Archive of Our Own

Jayce lets out a long breath and plants the head of his axe on the ground. He leans on it for support. Splitting logs for the wood pile has him sweating, but the moisture instantly becomes a chill. He hasn’t seen snow yet, but it’s only a matter of time. For as long as he’s been at it, he wishes the wood pile was larger. He’s always run hot and Viktor is less affected by the temperature, but they don’t yet know how long or harsh the winters are in this strange land. Dread coils in Jayce’s gut at the prospect of snow, blizzards, avalanches.

He manages not to jump when a stick cracks behind him. Viktor is silent as the grave, lacking many of the body functions that create the subtle sounds of a human being. Snapping twigs deliberately is a compromise for the sake of Jayce’s nerves.

“Nothing in the traps,” Viktor says before Jayce can even ask. His voice sounds almost like it used to, but still has that reverberating metallic edge. It emanates from his upper chest rather than his bisected mouth. “But the foraging was sufficient.” He indicates the baskets – one hanging from the crook of his staff, the other gripped by the Hexclaw. Both are full of mushrooms, nuts, and other plants they’ve identified as useful.

Jayce nods and offers him a smile, though he knows it’s strained. “Thank you.”

Truth be told, Jayce isn’t that bothered about the traps. If he had the choice, he’d cut meat from his diet altogether. Food scarcity has taken away that luxury.

“I’ll come help process that in a bit. Just want to finish this.” Jayce gestures at the logs waiting to be split.

Viktor eyes the piles. It’s clear he’s calculating how long it will take, perhaps how long this fuel will last them. Jayce has been purposefully avoiding that math.

“Jayce, I can take over this. You should rest.” Viktor bobs his third arm, indicating the laser nestled in the claw’s palm. Even without that, he’s less prone to straining himself than Jayce is.

Still, Jayce grits his teeth.

“I’ve got it,” he says. “Besides, it’ll help me rebuild muscle. Get my strength back.”

Viktor stares at him. Is it worth resuming this argument? Finally, he shakes his head and starts for the cabin door. “Fine. Just don’t overdo it.”

Jayce knows he’s susceptible to overdoing it. It’s a bad habit he and Viktor have historically shared. The difference is that in the past, he’d known his limits. He’s still learning how far he can push his changed body.

And he hates to disappoint Viktor.

He decides to call it quits when his fingers start to go numb. Dusk is steadily approaching proper night. He can see from the flickering orange reflecting off the windows that Viktor has stoked the fire - kept at low embers during the day to preserve fuel - and lit a few of their oil lamps. Darkness is nothing to his glowing eyes, but he's ever-mindful of Jayce's human needs.

Jayce leans the axe against the side of the cabin and loads the leather firewood tote with logs. His leg aches horribly on his walk inside, but he left his cane and crutch by the bed this morning. His morning self, fresh from a good night's sleep, isn't great at remembering how much the day will weigh him down.

Viktor is cross-legged in front of the fire, stringing herbs on thread to hang dry. As much as Jayce misses fresh food, they're prioritizing preservation. He's already cleaned and sliced the mushrooms for dehydrating over the fire. Jayce sighs; there isn't much left for him to do.

He limps to the fireplace and unloads the logs. He can feel Viktor's burning eyes on him.

"Sorry," he mutters. "Should have given up sooner."

Viktor is quiet for a few moments. Jayce braces himself for something along the lines of "I told you so." It doesn't come.

Viktor's fingers feel almost organic when they curl around his shoulder, warmed from his labor by the fire. They squeeze gently.

"The fact that you do not give up easily is one of the things I love most about you, Jayce."

Jayce exhales and leans back into Viktor's chest. His two main arms circle around him. "I said I'd help you, though. And I only got about half the wood chopped I meant to."

"You are not solely responsible for keeping us alive. You do what you can. More than that, really."

"I know, but I need more than you do. You don't have to eat or sleep."

"Jayce, stop." Viktor guides him to turn and meet his eyes. When Jayce first saw him in this form, his eyes had seemed mechanically cold, despite their fire. Now, he can recognize the subtleties of their flickering and the way Viktor tilts his head just so to convey emotions. "I've been down this road. You yourself showed me the error in my thinking. Do you think I will resent you for accepting your limitations?"

"No," Jayce mumbles after a long moment.

"Accepting them is the first step to transcending them. We will find remedies for our pain and solutions for our legs. So long as you do not drown yourself in guilt and despair."

Jayce leans forward, tucking his face against Viktor's neck. He can't bring himself to say anything further. Viktor's arms stay wound around him. Jayce isn't sure how long they stand like that, only that his calves are getting too warm in front of the fire. He gently sidesteps from Viktor's grip.

They don't speak much, but Jayce hums while he fixes a modest dinner for himself. Viktor elects to sit with him while he eats. Jayce figures that his meal of edible-but-bitter greens and dried mushrooms isn't exactly making Viktor miss the concept of eating. They clean up together and then Jayce goes through his evening routine. He undresses, washes himself with a damp cloth, and cleans his teeth with a brush he fashioned from wood and the bristles of a boar piglet they'd snared.

Viktor adds a log to the fire and sets Jayce's boots before it so they'll be warmed in the morning. He'll be up throughout the night to keep the fire going, and do whatever it is he does when Jayce is asleep. But for now, he folds himself into bed next to Jayce.

Jayce sighs in contentment and snuggles in close, as he does every night. Viktor isn't exactly a cuddly shape, but Jayce doesn't mind. Privately, he even likes the little impressions of Viktor's gilded chest he sometimes gets on his cheek. The hexclaw pulls the blankets up around them.

Jayce wakes to freezing toes and a distinct breeze at the end of the bed. The sun hasn’t properly risen, so there’s just a lavender haze of light creeping into the cabin. He squints down the bed to find that sure enough, the blankets have abandoned his feet. He aches to simply curl his legs in and nestle further, but he needs an early start today. With a grimace, he disentangles himself from Viktor’s spidery grip. Even the hexclaw has reached around to hold him close. It’s sweet, except that it makes it impossible to free himself.

Sure enough, his partner whirs a questioning sound. He's not asleep, exactly, but in a state of meditation.

“I have to get up,” Jayce whispers, prying claws from his waist.

The golden light of Viktor’s eyes flickers. “It’s cold,” he says. Despite lacking a mouth, he sounds almost like his old self, groggy after a night in the lab.

Jayce smiles. He places a hand on Viktor’s chest, where his arcane heart pulses heat. It doesn’t warm his extremities like human blood, so they’ve had to really cuddle close at night as the weather turns.

“Seems like there’s a draft I missed when I was patching the walls last week. I’ll take care of it when I get back.”

Viktor hums. There's a good chance he'll take care of it while Jayce is out.

He rolls out of bed and wraps himself in enough outerwear to go outside to pee without risking a chill. When he gets back inside, Viktor's already set their kettle to boil for tea. They're out of precious coffee, something Jayce is hoping to pick up in town. Maybe cocoa too, if it exists here. He has a larger-than-usual breakfast and packs a bundle of jerky for the road.

Jayce layers his clothes. He's bound to get sweaty, but it's better than getting caught in a surprise snowfall unprepared. They've been watching the weather carefully, but they still don't know for sure what the seasons hold in store. Outside, Viktor helps him finish loading up the cart they've fashioned for these trips. It's on wheels now, but Jayce suspects they'll need to convert it into a sled for winter.

