Red- The Witcher

Sodden

Geralt

Sage was lying in a piece of wood, safe, as Cirilla slept not too far from her. I was awake, watching both of them in the night as the fire crackled in the center of our camp. Roach breathed heavily, and I looked at the mare.

"Now, I have to protect both of them."

"Protect who?" Sage asked, stirring awake. She held her head as she rose and looked at Ciri, cursing under her breath.

"Does she scare you?" I asked and she stared at me. "Your hair is as white as snow."

"I sense something about her," she told me. "There's a dangerous void that will open if not controlled. Chaos. I-I don't know, it's just a feeling."

I huffed, feeding the fire with a jumble of branches next to me. "Would you have done it?" I began, causing her to raise her eyebrows. "Would you have let your son take Ciri?"

Her cloudy eyes drew away from me and onto the fire, reflecting the orange flames. "I don't know," she said. "He's my son... but I wouldn't let another child get taken away from me."

"I understand," Cirilla said, now awake.

"I don't think you do," Sage responded. I could tell she was aggravated by the girl's presence from the way she shifted closer to me.

"Tell me," I began, "what do you mean by 'people are going to burn?'"

"I don't know," Sage said again, making me irritated. She was saying it too much and was confusing because she was supposed to know things that weren't spoken of. "Sometimes I don't know the meaning behind a lot of things. It just comes to me and the truth reveals itself later." She grabbed the contents of her coat and stood, "I need to go find my son. I can still feel him and I'm not going to let that feeling go."

I got onto my feet and looked at her. She didn't let me speak and just walked away without saying goodbye. I couldn't stop her because when I looked back, she was gone like the wind; disappearing into the fog that crept in the night.

"She was nice at first but now she's different," Ciri said. "Maybe she changed when we screamed at each other. I'm not sure but I know she doesn't like me very much. Mousesack told me she was nice to him and my parents but by the looks of it, she's mean."

I glanced at her, not wanting to say anything about her comments, and kicked the dirt onto the fire. "Come on, let's go." She quickly stood and I helped her onto Roach so I could walk and she could ride as the princess she was. It was quiet, the way I liked it.

We rode until daylight and we reached Sodden Hill. There was supposed to be a village nearby and we stopped at a hut. I entered first to see it emptied and turned on its head. Rats had scurried the floor by our footsteps and it made Cirilla gag.

"Are we going to stay here, or..." she spoke. I shook my head and on my way out, I could hear thousands of footsteps. It was the sound of a legion marching across the field. Looking through the windows, I was right. By the color of their black and gold armor, I knew it was Nilfgaard, and they were headed for the North. "You're friend is after their commander."

"He's probably at the frontline." I pulled away from the windowsill and out the door, heading for my horse.

"They destroyed Cintra," Ciri said, running after me. "Aren't you going to help fight them?"

"I don't participate in humanly wars."

"What about Sage? She'll get hurt."

"I'm more worried about you getting hurt," I partially lied. I did care for Sage, especially the time we had nights ago, it meant everything to me. "She can take care of herself, she's a banshee."

She groaned and got onto the horse. My head turned when I saw a ball of fire release into the sky, going towards a keep that led to the North; however, it was sent back onto the attacking side. I clenched my jaw, knowing that Cirilla was right and I hated it. I got onto Roach, sitting behind her on the saddle, and moved towards the vast maze of trees.

The army had split into militias to take the keep at all angles and the military force I was riding along with tried to shoot me with the arrows. I had Ciri keep a hold of the reigns while I deflected the arrows with my sword. Roach galloped past the grass that grew mushrooms and when I turned to see if they continued to fire, the mushrooms released a gas that suffocated the group.

"Cover your nose!" I told her as I pulled my black cloak over the lower part of my face. I made sure we were out of the area before consuming fresh air again. We got out of the trees and raced to the keep that had begun to close with large chunks of vines. On the inside, I could see someone I knew. "Triss!" I called out.

"Geralt?" I heard her say. At this point, she couldn't take down the barrier and I turned to see the upcoming army. I knew I had to hide Cirilla since Nilfgaard had been hunting for her. As I went around, mages released every power they had onto the armies coming at all corners and I had to leave.

It was nightfall when I found a hill. It had been covered with Nilfgaardian belongings: tents, weapons, war plans, horses, and more. The one thing I knew for sure, is that it had been abandoned. I slid off the mare and eyed Ciri to stay on as I scouted the place.

Smoke filled my nose and I looked up to see the flames trickling down like rain. I knew that the plains had been set afire just like Sage's premonition had stated. It gave me an eerie feeling until it was cut off by the sound of a blade being pulled. I instantly drew my sword and pivoted to see Cahir coming out of the trees in his black armor and his helmet in hand. He dropped it and waved his weapon, challenging me for the girl.

He came at me first, proving me his determination, and my blade clashed against his. I knew Sage cared for him so I held myself from killing him. He cut me on the arm when he pulled away, pacing in front of me. I kept him there so he wouldn't go around. Just as I was about to knock him unconscious, a shrilling voice echoed, its waves hitting directly at me and it throwing me across the camp, making me land on a table. I broke through the table, the sonic energy still affecting me for a short minute before stopping.

"Sage," I wheezed. My suit had suffocated me as I laid on my back and I managed to pull myself up. Cirilla came to my aid and helped me up. I shook my leg and found it weak from the impact.

"Don't you dare touch him," she spat, her voice course from the possession.

"He came at me first," I told her. "Besides, I would have already killed him if I wanted to."

"You would've killed my son?" she questioned.

"No. No." Even in my response, she began crying. Tears came from her white eyes and down her pale cheeks, weeping like the image of a banshee I had read in a bestiary.

"You lied," she said through sobs. "You lied! You'd do anything for that child even it means killing another! My son!"

"Mother," Cahir called out and she quieted him.

Her attention returned to me and when her arms set out to release a wail, I protected myself and Ciri with a shield. She breathed heavily and began to say, "Geralt of Rivia..." but I remembered what Yennefer told me; my name in her mouth with power would mean my death.

I grabbed a knife from my pocket and flicked it at her, watching as the blade flipped and hit her in the throat. Cahir shouted as blood spewed out from his mother's neck and I was too shocked at my own actions to react correctly. Something had come over me to behave in self-defense and that I had to kill a monster; the monster who was also the woman I loved.

"Come on, Ciri," I called out. She was frozen as I grabbed her hand and pulled her to the horse. Climbing on, I heard Cahir crying out for help and we galloped away from him. As we road out, I could see Yennefer in the center of Sodden Hill, releasing her Chaos. Her blazing fire covered the field and the army on it; the people were burning.