The Witcher: Through the Worlds
Chapter 81: A Child of the Elder Blood
Narrator: After a long journey, the time has finally come for Dominik, Ciri, Geralt and their friends to all finally face the Wild Hunt in battle. To do so, they had to make their way to the Skellige Isles, where Avallac'h informed them of his plan to summon the Hunt. Before they could, the sage needed an ancient elven artifact known as the Sunstone, they also would need to the help of the sorceress Fringilla Vigo. So, Geralt set out to find both the Sunstone and Fringilla, while Dominik and Ciri took the opportunity to spend time together which they had been getting so little off. After Nilfgaardean assassins came and interrupted a romantic evening of ice skating for the two, they returned to Kaer Trolde for the night, laying their own final plans to prepare for the final battle. Dominik made plans to try and contact his sister, Bella, who had been brain washed and pulled under the command of the Wild Hunt, by going to the last place he saw her in his dreams, the destroyed village of Brekka on Undvik. First however, he and Ciri would go through with her own plan. Knowing that Avallac'h was hiding secret plans from them, Ciri asked Dominik to come with her to the sage's secret base on Skellige, to finally find out what the sage had been planning from the moment he met Ciri…
The cold wind howled again in his dreams, but this time he saw the above deck of the Nagalfar again, it was unchanged from the rest of the dreams he had of it. However, he knew that this dream was in the past, because on the deck of the ship, he saw Eredin, Caranthir and Imlerith watching from the front of the deck. Ciri had told him that the Nagalfar could travel between worlds, and it was how Eredin was able to so easily track her, because it used the same type of magic that she had in her blood. Now however, the ship wasn't searching for Ciri, Eredin wasn't searching for Ciri.
Because he was watching Dominik's sister.
"Faster… let the emotion, let the hate, and anger flow through you," Caranthir briskly ordered as he stepped forward from next to Eredin. "Take your suffering, your anger, let it flow and spur the magic on! Come now! Show us what kind of power that repulsive human passed to you."
"GAHHHHHH!" Bella screamed, as Dominik saw her spin and whirl.
Dominik watched rider after rider throw themselves at his sister. She wasn't wearing a helmet yet, but her armor had looked like last time he saw her. The skeletal armor of the hunt, seemingly made special to fit her much smaller frame, slim and sleek shoulder armor stretching down her arms, the chest the same skeletal design, and on her legs she had tight dark purple trousers with straps of hard boiled purple leather, and straps of purple leather and a dark belt around her waist. He still had a hard time believing that Eredin would go through so much trouble to get Bella such armor, to have Caranthir train her like he was.
However, he learned over the years that arrogance can drive someone to new heights. He would never forget watching Eredin kill all of his ancestors, telling all of Alexander, Lara and Connor, that if he wished he could control their line, and that was what he was doing now.
"My King… we… waste our time with this… girl," Imlerith said from next to Eredin, as the watched Caranthir order Bella while she fought the approaching soldiers. "She is… just a human. Why waste our time on her?"
Eredin didn't wear a helmet, and Dominik realized this was the first time he saw the King without one. None of Caranthir, Eredin or Imlerith wore one. Eredin had long slicked black hair down to his shoulders, his cheekbones were high, and he had a regal sense to him. Dominik if he saw him without context would probably bow upon seeing him. However, Dominik could see the look in the King's light grey eyes. The conniving, deceitful, lust for power that resided in them. He had seen the look in too many people before, and they were normally the most dangerous ones.
Dominik was going to kill him; he would shut those eyes forever.
Eredin watched Bella move and smirked as he shook his head. "No Imlerith… she is not a waste of our time… I fought and killed her ancestors. I saw firsthand the power they wielded…"
"But you killed them all my king…" Imlerith said with his massive arms crossed. "What good will Caranthir's… experiment be?"
"GAHHHHHH!" Bella screamed from the deck, as Dominik saw a flash of blue light.
Bella held the jagged longsword loosely in her hands. In her emerald eyes, he saw the blue magic from her powers unleashing. Her hair shot back from the wind as the Nagalfar zoomed through time and space. Two of the armored elves came at once, Bella dropped to her back and spun, knocking one's legs out from under it, before coming back and firing a large blast of raw magic into the next one's chest. The elf screamed and got sent overboard, not even making Eredin or the others flinch an inch. Three more came, but the magic caused Bella's limbs, just like his did, an immense speeds that he only ever saw matched by the most talented swordsman or witchers. None of the riders of the Hunt stood a chance as she spun deflected and parried, until no more came.
She breathed heavily, the magic still whirling around her limbs and in her eyes as she looked to Caranthir.
The navigator, however, shook his head. "Still too slow… you're not using your anger, your emotion to channel your magic! CONTROL IT!"
"I AM CONTROLLING IT!" Bella yelled back, as Caranthir slammed the butt of his staff into the ground.
"AGAIN!" Caranthir yelled, his blonde hair whipping back from the wind.
The soldiers all dutifully rushed back to their feet and came at Bella again. His sister screamed in anger as the magic erratically shot from her. She began to parry and spin around blows again, and Dominik realized this couldn't have been but a few months after she was taken from Skellige, after Caranthir had killed Kendra, the Hunt had burned her village to the ground.
Eredin smirked at Bella's rage as he spoke to Imlerith. "It will do us much good Imlerith…. You saw her memories when Caranthir showed them to us. Baelen knew Zireael, her brother was Zireael's lover… she will help lead us to her."
"And how… do you know the brother can lead us to her?" Imlerith said, the sounds of Bella's training continued to crash in the air.
"Humans are… predictable as you know Imlerith," Eredin said with a smirk. "With every day, we are closer to finding her. After Baelen is trained… she can lead us to the boy, and just like with the Witcher… Zireael will come to save him."
"And… what if Avallac'h finds Zireael, and finds the boy first?" Imlerith said, and Dominik laughed at the same time as Eredin had, which was something he safely thought would never happen.
"HA, Avallac'h is too proud. Alexander humiliated him, he would sooner see the boy dead," Eredin said amusingly as he shook his head. "No… even if Avallac'h manages to find Zireael first, with Baelen… we have someone who knows her better than we could ever hope, then Avallac'h could ever hope. She will help us get back what is rightfully ours…"
"CONTROL IT! FEEL THE MAGIC, USE YOUR ANGER!" Caranthir said, his staffs slamming into the ground again.
"I AM!" Bella screeched, ducking an attacked and knocking the helmet off another rider.
"REMEMBER WHAT THEY HAVE DONE! REMEMBER!" Caranthir ordered again, as the magic around Bella became more and more erratic, her eyes completely blue.
Eredin smirked triumphantly as Bella slammed her fist into the ground and magic shot out around her. It knocked back one rider, and then a particularly large one came swinging from behind her. Without even moving her head Bella shot her blade up to block, before spinning and cutting across the back of the riders' legs, firing her hand forward and sending him screaming over the side.
"And… what if Caranthir's memory alteration fails?" Imlerith said, narrowing his beady eyes at Bella knocking back riders. "What if… her real ones manage to leak through?"
"Do you not have faith in Caranthir's abilities?" Eredin said.
"No… I do, I simply do not think it is wise, to have her in our midst," Imlerith said with a shake of his head. "Her ancestors… her brother… Zireael, we could be gifting them an ally within our ranks. She could be the death of us all…"
"YOU STILL LACK CONTROL!" Caranthir screamed at Bella just as she knocked back the last rider again. The navigator shook his head. "DO YOU NOT REMEMBER WHAT THEY DID TO YOU!?"
"I REMEMBER, I REMEMBER EVERYHTING!" Bella yelled, her eyes closed, as the magic spiraling around her reached a boiling point.
"USE THAT ANGER LET IT FLOW AND BRING YOU CONTROL! YOUR HATRED GIVES YOUR MAGIC STRENGTH!" Caranthir yelled, not flinching at the site of the erratic magic.
"I AM STRONG, I WON'T LET THE GET AWAY WITH IT!" Bella screamed, stomping towards Caranthir again.
The navigator scoffed. "YOU ARE WEAK GIRL! WHAT HAPPENED TO THE GIRL YOUR SWORE TO DEFEND!?"
"YOU, YOU KILLED HER!" Bella screeched, her blue eyes flashing as she breathed heavily, scars and bruises welling on her cheeks.
"NO, ZIREAEL LED US THERE, SHE DIED BECAUSE ZIREAEL RAN!" Caranthir yelled, still unmoving in the face of Bella's magic.
"AND I'LL KILL HER TOO, I'LL KILL THEM ALL!" Bella said, her arms twitching as she gripped around her sword.
Caranthir scoffed. "YOU WILL NOT! NOT UNLESS YOU LEARN CONTROL, NOW YOU ARE WEAK, THAT IS WHY THEY ABANDONED YOU FOR HER!"
"I'M NOT WEAK, I'M WORTH AS MUCH AS HER!"
"YOU ARE NOTHING! YOU WERE NOTHING TO YOUR FAMILY, NOTHING COMPARED TO ZIREAEL, NOTHING AT ALL! AND YOU ARE STILL NOTHING, NOTHING WITHOUT OUR KING!"
"I'LL SHOW YOU NOTHING!" Bella finally screeched, lunging forward with incredible speed to strike at Caranthir.
Caranthir however expected this and teleported before her sword made contact. He teleported behind her.
"AHHHHHHHHH!" Bella yelled, as Caranthir's staff smacked into her side, sending her sprawling to the ground.
"YOU ARE WEAK GIRL; IT IS NO WONDER YOUR FAMILY ABANDONED YOU FOR ZIREAEL!" Caranthir said, spinning his staff in his hands.
"SHUT UP!" Bella screeched, lunging forward again, but again Caranthir teleported behind her, and she screamed in pain as the staff slammed into her.
"IT IS NO WONDER YOUR BROTHER ABANDONED YOU," Caranthir yelled, just as Bella struggled up to her feet, the magic still exploding around her. "WHAT ARE YOU COMPARED TO HER!? COMPARED TO A CHILD OF THE ELDER BLOOD!?"
"I'LL KILL HER, I'll SHOW HOW MUCH I MATTER!" Bella yelled, lunging forward again, this time making contact with Caranthir staff.
"YOU MATTER NOT TO ANYONE GIRL! THAT IS WHY YOU ARE HERE, YOU BELONG NOWHERE, NOBODY WANTED YOU, NOBODY WANTED YOU BECAUSE YOU ARE WEAK! EVEN WE ONLY CAME BECAUSE WE THOUGHT YOU WERE ZIREAEL! YOU COULD IMAGINE OUR DISSAPOINTMENT!" Caranthir said, parrying Bella's blow and spinning his staff to strike.
"I'M BETTER THEN HER, I'LL KILL HER, I WILL!" Bella yelled again, but Dominik could hear the desperation, the pleading tone, the tears slowly starting to fall from her cheeks.
Dominik never even saw his own power radiate like it did from Bella then as she struck at Caranthir. Caranthir's blonde hair blew back, as finally he stumbled under Bella's onslaught. The power was immense, but Dominik could see Bella wasn't truly in control. Her movements were simply quick and angry, not precise and accurate. Dominik had only managed to obtain it for a short while, but when in control, he knew the magic around them both would glow bright and gently hum around their limbs. That was what happened in his dreams of Alexander, Connor and Lara of Lod. They all had perfect complete control, the magic hummed and whirled gently around them, and it gave them complete and perfect control.
He hadn't achieved that yet, and Bella was far from it now, despite the power she immitted, and it caught up to her.
Bella struck upwards towards Imlerith, and the navigator knocked her strike away, before turning and smacking his staff towards Bella's back, Bella however, moved out of the way, and with her immense speed struck down and a small *BOOM* erupted as she struck down across Caranthir's leg. The navigator yelled and stumbled back, and Bella tried to press her advantage, however she simply tried to use the raw force and power from her strike as she lunged. Caranthir saw this and side-stepped, smacking his staff onto Bella's hands with another *BOOM* erupted as Bella's sword fell from her hands, and Caranthir spun and smashed his weapon into her stomach.
"GAHHHHHHHH!" Bella yelled, flying backwards onto her back on the deck.
Caranthir winced, limping as Dominik saw blood drip from his leg. However, as Caranthir winced, Eredin smirked as he watched his navigator slowly walk towards Bella.
The King smirked and looked towards Imlerith. "You need not worry Imlerith… with more training… she will be plenty strong to help us achieve our goal. But… we are still superior; she is not strong enough to break the hold we have on her."
Imlerith scoffed and shook his head. "And what of when our mission is complete….? Surely you won't let this… human… a descendant of one of the one's who shamed us… live in our world."
Eredin smirked and narrowed his eyes as Caranthir screaming at Bella who was on the deck of the ship. The King of the Hunt shook his head, looking down in both his hands as the smirk didn't leave him. Dominik saw Bella's helmet, the one she would come to wear.
"Of course not…. I am simply doing what I said I would… controlling his line," Eredin said, smiling coyly over at Bella slowly crawling up to her feet. "First I will control his line…. And then when our mission is complete… I will finally do what I promised… and wipe it out."
"Mhm… and what of…the brother?" Imlerith asked as he looked over towards Bella as well, shaking his head in disgust. "You say he is Zireael's… lover? What will we do if… he learns of her identity?"
"Even if he does, it will matter not," Eredin said with a shake of his head. "Our hold over her is too strong… besides if he figures out… Zireael figures out… and they will try and come for her. So… either way… it is to our advantage."
"And… what of… the prophecy," Imlerith asked, narrowing his beady eyes at Eredin. "You said… Alexander's son told you of it in his final moments… of them both being reborn."
Eredin scoffed and walked to the side of the Nagalfar. His black hair blew behind him as Imlerith joined him. The King still looked assured, as he looked out at the frosty mist that shot past the command ship. Looking upwards, as if at Dominik himself.
"It again… matters not. If the boy is foolish enough to face me… he will meet the same fate as befell all of his ancestors," Eredin said, turning to look at Bella again, who was kneeling before Caranthir, blood trickling from the side of her head. "It is as I said…. I will end the one's responsible for wronging us, I will be end keep the promise I made to them… I will be the one to end… the line of Lod."
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
"Bella!" He said quickly, sweat trickling down his naked body, a cool breeze from an open window chilling his bones.
He looked down at his chest, but it was his bare outer thigh that tingled with new ferocity. Moving it he saw the jagged scar that ran at least six inches across. He shuddered violently as a stabbing pain ran through it, as if Eredin was stabbing him through the leg again. His right cheek tingled as well, and slowly he reached up his hand to trailed his fingers along the rough skin.
Shaking he felt the cold breeze from the open window in he and Ciri's room chill him again. He looked and saw it had been partially opened, and after a second realized, that the warmth he had come to expect when he woke up in the morning wasn't there. Forgetting the tingling in his cheek and leg as he looked around the room.
"Ciri? Ciri you there?" He said, shakily breathing as he yawned.
He got no response, so went to pull his legs around the large bed. A huge part of him didn't want to leave that bed, what with it being so comfortable, and with him having slept better than he had in weeks in it last night. It of course had a lot to do with Ciri, and the romantic night of love making they had. It had felt like for the second time in the week he had the perfect night, and he didn't know what he had done to get so lucky.
Everything about his being with Ciri was lucky to him, he truly did think of himself as the luckiest man in the world.
Yawning again he looked and saw that new candles had been lit, so it let him know Ciri had to have gotten up before him like she usually did. Dominik considered himself a light sleeper, on the Path, sleeping in the woods he had to be. However, Ciri had a remarkable ability to be completely silent when she woke up, and always seemed to be able to before him. The pleasant smell of candle wax hit his nose, as he realized the bath the bath from the night before had been emptied as well, and Ciri's clothes had been taken from the dresser.
"Well, looks like someone's been busy," He said, shuddering a sigh again as his dream started hitting him again, making him look down at the swallow and medallion around his neck, biting his lip he shook his head. "I'm coming for you Bell… and I'm gonna kill them for what they did to you."
"Well well well, look who's finally awake!" Ciri's voice, which sounded heavenly to him at that moment, hit his ears.
He whirled his head around and saw her. Seeing Ciri smiling at him every morning had quickly become his new favorite thing in life. She was dressed again, her hair tied tightly up in a new bun, her top revealing her midriff as she hadn't put her corset on yet. She did have on her boots and trousers however, and the smell of her perfume attacked his nose, as he saw her also carrying a tray in front of her.
"Serving me breakfast in bed now?" He joked with her.
She rolled her eyes at him with a smile. "I'm serving the both of us breakfast in bed. And you'll get yours as soon as you get some pants on mister."
