Link : https://m.fan fiction.net/s/13520045/1/The-Witcher-Through-the-Worlds
WC : 2089k+
Plot : This bards tale begins in the village of Claywitch. Where the Young Wolf, Dominik of Cintra, has accepted a contract from the local village elder. For years the young Witcher has traveled the continent, running from the ghosts of his failed past all while looking for his long lost love, Cirilla Fiona Ellen Riannon (Ciri x OC, rated M for language, violence, future sexual content)
Chapter 1
"Is this the place?" He asked the old farmer.
The elderly man shakily nodded his head. He had been in near Tretogor for a few weeks before he accepted the contract from the old man, the business had been alright, despite the fresh new scars on his back. He had never undergone the mutations, so he didn't have a normal Witcher's inhuman strength or speed, however he had studied the Witcher bestiary front to back at Kaer Morhen, he was convinced nothing could surprise him. He also had been on his own for almost eight years, and somehow hadn't died yet, so he was quick to accept the contract. What the old man had described to him had peaked his curiosity. Despite the small amount of coin, the farmer paid in advance, he decided to follow him back to his village. The treck from Tretogor out to the small hamlet had only taken a few days, in that time the man had gone into gruesome detail about what had been going on.
"Yes sir, this is the third house to have fallen victim this month. People are scared, thinking they'll be next," The man whimpered.
It was a small modest house, the normal kind you'd see in small villages like this. He slowly swung the door open. He walked in, expecting to see knocked over shelves, blood splatters, and most importantly dead bodies cut open and mutilated. However, he saw none of those. The fire pit was out, and a cold draft ran through the building. He turned to the old man.
"Doesn't exactly look like much happened here. Who lived here, who were they?" He asked the old man, searching over the shelves, and windows for any signs of forced entry, or any clue that could give him a lead.
"The Nowak's sir, Johan and Johanka. Young couple, just recently married, moved from Novigrad a few months ago," The old man told him.
The bed was amiss, the blankets strewn across the ground, but nothing you wouldn't see in a normal person's house after they got out of bed. The dinner table had a bowl of rotten fruit and a few bookcases were stacked with old dusty tomes that looked like they hadn't been picked up in a few weeks. He didn't have 'Witcher senses', however Geralt had taught him to always leave no stone left unturned, the smallest things could be clues.
He made his way back to the front door and knelt near the fireplace. No fire had clearly burned for a few days, and it was freshly swept. The old man who's name he learned was Alesky helped him search, however the old man seemed tired and spent most of the time reading an old book from the case. He reached up and gingerly ran his fingers along the wolf medallion. It hadn't hummed or showed any signs that anything magical was in the area. He reached behind it and gripped his hand tight around the silver swallow pendant for luck like he usually did.
He was made his way back towards the front door, he ran his hands down it and to his surprise when he pulled it back, discovered his fingers were black with soot.
"So, looks like whoever did this wasn't just let in. They blew the door open… need to see the bodies," He said quietly to himself.
Whirling around he saw Alesky closely examining the book. He was a skinny old man with a bushy beard that ran down to his shoulders, a balding head. The old man had come barging into the inn in Tretogor, begging anyone for help. The barkeep naturally threatened to throw the man out if all he was going to do was grovel, but he had quickly intervened to help the older man. He bought the greying man a drink and had him explain what was going on. After hearing Alesky's story it had piqued his interest, and he was already looking to move on from Tretogor anyhow, and despite the man's village being in northern Velen he decided to go with him.
He also had only smaller contracts since he last saw Dandelion in Novigrad a few weeks prior, and his coin was running low. Despite the small amount of gold Alesky had offered however, he took pity on the old man and helped him. A small part of him regretted not staying a little longer with Dandelion in Novigrad like the bard had asked him, but he decided he wanted to move quickly. While he enjoyed the bard's company, spending too long with him made him think about her… and that was always too painful. Dandelion hadn't had any new leads, and it hadn't surprised him, so after killing the drowners for the fishermen in the town, he had left for Tretogor, despite the bard insisting he should stay a few days and relax. No, he couldn't stop, he had to keep moving, he never knew when he would run into another lead to her… despite the fact there hadn't been any in years… not since Rivia. He hadn't given up in eight years… and he wouldn't give up now… despite the fact there was the part of his brain gnawing at him, that his task would be impossible, telling him to leave it be.
He wouldn't be able to however, he had promised her he'd never stop looking. The contract from Alesky was just a pit-stop.
"How long ago did you say the bodies were found," He asked the old man.
Alesky jumped and put the book down he was reading and turned to him, "About 12 days ago sir, do you have any ideas what happened?"
He ran his hand over the blown lock again, "Someone blew the door open, locks covered in soot."
The man stroked his white beard, "That seems kind of impossible sir. Their house was in perfect condition when the bodies were found. Nothing was knocked over, only thing out of the ordinary were that Johan and Johanka were dead."
"Nobody heard anything that night? Nobody saw or heard anything out of the ordinary, no screams or yelling?" He asked sniffing the soot.
Alesky shook his head, "No sir, it was just a normal night. Mikel, the foreman of the mill saw Johan hadn't shown up for work that day. Young buck never missed a day, so he came here to check on him. He found the bodies…" He said with a hint of sadness.
He thought more about it, he knew he'd need to talk to the mill foreman and see the bodies. He ruled out the idea that he was dealing with some beast. No werewolf, or any kind of ghoul wouldn't leave any clues behind. He determined that it had to be a creature of higher intelligence. This told him he had to be careful, Uncle Vesemir had always told him the most dangerous beasts were the one's who could think for themselves, one's of high intelligence.
