Battle of Kaer Morhen

The days passed and Zantano remained secluded away in the tower left alone, it mainly silent from the tower despite the others protests and unlike humans didn’t need to eat so they couldn’t try and lure him out with food. His generals would walk in talk to him and then leave and their response to every question thrown at them by the humans was, “It’s for the best!” Ciri was the only person who he would “speak” to but the others doubted that, that is what happened when she came down red in the face and hair messy, despite this she did reveal that he was angry and locking himself away for the time being stops him from killing Geralt or hurting anyone else, the angrier he is the more use he is on the battlefield but what else happened she refused to speak of, instead she just looked judging Triss.

The air grew cold, the water turned to ice and horses grew restless whilst the ground began to shake, the Witcher’s and their allies drew their weapons looking up to the tower hoping Zantano knew, the air began to freeze as the portals began to open and the creatures began to step out, it was then when a window smashed and jumping down Zantano’s sword went through the first Wild Hunt’s head before killing the next two in a clean swipe, “Took your time!” Geralt snapped but being met by an cold snarl from the man knew it wasn’t the time especially after the sword was raised to his throat until in a quick motion Zantano killed the next creature, “Men, form up! Wait for my signal! Archers protect the Sorceress, Ned you know what to do!”

The battle raged on and despite the disadvantage the Witcher’s were holding their own. The Hunts army bands were overrun by Zantano’s **** who ambushed and efficiently killed them and Zantano himself enjoyed the exercise; killing his victims violently acting as a sweeper to help prevent the army getting flanked and to aid those struggling. He studied the area before seeing Triss outnumbered and surrounded by the Wild Hunt, leapt up to the wall, he killed the first before throwing the next off the wall sliced the next in half in a single cut pathing a way to Triss who taking cover behind the larger man smiled feeling the comfort of the her former lover whilst protecting his rear despite him not needing it, she couldn’t help but smile watching him slaying the creatures until it was all clear and letting Triss have the opportunity to smile lightly looking at him, “Thank you!” he glared at her before wiping his blade snapped, “Just focus on surviving!”

We continued to fight the army blocking the gate from any more Wild Hunt adding to their forces from the outside and like we anticipated the storms of fire rained down on the large groups, however something was wrong. The army had stopped, Triss had stopped sending out bolts of magic and in the distance there was a cry, “Hold the line Brienne, I need to see what’s going on!” she nodded taking command until there was a loud screech and a bolt of Green light spat up into the sky, the ground started to shake and people and items began to be pulled towards it like they were trying to walk on thick ice, whilst clutching their heads in pain from the screech and **** of this foreign power. “Zantano I can’t fight it!” “Keep on fighting, I’ll stop it!” Brienne nodded seeing me rush to the Keep, slamming the gates shut to give me some extra time and looking around there I saw the Witcher’s frozen, Triss and Yennefer powerless with the others and Eredin glare at my free movement, I killed the two guards who were in my way before throwing them to the floor looked over to see Vesemir’s body and Avallac’h struggle to his feet, I watched the ice break freeing the Witcher’s as they watched in horror as they were pulled towards her until his Eredin’s lieutenant summoned a portal and pulled him away leaving the others to face their fate. They watched my free movement as I crouched in level to Ciri’s kneeling shaped level as she watched in shock in her own ability arms held out not wavering, she watched me kneel in front of her and placing my head next to hers whispered, “Stop!” pushing her arms down placing the golden orb into her hand watching the power drain into the orb and her to collapse into my arms.

