Victor Deus (Heritage of the Blood Book 1) (17 page)

“No harm done? You just brought those boys worlds crashing down around them, and there's no harm done? I'll tell you what. If I didn't think that Victor was sharper than you I'd warn him to run while he can. You know I'm going to have to train that Shawnrik boy. Victor will need a good sword arm with him with whatever you've got cooking in that brain of yours. Just remember Nim, they are only kids. Sure, Victor's got the sense of a man in his twenties, more even than some, but he's still just a kid.” Each sentence came with a larger gesture, his drink losing a little more liquid over the rim with each statement.

“Yes, your right. They
are
both kids. Therefore, it's better that they learn now what a dangerous, and rat infested world we live in. I've just made those boys more aware, that will probably save their lives…”

“Or send them to an early grave.” Ashur interjected before Nim could continue, barely stopping the flow of words from his friend.

“… and, it will also help them with the changes that are going to be coming. You're going to have to train that boy hard if he is going to keep up with Victor you know. Victor is... amazing! He must have only been three or four when he began his training. Do you realize what that means?” Nim was now pacing in front of the fireplace, his excitement no longer allowing him to sit still.

“That he didn't have, and isn't going to have a childhood?” Ashur said wryly, Nim stopped long enough to shoot a glare at him before he continued pacing.

“It means that the boy has been taught the things that people usually don't, and can't learn until they are much older. Not only does learning new things come easier to a child in their first few years of life, but anything they learn during that time becomes second nature. I'll be able to teach him most of what I know within a year or two, and he will still be in a prime age for learning more! It means that I am going to prepare this boy to face life as a man. He will be able to go to banquets and converse with royalty, and he will be able to lobby for things the way that I was never able to. He will be accepted, and he…
will
be feared.”

Ashur stared into the fire for some time before he looked at his friend and shrugged. “I figured it was something like that. As I said earlier, if it wasn't for the fact that I think the boy is sharper than you, I'd warn him away. I also have a lot of respect for that Shawnrik boy. He reminds me a lot of myself.” Nim shot Ashur an incredulous expression. Ashur stared back, daring Nim to challenge his statement before he clarified, “He reminds me of myself in that he's going to be stuck following Victor for the rest of his life, and he's got a good head on his shoulders.”

“Stuck? Are you stuck following me now? I swore that it was your choice to follow me all those years ago. You had your father's title to inherit, and all that money. You could probably be a duke by now. Would you have traded any of that for the experiences that we've had adventuring together?” Nim's tone was full of mock indignation, knowing full well that Ashur wouldn't have changed a thing.

“No, but just like me that boy's gonna' follow Victor into the bowels of hell, and he'll either come out laughing, or die in the attempt. Anyway, I expect I should get some sleep tonight. Tomorrow is probably going to be an interesting day.” Ashur set his glass on the table, and tucked his book into the crook of his arm. “You should get some sleep too, all that plotting has got to tire a man out.” With that Ashur quietly exited the room.

Nim was left standing alone by the fire thinking about what Ashur had just said. He had never really realized it before, but he had pulled Ashur along on almost all of his undertakings; The man never raising a complaint.
He'll either come out laughing, or die trying. Is that the way it has been all these years my friend? I suppose it has. Well, if it was that bad for us, then it will probably be worse for Victor and Shawnrik. Nim spent the next few hours remembering all of the adventures he had been on with his friends, and looking forward to all the ones he knew were yet to come.  

Chapter 6

A Night to Remember

Year 3043 AGD

Month:  New Year

Second Day

Continent of Terroval

City of Safeharbor

Cliff's End

Nim's Mansion

Dawn brought a new sense of life to the place, the crisp sea air seemed full with the winds of change. Victor awoke feeling as if the world was a shining new place to explore, and he wanted to see every inch of it. Lia seemed to sense that something was different, and couldn't help but giggle as Victor ran to the window, looking at the world from every angle he could manage. He dressed quickly, seeming not the slightest bit bothered by Lia's presence today. Running downstairs, jumping and playing the whole way, Victor stopped to marvel at the statue in the entrance hall. He looked at the large cat, which Nim had identified as a lion, and his gaze fell to the creature at the lions mercy Nim had called a deer, and the meaning of the statue jumped out at him.