He sighed and walked to the center of the house, "How much time went by between attacks? You said this was the third?"
The man nodded, "Yes sir, been a few weeks between each attack. First victims were Ida and Aleksander, the ones before Johan and Johanka were Alicia and Frederick."
"All couples, or married?"
Alesky nodded in confirmation, "Aye, Ida and Aleksander had just come into a bit of luck, Aleksander was a bit of an adventurous type you see. Found some old ruins nearby with enough old artifacts that would've set the two up in Novigrad for a nice while."
"Mhmm and the second pair?" He asked.
"Alicia and Frederick, two of them it's a damn shame. Old Hulda was looking to sell the inn, and the two of them had finally saved up enough coin after months to buy before they died," He had told him.
A small light lit up in his head. He saw the pattern. Three sets of victims, all young couples or recently married. More importantly, all had recently come into some luck. The recent couple just married and moved to the countryside. First two sets had just almost made enough to be set up for a nice while.
"And same circumstances for all three? House seemingly unlocked, just dead in their beds. House looking as if they weren't touched?" He inquired.
Alesky nodded to confirm and he sighed. It would've been easier if he came into a bloodstained house and saw mutilated bodies. Probably would've been a werewolf or other beast. However, he knew he was dealing with a being that had magical abilities, there would be no other way for them to enter houses undetected. A simple spell to muff the sound of them blowing the lock off to enter, and even there had been struggle a wave of their hands could've repaired any damage and he wouldn't know the difference.
Alesky took a shaky breath, "So? Any ideas master Witcher?"
He wrapped his fingers around the swallow pendant again, "Aye somewhat. I'll need to examine the bodies, were have you moved them?"
"They're at Alayna's house. She's our local alchemist, just moved a few months ago. You'll find her house just to the east, near the graveyard, she bought the old barn you can't miss it," The elder told him.
He nodded with a sigh, crossing his arms as he looked at the man, "Good, now is there anything else you could tell me? Has the village experienced any troubles recently? A fire to the fields, a particularly gruesome death besides these, a flood, disease, anything?" He asked. He needed to know if for any reason a wraith, or spirit might have been drawn here.
Old Alesky stroked his beard again, "Uhhh well, there is one thing a minor thing I don't know how it could be of any importance."
"Everything matters, the smallest details could help lead me to what's going on. My uncle taught me that, so please tell me." He said, remembering Uncle Vesemir's words.
Alesky shifted uncomfortably, "Ehh well if it helps. Lately we've been experiencing… sleeping issues. People are visiting Alayna every night for elixirs and concoctions to deal with nightmares."
That had piqued his interest. Multiple creatures feed off bad dreams or caused it.
"How long have these dreams been going on," He asked the old man.
He looked up scratching his bald head, "Well started a few months ago. Thank the gods Alayna showed up when she did. Her concoctions have kept the nightmares away from most."
"And has made her a killing I assume," He said to the old man, "I think I have all I need to begin, I'll need to talk to this Mikel and see the bodies."
He nodded his head and smiled, "Thank ye so much master Witcher, I'll let old Hulda know to set aside a room for you Master eh… I actually never caught your name sir," He said.
He shook his head, "It's because I didn't give it."
"Well please sir tell me, who should I be thanking for saving our village?" The old man asked him.
He laughed a little and shook his head, "I didn't save you yet… Dominik, Dominik of Cintra."
Alesky nodded his head gravely, "Ahh a terrible shame what happened there. Curses take the Black Ones for what they did. Were… you there? During the massacre, you don't seem too old master."
He felt a cold chill of ice run through his body, "Aye… I was. That's a story for another time when I'm a lot less sober. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get to work."
He exited the house, his hand gripped on the swallow pendant.
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He decided he'd get set up in the inn first. On his way he had talked to a few villagers and they all told him the same things he already knew. Bodies were found in their beds, drained of blood, houses all were in perfect condition. He had gathered that he was facing a magical creature, that broke into houses by blowing the lock up and leaving their houses in perfect condition. He had figured out that Mikel the foreman of the Mill, the one who found the recent bodies was at the inn, so that was where he was going. He wanted to talk to the man who found the bodies first. He didn't know if the alchemist this, 'Alayna' that all the villagers had been praising for curing their nightmares had tampered with them in any way, so he wanted to hear how they looked right when they were found.
No villager had given him anything more to go on, so he entered the inn with purpose. The inn was bustling with activity, so he was able to slip in without causing any commotion which was a nice change. Normally when he entered taverns and inns in his makeshift wolven school Witcher gear with a longsword on his back it tended to get him suspicious looks. He made his way to the main counter where an elderly woman was cleaning a mug, she must have heard the clanking on his blade in the sheath because she turned up to look at him.
"Greetings," He started kindly, "I'm-."
"Aye I heard old Alesky had gone and got us a Witcher. You're awfully young though lad, and I thought Witcher's had those yellow cat eyes," The old woman asked him, her old eyes meeting his gaze.
Music played from the lute of a bard, and the roar of the fire warmed his bones, however he had no interest in talking about the past.
"I'm new relatively speaking, as for the eyes well that's a long story. Old man said you had a room put aside for me?" He asked the woman.
Thankfully, the old woman didn't decide to inquire further and nodded her head. "Aye lad, second floor last room on the right. Names Hulda, my assistant Anya will be around just having a seat and she'll bring you anything you'd like, it's the least we can do."
He had full intentions on paying for his drinks and room. However, he needed more than a strong drink now, he needed more information.
"Thank you. I wanted to ask, the old man said you've been having nightmare problems," He inquired, remembering Alesky's words.