“Is she? Is she alright?” Yennefer cried rushing to her child but seeing his casual nod Zantano spoke, “Yes. As planned!” “You planned his ****?” Geralt snapped but shaking his head Zantano rose to his feet and commented, “No, he was a good man. If I wanted someone dead it would have been you. You see... Ciri came to me concerned about her power. She has been running all her life and never had a chance to learn how to control them. So she asked me questions about her getting consumed or controlled by it. Thus came the idea of a anchor to me, why is her blood special? She is more Isu than human, meaning she is more like me then let’s say Yennefer. We agreed that there needed to be a way or insurance matter that someone could switch her off if she lost control. We linked up and when she did lose control I was able to switch her off and absorb the power used, trapping it. This way you were saved from her destruction!” Yennefer stood up smiling with joy before rushing up began to hug him, “Thank you! Thank you! It could have ended horrifically without you!” “I said I would look out for Ciri and that’s what I did. She will be awake soon; probably beat herself up about Vesemir as well” “And here we thought you two were just fucking!” Triss spoke, he smiled faintly before frankly spoke, “We were... that literally took like five minutes to do. The rest was as you say fucking; she has a lot of stress from the constant bickering between Yennefer-Triss and Geralt; so went to the tower for comfort and sex to release some steam; apparently none of you three are in a position to challenge her” they glared at him but instead of reacting to the comment Yennefer nodded accepting it, “I suppose you are right... we aren’t in a position to criticise; as long as she knows it isn’t anything permanent!” “She knows that but it doesn’t matter anyway. She wakes up, we go on the counter and get an massive army, win and then I’m out of here!” they watched him walk away before Triss pushing past Geralt pulled the larger figures arm to look at her, “Thank you again for earlier. I really needed help and you showed up and thank you for sticking around. I do owe you, especially since we...” “Don’t bother finishing the sentence, I know what you are going to say... and no! There isn’t anything you can offer as payment. I want one thing from you and I won’t ever get it, so stop asking redundant questions when you know the answer!” “I...I just thought if there was anything else we could get it for you!” “Nothing but I will need your help before I go...” “What for?” Geralt queried thinking the worst of Zantano’s proposal, “I lost Triss and because it’s over the allotted time to find a partner stated in the treaty signed by my parents I have to accept an arranged marriage to ensure loyalty and good faith. I hate them all and they hate me so I want her opinion on who I should choose!” Triss nodded studying his list and after seeing it felt guilty reading the names to herself as he walked off, she looked at the others before whining, “Well that’s a shit list!” “What do you mean shit? He has all goddesses listed! What is this even for?” Yennefer commented but reading the list out Triss spoke, “A Isu has a certain amount of time to find a partner; if they don’t a list is drawn up; most of it is either to make a stronger child or to tie families together. Listen to the list: Aphrodite; a whore, Athena; a stuck up bitch who is a virgin goddess and gets arsey anytime someone asks her about it. Artemis, well she won’t even stay in a house with him; she is a virgin goddess who has no time for anyone because it’s all about the hunt, she probably won’t even recognise the marriage. Apate she won’t even go near him again after he insulted her, Astrea virgin goddess which must be enforced, Circe well she hates him after she called him an abomination and he killed her father. Hera she is already married and would only use to get back at Zeus or to control him both sexually and physically the only other name is Hela and we don’t want that... no one wants that again” “Again?” Yennefer queried, “Yes, it was literal hell last time, he was younger back then but when you have someone of his nature with the goddess of Hellheim which is just as bad it causes a lot of trouble” Triss looked at Yennefer before biting the bullet asked, “Yennefer...” “No!” “Just for temporary, then you can break up” “You did it, you fix it or face the consequences of ruining his life” “He is still my friend... anyway I can help I will. You are single, hurt and lonely maybe you will be good for each other instead of waiting for Geralt or I to slip up” Yennefer laughed before stating the obvious, “Don’t you see it? I’m waiting for you to slip up so I can get Geralt back and he is waiting for Geralt to slip up so he can have you back. To me that says something but you were always blind to the obvious” “I’m not!” “Then what did Philippa always tell you?” “Look, I don’t care I love him and that’s what matters!” “Well let me ask you something... let’s say he meets Philippa again from what I gather from his stories about her; they have some past. Let’s say they fall in love would you honestly be happy or would you simply be jealous and annoyed that he isn’t whining over you!” “That’s not the point!” “It’s exactly the point. You want me to be with him because you care for him and want someone who is in the same position. You aren’t any better than the list; you want to control his life to. Maybe you leaving him was for the best. But I’ll tell you what...” “What?” “I will go along with this lie on one condition!” “What? If I can help I will!” “Bring me Geralt’s head on a spike. I’ll be free and willingly offer myself to the party who removed it!” “No!” “Then leave me!”

