RIENCE' FORTRESS - Novigrad
"So, you betrayed me again.." Yen said when she appeared behind their back. They turned to her.
"Yen? What are you doing here?" Geralt couldn't believe his own eyes.
"I am the biggest issue now? What are you doing here?" Yennefer said angrily.
"Yen.. this is not what you think I'm doing.." Geralt was defending himself.
"Oh, I know exactly what are you doing. You're doing things behind my back.." she was strict.
"No, I don't. I'm not working with him." Geralt came closer to her.
"This is a really bad timing.." Rience laughed. Yennefer ignored him.
"You lied to me Geralt. Again. You told me you're gonna meet Zoltan.. but guess what. I went to Feather's street and neither of you was there, but then I spotted Lambert with another witcher, so, I followed them. To my surprise they ended up here, I thought that witchers help people, not that they're working with criminals.. But when I was already here I decided I will go to have a little chat with Rience since I found that dump Bonhart works for him.." Yennefer started to be irritated. Geralt sighed.
"Yes. I lied to you.. but only because I wanted to protect you." he was honest.
"And here we go again. The same bullshit words.. I must admit Geralt that you're such a good liar. You even fooled me. I really thought you're different." she shaked her head. "But now everything make sense. You find me that night for a reason. To just use me like you always do with everyone." Yennefer eyes were full of anger.
"Yen, please. You have to believe me. I'm not working with him." Geralt was hopeless.
"We're done Geralt." her face was serious.
"You won't take her in the bed again witcher. Such a shame.." Rience said with laughing.
"Shut up your mouth Rience. I'm talking to him, not to you. I will deal with you later." she split it to his face.
"Yennefer listen to me." Geralt begged her.
"I won't listen to you anymore!" she raised her voice turned to him.
"Yen, please." Geralt stood up in front her.
"Do not come closer to me!" she was furious.
"Fine, but then at least listen to me." he took a deep breath. "Rience cursed you, you don't remember anything because of this. He wants to destroy both of us.." Geralt was talking calmly.
"Do you hear yourself how ridiculous it sounds?" Yennefer laughed ironically.
"Please, believe me. He is the enemy, not me." Geralt said honestly. He wanted to take her hand but she pulled it away.
"Do not touch me!" in that moment she throw Geralt on the floor with her hand. Geralt sighed painfully. She looked at him.
"Ascertaah." she said the spell and at that moment Geralt couldn't move anymore.
"Yen! Don't do this." Geralt shouted on her. She ignored him and she went to Rience.
"Well, I didn't expect that. You're really a beautiful devil." Rience smiled under his nose.
"I want my money." Yennefer stated.
"I can pay you in the different way if you want." Rience said seductively.
"Oh, hell no." she said angrily.
"You gave him. Why not to me? What he has and I don't have?" Rience raised his eyebrow.
"Just give me my money which Bonhart didn't give me. Nobody will fuck up with me especially not you!" her face was serious. Rience was staring at her thoughtfully.
"Do you know why I adore you Yennefer? Because you're a soldier of chaos.. and I love chaos. Chaos disrupts. It rips apart and starts again. It's like a forest fire. It burns. It clears. It's monstrous but it's beautiful. You're a beautiful monster Yennefer." Rience said calmly. Those word disturbed her.
"A monster?" she said unsure.
"Yen, don't listen to him. It's not true!" Geralt shouted on her.
"A monstrous people like you often feel like they have to fly solo, like they have to keep things bottled up inside them. Thoughts, feelings, secretes and that can affect their ability to be truly monstrous. Do you have anything you would like to get off your chest Yennefer? Has something happend recently? Tell me."
"What?" she didn't understand.
"Whatever it is you can tell me. I don't want us to keep secrets from each other." Rience said seductively.
"Oh, I get it... You're a madman. Why would I even bother to have conversation with someone like you. What is the point?" she was confident.
"You know what is the most funny thing about what you just said?" Rience raised his eyebrow. Yennefer looked at him without emotions.