Ciri placed the tray with mugs of juice, pancakes, hot bacon, and apples on their nightstand, before picking up a pair of his undergarments and throwing them at him with a smirk. He scoffed a laugh as they hit his face, he went to grab them, and as soon as he removed them off his head, he felt Ciri's lips connect with his. He scoffed and kissed her back, and when she pulled back he took a moment to admire the glow the shone off her skin.
The sun outside was beautiful despite the cold wind, and between that and what Dandelion had always told him was the 'post sex glow' that skin apparently had, she was glowing as she smiled at him then.
She playfully smacked his shoulder and pecked his lips again. "Come on, I know you're starving, and we got a lot of work to do today."
"Yes, breaking into secret labs is going to be much easier on a full stomach," He said with a smirk, as Ciri scoffed and reached over to the tray of food.
"Go on, put your pants on you ass," She said, picking up an apple and taking a bite out of it.
"That's not what you were saying last night…." He said teasingly, standing up and pulling on his undergarments.
She rolled her eyes at him. "Yes, I said the opposite, and I'll probably say it again later tonight, but for now, put your pants on we have work to do you stupid boy."
He rolled his eyes back at her, but smiled the entire time, walking over to the drawer they had their clothes and pulling his trousers back over his legs. He saw Ciri sitting cross legged on their bed, sipping on a mug of whatever juice she had brought, eating the apple she had along with strips of bacon. She was completely engrossed in her meal, and Dominik swore he could feel the glow of his own skin then as well. For a moment it was a simple morning.
One he would want more for the rest of his life.
Ciri looked up at him and smiled. "Ha… what are you staring at? You know I don't like it when you stare at me while I eat."
He smiled and joined her on the bed, sitting cross legged across from her. Quickly he picked up the mug of what ended up being apple juice, along with a few strips of bacon.
"What? Am I not allowed to just stand and admire your beauty from time to time?" He asked, biting into the apple as she smiled at him.
Her face got a little red as she laughed. "Ha… you can yes, but you know I don't like it when people watch me eat."
"Because you seem to have forgotten all the manners Queen Calanthe had you learn completely over the years?" He teased.
"Yes…" Ciri said with a small eye roll. "Besides, we need to eat this quick. If Geralt found the sunstone, then that should keep Avallac'h busy for a few hours, but if he hasn't yet, then we'll need to move quick."
"You seem really intent on this…" He said, as he could see the tense look in her eyes as he looked up and met her gaze. "Ciri… what are you hoping to find? We already know he's up to something."
She sighed and shook her head. "Yes, but I want to know exactly what!"
"No matter what it is, we won't let it happen," He assured her, reaching over the tray and holding his bare hand over hers. "I won't let it…. I promise."
She got the cute look on her eyes and bit her bottom lip. The scar on the corner of it flared up, as she sighed again and met his eyes. He had felt and could almost feel her getting more and more anxious as the days had gone on. It had been since their last night in Novigrad, even at points the previous day despite it being a great one for them. The closer they got to that final battle, the more tense she had been, and even as he held her hand then he could feel her skin tingling, feel the goosebumps.
Shaking her head she looked back up at him. "I know you won't Dominik but… but I just need to know what he's wanted me for… both times… I need to know how much danger I've put you all in by having him around."
"We haven't been in danger princess," He assured her, a small smile coming to his face. "Geralt, me, Yen, our friends, none were going to let anything happen, only thing you did was really give us a pain in the ass to deal with the last few weeks."
Ciri managed a small laugh, so Dominik thought his job a success. However, he could see her mood quickly shift back. A smile was still on her face, but he had learned over the years people can easily hide their true feelings behind a smile, he had done it for practically eight years.
"Yes… and I'm sorry for that, but I just have to know," She said, biting her lip as she looked deep into his eyes. "And… I want to figure out if he really knew about Bella or not."
"He did, I know he did and I'm willing to bet just about anything on it," Dominik said dryly.
Avallac'h had known, Dominik was more confident in that then almost anything in his life. The sage had known about him being Alexander's descendant, he had recognized Dominik's magical signature, was able to tell right away and had kept it from them. Dominik also had his sword at the elf's neck when he accused him, so it would have been easy to simply deny it. He wasn't happy that he lost his temper with the sage, because now the elf had leverage over him, knowing about Bella and how it made him act. He also would have put all of their plans in jeopardy if not for Ciri. The whole last week or so Ciri had been doing everything she could for him, to reassure him, to keep him calm.
However, now he realized a part of him was being selfish. Ciri was the one who was in the most danger now. He knew it wasn't true, but she still blamed herself for the deaths of everyone the Hunt had killed in pursuit of her. Her friend Skjall, and the village of Lofeton, Folan, Vigi, Arno and Declan at Kaer Morhen, his parents, Bella, he himself almost dying. She thought that if she simply hadn't been there they'd all be alive, and Dominik's face would be scarless. And now, with the battle coming soon, a host of men and women, not just their friends, but in the armies they would have fighting, he could see and sense the anxiousness building up in her.
So now, just like he always would, he needed to be there for her. He of course was worried, about Bella, about them dying in the battle coming up, but despite his nerves, he knew he needed to stay calm now for Ciri's sake.
Across the bed she sighed again, downing the rest of her apple juice and looking at him again. He could see it in her eyes, just like their entire lives, he was able to tell what she was feeling just by the look on her face.
"He swore to me he didn't," Ciri said with another sigh, looking at him and shaking her head. "I was probably a fool to believe him, but he hasn't lied to me since we started traveling."
"Yes, he just decided not to tell you certain things," He said, not able to resist the dig at the elf as he rolled his eyes. "That's completely different."
"Dominik, not now please," She snapped, before she cut some of the pancakes in half and meet his eyes, when she did they softened, and she sighed. "I'm sorry… I… I just-."
"You're anxious princess, I know you are," He said, reaching over and picking up a piece of the pancake she cut with his hand. "It's okay… we're going to be okay. We'll go see what your nanny elf's hiding if it's that important to you."
"Thanks… I love you," She said, leaning over the bed and pecking him on the lips again before she pulled back and scoffed at the pancakes in his hands. "Will you stop eating with your hands that's disgusting!"
He laughed at her aghast face. "Ha, yes I'm sure my mother is rolling in her grave right now."
"I bet she is! Use a damn fork!" She said, picking up and tossing one that was on the tray of breakfast at him.
The fork hit him in the chest as he laughed, and despite the situation Ciri laughed as well. It was the little moments like that one then he was going to be looking forward to the most. Goosebumps ran up his arms from the cold chill coming in through the windows, as he picked up the fork and started eating with her. They both laughed, Ciri smacked his fork away when he tried to steal some of hers, and for the next few minutes he couldn't remember being so at peace.
Ciri however, he could still see the anxiousness behind the laughs.
Her smile slowly faded as she looked up from the plate. "I… heard you thrashing a bit last night. Did… you have any more dreams… about Bella?"
'I will end… the line of Lod'. Eredin's deep voice hit his ears, and Dominik shook again as he whirled his legs around the side of the bed. He would get Bella back, Eredin was wrong, just like he thought Avallac'h was, the King was too arrogant for his own good. He thought he completely controlled Bella, but he was wrong. Bella was strong, strong enough to fight off Eredin's influence, fight off the spell Caranthir had used on her.
She was, she would be, all he needed to was get his message to her. He had been stupid, failed her again the last time he saw her, but he wouldn't this time. To that day still he kicked himself for choosing his words so poorly, but after seeing her training, seeing what Eredin had planned for her, Dominik knew what he needed to do, he needed to show her he cared. And with the help of Ciri, Alexander's journal, and of course Geralt and Yen, he would get through to her this time.
He met Ciri's eyes and for a moment considered not telling her about the dream, however he knew he could lie to her. He went on and explained how he saw Bella training with Caranthir, being taught to use her hate, her anger to make her magic stronger. That seemed to be the difference in using their powers from Alexander. Dominik still was far from complete control, he had a feeling he knew how to obtain that control, but still wasn't sure. All he knew was when his powers activated out of anger, fear or hate, that it drained him completely, nearly to the point of death, and despite the power he exhumed in this state, it wasn't complete control. That was what the Hunt had been teaching Bella, how to use her anger to bring out her powers, and soon it could kill her.
True control of his powers was what he saw from Alexander, Connor and Lara of Lod. Despite being faced with Eredin, and even more powerful enemies, they remained calmed, the magic was calm around them, and it responded to them at will. That was the kind of control Dominik was trying to obtain, but still somehow hadn't been able too.
However, he had people helping him to that goal, Bella didn't.
"Gods… gods Bella…" Ciri said, moving to the side of the bed with him, her eyes gazing out the window, out over the crystal blue skelligan waters. "Dominik… did… did I do this? Is it really my fault…"
"No, Ciri it isn't, you couldn't have done anything," He said wrapping his arm around her waist, as he could feel her shaking. "This is not your fault, the only ones who fault it is, is Eredin's."
"Yes… but I could have stayed away, and you'd still all be safe…"
"Stop it, don't you dare say that" He said, cupping her face and turning her gaze to him, looking deep into her eyes and shaking his head. "I've told you before… I couldn't have done it without you anymore."
She reached to his hand around her waist and squeezed it, her smaller hand wrapping tightly around his. He would never forget the Isle of Mists; he'd see it every day and every night in his dreams until the day he died. Holding Ciri's lifeless body then, he hadn't felt any reason to continue on. In that moment, it had felt like eight years of his life, eight years of searching, looking, fighting had been for nothing. He finally had gotten her back, and he truly hadn't wanted to go on without her, that was how he knew she'd make it, how she'd make it.
Because, if she didn't make it, that meant Dominik himself had been killed.
Ciri looked and met his gaze with a shaky sigh. "Yes… I know… but Dominik gods… Bella she… she hates me… and with good reason."
"Bella doesn't hate you, Baelen hates you," He said to her pulling her closer into his lap as he kept his gaze with her. "They're two different people trapped in one body…. And Bella's going to win that battle."
"Yes… but she wouldn't even have to fight it, if not for me…" She said.
"Ciri you need to stop this, it'll drive you crazy," He said, gently trailing his thumb along her scar like he knew she enjoyed. "You couldn't have done anything to control the blood you were born with… and deep-down Bella knows that. Remember the first time she called you her big sister? I'll never forget how excited you got."
She scoffed a small laugh, but her lip quivered. "Yes.. but… but then your parents, Sofia… Gregory they-."
"They both loved you like their own, like you're a part of our family," He said, gently leaning in and kissing her scarred cheek. "It's because you are and always will be… and Bella knows that too, and she'll realize that when she comes through."
Ciri slowly shook her head, standing up and getting in front of him. He could see her biting the inside of her cheek like she always did when she was nervous. Her nails dug into her palms, as she sighed and stepped in front of him, meeting his gaze with a nervous shake of her head.
"How the hell are you being so calm about all of this?" She asked him, her voice breaking as she looked deep into his eyes. "Dominik… Bella's with the Wild Hunt…it's my fault, and… and you're so calm!"
He was being calm for her, clearly seeing now how worried and anxious she was, with quite literally the weight of the world on her shoulders. On the inside, he was more than likely panicking as much as she was, however, he stayed composed for her sake. He also knew that one thing was whole heartedly true, he had seen it when he saw Bella in the clearing, he could see It in her eyes.
There were two different people inside his sister's body now, and Bella was strong enough to emerge.
He shrugged and met her gaze with a reassuring smile. "Well… it's because I know we're going to get her back. And it's like I said Ciri, Baelen, is the one who hates you, not Bella, Bella's going to fight back, and she will win."
"Dominik…she tried to kill us both, multiple times," She said softly, her eyes nearly watering as she grabbed his hands, both of hers shaking. "What… what if we have to fight her again… what if… what if you let your guard down because it's Bella and… and she kills you… I couldn't live with myself if that happened."
He shook his head and smiled at her. "She won't do that… Bella won't kill me. She's in there like I said… and she will win. If I have to fight her for it to come out… I will, but I know my sister is in there."
"And… how can you be sure?" She said, squeezing his hands as she looked at him.
"Because I know her better than anyone," He said, gently rubbing her palms. "It may have been a while, but I still do. We're going to get Bella back, we'll kill Eredin, and then it'll be just me, you… and Fiona, she'll also have another Aunt besides just Freya."
A small scoff left her, that had been his ace in the hole ever since they got back from Claywitch, and it had been for her too. Whenever either of them were feeling nervous, anxious, the other would mention Fiona. Dominik had missed her every day since they had left the village, and a small part of him wished they had taken her with them, to see how she'd be reacting to everything now.
However, in the end he knew they made the right choice. It didn't detract still from the excitement they both received thinking about what they'd do together. He already was dreadfully excited bring the girl to meet Geralt, Yen, Triss, their friends, even to Skellige where they were now. And now as he said, Fiona would have another aunt.
Yes, he was going to be ecstatic the day Bella finally met Fiona.
First however, he needed to get his sister back, his plan would work, he knew it would, it had too. But he decided to focus on Ciri then, knowing how important the task was too her. They'd make their trip to Brekka in Undvik the next day, but first he'd help Ciri. It would always be that way, they were a team, partners, lovers, and this was how it'd be for the rest of their life.
Ciri gave him a small smile, his mention of Fiona having the desired effect. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and climbed onto his lap, straddling his lap. He moved his hands around her waist and smiled as she did the same down at him.
She gently stroked his scar with her thumb. "I know what you're doing… thank you for it… it means everything to me…"
He smiled back at her, squeezing around her waist as he nodded. "You're welcome princess, that's what I'm here for."
A small laugh left her, and she leaned down and kissed him. He kissed her back, and after a moment she deepened it, her arms getting tighter around his neck as he pulled her closer as well. His cock and legs trembled, both from that moment having her straddle him, and from remembering the long previous night. He smiled into her lips as she did the same, slowly pulling back and smiling at him, but staying put in his lap, the sun casting a golden glow over her beautiful, beautiful face, her emerald eyes glimmering as she smiled at him.
"Come on then, we should get moving," She said leaning back. "We have a long day ahead of us, and you know if we don't get to Geralt first someone else will drag him off to do gods only know what."
He smirked and pulled her closer, his head burying into her neck.
"Do we have to just now? I was thinking we could stay here a bit longer," He joked, mumbling into her neck as he did. "The bed is far too comfy, and I'm not anxious to leave at all."
Ciri scoffed a small laugh. "Ha… come on! As much as I would love too, we have to leave.. we… we need to… Dominik!"
"Come onnnn," He said, kissing the side of her neck, laughing as he did. "Let's stay a bit longer, you know you want too."
"No… we… we.. need…" She started, before a small moan left her as he kissed the side of her neck again, and her arms wrapped around his neck again. "Gods… may… maybe you're right… maybe we can stay a bit longer."
"You sure? We… are late after all," He said teasingly as he kissed along her shoulder.
Ciri scoffed and moaned again, reaching to the tie of her top between her breasts, undoing it, slowly pulling it over her head, now only sitting in his lap in her trousers and bra, her breasts pressed up against his chest, as he himself moaned lightly when she grinding against him, before scoffing a laugh as she pushed him back onto the bed.
She crawled up over to him, her hand trailing up his chest. "Yes… I'm sure, I think we have a little bit more time."
"We got all the time in the world princess," He said gently, holding the side of her face, cupping it as she smiled at him. "I think everyone can wait a bit longer."
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
"Dominik! Ciri! Gods where have you both been!" Yen said frantically, as he and Ciri both came towards the ship. The sorceress sighed and looked at them both. "Geralt told me you'd be staying in the castle, but it's nearly passed midday already!"
"I told you we went a bit too late…" Ciri mumbled to him as they approached the ship.
He scoffed and looked down at her with a smirk. "You complaining?"
"Not one bit…" She said, winking at him as Geralt and Yen both came back up to the two of them.
The sun had still been shining, it was well past midday. 'A bit longer', had turned into several more hours for them, neither Ciri nor he eager to leave the castle, to return to what was the cold reality of their situation. However, Ciri had become increasingly anxious, ready to move out. Dominik had simply wanted to stay in the castle, talk more with Anton, plan out what they were going to do on Undvik with Crach and Hjalmar. However, between remembering his dream, and seeing Avallac'h pacing on the deck of the ship as the four of he, Ciri, Geralt and Yen stood down below reminded him why they were there.
"Well… you two certainly seem like you had a good night," Geralt said, smirking at them both as Yen came up next to him. "Must have been great compared to the night I had."
Dominik's face got red and his legs tingled, the wild smirk unable to leave his face. He looked over to Ciri and expected her to get just as flustered, however she had the look in her eyes again, the anxious, impatient worried look, and Dominik's heart fell.
"We had a nice night yes," She said, casting him a small smile before turning back to their parents and meeting their eyes. "If you don't count the fucking assassins Emhyr sent after Dominik while we were out skating."