The wrinkles in the old woman's face grew, as if she were thinking of an unpleasant dream then. "Yes, it's been dreadful. The last few months, nobody's been able to sleep a wink more than a few days at a time without the nightmares coming."
"But I heard that your alchemist is quite talented?" He asked.
Old Hulda nodded, "Aye, Alayna's been a gift from the gods let me tell you. One swig of any of her concoctions and you'll be sleeping like a newborn babe."
The more he heard of this Alayna the more he began to believe that she could be a secret mage. He knew ever since the war over the now kingless Temeria mages hadn't exactly been welcome. However, he didn't know of anyway to completely get rid of nightmares that didn't involve magic. He remembered back in his youth, when he'd wake up screaming in the middle of the night in Kaer Morhen, the nightmares from that night at Cintra haunting him. Triss would calm him, sit on his bed with him while he wept. After he had fallen back asleep, she'd cast a protective spell over him, so he wouldn't have another nightmare.
The nightmares never stopped, until a few years later when Yennefer had cast a charm over the silver swallow pendant that protected him from the nightmares as a present for his birthday.
He could use his amulet to detect this when he finally met her. However, after looking out the window and realizing the hour, he knew it would have to wait till the next day.
He surveyed the tavern floor before turning back to Hulda, "Which one of these men are Mikel? The man who found the most recent bodies."
She pointed to a corner of the tavern, "Right over there he and his wife Danara come in for a few hours a night."
He noticed the young tall man, with a black beard and long hair. The woman next to him was a beautiful young brown-haired lass, they were laughing with mugs in hand. He turned back to Hulda and nodded.
"Thank you for your help." He said sincerely.
She shook her head, "No… thank you lad not many would have given us the time of day, being so remote of a village. Good luck and if you need anything come back to any of us."
It was a nice change to feel so appreciated. He couldn't help but wonder if he had undergone the mutations, and had the yellow eyes of a real Witcher, if they would be acting different. The world had so few genuinely good people left in it, let alone good villages. He wanted to help these people, he only hoped he could.
He left the counter and made his way across the inn, avoiding the people dancing on the wooden floor and people carrying empty mugs. He heard a young lass singing the ballad of Geralt of Rivia, and Yennefer of Vengerberg, one of Dandelion's best. All the bard needed to do now was sing about the massacre of Cintra, about the valiant death of Queen Calanthe, or the great tale of Geralt of Rivia saving a young boy from the fires of Cintra, that boy being the son of Cintra's greatest knight, training him to one day be a witcher…and his day would sufficiently have gotten worse.
He ignored it however and approached the table that Mikel and his wife sat at.
"Pardon me, are you Mikel?" He asked the man.
The both of them looked up, and Mikel's eyes went wide, "You! You're the Witcher old Alesky hired, aren't you? I heard you were asking around."
He nodded his head, "Aye that's me, and I heard you were the one to find Johan and Johanka, wanted to ask you a few questions if I may."
"Of course, Johan and Johanka a damn shame. I've known them both since they came to Claywitch. Please sit, this is my wife, Danara."
"A pleasure to meet you master Witcher, I'm sorry but… I must ask, don't the rumors say that witchers have silver hair, and yellow eyes?" She asked him.
He laughed a little and sat down across from the couple, "The silver hair is… only one very famous Witcher. As for the eyes well… that's a story for another day. You said you knew the two victims?"
Mikel nodded his head and his eyes fell, "Aye the two were married in Tretogor. You see they eloped here together."
He tilted his head, "No offense but this hardly seems like the type of village you elope together in."
Danara shook her head with a laugh, "No offense taken sir. You're quite right, Claywitch doesn't even show up on some Temarian maps we're that small. You see however, they were running."
"Running? What from," He asked the woman.
"From Johanka's father! You see he was a rich merchant in Novigrad, had plans to marry her off to some fat aristocrats' son, but she was in love with Johan," She explained to him, her eyes growing sad.
Mikel nodded in agreement, "Johan was just a fisherman, and orphan as well grew up his whole life working the docks, he loved his Johanka though."
He nodded in understanding, "And I'm guessing Johanka wasn't keen on being married off to someone she didn't like. Sounds like someone I… used to know." He said almost feeling the swallow tremble around his neck.
Danara nodded to confirm, "Aye her dad had a fit when he found out about her and Johan, so one night the two of them hopped on a wagon, old Alesky's on his way back from trading at the market. Nearly gave the old man a heart attack they did."
"After finding them and hearing their story, old man let them settle here. Old man Cregan had just died of old age without any family, he let them set up in his house. That Johan… worked his fingers to the bone at the mill, every day." Mikel told him, a bit of sadness in his voice.
"And Johanka worked here with Hulda. Never seen a more hardworking lass, she brought smiles to everyone's face. She was an even better friend, cried for a day I did when Mikel told me what happened." Danara finished.
"They sounded like good people. I'm gonna do what I can to find out what happened to them and the others. Now, Alesky told me you found the bodies?" He said, directing his question to Mikel.
The man nodded with a determined look, "Aye I'll answer any question you have, if it helps you stop this from happening again."
Danara nodded to her husband and stood up, "Good luck on your search master Witcher. I'd love to stay and hear some stories, but I must be getting home to rest."
Mikel shot to his feet as well, "Are you sure dear? You really shouldn't be walking home in your condition," He said worriedly.
The young woman laughed and threw her hair behind her shoulder, she leaned up and kissed her husband's cheek, "Fear not my love, we're only a few houses down. I'm pregnant I don't have a broken leg; I'll see you at home."
Mikel didn't seem to want to relent but eventually nodded, "Aye, just be careful of the step into the house, and make sure you take the potion Alayna prepared, and-."