"We're the same my lovebird.. and deep down in your heart you know that." Rience was honest. Yennefer's face froze for a second. Rience smiled under his nose. He knew he hit her weak spot.
"I have to go into another room to take your money. Will you join me?" he looked into her eyes. Yennefer came back to mind.
"Sure." she said coldly. Rience then turned around and he started leaving. Yennefer looked at Geralt for the last time. He shaked his head. Yennefer didn't say anything and then she followed Rience. She was so disappointed in him and Geralt saw that.
Couple of minutes already passed. Geralt started thinking. He should quickly figure it out how to end Yen's spell. He was running of time. He didn't like the idea Yennefer being alone with Rience, not to mention he clearly wanted her dead. He thought this situation couldn't be more worse but then he heard her voice. He immediately looked at her.
"Ciri! What are you two doing here!?" Geralt freaked out. He was watching how Ciri and Matt were coming closer to him.
"Helping you." Ciri answered calmly and stood up next to him.
"What?! I don't need your help." Geralt stated. He was still angry that they were here.
"I think you're clearly in the trouble because you can't move obviously.." she admitted.
"I'm not in the trouble.." Geralt frowned. "Eskel and Lambert are with me." he was defending himself.
"Oh, really? Because I can see them anywhere.." she shaked her head.
"They will come soon, they should have take care of Rience's gurads first." Geralt answered calmly. "How did you two get here anyway? There are plenty guards everywhere.." he was confused.
"Nobody was taking care about the west gate." Matthew explained. Geralt got surprised.
"Fine, then leave before they will start taking care of it again." Geralt commanded them.
"I don't want to argue with you Geralt. At least let me help you." she sighed and she said deactivated spell. Geralt then could finally move. He stood up slowly and looked at them.
"Let me guess.. gift from Yennefer?" she crossed her arms.
"I wouldn't call it a gift.. but yes, she did to me because she thinks I'm working with Rience.." Geralt explained.
"How can she think such a thing ?" Ciri was confused.
"I don't blame her. She is still very confused about everything and to be honest I would think the same if she would find me in the same situation. I lied to her. I lied about who I'm gonna meet." Geralt was not proud of it but he did it to protect her.
"Alright, you will explain everything to her later, right now we have to help her." Ciri stated.
"We? You're two are going back to the Tavern. It's too dangerous here." Geralt was serious.
"We came to help you Geralt." Ciri couldn't believe that he was sending them back.
"I can handle everything without your help. So, I don't need and want you two here. These men are very dangerous for you and as I said Eskel and Lambert gonna be here soon. They will help me."
Geralt looked at them seriously.
"I know but it's still not enough. You once told me how Bonhart and his soldiers are very skilled killers.." Ciri explained.
"Yes, but this is different situation.." he sighed. "Anyway, didn't think it worthwhile to tell me, warn me of your plans?" he couldn't believe that she was so reckless.
"I'm sorry. I know, I should have.. but I feared you wouldn't understand." she explained.
"Ahhh.. feels like I'm talking to Yennefer." Geralt shaked his head.
"Geralt, you need our help. Trust me." Ciri begged him with her eyes.
"No, I can't risk it. Please leave before it will be too late." Geralt looked at her seriously.
"No. I made my decision." Ciri stated.
"Why the hell you would do this? You don't own me anything Ciri." he didn't understand.
"I do own you much more Geralt." she said honestly.
"Ciri.. please, maybe I wouldn't able to save you if something happens and I won't ever forgive me." Geralt was serious.
"I won't leave you alone." Ciri was stubborn.
"For fuck sake! Matthew get her out of here. Now." Geralt started to be helpless. Matt looked at Ciri and she shaked her head.
"I said something. Both of you leave! Now!" Geralt raised his voice.
Ciri wanted to say something but in that moment Lambert and Eskel stormed into the room and started running towards them.
"We have problem.." Lambert said when they stood up next to them. He was catching his breath.
"What?" Geralt couldn't believe what was happening.