"Again!?" Yen said indignantly her violet eyes fuming. "I swear when this is over… that man will pay for this."
Geralt nodded in agreement, looking at them again. "She's right… and I already knew about that."
"What, how?" Dominik asked, crossing his arms next to Ciri.
"Last night I went and got Fringilla from Emhyr's ship after i got the sunstone," Geralt explained, his hands curling around his arms as he folded them. "Was leaving through a portal with her… when his men brought an assassin before him, heard the assassin say how he failed, and how 'his majesty's daughter was in the Isles'."
"DAMMIT!" Ciri yelled right away, turning and kicking her boot through an empty crate that was sitting behind them, turning back to Dominik. "You were right, we should have fucking killed him."
Dominik could see how angry she was. Ciri was the strongest person he knew, he found it amazing how she could go through so many horrible things, but still help save a young girl from wolves, still laugh, smile, joke and be the amazing person he knew she still was.
However, she, just like him, was also prone to bouts of anger like now, and with everything that was happening and happening soon, he knew he needed to calm her.
He met her eyes and shook his head. "It's not your fault Ciri, you showed mercy, it was a good thing."
"No! No Dominik it wasn't," She snapped at him, turning her back to them and crossing her arms. "Now that bastard knows I'm here…"
Yennefer shook her head next to him. "Ciri darling he already knew, he isn't stupid."
"Yes, but now he's going to expect me to come to him when this is over," She spat, turning back to them, violently biting the inside of her cheek. "How the hell can he expect me to come to him!? How can one man be so arrogant!?"
Dominik looked between Yen and Geralt, biting his lip, he was looking to them for answers, but they were doing the same to him. He sighed and looked deep into Ciri's eyes; the sun gleamed off the emeralds. She had been holding it all in this entire time for him, ever since he had learned about Bella he needed her, but now with everything finally so close she was beginning to slip herself. He couldn't blame her. On one side she had Avallac'h scheming for her without her knowledge, on another side she of course had Eredin, and the Hunt after her, wanting to kill her to launch an invasion of her world, and then on another, there was Emhyr, who wanted to use her again.
He couldn't blame her for losing it now, but now more than ever was when she needed him. He met her eyes and slowly shook his head, walking towards her and smiling while he held both his hands on her shoulders.
"He's a bastard, we know that. Some people just think like that," He said to her, smiling still as he slowly shook his head. "But we won't let him get his hands on you… never again."
She shook under him, but gently reached her gloved hand up over his. He knew exactly what she was thinking about, she was thinking about what happened at Stygga Castle, the last time that Emhyr got his hands on her. He was furious about it, and he held to the notion that if he ever were in the same room as the Emperor again, whether it was a sign or his blade, he would kill the degenerate.
However then, he needed to put aside everything, his anger and hatred for Avallac'h. Emhyr, it was all inferior to the need to keep her safe. Nothing else mattered, she was his beginning, middle and end, she was everything, Ciri, and just Ciri like it always had been. He wasn't going to let Avallac'h, Emhyr, Eredin, anyone take her again, no, their life was finally going to truly be their own. Nothing over the years had felt worth it without her, and now that he had her, he would do what you always did with the ones you loved.
You cherished them and did everything you could to protect them. Just like he would with Ciri then, even then having his hands on her shoulders, seeing her look at him, looking deep into her eyes, a small part of him wasn't even sure it was real. For eight years, eight years all he had was the dreams, the swallow, so many times he had wanted to give up, end it all, but those dreams, the memories and the swallow had made him keep going. He kept going and going, despite months at a time without a lead on her, it was torture, every day he struggled to move, get out of bed, to do anything.
But all of that pain and suffering was to get to her then, and even since he had gotten her back, he still had nights like that. He would lay awake at night, Ciri right next to him, still thinking about all of the horrible things she had gone through, from Thanedd, to the Rats, the Arena, Leo Bonhart, Tir'Nala and Stygga Castle, running from Eredin between worlds for years. All of that had happened to her when he should have been protecting her.
It was for that reason that now, he'd do everything he could to give her everything, give her all the amazing things she deserved. And thankfully, he wasn't alone to do so for now.
"He's right Ciri," Geralt said, coming up next to the two of the again with Yen by his side. "He won't get his hands on you… nobody will, not again."
"We won't let that happen darling, we promise," Yen said again reassuringly, her eyes calmed as he pulled back from Ciri and she looked at them.
The look didn't leave her as the wind gently blew her loose strands of ashen locks spilling out over her ears. However, she sighed and nodded back up at them all, a small smile coming to her face. She leaned up and kissed his cheek, and his face going red made her laugh, even getting a smile from Geralt and Yen as they looked on.
No matter how old he got, that simple kiss on the cheek from her would do that to him.
She smiled and looked to the three of them. "Thank you… all of you…. Geralt, Yen… where is everyone, and Geralt, you found Fringilla, did you manage to recover the sunstone?"
"Yeah," Dominik said, turning to face their parents a small laugh leaving him as he met Geralt's eyes. "Ermion told me last night you had quite the time at the Drummond's place."
Geralt scoffed. "You can say that again, Lugos attacked us, Ermion and I had to kill him. But he did help me figured out who knew where the sunstone was."
"So we have it then?" Ciri said.
"We do," Geralt responded, casting a suspicious glare over towards Avallac'h at the helm of the ship, pacing as he looked out over the water. "Yen and Triss were busy, so I had to bring Phillipa with me, she dispelled the magic protecting it, got it back safe and sound."
Dominik shifted worriedly as he looked up at the sage as well. "And let me guess… Avallac'h was thrilled to be able to get his hands on it…"
Ciri crossed her arms, her fist leaning up against her chin like she did when she got that cute intuitive look on her face. Geralt looked at the three of them and nodded.
"Yeah… was practically salivating to get his hands on it, said he needed a day or two or two to study it, figure out the right spells," Geralt said with a concerned look as he looked towards Yen. "Any idea what he could possibly be doing with it?"
Yen sighed and disappointedly shook her head. "You mean other then what he said? I'm afraid not. I could sense the magical energy emanating from it, it's old, very old. Other than being able to use it open a portal between worlds and summon Eredin, I've no clue what else it could be used for."
"If we just needed to open a portal to summon Eredin, couldn't we just have Ciri do it," He said, looking over at Ciri next to him as she met his gaze. "You say he can track you when you use your power, couldn't we just have you open one for him and invite him through?"
"Don't see why not, it'd be much simpler," She said, sighing as she looked and met Yen's eyes and shook her head. "But… I assume it's much more complicated than that, and Avallac'h wants to use it for something else as well."
Yennefer nodded at all three of them. "Yes, it is… and we can't know for certain as frustrating as it is."
Dominik bit his lip and nodded, looking back to Ciri. "Looks like this little trip you have planned is a good idea after all princess, maybe we can figure something else out."
"Trip?" Geralt said once he finished.
Ciri nodded to him and turned to Yen and Geralt. "We'll tell you in a moment, what about Faram, Freya and George, where are they?"
Yen laughed amusingly, her hands on her hips. "Freya had George and Faram working from the moment they awoke, had them get more things in town. Faram came back with a cart full of arrows, and George had sacks full of ingredients for more explosive powder."
Dominik shared a look with Ciri, remembering seeing their three friends briefly in town the previous day. He liked to think he knew Freya well, he knew she was a genius in every sense, but couldn't think for the life of him what she possibly could be building. All she had said was that it 'was something that could help them'. He trusted anything Freya put forward, and he knew Ciri was thinking the same thing as he, that when they had time they needed to go and catch up with their friends. Ever since they had gotten to Novigrad after leaving Kaer Morhen, he Ciri and he both felt as if they were slightly ignoring their friends with everything that had been going on.
The three of them of course didn't blame them, knowing that Ciri and he hadn't seen each other in years, so they spent whatever time together they could. However, he and Ciri both wanted to make it a point to see them all before the battle, and Dominik especially would now knowing that Freya had something planned.
Ciri looked from him back to Geralt and Yen. "Arrows, explosives… did she mention why yet?"
Geralt shook his head and shrugged. "Haven't gotten a chance to ask, her heads been buried in the diagrams she drew. Poor girl doesn't look like she's slept in days."
Dominik scoffed. "That's Freya for you, when she sets her mind to something she does it… what about Faram and George, where are they now?"
"Freya had them mixing ingredients, making albedo and other substances," Yennefer explained, her arms crossing as she looked between Ciri and he. "But… I'm much more interested in what 'trip' the two of you were referring too."
"Yeah, same with me, what have you two got cooked up?" Geralt said after, crossing his arms, the sun glinting off the pommels of his swords.
A small smile came to Dominik's face, despite the seriousness of the situation, there was something that made him feel slightly vindicated about going to Avallach's lab. For weeks he had his suspicions of the elf, since even before he had seen the sage in his visions fighting his ancestors. He knew that Eredin was their true enemy, he had been worried about one being right at their side in Avallac'h. Alexander had told him in their journey through memories, that he needed to trust in Ciri, and to not let his anger get the best of him, so he had been trying to do that.
He had almost lost it a few days prior in Novigrad, but Ciri had been there. He had almost done it, he had almost dealt with Avallac'h for the entire time he needed to, keeping an eye on him the entire time to watch for anything he would try, in only a few days Ciri and he should realistically be rid of him for good, unless the elf decided to try something after Eredin's defeat. However, now that Ciri was finally starting to question the elf more, he would do exactly what Alexander had said, wait to act until the right moment, which was now. They would head to this lab Avallac'h had and see if they could figure anything out.
A small part of him also wanted to simply ruin everything in the elf's lab out of spite, however, he'd control himself for Ciri's sake.
Ciri looked up to the sage on the ship, before the two of them took steps closer to Geralt and Yen. A cold breeze zipped through his wind as he squinted his emerald eyes from the sun, if they moved quickly they could be back by the end of the night, and then the next day they could go to Undvik, to Brekka Bella's old village for his plan. He knew of course it wouldn't be as simple as he made it out to be, but he knew if he could get some kind of message to Bella it would work.
However, he knew Ciri's business would have to come first, he could still see the anxiousness in her eyes as she spoke, so he kept close to her, trying to be reassuring.
She looked between Geralt and Yen both with narrowed eyes. "Well… as I'm sure all four of us are aware… Avallac'h isn't exactly telling us everything, not about the sunstone, about Eredin… about his plans for me."
Geralt and Yen looked at each other right away. Dominik noticed Geralt in particular, his father of course had spent over a hundred years learning to mask his emotions, however the slight eye widening he saw on his father peeked his curiosity, even more so when he narrowed his eyes at Ciri, and the two of them seemed to share a knowing look. Yennefer however, scoffed and met their gaze.
"Of course, we've all thought that from the beginning," The sorceress said, her raven locks almost shining in the bright midday sun. "But what is it you want to do Ciri?"
Ciri crossed her arms and met their parent's eyes. "Well, I'd like to figure out what exactly his plans for me are, and I want to know if he really knew about Bella…."
Dominik hadn't heard Ciri speak in such a dark tone in a long time, and it chilled his bones as he saw the look in her eyes. He sighed and shook it off, looking to Geralt and Yen himself.
"Ciri here says Avallac'h has a secret hidden lab somewhere in Skellige," Dominik explained, readjusting the straps for his swords. "She knows where it is, said he's been there a few times while they've been traveling."
"Exactly, he always went alone, never brought me along. He's hiding something there, something that could tell us what he's planning…. Dominik and I were hoping you two would come with us," Ciri said, looking to him and then to their parents.
Geralt scoffed and looked to him. "Guessing it didn't take much to convince you to go on this little trip?"
"No, not a lot at all," He said dryly, rolling his eyes as he looked at them both. "I already know he's lying about Bella, but Ciri's got a point, I want to know what he has planned."
"So… coming with?" Ciri said, tightening her bun as the cold midday wind whipped through her scar around her neck.
Dominik took another second to admire her as he normally did. The scarf around her neck was draped with small bits of snow, her loose strands of hair fell over her ears, and he noticed her doing the cute thing she normally did where she tried to cover her scar with it. He adored the outfit she had put together, the corset, the tied white top, he had been teasing her that she needed armor, which Ciri knew she desperately needed as well. However, the tight trousers, the boots, and of course her sword on her back, it completed her look, and he still thought her more beautiful than anyone he had ever seen.
He loved her for much more than that of course, which was why he was so worried seeing her then. Her eyes were narrowed, and she was close to exploding, just like he had been a few days prior. Beautiful, kind, caring, brave, compassionate, but also deadly and protective, that was his Ciri, and they were all things he loved about her. However, another of the reasons they had fallen in love, were able to connect so well, was because they were similar.
And Dominik knew exactly how he'd react if he were in her position, the literally weight of their world on his shoulders. She'd been dealing with that since they were children, her power, her blood had been haunting her since they were twelve years old, it was the reason they were separated, the reasons she had been chased, but now was finally his chance to save he from that life, save he from the consequences of her blood, which had never even been in her control. And after it all, finally they'd just be able to be two young people in love, living a normal life, as normal as life could get for two witchers.
Yennefer scoffed as if Ciri's question was ridiculous. "Of course we'll come dears, right Geralt?"
Geralt crossed his arms and sighed, looking at them both. "I don't know… we're so close to finally being able to get rid of him. We know he's got a plan we'll be looking for it… do we really want another reason to be angry at him…."
Geralt was looking at Dominik in particular, and Yennefer seemed to find some sense in his words because she did as well, quickly followed by Ciri looking up at him. He sighed, biting his bottom lip and looking at the three of them.
For Ciri's sake he would put everything aside. He knew if he got angry, lost his temper, then Ciri would lose it as well.
No matter what he discovered in Avallach's lab, he would keep his temper.
He looked at the three of them and shook his head. "Don't need to worry about me… I'll keep my cool, I swear it. This is important, I won't let myself get angry…"
Ciri managed a smile at him, leaning up and kissing his cheek again. "Thank you… I know I can always count on you…. So, are we ready to head out?"
His cheek tingled and his chest fluttered as a smile came to his face. He looked over to Geralt and reassuringly nodded, before his father and Yennefer both nodded. Yen smiled and looked over to Ciri.
"Alright, you said you know the location?" Yen said.
Ciri nodded. "I do, a small island near Undvik I can open us a portal."
Geralt rolled his eyes. "Great… another portal, had my fill of those the last few days."
"Oh stop whining," Yen said rolling her eyes equally as annoyed before she looked back to Ciri. "Go ahead whenever you're ready darling."
Ciri nodded and sighed, turning to face Dominik now. "What about you? Are you ready?"
He looked deep into her eyes and did his best for a reassuring smile. Her watched as the wolf medallion he got her bounced and blew alongside the ring around her neck. Every time he saw them both he couldn't help but smile, knowing that now they almost matched. His goofy smile made her do the same as she scoffed a small laugh, and hearing that laugh was all he needed.
"Yeah I'm ready, go on princess, open us up a portal," He said, casting one more glare up at Avallac'h, who was standing and looking out over the sea, towards Undvik.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
"Looks just like his lab in Velen…. Keira had to open that one with magic," He said, as the four of them all approached the old ruin.
Dominik was flashed back to when he first trudged through Avallach's lab in Velen after Eredin and Caranthir with Kiera. It had felt like such a long time ago, he remembered his old armor before it had been enhanced. His old sword was still just that, he had nothing but bombs and oils, and thinking of that journey made his stomach tingle, the scar that still dominated his lower chest, Nithral's axe still left a mark on him to that day. He remembered how his signs had quite literally made him almost pass out with each use, Keira had saved him despite him being the one of kill Nithral in the end.
While the journey had felt like months ago, in the grand scheme of things it hadn't been long at all. It had been about a month only if his memory served him correctly, and in that month since, he had grown more than he had in the last eight years combined. Signs now were no problem for him, he knew it had to do with the power in his blood from Alexander, but still he had mastered his witcher signs, something he had dreamed about when he was training in Kaer Morhen. He had fought the Wild Hunt, found out Geralt and Yennefer were both alive, gotten armor better than he ever thought he would get in his life.
And most importantly, Ciri was by his side now as the four of them, his family delved into the ruin. Ciri, who a month prior, a small part of him thought he'd never see again, that he'd be doomed to die alone fighting monsters in some random cave. Now with that all back, he didn't intend for it to ever lose it again.
"Mhm…you're right, it's very well protected," Yennefer said, as the four of them approached the stone part of the wall. His mother turned to him. "Do you by any chance remember the spell Kiera used?"
