Chapter Text
Jayce woke up in the grass, his head fuzzy and his vision blurred and wobbly. He blinked a few times and at least that cleared. Where was he…? Why…? Birds were chirping, a faint breeze ruffled his hair and the whole thing felt peaceful in a way he was sure it shouldn’t be.
The grass reminded him, suddenly and sharply, of the alternative future. With the alternative Viktor; his mage from so long ago.
Viktor.
The Hexgate, the wild rune, Viktor’s machines, the top of the tower, and… infinity.
‘Viktor!’ Jayce sat up, reaching out.
And recoiled.
There was someone beside him, but it wasn’t Viktor, not really. The Machine Herald lay on the grass beside him, unmoving, the light extinguished from its eyes. The echo of Viktor’s face pushed to either side of the mask. Eyes also closed.
‘Viktor,’ Jayce gasped out. ‘No.’
Not this. Please not this. Had he done it on purpose? Decided not to follow Jayce out of the arcane? Jayce didn’t remember having a choice but… it had been Viktor’s domain. Had Viktor thought this would be a fitting end for him? Buried as this?
‘No!’
There was no giving chest compressions to a machine but Jayce slammed his fists down on the chest plate anyway. It wasn’t fair. It hadn’t been his fault; it had been Jayce’s fault and his obsession with Hextech that Viktor had got involved in; his fault with the Hexcore when Viktor had relied on him to destroy it. His fault that he hadn’t talked to him sooner. Convinced him not to go back to Zaun. Followed him. Whatever it took.
Only you.
And what good had he been?
‘No!’ Jayce slammed his fists down again.
‘…Jayce?’ asked the mechanical voice of the Machine Herald.
Jayce scrambled up and away. No. This was worse. This was much worse. How did things keep managing to be worse? This Viktor wouldn’t listen to him, he’d tried and he’d tried and why was this the way he’d come back? He’d been himself again in the arcane.
And Jayce didn’t have the strength to try and stop him again.
The Machine Herald – eyes once again glowing that parody of the correct amber – slowly climbed to its feet.
‘No, this isn’t right,’ said the Machine Herald. ‘I’m sure I’d fixed this.’
Fixed what? Oh god, fixed what?
Jayce really couldn’t do this again. He’d never succeeded the last time either. Viktor had beaten him, joined him to his followers and… listened to Jayce eventually. But something had helped; something had got through that mask. And Jayce couldn’t see if that was still there, deep in the arcane that he no longer had access to.
‘Viktor, please!’
The mask faced him squarely. ‘Peace, Jayce. I need a moment. I think I can do this; at the very least I created the potential.’
The unexpected surge of hope hurt as much as anything. It was the Machine Herald’s voice, but not the Machine Herald’s speech pattern. Not the Machine Herald’s words.
And then the Machine Herald was gone. In its place stood… not quite Viktor, but the Herald Viktor, with his machine-like body and silvery iridescent eyes. The blue blanket was draped over his shoulders.
Jayce gaped at him.
‘Ah, no,’ said the Herald, with an expression of vague consternation. ‘That wasn’t exactly what I was going for either. Excuse me.’
‘Viktor, wait, I – ‘ Jayce stumbled forward to stop him from leaving but… no. That wasn’t what was happening this time, was it?
This time he saw Viktor’s form sort of flicker and become vague around the edges and for a second it was taller and then shorter again and then stabilized.
Viktor stood there, eyes amber, skin smooth and human. Naked. The blanket still only draped over his shoulders, but Jayce couldn’t have cared less. He launched himself forward and Viktor made a strangled noise and jumped back, his form fuzzed at the edges and Jayce pulled up short in front of the Machine Herald.
‘Jayce, sorry,’ the Machine Herald said. ‘I don’t quite understand…’
His form fuzzed again and Herald Viktor was back. Looking distinctly irritated this time.
‘No,’ he said, concentrated and the Machine Herald was there again. A flash of human Viktor. And then Herald Viktor once more.
‘Viktor stop,’ Jayce said, when he just couldn’t take it anymore.
The Herald paused. ‘I’m trying; I just can’t seem to control this.’
Jayce took a deep breath. ‘Are you…?’
But he couldn’t finish that. How could he finish that? After all this, if it wasn’t his Viktor there, then he just didn’t want to hear it. And if it was then he didn’t want to make Viktor say it, because wouldn’t that be a cruel thing to do to his partner, after all they’d just been through?
