Plum Parrot
patreon
Victor 11.3 - The Meaning of Home
🕑 Added 2025-05-13 19:11:33 +0000 UTCHere we go - Chapter Three and the descriptions of Victor's further gift-giving that I promised you. Thanks for reading and for all the feedback :) It helps!
-Plum
3 – The Meaning of Home
As Lesh sat down, cradling the massive sword across his knees, Victor regarded the rest of their little gathering. He had a gift in mind for each of them, but he wasn’t sure which to hand out first. He decided to start with Darren, since he was fairly certain the guy would appreciate it; he didn’t exactly have much experience with magical equipment and would probably be happy for anything. Before he could start, though, Lam set her drink down and cleared her throat.
“Victor, were you speaking plainly when you said you fought thirty steel seekers at once? There wasn’t any, well, hyperbole involved?”
Victor grinned, shaking his head. “No, I was being truthful. Honestly, perhaps the greatest gift I can give you all is to not rely on your level or your equipment to win the day for you. Those men and women were all confident that they could beat me. As a team, they should have easily slaughtered me, but not one of them had the will to overcome my greatest spells. Part of my success can be attributed to the element of surprise; they weren’t expecting me to jump into their midst.
“Still, they should have done better. My initial attack put them on their heels, and then I didn’t relent; I piled one debilitating attack after another into them until their wills were broken, and then it was just a matter of finishing them off.”
“Wise words, Lord Victor,” Lesh said, his eyes still focused on his new sword. “Darren, take great care to know your foes before you assume victory. Levels are merely one factor in that complicated formula.”
“There must have been so much treasure from that battle, Victor!” Edeya said, heedless of Lesh’s attempt to echo Victor’s words of caution.
Victor nodded, though he reached up to scratch his chin. “There was a lot, sure, but not as much as you might think. I mean”—he held up his ring-covered fingers—“if someone killed me, they’d find a lot of stuff in these rings. I’m kind of a pack rat.” His words drew some puzzled expressions, but he figured they got the gist. “Most of the treasure was equipment that the champions were wearing. Don’t get me wrong, there were around twenty storage rings mixed in, but they didn’t hold as much treasure as you’d imagine a steel seeker would have tucked away.
“When I received all the equipment and rings, I figured those champions had been prepared to die; they’d left much of their wealth with their families. I don’t think I’m spoiling anything by telling you all that, since then, I’ve learned that steel seekers gain access to something called a spirit space. I have a feeling that most of their treasures were tucked away in there and are, likely, lost forever.”
“I’ve heard of this,” Lesh said, looking at Olivia.
She nodded. “Some of the high-tier members of our sparring circle have spoken of it.” She frowned, a pensive expression crossing her eyes as she asked, “Do you think, perhaps, the System takes possession of items left behind in a dead person’s spirit vault?”
Victor shrugged. “Maybe—at least for those who are still under the System’s influence.”
“There are people who aren’t?” Edeya asked, eyebrows shooting up.
Victor chuckled, waving a hand. “Forget I said that. The last thing I need is for the System to think I’m stirring up trouble here.”
“You can’t just say that and then expect us to forget it!” Olivia objected, clenching her hands atop her knees.
“Listen, you guys are still in the middle of the iron ranks. I promise I’ll explain more…topics like that when you’re closer to being steel seekers. Okay? Right now, it’s best, believe me, if you just focus on learning what you can within the System and advancing your levels and bloodlines. Now, all that being said, do you mind if I present your gifts?”
“Yes! Please hush, everyone!” Edeya said, grinning fiercely.
Lam took her hand, trying to coax her into reclining, but Edeya couldn’t be moved from the edge of her seat. Victor chuckled as he reached into his storage ring and pulled out his gift for Darren. A stack of square runestones appeared in his palm, each about an inch across. “Here, Darren, pick one of your affinities and channel that Energy into one of these stones.” He handed the stack to Darren, who received them into cupped hands.
“Any of them?”
“Yeah, it doesn’t matter.” Victor and the others watched as Darren concentrated. Then the runestones flared with red-tinted electricity, snapping into the shape of a circle that hovered above his hands, crackling as the Energy arced from one to the next. As Darren’s eyes unfocused, no doubt reading the System description, Victor turned to the others. “It’s called a Runestone Circlet. Darren’s supposed to wear it above his head, and it will amplify the effects of his spells—those using the same Energy attunement.”
Darren lifted the hovering circlet, placing it above his feathered head, and it floated there, slowly spinning like an electrically charge halo made of stone squares. “This is incredible, Victor!”
Victor smiled, pleased to see his gift well received. “You’re welcome.” He turned to Olivia. “All right, cousin. Edeya tells me you’re unmatched with your talent for elemental magic, so when I saw this item, I knew it was perfect for you.”