It's only half-full now, loaded with cleaned pelts from their hunting and trapping, wood-carved tools and toys, and a few metal creations. Jayce hasn't exactly been able to property smith anything, but he tinkers with the metals he can get his hands on and form with a small fire, hammer, and pliers. The people in town live simply and comfortably and he and Viktor have introduced a little more technology into their routines. Nothing like Hextech, but there's been a growing demand for their carved puzzle-boxes and wind-up toys. All of these things he trades for what necessities and small comforts they're unable to forage, hunt, or craft on their own.

"I think that's it," Jayce sighs. The cart is secure and he's got his sturdy walking stick in hand. Still, he's loathe to go.

"Best not to linger and lose the daylight," Viktor says. He takes a step away from the cottage.

Jayce braces himself, leather strap of the cart hitched over his shoulder, and follows. Every time he makes this trip, Viktor accompanies him almost to the treeline that borders the town. So far, Jayce has only encountered humans here; no Vastaya, Yordle, or any other sapient creature. From the peoples' level of technology, he's not sure how he would explain an eight-foot-tall metallic mage with a third, laser-wielding arm. He sometimes has nightmares about angry villagers with torches and pitchforks at their door.

They walk quietly. Silence has always been comfortable between them. There's just the rustle of dry leaves that have yet to fall, the crunch of fallen ones beneath their feet, and the cry of migratory birds overhead. If not for his cart and his walking stick, Jayce would reach for Viktor's hand. The cloud cover makes it difficult to navigate by the sun, but trees along the trail bear scratched symbols left by hunters over what could be hundreds of years. Neither Jayce nor Viktor are sure of the language they represent, but by now they've worked out cardinal directions.

The trees begin to thin out and the ground becomes more level. A particularly large, old tree displays those carved symbols, ascending every few feet on its trunk. The most recent is about Jayce's eye-level. It marks the end of their walk together.

Jayce drops his grip on the cart, the better to give Viktor a proper goodbye. Jayce makes this trip every one to two weeks, but it never gets easier. There's always the fear that something will happen. The worst is the thought that Viktor might simply be gone.

"Wish you could just come with," he mutters. He's said it too many times already.

Viktor hums. He's never seemed all that bothered by his solitude. Or rather, his solitude aside from Jayce. That doesn't mean he isn't hiding his feelings on the matter. "I will be here when you return, Jayce. Right here." He bends his tall, spindly form down.

Jayce arches up to meet him. He first kisses each half of Viktor's bisected lips. They have a little give to them still. Then he kisses the smooth plane that makes up the front of Viktor's face. Viktor says he can't feel much of it, but he indulges Jayce anyway.

"Don't keep me waiting too long."

They press their foreheads together and Jayce just breathes for a few precious moments. "I'll be back as soon as I can. Promise."

They step apart. Jayce takes the straps of the cart again. He allows himself one more look at Viktor over his shoulder, and then starts his trek anew. If he keeps looking back, he'll never be able to leave.

The walk is unnervingly quiet for the next half hour or so. There's wind, the occasional animal, and Jayce's own footsteps, but they're emptier without Viktor beside him. Steadily, the path becomes more well-trodden and the underbrush less wild. He begins to glimpse cottages dotting the hills.

The path he's on converges with another, leading down to a proper road. It's there that he runs into another man. He's at the tail end of middle age, grizzled, and laden with the spoils of hunting. He takes in Jayce's walking stick and cart and nods.

"You're the newcomer they've been talking about?"

Jayce nods. They've been in the area for a few months now, but the community is small. He's still a good source of gossip. Folks who live in town have asked Jayce why he hasn't settled closer to the village, but the hunters and trappers don't bother. They go straight into cryptic advice.

"You'll want to wait until the morning to head back," this one says sagely. "There've been sightings in the woods."

"Sightings?"

Jayce almost laughs at the haunted look in the man's face. He can tell he's playing it up for the drama of it. And he's not yet seen anything he'd consider especially dangerous. The predators in the area have plenty to eat without going after humans.

"Oh, yes," the hunter says. "A tall beast wandering the mountain forests. No face except for its glowing eyes. Walks like a man, but with a flaming stinger rising from its back."

A shiver runs down Jayce's spine, though it has nothing to do with the hushed tone of the man's tale. They'd been careful. He hadn't thought Viktor had been spotted.

"Who says this "beast" is dangerous?"

"You can't be too careful. There are hungry things in the wilderness. Old magic."

Jayce schools his face into a thoughtful, serious expression. He nods. "I'll keep that in mind."

"See that you do."

The hunter begins walking again. His pace is slow and he keeps glancing at Jayce, a few yards behind. They're headed in the same direction, but at this end of the journey, Jayce's leg is aching something terrible. He waves the hunter on and then gestures to his braced leg. No words need be exchanged. The old man nods and picks up his pace. It's not long before he's just a blurry humanoid shape ahead of Jayce.

⋆⭒˚.⋆

A bell chimes as Jayce pushes his way into the general store. He himself had repaired the bell two visits prior. The young woman at the counter - girl, really, she can't be more than 16 - glances his way and her eyes widen. Jayce offers her a smile. It's not quite the winning one he'd cultivated during his Man of Progress era, but he hopes it comes across as friendly despite his somewhat haggard appearance. Her cheeks flush and she ducks through the back door to the store's office. Her mother appears a moment later, rolling her eyes. She greets Jayce with a warm smile. It reminds him a bit of his own mother.

"One day Yekika will learn not to be so shy," she says, leaning her elbows on the counter. "I was wondering when we'd see you next."

"Well, we're out of coffee, so it couldn't wait any longer," he replies with a little chuckle.

The shopkeeper hums. "Best to stock up now. As soon as the canals freeze, we won't get another shipment from the South until spring thaw." She's already moving about, fetching sacks of the beans. "You sure go through a lot. Are you sure there's only two of you?"

"Just us two," Jayce confirms. "And my partner doesn't even drink coffee."

"Your heart will give out," she snorts. "So, what have you brought me?"

Jayce starts the work of unloading his cart while the shopkeep, Mirima, takes note for her inventory. She measures the furs and then stacks them behind the counter to be distributed to the artisans she supplies. She inspects each of Jayce's wood and metal devices, eyes lighting up.

"You'll want to make more of these if you can. I have a feeling there'll be a demand for Solstice."

"Oh?"

"Perhaps you don't celebrate it where you're from? We have a festival on the longest night of the year. It's a tradition to stay up all night, waiting it out together. We exchange gifts, especially between couples."

Jayce nods in understanding. "We had something similar, yes. Snowdown."

"You should join us for the festivities. You and your partner." She's so earnest in her invitation, Jayce can't even claim it would be an imposition.

"He's not up for much travel. I'm not sure we could make it."

She sighs, having heard this before. "You know people around here would help. He could ride in an elk-drawn sled if it's foot travel he can't do."

"I'll mention it to him," Jayce says. That seems to placate her enough, at least for now.

Mirima finishes logging his items for trade.

⋆⭒˚.⋆

Once he's finished at the general store, Jayce takes his refilled cart to the village center. It's not exactly busy, but there are a few people passing through on their way to or from errands. Some spare him a friendly glance. There's a wide circular space that Jayce assumes is used for town gatherings with benches along the perimeter. A group of children chase each other around it according to the rules of whatever game they've invented.

The noticeboard is empty of jobs he could claim. A shame, given their expenses are going to be stretched thin with the extra supplies needed for winter. With a sigh, he takes a seat on one of the benches and stretches out his left leg. It aches from the journey. It'll be nearly unbearable by the time he gets home.

