Chapter 2
Lambert was riding through the streets of the Temerian capital, as much he disliked large crowds he had to admit a city like this was truly a sight to behold. Vizima being the largest city in the kingdom and with a large number of important trade routs going through it made the city a hub of culture and trade. On the road Lambert noticed that some of his equipment had taken some damage during the fight with the griffin after all and decided to get it repaired. He ventured through the Temple district and entered the Merchant quarter where he looked for master Bardens shop. The old dwarven blacksmith was well known if Vizima and the area around it, also the witcher had visited the shop on few occasions before and knew that everything that was told about his work was true. After he had gear repaired the witcher decided to go to a brothel. There he paid for a room, some wine a the services of a red haired woman. He waited for a while but the woman still didn't come to the room, then a door opened and a red woman stepped into the room.
"Sorry to keep you waiting." That voice was familiar, he new that voice well. She might look different but the voice was hers. His medallion also started moving as soon as she entered the room.
He turned around a looked at her with a smile "Keira."
"I'm sorry, you must have me confused with someone."
Lambert chuckled "Enough charades, you can ditch the elision. I know well that its you."
The woman sighed and almost immediately the red woman from before was replaced by blond sorceress. "You are no fun Lambert."
"I'm fun, I just don't like people playing tricks on me. Now tell me why you had to come here instead of…" The sorceress cut him of.
"Instead of doing something like sending a messenger for you or meeting you at the gates like a lady waiting for her brave knight. Because this is more fun and I wanted to see if you would figure it out." a mischievous smile found itself on her lips.
"Now what?"
Keira walked towards him, put one hand on his chest and pushed him onto the bed. "Now the fun begins."
Hours later the naked sorceress was siting on a chair sipping on wine with Lambert still laying in bad. He knew Keira well, coming here like this without contacting him first was odd even for her.
The witcher turned his gaze towards the beautiful sorceress. "So was it strictly pleasure or is there something else you need?"
"Inquisitive as even Lambert. You are right this is not the only reason I came here, you see I need your help with a certain matter."
The witcher was intrigued, the last time she asked help from him was to help her find mage Alexanders notes and that was years ago. This must be serious if she needed help. "What is it this time? A cure for another disease or a way to make yourself even more powerful."
"Not exactly. You see I'm looking for an old mage laboratory, it supposedly has some valuable texts.
"Why would you need my help to find it? Cant you just use a tracking spell or something."
"I know where it is but I need your help to get in there."
"And what do I get out of it?"
"You already got something for it."
"And I thought that this trip was going to be regular. Fine I will help you."
Keira smiled "I knew you would. You never say no to me."
"Yeah, just don't tell that to Gerald or Eskal, they would never let me hear the end of it."
The two set off on their path to reach the lost laboratory. First they went to Zavada and then continued to Carreras. Lambert tried to ask more questions about the laboratory but each time Keira gave him a cryptic answer, so eventually he gave up. When they reached Carreras they found a dwarven guide to take then to the mountains. The trip along the mountain was slow because of the heavy snow fall. As they went along the trail Lambert continually complained about the cold to witch Keira responded by telling him that he is a witcher and to man up. Once they reached the right spot Keira told them to stop.
"Why did we stop?" asked the witcher still trembling in his boots from the cold.
"There look, there the entrance to the laboratory." Lambert looked at the side of the mountain, it was cowered by snow but he could still see an outline of a door. They approached it, the sorceress used a spell to melt the snow off the door. All around it were strange symbols and in the middle of it was an oddly shape hole.
"What do we do now?" asked the witcher.
"We use the key." Keria pointed at his witcher medallion. Lambert took it off and put it into the hole, then a noise was heard and Lambert took out his medallion. The door opened to reveal a lengthy hall going inside the mountain. The two entered it while the dwarf stayed at the door, not wanting to go inside some old mages hideout. Keira used a spell to illuminate the way inside. As they went through the hall Lambert noticed snowy footprints on the stony floor. Then they entered a large room with a painted star ceiling, in the middle of it stud the remains of a golem. The witcher approached it slowly while the sorceress watched.
"Its dead. By the looks of it someone was here before us, judging from the footprints there and this here it was quite recently."
"It does not matter, we press on." The duo went further into the ancient laboratory. The laboratory seemed more like an elaborate mansion, full of twisting corridors and doors that lead to various rooms.. Finally they reached their destination, the main laboratory and study. Lambert opened the door to reveal a room filled with various instruments and books. Keira walked towards one of the tables, rummaging through the various books while the witcher looked around. She noticed that some of the books were missing due to the dust shape being left behind were they once were."She was here." he sorceress mumbled.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing, its just this books are so dusty." As she continued to look through the books a door caught the witcher eye, He went towards it and opened them, once he opened them he entered the dark room. Using the igni sign to light some of the torches, after he was finished he turned his gaze back to the room. What he saw shocked him to the core, the instruments that filed the room where all so familiar, they were just like the ones back at Kaer Morhen, that same ones that were used to make him into a witcher. He stud there starring at them for a moment before calling out for Keira.
She walked in. "What is it?"
He turned around, fury in his eyes. "What is this? Tell me now!"
"It is a laboratory."
"I know that its a laboratory. Don't take me for a fool. These instruments are the ones that are used in the process to make witcher. Who's laboratory was this?"
The sorceress looked him straight into his cat like eyes, he was still staring at her angrily. "Alzurs and Malaspinas." she said with a soft tone.
"And you did not bother to tell me before!"
"I didn't tell you because I knew how you would react. I know how you feel about stuff like this." She took a step towards him with a worried expression on her face.
"So you decided to trick me, manipulate me!"
"Im sorry Lambert, it was never my intention to hurt you. I needed you help."
"And what do you plan to do with this now? To make your personal army of witchers?"
The sorceress was insulted by the statement, she would never try to do something like that. She is not that power hungry. "Of course not! Do you think so little of me, besides the manuscripts that are needed aren't here." The witcher felt hurt by the sorceresses actions but he knew that she didn't want to hurt him. This was his luck to stumble upon the laboratory of the man who made the witchers in the first place. It was a bit ironic that it was him and not Geralt, this types of thing usually happened to the white wolf.
The witcher sighed, he was starting to calm down. "And what now, what do we do?"
"What I wanted is here, the books on various forms of magic from the early days. We take them and leave."
The witcher anger towards the sorceress was starting to diminish, but instead of it he started to worry about the manuscripts and who had them. Who ever had them could make powerful soldiers but at a high price. Only three out of ten boys survive the witcher trials. Those boys would be forced to became like him. Thats what he hated the most, the inability to chose. After some more calming down, he decided to help Keira with her books and once they were done they exited the laboratory and sealed it once more.
"I hope no one ever find it again." said Lambert. To witch Keira responded by placing her hand of his shoulder. The witcher stayed silent for the rest of the way back.