E book 8: Chapter 17: Echoes of Insecurity

When Victor awoke, he had a message from Valla within the Farscribe ebook:

Victor – We failed the boss battle however escaped with out severe damage. We’re resting at an inn close to the doorway. We’ll return to the home after breakfast.

“Shit,” Victor grunted, sliding off the bed and pulling on his garments. A look on the window advised him it was nonetheless early; the sky had but to brighten with dawn. He summoned a pen and wrote a fast reply:

Valla – We’re all staying at Dar’s lake home. I’m coming to select you up. Wait there!

That carried out, Victor went into the kitchen and requested the employees, the one folks already awake, if certainly one of them might wake Mr. Qwor to let him know he needed to go away even sooner than deliberate. When a younger girl nodded and hurried away, Victor went outdoors and stood by the cobbled drive, ready. The coachman was fast to reach, and Victor had a sense he was an early riser as a result of he was dressed sharply in his uniform, wanting alert when he pulled the levitating car round.

“Good morning, sir.”

“Hey, Mr. Qwor. Sorry to vary issues up, however I simply discovered some buddies are out of a dungeon and want selecting up. Are you aware a few dungeon referred to as ‘Desperation Hole?’ They’re ready at an inn close to the doorway.”

“After all, sir. It’s southwest of the town close to the Opal Sea. I’ll have you ever there in an hour.” So, Victor climbed into the coach, wrote Valla one other message saying he’d be there in an hour, after which leaned again within the cushions, comfy and relaxed, understanding he’d quickly be together with her once more.

The Opal Sea wasn’t as massive because the lake on Dar’s property. Victor regarded out the window to observe as they approached, and that was his first thought. Not solely was it smaller, however the shoreline was rocky, barren, and lined with tons of of piers, all crowded with fishing boats of various sizes. The sight gave Victor a brand new perspective on Dar’s energy and affect. Clearly, this “sea” wasn’t privately owned and was in excessive demand for fishing, if nothing else. How a lot would the working-class folks of Sojourn love to realize entry to the attractive, clear, fish-filled waters on Dar’s trip property?

The inn on the mouth of a slender canyon the place the Desperation Hole dungeon was located was a tall, five-story, asymmetrical constructing that regarded like solely the drive of Vitality-fueled enchantments was conserving it upright. Victor stepped out of the coach amid a busy little market sq.. They’d flown over many properties, and it was evident that this space close to the Opal Sea was type of a smaller city middle away from the bigger metropolis.

Victor puzzled if it was nonetheless thought-about a part of Sojourn, which made him surprise simply how issues on the “metropolis world” have been structured. The world and metropolis have been referred to as Sojourn, however was each different neighborhood a part of that? Had been all of them dominated by the identical council of highly effective beings?

He’d decreased his dimension to that of nearly all of the native populace—one thing near a median human—so he didn’t should duck when he stepped into the tavern on the inn’s floor flooring. Valla had but to answer his messages, however he hoped she and Lesh could be ready there.

When he pushed open the door, nonetheless clad in common garments however with Lifedrinker on his again, it regarded to him just like the inn was nonetheless waking up and that breakfast was being served. The area was noisy and crowded, and Victor needed to stand there for a number of seconds earlier than anybody gave him any discover. He didn’t care, although; he was scanning the crowded tables for Lesh’s hulking type or Valla’s silvery wings.

To his reduction, he noticed them within the entrance, far nook by a window, and when he began towards them, Lesh caught sight of him first and stood up, knocking his chair again with a clatter. “Lord Victor!” he roared, which acquired Valla’s consideration, whose again was to him. She shifted to look his manner, and Victor virtually fell over when he noticed her face. She had a bandage over her left eye and, above and beneath it, on her brow and cheek, was a deep, recent scar that stood out, purple and swollen, on her stunning silvery-blue flesh.