A shout from the children catches his attention; it appears one of them has tripped another. The fallen kid dusts off their knees as they push to their feet.

"You did that on purpose!"

"Did not!"

"Did too! You're mean and a liar!"

"Nuh-uh-"

"I saw you do it!" a third child chimes in.

Lower lips wobble and the group divides itself into factions. Jayce glances around, but it seems no parent or guardian is nearby. The other adults passing through the area barely pay any attention. No one is seriously hurt, but it's clear tensions are rising. The cruel mitosis ends with the accused child alone, sniffling and stuttering through denials while the others pull away.

"Nobody wants to be your friend! The Lonely Mage is gonna get you!"

The odd words trigger a proper wail out of the child. A few of the small jury look away and shuffle their feet, embarrassed at this escalation. But they've thrown their lot in, and accompany the rest when they abandon the town center and the accused playmate.

Jayce doesn't have much experience with kids. It's been so many years since he babysat Caitlyn, and he never had much time for them once Hextech got going. Still, he can't just leave the kid there alone. He pushes himself to his feet and hobbles over. He has no idea what to say, and the kid looks kind of terrified of him when he gets close. That's fair enough; he is a strange, large man, after all.

So Jayce ignores the sharp pain in his knee and kneels down. He speaks softly as he pulls a not-quite-finished wind-up-toy from the pocket of his coat. He'd honestly forgotten about it until now, had been tinkering with it the day before. He holds it up for the child - a boy, he thinks - to see. It's enough to keep him from bolting away. He eyes the little metal trinket with a tear-glossy gaze.

"W-what is it?"

"It's a toy. Here." Jayce turns the miniature crank on the back to wind the spring inside. It's shaped like an insect he sometimes sees while foraging, bright green and spindly. Some kind of mantis, probably. Once wound, he sets it on the ground between them. The wire legs skitter and it darts forward. The boy lets out a startled yelp, but it transforms into a giggle when the mechanical bug hits the speed it needs to launch. Something clicks and a set of blade-like wings spring from its back. It glides a few feet before crashing back to the ground. Its legs continue to twitch for a few moments. The boy stumbles after it and picks it up.

Shyly, he holds it out to Jayce.

Jayce doesn't take it back, just points to the handle of the crank. "You give it a try. Turn this here until you can't any more. You won't break it."

The boy concentrates hard and turns the crank. He's too delicate with it at first and the arm of the crank pops back out of his fingers. He tries again, bottom lip caught between his teeth. His cheeks are still ruddy and streaked with tears, but no new ones fall.

"That's it," Jayce says. "Hold it steady now. It might pinch your fingers if you let it go too soon. Go ahead and put it down."

The kid does, ever-so-carefully. At Jayce's encouraging nod, he releases it. He stumbles backwards as the bug moves again. It's not wound up quite as tight as Jayce can manage, so it doesn't reach quite the height or distance as before. But still, it works. The boy rushes to recover it where it lands. He holds it in his pudgy little palms, examining it.

"Is it magic?" he asks.

Jayce chuckles. "No, just physics."

"How does it work?"

Jayce holds his hand out and the child deposits the bug in it. He lifts the wings which hide the spring inside the body. "See that coil? When you turn the handle, it tightens. When you let it go, it springs back to its normal shape. There are catches on the inside that it bumps on the way, and that's what makes the legs move and the wings pop out."

The boy nods, though Jayce can tell he doesn't quite understand it.

"What's your name?" Jayce asks.

"Callum," he replies.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Jayce."

"You're the man who lives way out in the woods."

His wide-eyed awe reminds Jayce of himself when he first met that version of Viktor all those years and worlds ago.

"That's right. Tell you what, Callum. You can keep this." He hands the wind-up insect back to the boy. "I never quite finished it. You can play with it or you can try to take it apart and put it back together. See if you can figure out how it works. But if you can't quite work it out, I'll fix it for you the next time I'm back."

Callum gives him a gap-toothed grin. "I'll figure it out!" He holds the bug close. "If I have this for a friend, the Lonely Mage won't get me, right?"

Jayce has no idea what that means, but he's not about to feed into the kid's fear. He smiles and nods.

Deciding that was enough of a break, Jayce resumes his errands in town. The sun is already lower than he'd like for traveling home.

Viktor is waiting for him by the old rune tree. Jayce sees him from afar, his eyes and claw blazing through the dark of the woods. He leans on his staff, straightening when he catches sight of Jayce.

"You're late. I was beginning to worry."

Jayce shakes his head and smiles, stepping up to Viktor and hugging him close. "Just got a little sidetracked."

"If you had been much longer, I might have come looking for you." Viktor's spindly fingers pet through Jayce's hair.

"There's no need for that," Jayce sighs. "You know I'll just stay the night in town if it's too dangerous to walk home." Or if his leg can't tolerate the trip, but he doesn't say it aloud. "It's not worth the risk of you being spotted." He pauses, remembering something from that morning. "Actually…"

Viktor tilts his head.

"I think someone did see you. An old hunter on the road said there were rumors about a beast in the woods."

Viktor makes a derisive sound, an approximation of a snort. "We know there are bears here. Or perhaps an elk with something caught in its antlers."

"Uh huh. And how many bears or elk are are bipedal, faceless men with flaming stingers?"

Viktor pauses. "Ah."

Jayce sighs, presses a kiss to Viktor's sternum. "We're as careful as we can be. It was bound to happen. Just as long as they're only rumors and no one's mustering a war party."

"Yes," Viktor muses. "It would be a shame to have to leave our cottage just when we've fixed the roof and the draft."

Jayce's eyes light up. "You fixed the draft while I was gone?"

⋆⭒˚.⋆

Jayce next makes it into town a few days later than planned. The weather has taken a turn for the frigid, though there's no snow yet. It's been wreaking havoc on his left leg and all of Viktor's joints. They've taken to wrapping Viktor's knees, shoulders, hips, elbows, and the join of the hexclaw in strips of fabric and fur to insulate them and keep him mobile. All Jayce can do is rub his leg with poultice daily and drink as many mugs of willow tea as his stomach can handle.

Between his leg and the extra load of goods to trade, it takes him nearly twice as long to reach the village. The shopkeeper's daughter is behind the counter of the general store again. Her eyes widen at the sight of him, but she sets her jaw and doesn't bolt. Jayce smiles politely.

It's clear they're switching inventory over for the season. The bolts of linen have been replaced with thick wool, the work gloves with fur-lined mittens, and the shovels and hoes with ice picks. There's also a display near the counter of carved figurines, all painted brightly. As he starts to unload the pelts cushioning his more delicate items, Jayce examines them out of the corner of his eye. Many are stylized human couples of varying genders entwined in loving embraces. Mirima had told him that their winter celebration involves gifts between romantic partners, so it makes sense that the trinkets would reflect that. There's also a shelf dedicated to figures of a lone man in an archaic-looking tunic. He has a beard and long, dark hair braided with multicolored ribbon. He's been painted with red beaded jewelry and holds his hands outstretched. The fingers are painted blue at the tips. It's clearly a specific character. Jayce wonders what symbolic meaning his embellishments hold.

As he finishes with the pelts and begins unloading puzzle boxes and toys, Jayce sees another shelf of carved statuettes. He pauses, squinting at them. He hadn't noticed earlier, probably because they're inhuman in shape. At first, he thinks they're some kind of sparse tree decorated with gold baubles. Then he sees the gold-painted eyes peering from beneath a deep hood, the many arms erupting from a hunched back, the staff gripped in one of the hands. It's not a dead-ringer, but the glowing eyes and spindly limbs remind him of Viktor.