"I know, I know," She said with a smile to her husband, before turning to him, "And it was a pleasure to meet you Master Witcher, what do we call you? I wish not to refer to you as 'Witcher' for your time here."
"Dominik, and congratulations." He said gesturing to her stomach.
She nodded, "Thank you very much Dominik, I hope you'll flatter my husband and me with a story before you leave."
"I'll be sure to think of a good one," He promised her, before the woman walked towards the exit to the inn.
A few people all smile and spun her on the dance floor before she eventually walked out of view. Every person she passed seemed to know who she was.
He turned back to Mikel who was still looking to where his wife had walked away.
"Have you ever been in love Master Witcher," The man asked him.
He felt the warmth from the fire leave his body before he nodded, "Yes. A long time ago."
Mikel nodded and let out a happy sigh, "Best feeling in the world let me tell you. They drive you crazy but… the good kind. You want them to be happy more than anything in the world."
He slowly nodded his head, and felt his fingers gingerly touching the swallow dangling from his neck behind the wolf.
"You know you love someone when you care more for their happiness then you do your own…" He said, remembering the words, and her beautiful emerald eyes.
Mikel smiled at him after he finally managed to look up from the pendant. "A beautiful saying. What happened to her if you don't mind my asking?"
His tongue almost bled from how hard he felt himself bite it, "She… she isn't here anymore."
Mikel's face fell and Dominik saw a look of genuine sorrow on the mans face, "I'm dreadfully sorry to hear that, and I apologize if I opened any old wounds. My point is master Dominik I would do anything for my wife, my home. Let me know how I can help you," He asked him, his face growing hard again.
He used the opportunity to shift the subject back to why he had come, not of the past that couldn't be changed.
"Think nothing of it, now I want you to tell me what you found, exactly how it looked, no detail is too small." He stressed to the man.
The black-haired man nodded, "Aye it was a day like any other. I was taking count of who had shown up that day at the mill, I was just promoted to foreman you see perfect with the baby on the way," He said with a hint of pride, "Johan had always been my best worker, never missed a day, hell one day I even had to force him to return home after he cut his arm open on a saw. I wanted to check on him, he hadn't been feeling well the last few days before."
"What was wrong?"
"The nightmares had been affecting him particularly hard, I heard it was the same for Johanka, poor man looked like he hadn't slept in days, I thought at first he had just slept in… I was sadly mistaken." He said sadly.
The female bard in the tavern strummed her lute with more purpose, singing more of the great Dandelion's ballads. The people didn't seem like anything was wrong, you would hardly had been able to guess people had been dying. It seemed they were more focused on enjoying and living their lives, then living in fear. It was interesting to see the village was seeming more and more like one of the few places where the violence of war hadn't yet reached.
He only hoped he could help them. He wished Geralt were there, he knew he would have determined the cause, found something with his heightened Witcher senses, and already been on his way to slay whatever plagued them. He hoped that he would make his memory proud.
"Right, now I know it may be hard, but I need to know anything you saw. The bodies, every detail you can remember, and the house anything that may have seemed off. No detail is too small," He stressed to the man, the heat from the fire and smell from the food hitting his nose.
After shifting uncomfortably in his seat, Mikel nodded, "It was like I told the old man. It was terrifying. Their bodies were pale white, even their eyes seemed… dried, faces were frozen in a scream, as if they were trying to scream but nobody heard."
He rubbed the brown scruff of his beard, he was even more convinced now whatever he was dealing with had to have some powerful magic. He would need to visit the alchemist Alayna and take a stroll to see if his medallion picked up anything.
"And the house?" He asked.
Mikel shook his head, "Nothing out of the ordinary, door was unlocked somehow it seemed, but I didn't see anything to suggest some broke in. The shelves, tables, everything was in perfect place."
"Damn," He cursed with a sigh, "Nothing else out of the ordinary? Not even a little?"
"Well, there was one thing," The man said, "The… smell. It was overpowering, smelled like lavender the whole house."
"Lavender," He reaffirmed, his mind racing again
Mikel nodded, his eyes meeting Dominik's, "Aye, no idea how it would help ye. However, you leave out no detail too small."
Dominik nodded, "You're right. Thank you for your help Mikel, I need to get together what I learned. Go home, I'm sure your wife is waiting."
The young man smiled and nodded to him before standing. He held out a hand which Dom shook, "Thank you Master Dominik, like I said should you need any help don't hesitate to ask… it's the least I can do for poor Johan."
He nodded back to him, "I'll do what I can to bring whatever killed him down, just make sure to lock your doors."
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
"It has to be some kind of vampire," He said pacing back and forth in his new room, "Pale white bodies, eyes dried, thing probably broke in, sucked them dry and left."
He had taken off his armor and paced back and forth in only his white trousers, his cold medallion bouncing on chest. He had never been particularly large, despite his father being a mountain of a man. He was slender, and more defined like Geralt, Lambert and Eskel back at Kaer Morhen. The sheath with his blade lay against the table, along with a large open book, a bestiary from Kaer Morhen he always carried with him.
"What kind though? Never heard of one that doesn't leave a mess behind," He said coming back over to the book and flipping through the pages, he sighed when none of the creatures made sense, "I guess Uncle Vesimer was right, I should have paid closer attention."
He looked over at the swallow that was laying on next to the book, "You always had my attention though… I wish you were here. You'd know exactly what to do," He picked up the pendant and tied the chain around his neck.
"And you'd remember how to make the damn vampire oil…" He sighed, "Well let's hope the recipe in the book isn't outdated and works on every kind."