‘I think I’m myself,’ Viktor said softly, his iridescent eyes fixed on Jayce. ‘I believe we removed the Hexcore’s influence from me, in the arcane.’
‘Yeah, sorry, of course you are, I just – ‘
‘It’s all right, Jayce. I understand.’
‘Yeah. Yeah. Viktor… Can you just stay like this for a moment then? Whatever that was, it was messing with my head to look at and… just stop. We can figure it out later.’ A thought struck him. ‘You can figure it out later, right? You’re not going to get stuck in whatever you choose now, are you?’
Viktor frowned. ‘I don’t know. I don’t know what this is. I had meant to return looking like myself, before the explosion. Ah. No. Before I started experimenting with the Hexcore.’
Jayce stepped closer slowly, his heart aching. Viktor was here. But Viktor had run off last time he’d approached him when he looked like this. This time, Jayce could still see the consternation, mixed in with confusion in his eyes. Yeah. He didn’t understand either.
To hell with it. All of it.
‘It doesn’t matter,’ Jayce said. ‘If you look like this then it’s fine.’
‘For you, maybe,’ Viktor muttered and started trying to arrange the blanket around himself properly, so it actually covered him. When he seemed satisfied with it he looked up at Jayce again. ‘You’re well? Not injured?’
Jayce blinked. ‘Uh… I… You know… I… Where are we?’
‘Jayce.’ Viktor’s voice was soft. ‘Are you okay?’ Viktor’s eyes flicked over him, accessing.
‘Yeah. Fine. I’m fine. This wasn’t what I was expecting to happen.’
‘No. Neither.’ Viktor frowned and held his hands out in front of him. He inspected first the back of his hands and then his palms. Then he patted himself down, which was a little weird since he’d just adjusted the blanket. ‘Where is…?’
He dropped to his knees and started searching the grass.
‘Viktor? What? Where is what?’ He couldn’t mean his cane; he had his staff with him. The thing that had once been the crutch Jayce had designed for him.
‘Ah.’ Viktor sat back on his haunches, looking pleased. And in his hand was the little gear that Jayce had flicked through the air to him, way back at the beginning.
And if he had it on him now, did that mean the Machine Herald had carried that with him, to the end of the world? Machine Herald Viktor, who’d told Jayce he was pleased to see him, even though surely he hadn’t meant that. But he’d still kept this. And the blanket. Jayce couldn’t take it anymore. He dropped to his knees beside Viktor – bad leg be damned – and threw his arms around him.
Viktor gasped, but didn’t suddenly reform into the Machine Herald, so there was that. Jayce buried his face in his neck. Into Viktor, his partner, who’d somehow survived. They’d survived together.
And Viktor was holding him back, just as tightly, just as desperately, as if the world might fall away again if he let go. His vaguely metallic fingers dug into Jayce’s back just a little more sharply than human skin might. But that didn’t matter. Viktor was here. Viktor was alive. That was what mattered.
A flicker at the edge of Jayce’s vision and then the body he was holding was a little softer. Fewer hard edges. He choked out a laugh and held on tighter.
‘I said you don’t have to.’
‘I’m not sure I meant to,’ Viktor said, his voice muffled by Jayce’s shirt.
Jayce pulled back, his hands still holding Viktor firmly by his too thin bony shoulders, and found himself facing those familiar amber eyes. The mole under Viktor’s eye was back and he looked healthy. His skin had lost the sickly pallor and for once he didn’t even have bags under his eyes.
‘You’re not sick?’ Jayce asked urgently.
Viktor’s eyes flicked over his face. ‘Sick? I don’t know.’ He took a careful breath. ‘That feels… better than it has in years.’
‘If you are, then you could change back into that middle form,’ Jayce said.
Viktor frowned at him. ‘I’d rather not get stuck like that, Jayce.’
‘If it means your life – ‘ Jayce cut himself off at the look on Viktor’s face. ‘Right, right. Got it; we’ll do it your way this time.’
‘I think the Hexcore’s influence is completely gone,’ said Viktor, ‘but we cannot take the chance that I’m wrong. I didn’t know last time. I completely failed to realise how warped my thinking had become. I never once questioned – ‘
‘Viktor.’ Jayce massaged his shoulder. ‘I know. I’m sorry; I shouldn’t have said that.’
Viktor reached a hand up slowly and let it rest on Jayce’s upper arm. Not quite holding him, but close. ‘I think the disease is gone.’