Victor rushed to her, indiscriminately shoving folks, chairs and all, out of his manner. He hadn’t realized he was doing it, however by the point he stood earlier than her, he’d launched his size-altering spell and simply lifted her into an embrace, gently cradling her head onto his shoulder as he held her. “Pobrecita! What occurred?”

Valla squirmed in his embrace, and he heard her muffled reply, “Victor! Put me down!” He did as she requested, gently reducing her, oblivious to the outraged clamoring of the shoppers he’d left in his wake. He had eyes and ears just for Valla.

As for her, all she might see was Victor, his big type looming earlier than her. She sighed and reached out to take his left hand with each of hers. “I knew you have been going to overreact! I acquired damage; that’s the entire story. Nothing extra to say. It’s a danger that comes with the territory—”

“Fuck, Valla!” Victor reached towards her bandage, however then he was jostled, and a heavy hand gripped his biceps, pulling with sufficient energy to show him.

A deep, guttural voice growled, “You owe me a gods-damned breakfast, you nice oaf!”

Victor launched Valla and whirled, rage dashing into pathways primed by his shock at seeing Valla wounded. His imaginative and prescient turned purple, and he laid eyes on the person accosting him and . . . fought to get himself below management. The person was outdated and grey with a bent, hunched again, however judging by the dimensions of his forearm and highly effective grip, Victor knew he was somebody who’d labored laborious his entire, very lengthy life. Extra sobering than that was the mess he noticed behind the outdated fellow. In his haste to get to Valla, Victor had overturned a number of chairs, despatched a number of of us sprawling, and even upended a whole desk.

“No, I wouldn’t. You converse to me from the guts and search recommendation; how might I even think about betraying that belief?” He made a face, and Victor puzzled if he’d alienated one more individual. Lesh didn’t storm off, although. He took a second to think about after which stated, “Why do you are concerned about one thing you may’t management? You’re what you’re. Valla is what she is. You each love one another, and, no less than for the second, you’re collectively. Get pleasure from that.”

Victor knew Lesh had a wierd perspective on love. He’d given up his life together with his precise spouse to observe Victor. Excited about that and realizing they have been speaking about private issues, he voiced a query that had been on his thoughts since he’d realized concerning the man’s spouse. “Will your spouse look forward to you? Are you planning to return to her sometime?”

“Yassa is my mate. I suppose it’s much like a spouse in your tradition, however . . . it has some nuances. She is going to look forward to a time, but when I tarry too lengthy, she’s going to search one other.” Lesh’s phrases have been matter-of-fact, however Victor might really feel some emotion behind them.

“I imply, do you hope to get again to her?”

“Ah, Victor, I do know you imply effectively, however it is a matter I’ve settled my thoughts about. I’d slightly not dwell on what might have been or what could also be; I’ve set my course for various shores. Destiny’s winds transfer me now.”

The dragonkin’s gentle rebuke stung greater than it ought to have. Victor realized he’d been harboring some hope for knowledge or recommendation to see him by means of this, hopefully, minor battle with Valla. As he had the thought, he puzzled if the battle was actually with Valla or with himself. Sighing, feeling like nothing had been resolved, he pushed his chair again and stood. “I higher go after her.”

“I’ll be proper behind. I would like to go to the bathrooms.” Lesh stood and lumbered towards the again of the restaurant, and Victor silently wished the plumbing luck. He went outdoors to search out Valla sitting on the sting of the wood boardwalk that lined the row of buildings. Her ft dangled towards the cobbled avenue, and she or he held her wings barely open to make it simpler to sit down down. When Victor hopped right down to the cobbles and turned to face her, she scowled and pointedly regarded to the facet.

“That mad? Gained’t even take a look at me?” A nook of her mouth quirked up, and he knew he had her on the ropes. “Come on! I’m sorry I reacted that manner.” He reached out to take her chin and turned her face towards him. “Let me see that lower. I guess you look robust as hell.” To his shock, her cheeks flushed, and she or he regarded away once more. “Are you being shy?”