Dominik scoffed. "Can't say I do; I knew I should have taken those elder speech lessons with you and Triss…"
"You should have, it would have proven useful," His mother said, smirking at him as she turned back to the barrier. "With how well it's protected, I think our dear sage has a few interesting things inside."
Ciri came up from next to him joining Yen at the wall while Dominik stayed back with Geralt. The entrance to the ruin was lit with two braziers of blue fire, as two sentry golems lined each side. Geralt shared a nod with him, and Dominik could tell what it meant. Geralt was pointing out the golems, and it was easy enough for Dominik to surmise that one of them would more than likely awaken after the barrier on the door was lifted.
It had only taken them minutes to get to the small island, so it was still only a few hours past midday. He guessed by the time they finished it would be around sunset, another day gone by another day closer to the battle. He looked over to Ciri, who came up next to Yennefer with her arms crossed, looking at the shimmering barrier in the doorway.
"How will you lift it? Do you have a way," Ciri said, the cold breeze shooting in from outside.
Yen smiled back at her. "Atlan Kerk's inclusion should do the trick, do you remember the spell?"
A small smile came to Ciri's face. "I remember you teaching me. And to think I thought an overbearing, cold shrew at the time."
Dominik scoffed from behind them. "I thought a little worse than that at first."
His mother smiled and turned back to him. "And all because I was taking up all of Ciri's time, right darling?"
He rolled his eyes but smiled. "That's exactly it."
"Did the same thing with Triss at Kaer Morhen," Geralt said amusingly from next to him.
His face got red as Ciri smiled over at him shooting him a wink as she turned back to the barrier. He smiled as well, remembering the times fondly, and finding it hard to believe he ever had anything other than love for Yennefer and Triss both.
Yennefer smiled at him and winked as well, before turning back to the barrier.
"Now… a highly complex magical barrier," The sorceress said slowly, holding up both her hands as magic started to whirl in them. "Let's try…. Gaeta'ar lingen!"
He jumped as a bolt of blue magic shot from Yennefer's hands, smacking into the door, and a purple mist began to swirl. Magic reacted to magic, small little eruptions blew in the mist, and within a few seconds, Dominik heard the inevitable.
"Dom, Geralt the sentry!" Ciri screamed, as Dominik saw her swore rack from her back.
Dominik heard the grinding of rocks, and whipped Fate from his back, and as soon as he turned around him and Geralt both had to dive out of the way. He saw a flash of blue as Ciri teleported, the ground shaking beneath them, she cut her blade through the glowing part of the golem's stomach, but as soon as it roared it reared around and smacked Ciri into the wall. It wasn't enough to seriously damage her, but Dominik heard her sword clunk to the ground and gripped tighter to Fate's handle.
"DOM AARD!" Geralt said, screaming from the other side of the chamber, as Yennefer rushed over to Ciri.
His eyes flashed, he didn't know how he did it, but he felt magic rush to his fingertips. He saw Ciri on the ground, groaning as she shakily got to her feet. His heart pounded as the blue mists of magic whirled around his arms, and just as the golem turned on him, he saw magic flash in his eyes again, everything changing to a blue tint as he formed the hand sign for Aard and thrusted his hand forward, blue telekinetic energy erupted from his hands with a loud *RIIIIIIP* before a loud *BOOOM* shook the chamber as the blast smacked into the massive golem, and the blast was so powerful it sent the golem spiraling back towards the wall.
It crashed into the wall of the chamber, where it slumped to the ground with a growl. Dominik almost rushed forward himself, but before he could with great speed Geralt leapt up onto the beast's body and stabbed his silver into its glowing stomach, and with one last roar the sentry died, crumbling to a pile of rocks. Dominik breath heavily, as Geralt leapt off the beast's body, slinging his sword back into its sheath. On his right near the door, he heard Ciri's do the same, frantically he looked over to her and saw she was alright.
After he did he let out the breath he had been holding and tried to slid Fate back into its sheath. He struggled for a moment, missing the first few times as his arms tingled. Ciri, Yennefer and Geralt all rushed to him, and Dominik waited for his stomach to drop, for his skin to crawl and the wind to get knocked out of him. That was what normally happened when he used his powers to such a degree. It had happened in Claywitch, Kaer Morhen, when he fought Bella. Each time they had unleashed, the magic had shot from him erratically like a whirlwind. However, when he launched his sign just then, it had been a clam, silent hum, and the magic had listened to him.
He had been in complete control.
"Dom, are you alright!?" Ciri said, rushing up next to him with Geralt and Yennefer behind her.
Dominik looked down at his gloved hands, remembering all the times his powers had unleashed, the only times a sign that powerful had come, his hands had been smoking afterwards. Not this time however, and as for his heartbeat, his skin, his body, everything felt completely normal.
It was new revelation to him, all he had thought about was protecting Ciri after seeing her get knocked down, he knew he had to do something, he knew he had to be in control. He had remained calm, he knew he had Geralt with him, Ciri and Yen. He shakily sighed and looked to meet Ciri's eyes, the emerald iris's full of concern.
He slowly nodded, a small smile coming to his face. "I'm alright, more concerned about you. We really need to get you some armor princess."
Geralt scoffed from behind her with Yen. "Been saying the same thing for weeks!"
Ciri rolled her eyes, but a small smile came to her face as she looked at him. "I'm well aware of that, I'm alright but… Dominik are you sure are?"
"She's right darling, whenever your powers have unleashed it's drained you," Yennefer said, meeting his eyes.
Dominik looked at the three of them, a small smile came to his face, his heart fluttered seeing the concern from them. He knew that they loved him, but still, after being alone for so long, every bit of time they spent together he was cherishing. He didn't want to make that moment they were spending together about him.
"I'm… alright," He said, a small smile coming to his face, as he gestured his head towards the door towards the lab which was now swung open. "So, what do you think we'll find? Skeletons in the closets, incriminating letters?"
A smile came to Ciri's face as she reached over and squeezed his hand, as if she knew exactly what he was doing. She nodded and turned back towards the door, walking ahead of them.
"Wouldn't be surprised… come on, let's go see what we have…" Ciri said, jogging forward into the lab, before he quickly followed with Yennefer and Geralt.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
"Well… certainly doesn't seem much like a lab," Geralt said as they entered the first room. "Looks more like a vacation home."
"Avallac'h on a vacation? Never think I even saw the fucker smile," Dominik muttered as he followed closely behind Ciri.
The lab was like Geralt said, it looked more like someone's private getaway. Bookshelves lined the walls, multiple smaller tables with candles, bowls of fruit, alchemical apparatuses, storage and other random things were aplenty. It would seem cozy enough to him, if he didn't know Avallac'h spent time there, more than likely planning out all of the schemes he had been trying to conduct for years. Dominik knew he more than likely was planning whatever it was he had in store for Ciri since he met her years before.
To their right was a larger bookshelf along with multiple other tables with document and other papers. Ciri who had been walking in front of all three of them turned to them.
"Let's look around, see if we can find anything," She said, uncrossing her arms as Geralt chuckled next to him.
"You don't feel a bit guilty, rummaging through his papers?" He asked in a joke.
"No, not one bit, now come on," Ciri said without a second thought, moving to the left of the room, where Dominik saw another path leading further into the hideout.
He could hear the tone to her voice, and apparently Geralt and Yennefer could as well, because Yen held his shoulder and turned him to face them.
"Dominik… make sure you stay with her," Yen said, looking and meeting his eyes.
"Yeah, don't let her loose her cool and do something she regrets," Geralt said, as Dominik quickly nodded.
"No worries, I will, you guys check over that way, call if you find anything," He said, getting a nod from them both, before they walked off to the right side of the room.
Dominik watched them go and start rummaging through tables and notes and turned to his left to find Ciri doing something similar near the hallway leading to the next room. She was ducked down over a table, moving around papers and reading passages. He walked up behind her and he could simply feel how tense she was as he came up next to her.
"Anything interesting?" He asked, leaning over the table with her.
She sighed and shook her head, her eyes not leaving the papers. "No… unfortunately not. Just notes on him trying to locate me after our first encounter in Tir'Nala…"
"You never told me about that… how you ended up there," He said slowly, as Ciri stood up from the table and nervously looked at him.
"I know… and… and I'm sorry it… it's just-."
"You don't have to say anything until you're ready," He said, carefully stepping forward and holding his hands on her hips pulling her closer to him. "It was probably horrible… I couldn't imagine it… they probably would have killed me on site if they knew I was Alexander's."
Ciri melted into him for a moment, shakily sighing and hugging around his neck. She pulled back and looked deep into his eyes as she shook his head.
"You know… I wondered a lot over the years what… what would have happened if… if you had been there with me, if Geralt had taken you to Thanedd," She said, letting go of him and looking down at the papers again.
He nodded and came next to her, wrapping an arm around her waist. "I've done the same… after you escaped Thanedd, you landed in the desert you told me right?"
"Yeah… then with some help from unicorns I got out," She said, leaning her hands forward over the desk, her arms shaking. "I got picked up by a group of slavers… helped Kayleigh, the members of the Rats escape and… you know after that."
"I wouldn't have let them touch you," He said, turning and leaning his ass against the table next to her, crossing his arms and shaking his head. "That boy Kayleigh would've been killed before he laid a hand on you, and that cunt Mistle? If I had been there…"
It had been something he thought about often, Ciri's past, what she had gone through. She had been through hell while he had promised to be there, to protect her. He could have convinced Geralt to let him go to Thanedd, and if he had been at Thanedd he would have escaped with her he knew.
Ciri however, stepped in front of him, and met his eyes, reaching out to hold both of his hands as she shook her head.
"There's no use thinking about that remember?" She said softly, a small smile coming to her face as she kept his gaze. "You would have kept me safe I know… but you also would have suffered like me…and I never would have wanted that."
"But I wouldn't have cared Ciri," He said, stepping off the table to hold her again. "No matter what would have happened to me, if it meant keeping you safe-."
"But I would have cared Dom…" She said, leaning up and quickly kissing him. "It's like you always say, we're here now, that's all that matters."
"All that matters… you're right," He said, his lips tingling as he smiled at her.
Ciri smiled back up at him. "Exactly, besides, I think you're right. They would have killed you in Tir'Nala, especially since Avallac'h knew about you being Alexander's. The things they said about Cregan… the line of Lod… I thought they would kill me after a while."
His heart thumped loudly as he slowly looked at her. "But… they didn't. They… they kept you there and… and forced you to try and sleep with the King."
"They did… said it was my duty to right Lara's mistake," She said, shivering as if bugs were crawling on her, as she turned and wrapped her arms around herself. "For a year… a god damn year… I… I-."
"It's alright, hey… it's alright," He said, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her. "It's over… nobody's going to take you prisoner again… me, you… and Fiona, that's it."
Ciri gripped onto his arms and turned to him, hugging him fiercely as she looked up at him. Slowly she pulled back from him, and he reached out his gloved hand to move the strands of ashen hair from her forehead. He looked deep into her eyes, her beautiful eyes that matched his own, he loved that they matched his own. Her smile slowly faded, making his own do the same as he titled his head.
"Ciri… what is it?" He asked her, wanting with everything for that smile to return.
She shakily sighed and looked back at him. "D…Dominik I… I need to tell you something. It… it was-."
"Dom, Ciri, over here!" The voice of Geralt cut her off, making Dominik and she both look over to the other side of the room.
Geralt and Yen both waved for them to come over to another desk, and Ciri quickly let go of him. She looked up at him, that nervous look still in her eyes.
"We… should go and see what that is."
"But Ciri what was it you-." He started, but she leaned up and kissing him quickly to cut him off.
"I'll tell you later… come on," She said, turning and walking off towards Yen and Geralt.
He sighed and followed after her, the light from the multiple candles the only thing that illuminated the dank lab. The tense tone in which she spoke with, he knew whatever it was Ciri was going to tell him had been important, something she had more than likely been holding in. However, he pushed it aside for the moment, he had promised always that he would never press her to speak about things that she didn't want too.
There would be a time when they finally all sat down, and told each other what happened, start to finish from start to finish. He wanted to hear it all, from the desert, to the Rats, to Stygga Castle, everything. She would tell him when she was ready, he had only heard bits and pieces, and all of it had been horrible, but he knew it was something he needed to listen too. And he also had plenty of things left to tell her.
"Check it out… portraits of Ciri I think," Geralt said, as he came up behind the three of them, standing next to Ciri near the table.
Dominik looked closely and saw Ciri's horrified face first. He looked down at the pictures, and like Geralt said, from a first glance, they certainly seemed like portraits of Ciri, the woman in them looked exactly like her, almost like the drawing he had originally brought from Emhyr's court when Geralt and he had first left.
A small part of him then wanted to scream, get angry, he knew that Avallac'h was obsessed with Ciri, and he knew exactly why. It was because of Ciri's striking likeness to Lara Dorren. Dominik had seen Lara Dorren in his dreams with Alexander and learned that Avallac'h was indeed the elf that 'won the right' to marry her amongst the Aen Elle. Alexander had explained how after Lara fell in love with Cregan, was when Avallac'h had gotten with Eredin to try and find her, to win her back because according to Avallac'h, Lara Dorren had been his 'by right'. Years later the sage had helped Eredin attacked Castle Lod, wishing to find Riannon, Lara's child, and now almost a hundred years later, he was obsessed with Ciri.
Dominik didn't know if it was just because of the power in Ciri's blood, and Avallac'h wanting to control it, or because of some sick, twisted attraction to Lara's descendants. Ciri clearly thought the same thing then, a disgusted look crossing her face as she stood up from the table of portraits while Dominik kept his eyes down on it.
"That can't be me… there's no scar!" Ciri said, clearly trying to convince herself as well as Geralt.
Geralt scoffed and smirked. "Mhm no… it's gotta be, he really captured you. Sure Avallac'h is only interested in you for your magical abilities?"
Ciri's eyes darted towards their father. "Very funny…"
"Ciri's right… this isn't her," Dominik said, slowly picking up the picture, examining every little detail.
All three of them looked at him, and Ciri even seemed shocked. It was more than likely obvious to them all it was Ciri the portrait was of, and more than likely anyone else too who would look at the two.
However, Dominik happened to be the one person who looked at Ciri more than anyone else in that world or any world, which was how he could tell it wasn't her.
"Dominik what are you talking about darling?" Yennefer asked, as he turned to them both as the sorceress shook her head. "It's looks just like her."
"She's right, besides who else could it be?" Geralt said, with Ciri looking at him anxiously.
Dominik slowly shook his head again, finally looking up from the picture and meeting all of their eyes.
"It's not Ciri… but it's obvious why Avallach's so obsessed with her," He said, gently putting the picture down, remembering the woman's face vividly. "These pictures are of Lara Dorren."
The words hung over the three of them, as Ciri tensed, while Geralt slowly nodded.
"That's right… you said you saw her when you opened the journal and met Alexander didn't you?" He said.
"Yes… I remember you told me as well," Yen said as well, looking at the pictures on the table, before turning back to face Ciri and him. "The resemblance Ciri bears to her is striking."
"It is," Dominik said, an amused smile coming to his face as he looked towards Ciri herself. "She was the second most beautiful woman I've ever seen in my life."
A smile came to Geralt and Yen's face at the compliment, and he expected one to come to Ciri's as well. However, she only clenched her fists, her hands shaking as she looked up at him with wide eyes.
"You… you told me that Avallac'h and Eredin tried to track her down hunted her," Ciri said slowly, the words dripping carefully from her lips. "Avallac'h was supposed to marry her… so when she left him for Cregan… he and Eredin attacked Alexander to find her child's location… my ancestors' location."
Dominik met her eyes and could see the worry pooling from them. She had said to him how worried she was about leading Avallac'h to them, possibly putting them in danger because she was foolish. He understood why she had to travel with the sage in the first place, it was one of the only ways she could have survived.
However, now he could see the regret on her face. The sage's obsession with her, his need to control her, they all knew what it came from now.
"Yeah… that's what happened," Dominik said slowly, looking down at the picture again. "Poor woman… just wanted to live."
It was silent again for a moment as he slowly looked back down at the portraits. He remembered visiting the flashback, the memory with Alexander. He could hear Lara Dorren's beautiful singing voice as she sang to her daughter Riannon before having to give her up, for her own safety. Lara Dorren had one of the most beautiful singing voices he ever heard. He could see the vision again as he looked at the drawing, Alexander, Lara, his children Connor and Lara who had been named after Alexander's 'little sis', who was actually hundreds of years older than he was. It had been a peaceful family, with a woman who simply wanted to live the life she wanted, with the people she loved.
But because of the jealously, of the anger of one person she had that ripped away from her. Ciri looked down at the pictures of Lara Dorren again, and Dominik could see her arms shaking. He could tell what she was thinking about, she was thinking how similar she and Lara Dorren were, not just in terms of how they looked.