"It's the Lonely Mage," says a quiet voice behind him. He turns to see the shop girl, her eyes flicking between him and the display. "He looks different depending where you grew up. Do you have a Lonely Mage story where you're from?"

Jayce shakes his head. "I don't think so. If we did, it was called something else." He steps closer to the display. "So he's a kind of monster? I heard some kids talking about him. Saying he'd abduct one of them?"

The girl sighs. "They do like to scare each other. And if they're young enough, they might still believe it. But he's not a monster!"

Jayce has barely ever heard her speak before, and never so vehemently. He looks back at her, eyebrows raised. "No?"

She blushes deeply, but manages not to shrink away. "No. I mean, depending on your definition, I guess. But I think the stories about stealing children away are just to keep kids from wandering in the woods alone."

Jayce turns back to his task of unloading handcrafted goods for the girl to inventory. His mind is still on the figurines. "So, people give those as gifts?"

"These ones, yeah." She indicates the statues of couples intertwined. "The Lonely Mage and the Beloved are for people to decorate. They count down the days to Solstice with them."

Jayce gives her a blank look. He knows a lot of those words individually, but together they make little sense.

"Oh, wow. You really don't know." Her eyes go wide and she hurries to clarify. "I'm sorry! It's just that most people around here follow similar traditions. We hardly ever get people from far enough away that they've never heard any versions of the story."

Jayce chuckles. "No offense taken. I am from quite far away. Do you mind telling me the story, though? I don't want to make a fool of myself, being so clueless."

The shop girl thinks a moment, and then nods. "Can I finish tallying up your store credits? You brought more than usual this time."

"Of course. Your mother told me there would be a market for these things."

The wind-up toys and puzzle boxes go directly onto a display, so Jayce helps arrange them. He's pleased to see that there's a significant increase in his spending ability, enough that he can afford a few luxuries along with their necessities. Maybe he ought to get a gift for Viktor. Would he find a Lonely Mage figurine amusing?

Once they're finished and the shopkeeper's daughter marks his credit in the store's log, she tells him the story while she assembles merchandise from his list of supplies. The shop is empty besides them, too early in the day for the shopping rush, so she lets him behind the counter to help.

"This is the version I was told when I was little," she starts. "It'll be about the same from most people around here. It all happened long ago, but no one can say for sure when."

Jayce might have asked where it fell in relation to the Rune Wars, but he's not sure if they ever happened in this reality.

"Anyway." The girl clears her throat to begin properly. "Long ago, there was a mage living in this village. He healed the sick and injured, foretold the weather and harvest, and crafted spells for whoever asked. He didn't have any family, I don't think. And the people didn't trust him because he had a hunched back and walked with a limp."

Her eyes go wide, landing on Jayce's walking stick. "Not that- not that people think that way now! It's actually part of the moral of the story that those villagers were wrong."

Jayce gives her an encouraging smile and nods for her to continue, though his stomach twists in discomfort.

"They didn't trust him because he could do all this magic, but he couldn't heal himself. Was he really a great mage if he couldn't stand up straight or walk right? Where had he gotten his arcane knowledge? They tolerated him because he did so many great things for them, but never let him get close to anyone."

"There was one exception. The son of the village master wanted to know more about him and his magic. Because it's a folktale, he was also apparently the most handsome in all the land. He visited the mage often to ask for little spells or prophecies. They were really just excuses to see him and talk to him. Eventually, the two of them fell in love."

The girl's voice takes on a wistful air. Jayce can't blame her: it's all terribly romantic.

"They decided they wanted to be married. The village master's son - we call him the Beloved - went to his parents to ask for their blessing. They didn't approve. They said it wasn't an appropriate match and anyway, why did he want to marry an ugly hunchback? They argued, but the Beloved couldn't convince them. He went to the mage and told him they would have to run away together.

"But while they were making a plan to elope, the master called a meeting at the town center. He told them that the mage had enchanted his son and made him fall in love with him. They decided that they'd tolerated the mage for long enough, but this was a step too far. The Beloved returned home to pack a bag, but at that same time the villagers assembled to drive the mage out. They burned down his cottage and chased him with torches and whatever weapons they had. He didn't fight back, only called out for his lover.

"The Beloved heard the shouting and ran to the mage, but the crowd was too big and kept them separated. The mage was forced to retreat into the woods and the Beloved was taken back to his parents, who kept him locked inside. Days passed, maybe weeks. Fall turned to winter. Every day, the mage sheltered in the mountain forest, working on spells to reunite him with his Beloved. Every day, the Beloved tried everything he could to escape. On the night of the Solstice, the night when magic is the strongest, he finally found a way out. He had to be quick so as not to be caught, so he couldn't carry much with him, not even a proper cloak. Under cover of the longest, coldest night, he ran into the woods to find his betrothed.

"He wasn't prepared for the ice and wind, nor the rugged ground. His fingers went numb and sharp rocks cut his feet. He couldn't see in the dark, nor did he know where the mage was. Maybe the mage had left the area entirely or died out in the wilderness, but he pressed on, believing his love was waiting for him."

The girl sighs. Her expression is grave, but Jayce can sense her delight in telling this dramatic tale.

"He called out until his voice was gone, walked until his legs gave out. Even then, he crawled until his last breath. That's how the mage found him, cold and frozen and still reaching out. The mage was powerful, but he'd been weakened by his exile. There was nothing he could do to save his lover."

By now, they've stopped gathering dry goods. Jayce, leg aching, sits on a bench behind the counter. The girl is animated in her storytelling, pacing a little and gesturing with her hands as if she's got a much larger audience. He wishes Viktor was here, hopes he can retell the story half as well to him when he gets home.

"So the mage gathered all of his remaining strength and rage. He gathered his spells and changed them. No longer were they to reunite the two lovers; now they would be crafted for vengeance. He carried the Beloved's body back to the village. Everyone was shocked to see him and thought he'd killed the man. But the mage proclaimed their guilt. He told them how their prejudice was to blame for this death. He told them that they could not be forgiven until he and his Beloved were reunited. And he summoned all his magic to cast a curse upon those villagers. He brought down a terrible storm - the worst blizzard they had ever seen. He made it so none of them would ever feel really warm, no matter how close they huddled. He drew out the winter, made it so long they felt they may never see spring again."

Jayce shivers. It's been years and he's worked hard not to let his fear of blizzards overtake him. But this story is summoning up his childhood panic at the sight of snow. He takes a few measured breaths. He's warm right now and he has time before the weather turns. He's also sure Viktor would never let him die cold and alone in the wilderness.

If the girl notices his struggle to ground himself, she pretends not to.

"The mage returned to the mountain forests to wander. The magic he used was so powerful, he was unable to die. But his human form couldn't sustain that kind of life, so he began to change. Over the decades and centuries, he began to change and become-" She gestures to the figurines of the Lonely Mage. "-what many call a monster. He wanders alone, still seeking his lost love and hoping for him to be reborn and find him."

"And stealing naughty children?"

The girl shrugs. "I think that's a later addition to the curse. Some people scare kids with it to keep them from wandering off alone. They tell them he's so lonely, he'll kidnap children and turn them into monsters like him to keep them company." She shakes her head. "I don't think he would do that, though."

She speaks as though this Lonely Mage is real. Perhaps it's childish to believe that he's a beast that abducts children, but she's certainly not grown out of the idea that this story is true. Maybe it is. Stranger things have happened. Jayce doesn't challenge the veracity of the tale.

