"The Emperor's Demise" by Joseph Sattarelle
Chapter 1:
It was an early fall morning at the crack of dawn. It was dark in the small, isolated room with only light that filled shadows. The sun was just coming up, and there was movement in the room. Two people lay on a bed, cuddling. After a few more minutes, the sun was halfway above the sky, and both people woke up. It was Geralt of Rivia and Yennefer of Vengerburg, for once actually happy.
Geralt kissed Yen as he got up to get dressed. He grabbed an axe and went outside. But what waited outside for Geralt, made him wish he stayed inside. Five men waited for Geralt outside in the early stages of snowing. They wore black armor with suns aligned in the chest plates, Nilfguardians.
The Nilfguardians had a scroll in their hands as one read it.
"Geralt of Rivia, correct?"
"Who s asking?"
"Officers in the service of Her Majesty, Cirilla Fiona Ellen Riannon."
Geralt's eyes opened wide open in surprise as they then said "We are here to escort you to Vizima, Vatt ghern".
Geralt looked shocked, he immediately asked "Is she okay? What does she want?"
"Her Majesty is doing more good than she was with you. You ll agree to come with us regardless. We will allow you to say goodbye to your sorceress. Just meet us down the road from here. We ll be waiting."
Geralt nodded and ran back into the house. The door behind him slammed so loudly, Yennefer turned around from her table to investigate. She knew something was wrong by looking at Geralt s face.
"What is wrong, Geralt?"
Geralt was silent as he rummaged through his weapons chest. He threw a set of armor out of the chest onto the floor with great force.
"Geralt?!" Yennefer said as her voice changed in a much deeper demanding voice.
Geralt sighed and finally said "Ciri wants to see me in Vizima. Some Nilfguardians are waiting for me outside."
Yennefer gasped and asked "What?! Is she okay?!"
"I don t know. But I m going, Yen."
As Geralt was getting dressed, Yennefer was trying to convince him to bring her with him. Geralt wouldn t let her though, mainly because Geralt didn t want to raise suspicions in Vizima by letting Yennefer be recognized with Geralt. The end of the war demanded Yennefer to leave Vizima and resign as the emperor s sorceress. So, if Yens seen in Vizima, people would protest.
Geralt walked outside and slammed the door again, except Yennefer followed.
"Geralt please, let me come with you. I want to see her."
"Yen, listen to me. People wanted you gone from the emperor s court, and if you re seen near there again, they ll kill you. Besides, the escort didn t say you could come with me. For once, just take my advice and please stay here. Please, I can t lose you again."
"And what about you? You think I don t feel that way about you?!"
Yennefer stopped talking and looked down. Geralt stood in front of her, silent. Finally, Yennefer hugged and kissed Geralt, and said "Just don t killed witcher. And be back soon."
Geralt nodded and strapped a saddle onto his mount Roach, and road off. Yennefer sighed, and cast a spell. Black smoke emanated onto the soil, and a black raven was generated from it. Yennefer commanded it to follow Geralt to Vizima and protect him if need be. The raven obeyed, and followed Geralt all the way down the two-hundred mile road to Vizima.
Chapter 2:
The scribe was constantly pestering about helping the poor people affected by the war in Redania. There was a bill that needed to be signed by the empress herself, who was bored just listening to the scribe. After giving his repetitive speech on the state of Redania, and their people, he cleared his throat, and started his conclusion.
"In conclusion m lady, if you would sign this bill, it would help Redania live as a country worthy as an ally to Nillfguard, and forever cement your country as an empire worthy of respect, and fear."
The scribe held out a quill pointed towards the empress who was sitting back on the throne looking bored as a witcher without a contract. She finally reached out her hand and grabbed the quill and paper. She looked over the paper, and sighed. Suddenly, the doors of the palace opened, and five Nilfguardians walked in front of someone. It was Geralt, and the empress noticed him. She put the paper and quill down and walked towards Geralt. After confirming her suspicions of it really being Geralt, she ran towards him. She jumped and was caught into a hug by Geralt. They both laughed and smiled, knowing they haven t seen each other in over a year. Soon after, they both cleared their throats and walked back up the steps towards the throne.
"Hey Ciri." Geralt said as Ciri sat back down on the throne.
"Greetings, Geralt."
"Are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine. But, my father isn't."
Geralt looked a little surprised and was willing to help Ciri with anything.
"What s wrong with Emyhr? Is it his lack of emotion or something worse?"
"He s been kidnapped."
Just when Geralt couldn't be any more surprised, he asked, "By what?"
"Vampires."
Geralt thought he had heard and seen it all, but that was one weird statement. The emperor of Nillfguard, Emyhr Var Emries, kidnapped by vampires. Kind of hard to believe.
Emyhr was in a meeting in Ban Glean, and he was coming home to Vizima on a road that connected to Toussaint. His carriage was ambushed and the guard s armor was desiccated. Ciri was able to identify the tracks and claw marks to two vampires. A bruxa, female higher vampire, and a katakan, male higher vampire. Again, Geralt thought he heard it all. Geralt agreed to find Emyhr and bring him back safely and soundly. Ciri thanked Geralt again as he left and rode towards the road where Emyhr was ambushed.
Chapter 3:
Ciri wasn't kidding. The carriage drivers of the White Flame Dancing on the Graves of His Foes were massacred. The claw marks and bite marks screamed vampire , and there were definitely two of them. Judging by the tracks near and around the body, it was definitely a bruxa and a katakan. Ciri clearly did her homework, because everything she said about the attack was correct. Geralt smiled as he thought about how much she has grown up. A witcher-in-training, to empress of Nillfguard. Geralt followed the tracks to an old riverside hut with a barn behind it. Not all vampires don t come out at daylight, so Geralt picked a good spot behind some bushes, and waited for night.