"They found us and they are also too many on us. We have to leave. Quickly." Eskel answered for Lambert.
"No, we can't leave. Yennefer is with Rience. I can't leave her now." Geralt stated.
"You do realize that we are in the middle of Rience's fortress and his very good friend is Bonhart who has his very skilled murderes? We can't get out alive from here if we won't leave now. They are too many on us." Lambert made it clear.
"What do you want me to do?! Leave my wife here alone and let her to get killed?!" Geralt was irritated.
"She has to handle it on her own. She is the one who is powerful, not us. We don't have any choice if we want to survive." Lambert said calmly.
"You can't be serious.." Geralt shaked his head.
"I am serious. Right now this not just about you and her Geralt. You are also putting these kids into suicide.." Lambert was honest.
"Fine, then take them out of here and I'm going to save Yennefer." Geralt stated.
"I won't let you go alone Geralt. I'm going with you." Ciri was serious.
"No, you're not going with me. Take them Lambert." Geralt stated.
"I said I'm going with you." Ciri was determined.
"Geralt you have to make a decision. We're running of time." Eskel started to be worried.
Geralt opened his mouth to speak but suddenly Rience's gurads entered into the room and Bonhart with his men followed them.
"All the snitches at the one place. I couldn't ask for better." Bonhart laughed when he spotted them. Geralt's face immediately changed.
"Fuck. This is bad." Lambert admitted. Almost twenty bastards were standing in front of them and all of them were very skillful killers. Some of them were even witchers from School of Cat.
"Ciri, you have teleport yourself and get us help. Bring Triss, Leo and more if you will find somebody. We will need every sword if we will survive till then." Geralt looked at her seriously.
"Okay. Then try not to die." she hugged Geralt. Then she turned to Matthew.
"You too.." she kissed him on his lips and then she looked at them.
"You can't time love. You have to live it till you can.." she told them calmly and then she disappeared in the teleport. Matthew stayed in awe. He didn't see this coming.
"She will never stop to amaze me.." Eskel said thoughtfully.
"Hey, Romeo. Come back to the reality. We have to fight." Lambert told him strictly. Matt nodded.
"Have you finished your conversation morons?" Bonhart shouted on them.
"We have to separate. Fight like it would be your last fight. Our pride is in the bet." Geralt told them calmly. They all nodded and took their swords.
"I know what I said before but I'm not ready to die today. So let's kill these fuckers!" Lambert said full of anger. They all started running towards their enemy.
Rience went to his cabinet and he started searching for something.
"Tell me Yennefer, how can someone like you end up with someone like him?" he grabbed a small chest from the cabinet and turned to her.
"I want my money Rience." she started losing her patience. He went closer to her.
"He is a murderer, mutant without emotions.. that isn't a good company for you." he told her calmly.
"Don't pretend you are an angel." Yennefer told him strictly.
"Don't pretend you will ever be a mother.." Rience told her disgustingly. He put the chest on the table next to him and he stood up right in front of her.
"You're just piece of shit, nothing else." she gave him a killer look.
"I've been called worse.." Rience laughed and then he grabbed her waist and pulled her closer. "Tell me, are you calling him the same when he fucks you?" he whispered to her ear. Yennefer tried to pushed him away from her but he was too strong on her. She needed to wait on better opportunity to use some spell without him to notice. He was strong opponent as well. Then she looked straight into his eyes.
"You wouldn't be able by the way.." she was staring at him.
"Wouldn't be able to do what?" Rience looked at her a bit confused.
"Kill me before I kill you. You're a child. You have no idea what you're dealing with." she said without emotions.
"God, you're sexy" Rience smiled seductively.
"I hope you die." she said honestly.
"That's very possible." he laughed. Suddenly they both heard some noise.
"What is happening?" Rience said worriedly.
"I think you have some uninvited guests.." Yennefer faked her smile and then she immediately pushed him away as far as possible to be able to do a spell.