He knew tomorrow he would need to first visit this alchemist. He needed the proper ingredients for the blade oil if he was to stand any chance. Also examining the bodies was his main priority. He laid down in the rickety bed, it wasn't the most comfortable he had ever slept in, but it would manage for a few days. He made sure the swallow pendant was tied tightly around his neck before pulling the woolen blanket over himself. The day had been exhausting, and within minutes, he felt himself drifting into a deep sleep.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
The grand palace of Cintra was everything his 11-year-old self could have dreamed of. Knights, and soldiers patrolling the halls, the lion banners of Cintra adorning the ceilings. Tables of the exquisite foods that he had never seen before. His family was wealthy, his father's position as captain of Queen Calanthe's guards made it so, but the pudding, cakes and pies he saw amazed him. He had never tasted anything like them when he snuck the bits off the table as the lords and knights drank and sung. He looked over at his father, standing vigilant with his shield next to the table of Queen Calanthe, however he was also talking and joking around with the queen as everyone sang and danced. The bard's lively tunes and plenty of drink was flowing, his father's job was to make sure none of it turned violent.
His father had told him to stay within his vision, and only to come to him should there be an emergency. However, after hearing a drunk Knight tell the story of how he saved an entire village from a Manticore. Young Dominik had to go tell his father.
"Father! Did you hear, Sir Radvig saved an entire village of people from a manticore attack!? He said it was as large as a house and ruined his blade with its poison!" He said excitedly grabbing his father's arm, abruptly ending his conversation with the Queen.
His father looked down at him with an embarrassed look, "Dominik! I told you," He said leaning down and grabbing his hand, "Only come to me with emergencies!"
He looked down, all his excitement gone, he had let his father down.
"I'm sorry father…" he said sadly.
His father sighed and looked back at the Queen, "Your majesty please forgive my son's intrusion I-."
The queen laughed and waved his father off, "Oh relax Gregory, the boys caused no disruption," She said before looking over the table down to him, "Come around here child, your father's talked enough about you, time I properly saw you."
The excitement that had left him suddenly returned. The legendary queen herself wanted to talk to him. He made his way around the table, his father keeping a watchful eye. The Queen turned in her chair and looked down at him, her posture regal, he gave a clumsy bow which only made the Queen laugh again.
"So, your name is… Dominik correct?" She asked him.
The ball had continued like nothing had happened, the strumming of the bard's lute, combined with the singing and dancing filled the room with joy. He quickly nodded his head to answer the Queen's question.
"Yes, your majesty it is my honor," He said remembering the proper etiquette his father had taught him.
The Queen smiled and he felt himself well with pride that she was satisfied, "The honor is mine lad. Your father has protected me for many years, and your grandfather before him! I trust him with my life," She said looking up at his father who Dom knew was trying to hide his embarrassment.
The queen looked down to him then, staring right into his young emerald eyes, "Am I right in assuming that you want to one day do what he does and take his position?"
He nodded eagerly and the Queen shared a smile with his father before looking back at him, "Did you know I have a granddaughter?"
He nodded again in confirmation. Everyone in Cintra knew about the young princess, he couldn't recall her name at the moment, only that she was the 'Lion cub of Cintra'.
"She'll more then likely be ruling when you become old enough to take your fathers position. Do you think you can promise me something lad?" The Queen asked him, smiling down at his younger self.
"Anything your majesty," He said eagerly, a huge smile on his face, his excitement reaching new peaks.
She met his green eyes with hers, "Can you promise me that when the time comes, you'll protect my granddaughter the same way your father protects me?"
He remembered how excited that had made him. The Queen herself was personally asking him! She trusted him enough to ask him to defend her granddaughter.
He nodded so hard that he almost fell, he heard his father chuckle behind him as the Queen nodded her head with a smile, "Good lad, I can tell she'll be in good hands."
"You can count on me your majesty! I swear on my life, I won't let anything happen to her!"
He deduced a few years later after this night, that destiny had a funny way of bonding people together. It bound people together in many ways, many more then just the Law of Surprise.
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Next, he found himself older, perhaps 13 or so. He recognized the woods around Kaer Morhen, the gauntlet. He dashed through the snow-covered trees trying to keep pace with her. Despite his smaller frame she was still far quicker then he was. He hadn't seen her, and the snows were beginning to fall even heavier. He knew Triss, Geralt and the others would be worried soon, he had to find her.
"Ciri!?" He shouted, following from branch to branch, "Ciri, where are you? The snows are getting bad."
He went to leap up towards the next branch. He had done it a million times, he was supposed to grab on, and then use his momentum to bring him to the next tree. However, the branch must have finally suffered enough punishment over the years, because as he went to swing, the branch gave a loud *SNAP* and fell from his hands.
"AHHHHHHHH!" He yelled as he sped towards the snowy earth.
He tried to angle himself to grab a branch but no matter what he couldn't find a grip. He finally accepted he would more then likely be getting a few broken bones, when suddenly the trees stopped falling around him. His arm was yanked up, almost popping out of its socket.
"GOTCHA," He heard her voice yell.
"Ciri! What were you doing," He said looking up and meeting her gaze, her ashen hair caked with snow and dirt.
Sure enough she was there. This was always his favorite part of the dream. She was standing on a sturdy branch; he had only been a few feet from breaking his back. She struggled for a moment and pulled him up, where he joined her on the branch, his face only a few inches away from hers.
She looked as beautiful to him as she always did, her ashen hair dirty and sporadic covered in snowflakes, twigs and leaves. A spot of freckles ran over the bridge of her nose, and her sparkling emerald eyes shone with amusement. He remembered this moment all too well, the winter before he, Geralt, and Triss took her to Ellander where she would go to school, and eventually learn to control her powers from Yennefer, while he would travel the path for a while with Geralt before returning to Kaer Morhen to finish his training.