"It can't all be real, of course. Winter only lasts a few months here. One theory is that the curse only affected the villagers that cast the mage out. Once they all died, the curse lifted. But a lot of our traditions are about keeping the cold away and staying close to our loved ones. That, and sort of apologizing to the doomed lovers."

She gestures again to the Lonely Mage and Beloved statues. "People put these up in their houses to count down the days to Solstice. They start on opposite ends of the mantelpiece or table. Each day, they move them a little closer. On Solstice, they can be reunited. We stay up all night eating and telling stories and playing games. We sing songs, a lot of them about the Mage and hoping he can find his Beloved again. Some people leave offerings near the edge of the woods for the Mage. Nobody gets turned away from a meal or a hearth."

Her cheeks darken. "A lot of kids are born nine months after Solstice."

Jayce chuckles. He can imagine.

"So, um, that's the story. I hope I didn't bore you."

"Not at all! You're a really good storyteller, Yekika."

Her blush deepens further. "Th-thank you." She shrugs. "I've been hearing it all my life, so I guess I know it well."

Jayce nods his agreement and pushes himself to stand. His mind buzzes with thoughts about the tale. Thoughts of the Lonely Mage. Thoughts of Viktor. He thanks Yekika again, both for the story and for this week's load of supplies. She still blushes and stammers around him, but seems a little more at ease. Along with the bolt of wool, bags of beans, rice, and potatoes, twine, thread, ink, paper, spices, and every other thing he and Viktor might need, he adds a figurine each of the Beloved and the Lonely Mage.

After leaving the general store, Jayce walks around the village for a bit. He picks up a few more supplies from the local blacksmith and does a little handiwork at the bakery in exchange for a loaf of bread and a few pastries. Viktor has no means by which to eat, but he's somehow still able to sense odors. The smell of baked goods and spices steeping in tea are his one way of indulging in his old sweet tooth.

He passes by the town center, but the children aren't out playing today. He's a little disappointed he doesn't spot Callum to see if he's managed to figure out the wind-up mantis. Perhaps next time.

He had hoped to start the journey home early to allow for his slower pace, but once again he's late reaching the meeting tree. He wonders now if the symbols carved into the trunk over the years have anything to do with the mage story. Viktor appears a few moments after he arrives, carrying a bundle of acorns. It seems he got bored waiting for Jayce and opted to get some foraging done.

"Did you need to comfort another bullied child?" Viktor asks, but his tone is teasing.

Jayce shakes his head, smiling.

Once home, Viktor helps him unload the cart. He pauses, head tilted in question, at the sight of the figurines.

"What are these?" He lifts the Lonely Mage up, eyes flaring. There's no doubt he's noting the similarities between it and himself.

"Oh! That's what held me up. Yekika, Mirima's daughter, was telling me their Solstice legend. I thought it might be nice to try some of the local traditions."

Viktor waits for Jayce to elaborate. Jayce considers. An idea has been percolating since he'd heard the tale. He hates lying to Viktor, but a little by omission might be necessary here.

"They have this story about two separated lovers." Jayce gestures to the figurines. "They put them on opposite ends of the mantle or table and move them closer every day so they can be together on Solstice."

Despite the lack of expression, he can tell that Viktor is giving him a doubtful look. "These are the two lovers?"

Jayce nods. "One is the son of the village leader, and the other is a mage. They were separated because the village feared the mage, but they find their way back to each other. And now the people honor them to atone for their prejudice."

Viktor hums. He rises and places the two statues on the ledge above their hearth. He positions them to be facing each other, very close. The Beloved's outstretched hands might cup the Mage's face, were it not hidden beneath a carved hood.

⋆⭒˚.⋆

Interlude - Viktor

It snows the day of Jayce's next trip into town. Viktor sees the tension knit itself into Jayce's back when he opens their front door and sees the flakes lazily drifting from the overcast sky. He stands in silence for a couple of seconds before taking a deep breath and stepping outside. Viktor doesn't feel the cold, just the resistance in his joints. He keeps a close watch on Jayce as they disassemble the cart and replace the wheels with runners to turn it into a sledge. He appears to be holding up well, but neither of them is a stranger to hiding their true feelings.

Jayce looks up at him from the packed sledge, a frown twisting his features.

"I'll probably need to stay at least one night in the village. They're setting up for the Solstice festival, so I can pick up more work." He doesn't say that he doesn't want to trek back near dark, but Viktor understands.

Jayce leans against Viktor's more stable frame while he straps on his ice cleats. His nose is already going pink in the chill, breath coming out in foggy puffs. Viktor bends to tuck his scarf more securely around him. It earns him a smile and a quick kiss before Jayce nuzzles turtle-like back into his winter wrappings.

As usual, they walk together to the Rune Tree. It's slow going. Their limps are a mirror-image, though distorted on Viktor's side. Despite all of the reconstruction he's done on his own form, his right leg still twists inward. The pain of his human form is gone, but he still relies on his staff for balance. Jayce alternates between leaning heavily on his walking stick and tugging the sledge along. Viktor itches to help, but remembers all too well how he had balked when Jayce stepped in to steady him or reach something for him without his asking.

The softly falling snow muffles the forest sounds around them. It's just the crunch of their feet, their canes, the sledge, and the occasional bird or squirrel overhead. Viktor can still feel the steady hum of life all around them. Even the plant life going dormant in the cold emits a sort of pulse, promising to wake in spring. Viktor finds it peaceful. He wishes he could impart that peace onto Jayce.

At the Rune Tree, they perform their parting ritual. Anxiety twists inside Viktor, where his guts once were. Neither of them like parting for more than a day. Perhaps it's codependency, but Viktor has no room to worry about diagnosing it. They've been through enough; he thinks they're entitled to a few unhealthy coping mechanisms. Jayce lifts his chin from his scarf to press kisses to Viktor's face. He feels them most easily on the split sides, but what he really treasures is the pressure of Jayce's forehead against his. Jayce breathes in and out and while Viktor doesn't strictly breathe, he moves rhythmically along with his partner.

As always, Jayce tears himself away and allows himself exactly one look back before he continues along the path. Viktor stands and watches his retreating form until he's nothing more than a blur between trees and snow. The separation feels like a string drawn taut, tugging painfully at his heart.

For all the work that goes into homesteading, Viktor is left with little to do. Any further repairs or upgrades to their cottage will require warmer weather and more materials from town. Foragables and game are becoming more scarce and they've already stocked up enough that they'll run out of storage space if they take on any more. Besides, only Jayce needs the food. Still, Viktor has never been one for sitting idle. In Jayce's absence, he's begun his own research projects and experimentation. He's created a number of maps of the area, complete with bodies of water, landmarks, geographical features, and roads. They're all edged with the boundaries of towns which he doesn't dare cross. He does get closer than Jayce knows, though. He knows a hunter or two has spotted him at a distance. He's made lists of each species he's observed, animal, plant, and fungus alike, and how abundant they seem to be. And wherever he goes, he makes note of the presence of the arcane.

There's no doubt that magic exists in this world. Viktor's changed form allows him to sense and wield it. He's not yet sure whether the magic itself is weak here, or if he himself is not a powerful mage. The runes left on the Rune Tree are an ongoing mystery. They're like nothing he encountered in his Hextech research. Perhaps they're simply names in some dead script, but he has a feeling there's a greater significance.