"Faarteah" she shouted the spell and burned half of Rience's face. He immediately caught his face and screamed from the pain. She used his inattention and then she quickly started running from his room.
When Yennefer came to the main hall she couldn't believe her own eyes. Everywhere were soldiers fighting with witchers and lots of blood on the floor. She spotted Geralt how he was fighting with one soldier, he had already many wounds on his body. She started worried about him even if she shouldn't because he betrayed her. She wanted to get out of here, this wasn't her fight but something inside her was telling her to stay. She really didn't know what to do in that moment. But suddenly some teleport opened in the middle of the room and young woman and witcher landed on the floor. Couple of seconds later another teleport opened and another woman landed on the floor. When Yennefer looked better at her, she immediately recognized her. It was Triss. She got surprised and confused at the same time. She didn't understand why Triss would be here, with those unknown people and fighting their fight. Then they all joined them and started fighting. When was Yennefer staring at the fight, some soldier attacked her. She barely noticed him but at the last moment she managed to throw him away with the spell. Then she decided she will at least help Triss. She was her best friend after all.
Geralt was killing one soldier after another but they were still too many on them. When he started searching for Ciri with his eyes if she was alright, he spotted Yennefer how she disarmed three soldiers and then she burned them alive. Geralt smiled under his nose. She could be deadly if she wants to, he thought. Another soldier attacked him and the witcher killed him after couple of hits. He continued in fighting and he didn't even notice how he bumped right into Yennefer. She gave him a death stare when she looked at him.
"Move!" she shouted on him. Geralt instinctively did what she commanded him and in that moment she hit the soldier behind him with the big fireball. Geralt smiled at her.
"Focus witcher." Yennefer said seriously. Then they both attacked another soldiers. It almost seemed they started winning this fight until Rience and another ten soldiers came to the hall. Geralt killed the soldier in front of him with one exact blow and then gave Rience a killer look. He was ready to go after him when he heard her voice.
"Geraalt!" Ciri screamed. Geralt immediately looked at her and he also saw Matthew laying on the floor. He had a deep wound on his thigh and he seemed unconscious but what was worse that Bonhart and his two other men were coming towards Ciri. Geralt looked worriedly at Yennefer. She understood.
"Go." she commanded him.
"But Rience and his.." she cut him.
"I will try to handle them. Go." she said strictly. Geralt didn't wait any longer and went to help Ciri. Yennefer looked at Rience. He seemed so weak after she burned his half of face. Then she noticed how he gave to the two of his soldier obsidian handcuffs. She knew what it means for her and Triss. They wanted to capture them. Rience one last time looked at her and then he left, but his soldiers started coming towards her.
Geralt came to Ciri in time because Bonhart wasn't far away from her.
"Look who decided to join us.. Do you want to end your life so soon witcher?" Bonhart said with laughing. Geralt ignored his comment and looked at Ciri.
"Remember what I taught you in Kaer Morhen?" he told her seriously. She nodded.
"Fine, then use it. I'm gonna take care of Bonhart and you take care of his soldiers. Be careful." Geralt squeezed her hand and then he raised his sword. Ciri did the same.
"Kill that little bitch.. I'll take care of him." Bonhart commanded them. They started coming towards themselves and then fighting with each other. After couple of minutes Ciri managed to kill both Bonhart guards. Meanwhile Geralt had to use all his skills to be able to fight with Bonhart without being killed in any second. He was really skilled and strong. Geralt hasn't met too many great swordsman but now he wished Bonhart wasn't one of them. Ciri joined Geralt. She stood up next to him.
"I think this isn't fair.. Two on one? I thought you're more honorable witcher." Bonhart said with laughing.