‘Good, that’s good.’ Jayce swallowed. The very idea that he and Viktor might return only to be faced with Viktor’s goddamn diagnosis all over again... He couldn’t do that again either.
Viktor closed his eyes, his forehead furrowing. ‘Jayce, I… The things I did…’
‘Not you,’ Jayce said, clinging to him, because his compassionate, kind Viktor was not responsible. ‘The Hexcore and the arcane and whatever the two did to you, it wasn’t really you. It wasn’t your fault.’
‘I don’t know…’
‘You already called your thinking warped,’ Jayce said. ‘Would you do it again?’
Viktor flinched and his eyes opened. ‘No.’
Jayce gave his shoulders a reassuring squeeze. ‘See? It wasn’t you.’
Viktor’s gaze dropped to the grass and damn it, that hadn’t worked, had it? But god, Jayce didn’t even want to think about it. The universe he’d ended up in, that had nearly been their future. Or… Viktor’s future, and Viktor alone, until the solitude finally let him break through the arcane’s influence. Or time. Maybe it was time that had done that. How long had that version of Viktor been there, on his own, until even his machines started to break down? The machines that had once been everyone Jayce had ever known. Yeah. Fuck.
‘We, um…’ Jayce shook his head and tried again. ‘I think we’re not far outside Piltover. We can probably walk it in a day or so.’
Viktor raised his head and his eyes looked so unbearably tired. ‘They’ll kill me.’
‘They won’t. I won’t let them.’
Viktor flinched and then – Herald Viktor sat there in his place. ‘Ah. I didn’t…’
‘Uh…’ Jayce stared into those eyes. The eyes that had accused him of everything he’d done in the lab. Had stared down at him in shock, in that village in the Undercity as he – Jayce shook his head rapidly to clear it. ‘Okay. Guess that’s still happening then.’
‘Yes. Apparently.’ Viktor let his hand drop from Jayce’s arm and reached for his staff. ‘We have no food. No water. If we hope to make Piltover in any decent shape we should start moving.’
Jayce let go of him as Viktor stood in one graceful movement and hey, good for him, but Jayce couldn’t claim the same pain free existence. His leg protested as he tried to stand. Almost hesitantly, Viktor reached down a hand and Jayce accepted the help gratefully. And, wow, Viktor was surprisingly strong.
‘Here.’ Viktor pressed his staff into Jayce’s hands. ‘It will help.’
‘You need it, don’t you?’
Viktor shook his head. ‘No. Not like this.’
It felt wrong to take the staff – no evidence of the wild rune at the top – off Viktor of all people. Who always walked with an aid. Jayce tried only once to give it back and Viktor refused to take it, eyes narrowing in a clear warning. Fine, okay, maybe Jayce did need it more.
***
It did feel odd to walk without the staff. No doubt that Jayce wouldn’t be walking far without it. No doubt where he’d acquired that injury, either. Viktor tried not to ask for any further details. Jayce would tell him when he wanted to. If he wanted to.
They walked largely in silence.
He didn’t tire the same way Jayce did, not like this. And, in all honesty, he’d rather have not been like this. Particularly not if he ended up stuck this way. However, even in the event that he succeeded in staying human for more than a breath, he couldn’t walk to Piltover barefoot. And the other option… Jayce wouldn’t go for the other option. Viktor strongly suspected he shouldn’t want to go with the other option.
He stared down at one of his hands and moved the fingers, watching as the light glinted off the gold accents.
‘Hey,’ Jayce said, breathing heavily. ‘You okay there?’
Viktor dropped his hand. ‘I’m fine.’
‘Sure,’ said Jayce, infusing the single word with a truly incredible amount of scepticism.
‘How are you managing?’ Viktor glanced meaningfully at Jayce’s braced leg.
‘The staff is definitely helping,’ Jayce said. ‘You’re sure you don’t need it?’
Viktor sighed.
‘All right, it’s just you kept it with you.’
‘I prefer to have it with me,’ Viktor said. ‘I don’t need it right now.’ He stared down at his leg. ‘It’s… not a bad feeling. To be able to walk.’
He glanced back up at Jayce, waiting for whatever damning assessment he had to offer on that perspective.
Jayce clasped a hand on his shoulder, such a familiar gesture and smiled at him. ‘Yeah.’
Viktor frowned and started walking again. Painlessly.
For most of the day, Jayce kept up fine. But as the afternoon wore on, he started to lag behind, staff to aid him or not. And the limp worsened. Viktor waited until they were alongside a small stream, a trickle of water at best really, and stopped.