Today, Viktor takes a wide arc, circling closer to the village. Directly following Jayce would give him away, and he's familiar enough with the main road. He can't help pushing his luck and investigating closer and closer to civilization. As the trees thin out and the land slopes down into a valley, farms and homesteads begin to dot the landscape. Thin plumes of smoke rise from chimneys. They remind him of the tendrils of magic he himself used to draw minds from bodies. Even now, Jayce bears the marks of his fingertips on his forehead.

He treads more cautiously here, ducking behind boulders, trees, and out-buildings to avoid detection. He has high enough ground that he can see the buildings become tighter clusters until they become a larger mass, the people little dots bustling here and there. Despite the snowfall, it seems more lively than ever; the villagers are stringing garlands, placing colored lanterns, and erecting poles into conical structures that will no doubt be decorated for the upcoming holiday.

Viktor finds himself walking along the fence of a pasture populated by the domesticated elk that seem to be the primary livestock for the area. The animals snuffle through the snow to get at the grass and moss beneath, their breaths steaming. A few raise their heads to regard him, but seem unperturbed by his appearance. Whatever they think of him, he doesn't come across as a predator. Perhaps his staff reminds them of their shepherds, or he looks like the scarecrows they might see in adjacent fields.

He stops by a fence post and continues to observe the creatures. The calves gambol about, rolling in the snow or playing at fighting with the antlers they don't yet have. Their mothers pay them little mind, munching placidly. Their heads rise when a shout carries through the pasture, but it's far from inducing a panic. One of the calves leaps away from the source of the noise: a young child racing through his family's livestock. Even if Viktor had time to hide himself, something roots him in place. The boy appears to be chasing something. At first, Viktor assumes it must be one of the elk.

Then he sees something small and green whiz through the air towards him. It lands in a patch of moss. Without thinking, Viktor hops over the fence. When he bends down to inspect the thing - an insect? - the boy shrieks.

"No! That's mine! My friend gave it to me!"

Viktor stops just before touching the small object. He recognizes it as one of the wind-up toys he and Jayce have been tinkering with to sell in town. He looks up to see that the child has slipped in a patch of mud. He looks up at Viktor with terror, tears making his wide eyes shine.

"I was only looking at it," Viktor says. "I won't steal it."

To demonstrate his sincerity, Viktor picks it up with the lightest touch he can manage. He brings it closer to verify that yes, this is one of Jayce's. He must have given it to the kid a couple of weeks back. There are some scuffs on it and the spring looks to be slightly out of place. He extends his hand to offer the toy back to its owner.

The boy doesn't move to take it. He seems frozen with fear. The tears spill over and track down his ruddy cheeks.

"Please don't take me! My friend said it would protect me. B-because I have friends! I don't wanna be a monster!"

Viktor moves slowly, not coming any closer. He sets the toy back down on the ground, within the boy's reach. He crouches down, leaning on his staff. The idea is to seem less imposing, but getting closer and revealing more details of his transformed visage might just have the opposite effect. "I have no intention of taking you anywhere."

"You don't?" the child sniffles.

Viktor shakes his head. "I must look very frightening to you, but I am not in the habit of kidnapping. Nor turning anyone into monsters." And if memories of Dr. Reveck, Huck, and Vander spill forward in his mind, that is his own private pain.

The child pushes himself to his feet. He takes a tentative step forward, and then snatches the wind-up mantis from the ground. Viktor stays still as a statue.

"Are you really him?"

Viktor emits a buzzing chuckle. "That depends on who you think I am."

"The Lonely Mage."

Viktor tilts his head in consideration. He remembers what Jayce had told him about the strange carved figures that now sit on the ledge above their hearth. Two lovers, one a monstrous mage and the other a handsome villager, separated by the prejudice of their community. "One could call me that, I suppose. I'm not so lonely, though."

"Because you have naughty kids you turned into monsters?"

"No. My husband keeps me company."

He's not prepared for the look of wonder on the boy's face, the way his jaw drops. It can't be their genders that shocks him - Jayce has reported that there are unions of all kinds among the people here. Most likely, it is his inhuman appearance. "It may seem strange, but he doesn't mind the way I look."

Amazingly, the boy shakes his head. "Of course he doesn't! He found you again after a hundred hundred years!" His face lights up in a grin. Viktor really doesn't know what to make of it. There must have been more to that legend than Jayce relayed.

"I…believe you've met him, actually." Viktor gestures to the toy still carefully clutched in the child's hand. "He gave that to you."

"Mister Jayce is your Beloved?!"

It shouldn't be possible for the kid to appear more excited. He bounces on the balls of his feet and nearly slips in the mud again. Viktor, gobsmacked, can only nod in confirmation.

"Really truly? So there's no more curse on us?"

"There is no curse." In Viktor's estimation, there never was, not since he and Jayce arrived. He'd have felt the magic. Any curse on these people is their own self-imposed guilt.

The child inches closer. He extends a shaky hand. Viktor stays still, unsure of the boy's intent. His small fingers just brush Viktor's gilded knuckles where his fingers curl around his staff. He yanks his hand back, but he's smiling widely. "You're really real. I'm so glad you found your Beloved and forgave us, Mister Mage!"

Viktor doesn't correct him. Forgiveness is not his to give. Instead, he lets his eyes flash warmly, the closest he can get to a gentle smile, and says "It's Viktor. A bit easier to say, no?"

"Okay, Mister Viktor. I'm Callum." He shuffles his feet. "Um. I should go now. Mom and Mama will be wondering where I am."

Viktor nods and stands. "Go ahead, Callum. I will leave you in peace."

Callum trots away, glancing over his shoulder as he goes. At the gate that opens on the path to the nearby farmhouse, he offers a little wave. Viktor can't help but raise his own hand in response. Then, the boy takes off at a run that makes Viktor worry he'll slip and hurt himself. Thoughts racing, Viktor lets himself out of the pasture. He's too preoccupied to continue his exploration without getting caught again, so he turns and heads for the treeline.

⋆⭒˚.⋆

Jayce

Solstice is still a few weeks off, but preparations are in full swing. Jayce has more store credit and odd jobs than ever. He helps elk ranchers repair their sleighs, mounts pine boughs over doorways, and chops so much wood for hearths and bonfires. His and Viktor's toys and puzzle boxes are a huge hit among gift shoppers. Already, Jayce is full of ideas for what they could make next year. He realizes, as he sketches an idea on a scrap piece of paper, that it's the first time he's made a plan for the future here outside of pure survival. They can't continue like this forever; Jayce visiting town for necessities, and Viktor in perpetual exile. But maybe, if he can convince the villagers to give Viktor a chance, and convince Viktor to give them a chance…

He looks around at the bustling market square. A few vendors have set up stands with meat on spits, candied nuts and fruit, and one even has a series of steaming pots from which they serve mugs of spiced drinks. One might even be sweetmilk. He makes a note to get some on his way home, seal it in his canteen in the hopes that it'll still be warm to present to Viktor. Even if he can't drink it, he might appreciate the fragrance.

The level of technology here isn't stone-age, but it's behind what he's used to from Piltover. He and Viktor could, he thinks, really improve these peoples' lives. No Hextech, nothing so grandiose as the Hexgates, but practical tools. Portable heaters for the hunters and ranchers who spend their time out in the elements. Automatic cleaning devices. Mobility aids. Even novelties, just for the fun of it. Perhaps he could design something like Ekko's hoverboards, or more impressive lanterns to decorate for the Solstice.

He's been surviving, but maybe he has the opportunity to live again. Perhaps he can find a new purpose together with Viktor.