"I wish they had left her alone… what did she do to deserve what happened to her!?" Ciri said, snapping as her fists curled. "And now… and now for the same fucking reason, they're chasing me… what the hell did I ever do to deserve it!?"
"Ciri… none of it's your fault you're right," Dominik said right away, Geralt and Yen nodding as he tried to put a hand on her back. "But we're going to keep you safe, nobody will get their hands on you, and-."
"Yes… and just like Lara, they're going to try to kill the ones I love to get to me," She snapped, cutting him off as she turned her head back to him, shaking her head. "All because I'm fucking around, because I led them to you!"
"Ciri, you can't-." Geralt started, but before he could finish Ciri trudged off towards the other room further into the lab.
Dominik watched her trudge off and it was as if a brick had fallen and sunk into his stomach. Sighing he looked back down at the pictures of Lara Dorren.
Ciri was correct about one thing, it hadn't been fair that Lara's life was taken from her, and it also wasn't fair that Ciri was being chased now.
"Dom, you go after her, Geralt and I will continue to look around here," Yen said, coming up and placing a hand on his shoulder. "She needs you now."
"She's right, should be a few more things to find, just be careful what you touch," Geralt said nodding in agreement with Yen.
Dominik sighed again, looking and meeting both their eyes. "She's right you know… none of this has ever been fair…"
"It isn't, but there's nothing we can change about it," Geralt said. "But there is something we can do about it… go check on her."
"We'll be right behind you in a moment," Yen said, before she turned back to the other bookshelves lining the walls.
Geralt gave him a nod and joined Yen, walking towards the bookshelves, but stopping at a portrait of Avallac'h on the walls. Dominik managed to get a small laugh when his father simply reached and knocked the frame to the ground. It shattered as the glass and Dominik laughed as Geralt smirked, only for Yen to look at him and roll her eyes, trying to look annoyed, but he could see the amusement in his mother's eyes.
He smiled and turned to follow where Ciri had went further down the hall. He knew of course the situation was a bit dire, but he couldn't help but smile being with them all again. Before they entered he had promised to not lose his temper, and having seen how Ciri was acting, he knew that was even more important now.
The rest of the lab further down, began to actually look like a lab. He passed multiple tables with alchemical apparatuses and other lab equipment that made his skin crawl just looking at it. He saw far too may portraits of Avallac'h and others of Lara Dorren for his liking. With each one he saw; he was more and more anxious about leaving Ciri anywhere near Avallac'h again. She could take care of herself, she always could he knew, but it didn't stop him from feeling that way.
However, he had already not trusted Avallac'h before he knew anything about Lara Dorren, so the feeling wasn't anything new. All he could focus on now, was killing Eredin, Caranthir, and then making sure the sage stayed away, it was the best way to keep her safe, and he knew if he lost it, then Ciri would as well. A cool breeze hit his neck as he finally came out to a large part of the lab. He couldn't see any more hallways further in, so he assumed that it had to be the final chamber. To the left he saw a large door and he finally saw Ciri, she was leaning and fiddling with something on a desk, her sword clunking on her back.
He sighed, remembering how angry she was, so decided to be gentle as he always was. She had been fantastic at consoling him the previous few days after what happened with Bella, and he was aware that when they went off by themselves, even before they got Fiona, that not every day would be a good one. Some days they'd be angry, upset, tired, hurt, no person was happy every day, tough days happened, but it was reassuring knowing he would have Ciri for them. It had been another promise they made, to be there for one another, on the good days, and on the bad days.
"Hey princess, you alright," He said, coming up behind her, gently holding his hand on her back as she didn't look up at him. "Ciri, you can't blame yourself for… what is that?"
"That bastard! He told me that it was destroyed," She snapped, holding a small silver and black box up in her hands.
Dominik had never seen something like whatever Ciri was holding in his life. It was small, sleek, silver and black, with a smaller tube jutting out of it, a piece of glass attached to the end, with a slit on the bottom which he had no idea what could possibly come out of. The device was too small it seemed to fit much of anything inside of it.
"Ciri… what is that thing," He asked her, as a small scoff left her, and she turned to him.
She turned to him, and while he was happy to see a small smile come back to her face, he was still baffled by whatever was in her hand. She looked down at it, and Dominik realized there was a button on top, she scoffed and looked back to him.
"Remember when I told you about the world I visited?" She said, a small bit of excitement to her voice as she smiled at him. "Remember I told you about the small picture boxes, the ones that small little paintings come out of?"
He managed a laugh as he looked down at the small decide. "Ha… and you're telling me this tiny thing does all that?"
"It does!" Ciri said, the smile on her face growing as she stood next to him. "Avallac'h… bastard told me it was destroyed after i lost it!"
"How's it work?" He said, running his hand along the small box, and surprising himself when he realized it was made of some kind of metal, and other material he had never felt.
Ciri laughed at his bewildered look, as she got next to him and wrapped her arm up around his neck. She moved the box around in her other hand, and Dominik nearly jumped seeing his reflection in the glass that was looking at him now as Ciri's hand flashed near the button.
"Okay, just looked right here and smile, don't move," She said, smiling up at him with that cute enthusiastic smile she got.
Dominik loved seeing the smile of course but was more concerned with the strange whirring sound he heard coming from the box as it sounded like the thing was about to explode.
He looked down at Ciri. "Um… Ciri are you that things safe?"
"Of course it's safe you stupid boy! Just look!" She said, gently using her other hand to move his head back towards the glass.
Dominik scoffed and cautiously looked at the glass. "Um… okay, but Ciri how does this thing work-. GAH WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!?"
He stumbled backwards, nearly falling and having to grab onto a shelf to steady himself as Ciri laughed hysterically. She laughed as he struggled to regain his foot, after Ciri had pressed the button a giant white flashing light had shot from it, burning his eyes and making him stumble! He knocked a few papers to the ground as he used the table to stumble back to his feet, much to Ciri's amusement still.
"AHAHAHA! Gods… gods it's the flash!" She explained, as she walked over to him with the small device in her hands. "It's what makes it appear… and here it is, look."
He recovered from the small heart attack he had and stepped towards Ciri again. The lab itself was dimly lit, it only had a few candles to illuminate his vision, but still he was able to see what Ciri was holding. He jumped back again, making Ciri laugh even more as a small piece of what seemed to be parchment slowly ejected from the bottom of the device. In complete bewilderment of what was going on, Ciri gently pulled it from the bottom, placing whatever it was called back on the table and holding up the parchment for him.
"It's like a small painting like I told you, look how clear that is!" She said excitedly, holding it up for him, as Dominik scoffed in amazement.
It really was like a small, realistic painting of the two of them. They were both in the exact position they were in before the flash had given him a heart attack. Ciri was smiling wildly, seeming completely at peace in the frozen image, while in it Dominik looked extremely confused. It was exactly them as well, looking at himself he scoffed, seeing the scar on his face, both his swords, his armor everything exactly the same. The same went for Ciri, her emerald eyes in the image sparkled the same as his did. She looked as beautiful in the image as she did next to him.
"Gods… that's amazing, what the hell is in that thing?" He said, looking over at the small box on the table again, before looking back to the image in Ciri's hands. "It's… literally us! What kind of magic is it."
Ciri laughed again, looking down at the image in her hands. Dominik had just gotten done seeing her angry, anxious, but seeing her smile then as she gazed down at the image was worth the whole trip itself. She sighed, the smile on her face small but still adorable as she looked up at him.
"I've not idea to be honest, some sort of future technology… You look awfully cute in this you know," She said with a smirk as she met his eyes.
"I do don't I," He said, wrapping an arm around her waist as he pulled her closer to him, the both of them looking down at the image. "And you look radiant as ever."
She scoffed and rolled her eyes with a smile, sighing as she slowly slipped the image into the pocket of her trousers. When she turned back to him, he saw the smile slowly fade from her face.
"Avallac'h told me it was broken beyond repair when I couldn't find it," She said, shakily sighing as she crossed her arms. "Don't know what the hell he has it here for… ass…"
Dominik scoffed, trying for a smile. "Yes… he really is a fucking cunt isn't he?"
He expected her to laugh but she didn't. She shakily sighed and shook her head, her arms staying crossed as she turned from him, facing the other side of the room.
"Yes he is… and I knew that from the last time I encountered him years ago…" She said slowly, her hands balling into fists. "And now… I know he has a scheme up his sleeve, something that could possibly hurt me, or us… and I could have led him right to you all…"
Dominik knew all the things she said about Avallac'h having schemes he hadn't told them about was true. He would never defend the sage, and quite frankly would be over the moon if during the fight with Eredin he 'accidentally' fell into the ocean and drowned. However, he could see the torment in Ciri's eyes as she quickly looked at him.
"I'm a fool… the same foolish little girl I was last time…" She said, before turning back to the other side of the lab.
He stepped up behind her again, gently placing his hand on her back. The smell of burning candle wax hit his nose, and he could distantly hear Geralt and Yen's footsteps echoing as their parents came from the front rooms. He felt Ciri stiffen upwards, as he turned to look at her and shook his head, her gaze fixed to the wall of the lab.
"Ciri, you can't think like that, you're not a fool," He said, trying to sound reassuring as he rubbed her upper back. "You know I'll be the last one to defend Avallac'h, but Eredin was on your heels you had no choice but to…. Ciri what are you-."
"Dominik… look…" She said slowly, pointing her finger up between the back center and left walls of the lab.
"What are you… fuck… fuck me…" He said slowly, when he looked up and saw exactly what Ciri had been so fixated on.
On the wall in the center of the back of the room, was one large tapestry, and on the left wall was a second large tapestry. He ignored the second one for a moment, focusing his attention on the one that Ciri had slowly walked up to first, looking up at the names, the dozens upon dozens of names that were scrawled in one long interweaving web branching out like a tree. Upon closer inspection, he recognized many of the coats of arms. He saw Redania, Temaria, Cintra, Skellige, Nilfgaard, all the coats of arms were present. Soon, he looked closer as he came up next to Ciri and even recognized some of the names.
Riannon, Queen of Temaria, Fiona, Queen of Cintra and Princess of Temaria, Coram the second King of Cintra, King Dagorad of Cintra, King Roganar of Cintra, Queen Calanthe, Princess Pavetta, King Eist Tuirseach of Skellige and Cintra.
And the final name at the bottom, under the names of Emhyr Var Emhyr and Pavetta Fiona Elen, was Ciri. Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon, Ciri, her name was circled on the tapestry at the very bottom, and then, all the way at the top, across from the name Cregan of Lod, was Lara Dorren.
Dominik's heart dropped to the pit of his stomach. Ciri was speechless, looking at her name, up the family tree, that spanned out over each and every single one of her possible family members and ancestors. Dominik even spotted a marker with the name Robert Anton, and it made sense considering Anton was a distant cousin of Queen Calanthe, that was how far Avallac'h had gone. Ciri shuffled next to him, bewildered into silence, as she tried to croak out words, but before she could shakily sighed, her eyes trailing to the left wall, to the second tapestry, her boots hitting the ground as she walked over to it.
He however, had to stay rooted to the spot, his hands curling into tight fists as his arms shook. Avallac'h was not only obsessed with Ciri, it went deeper than that, the sage felt like exactly the same way about Ciri as he did with Lara Dorren, that she was hit right, her power was his right. He had made fun of the elf for being so old, and apparently his last hundred years or so had been spent tracking down Ciri and her ancestors.
"Ciri… he… he's been tracking Lara's line for over a hundred years," He said slowly, reaching our and running his hand over Ciri's spot on the tapestry. "Every single line… fuck I even see Anton on here…."
"Dom, Ciri!" The voice of Geralt said behind him, as Dominik turned and saw both him and Yennefer jogging towards them.
Seeing Ciri was still stunned into silence he turned and met Geralt and Yen, who stopped as they saw the giant tapestry.
Yennefer looked up in bewilderment, walking past him towards the banner full of Ciri's ancestors.
The sorceress slowly shook her head. "Gods above… a genealogical chart of the Aen Hen Ichear, the Elder Blood… all the way from Lara Dorren."
"Yeah… looks like Dom was right… he's obsessed," Geralt said, as Dominik walked up his father.
Ciri still hadn't moved as she looked up at the second tapestry, while Yen examined the one of the Elder Blood closer. Dominik came up next to Geralt, as his father looked over and Ciri and then back to him.
"How is she?" He said, crossing his armored arms.
Dominik sighed and shook his head. "I don't know… you and Yen find anything else?"
Geralt nodded. "Yeah… signs that someone's been here, and really recently."
"Avallac'h is on the ship."
"Thought maybe he had an assistant maybe," Geralt said, shrugging as he sighed and ran hand over his white silver beard. "Or maybe he overheard us."
He scoffed. "Avallac'h wouldn't use an assistant doesn't seem like him. And if he had heard us, I'm guessing he would've headed us off before we came in."
"You're probably right," Geralt said with another shrug as he looked up at the tapestry with a disbelieving shake of the head. "You know… I may have believed he was just trying to keep Lara's blood safe, if not for what you told me you saw, him fighting Alexander."
"Yeah… he doesn't want to keep it safe… he wants to control it, use it for something," Dominik said, looking and meeting Geralt's yellow eyes. "Geralt… I don't exactly feel comfortable leaving her alone near him now."
Geralt nodded in agreement. "Neither do I… after this is over, we're going to have to do something about him…"
He was about to respond when Yennefer scoffed.
"Gods, he's tracked every line possible…" The sorceress said, turning her head over to Ciri, who was still motionless. "Ciri, do you remember when I showed you the shortened version…. Ciri? Ciri what is it?"
Ciri for the first time spoke, her voice cracking against her throat. "He… he knew…he really did know…"
Dominik turned to her with Geralt and Yennefer both. She was looking up at the tapestry, and Dominik slowly walked over to her.
"Knew what? Ciri what is it?" He said, coming up next to her.
She craned her head over to him and pointed up, her emerald eyes full of fear, pain, and behind it all a burning anger.
"Dom… it… it wasn't just me that he tracked," She said, as Dominik slowly looked up at the tapestry, and when he saw it, he froze himself, as Ciri shakily went on. "He… he tracked you… all of Alexander's line… all of you…"
Dominik knew that Avallac'h knew the truth about Bella and wasn't telling him. However, when he looked up and saw the family tree on the tapestry that Ciri was looking at, he wished with every fiber of his being that he had killed the elf, had his blood stain the blade of his sword right there in Novigrad.
"He… he wasn't just tracking me… he was tracking the both of us," Ciri said, her voice rising as well as her anger as she looked down his family tree. "He… he knew the whole time, the whole fucking time, even before about Bella!"
Dominik scoffed a laugh. "I knew the fucker was lying… I fucking told all of you."
He looked at the top of the family tree, and looked incredulously at the name, 'Alexander of Lod'. In shield with Alexander's name, he saw the black background with a white dragon's head, and two crossed sword, the coat of arms of the House of Lod, and across from Alexander another name was scrawled. It read 'Leila of Tir'Nala', and Dominik scoffed.
"Look at that… Alexander married an elf…" He said, slowly shaking his head and looking over at Ciri next to him. "Looks like I'm part elf too… maybe his journal says something about her… and below them… Connor…. Lara…. Korina… all the way down to my mother…"
The fact he was part elf, but not only simply elf, but an Aen Elle elf it seemed was something he needed to look into, read more about in Alexander's journal. He didn't recall seeing any mother for Connor and Lara of Lod in his visions with the old man, and from what he had read of Alexander's journal so far, there had been no mentions of anyone named Leila. However, he pushed the thoughts from his mind, and looked down the tree, all the way down to his mother. Her spot read 'Sofia of Cintra', and sure enough across from her, was stitched his father's name, both his parents with the bright blue banner with golden lions behind their names.
And then right below the two of them, were of course him and his sister. 'Dominik of Cintra' and 'Bella of Cintra', both with the golden lion banners of Cintra just like their parents.
He truly had known, just like Dominik suspected.
"Gods… yours is a bit smaller than Ciri's darling," Yen said, coming up next to him and Ciri both.
Geralt came up to their other side. "Yeah… and you being part elf… part Aen Elle, it could explain your powers even more."
Dominik slowly nodded, and turned to Ciri, who was still staring speechless up at the tapestry with his family. He shared a look with Geralt, as Yennefer walked over towards another of Avallach's desks filled to the brim with papers. Geralt and he shared a look as she stood there, her arms shaking, her eyes fixed not on Dominik's spot on the tapestry, but on Bella's.
He came up next to her and reached around her shoulders. "Ciri…."
