The Witcher: Oblivion

Chapter Nineteen

Debris crumbled down from the ceilings as the lookout tower shook. Geralt glanced upward, his black eyes scanned the ceiling, noticing the cracks seething through the white.

"Fuck," he said, glancing back down to Victoria. He pursed his lips and his eyebrows knitted together as he wound his arms around her before lifting her from the floor.

Victoria yelped, beginning to stir from unconsciousness. The woman coughed on the smoke that began to fill her lungs.

"Stay with me, Vic." He said. "If you die, so fucking help me—"

Geralt knelt down to the ground and shielded Victoria as pieces of the ceiling fell. The witcher stood upright and rushed down the spiral staircase that lead to the bottom.

He came to a stop as the stairs began to crumble beneath his feet. His gold eyes scanned the rest of the way down, which was an approximately thirty foot jump.

Geralt hurried down the stairs, his grip on Victoria tightening as he fled through the tower. When he looked up, he could see the flowing fog of the debris coming down towards them as it began to crumble.

Geralt lifted his hand and shielded them until he was able to exit the tower. He fell to the ground as the tower finally collapsed, throwing himself over Victoria.

He lifted his head and studied her face, but she was still the same, nothing new or worse.

The witcher lifted her up, and she laid her head against his chest as he began walking. Roach was standing down at the end of the path, the horse kicking his feet as the noises spooked him.

"Calm down!" Geralt hissed, patting the horse's neck. He climbed on top of Roach, and tugged Victoria closer to him.

The witcher noticed the swarm of soldiers exiting the gates, holding their weapons above their heads. Geralt stared at them through his wet strands of hair that began sticking yo the side of his face.

"Go," Geralt ordered, smacking Roach's side. The horse galloped away from the palace, heading for the woods.

Suddenly, they were in a new location, inside of a room filled with furniture and several books and bottles.

"Good, she's still alive."

Geralt turned his head to see Triss. She walked towards the two, studying Victoria's unconscious figure.

"What did you do with Roach?"
"Relax, your horse is safe." She said. "And luckily, so is she."

Geralt walked across the room and placed Victoria on the soft bed. "Can you help her?"

"I helped you, didn't I?" Triss asked, smiling. But her smile slowly faded as she poured a substance onto the woman's lacerations. "But I can't do anything about the paraplegia."

The witcher ran his fingers over his face as he exhaled. Triss wrapped a thin bandage around her arm and her neck before placing ointment on the burns upon her skin.

Geralt sat down and slicked his hair back out of his face. "The paraplegia, will it eventually subside in the future?"

Triss inhaled. "It's hard to tell right now. It's too early. . . Some people grow out of it with learning how to walk again, some are stuck living that way for the rest of their life."

His eyes looked back to Victoria, who was still asleep. The witcher stood to his feet and walked towards her before grabbing her hand.

He turned her arm upside down, revealing the light blue lines that ran up her arms, appearing like veins.

"What is that?" Triss asked, stepping towards her.

"Her father's power." Geralt answered. "It's hers now." 

Everything replayed in Victoria's mind steadily. She remembered the look in her father's eyes at the mention of her mother, she remembered what he had told her about Geralt.

When she opened her eyes, she adjusted them to the dimly-lit room. Her temples ached as she moved her eyes.

"Hey,"

Victoria tilted her head to see Geralt move beside her. His gold eyes scanned her face for a short moment, and he reached out and placed his hand on hers.

"How do you feel?" He asked her. She finally came to realize she was incredibly stiff and majorly sore, and her veins felt like they were burning.

"It hurts," she said, her voice shaky and raw. "It all hurts."

When she went to move her leg, she couldn't. She couldn't move it, and she couldn't feel it. She couldn't feel either leg.

Victoria remembered her father slamming her down against the windowsill, and the loud crack from her spine.  

"You're damn lucky to be alive." Geralt told her. The witcher folded his hands and rested his chin on them.

"What were you thinking, Victoria?" Geralt asked.

"I was thinking that I wouldn't have a future if he was still alive." She said. "That I wouldn't be able to live the rest of my life with you."

Geralt shook his head. "You can do a shit ton better."

Victoria stared at him. "Is it true?"
He looked back up at her.

"Is it true that you were hired to kill me?"
"Yes." He answered.

She pursed her lips. "But you didn't."
Geralt sighed. "I witnessed what your father was capable of. . . And when we met, you grew on me rather quickly. . . And you didn't try to kill me."

Victoria's lips twitched. "Kill you? A witcher? I'd shit myself for even trying."

Geralt leaned forward and pressed his lips to her forehead.

"Where is he now?" She asked.
"You don't remember?" He asked.

The possession!

Geralt took her hand. "Your mother possessed your body from the afterlife, and drained your father free of the sorcery. . . His power is now yours."

Geralt flipped her arm over to reveal the blue lines running up the skin.

"No wonder it burns." She hissed. "Then what happened?"

"Your mother saved your life, and then I stabbed him, like I should have the moment I saw him here."

Tears formed in her eyes, glossing them over. "I couldn't even remember."

"That's how it's supposed to be." He said, stroking her bruised knuckles. "And you managed to stop yourself from breaking your hand."

"I punched him in the face." She admitted.
Victoria held her breath when the corners of Geralt's lips tugged upwards into a smile. The witcher closed his eyes for a brief moment and shook his head.

"You're unbelievable." He said. "Out of all of the shit you can do with these hands."

The doors opened, and Triss appeared. Her eyes focused on the two, but she wore a concerned expression upon her face as she tried to remain calm.

"Augustus's men are here, there's got to be over a hundred of them." She said. Victoria looked to Geralt, who lowered his eyes as he exhaled.

"Fuck."