“You are either the hunter or the prey,” Victor whispered to himself, and was startled to hear a now familiar voice behind him.

“Excellent Victor, and which would you be? The deer, or the Lion?”

Victor looked at Nim as if the man had lost his mind. “I am the Lion.”

Nim nodded, as if the answer had been clear. “Ahh yes, but if you are the Lion, then who is the deer?” Nim's smile barely touched his eyes.

Victor lost a bit of steam, not expecting such a question. “What do you mean?”

Nim gestured towards the statue, and they both turned to look at the statue as Nim started talking again. “Well, the lion is considered an unyielding and ferocious predator, but he also defends his lands, and protects his pride. His pride being the lionesses and any other male lions he allows to live in his zone of influence. In order to survive they must eat, and unfortunately it is the deer, and others like it, that end up as lunch. The lion feels no remorse for killing the animal, for it was simply doing what it needed to do to survive. The deer had done nothing to the lion, it was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. The deer represents those people who go through life care free, not realizing that there is a predator just out of eye-shot. On the other hand, maybe they do realize it, but simply choose to ignore it because it is easier to pretend that the danger isn't there.” Nim looked down at Victor, and after a moment of silence Victor turned to look at Nim, a thoughtful expression lined his features. “Are you following what I am saying? If you have any questions ask them.”

“I think I understand. The lion is one who is doing right by himself and his pride, but to do so he has to sacrifice the life of his prey. I don't understand what you mean by who is the deer though… wait. The deer isn't an enemy it is just a means of survival, a needed loss in order to continue to exist. If the lion didn't kill and eat, he would waste away and die, or become weak and become prey to another predator.” Victor's attitude that he had woken up with, now began to take on a new light.

Nim stood there a moment looking at Victor before he gave his head a small shake of amazement.
How many people would have seen through to the heart of it like that? Every time I talk to you, you surprise me just a little bit more.
“That's right, the deer is just a means of survival, allowing the lion to be strong enough to face its foes. Of course, the lions on the other continents are nothing like the ones on Terroval. I saw one once on Telleros, and tried to talk to it, but all it did was growl and then charge at me! Dispatching it was an easy matter, but I had been so surprised by it's aggression that I took a wound from the beast. I still have the scar.” Nim rolled up his right sleeve so that he could show Victor the scar. Three long lines ran across Nim's forearm where the Lion had struck. “I've found that most of the creatures in the rest of the world are nothing like those we have here. Somehow the blood of the dragons, both the good and the bad, has run rampant on this continent, and nothing seems unaffected by it. Many of the creatures out there hate the Dracair as much as the rest of us, but some hate us just as much. We have a few allies though, south of the great desert are the Lions of the night, and East of those the Lions of the sky inhabit the rocky cliffs of the sea of Turmoil. In the forests to the north there are the great packs of the Silver wolves, and the Twilight Wolves. West of the great desert, in the dense forests known to the Dracair as Death's Edge, I have come across the Death's Edge Wolverines. Their entire existence seems to be built around rooting out evil and exterminating it from their territory by any means necessary. The wolverines are the only race of those I have mentioned who have not developed the ability of speech, but they are smart, and won't attack unless they smell the taint of darkness on you. Luckily for me, they seem to be able to somehow sense intent as well or I might not have made it out of their alive, being half Dracairai myself.”

Each creature Nim spoke of had brought to mind another half dozen question, but Nim raised a hand forestalling Victor's natural curiosity.

“Later... you can ask me later Victor. For now, it's time for a light breakfast.”

Victor sniffed the air, nostrils flaring as he scented bacon, and promptly forgot every question he had been about to ask. “Yes, breakfast sounds good.”

Nim had called it a light breakfast, but the meal laid out for them as they entered the dining hall was a grand display. Dishes of all kinds were piled high, with a variety of delicious foods that Victor was sure would please a King. After everyone had their fill the small group convened to the back veranda, taking in the crisp sea air as they overlooked the ocean. The veranda was just far enough back that the harbor walls were barely visible over the cliff's edge. Everyone seemed content with being lost in their own thoughts as they watched the gentle rise and fall of the ocean waves.