Jayce blinks, surfacing from his thoughts, when he realizes that he's gathering a few stares. That had been expected when he was new here, but he's a familiar enough face in town that it seems odd. He meets one woman's eyes, but she turns quickly to whisper something to her friend. He frowns. He can't think of anything he's done that might have changed public opinion about him.

Other than the odd looks, though, he doesn't encounter any problems as he pushes himself up from the bench he'd been sitting on and heads to the blacksmith to see about buying scrap metal from them. He's interrupted when he leaves with his satchel newly weighed down with future gadgets. Two children race for him with such ferocity that he expects them to crash into his legs. They skid to a stop before making impact.

"Mister Jayce!" It's Callum. He recognizes the other kid as the girl who'd accused Callum of tripping her a few weeks back. He gives them a cautious smile.

"I hoped you were still in town! I've been looking all over for you."

His excitement is certainly a change from the timid, weepy boy Jayce had spoken to before.

"Well, here I am," he says, and waits for Callum to elaborate.

"Cal says you're the…the red carnation of the Lonely Mage's Beloved." The little girl looks doubtful, both at Callum's assertion and her own attempt at relaying it.

"Re-in-car-nation," Callum says. "And it's true! I met the Mage yesterday and he told me!"

Jayce's heart goes still. Callum could be making up the story, of course. But he could also have encountered Viktor. "You did?"

Callum nods. "He found me out with the elk and he saw my toy." The boy digs in his coat pocket for a moment and produces the wind-up insect. "He knew you made it and he said you're his husband. Tell her it's true," he pleads.

Jayce picks his words carefully. Callum looks so hopeful, while the girl crosses her arms. "I did make it. And my husband makes things like that too, so he'd know. Maybe you can tell me what he looked like, and I'll tell you if that was him?"

"He was so tall." Callum lifts a hand high to emphasize just how tall. "Like…ten feet. And he walked with a stick and his eyes glowed and he had an extra arm."

"How did his eyes glow? You said he didn't have a face," the girl retorts.

"He had eyes, just not a mouth or nose."

"That doesn't make any sense-"

Jayce raises a hand and cuts in before it can turn into a bigger argument. "That was him, all right. His name is Viktor."

At the name, the girl's annoyed expression entirely drops. Her wide eyes whip between Jayce and Callum, who looks rather smug. Viktor must have offered his name to the boy, and Callum in turn told his playmate. "R-really? You're really married to the Mage?" All condescension is gone from her voice, replaced with awe.

Jayce nods with a soft smile. "That's right. We live together a little way up the mountain."

"Why hasn't anyone seen him until now?" the girl asks, doubt not altogether gone from her tone.

Jayce sighs. "We thought people would be scared of him. We didn't want to have to leave if the people here didn't accept us."

The two children nod sagely. "When I saw him, I thought he was going to kidnap me," Callum adds. "But he was really nice."

Jayce thinks of the odd looks he's been getting today. "Callum, how many people have you told about this?"

The boy gives him a big, gap-toothed grin. "Everybody I know! I told Miss Yekika at the general store and she's been telling all her customers that the curse is lifted just in time for Solstice."

Jayce holds back a groan. He doesn't want the kid to think he's done wrong, despite having possibly just blown his life up. "And people are happy about it?"

"Yes!" Callum bounces on the balls of his feet. Even the sullen girl nods along eagerly.

"I'd better go talk to him."

Jayce had been planning on staying in town for a few more hours, but he knows he won't be able to think of anything else until he sees Viktor. After the kids scamper off, no doubt to continue spreading the news, he stops by the vendor and gets her to fill his canteen with the creamy, licorice-scented drink. Sledge retrieved from its parking spot behind the general store, he sets out for home.

Viktor, unaware of his change of plans, isn't waiting by the Rune Tree when Jayce reaches it. He can see the odd, long footprints in the snow around it, follows them with his eyes. It seems he'd set out closer to the village as soon as Jayce was out of sight. Asshole, Jayce thinks fondly. He can never be truly angry with Viktor for taking a risk. He continues along the path to their cottage.

He catches sight of Viktor as he's tugging his sledge over a snowless lump of frozen earth. He's striding towards the cottage from the opposite direction, clearly returning from an exploratory mission. He stops when he sees Jayce.

"Give me a hand?" Jayce asks.

Viktor nods and hurries to take the sledge from him. "You're back earlier than I expected."

"Yeah. What were you up to?"

"More mapping. I found a cave entrance that might prove interesting."

Jayce hums. "Seems like that wasn't the only interesting thing you found."

He watches with some amusement as Viktor yanks too hard at the sledge's lead and stumbles while the runners pull it a few feet ahead on more even snow. He shoots a look back at Jayce. "What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, just that I think you met a friend of mine. And that friend went and told the whole village about you."

"Ah. Jayce, I-"

"Pretty sure Callum's family ranch is just outside of town. Getting a little close there, V."

Viktor straightens. "I was being careful. I never meant to put us at risk-"

Jayce raises a hand. The smirk he'd been hiding slips through and he can see how Viktor's shoulders relax with it. "It's all right." He crosses the distance between them and pulls Viktor into an embrace. "There was always going to be risk."

Viktor makes a sound like a sigh. "Callum was quite frightened at the sight of me."

"Wouldn't have known it from how he was talking about you." Jayce rests his chin against Viktor's sternum and looks up at him. "I should have told you more of that Solstice story. I'm sorry, I just…didn't want to freak you out."

"Mm. I gathered there was more. Both because you're a terrible liar, and because of some of the things Callum said."

Jayce snorts. "Yeah, okay. Can we go inside and talk about this by the fire? I can't feel my toes."

That night, the two of them curl up together in a nest of blankets before the fire. The wind howls outside, rattling the windows, but no draft reaches them. Jayce recounts the Mage story to Viktor in its entirety this time. He doesn't think he tells it as good as Yekika, but he remembers all the important details. Viktor is silent, a mug of the reheated sweetmilk in his hands to waft its scent to whatever olfactory organ he posesses. Jayce watches him, trying not to fidget. Perhaps the story had troubled Viktor. It's certainly made Jayce feel…something. There are too many familiar elements for him not to.

Finally, Viktor speaks. His voice resonates through his chest so Jayce can feel it against his cheek.

"They think I am their monster mage. I don't look quite like that carving, but what else would they think if they see me?"

Jayce lets out a long breath. "Yeah. Everyone I've spoken to seems to really believe in the story, or at least parts of it."

"Do you think…we should move away from here? If they think I am stealing away their children…"

It's hard to tell, but his voice might shake ever-so-slightly.

"They think I am their monster mage. I don't look quite like that carving, but what else would they think if they see me?"

Jayce lets out a long breath. "Yeah. Everyone I've spoken to seems to really believe in the story, or at least parts of it."

"Do you think…we should move away from here? If they think I am stealing away their children…"

Jayce puts a hand on Viktor's sternum. "No." He's surprised how vehemently he says it. "We've…we're just getting settled. Besides, we can't leave until winter's passed." Viktor probably can, but Jayce won't even think about attempting it.

"I was actually thinking…" He settles back down, tucking his face against Viktor's neck. "This might be good for us. If they think you're this mage and you prove that you're not vengeful, it might…I don't know. Make them feel their curse is lifted?"

"That's a very optimistic idea, Jayce."

Jayce snorts. "Have you met me?"

Viktor is quiet, and then says, "I…will think about it."