She laughed and the two of them both flipped backwards off the branch and landed on the snow that was now almost up to their knees.
"Ha I was kicking your butt that's what I was doing!" She said playfully shoving his shoulder, she smiled at him, "I am glad I was able to get you though, are you all right?"
He looked down at his now cut and bleeding hand, he shrugged his shoulders, "I'll be alright, I've had worse. Come on though, we should get back. Uncle Vesemir will have us reading monster chapters till we die if we don't," He said, turning to start running.
Ciri's eyes went wide and before he could start running, she grabbed his wrist, "No! Not yet, come on I want to show you something I found," She said excitedly.
He sighed and looked back towards Kaer Morhen and felt the wind nip at his already red nose, "I don't know Ciri, Triss will have a fit if we don't get back."
He turned back to find her staring at him with her arms cross, eyes narrowed, and lips pursed. He rolled his eyes. Ciri had gotten the idea into her head after Triss had shown up that Dominik was falling in love with the sorceress. It was well known that Triss was infatuated with Geralt, and Dom had always seen the sorceress as the loving older sibling he never had due to him being the oldest child back in Cintra. Ciri had teased him about it to no end however, despite all of his assurances.
"Oh, stop it," He told her.
"Stop what? I didn't say anything," She said in a joking tone.
He rolled his eyes, "Yes but I know exactly what you're thinking."
She chuckled and shook her head, "Alright, alright, but please come on! You'll love it, please, please," She said pleading to him.
She looked at him with those big shining emerald eyes and he knew he was going to relent. He sighed and nodded his head, "Okay only for a little bit though, it's freezing out here."
She smiled at him, before leaning up and planting a kiss on his cheek which warmed his bones to the core, "Oh stop being such a baby and come on, follow me!" She said before bounding off.
He smiled after her and raced in her footsteps. The two of them leaped from tree to tree, branch to branch, being sure to not lose sight of her this time and be careful to keep his grip on the branches. He never wanted to lose sight of her, he remembered that was his worry in those days. He and Ciri had eavesdropped on enough conversations with the Witcher's and Triss to know that she had special magical talent. Triss had reassured him Ciri was only going away to Ellander to study, and hopefully they could find a mage powerful enough to help her control the abilities she had.
No amount of convincing from Triss, Geralt or Ciri herself however had shaken the fear from him. The fear that Ciri would be taken away, locked in some tower and forced to study magic for years, not being allowed to see him. He would have her ripped away from him, one of the few people in the world he was sure he loved.
He almost tripped from another branch while thinking but managed to land on his feet cushioned by a pile of snow right behind Ciri who had leaped to the ground.
"Here we are, check it out," She said excitedly, looking into the blackness of a cave.
"It's a cave…" He asked her, the wind and snow howling in his ears.
She rolled her eyes and reached around her back into the pack she brought, before producing a torch. After a quick flick of some flint that they both carried the torch sprang to life, igniting their path in the front of the cave. The cave went much deeper then he initially thought.
"Ciri how did you find this?" He asked as he followed her deeper into the cavern.
He saw her smile by the light of the torch when she turned to him, her face close to his again, "I was running the gauntlet and I fell, it was covered by some leaves, I stumbled right through it, come on check this out!"
She smirked and pulled away from him before the two finally got to what she had been talking about. The cave led to a huge cavern. It echoed their footsteps and it was covered with shelves, desks, chests and a large bed in one corner. In the center of the cavern Ciri deposited her torched and after some working a new fire roared, illuminating the cavern. There was a rack with old rusty swords, an old training dummy. The cave had everything one could need to have their own little secret hideaway.
"Wow," He said with amazement, "it's like someone's built a base, this is amazing Ciri!"
She laughed and smiled at him over the fire, "Haha I knew you'd like it! I checked some of the maps at Kaer Morhen, it doesn't appear on any of them. It seems like an old Witcher wanted some time away from the castle."
He laughed and took in his surroundings again, "I can't believe Geralt or Vesemir didn't know about this."
She shook her head, "And you best not tell them! I was thinking we could make this place our own! Sneak a few things here from the castle and we can come here to train and relax when we want to get away from the castle! After I get back from Ellander we could-."
At the mention of Ellander, his excitement left him. He looked down into the crackling fire and slowly lowered himself to the ground sitting with his legs extended. He unstrapped the sword from his back and Ciri clearly saw the shift in his mood. Her smiled disappeared as well, she unstrapped her sword and tossed it next to his before taking a seat next to him, she reached her hand over and placed hers over his, her cold hand sent a chill, then warmth through his body.
"I've told you before, it's only for the spring. If it makes you feel any better, I'll probably be bored out of my mind while you're off helping Geralt kill monsters," She said, with a hint of amusement.
He looked at her and the two of them locked their emerald eyes with each other, "I'd rather be here and bored with you, then out there without you…" He said forcing himself to look away from her into the fire, "We were supposed to set out on the Path together, before taking the fight to the black ones."
"We can still do that!" She said to him desperately.
He shook his head, "You have no idea what's going to happen Ciri! What if…what if they take you!? What if they lock you in some tower and force you to learn magic for years! Triss says mages train for years to control their powers!"
She squeezed his hand and shook her head, "I'm not a mage! Yes, I have powers that I don't understand but I'm no mage. I won't let them take me away, I promise and if they tell me I have to go somewhere I won't go unless you're with me. We protect each other remember?" She said to him.
He felt his face begin to grow hot as his eyes started to water. He shook his head, "But what if someone tries to take you, what if someone takes you away against your will? You're strong Ciri, but what if someone forces you away. I can't… I can't lose you," He told her, managing to meet her emerald eyes again.
