Kyana Of Cintra

6

Stregobor continued to talk, much to the delight of the Witchers.

"Do you consider me a fool, Witcher? Do you think I did not conduct research? Renfri was acutely affected. Her stepmother, Aridea, told me she tortured a canary, strangled two puppies, even gouged out her maid's eye with a comb." The two listened to the story intently. "I admit what happened next was not ideal, but with the lives of Aridea's own children on the line, we had to act. So I dispatched someone to follow Renfri into the woods. We found him in the brush, Renfri's antique brooch jammed into his ear. After that, I organized a manhunt to find the princess, but eh she was gone. Two years until she reappeared, robbing and murdering merchants on the roads of Mahakam. Impaled them on sticks at first, but soon, she picked up sword skills. And now no man can defy her, it's said." He finished.

"You're not a man. You're a magician." Geralt quipped back.

"She's resistant to magic." He countered. Kyana frowned, deep in thought.

"That's impossible in humans." A look of satisfaction graced Stregobor's face.

"Not mutated ones. She's chased me for years, bent on revenge. And now she's tracked me here, just as both of you arrived. Destiny. Kill her. Either of you or both. I'll pay you anything." He said delicately, almost as though she was right next to them.

"I only kill monsters." Kyana spoke up. "Not women who's revenge is justifiable."

"The kikimora kills because it's hungry, Renfri kills for pleasure. She is a monster. She is the last of Lilit's women. And she possesses the power to destroy us all." Stregobor hissed at them. Kyana rolled her eyes and refrained from picking at her nails. 

"I don't believe anyone has that power." Geralt insisted. Both Geralt and Kyana decided that was enough, opting to turn around and leave without selling the kikimoras. Kyana knew an old potion maker near Cintra who might find use for the kikimoras. She would be more than willing to share that information to Geralt if it meant Renfri lived on. 

"With the fate of the Continent at stake, is that a chance you're willing to take? There's your rhyme. Killing Renfri is the lesser evil." Stregobor insisted, calling them back to attention.

"Evil, just like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. For instance, where you see a woman who kills for pleasure and the last in your collection of crimeless corpses, I see a pretty young lady who offered me her food and hospitality. You will get no service from me. Good day sir." Kyana said firmly, standing and walking along the corridors, further and further away from Geralt and Stregobor, yet closer to the exit. 

"Evil is evil, Stregobor. Lesser, greater, middling, it's all the same. I'm not judging you. I haven't only done good in my life either. But now, if I have to choose between one evil and another, then I prefer not to choose at all." Geralt told him, the words dripping smoothly out of his mouth to ease the cold sting of rejection. Once they had left his tongue, Geralt started the same way as Kyana, out the door and into the cold air. 

****

Kyana and Geralt walked in silence through the village in order to reunite with their horses. Contrary to Kyana's offer to take the two monsters to Cintra, Geralt insisted on selling his to find a man who wanted to study to be a mage. It was fairly priced, and admittedly more than Kyana would get from her source. Both Witchers ended up selling their monsters in order to claim some money for their struggles. 

The woods was now far away, just across a small clearing of field. It was only then that Geralt spoke. "What are your intentions to do now?" Kyana thought for a moment, pulling the cape closer to her body for warmth.

"I'll find work somewhere, as I'm sure you will. I have no specific place in mind however. Somewhere near civilization might be nice, perhaps Temeria." He gave a small nod.

"I travel to Posada in a few days, I hear rumors of a specific potion I require." He thought for a moment, long and hard about what he was to say. "Although I have no idea where I might find a seller." Geralt said, unsure of weather he had made the correct decision to travel all the way to Posada for a vial that may or may not be there. Kyana rose a sapphire eyebrow, wondering if she should tell him of the potion master she knew.

"That depends on what potion you seek." She hesitated for a second, before spitting it out. "I'm aware you barely know me, Geralt, but I have a seller in Cintra's market who may have what you require. He usually sells to the nobles, but he has a soft spot for me. If he has a vial, I guarantee I can get it for you."  The way his name rolled off her tongue made him wonder how such a gentle soul could bear to kill. He knew when he saw who turned this beautiful creature, into a Witcher, destined to such a cruel life that simply wouldn't fit a person of her beauty, he'd kill them.

"Truly? You'd do that for a stranger?" Geralt wasn't all too accepting of her kindness towards someone she had met that day; to him it seemed suspicious. Kyana nodded gently, confused why he doubted her so.  "Thank you, I'll take you up on that." The familiar feeling of accomplishment bubbled in Kyana as she performed her good deed. "I would be delighted to accompany you." Geralt allowed himself a small smile to send her way to display his gratitude.

It took all of about ten minutes to find a river of extremely clean water, which surprised them. Geralt sat down to pick up some herbs, while Kyana collected some water with her hands to drink. A snapping twig caught their attention, and both of them halted in their movements for a moment. When nothing else happened, they continued in their actions.

"The girl this morning, she took you to see Stregobor didn't she?" Renfri's voice surprised the both of them, but they were both standing and facing her by the time her sentence was finished.

"We know who you are, Renfri." Geralt stated. Renfri didn't even move. She didn't really care, and they could see that on her face.

"You know that I want to kill Stregobor, then." When neither replied, only walked to their horses. She continued to speak, hoping one of them may take her side and help her take her revenge against Stregobor. "I used to be a princess. Did he tell you that?" Kyana stopped to face her, leaning against a tree and picking at some mint leaves from her bag. Her mood drastically changed at the mention of Renfri's former lifestyle. Geralt noticed this, but chose not to comment, placing the collected herbs into a pouch in his bag. "Until he sent a thug into the woods to kill me." Renfri spat venomously. Geralt approached her warily, until he was only a few feet away and directly next to Kyana.

"You killed him." Geralt stated bluntly. Until Geralt knew the whole story, he would not be deciding who to favour anytime soon. 

"With my mothers broach." She said it as though she was proud of it. Geralt shook his head lightly and walked back to the river to quench his thirst. Kyana retrieved a knife from her satchel, using it to scrape some of the edible mushrooms next to the river. While both Witchers were hard at work, Renfri perched herself next to Kyana gently and watched. Renfri sighed.

"As a woman, perhaps you will understand. Stregobor's man raped me, robbed me and let me go." Kyana's head turned, horror hidden behind a neutral face. "No more princess. I had to survive. I stole rather than starve. I killed rather than be killed. Nohorn and the others saved me. And they'll be by my side at the market as I get my revenge. Lilit help me, I will take down anyone in my way. Unless destiny intervenes." She said the last bit slyly, looking at Geralt when she spoke.

He nearly rolled his eyes in annoyance. "There's no such thing as destiny."