“Oh?” Olivia sat up straighter.
“Yep.” Victor summoned her gift, a disc of glass—almost like a monocle—mounted in a gold frame and connected to a golden chain. “This is called a Spellseeker Lens. If you look at a person or a creature through it, you’ll see if they have any elemental weaknesses.”
“Oh? Fascinating!” Olivia took the lens from his fingers and then asked, “Do I bond with it?”
Victor nodded. “Sure. Try it out.”
Olivia concentrated for a moment, then held the lens to her eye, staring at Victor. “I don’t see anything.”
Victor chuckled. “Try someone else.”
Olivia shifted her focus to Lesh and gasped. “Lesh! You’re surrounded by dancing electrical sparks.”
“Bah! A curse of my acidic blood—electricity loves me.”
Olivia smiled and lowered the lens. “It’s wonderful, Victor. Thank you.”
“I’m glad you like it.” Victor turned to Lam. “I understand you’ve continued to take protector-type classes as you advanced through the ranks. Edeya told me that at tier four, you received an epic class called Adamant Paragon, yeah?”
Lam nodded, though she looked at Edeya sideways. “Stealing my thunder?”
“Well, you don’t write to him!”
Lam clicked her tongue. “I’m sorry about that, Victor. Edeya always kept me informed about your letters; I didn’t think you’d want more busy words from me. I’ll try—”
Victor waved her to silence. “Will you relax? I don’t mind that. Of course, I’d love to hear from all of you more often, but I know what it’s like. Besides, I’m not the best at replying in a timely fashion! Just ask Edeya. Anyway, I mentioned your class because I think I have the perfect item for you. It might be too unwieldy for you right now, but I’m sure you’ll grow into it.”
He summoned his gift for her: an enormous, glossy black shield. It was nearly as tall as Lam, shaped like a V, and engraved with intricate, beautiful roses. While the shield was black, the roses were lustrously enameled in shades of pink. The thing was heavy, and the boards of the deck creaked under its weight as Victor set it before her. “This shield is called Midnight Bloom, and I’m pretty damn sure its indestructible.”
Lam gasped, standing to grip the top of the shield, which came to her chin. “It’s beautiful! I… I don’t think I can use it yet!” she said with a laugh as she moved her hands to the sides and tried to lift it, barely getting it to slide an inch over the decking.
Victor nodded. “Well, bond with it, and see.”
Lam closed her eyes, and the shield flared briefly with red-gold light. This time, Lam slid her arm into the straps, and her eyes flew wide as the broad, supple bands tightened around her flesh, and then the shield shrank. It was still large—more than half the size of Lam—but she managed to lift it and hold it before her, her emerald eyes gleaming with excitement and pride. “It’s amazing, Victor!”
“Hell yes! I was afraid you’d have to make a few more ranks before you could use it.”
“She’s been building her strength!” Edeya said proudly.
“All right. You ready, Edeya?”
“I’ve been ready!” Her wings fluttered with her excitement, showering the seat behind her with motes of azure Energy.
Victor laughed and summoned her gift—a spear. He’d gifted her a lovely spear before, but this one was far more powerful. For starters, it was fourteen feet long, made of shining, silvery metal, and imbued with a rose-colored glow that shone from the broad, leaf-shaped blade at its tip. As soon as Victor held it, the weapon spoke to him in a breathy, feminine croon, “Have you deigned to make yourself known to me at last, master?”
“I told you to stop calling me that. Besides, I’m about to give you to your new wielder—no sense getting to know me.”
“Oh, I pray you’ll be kind! Don’t give me to some layabout, some slack-willed, derelict old noble who will place me on a wall. I yearn for the fight! I yearn for adventure!”
“Are you talking to that beautiful spear, Victor!” Edeya cried, leaping to her feet.
Victor gripped the spear tightly, giving it a shake. “I’m gifting you to someone very special to me. She’ll treat you well, and you had better do your best to keep her safe!”
“Oh! This pretty young thing? Her spirit is so bright! Yes! Yes! I will! Together we’ll explore and fight righteous battles!”
Victor tilted the spear toward Edeya. “She’s very talkative.”
“She! Of course she is! How gorgeous!” Edeya grabbed the spear, and her mouth dropped open and her eyes nearly fell out of her skull. “She’s talking to me! She says I should bond with her!”
Victor nodded. “Do it.” He watched as the spear flared with blue Energy and then, to his relief, shrank to a more manageable size for Edeya. Not all conscious weapons could alter their size and shape—Lifedrinker being a prime example—but Kynna had assured him that many could. “The spear belonged to a champion named Jos Sharava. When I killed him, the spear was upset, but also very understanding. Apparently, she has a very well-defined code of honor, and she didn’t think the champions’ assault on my palace was just.”
