by the act. It was endearing. “I’m sorry—I was torn between relief and celebration at your victory and then terror and dread when Florent made his report. I turned to the wine to try to ease my mind—”

“Hush, Kynna. I don’t begrudge you a bit of comfort. I’d be drinking right now, too, if your ancestor hadn’t lit a fire under my ass.” He chuckled at her arched eyebrow. “Anyway, the other way you can help me is to do everything you can to gather potent natural treasures or alchemical mixtures meant to advance my bloodline or, more generically, my race. I have to continue to strengthen my vessel if I’m going to beat this thing. Honestly, it’s the only reason I’m not dead already. Understand?”

Kynna nodded, and Victor saw moisture gathering in her eyes. “I—” To his horror, a sob choked off her words.

Victor leaned forward and grasped her wrist, pulling her hand to him. He squeezed it. Her skin was soft without the hint of a callus. “I’m not dead, and I won’t let this pinché curse do me in. All right?”

She sniffed and nodded. “It’s worse than you’re letting on, though.” Victor didn’t respond but held his expression steady, staring into her eyes. “I despair because I’ve been trying to find a natural treasure that will aid you. Epic-tier treasures of that nature are exceedingly rare. I will send more envoys further afield. We’ll plunder the auction houses of a thousand worlds if we must. I won’t spare any expense!”

Victor smiled and nodded. “Thank you. Don’t ruin the economy, but yeah, I’d appreciate even one.” He inhaled deeply and released her hand, leaning back in his chair. “Now, any idea how long until my next duel?”

Kynna nodded and leaned back on the divan. “I will be extremely pressed with political matters while we work to absorb Alvessia. Moreover, there will no doubt be some repercussions for Bayle’s attempt to slay Lohanse. Things have heated up, and when the veil walkers come under fire, their attention on the political goings-on tends to intensify. I believe assassination attempts and other such schemes will be set aside for a while, allowing me more time to negotiate and maneuver. Theoretically, we’ll need to work our way from the southern point of the eastern continent to the center where House Khaliday holds sway.”

“What’s the next logical target?”

“The kingdom that would move us the furthest north would be Voth.”

“Yeah? I’ve heard that name…” Victor searched his memory, but Kynna filled in the missing pieces.

“Trinnie Ro’s father was once champion there.”

“Ah.” Victor nodded, his lips curling into a frown as he thought of the champion he’d slain.

“Currently, Voth’s champion is a man named Resh A’kel. He’s a deadly combatant, Victor—well-feared by many other great houses. Bomar Lund, the King of Voth, has used A’kel’s reputation to strike many favorable trade bargains in the last few decades; his kingdom’s influence has risen quickly among the other houses.”

Victor chuckled. “Always trying to caution me. I appreciate your honesty, My Queen. Now, setting aside your concern about Resh A’kel’s prowess, if you would work to secure a duel with Voth, can you give me a rough idea of the timeline?”

She sighed and nodded. “Somewhere between six months and ten years. This conquest has been moving far more quickly than usual, Victor, thanks to a series of events that have worked out in our favor, but fights like this—kingdoms vying for everything—don’t generally happen overnight.”

“Yeah, I’m aware of that. So, let’s take advantage of the lull and start pressuring Voth. In the meantime, you can continue to force the other kingdoms on this continent to bend their knees to you. After I beat Loss Chenasta, I don’t see any of these lesser houses attempting to resist you. Once we finally take Voth down—hopefully in months rather than years—the other great houses will realize you have more power than they do. You’re already, by landmass, a greater force than most of them. I’m sure your economy is growing apace. Yes?”

Kynna nodded. “Yes. However, you underestimate the amount of plundering some of the oldest houses have done over the centuries. Much of the wealth of this continent has already been stripped and taken by them. There’s a reason there are no great houses on this continent.” Victor opened his mouth to argue further, but she held up her hands. “Nevertheless, your point stands. If I control this continent, they will feel the pinch, especially if I start to deny trade with their nations individually. We can begin to apply true pressure. I’ll do my best to accelerate our diplomatic efforts, Victor. In the meantime, you mustn’t let people know of your condition.”