⋆⭒˚.⋆

Jayce makes a few appearances in town over the next month. There's not much more he and Viktor need to overwinter and the cold is making travel and manual labor more difficult for the both of them. Since it began, the snow hasn't let up. They've had to practically tunnel a path from their front door. In town, he sets up shop in a corner of the general store and offers free repairs for any toy or tool someone might bring him, so long as he can do it sitting down. The point isn't money, but people offer tips and small gifts anyway. They ask after his husband. There's a careful reverence to their tone when they speak to him, excitement bubbling underneath it all. It reminds him so strongly of his early Hextech days that he has to take a break to get his breathing under control one afternoon.

He eases the bright sparks of panic at those memories with the thought that instead of anticipating an invention to make them all rich, they're all eager to see his partner. He hadn't realized until now how much he craves showing Viktor off.

The morning of the Solstice blesses them with a bright, clear day. Instead of the sledge, Jayce and Viktor simply pack overnight bags they can carry on their backs. It's afternoon when they bundle up against the cold, take their walking sticks in hand, and start the trek into the valley. They pause at the Rune Tree, but it's not a goodbye this time. Just a silent acknowledgement. Jayce takes in the symbols carved into the bark. Something about the patterning of them makes him wonder if they're numbers - years - in some ancient script. The tree must be hundreds of years old, but each marking seems to be made by the same hand. But that's a mystery for another time. He takes Viktor's hand and leads him away, along the path.

It seems everyone is out enjoying the sunshine while it lasts. They pass pastures full of frolicking elk calves, their guardians lugging hay or filling troughs of grain. A few of the ranchers notice the strange couple on the road and wave. Viktor waves back with the hexclaw, which makes Jayce guffaw. They meet a young woman also heading into town for the Solstice. She's remarkably unfazed by the two of them, instead falling into pleasant conversation about the weather. It's not long before a family of five, the youngest two children bundled into a sled pulled by the eldest, joins them. And then another family. A group of teenagers. An old man that Jayce is pretty sure he recognizes as the hunter he'd met on the road weeks ago.

By the time the scattered farmhouses give way to rows of homes and shops, they're part of a crowd. The sun has sunk in the sky, the surrounding mountains further casting the town into dusk. The few business-owners who'd been open today are closing up shop. Through some windows, Jayce can see families gathering around tables and hearths. Decorative lights begin to flare to life. One of the clusters of people begins to sing what must be a traditional Solstice carol.

The procession spreads through the streets, winding towards the center. The open area is ringed by food stands and barrel-like heaters. There are some musicians scattered about, continuing the carols. The park at the very center is a spectacle of lights. Jayce can see children chasing each other and throwing snowballs from around the structures he helped set up. Despite the chill air, it feels remarkably warm.

Jayce spots Yekika in a group of other teens just as she looks up and notices Viktor. Her eyes widen as she gasps out a little puff of steam. She says something to her friends and then rushes over. To his astonishment, she bends a knee in a sort of half-bow before Viktor.

"It's an honor to meet you, Mage," she says.

Jayce squeezes Viktor's hand, reminding him to say something.

"Yes, eh…It's an honor to be welcomed here."

Yekika straightens up and turns to Jayce. "You made me tell you the story, and all this time…" He can see the fragile cheer in her small smile - she's worried he was making fun of her.

"I really didn't know it," he says. "I didn't…remember. I just had what Viktor told me, which wasn't a lot. And I had to make sure it was safe. I can't thank you enough for that reassurance."

The dam breaks and her whole face lights up. Her eyes glimmer with tears in the waning light. "Oh!" She can't seem to get more words out, instead grabbing the both of them for a hug. Jayce returns the embrace, one arm around the girl and the other around Viktor. She's sniffling and beaming when she pulls back.

"Can I introduce you to my friends?"

"Of course," Jayce says, looking to Viktor for confirmation. Viktor's eyes flash in amber amusement and he nods.

Yekika leads them to the group of teens who gape and awkwardly offer their names. A younger sibling butts into the circle, not wanting to be left out. Said sibling calls over some of their friends and the circle grows. It becomes a mass of people waiting their turn to greet them. Jayce is certainly not ignored, but most of the attention is on Viktor. Of course it is, given his stature and appearance. He seems nonplussed, but not uncomfortable. The relief thawing in Jayce's chest warms to pride.

Mirima appears and offers to bring them refreshments. Jayce accepts, and when he explains that Viktor doesn't eat but enjoys the fragrance of sweet foods, she returns with a paper bag full of steaming roasted nuts. Jayce helps himself to a few and finds them delightfully over-spiced and crunchy with sugar crystals. Someone presses a cup of a hot, foamy drink not unlike cocoa into his hand.

An elderly gentleman with a twinkle in his eye hobbles up to them. He nods at their walking sticks, tapping his own cane against the cobblestones, and ushers them along to a row of wooden benches that have been lined with straw and blankets. Jayce thanks the man and sits gratefully. People continue to swarm around them. Jayce does his best to keep up with all the questions - do they like the village? Do they like the food? Are they warm enough? Can Viktor really do magic? What happened to Jayce's leg?

It's exhausting, but not the way it used to be; charming investors and playing politics. This doesn't make him feel hollow. He hadn't realized it at the time, but playing that game made him feel like a cardboard cutout of himself. A walking billboard for Hextech, paper thin but tall enough to cast a shadow over Viktor. He looks up at his partner now to meet eyes glowing warm and bright.

A group of small children approach them, carrying what looks to be a mass of pine boughs and ribbon.

"We made these for you!" the smallest of them says. They offer up a wreath made of coniferous sprigs laden with red berries, ribbons of all colors tied messily around the ring and holding it together.

"Uh…thank you," Jayce says. He reaches out to accept it, but doesn't know what to do with the thing.

Viktor snorts at him and plucks the wreath from his hands with the hexclaw. "Excuse my husband," he tells the children. "We've been living up in the mountains for so long, he forgot his manners. We came underdressed, as you can see." The claw deposits the wreath onto Jayce's head, where it sits crookedly. It's at least less spiky than it looks. It's then that Jayce realizes many people around are wearing similar decorations. Pine needles woven into brooches pinned onto hats, jewelry fashioned from wooden beads painted red to imitate the berries, and garlands of ribbon and pine bough.

The children giggle, accepting Viktor's excuse. Jayce laughs and thanks them again. He rights the crown on his head. There's more where it came from, and now they can't stop the children from descending on them with their homemade holiday decorations. When Viktor seems uncertain how to drape a garland over his shoulders, a kid clambers onto the bench and halfway up Viktor's body to place it just so. Viktor seems too stunned to do much but let it happen. Taking it as permission, the rest of the gaggle spring into action.

Jayce gets a few more embellishments, but Viktor gets the full treatment. The children weave a crown around the gilded spikes already protruding from his head. They wrap garlands around his neck like a scarf. They even tie ribbons around the hexclaw's arm. Jayce's stomach hurts from laughing. The children finally stand back to admire their work.

"So? How do I look, Beloved?" Viktor asks Jayce. His eyes shimmer with amusement.

"Oh, very festive. Not even a little bit ridiculous."

Viktor thwacks Jayce's good leg with his staff when none of the children can see.

Jayce considers escalating by tossing a handful of snow at him, but he's too overcome with affection when he looks over to see the hexclaw adjusting the wreath on Viktor's head. Instead, he tugs him in to kiss his cheek.

"Happy Solstice, my love."

Viktor's gaze softens, embers that warm Jayce down to his bones. "Happy Solstice, Jayce."