“What’s her name, Victor?” Lam asked, staring at Edeya’s blank face as the young Ghelli communed with the spear.
“The spear? Roselance.”
Still clutching the spear, Edeya suddenly snapped out of her trance and looked at Victor with tears pooling in her eyes. “She’s wonderful! Victor, I’m so, so grateful. I’m desperately searching for more words, but I can’t think of the right—”
“Hush. I’m just glad you’re happy.” He looked at the others. “I hope you all know if I had more conscious weapons to hand out, I would. Lesh’s sword and that spear were the only ones, though, and—”
“Now it’s your turn to hush!” Olivia said with a laugh. “We’re all very grateful. You owe us nothing! In fact, it’s quite the other way around.”
As everyone stood, crowding around, eager to offer their thanks and agree with Olivia’s sentiment, Victor smiled and soaked it in. He was happy for the reunion, however brief it might be. The closeness he felt with those people, especially Edeya, was comforting, and it reminded him that he’d built a home for himself since leaving Earth, but that home wasn’t necessarily a physical place; it was the welcome, warm feeling he got from the people he’d befriended.
They spent most of the evening sharing tales, though Victor tried hard not to spend much time talking; he wanted to hear about the adventures of his friends—the dungeons they’d seen, the things they’d learned, and the people they’d met in Sojourn. After dinner, they swam, then spent more time visiting, and before long, it was the middle of the night, and Victor felt his sleepless days catching up to him a bit. It was fine, though, because his friends required far more rest than he did, so they turned in, with Victor promising to say goodbye before he left in the morning.
Lying in his bed, looking around the room he’d shared with Valla, Victor had a hard time sleeping, despite his constant yawns. He’d felt her absence throughout the evening; these were friends they’d had in common, people they’d spent time with on Sojourn. She’d come up several times in conversation, and though Victor was over the sharpness of his feelings, it still left a hollow space in his chest, a nebulous sensation that something was missing.
To put his mind at ease, he took an hour to write her a much longer note than the one he’d drafted earlier. She’d written to him, expressing her regret that she’d miss his visit to Fanwath this time around, but her words were warm, and he felt better after reading them and replying.
As he closed his Farscribe book and fell back into his pillows, he thought about putting on his ring, the dream crystal one that Tes had crafted for him, but he decided against it. He had a lot to share with her, but it didn’t feel right on the heels of so many thoughts about Valla. That brought a self-deprecating smile to his face as he realized how sentimental and silly he was, but he stood by his impulse and kept the ring tucked away as he closed his eyes and drifted into sleep.
Victor didn’t dream much, or if he did, he didn’t remember them. When he woke the next morning, he packed his things and then went out to the deck where the morning sun was already warming the boards. He set up his portal array and sat down, clutching the destination orb, waiting for his friends to find him so he could say his goodbyes. While he waited, he prepared two of his higher-end dimensional rings, intent on giving one to Lesh and one to Edeya for their conscious weapons.
Edeya was the first out, and she was clutching her spear, holding it on her shoulder like a beloved child. She looked bleary-eyed and not at all rested. Victor laughed when he saw her and asked, “She kept you up all night talking, didn’t she?”
“I had to leave the room, Victor! Lam was so irritated!” She giggled, blinking up at him. Victor held out his hand, and she peered at the ring on his palm. “What’s this?”
“A storage ring that won’t hurt your new friend.” He nodded to the spear.
She took it, peering at the intricate runes carved into the precious metal. “Another gift? How will I ever—”
“You’ll repay me by staying alive. You’re very important to me, Edeya.”
Her eyes, already red from lack of sleep, filled with tears again, and she blinked rapidly. “I love you, Victor. You’re such a sweet man, and you’ve no reason to be after everything…” She trailed off, sniffling, and Victor pulled her into a hug, careful not to make her drop her spear.
“I love you, too. Hush now.”
He was saved from more sentimentality when Lesh and Darren arrived. He gave Lesh his ring, slapped the men on their shoulders, assuring them he’d see them again soon, then Olivia and Lam arrived, and he gave them each a hug. “Okay, everyone! This is the last time I agree to stick around for more goodbyes before I leave!” He laughed, shaking his head as he gestured to his portal array. “I’m heading to Fanwath next if any of you wanted to visit.”
“Oh, Victor! Why didn’t you say so?” Edeya exclaimed, looking at Lam with hopeful eyes.
“Dey-Dey, we have the raid coming up. We have to fill out our team,” the older woman said, shaking her head and clicking her tongue.