“Nope. I intend to do some traveling, though I won’t broadcast it. Honestly, I’ll be in and out of my quarters atop my tower quite often, so don’t fear that I’ll be disappearing for long periods.” Victor stood up. “Stay in touch with me via our Farscribe book. I’ll always have a portal nearby so I can return quickly.”

The queen, too, stood, and she stepped toward him, hesitantly stretching her fingers toward his chest. Victor took a step back, and she blushed slightly. “I’m sorry. Please do what you must to recover, Victor. I’ll notify you the instant I have an appropriate treasure.”

Victor smiled and inclined his head, suddenly feeling much better about things. He felt like he was beginning to build a plan, and having that structure in mind went a long way toward keeping his earlier frustration and the corrupting tendrils of fear at bay. “I’ll speak to you soon, My Queen.” With that, he turned and marched from her room, barely pausing to acknowledge the folks who called out greetings on his way through the palace.

When he returned to the antechamber to his tower, Bryn was standing watch as he’d requested, and Victor’s improved mood must have been evident because she greeted him with, “Something good happened?”

“Some good things are happening, Bryn. Do you suppose I can entrust you with a very important task?”

She straightened up, her golden glaive thumping the polished marble floor. “You know you can, Your Grace!”

Victor chuckled and reached into his storage ring to retrieve the plans he’d drawn up for his cultivation chamber. It was a simple leather-bound notebook with neat scribbles and detailed sketches. His intelligence and dexterity were so far beyond what he’d been born with that his old self, struggling to write neat letters or complete basic geometry problems, would have thought an alien or super genius had written the notes. Victor was no such thing—the super genius part—but he had an uncanny control of his fingers and a mind capable of grasping complicated concepts if he put the effort into it.

“You know I’m having a cultivation chamber constructed in there, right?” He nodded toward his quarters.

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“Yes, of course. You’ve had workers coming and going for weeks.”

“Well, I’m still waiting on the amber ore to line it, and the door and artifact chambers, which are being constructed by an Artificer in town, are a ways from delivery.” He handed her the book. “Here are my plans. I want you to ride their asses until it's done. Here—” He summoned several large sacks of beads from the ring he’d taken from King Bayle and set them on the ground before her. “That’s about a million beads. Bribe people if you have to or hire more workers, but get that ore out of the mine and into my cultivation chamber as soon as possible. Tell the Artisan to hire more assistants if he needs to. His name’s in the book.”

Bryn nodded, reaching down to transfer the sacks of beads to her own storage ring. “I can do that. Are you leaving?”

“I’m going to be in and out, which brings me to another point: when I’m not here, there might be an active portal in my quarters. I’ll put it in the study, so don’t let anyone go in there. Put Faust on the door if you have to, especially when the workers are going in and out.”

“Understood. So—” She stopped short, eyeing his chest, and he knew she wanted to ask about his curse.

Victor let her off the hook. “I have a plan to make myself well again, and yes, this is all a part of that. Okay?”

Bryn nodded and saluted again. “You can count on me!”

Victor grinned, reaching out to gently thump his fist on the side of her armored shoulder. “I know I can.” He looked into her eyes for several seconds and then entered his quarters. Arona was there, in his sitting area, standing before a magenta rip in the fabric of reality.

“It works,” she announced.

Victor saw she held the destination orb in her hand. “Where does it lead?”

“A tranquil deserted little forest on a world I helped Vesavo to conquer a decade ago. I hope you aren’t angry. I stepped through to ensure it worked but came right back when I saw the destination was what I intended.”

Victor frowned, clicking his tongue as he walked toward her. “I’m not angry, but I wish you would have let me know. What if you got lost or—”

“Someone had to test it. It’s the least I can do for you.”

“I appreciate your loyalty, Arona, but let’s be smart about things, okay?” He bent to pick up one of the crystals. “Help me gather these. Let’s see how long it takes the portal to shut down.” The two of them walked around, picking up the warm, glowing crystals, and when they had all of them in hand, they watched the portal for nearly five minutes before it crackled and snapped shut with a soft, squelching pop.

Victor sent all the portal array pieces into his storage ring and then turned to Arona. “Okay. I’ve got a plan. I’m going to trust you with another one of my secrets.”

“Oh?” she arched one of her perfect, feathery dark eyebrows.

He jerked his head toward his study door. “Let’s go in there. We’re going to have a chat with a certain Dungeon Core named Du.”