He was waiting for her to say something, try to reassure him more. However, she didn't say a word and looked down into the fire they had started. She then reached around to the back of her neck and he heard her necklace unclasp. She held the silver swallow pendant in her hand for a moment then looked at him.
She shook her head, "I don't know what will happen Dom… you may be right, something may happen. But… I know for a fact that, if something does, I'll have Geralt, Triss, and most importantly… you trying to help me."
He went to wipe his eye, but she beat him to it, running one of her rough fingers over his cheek to remove the tear that had fallen.
"I promised your grandmother all those years ago I'd protect you, I'll never stop trying to protect you. If anything happens, I'd do anything to find you," He promised her, her touch sending warmth and reassurance down his body.
She nodded her head and ran her fingers over the silver swallow before holding it out to him, "I… I want you to take this."
He looked at the pendant astonished for a moment before shaking his head, "Ciri I can't, your grandmother gave that to you. It's the last thing you have-."
She shook her head, "I know that but… I guess… if you have it, you'll always have me with you in a way. Take it as a promise, a promise that… that no matter what happens-."
He wrapped his hand around hers and the pendant, "No matter what happens I'll always try to find you. No matter what." He finished for her as she nodded to confirm.
Without hesitation he reached around his own neck. He unclasped the small chain of iron from his neck, around which dangled an old bronze ring. He sighed and looked at it for a while before turning to her.
"I… I know it isn't a silver pendant but, my father's ring, it always brought me luck. Father said that… all of our families worn it as guard captains to protect the line of Cintra… it's not much I know but-," She cut him off by wrapping her hand over his and taking the iron chain.
"I love it… lets promise now, that no matter where we are, we won't forget each other," She said with a smile, reaching to wrap the iron chain around her neck.
He did the same with the silver swallow and nodded his head, "Yeah, and that no matter where we are, we'll always try to get to each other," He said with a smile, his heart growing warm form her gaze.
She smiled and leaned her head over onto his shoulder as the two of them looked into the fire. She looked back at him with a mischievous look on her face, "Will you still try to find me even if you meet a beautiful sorceress in your travels like Geralt did, and she tries to make you hers?"
He chuckled a little and looked down at her before shrugging his shoulders, "Then I'll tell them I have someone else waiting, what about you? What'll you do if you meet a handsome knight, rich merchant, or powerful sorcerer?"
She shrugged her shoulder as well, "Then I'll tell them that any sword they have, mines sharper and can kill ya."
The two of them laughed for a minute before Ciri looked at him with another smile, "What about if some beautiful barmaid wants to take you to her room and learn about your Witcher scars?"
It was his turn to shrug his shoulders, "Then I'll respectfully decline and tell them the one I love already knows most of the stories and that-."
"Wait," She said shifting so her body was facing him, "You… you love me?"
He remembered his younger self freezing at the moment, his stomach so tightly in knots it almost exploded.
"Oh um, yes, I do, I really do, I… I'm so sorry if you don't feel the same, I shouldn't have told you that, I'm really sorry-." She had cut him off by kissing him that night.
She covered his lips with hers and kissed him for what seemed to him like hours. After she finally pulled back from him, she smiled, and he saw the firelight dancing in her emerald eyes.
"I love you too you stupid boy, I… I have for a while now. Always yeah? Let's promise to always find and protect each other." She asked him.
He remembered this night, exactly what happened next. He promised Ciri they'd always find and protect each other. She kissed him again and the two ended up having to spend the night in the cavern with the snowstorms raging outside. The next day when they went back to Kaer Morhen the Witcher's and Triss had been furious, the two spent the next three days doing nothing but reading chapters as punishment.
However, that didn't happen this time, his younger self's head propped up.
"Do you hear that," He said, his eyes going wide as he looked towards the entrance.
Ciri shook her head, "No, I didn't hear anything what did it-."
Ciri was interrupted by a huge blasting chill of air that shot through the cavern. The frost surrounded the both of them and before he could even shout Ciri's name the both of them were incased in ice unable to move. His eyes darted around the cavern Ciri was frozen next to him, he tried to call out to her, but his mouth was incased in ice. Nothing he did was able to help his limbs move. Armored men burst into the cavern. Taller then any Dom had seen before, clad in plate and bones.
The Wild Hunt.
"CIRI!" He tried to yell, but nothing came from his mouth.
Soldiers of the Hunt grabbed her and hauled her from his view as one who he assumed was a mage, holding along staff strode into the cavern. He stood in front of him, he tried to scream, reach for his sword, he was screaming Ciri's name, but he just couldn't move.
"You cannot save her. You could not save her the first time, or the second time. What makes you think you can save her this time," The mage said, his deep voice echoing off the cave walls.
Suddenly he wasn't in an old vision anymore, it was him as he was in the current day, stuck in ice before this mage of the Wild Hunt.
The man let out a guttural laugh, "What happened after Zireael left you in Ellander, after that year you spent as a family? It was your worst fear wasn't it? She was taken to harness her powers, but it did not go to Yennefer's plan at Aretuza did it?"
Suddenly his vision shifted. It was a large sprawling desert, a blue portal opened up above the sand and out of it, a now 15-year-old Ciri fell to the dust. She was wearing robes like a mage and he saw the iron chain with his father's bronze ring still dangling around her neck. He remembered what happened all too well, Yennefer had brought Ciri to Aretuza to learn from the mages, but after a coup they tried to kidnap Ciri to try and control her blood, she had teleported away only to land in the desert.