Geralt opened his eyes and realized it was nighttime. He heard footsteps and looked in front of him. A figure was walking along the shore wearing a robe.
A woman out this late? I doubt she has a lover nearby.
The woman was singing an old folk song about witchers and monsters. She knew Geralt was there, and was ready for him. Geralt drew his silver sword, quietly, and walked very cautiously towards the vampire.
"Nice tune," Geralt said as the bruxa stopped singing. "Been a while since I heard it last."
"Folk have forgotten it." Said the bruxa, as she started to disrobe.
"They got other things on their minds."
"Things like me?"
"Where is Emyhr?"
The bruxa s voice changed as she said "You ll not live to see him."
Chapter 4:
The fight was brutal, almost as brutal as a slaughter-house in the middle of a terrible city. Geralt s face was riddled with claw marks, and was bitten on his neck. Thankfully, witchers are immune to the vampire s disease, they just need to clean the wound and they ll be fine. The bruxa screamed in pain as Geralt s silver sword went deep through its spinal cord. The vampire was bleeding and needed to escape somehow. But this was not the first bruxa Geralt has dealt with. It clawed his leg and tried to crawl away, but was shot with a silver crossbow bolt from Geralt s crossbow. Again the bruxa screamed, or howled, in pain as the bolt went through the vampire s back.
Geralt pulled out the bolt and kicked the bruxa on its back.
"Where is Emyhr?!" Geralt yelled as the bruxa tried to push him off.
Finally, the bruxa pointed its flaky finger towards the hut. A man came out of it, looking at Geralt. Geralt could see very clearly, the man had blood around the corners of his mouth. It was the katakan.
Geralt finished off the bruxa, and pointed his sword towards the katakan. The higher vampire walked towards the witcher, holding a knife.
"So, kidnapping an emperor is something vampires do now?" Geralt asked as he approached very cautiously towards the other major threat.
"You wouldn t understand." said the vampire, as the knife clattered to the ground.
"Enlighten me."
The katakan was silent for a moment, but finally began talking.
"We wanted to kill off all possible heirs to the throne of Nillfguard, including the actual rulers. Starting with the pitiful wretch you call the White Flame etcetera, etcetera."
Geralt looked at the katakan with murderous intentions. It just got personal, because Geralt knew no one was going to even touch Ciri.
"Don t you see? We want to control Nillfguard, and make the world more vampire appropriate."
"Ah, a common politician. Well, let me tell you something: if you think you re going to kill the empress, you got another thing coming."
"Please, do you think we are the only ones? We have others who want to take over Redania and even shattered Temeria. But I m afraid you won t live to see the day that vampires control the world. You will die."
Geralt gave the creature of the night the dirtiest look a witcher could give to anyone. He held up his rune filled silver sword as the vampire's true form was revealed. It reeked of corpses and slime, and looked like it clearly needed its beard shaven.
It lunged at Geralt and attempted to claw him. Geralt dodged and aligned his fingers to form the Igni Sign. It was cast, but to no avail. The katakan was fast, really fast. Geralt lunged forward and attempted a combination of fast strikes. He followed through with a reverse pirouette, but the katakan was quicker than Geralt. The fifteen-inch claws of the very old vampire attempted to hit Geralt, but this time Geralt was the quick one.
Geralt was able to parry the claws, the parry was so powerful, the claws were cut off. The vampire howled in pain, and was staggered. Geralt struck strong, and the blade cut through the artery of the vampire's shoulder. After a minute, the vampire started to bleed out, and started to growl. It spit out its own blood as Geralt stabbed the vampire through the chest. The vampire s life was coming to an end, Geralt knew this. Geralt questioned the vampire just before he bit the dust.
"Where s Emyhr?"
The vampire spit in Geralt s face as its life disintegrated. There was a smell in the air, human blood. It was coming from the riverside hut in front of the barn house. Emyhr was in there, and Geralt couldn t tell if he was grateful, or just a jackass. There was vampire blood in his bloodstream, though. Geralt gave Emyhr a mixture of herbs that forced the vampirism to leave his body. Geralt helped Emyhr onto Roach, and rode to Vizima.
Chapter 5:
"Geralt, how can I ever thank you?" Ciri asked Geralt as he helped Emyhr into his bedroom.
"You don t need to do anything. But I would advise you keep an eye on him."
"I will, of course."
"Also, the vampires said there are more of them. I will keep my eye out and do my best to stop them."
"No need, Geralt. I ordered my best scouts to search for the remaining assassins. Don t worry Geralt. You ve done a lot for me, it s about time you have a pleasant life. Now go home, and stay there unless I need you. Understand?"
"Yeah, I understand."
"Good. And give Yennefer a kiss for me."
"Oh I will."
"Oh Geralt, your terrible."
They both laughed for a few minutes, and Geralt finally left. Geralt mounted Roach, and rode in the direction of home.
"Yen, I m home!" Geralt said as he walked into the house. Though there was something wrong with the house. The scent and layout, fresh candles and a freshly cooked meal.
"What the-"
Geralt was in shock to come home to this. But he was even more shocked to see Yennefer come into the room wearing black and white lingerie.
"Well, well look whose home."
"What s going on Yen?"
"Well, I wanted to have a relaxing dinner for once. Is it the lingerie, is that why your face is like that?"
"Well that and the fact you made dinner."
"Oh gods, Geralt you re ruining the dinner just by wearing that filthy armor. Go in there and remove it. Now."
Geralt obeyed, and both had dinner. Let s just say the rest of the night was completely worth it. It was a night to remember.
THE END