‘We’ll stop here for the night.’
‘For the night?’ Jayce glanced up at the sky. ‘We’re still got hours of daylight.’
‘Yes, but here we have water.’ Viktor shrugged.
‘I can keep going,’ Jayce said, mulishly, apparently not fooled for a moment.
It was absolutely reminiscent of many days in the lab, either one of them having been caught up in an idea. Having not slept. Having not eaten. Or Viktor himself having a bad pain day. Or any combination. One of them would insist, despite all evidence, that they should forge on. And they’d have a brief argument about it. So unbelievably normal for the two of them, that Viktor had to smile.
‘We also have to walk tomorrow.’
‘You’re managing.’
‘We have water now. There is no rush.’
And there wasn’t. Whatever had happened in Piltover in their absence; it was surely over now. Viktor was mostly sure, through memories that shouldn’t have been his to know, that the Noxians had been defeated. And of course the other threat was not currently in Piltover. Hopefully also neutralised. He glanced down at his metallic arms again.
‘Viktor.’ Jayce was beside him. ‘I…’
But whatever it was, the words deserted Jayce and he ended up standing silently, shaking his head in small movements, half reaching out to Viktor without ever completing the movement. As if he’d heard Viktor’s thoughts.
‘Here,’ Viktor said, moving away. ‘You should drink.’
‘And you shouldn’t?’
‘I don’t need to,’ Viktor said, refusing to look at Jayce.
Another hesitation, then Jayce’s heavy limping footsteps went off towards the stream.
Viktor eyed his metal skin again. If he did get stuck like this… But was there any point worrying about it before they reached Piltover? Surely the most likely outcome was all his worries coming to a very sudden and final end, regardless of how he looked.
Nor was there any point discussing anything with Jayce until then. Not really. Jayce… this would be hard on him all ready. No need to make it worse.
Of course he didn’t need to go to Piltover. Or the Undercity. There were other places in the world. Jayce could go back to his home and his mother and his friends. He’d be exhausted after the days walking. It would be an easy matter to slip away in the night.
Viktor frowned, curled his hands into fists, and missed the familiar weight of his staff.
Jayce came over and sat beside him on a rock. ‘You should drink. Just in case you do need to now.’
‘I feel different,’ Viktor said, staring at the grass by his bare metal feet. ‘But physically I’m much the same. I don’t need the water.’
‘Hey.’ Jayce touched Viktor’s face and he couldn’t help the flinch. ‘Please don’t do this.’
‘What?’
Jayce thumb brushed over his cheekbone. Such an achingly tender movement. Not something he would have done before. ‘You’re shutting me out again. I meant it, you know, all of it. Whatever happens now, you’re my partner and I’ll listen to you, I swear it.’
Those words. I swear it. He’d said them to that alternative Viktor. The one who’d succeeded in destroying everything in the name of peace and then dragged Jayce through the ruins until he understood. Viktor shuddered.
‘Please,’ Jayce said. ‘Please, talk to me.’
‘I wasn’t expecting to continue,’ Viktor said slowly, not particularly wanting to broach the topic more than they had already. ‘After you gave me that rune.’
Jayce met his eyes. ‘Yeah. Me neither.’
‘You say whatever happens now, but I don’t know what happens now.’
A half-truth maybe. But the best he could manage.
‘We’ll work it out,’ Jayce said, with a firmness that was more desperation than confidence.
‘Jayce. I don’t…’ Viktor squeezed his eyes shut. How strange, that it would be the vision he’d taken from Jayce that haunted him the most. Where his actions could have ended up, rather than the things he had actually done. And there were so many of them. Most of them started with these corrupted metal hands.
Viktor felt for the potential he’d detected earlier, leaned into it, and there. The metal was gone, leaving only human flesh. He felt Jayce’s flinch through the palm that still cradled his face.
‘I fear that is some residual arcane power,’ Viktor said flatly, opening his eyes again. ‘What else could it be?’
‘Uh.’ Jayce’s hand, shaking slightly, traced across Viktor’s jaw. ‘Unless it’s affecting your mind I don’t know that it matters. Does it?’
‘Maybe not,’ Viktor conceded and, unable to stop himself, he added; ‘It doesn’t seem to be going away. I could still reach either of the other two forms.’
Jayce took that in without any apparent surprise. ‘But you can control it now?’
‘Ah… I’m not so sure about that.’
‘All right. Okay. That’s what’s been bothering you?’