“We’re all involved in that, Victor,” Olivia added. “We’ll have to fund our own visit afterwards.”
“Oh, I could give you some beads—”
“No, Lord Victor!” Lesh growled. “We won’t take any more gifts!”
“Besides,” Darren added, “we’re making good money in the dungeons here. It won’t be a problem.”
“Okay, well, uh, I’m not exaggerating when I say I’m rich, so, yeah, if you need anything, just write to me in Edeya’s book.” He chuckled, then held up the destination orb. “Okay, opening my portal. Take care, everyone.” With that, he concentrated, and a crackling magenta rip in reality appeared. He walked around, picking up the parts of his array, sending them into storage so he could open a new portal when he was ready to leave Fanwath.
“That’s so amazing…” Olivia said, staring at the portal. “I simply must get into artificing. I’ve been learning every enchanting language I could get my hands on, but after witnessing the types of devices you’ve been waving around, I’m feeling particularly inspired!”
“Well, maybe you can visit Fanwath, you know, teach at the university you and Rellia are building, and do some experimenting.”
“Do not try to steal Olivia! We need her!” Edeya growled, hurrying forward to give Victor another hug before he could step into the portal.
“Fair enough,” he grunted, hugging her back. As she released him, he held up his hands. “Okay, that’s it! Goodbye!” With a laugh, he waved and then stepped into the portal.
He arrived, as usual, in the garden of his house on Fanwath. He wasn’t sure who he would visit with on that brief one-day visit, but he knew one thing for sure: he would check in with Cora and Efanie to ensure his obligations to the young lady were being met. After spending some time with her, seeing how she spent her days firsthand, and making any necessary arrangements, he’d do his best to check in with Thayla and Deyni. Those were his priorities; any other visits he managed to pull off would be icing on the cake.
Those were the thoughts in his mind as he stepped out into the garden. He’d expected it to be deserted, but it seemed that word had gotten ahead of him, and people weren’t going to wait on him to come visiting this time around. It was early evening in that part of Fanwath, and the garden was strung with fairy lights, a band was playing, and a considerable crowd erupted with cheers as his portal crackled and snapped shut.
Victor, smiling almost involuntarily, looked around at the beaming faces, noting the drinks in people’s hands. Before he could say anything, though, he was attacked by his second over-eager hugger of the day—Deyni slammed into him, wrapping her little arms around his waist as she pressed her head against his stomach. He grabbed her under the arms, hoisting her up, so he could hug her properly. “What’s all this?” he laughed, looking around as he squeezed her close.
Efanie and Thayla met his gaze, guilty smiles under rosy cheeks giving them away. As they stepped forward, Thayla said, “We weren’t going to have you sneak in and out again! There are people who want to see you, Victor!”
Comments
vuduman78
If I remember right he should be able to absolutely annihilate basically anyone on Fanwath if I remember right they basically stunted themselves by being isolationist with their stones.
Chris
I really hope to see Victor find some meaningful stuff for his companions, especially Lesh, to do in the upcoming battles. If not on Dark Ember, then at least in the defense of Fanwath. Lesh gave up a lot to serve and follow Victor, and I think it'd be cool to see that rewarded in he and the companions getting some epic moments.
maximum0428
Yeeeeeeessss!!! This is exactly what I wanted to see!! Victor Claus came by and gave some awesome gifts 😂 I love these chill feel-good slice of life chapters where things are good! Makes the parts of the story that are fights to the death more intense just by sheer contrast! Awesome as always, Plum! Keep em coming!!!!1!!
Plum Parrot
No mate, that's called platonic love.
Dylan Alexander
I wish I was more into those moments but I’m not. Probably because I’m not an emotional person and reading or being around emotional moments makes me feel weird.
Dylan Alexander
So Edeya is Victor’s next love interest? Or am I confused?
Joshua Aarons
Loved it
Exaiter
Liked the gift giving, good chap plum 😁
Omar Jimenez
Damn tier four in a year or so? Lam’s putting in the work! Presumably, Darren and Edeya are on par, but wasn’t Lesh already tier six or seven when he went to that dungeon with Valla? Also it’s nice having Olivia around, but what ever happened to Arcanis’ sister? I thought she’d joined up with the team? Anyway, I love the adventures, the combat, and the introspection Victor has gotten up to, but this, the moment when he can relax with his loved ones is something really special, at least to me.
Reno
I hope that last *see* is a friendly "see" and not the kind of "see" you get from antagonistic officials. That's what it sounded like, but with the not-warlord-anymore coming to his home, I feel like I need to brace myself for the worst.
Reno
What a great way to remember that it's Tuesday. 🎉