"And I think your existence in this world should finally end." Geralt said without emotions and then he didn't wait any longer and he attacked him. Their fight was very exhausting, both of them was performing many techniques which would kill any mortal after couple seconds, but they were also successfully defending themselves as well which cost them lot of strength. Ciri tried to attack him from behind but he Bonhart always noticed it and he repelled her blow every time when she's tried it. Ciri saw that Geralt was getting really tired and she knew she should do something. She tried again to attack Bonhart but this time he hit her so strong that she fell down on the floor and lost her breath fo a while. Geralt gave Bonhart a killer look. Now he knew he has to get closer to him to make a final blow. He decided to take a risk even of injury. Geralt went as close as he can, he was trying to block every Bonhart's blows with his sword but in one moment Geralt underrated Bonhart's techniques and Bonhart cut his thigh very deeply. Geralt sighed painfully but he immediately attacked him again and he cut him into his arm and then quickly into his stomach. When Geralt wanted to make a final blow voice of his love stopped him for a second.
"Let me be you son of bitches!" Yennefer screamed. Rience's soldiers managed to capture her and put the obsidian handcuffs on her hands. It was clear the next step will be to kill her because now she couldn't protect herself without magic. Geralt's mind started racing in the speed of light. He quickly looked at her and he saw how one soldier was coming towards her to kill her and the other was holding her from behind. He knew he didn't have much time. Geralt started fighting again with Bonhart, his adrenaline was working more than usual, same as his anger. He started feeling tired but somehow he dispelled Bonhart and then Geralt used all his strength and gave him quick blows into stomach. When Bonhart lost his balance for a second then Geralt stabbed him. Bonhart screamed from the pain and fell down to the floor. Geralt wished that he finally killed him but right now he didn't have time to check it if he succeed. He immediately started running towards Yennefer even though he was too slow because of his thigh injury. But her was the only thing what mattered for him in that moment. He was almost there next to her when he saw how the soldier raised his sword and he was ready to kill her. Geralt then started running even faster, but he already knew that he is too far to kill the soldier. Only option was to jump in front of her. So, he jumped.. and in that moment the soldier stabbed him.
"Geralt, no!" Yennefer screamed. Geralt immediately fell down to the floor and put his hands on his deep wound in the stomach. He sighed painfully.
"Geralt, no!" Yennefer screamed loudly and the soldier released her for a while because he was in shock of what happened.
In that moment Eskel and Lambert came towards them. Lambert immediately attacked the guard whom stabbed Geralt with so much anger and killed him within a second. Eskel attacked the soldier whom was holding Yennefer. When he killed him, he quickly came to her and removed obsidian handcuffs from her hands. She raised her eyes on him and Eskel gave her sad look. Then he joined Lambert to help him to fight with another guards whom was coming towards them.
She quickly knelt down next to him.
"Why you did that?! He may kill you.." Yennefer was in shock. She pressed her hands on his wound to slow the bleeding. She didn't want to believe what just happened. A stranger saved her life. Geralt started slowly breathing. The pain was getting worse. His deep wound in the abdomen started heavily bleeding. She looked at him with fear in her eyes.
"You didn't have to save me you damn fool.." she couldn't believe that he was so reckless. He raised his eyes on her.
"I know." he was barely speaking. "I didn't have to.. but I chose to..
I... I did it for my family.." he managed to say those words despite the strong pain in his whole body. Yennefer looked at him confused. She was even more shocked. But she quickly let out this thought from her mind and came back to reality.
"No, no, no. Don't talk. It will cost you strength." Yennefer told him strictly and she caressed his hair. His eyes started closing because he started losing conscience. Suddenly Eskel knelt down next to him and he immediately put some cloth on his wounds to stop the bleeding. Yennefer didn't let her eyes from Geralt even for a second.
"Geralt! Look at me. You have to stay awake. You can't close your eyes." she caught his head with her both hands. He started murmle something. The pain was unbearable.
"He is losing too much blood." Yennefer looked at Eskel with fear in her eyes.
"Can you use some spell?" Eskel said seriously.
"I can try it, but it will kill him in this condition. He is too weak." Yennefer said worriedly.
"But he will die as well. These wounds are deep. He won't survive a transport to the tavern where we have potions what we need. We don't have any choice." Eskel stated.
"But maybe he can survive a teleport." Yennefer said hopefully.