Viktor scoffed. ‘Jayce, that’s only scratching the surface of the things that are bothering me.’
Jayce nodded and waited expectantly.
‘You know them all already,’ Viktor said, a little wryly, in a futile attempt to break the tension.
‘Tell me anyway,’ Jayce said. ‘Anything you want to.’
Anything he wanted to. He wanted to tell Jayce to bring his hand back up. Caress his jaw again. Say why he’d done that. He didn’t want to try and put into words all the various horrors swirling around his mind.
‘I… can’t. Not yet.’ Viktor sighed. ‘Besides, I’m not the only one who’s been quiet today.’
‘Yeah.’ Jayce pinched the bridge of his nose. ‘You got me. I’ve been worrying about you, mostly. That you might just… leave. I know that’s stupid, I know it is and that we said together, but that’s what I’ve been thinking.’
Ah.
Well.
‘I won’t leave, Jayce.’
Now he couldn’t, could he?’
***
Viktor woke up still human and was relieved for all of a second before Jayce screamed and sat bolt upright.
Viktor had scrambled away, got to his feet and somehow ended up as the Machine Herald before he’d managed to process any of it.
Jayce stared at him. Viktor stared back. If he’d had a heartbeat it would have been pounding.
After the stalemate had continued for an awkward amount of time, Viktor realised that perhaps he was contributing to the problem and managed achieve the Herald form instead.
‘Apologies, you startled me. Are you all right?’
Jayce blinked. ‘Uh. You look really out of place in a field as the Machine Herald just so you know.’
‘Thank you, I’ll keep it in mind.’ Viktor eyed him. ‘Nightmare?’
‘Yeah. Sorry. That’s… been happening to me a lot.’
Viktor swallowed. ‘If you wanted to talk…’
Jayce gave a harsh little laugh. ‘You know it all already.’
Ah. He’d definitely asked for that. Viktor gave a small nod in recognition of the brush off and wandered down to the stream. Perhaps he should drink. He managed a few mouthfuls, but in all honesty it just felt strange. He splashed some water on his face, and that at least was refreshing. He didn’t bother try to change form again; they’d need to start walking soon and he could do that better as he was.
Jayce staggered down to the stream, with a heavy emphasis on staggered.
‘Jayce? Your leg seems worse.’
‘It’s fine.’ Jayce cupped his hands full of water and started to drink.
‘It’s clearly not fine.’
Jayce swallowed. ‘I’ll use your staff again, if that’s all right. Then it’ll be fine.’
‘What happened to it?’ Viktor asked quietly.
Jayce started, spilling the next lot of water back out of his cupped hands. ‘You don’t…? You didn’t see that in my mind?’
‘No,’ Viktor said, trying not to recoil. ‘I saw only the speech he gave you.’
That version of him had the same eye colour that Viktor currently possessed. Could he change shape too? He’d looked older, yes, but his exact age was surely unknown. How long had it taken him to shake off enough of the Hexcore’s influence to decide he’d done something wrong? How much had remained, when he’d stood there talking to Jayce?
What had he done to Jayce, to leave him with such a badly healed injury?
‘I feel down a fissure or something,’ Jayce said, looking away. ‘Broke my leg. Was down there a while before it healed enough that I could get out again.’
Because of him. There was no way to look at it where Jayce hadn’t suffered because of him.
‘Anyway,’ Jayce said. ‘I managed to cannibalise my hammer to make a brace, which I based off yours, and that helped.’
That explained why Jayce had felt the need to come after him with the arcane corrupted hammer from the alternate universe, rather than his own. Unfortunately, he could imagine how desperate Jayce would have needed to be to climb out of a fissure under those circumstances.
Viktor nodded, because no words could make up for an experience like that.
‘That’s what I was dreaming about,’ Jayce added, and scooped up some more water in his hands.
Since that was undoubtedly a dismissal, Viktor retreated back to where they’d slept; under a large tree. Not exactly comfortable, or much shelter, but it had been the best option. Viktor leaned on his staff, scanned the horizon, and tried to remember which way they’d been going.
Jayce knew. Once they started to get moving he even managed to explain that it was because, having got lost that once with his mother, he wanted to be able to navigate properly. He didn’t explain how he knew which direction led to Piltover.
It was also very apparent he wouldn’t be walking far.
Even using the staff, Jayce’s steps were stilted and painful; his limp pronounced.
They couldn’t have been walking more than half an hour, Jayce having already stumbled to the point of nearly falling three times, when Viktor simply stopped and looked at him.