"He knew… he fucking knew and… and I was foolish enough to believe him," She said, snapping around to look up at him, she grabbed onto his arm with an iron grip. "D…. Dominik I… I'm so… so sorry, I… I'm sorry I should have-."
"Hey, hey, hey it's alright," He said, pulling her into him, as he felt her shake in his arms, tears nearly welling in her eyes.
He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed as tight as he could as she did the same to him. Dominik looked up and met Geralt's gaze down at him, and he could see their father was trying to hold back just as much anger as he was. However, they both gave each other an understanding nod, as Dominik knew what he was reminding him.
The two of them had to remain calm, for Ciri's sake, because she was currently violently shaking in his arms. She pulled back from him, looking and meeting his gaze with now hard narrowed eyes as she shakily sighed and shook her head.
"You… you were right, he… he's a bastard. I was wrong…I should have let you fucking kill him…. Fuck I should have killed him the minute he showed his face to me again!" Ciri said furiously.
Dominik as much as he wanted to say yes, he should have killed the sage, shook his head. He couldn't let his impulses get the best of him anymore, especially not now. He also knew that in fact, he was wrong, and that they really couldn't kill Avallac'h, despite the fact deep down he truly wanted too, and looking in Ciri's eyes then, he knew she did as well.
He met her eyes and gently held onto her waist. "Ciri, you weren't wrong. You stopped me from putting all our plans in jeopardy. We can't kill him… we need him. We'll use him for what we need, and then after we'll be rid of him."
Ciri scoffed and shook her head. "You're joking right!? You see how long he's been tracking me!? Tracking the both of us!? You think he's truly going to leave us alone after this is all over?"
"We'll make him, don't worry," Geralt said, coming up and looking at them both. "He won't bother any of us when this is over, and we'll make sure of it… what I wanna know is why he's been tracking you for so long. From what I've seen of him now, and from when I met him before, I don't believe for a minute it's 'to protect Lara's blood'."
Ciri narrowed her eyes. "You're right, what the hell does he want me for!? And why has he been tracking Dominik's line as well, he hated Alexander."
"I think I have an answer…" Yennefer said from behind them. "Come here, I found the answers we need in some of his notes."
Ciri darted past Geralt and he towards Yen, and Dominik quickly followed with their father. Yen had spread the papers out, and when the three of them gathered, for the first time in he didn't know how long, his mother looked pale, disgusted as she looked down at the papers again, shaking her head with a twisted look in her eyes.
"He's spent over two centuries on this. He was the first to study Lara's gene, after she died…entries about Falka… even some about Ciri," Yen said, flipping through the pages as Dominik looked over to see Ciri's reaction.
Ciri crossed her arms, looking down at the papers with Yen, as Dominik could see her furiously biting the inside of her cheek. His skin crawled, as his theory was true.
"Even after she died… he was trying to control her…" He said in disgust.
"Yen, what else does it say?" Geralt said with his arms crossed next to him.
Ciri stiffened again, as Dominik looked to their mother, who looked down at another set of notes, her nose wrinkled in disgust.
"Here's where it gets interesting…. He tried to cultivate a genetic mix like Ciri's…" She said slowly, looking up all three of them as she spoke slowly. "But… excluding the human line."
Dominik's eyes widened as he looked incredulously at his mother. "So… he wanted to use Ciri, her ancestors, to try and produce another genetic mix, another child with Elder Blood… but without Cregan of Lod's DNA?"
"Yes… that's exactly what it was…" Yen said slowly placing the notes back to the table.
He scoffed in disbelief, his anger rising. "He wanted to make another Lara! She never wanted to marry him, left him for Cregan, and then when Cregan died she stayed with Alexander! He's been trying to make another one of her… get back what's rightfully his."
"Well… that's one way to handle rejection… what a sick fuck," Geralt said next to him, the bitterness in his voice taking place of the anger.
Dominik nodded in agreement, crossing his arms as well as he looked over at Ciri. As angry and disgusted as he was, her face was twisted, her arms shaking seeming as if she felt violated on the spot. The idea in his head of Avallac'h spending so much time with her now, obsessing over her, treating her like a dog he was trying to train, not caring what really happened to her, because in the end, he would simply use her blood whether she died or lived.
Ciri finally looked over at Yen, shaking her head in disgust. "What's all that supposed to mean!? That I should be looking out for tubes full of my siblings!?"
She stomped past them all, her back turned as Yennefer stood from the chair she had sat in, standing between Dominik and Geralt.
"Don't be foolish darling! Avallac'h never got that far," Yen said, as Ciri turned back around to all three of them. The sorceress looked at Ciri and shook her head. "Apparently all of his experiments ended in failure… you are unique."
"Yes, and that's why we have the Wild Hunt to contend with!" Ciri snapped, crossing her arms as she turned around to the tapestry with his family on it. "And why the hell does he have Dominik's line tracked!?"
He turned around to the tapestry of his ancestors as well and scoffed. "Yeah… never knew he cared so much."
"Will you PLEASE take this seriously!?" Ciri snapped at him.
He narrowed his eyes back at her. "I am taking this seriously."
"You have a funny way of showing it!" She snapped again, scoffing and shaking her head at him. "You just fucking figured out he knew about Bella this whole time, and you barely reacted!"
"That's because I already knew that he knew!" Dominik shot back, feeling his skin begin to crawl as he narrowed his eyes at her. "It was you who stopped me, who said that 'he hasn't steered you wrong yet', when Geralt and I first found you, you said that, after he had already steered you wrong once before when you met the first time, or did you forget about that!?"
Ciri erupted. "Well I didn't exactly fucking know he had been conducting experiments to try and fucking CLONE ME to make up for my ancestor rejecting him!"
He shook his head and took a step towards her. "I'm staying calm for you Ciri, so don't start getting angry at me because-."
"ENOUGH, both of you!" Geralt snapped, stepping between the two of them and glaring between them both. "You're both on edge, you're both angry, stop arguing over something so stupid!"
He crossed his arms as he felt his heart rate slow and his skin crawl. He hated arguing with Ciri, in the very few times that they did. Meeting her eyes he saw them soften, she sighed and gently nodded to him, a sorrowful smile on her lips. He nodded at her, and like normal, they both understood what the other was saying. They didn't need some big elaborate apology; they were both stubborn and they knew it.
After a moment Geralt nodded, and Yennefer came up between them with a few more papers in her hands.
"Well… now that you two are done your little argument," The sorceress said slowly, tossing her raven locks behind her back and looking at Dominik. "There's a few notes and entries… it explains why he's been trying to track your line as well darling."
He scoffed and turned around to look at the tapestry again, everyone turning with him. He looked up in particular at Alexander's name, across from the woman he had apparently either married or had children with Leila of Tir'Nala.
"I would guess it's mainly because he wanted to get back at Alexander and Cregan," He said, his eyes not leaving Alexander's name. "The fact my destiny is to protect Ciri… and… and maybe something to do with my supposed elven ancestor… Alexander's…"
"Wife… and you're correct on all instances darling," Yen said, walking in front of him, Cir and Geralt with the papers in her hands. "Avallac'h, Eredin and the rest of the Aen Elle knew that Alexander was their best chance at finding the child born from Lara and Cregan, so they set about tracking him down."
"Dom told us all of that," Geralt said, looking down to him. "You said that they tracked him for about forty years until they found him Kovir."
"That's right, him and Kilgarrah almost beat them back, he would have killed Avallac'h had Eredin not stabbed him in the back," Dominik said, remembering the vision fondly.
Yennefer nodded in agreement. "Yes… but you see they started tracking him, Lara and Cregan from the moment Lara Dorren appeared to them."
"Alright, and how did they not manage to find them all? Cregan wasn't even killed by elves, but by an angry mob of humans," Dominik said.
"It was Leila of Tir'Nala… Alexander's wife," Yennefer said, looking over to Ciri. "Did Avallac'h mention her name at all?"
"No… who was she?" Ciri said.
Yen looked back down at the notes. "Leila of Tir'Nala was another Aen Elle, apparently Lara Dorren's best-friend, who managed to find her first after Lara stayed on the continent with Cregan and Alexander."
Dominik slowly nodded. "You said she was Alexander's wife? So… she was Connor and Lara of Lod's mother, making her my great grandmother."
"Exactly. She fell in love with Alexander. She didn't have Elder Blood, that was just Lara, but apparently she was an extremely talented navigator," Yennefer explained, looking back up and meeting Dominik's eyes. "It explains why your magic is the same color as Ciri's, you have elven blood darling, elven magic inside of you."
"That means Bella does too…" He said, looking quickly to his sister's name on the tapestry, before looking back to Yen. "What happened to her? Alexander didn't mention her when I saw him in the vision, but to be fair he probably had more important things to show me."
His mother nodded; her violet eyes illuminated by the candle's. "You're more than likely right darling, but Leila played a huge role in making sure Lara was able to stay on the continent with Cregan. You see, after Connor and Lara of Lod were born, Lara Dorren and Leila worried the Aen Elle, Avallac'h and Eredin would be able to track them. So… Leila went back to Tir'Nala, Avallac'h says in his notes, Leila lied to them for a while, told them Lara was dead, killed by humans so that they would stop chasing her."
Dominik's eyes widened as he looked at the name Leila of Tir'Nala on the tapestry again. His heart fluttered as he thought of another person sacrificing for him and Ciri to survive. Alexander had stayed trapped in a journal for centuries just to help him, Connor and Lara of Lod had tried to kill Eredin to fulfill their destiny of protecting the Elder Blood.
He was at a loss for words, and next to him Ciri stepped forward, her voice shaky as she met Yen's eyes.
"What… what happened to her?" Ciri said, her eye meeting Yen's.
Yen sighed and looked at the three of them. "It says in the notes… that Avallac'h figured out she was lying. He and Eredin they… they tortured her, for months upon months to try and discover Alexander's location. Avallac'h he… goes into detail of what they did, Leila didn't break, and in the end, they drew blood from her, used an experimental spell, nearly killed her to see her memories, and found castle Lod."
"They… they killed her?" Dominik said slowly.
"No… it says in the notes King Auberon sentenced her to life in prison, not death, due to the love Lara had for her," Yen said carefully, shaking her head. "But according to Avallach's notes… she escaped."
"What!? So that means she could be alive?" He said, feeling his heart thump loudly in his chest.
Yennefer shrugged. "Possibly… but the notes go on. It says, that after Alexander's death, Avallac'h searched for his children at first, he and Eredin wanted to kill them, and end the line of Lod, knowing that Alexander's and Leila's line, and that of Lara and Cregan's were connected, that Alexander and Leila's line would be their biggest obstacle in getting back the elder blood."
Geralt stepped up and looked at Dominik. "But… Dom told us that Eredin killed Connor and Lara of Lod."
Yen nodded again. "He did yes… but as Dominik also told us, Lara of Lod had a daughter with a man, he tried to get them to Cintra… and that was when the elves sent assassins after him and the child. They killed the father… but never found the girl."
"And that girl got taken in by mummers heading to Cintra…" Dominik said, remembering the story. "And that girl got married, and so on… up until my mother, and then me and Bella."
"Exactly, it says in Avallach's notes, that many times he tried to locate both Alexander's line, and Lara Dorren's, but after Riannon, Connor and Lara, neither line's powers ever manifested nor were active…. Until the two of you, and Bella," Yen continued on explaining.
And that was when Ciri snapped.
"You mean to fucking tell me even the first time we met; he knew about Dominik!?" She said from next to him.
Yen slowly nodded. "Well… it seems according to him after your first encounter, hearing you talk about him was what led him to investigate. That was how he learned what happened to Lara of Lod's child, and when he added the names down Dominik's tree. At the time of your first meeting, Dominik's powers hadn't activated however, so Avallac'h didn't see him as a threat."
"But he does now… and that's why…. That's why he tried so hard to stop me from coming back! From coming back and seeing you again!" Ciri said, turning towards him and shaking her head. "I had nightmares of you dying for weeks and he told me to ignore them!"
"Ciri… calm down," Geralt said from next to him, but Ciri wasn't having any of it.
She shook her head and turned back to Yen. "And what about Bella!? Does it say anything about Bella!?"
Yen bit her lip, clearly seeing the anger exhuming from her but nodded anyway.
"Caranthir found Bella two years ago, after her powers unleashed and they initially thought that they had found a sign of you," Yen explained carefully. "After seeing her powers and learning her identity… Eredin and Caranthir brainwashed her. Avallac'h learned of this, that was when he came back to add her name, he says in his notes, that he was trying to find a way to eliminate her… so that Alexander's line couldn't reach Ciri… and to end the Line of Lod."
Dominik was about to erupt himself, saying damn keeping his emotions in check. It was hard enough hearing of everything that happened to Leila of Tir'Nala, what Avallac'h had wanted to do to Ciri, but hearing that he was going to try and kill Bella sent him over the edge.
However, Ciri was the one to erupt before him again.
"DAMMIT, THAT LYING, SACK OF SHIT!" She screamed from next to him, pushing past him and Geralt as she whirled back around and yelled. "FIRST, he stalks me and my ancestors for centuries, THEN HE TRIED TO KILL DOMINIK AND BELLA!"
"Ciri! Ciri relax, hey it's alright we know-." He tried to reason, but when she turned back to him, her eyes were practically aflame a look of realization coming to them.
"That… what's why he tried to make me do it… that… that's fucking why!" She said, her voice raising as she turned to face Geralt not, her hands nearly ripping out her hair as she screamed. "THAT'S WHY, THAT'S WHY HE MADE ME TRY TO FUCK AUBERON! HE WANTED TO USE IT FOR HIS SICK EXPERIMENTS! WHAT FOOLISH LITTLE GIRL I WAS, AND STILL AM!"
Ciri stormed from the room, back down the hall, her boots hitting the ground and echoing throughout the chamber. Dominik's limbs all froze, his mind buzzing as he heard Yennefer crumple the papers in her hands and come up next to him. He didn't care about anything else he learned, not that one of his ancestors could possibly be alive, not that Avallac'h was trying to kill him and Bella, all he focused on was the words Ciri had just said.
It had been Avallac'h, he had been the one to force her to spend almost a year in Tir'Nala, telling her that she had to fuck the King of the Aen Elle to survive, all while lying, and never having any intention of letting her leave. Eredin's words from the battle of Kaer Morhen rang in his head. "Cirilla my dear… you know he never had any intention of letting you leave… the same as I".
For weeks he had wondered what Eredin possibly could have meant. But now he knew, knew it had been Avallac'h that forced her to go through that hell, the months of verbal and psychological abuse. It had all been Avallac'h, and now so many more things about what the elf had planned made sense.
In Geralt's words, the sage truly was a sick fuck.
"Geralt… you knew… did you fucking know!?" Yennefer said angrily from next to him.
Geralt looked absolutely flabbergasted, but one look at his father and Dominik knew that Geralt had knew. Ciri had looked right at him when she said it, and Dominik felt his blood boil as well as she stepped next to Yen.
"Of course he did… when the hell did you figure this out!?" Dominik demanded.
Geralt sighed and turned towards them. "About a week ago, when I went to Tir'Nala with Avallac'h, Ge'els told me… took all my control not to kill the fucker then and there."
"Geralt how could you keep something like from us!?" Yen said, clearly trying to control her own anger from next to him. "When I get my hands on that fucking elf, I swear I'm going to fucking dismember him with my bare hands! I'll-."
"That, that's why I didn't tell you, why Ciri and I didn't," Geralt said with a roll of his eyes.
Dominik scoffed. "And what the hell does that mean!? I swear I'll rip his fucking throat out myself!"
"I must concur with Dominik…" His mother said, her arms crossing and a dark look coming to her violet eyes. "The bastard deserves to die… for everything he's done to her, and I'm sure Dominik and even Ciri will be happy to-."
"Again THIS, is why we didn't tell you," Geralt finally snapped, crossing his arms as he looked at the two of them. "You both wanna go off and slaughter him as soon as we get back to the ship!"
"And you're against the idea!?" Yennefer said incredulously.
Geralt scoffed. "Of course not! But for now we fucking need him."
"I'm SICK of hearing that fucking excuse! He deserves to DIE, for what he did to Ciri!" Dominik argued finally feeling his anger boil over.
His father quickly shook his head. "He does, you're both right. But for now we need him. Eredin is the bigger threat, and to take him down we need to use Avallac'h! To give her, to give Ciri that life she deserves, for now we need to put our anger aside and do what we have too!"
"But what if he tries something before or after the battle Geralt! We just practically handed him a powerful magical weapon!" Dominik said, scoffing as he crossed his arms.
