Immortalized | Viktor - arcane

Washed up

It was hours later when the barricades finally came down. The uprising was declared a failure and the strength of Topside was proven once again. Viktor stood by the barricade the entire time with the professor by his side. He had been on his feet so long now, his back began to ache.

The professor had tried to urge him back inside, claiming it was not good for his condition to be on his feet for so long without rest, but Viktor didn't listen. He couldn't, not while his people were dying on that bridge.

He shuttered as the sanitation crew rushed passed them to clear any traces of rebellion off of the bridge. He didn't want to think about what they would be doing to his people but he knew that the crew would most likely not be returning their remains to the Undercity.

Suppressing his gag reflex, he turned away from the bridge, only instead of turning back towards the academy, like Heimerdinger was hoping, he continued down the street following the river that separated him from his home.

"Where are you going?" The professor followed.

"I need a moment." Viktor told him without so much as turning to face him. His moment was much longer than either of them expected. He walked so far he made it to the shore, where the street tapered off and became sand.

"This is unsafe, we should return to the Academy immediately." The professor warned.

"The rebellion is over, go back to the Academy if you are so concerned. Don't wait for me." Viktor said as he continued to walk along the rocky shore. It wasn't the ideal terrain for his cane, but anything was better than those topside streets.

"Viktor." Heimerdinger sighed.

"You do not need to accompany me, I can make it back to the Academy on my own." Viktor told him as his paced slowed.

"I know that." The professor stated, his voice much softer now. "I want to."

Viktor stopped and brought his hand up to his brow and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Those were my people." He said through grit teeth. "And where was I?"

"You will make it up to them, with science. You can move them forward, so an event like today will never repeat itself." Hiemerdinger answered. "You were where you needed to be. Here, so you can work to help them."

Viktor sighed slowly bringing his hand down away from his face. When he glanced back up he noticed a patch of vibrant red against the gray sand. He narrowed his eyes slightly to make out dark colored clothing against the sand.

"Viktor?" Heimerdinger asked quietly as he noticed Viktor's attention was pulled elsewhere.

He followed behind Viktor who was moving at a quicker pace than before towards the figure in the sand.

"Oh my," The professor's voice trailed off when they found themselves standing over a girl in the sand with vibrant red hair.

Blood was streaked along her pale face from a gash on her cheek and from her nose which appeared broken. There was a growing dark stain on her lower pant leg. Cautiously Viktor pulled it up and the sight of what he found made him nauseous.

Her clothes were soaked, she must have come from the river and after viewing her leg the professor and his student both knew she must have been one of the bodies they saw fall from the bridge. The fracture had split through the skin, exposing her bone and muscle beneath. It had only been a few hours since the rebellion started and her wound was already festering with infection.