Jayce leant heavily against the staff. ‘It was all the walking yesterday and… I wasn’t careful when I woke up. I saw you… and I put too much pressure on my leg. It’s swollen today, but it doesn’t matter. ‘
‘I’m sorry,’ Viktor said. ‘I didn’t intend to appear like that. I understand it would have been – ‘
‘No, that wasn’t… That’s not what I meant,’ Jayce said. ‘Viktor, you weren’t breathing.’
‘I don’t, in that form.’
‘I know, but your eyes were dark and I…’ Jayce shook his head. ‘I thought you hadn’t come back.’
Oh.
‘I’m sorry,’ Viktor said, again. ‘I hadn’t meant to worry you, either.’ And if it wasn’t the form that concerned Jayce… ‘You can’t carry on as you are.’
‘I can,’ Jayce said stubbornly. ‘I’ve walked on it when it was worse.’
Oh Jayce.
‘You can’t. We’ll surely have to walk all day and you will fall.’ Viktor paused and added carefully; ‘I have a solution. But I doubt you’ll like it.’
‘Look, I can walk. It’ll just take a bit longer, maybe make Piltover tomorrow instead of today.’
‘And if we can’t find more water? Or if walking on it today makes walking on it tomorrow impossible?’
Jayce shifted his weight in a way that suggested even standing was a problem. ‘Okay, fine, you have a point. What’s your idea?’
Viktor hesitated.
‘What?’ Jayce asked, somehow looking only concerned and not suspicious.
‘I could carry you,’ Viktor said, stiffly. It didn’t sound any less absurd said out loud. Him, managing to carry Jayce Talis.
‘Uh.’ Jayce’s eyes went wide. ‘I don’t think you could, no offense. You’re stronger as you are, but… I’m still bigger than you.’
‘As I am, yes.’
‘Oh.’ Jayce scratched the back of his neck and didn’t look horrified. ‘But if we’re approaching Piltover…’
‘Once we get closer I can change back.’
‘Right. Sure. Okay.’ Jayce laughed nervously. ‘No one’s carried me since I was a kid.’
He actually seemed to be agreeing. Just as well because Viktor hadn’t been able to think of a viable alternative. Now, before he could chicken out, Viktor adjusted the blanket a little around his shoulders, concentrated… and it was easy, changing to his Machine Herald form. Looking down at Jayce was still a novel experience.
‘Keep hold of my staff,’ he said. ‘I will have my hands full.’
‘Okay,’ Jayce said, his eyes a little wide. ‘Okay. How did you want to do this?’
‘I will handle it.’ Viktor bent down and put an arm across Jayce’s back, moved the other beneath his knees and straightened up. It wasn’t even difficult.
Jayce made a noise not unlike a yelp.
‘Don’t drop my staff,’ Viktor reminded him.
‘No. I mean yeah. I mean, I won’t. I haven’t.’
Jayce was in his arms. He had Jayce Talis cradled in his arms. Jayce had agreed to this. Viktor was immensely grateful he couldn’t blush as he was. Jayce had no such protections and there was definitely a flush to his cheeks. Viktor’s gaze caught on him.
‘Are you comfortable?’
‘You know, surprisingly, yeah. Uh. I’m not too heavy?’
Viktor stared down at him. ‘Surprisingly, no’
Jayce managed a nervous little smile. ‘Great.’
‘You’ll have to tell me which way to go.’
‘Uh huh, just straight the way we were heading. I’ll let you know if you’re going off course.’
Viktor started walking, making his steps as smooth as possible for Jayce’s sake. It mustn’t have been enough, because Jayce started wriggling almost immediately.
‘You’re no longer comfortable?’
‘Oh god. I… Viktor. I can’t believe you’re carrying me.’
Viktor tapped a finger on his shoulder. ‘Odd, isn’t it? For most of my life carrying my own weight was hard enough. Now this is actually quite easy.’
‘Glad to hear it.’ Jayce peered down at the grass. The staff slipped in his grasp. ‘Shit. You’re tall.’
‘Keep hold of my staff, Jayce.’
Jayce shifted so it crossed his body. ‘Yeah, I’ve got it. I told you I’ve got it. Fuck.’
‘You’re all right?’
‘I’m fine. I’m great. You need to course correct to your left a bit.’
‘Yes, Jayce.’
Viktor scanned the horizon, took note of the sun’s position, and corrected his route slightly to the left.