Geralt narrowed his eyes and looked deep into Dominik's eyes. "She can take care of herself, and we'll all be there…. Dom… she's not in a good frame of mind right now, the closer we get to the battle, the more anxious she's going to get. You need to be there for her now… more than ever, and you know that. That means, for a few more days… putting up with him. You've done a lot harder things for her before…"
Dominik's fists clenched. He had known for weeks when he figured out the truth about what Avallac'h had done to Ciri, that he would more than likely be sent into an instant rage, wanting to let loose his sword and kill the sage then and there. He thought it would finally be the time he got to kill him for all he had done, treating Ciri so poorly, hiding his identity and his sisters from him. What he had done to Ciri the first time was worse than all of that, and he could imagine his sword plunging into the sage's neck in that very moment.
However, he remembered what the true goal was, and that was for Ciri to get the life she deserved. He also remembered what he promised himself before coming, that no matter what he discovered, he would remain calm, for Ciri's sake.
"I wish you had come and told me…" Yennefer said agitatedly from next to him, sighing as she looked between them both. "But… I must admit you're right."
"You? Admitting that I'm right? I'm gonna savor this moment," Geralt said sarcastically.
Yennefer rolled her eyes. "Don't push your luck…. Dominik darling, are you alright?"
Both of his parents looked to him. Dominik sighed and took one last look at his family tapestry, his name, Bella's, his parents, Connor and Lara of Lod, Alexander, Leila of Tir'Nala. All of them had one common goal, one common destiny, and to that day it was his destiny as well.
To protect Ciri, protect the line of Cregan of Lod and Lara Dorren, the Elder Blood. However, his entire family all the way back up to Alexander, had done it not just because destiny said so… but because of the love they all felt for one another. He looked and met Geralt's eyes, sighing and slowly nodded, getting a smile from both he and Yennefer.
"You're right… I can do this, it's all for her," He said, a small smile coming to his face, remembering how Ciri was smiling only a few minutes earlier, before looking down the hall where she had gone. "I should probably go find her, I think we got what we-."
"Shhhh…. You hear that?" Geralt said, holding an arm out to cut him off.
Yen rolled her eyes. "No, again, I may be unnaturally beautiful, but I don't have highly trained ears."
"I hear it too…" Dominik said slowly, as he looked towards the door on the left, the same place Geralt had been looking. "Someone's here… I heard the rustling, the water."
Geralt turned back to them both. "Quiet, let's go see who it is."
"What about Ciri?" He asked, as the three of them got closer to the door.
Geralt shook his head again. "She'll be alright… come on."
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
He followed closely behind Geralt, as a pleasant smell of incense and flowers hit his nose. Yen followed behind him, as the bright light of more candles came into view. For a moment he wondered where Ciri was, however, when he almost ran into Geralt and heard his father speak he was brought back to the room they had entered.
"Well, well… never thought Avallac'h had it in him," Geralt said with a slightly amused tone as Dominik and Yen came around his side.
Dominik saw the elven woman sitting there just as her head shot up to them and he scoffed.
"Got that right," He said, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms. "I guess fucking doesn't always make everyone less uptight…"
"Dominik language!" Yen scolded him.
He looked at his mother and rolled his eyes. "I'm 22 Yen."
"Yes, but still watch your mouth!" She scolded him again.
"Who are you all!? How did you get here!" The female elf demanded, standing up from her vanity as she stared at the three of them.
Dominik scoffed right away as he looked at the woman. She had long auburn her pointed ears sticking out as she wore an outfit clearly meant to be slept in that revealed her midriff, and she had the same pretentious look on her face he had seen too many times in Avallac'h.
"Well… I can already see why you and Avallac'h must get along so well," Dominik said sarcastically.
"Who are you?" Geralt asked, crossing his arms between him and Yen.
The elf scoffed. "It doesn't matter, leave, get out of here now."
"Ha, or else what? You think Avallach's going to do something about it?" Dominik said right away, his annoyance growing as the woman turned her eyes to him.
She scoffed again, an annoyed glare growing to her face. "Yes he will…. I recognize you, Avallac'h spoke of you. You're their descendant, Leila and that disgusting human, you're the product of the abomination they created."
"Abomination? Well that hurts my feelings," Dominik said, feigning offense, before he scoffed and rolled his eyes at the woman. "If you think you can get under my skin you're wrong, call your little master Avallac'h, I would love to have a little chat with him, I'll kill him like I already almost did."
"Dominik…" Geralt said slowly from behind him.
A small part of himself expected the woman to get rattled, but she didn't, only chuckling putting her hands on her hips and looking at him.
"Oh you poor fool, he is more powerful then you know, he could destroy you if he wished," The woman said, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes annoyedly. "After he's finished with that little wretch of an abomination, perhaps he'll finally find Leila again, kill the bitch for what she did."
"What!? So she is alive, Leila of Tir'Nala?" Dominik said, suddenly interested in what the woman had to say, before quickly shaking his head. "She didn't do anything except protect her friend, from Avallac'h and your sick race."
"Sick race is it? Don't you humans persecute elves and burn mages?" The woman said, the smug look still on her face as she rolled her eyes. "Don't try to moralize with me you pathetic little boy, no leave before I-."
"You… I remember you, from Tir'Nala," The voice of Ciri said behind him, Yennefer and Geralt.
He whirled around to see her; her eyes narrowed at the woman. "Ciri what-."
Ciri ignored him however, pushing past the three of them. The woman tossed her hair back behind her shoulder, as Dominik saw Ciri's hands still balled into fists shaking, ready to finally explode.
"Remarkable. I thought all elves looked alike to those of your race," The elf said, crossing her arms as she narrowed her eyes at Ciri. "So, you came and brought your little family, to what, spy on him? He does his damndest to save you every time you do something stupid, is that not enough?"
Dominik was ready to lose it, he saw the smugness in the woman's eyes, the way in which she spoke, and it was everything he despised in a person. He stepped forward to shout, defend Ciri from being spoke about in such a manner.
However, while he would always be there to defend Ciri, this was the time she spoke for herself.
"Him save me!? You're fucking joking, he doesn't give a damn about me," She snapped, taking the woman aback a moment before Ciri stepped forward towards her. "The fucker is lucky I even decided to be in the same room as him after what he did, I've seen the notes from his sick little experiments, he'll be lucky if I decide not cut his throat after this is over!"
Dominik's pride for her welled up, he remembered for weeks she had defended the sage no matter how much she claimed not too. It had gone back and forth for her for weeks he knew on whether trusting the sage was a good idea. He knew that she never trusted him fully, but at least had a small fragment there, hope that perhaps he truly did mean her at least some good. She knew now that none of it was true, and Avallac'h had only helped her for his own sick, twisted reasons.
And now Ciri was angry, speaking up for herself, and taking charge of her life. He could see a small smile come to Geralt and Yennefer's face as well.
The woman however composed herself, narrowing her eyes back at Ciri. "You have the gall to say all of that after everything he risked for you?"
"Oh quit with your bullshit, I told him the same thing!" Ciri yelled again, cutting the woman off as she shook her head. "He's not risking anything for me, he's risking it for his own fucking purposes. That's why he tried to get me to fuck Auberon in Tir'Nala, that's why he's helping me now! He wants something from me, and he's not going to fucking get it!"
"Ha… you're every bit as bratty as he described…" The woman said, casting her glare back over towards Dominik. "He said as soon as you spoke more about Alexander's brat that you were a lost cause… he's told me quite a bit about the both of you."
Geralt clunked forward in his armor, his yellow eyes narrowed. "And what would that be?"
The woman kept her eyes on Dominik. "She said you were every bit as irritating and disrespectful as Alexander, an arrogant brat who doesn't know how to respect his betters."
"Ha… aw, well I never knew he cared so much," Dominik said sarcastically, feeling satisfied when he saw the angered look on the woman's face.
She quickly turned to Ciri, who was still shaking, her gloved hands in fists at her side.
"And he said you share Lara's features, all though I don't see whatever it is he sees," The woman said condescendingly taking another step towards Ciri as she shook her head. "It seems like trying to drink water from a mud puddle."
"Shut your fucking mouth," Dominik said, stepping next to Ciri and narrowing his eyes at the woman. "Say one more word and I'll-."
"And I truly don't know what it is you see in her, or Avallac'h, I believe the resemblance to Lara' helps him with his task…" The woman said, turning back to Ciri with a disgusted look. "Do you think he trails you everywhere for pleasure? Even I grow ill at the sight of you."
"One more word and you'll be a lot fucking worse than ill, I'll cut off your fucking-." He said, his hand reaching to his belt for his dagger, before Ciri cut him off by putting a handout in front of him.
He looked down at her and saw her eyes seething with anger, but her arm shook as she held it in front of him. She met his eyes for a minute as she fiercely bit her lip to hold her tongue, walking to the other side of the room as Dominik saw Geralt quickly follow with her. He looked to her, about to follow when Yennefer stepped up behind him.
"It's amazing how those like you still believe yourself superior to humans… in any way," His mother said, her voice dripping with a bubbling rage.
The woman rolled her eyes and looked over at Ciri who turned back to them. "She's no human. She's a degenerate half-breed. For Avallac'h to have no choice but to use something like that…. it's humiliating!"
"Avallac'h should be the one who's humiliated," Dominik spat out, his eyes growing dark, his skin tingling as he looked at the woman. "He couldn't handle the fact Lara left him hundreds of years ago, so to make up for his damaged ego, he's obsessed with her descendants, trying to fucking clone a new one so he could have that one! I don't know what you consider that in your world, but here, we consider that sad, and pathetic."
"Don't you dare speak as if you know things boy!" The woman snapped at him. "Lara did belong to Avallac'h by right! And if not for that traitorous bitch Leila, and those disgusting human's, Alexander and Cregan he would have had her. And now that line led to you, nothing but another disgusting, degenerate half-breed, who has to be taught to respect his betters, the both of you do! She owes Avallac'h-."
"ENOUGH!" Ciri erupted, rushing forward from next to him.
"Ciri!" Geralt shouted from behind him.
Dominik didn't have time to react, Ciri reached forward and grabbed the woman by the throat. He didn't know what to do for a moment as he could see magic and anger radiating from Ciri as she pushed the woman back to the desk holding her mirror, and after realizing what was happening, she gasped for air, grasping at Ciri's hand around her neck.
Ciri's grip however was like iron as she glared into the woman's gasping eyes. "I OWE HIM NOTHING, IT'S HIM WHO OWES ME FOR WHAY HE'S DONE TO ME! ONE MORE WORD ABOUT DOMINIK, MYSELF OR OUR ANCESTORS AND I'LL KILL YOU WHERE YOU STAND!"
"Ciri! Ciri let her go!" Yennefer tried to say behind him, but Dominik only saw the woman thrash in Ciri's grip as the hand tightened around her neck.
"I AM CIRILLA OF CINTRA, OF KAER MORHEN, A WITCHER! DO YOU KNOW WHAT I COULD BE IF I SIMPLY SAID THE WORD!? HOW MUCH POWER I COULD COMMAND, I'M THE RIGHTFUL QUEEN OF CINTRA AND EMPRESS OF NILFGAARD, BUT I DON'T NEED THOSE TITLES, I DON'T NEED THEM TO BE MORE THEN YOU," Ciri shouted, tears welling in her eyes as they started to fall just as she tossed gripped the elf by the other hand and tossed her to the side of the wall.
The woman slammed through a chair and slumped against the wall, gasping for air and frantically coughing as she grabbed her neck. Dominik was about to grab for Ciri, to calm her, but Dominik watched as she stomped towards the woman again.
"I'M A CHILD OF THE ELDER BLOOD, I DON'T ANSWER TO AVALLAC'H," Ciri shouted again, turning away from the woman with her fists clenched. "I answer only to myself… I owe nobody anything, least of all Avallac'h."
Dominik's heart twisted and rung out in his chest as he saw Ciri look up at him. Never in his life had he seen such anger in her, radiate from her and when she met his eyes, she must have realized it as well. As much as he wished they had killed the woman, Ciri wasn't a cold-blooded killer, she knew it, and so did he. She managed to stop herself, and when Dominik met her eyes, he could see she realized what she almost did. He went to go and speak to her, say something reassuring to try and calm her, but before he could she stormed passed him, back out into the room with the tapestries.
"Ciri!" Yennefer said, following her out of the room.
He shared a look with Geralt as they both watched them leave the room. Geralt slowly sighed and gestured for him to follow before he jogged after Yen and Ciri. Dominik almost did the same, before he heard the coughing of the elven woman behind him.
"You… you damn brats," She said, stumbling up to her chair and glaring at him as Dominik could see the marks around her neck from Ciri's hand. "Av… Avallac'h will make you pay one day for this! He will! He'll-."
"Look lady… I suggest you leave this hideout, and you do it quick," Dominik said, his skin crawling as he crossed his arms.
He had done what he promised, kept his cool, his composure and temper. However, it didn't mean on the inside he wasn't furious in that moment, and after seeing everything, seeing the tapestry's, the notes, how he had taken the small metal device from Ciri seemingly out of pure spite, he was ready to finally let it out.
A lesson he had learned himself over the years, was that sometimes the best way to get over your anger, was to vent it out.
"Bah! Your threats don't scare me you ridiculous boy! Avallac'h will see you pay for this, make my words!" She said, rubbing her neck and Dominik genuinely laughed.
"Avallac'h doesn't scare me, and I can promise he doesn't care about you, he only cares about himself, which is why I'm telling you this, you should leave now," He said, beginning to walk away.
The woman scoffed again as she coughed. "HA, and why is that you filthy half-breed?"
Dominik stopped near the door and turned back to her, his eyes narrowing as his fingertips tingled.
"Because, before I leave, I'm going to burn this place, and everything in it to bits," He said, seeing the woman's eyes widen before he jogged back out the door after Ciri.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
Dominik could hear Yennefer as he exited the room, his own skin crawling as he looked up and saw the tapestries on both side of the walls again. He walked towards where he saw Geralt and Yen look after Ciri, who furiously was looking up at her large family tapestry, examining all the lines of her ancestors. Dominik took a second to glance up at his own, it wasn't as vast as Ciri's, but he still looked down between every single name, most of which had the lion banner of Cintra stitched behind them. He saw his line break off above his father's all the heads of Cintra's royal guards, who had protected the royal line and the Elder Blood, without knowledge that the original member of their family to make the promise, the original Sir Gregory had promised Connor of Lod he'd do so.
As destiny would have it, that line married Alexander's line. His mother and father had brought together the destiny, the duty to protect the Elder Blood, just like Alexander had done centuries ago. Dominik had learned much today, he learned that the Aen Elle had tried to have his line ended centuries ago, trying to assassinate them, all so they could eradicate his line, get back at Alexander and Cregan of Lod.
He also learned now he was part elf, at least a small portion, just like Ciri. That normally would have been a huge revelation to him. He looked up at the name 'Leila of Tir'Nala' and wished more than ever he could ask Alexander about her. It explained now why he and Bella were so powerful, Alexander had told him, that as carrier's, they not only had his power, but the power of every member of their family that had come before. That now was Alexander, Connor and Lara of Lod, and now Leila of Tir'Nala, who apparently had been a powerful navigator and mage. And on top of all of that, he had heard Leila of Tir'Nala could still be alive, his ancestor, one who had been the mother of Connor and Lara of Lod, Alexander's wife, someone who could truly teach him complete control of his powers, not to mention it simply being another family member.
Then of course there was Bella herself, who Avallac'h had planned on killing, that he knew Eredin was brainwashing. She was still out there, and now he only had even more reason to try and get her back. Together, the two of them, combined with Ciri's abilities, could possibly find Leila of Tir'Nala, of course the first priority, however, was defeating Eredin.
He had learned so much, he was angry, intrigued, tired, but all of that was thrown out the door when he saw Ciri turn, and he saw the angry, anxious, disheartened look in her eyes.
"If they despite me so, then why the hell can't they leave me alone!?" She said, her voice breaking as her fists shook, as she looked over at him in particular. "Dominik you were right this whole time! This whole time, but I let Avallac'h fool me again, like a stupid, stupid little girl I let him fool me again, DAMMIT!"
"Ciri! It's not your fault you had no other choice," He said, quickly stepping forward and meeting her eyes with a pleading gaze. "You did what you had to survive, it's okay!"
"NO! No it's not bloody okay Dominik," She said, shaking her head and looking at them all again. "It's bad enough I led the Hunt to you all, but now who knows what Avallac'h has planned, and how much more danger I've put you in, FUCK!"
She stepped away from him, and Dominik saw small wisps of magic shoot from her eyes as she crossed her arms and turned back to the tapestry. The candlelight illuminated her face, and Dominik saw her brow furrowed, her eyes dark as she couldn't look at him. His heart sank to the bottom of his stomach, seeing her tensed shoulders and shaking fists, as he truly didn't know what to say.