Triss rushed around asking Keira but she refused to even entertain the notion and Ves well she was open to the idea until she heard it would be leaving here and going to another realm which she would probably be laughed at and that ruled her out. She sighed before sitting next to the god who stared into the fire using his hands to pull fragments of dirt from his armour as Triss threw the paper onto the floor in disgust, “They have screwed you over with that list... my reckoning is it was on purpose. No one else?” “I have tried Nyx but she said no, not after what happened before but I don’t even remember being that close to her, she just keeps saying “in another lifetime” I don’t know. Perhaps Artemis is the better option; it won’t exactly be an marriage and I could just focus on my work and I suppose I could get the other stuff done via festivals or orgies even if it contradicts my morals. I shouldn’t have put my hopes in one person. It was wrong of me and evidently the pressure told!” “I didn’t even know your time was coming truthfully and I know it isn’t what you want but I have been asking around for you. Keira said no, Ves was alright with the idea until she learned it meant leaving here and Yennefer virtually said no unless you cut Geralt’s head off!” “That would kill two birds with one stone... hmmm” “Please don’t!” “I’m only joking” “You aren’t. I know you aren’t. I can see you contemplating it!” “Well as you are doing it, I might as well look out for myself” “Then I will have to look out for Geralt and find a way to stop you!” “Just don’t get in my way! Or I will be executing two people instead of one!” she got up before shaking her head snapped, “I’m trying for you. To find someone at least give me time to try and find someone” “I am aren’t I? I could slay him right now if I sought to and I will find Philippa, who knows maybe she will remember me!” “Thank you Zanatano; even with this situation” “You know if I never came here; none of this would have happened between us; I would never have known” “I know but I would have felt a whole lot worse trying to justify it when you did find out. I’ll see you later?” “Maybe. I don’t know yet!” “If I don’t then I’m sorry and thank you, my friend!”

The group stood around the bonfire as their mentor and friend was laid to rest, the group stood around respectfully and respecting the ceremony Zantano stood afar from the scene watching the foreign emotions the sadness in the Witcher’s even Lambert and watching Ciri cry and the awkwardness of some of the others who didn’t know him well and felt out of place being there. “I’m surprised you stayed!” Triss stated aiming it at him but Zantano watching the scene was met by, “You okay? you didn’t even know him...” “No, I was watching curious!” “Curious?! At a time like this?” Geralt snapped, “Yes, these emotions you have; I have never experienced or really had chance to see them. Anger and lust or love yes and sometimes people claim I was happy but the rest no. I was intrigued to see how people reacted to the situation and was confused by how you are meant to react to a situation like this...” “Wait you’ve never been upset?” Triss asked, “Not that I recall” Triss paused before asking, “How about losing an family member or a friend?” “If you ask me some of family members dying is for the best and friends... I only have five: Ares, Charon, Nyx, Keira is she calls me one and a woman named Philippa Eilhart! I’m surrounded by **** so this is just an formality for me and any time someone has died I have just been angry at myself for letting it happen!” “You know Philippa?” Yennefer queried shocked and nodding he simply spoke, “Knew her, fucked her and asked her to marry me. She was young back then and had political ambition despite my warning and left me after I tried to persuade her against it. Funny thing is she left me for another man but at least hers was political and not “love” doesn’t matter now that was a long time ago and she has probably moved on!” “So wait you have never laughed or been scared?” “Laughing? What is laughing?” “When you find something funny so make a noise to show it, it’s the next step after a smile/being happy!” “Nope and fear... well I was told I was once scared when I was **** by a Norse Isu Hela and trapped in Hellheim for a few decades, I don’t remember it but apparently the horrors I saw nullified any potential fear in my life!” “Lust, love? You don’t know the difference!” “I was told by others and Aphrodite who knows a lot about this that Keira was lust, Priscilla was lust but I physically act different around Triss and when I was with Philippa, I was **** and softer in everything I did and I grew more defensive then I usually do. She almost mentioned my demeanour naturally changed when I was with them. Of course this leads to me either being emotionally dead or emotionally off where I try and simulate emotions in situations” “Makes you feel like a bigger ass don’t it? Triss” Lambert grumbled, “It doesn’t matter none of this does” Zantano grumbled, “The Hunt still exist and they want you all dead more now, no compromise! So we need to warn Skellige and tell them of the situation. I’ll go but I will need Triss, Ciri or Yennefer or even Geralt to come with me and explain the situation they won’t listen to some random stranger that they have never seen before!” “Definitely not Geralt or Ciri!” Triss spoke, “You forget I know the proposition made by Yennefer!” she reiterated, “Triss... there is something much more important going on then my **** marriage. I see that, I simply need him to explain the situation and then he can join you wherever you will be!” “In that case take Yennefer!” Triss barked back “My place is by Ciri! Take Keira!” Yennefer explained, “I have business to attend to and Lambert is accompanying me with it!” Keira spoke which made Geralt smile, “I knew there was some link between Witcher’s and Sorceresses!” Zantano shook his head before walking up to Lambert whispered, “Be careful, she is using you. She always does...” “What makes you say that!” he growled quietly do the conversation was private, “Geralt... was literally the last person she did and that was less than a few months ago. Just look out for yourself okay and watch for her facial expressions you can tell when she is lying!” he nodded before walking off with her heard, “What did you say?” from Triss, “She’s using him... that’s clear I just wonder on if he will realise in time! Anyway, it doesn’t matter... I’ll go and do my best to explain the situation... maybe she will listen!”