The sun was halfway towards it's zenith when Bartholomew coughed lightly and informed the group that the tailor had sent more of the
young master's
clothing up. The packages had been left in the Visitor's room, which was located directly behind the Lion statue. Having exited to the outside from a door in the kitchen earlier, the boys had not yet to see the Visitor's room. Ashur looked at Nim and rolled his eyes, a knowing smile on his lips, when Nim opened the barely visible doors from the back veranda. It came as no surprise to either of the men when the boys both stopped dead in their tracks upon entering the room.

The boys realized that they had yet to see just how much Nim enjoyed showing the world that he was was fabulously wealthy, and an exceptional artist. Over forty feet above their heads raged a battle between angels and demons amongst storm clouds. As the door closed behind them the boys looked upon a white sandy beach on a clear summers day, ocean disappearing into distant blue-green sky on the horizon to the West. Facing the North wall they saw what they would eventually learn was the Elven capital, Eske'Taure, as it might be seen from a hilltop overlooking the great forest that surrounds it. On the opposite wall to the South stood a tropical rainforest, creatures of all types hidden within it's untamed borders. What had caught and held the boys attention immediately upon entering the room however was on the Eastern wall. Draco'laire, as it might have looked thousands of years before the Blood Mages had stripped it of its beauty and turned it into the the city now known as Siniquity. Giant structures reached for the clouds, gleaming golden as the sunlight tore through to look upon the mountain city. Dragons of all shapes, sizes, and colors roamed the once majestic city. Small forms could be seen along the sides of the streets running errands for their Draconic masters. It wasn't until they realized that these tiny figures were made up of the various races of Terrazil the shear magnitude of the once grand city truly came into focus however.

Victor's initial amazement kept his head swirling trying to see the whole room at once before his thieves instincts began to come to the fore. He was fairly certain that there were six points of egress from the room, all of which fit into place so nicely that they barely disrupted the effect of the giant murals. The East and the West ends each held one, the West being the one they had just entered, and Victor assumed that the East door was behind the Lion statue in the entrance hall. Eske'Taure, the Elven city on the North wall held two doors, one which led to the kitchens, and the other led to the waiting room that they had all been in the night before. Two large sets of double doors on the southern wall led to another room or possibly two that Victor had yet to see.

As they approached the center of the room Victor noticed that not even the floor had escaped from the obvious display of wealth. The floor tiles were a polished granite, that while difficult to move were probably the least ostentatious part of the room. No, what drew Victor's eye was the symbol that appeared to be floating just off the floor in the center of the room. When sitting on one of the oversized black velvet couches the symbol would be clearly visible, displaying to any who entered the allegiance of the houses owner.

“What's this symbol?” Shawnrik asked, which got the other three people in the room to look at him funny. “Hey! Don't look at me like that, 'taint my fault I ain't never seen it before.”

Before the two men could recover from what they obviously thought was a grievous oversight in the boy's education Victor jumped in to help his friend. “It's alright Shawn, it was just one of the first things I learned in school, it's not your fault that Walkins obviously didn't have enough pride in his home city to teach his boys this.” Victor nearly fell into a dark state of mind thinking about his former mentor before he realized he had not answered his friends question. “Ok, so... first of all, this is a knights shield, and you've more than likely seen the three masted warship that's on it out in the harbor before. Each of the sails holds a symbol for each of the branches of the Protectorate. On the first sail is a castle wall, the symbol for the Knights, which you probably know, what you might not know is that it symbolizes that each Knight is a wall holding back the tide of darkness. The second sail, which is on the tallest mast, had a crown upon it symbolizing of the Royal House of Terroval. Obviously, the reason it's on the tallest mast is because they are so much better than everyone else” Victor rolled his eyes as he finished that thought, displaying what he thought of that idea before he continued. “Upon the third sail are two open palms, the right palm holds a skeleton, and the left palm has a flower growing out of it, which is the symbol of the Mages. If I remember correctly, this reminds them, and everyone else, that they have both the power to destroy, and the power to create in the palm of their hands. Overlooking the warship, and therefore the three branches that are represented upon it, are the ever-vigilant eyes of the the Protectorate. The right eye reflects a hand holding a lightning bolt, while the left reflects the scales of justice, which remind the branches of the Protectorate that they must be ever vigilant, ready to use force when needed, but always with a level head. All of it together is the symbol for the city of Safeharbor.”