He watched as Ciri almost died from exhaustion and dehydration as she went in circles trying to find her way from the desert. He watched her fall to her knees, finally collapsing from exhaustion. She gripped her hand around the ring necklace he gave her and looked up at the stars.
"Dominik said… the stars… the stars can guide us... Find… find Polaris," She muttered looking up at the star filled sky.
He remembered he taught her how to read the stars when they were fleeing Cintra as they tried to get north. He had told her always to look for Polaris, the north star and they'd never be lost. His blood felt like sand was running through it as he saw her fall onto the ground, frantically trying to get herself back up.
"Where were you? You know this isn't the only hardship she faced, were you not supposed to protect her? Keep her from harm?" The deep voice of the mage said to him.
The vision shifted again to Ciri in the streets of a city, she had to have been slightly older then, perhaps 16 or so. This was the oldest he had ever seen her. He remembered that his sole purpose during this time had been to find her. He, Geralt, Yennefer, Triss they searched every bit of the continent they could but were unable to find her.
She was in an alley trapped by an older boy, perhaps eighteen or so.
"Come on lass, I can't think of any other way to thank you for saving us," He said as he got closer to her, "You can't tell me a lass as pretty as you has never been with a man?"
"Any closer and I'll chop your hands off, you hear me. I'm sick of this, I don't want any of you!" She hissed at him.
He chuckled and shook his head, taking another step closer, "Ha, I know that's not true dear. Are you holding out hopes for that boyfriend of yours? You know he hasn't come for you yet, hasn't found you. I promise you'll enjoy it, it's just nervousness you're feeling… let me reward you for saving me."
"GET BACK NOW! He will come find me," She hissed at him, "Or I'll find him, one way or another, if you take another step closer, I'll take your hands" She screamed at him, small tears streaming down her face, his ring still bouncing on her chest.
He saw vision after vision of different men, attacking her, trying to force themselves on her. He did everything he could, screamed as loud as he could, but nothing he did could reach her.
Suddenly the vision went black, the mage appeared before him again. "You cannot save her. She will be ours, the Elder Blood, we need her dead or alive, no matter what you will not save her. There is nothing you can do, it is best for you to do nothing, it is what you are best at."
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" He yelled breaking free of the ice and thrusting his hand forward as the vision of a dead Ciri lay on the ground before him.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
"NOOOOOOOO," He shouted shooting up on the covers, sweat dripping down his bare chest, as he could barely breath and could feel the frost still on his nose.
"Ciri," He yelled looking around, trying to regain his bearings.
He was still in Claywitch, the room in the inn. He took in deep heavy breaths as he felt a cold sweat overcome him. He had a nightmare. He hadn't had a nightmare in years, he reached his hands to his neck and only found his Wolf Witcher's Medallion. Right away he threw the blanket off himself and got onto his hands and knees, searching under the bed, the desk, anywhere for the silver swallow. He wouldn't lose it, he couldn't. It was all he had left of her; all he had left of Ciri was that pendant. He breathed a sigh of relief when he did find it near the entrance to his room with the help of a candle. He picked up the silver swallow and shivered there on his knees, on the cold wooden floor.
He sighed in relief and placed the candle on the ground before squeezing the silver swallow. He felt himself begin to tear up, as he held the swallow to his mouth and kissed it.
"I failed you… I'm so, so sorry…" He said, sniffling, letting tears fall from his eyes.
He was sure he would have sat on that floor all night, crying and thinking about her, if he hadn't caught the smell. Between his sniffling the smell penetrated his nose. He wiped the tears from his face and lifted his head. He concentrated and sniffed the air.
"Lavender…" He said, distinctly remembering the smell from alchemy lessons.
He stood and placed the candle on the desk next to the bed. "How did it…" He said looking at the swallow pendant and the place on the floor it had been.
He cursed his luck, He wished he had the Witcher's senses like Geralt had. However, he promised he wouldn't undergo the mutations without Ciri, and when they couldn't find her, he refused to undergo the trial of the grasses. He thought about going back one day to undergo the trial… but he knew he couldn't. He swore he wouldn't go back to the keep unless he found her, was bringing her home. There was also the fact he knew the mutations had a seventy percent chance of killing him… and he wouldn't risk dying like that until he knew Ciri was safe again.
The pendant had to have gotten off his neck somehow. He looked over at the door to his room and walked over to it, as he got closer the smell of lavender got stronger in the air. He slowly opened his door and looked in the hallway. The window at the end of the hall shined nothing but darkness and only the light of his candle shown. He went back into his room closing the door tightly going to lock it. However, he knelt down when he realized that the lock was no longer there. In its place was nothing except the strong smell of lavender.
He pulled his hand back from the door and found that his fingers had been covered in soot. His eyes narrowed as he looked at the swallow pendant in the candlelight. He shifted uncomfortably putting all the pieces together. He sat down at the desk, placing the candle down and looking closely at the pendant, letting out a small chuckle.
"Ha, seems you're saving me without even being here." He said to the swallow as he tied the silver chain back around his neck.
He opened the bestiary again, "Seems like our vampire must have caught onto me already… heard me asking around."
He got to the page with vampires and studied the recipe for vampire oil he'd have to make later the next day, he didn't think the swallow pendant would make for a good weapon, so the oil was necessary.
"Tried to sneak in here, give me some nightmares to feed off of, realized that you were magic, protecting me from bad dreams. Used some magic to muffle itself, managed to slip you off my neck before giving me those dreams…" He said looking down at the dangling swallow.
He held it in his hands and smiled, "Too late did they realize Queen Calanthe spared no expense when she got her granddaughter a 100% pure silver swallow for her birthday… doesn't seem like I'll be sleeping tonight."