The Witcher: Oblivion

Chapter Fifteen

She was safe in Geralt's arms, but she wasn't safe inside of her own head.

Immediately, she dreamt of her father, all of the terrible things he had done to her, making her suffer most of her life.

"NO MORE!"

Victoria jolted awake, opening her eyes as she stayed still. She was laying beside Geralt, who had his arms wound around her frame to hold her body to his.

Geralt lifted his head and studied her face as she clenched her jaw.

"You should have killed him," Victoria whispered.

She slid out of Geralt's arms slowly, sitting there with her back to him and her folded arms resting on her knees. Geralt inhaled as he sat up.

"I want to show you my past." She said to him. "Why I am the way that I am. . . Why I killed him."

Geralt shook his head. "He brought himself back once. Don't you think he'd be able to do it again?"

Victoria pursed her lips, and the woman turned around to fafe him.

"If I drain him of his power, he can't."

Geralt sighed. "It's not that easy."

"Let me show you." She said. Geralt watched her for a moment, until the witcher gave in. Victoria scooted closer to him, swallowing.

"I've never actually done this, if I faint, don't panic. It's normal." She said to him. Geralt stared, catching her wrists in his hands as she tried to touch him.

"That's not reassuring." He said.
"Do you want to live in the dark for the rest of your life, not knowing why I am the way that I am."

Geralt looked up at her as she stood on her knees. "You speak as if something's wrong with you, but there isn't."

Victoria exhaled. "Please."

Releasing her wrists, Geralt dropped his hands forward. The brunette placed her palms to each side of his head, closing her eyes.

Geralt grunted and his eyes were forced shut.

It was like he was in another realm, like some type of dream. He was standing inside of a home that appeared to be quite neat and tidy, with a fire roasting within the room.

But inside of the fire was a man's body, burned alive and limp. Geralt inhaled and smelled the odor of his burnt skin that was no longer visible.

His gold eyes scanned the room when the sound of sobbing appeared. Geralt noticed a young girl sitting on the floor in the corner, staring at the floor.

It was Victoria.

She was incredibly young, and her hazel eyes were swollen from the tears that poured from them.

Geralt could smell the amount of blood, and he walked around the table to see a trail leading outside. He watched as Augustus carried Victoria's dead body outside of their home.

He was still inside of the house, but it was no longer night time. Sun shone through the windows, but the atmosphere inside was gloomy.

"When will you start listening, Victoria? Never! You'll never listen!"

Geralt walked into the next room as the sound of Victoria's yelps echoed through. He stood in the doorway, watching in shock as Augustus was towering over his daughter, whipping her with what appeared to be a leather belt.

"I'm sorry papa!" She cried, holding her hand to her reddened cheek. "I promise to listen!"

Augustus yanked her hand away from her face, only to smack her roughly. The girl fell to the floor, crying.

Geralt stormed forward, and went to grab ahold of the man, but everything around him turned to dust. The witcher looked around and noticed he was standing in an open field.

Victoria was laying in the tall grass, staring at the sky with a rose laying against her chest. She was a little older now, approximately fourteen or fifteen. Her hazel eyes stayed focused on the blue sky.

"Why does he hate me?"

Geralt was yanked back into another time, forced to see Augustus abuse Victoria throughout her life at different ages. It all showed until it came down to their last confrontation.

"I will not let you hurt me any longer, papa." Victoria said to her father as she stood against the wall. Her eyes were filled with tears that had yet to fall, and her skin was pale.

"You grew up to be such a fool." Augustus muttered. He lifted his hand, and a large pan soared through the air and into her direction. Victoria ducked, protecting her head as it fell down on top of her.

"Look who raised me!" She screamed at him. Augustus rushed forward and pushed her hard into the wall, causing her to gasp.

"I'm all you have!" He said, his hands tightening around her neck. "Your mother is dead, you mutant freak! You are no child of mine! You don't deserve the life you have!"

Geralt ran forward and tried to grab Augustus's jerkin, but his hand went right through his back. He watched as his blood began to boil.

He watched as Victoria's eyes began to glow the same illuminating blue he had seen before, and Augustus was thrown backwards.

"NO MORE!" She screamed as he flew through the table. Augustus scrambled back to his feet, and the man lifted his hand and retrieved a knife from the block on the other side of the room.

"I will say when I have had enough." Her father said. "You, Victoria, will die, if it's the last thing I conquer."

The knife began to soar towards Victoria, but the woman disappeared within the air. Augustus stared in shock for a moment.

Victoria appeared before her father, holding his chosen knife in her clenched hand. She drew her hand back, before striking her father in his abdomen.

Geralt watched as the life drained from Augustus's face slowly. He began to slide to the floor, and Victoria followed along with him.

"No, papa." She said, pulling the knife from his flesh. "You will die."

Victoria shoved the knife through his chest, twisting it with her remaining strength.

Geralt was pulled back into the present to the sound of Victoria gasping for air. The witcher opened his eyes and watched as she stumbled back, falling flat on her backside as she struggled to breathe evenly.

Geralt stared at her for a long moment as he tried to recollect his own thoughts. After a few seconds, he leaned towards her.

"Why did you go through it for so long?" Geralt asked her. Victoria raised her eyes to meet his, and she shrugged defeatedly.

"Because I loved him." She said. "Because no matter what he did, I told myself that somewhere deep down, he loved me once."

She dropped her head low before placing her face into her hands. Her shoulders slumped as she sat there weak and tired, trying desperately to fight her emotions.

Geralt wrapped his hand around her arm, and pulled her towards him. Victoria crawled forward and sat in his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck as she closed her eyes.

"I won't let him hurt you." Geralt said, shaking his head as his hand rested against the back of her head. "Not anymore. . . Not again."

Victoria pressed her forehead to his shoulder, melting in his arms.