“Cease it, Victor!” She slapped his hand, and he sighed, turning his hand so his palm was going through up.

“Effectively, take my hand no less than. I’ll stroll you to the coach.” She relented at that and put her hand in his, and he pulled, making it straightforward for her to slip to the sting of the boardwalk and hop to her ft. “You’re going to love Dar’s lake home.”

“How lengthy will we keep there?”

Victor paused, wanting again on the inn. “Let’s wait a minute so Lesh can observe us. The coach is over there.” He pointed to the oval, black-lacquered car, the place it floated a number of ft over the cobbles on the opposite facet of the sq.. “Dar stated that we will keep on the lake home till I’ve acquired sufficient cash to purchase a home that, uh, ‘fits my station’ or one thing like that.”

To his additional shock, Valla sighed and shook her head. “I like our little townhome. It’s cozy, and it, effectively, it’s ours—” She was wanting up at him whereas she spoke, and Victor’s guilt should have been obvious as a result of she lower off her phrases and took a step away, turning to take a look at him extra instantly together with her single eye. “Why do you appear to be that? Did one thing occur to our home?”

“I . . .” Victor had that feeling he’d had too many occasions in his life when he realized he’d been silly, and it appeared so apparent after the truth that he couldn’t fairly consider the extent of his thoughts’s betrayal. After all, he ought to have spoken to Valla earlier than emptying the home and placing it up on the market. They’d picked the place collectively. They’d moved in collectively. What wouldn’t it say about his opinion of her that he’d simply undone all of that with out a lot as asking her what she thought?

“Is that the coach, Lord Victor?” Lesh requested, as soon as once more being overly formal for some rattling purpose. Victor nodded, his thoughts nonetheless on Valla and the way damage she regarded. He hadn’t even advised her what he’d carried out, however she was greater than intelligent and will learn his face like a ebook. She slipped her hand from his and walked with Lesh to the coach. Victor adopted, attempting to think about a solution to clean issues over. Nothing sensible got here to him. When he climbed into the car’s spacious inside, he wasn’t shocked to search out Valla sitting in one of many bucket seats slightly than the longer benches, so he sat alone.

“I’ve to go to an enchanter’s store to get my armor. Ought to I take you two house first?”

Valla nodded. “Sure, please.”

Frowning, virtually scowling, Victor slid open the little window to the motive force’s compartment, “Again to the lake home first, Mr. Qwor.” After a couple of minutes of silence, Victor checked out Lesh. “Inform me concerning the dungeon.”

“Ah, my pleasure,” the large man rumbled, and Victor tried to loosen up, sitting again within the cushions, listening to Lesh recount their expertise, describing the dungeon, the denizens, and the fights. Sometimes, Victor would look at Valla, however she refused to satisfy his gaze, and he determined one of the best factor he might do was give her some area. There wasn’t at all times a fast repair, some magical mixture of phrases, that may finish a battle, and he figured he simply needed to give her a while to chill off.

If their variations have been nearly the home and his unilateral determination to promote it, he wouldn’t have felt so troubled as he sat there listening to the dragonkin. His earlier ideas, although, his admission to fearing Valla would develop bored with being in his shadow, weighed closely on him. He puzzled if she additionally suspected there was extra to the anger she felt. He puzzled if she was sitting there drawing her personal conclusions, discovering rifts the place earlier than she’d thought issues have been clean.

He hated how he felt. He hated that Valla was upset with him. He hated that he hadn’t stated or carried out the proper factor when he’d seen her damage, and slightly than make issues higher for her, he appeared to have made them worse. He tried to hearken to Lesh, nodding alongside and appearing impressed on the proper moments, however he was solely half-present as he replayed one dialog after one other, attempting to think about the proper issues to say. When he failed, he lastly closed his eyes and leaned again, hoping he was proper and {that a} little bit of time was all it might take.