Yen walked up next to him with Geralt. "Ciri… darling please you need to calm down-."
"What!? Are you afraid I'll level this place like I did Kaer Morhen!?" Ciri said incredulously, turning around as the tears nearly started falling from her eyes again, scoffing as she shook her head. "It's a shame I can't do that at will, because I'd really like to now!"
Dominik went to step forward, pull her into a hug, try to say something, anything to calm her. However, he saw the horrified, angry look in her eyes, and could tell, that this moment wasn't one that could be resolved by affection like that. For a moment he was dumbstruck, sharing a look with Yen, and for those few moments, neither of them could tell what to say.
He opened his mouth to try and say something, however, Geralt put a handout and stepped in front of him, stopping him.
And Geralt seemed to already have learned the lesson he learned himself on the road.
Ciri scoffed in annoyance, leaning down on the table where multiple stacks of notes, glass wine bottles, a plate of food, a silver goblet were all sitting. Dominik went and joined her, as Geralt locked eyes with him the entire time nodding as he got to the other side of the table, Ciri lifting her head to look at him as he did. Dominik watched with curiosity at first, as Geralt looked down and clearly pretended to study papers, leaning down on the desk with his armored arms, slowly looking up and meeting both he and Ciri's eyes.
Ciri looked dreadfully confused for a moment, but Dominik saw the smirk come to their father's face, as he slowly moved his hand and tipped the wine bottle off the edge of the desk.
With a loud *CRASH* it shattered on the ground, before Geralt stood up and smirked at them.
Dominik scoffed a laugh and looked over at Ciri, who's lips quivered upwards in a smile as she looked at Geralt incredulously, and then to Dominik, as if she were trying to ask him if what she just saw really happened. Dominik couldn't stop smiling, hearing the glass from the bottle crunch under his boot as he smirked at Ciri then looked at Geralt. Geralt nodded as he crossed his arms, a smirk still on his face.
Dominik took this as a greenlight, and he took full advantage of it.
He smirked and looked down at plate of grapes and bread. The smile unable to leave him, he picked up the plate and popped a grape off into his mouth, smirking as he turned to meet Ciri's eyes.
"Grape?" He offered.
Ciri scoffed and shook her head, the smile growing. "No thank you…"
"Eh, you're right… they're quite shit anyway," Dominik shrugged, smirking at Ciri before turning around and chucking the plate at the wall, making a smirking and smiling Yennefer jump as she crossed her arms and watched them, trying not to look amused.
A loud *CRASH* rang again as the plate hit the wall, and when he looked back to Ciri, he heard that laugh he loved so much again.
He and Geralt both look at her as she laughed, Yen stood a bit away, trying not to laugh and looked like she condoned such a childish action but was doing a horrible job doing so. Ciri looked at the broken bottle, the plate that smashed against the wall, and she did the most adorable thing Dominik had ever seen, as she eagerly bounced up on her toes, biting her bottom lip, trying to contain her laughed.
And finally, she picked swiped her hand across the table, sending a silver goblet and another bottle of wine crashing to the ground, shattering all over the place.
After that, all hell broke loose.
Geralt swept his hand over the table, laughing as he did, sending piles of books, papers, and other bottles to the ground with a loud crash. Ciri whirled around smirked as she kicked side one of the iron candlestands, sending it clanging to the ground! Dominik looked and saw stacks off books sitting in a corner and jogged over before driving his leg through the pile and sending all the books flying, before he heard a loud *BANG* as Geralt flipped the table on its side.
Dominik and Cir laughed, and Dominik saw Ciri run towards a bookshelf, before he ran to join her, and together they both pulled on one end, with another *CRASH* the shelf came stumbling down. Just as he looked at her and saw her laughing hysterically, smiling the whole time, a chair flew across the room and smacked into the wall as Geralt threw it. It smacked into a portrait of Avallac'h, and with a rip it fell to the top of another small table, before Ciri ran over and swiped her arms, knocking over silver and bronze bowls of fruit. She picked up a large books and smacked it across a bookcase, all of the papers and books falling before she grabbed the shelf itself and toppled it, laughing the entire time as she did.
Behind him he heard another bang as he smiled. Geralt kicked another large shelf to the ground, as Dominik approached a long table that stood in front of both tapestries. He saw multiple alchemical ingredients and tools but feel all of his pent-up anger that had been building, he smirked as his formed the proper sign with his hand and thrusted it forward. A blast of Aard knocked the table in front of his family's tapestry to the ground, sending flying multiple, bowls bottles and other devices flew off the table, scattering all over the room, as he turned when he heard Ciri yell.
"ARGHHH!" She said, as Dominik saw she had picked up one of the racked swords on the wall, and drug it along the table in front of the tapestry with her own family.
The same thing happened and all of Avallach's belongings flew across the room, as Ciri finished only inches from him, laughing, laughing with pure joy as she looked up at him, before they heard a large grunt, and saw another chair fly across the room. He barely had time to smile at her before she laughed and rushed over to join Geralt. Dominik scoffed a laugh and followed, as Geralt came to one final bookshelf, taller than the rest, filled to the brim with tomes, before he nodded with a smile at Dominik and she both.
And all as one, after a huge *CRASH* the shelf fell to the ground, books falling everywhere, as the lab was completely wrecked, books, papers, bottles, food, bowls, other containers, tables, everything was strewn about.
Ciri laughed and Dominik finally managed to steady his excited breathing as he looked up and saw her gripping the sword on her hands. Geralt smiled at him, and then smirkingly crossed his arms, looking over to Ciri with him. He saw Yennefer out of the corner of his eyes smiling finally, as she stood with her arms crossed and beamed at them.
He turned back in time to hear Ciri scoff and smile up at them. It turned out that the lesson he learned on the Path was correct. Sometimes, the best way to deal with anger, was to let yourself vent it all out.
Now, he saw that smile, lit by the candlelight it beautifully danced off her high cheekbones, as she tossed the sword to the side into their destruction, before laughing again and looked at them. Her eyes turned to him, and when he saw them finally sparkling again, finally bright, lively, calmed, and happy, he did what he always did when she looked at him like she was now, he got all flustered and blushed like he was a young boy again.
"Ha…ha… thanks.." She said, walking up to him.
Ciri grabbed him by the straps of his armor and pulled his face down to kiss her. She smashed her lips onto his, and Dominik melted into her for a moment, he quite frankly didn't care where they were, when his arms went around her, he wanted to stay there and kiss her for hours, not leave that exact spot and moment with her.
However, Ciri pulled back from him, smiling wildly as she gently stroked his face, laughing at the flustered look he got.
"I.. I… um… ha… I… love you," He said, unable to form words as his lips tingled too much for him to even form words.
She scoffed a laugh again and saw Geralt smiling at them both.
Ciri looked and smiled at their father, leaning into his arms as Geralt hugged her. As he did, Geralt met his eyes and nodded, and Dominik knew that he was saying 'good job', and it filled him to the brim with pride, as Ciri finally pulled back from him, looking up at Geralt, over at Dominik, and over at Yennefer who came over to them smiling.
"There… that's better," She said, the broad smile still on her face as she looked at the three of them and gestured towards the exit. "Now… let's get out of here. I'd say we-."
"Wait! One more thing," Dominik said, making Ciri, Geralt and Yen all look at him.
They didn't say anything, clearly waiting for him to say what it was. However, Dominik simply smirked at them, stepping over tossed over shelves and tables, his black boots crunching on broken glass as he finally came before both tapestry's again. Both of them, their entire families, tracked for over two centuries, all the way down to Ciri and he. He looked on Ciri's side, saw the names of Lara Dorren, Cregan of Lod, Riannon, Fiona, Queen Calanthe, Princes Pavetta.
On the left, he looked at his own tree. He looked at the top and saw the names again, Alexander of Lod, and Leila of Tir'Nala, the parents of Connor and Lara of Lod, all of them his ancestors. The line went down, and down, through his mother, all the way to him and Bella. He'd save her, he knew he would, he had too. One of the last things Alexander had made him promise, was to never give up on his family. At the time it had only been Ciri, Geralt, Yen and his friends that were his family, but now, he knew two members were alive, that were bound to him by blood.
Bella he would save, and then, he didn't know when, but sometime in the future, he'd go to try and find Leila of Tir'Nala, and thank her for the sacrifice she made. For that moment however, for that beautiful moment he spent with the ones he loved, he was focused on one thing, that that was getting the life he always wanted, for him and the woman he loved.
He'd remember the names, there was no need for tapestry's anymore.
He closed his eyes and formed the appropriate hand sign with both of his hands, and his eyes flashed bright blue as he opened his eyes. His hands shot forward, and flames erupted from them, and right away both tapestry's caught fire, going up completely in smoke. The fire would spread, he could already see it catching to some of the notes and books near the bottom of the wall.
A loud laugh came from behind him, and he turned to see Ciri looking up at the blaze with a huge smile, before she looked over at him, and Dominik smirked at her.
"So… now I think we can leave, and probably fast," He said, as the three of them all nodded, turning and jogging towards the exit.
Dominik took one last look at the burning tapestry's, seeing the name 'Alexander of Lod', go up in flames, before saying a silent thank you to the crazy old man who's journal trembled in his pocket. Sweat started to trickle down his neck, as he smiled one last time.
"Thanks again old man…" He said, squeezing the swallow around his neck as well. "I'll keep her safe… won't let what you all did be in vein."
And Dominik turned, jogging towards the exit.
But first, he was sure to grab the small black device from the table on the way out, as the perfect surprise for Ciri later, despite the fact it almost gave him a heart attack.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
"Whew, I made it a bit toasty in there didn't I!" He joked, as he emerged out into the fresh Skellige air after having caught up to Ciri, Geralt and Yen.
Geralt scoffed as the four of them turned. "Ha… certainly looks like you did."
"Although it was… a big childish, I must admit… that was incredibly satisfying," Yen said, smiling as Geralt wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
Ciri came up next to him smiling as she grabbed onto his arm, before the both of them looked at the smoke coming from the entrance to the base.
"And the best part… now all of his disgusting plans are gone," Ciri said, breathing out a sigh of relief and looking back up at him with a smile. "It was quick thinking on your part."
He scoffed a laugh and wrapped an arm around her waist. "To be honest… I mainly just wanted to destroy everything."
The three of them all laughed at him, as Geralt and Yen watched Ciri reached up and kiss his cheek again, before she walked and looked out over the ocean again. The sun was setting out over the crystal blue water, the absolutely beautiful glow casted Ciri shadow over him, as he walked up to her, smiling as he got there. She looked up at him, and simply smiled, he knew he didn't have to say anything then, he wrapped an arm around her waist, as she gently leaned her head up against his shoulder, the two of them looking out over the water, boats in the distance rolling over the waves as the wind gently hit their faces. It was a cool, cold breeze, and when she finally turned to him he smiled down at her.
"So… feeling better?" He asked, reaching and moving the loose strands of hair that covered her face, getting a huge smile out of her as he looked into her eyes. "We've had a long day; I say out cabin is calling for us."
She laughed and hit her lip, smirking at him as she winked. "Oh don't worry, we'll have plenty of time…. I… wanted to know if you we could do one more thing first."
"Of course, what is it?" He said.
"Are you sure? I… know that you have something you need to do as well, on Undvik, with Bella," She said, quickly shaking her head. "My thing can wait if-."
He cut her off by kissing her, pulling back and smiling at her flustered gaze. "What is it you wanna do princess?"
Ciri recovered from the shock, and Dominik smiled at the fact he was the one who got her all flustered that time. Geralt and Yen finally came up next to them, and he was thankful that they had given the two of them those few seconds alone.
"So, now that we're all done, who's ready to head back?" Yen said, smiling at the two of them with Geralt next to her.
Dominik gave Ciri a reassuring nod. He knew that his business, his plans for Undvik, for Brekka could wait until the next day. From the time since they had woken up, Dominik was able to see the anxiousness in her, and through the day he watched it build up to a boiling point, and now seeing her smile again was worth it. He also knew she wouldn't have asked then if it was something that required a full day.
"Must we really return to the boat now?" Ciri said, as they both turned and faced their parents.
Geralt tilted his head. "Why? Somewhere else you wanna go?"
Ciri shakily sighed and nodded, her face slightly falling as she looked at all three of them. "Yes… but… not here, I wanted to back to Hindersfjall… Lofeton, you guys know… I met a young man there, his name was Sjkall."
Dominik's blood ran cold. The last time he had been to Lofeton, he had barely recognized the person that he was. He could hear it, over and over again repeating in his head. Threatening the villagers, treating Sjkall's body as if it was nothing but a hunk of meet. Right away he looked at Yennefer, who's face fell, as Dominik knew she had already regretted she had to resort to necromancy. It was the only way they could have found Ciri he knew, but Dominik regretted every day having to torture the poor young man's body, threatening to throw him to the drowners, before the spell had drained the garden of Freya, destroying the villagers, who had already lost everything, their sacred garden.
Knowing all of that in itself was horrible enough for him. However now, he knew that it was his sister who had led the attack, commanded Kilgarrah to freeze the village and destroy it. Nobody had survived except a handful of women, all of whom he had threatened to kill. He had told Ciri all of this, what happened in Lofeton, Sjkall, him threatening the villagers. It was one of the most horrible things he had done, and the thought of going back there made his skin crawl, and Ciri must have understood his anxiousness, because she looked at him and tried for a reassuring glance.
Yen stepped forward slowly shaking her head. "C…Ciri… Sjkall… he… he-."
"I know… Dominik told me everything," She said slowly, her voice cracking as she turned back and looked at Geralt and Yennefer both. "I… I understand… you did for me… to find me."
Yen went pale, and then was one of the very few times that he had seen his mother speechless, as she simply nodded, crossing her arms and shakily sighing.
Geralt nodded and looked over to Dominik. "I'll go with you… Dom… you sure you'll be okay?"
Ciri looked up at him as well. "If… if you don't want to go I understand. I… just want to go say goodbye…"
Dominik could see the desperate look in her eyes. He knew her far too well to not know exactly what she was thinking. It was what she had been thinking about even since Kaer Morhen. It was more innocent people that the Hunt had killed, and Lofeton was also where she and Bella had almost killed each other. She regretted what happened in Lofeton, almost as much if not more than he did.
He wouldn't let her do it alone, he had to face his past, his mistakes, learn from them, so he could live with them.
"I'll come with you… no worries," He said, nodding as he reached out to hold one of her hands.
Ciri smiled at him and nodded, squeezing the hand he took. "Thank you…"
"I'm not the most popular person in Lofeton… I can open the three of you a portal, I'll head back to the ship, get some dinner for us all," Yen said to them, looking over at Ciri in particular.
"Ciri are you ready to go now?" The sorceress asked, her hands going to her hips.
Ciri nodded and looked to him and Geralt. "It won't take long, we should be back just as the moon rises… thank you both again."
Geralt nodded with a small smile, as Dominik grabbed her hand again. Ciri looked at him and squeezed his hand again, as Geralt came up to them both.
"Alright, let's get going," He said, looking between them and then back to Yen. "It should be another day or two before we summon Eredin, so it would be smart to-."
"YOU! YOU… DEGENERATE, HALF-BREED, MUTANT, HUMAN PARASITES," An angry voice shouted from behind them, followed by a fit of coughs.
The four of them all whirled around and saw the amount of smoke coming from the entrance to the lab was coming in large plumes. It filled the air, and Dominik scoffed a laugh with Ciri, seeing Geralt and even Yen smile with amusement, as the female elf stumbled from the smoke out onto the beach. Her hair was burned, she coughed and dripped in sweat as she stumbled up to her feet, her eyes burning with a fury.
"YOU… YOU FILTHY HALF-BREEDS! HOW DARE YOU!? HOW DARE YOU DESTROY CENTURIES OF AGONIZING RESEARCH!?" She shouted, coughing a fit again as she manage to stand in front of them.
All of them rolled their eyes, but Dominik was the first to scoff, meeting the woman's eyes.
"Not my fault, I told you I was setting fire to the place and to get out," He said, shrugging as he looked at the gusts of smoke coming from the lab. "And it wasn't, centuries of agonizing research, it was the sick experiments of a man, who has an obsession, and who really isn't very good at handling rejection."
Ciri burst out laughing next to him, holding her gut as she leaned on him for support. Geralt chuckled himself, as Yennefer turned to the woman herself, who looked at them with a fury, pointing her finger at Dominik and Ciri in particular.
"ENOUGH! THE BOTH OF YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS!" The woman scolded, taking steps closer to them, her finger shaking as her charred hair blew in the wind. "WHEN AVALLAC'H DISCOVERS WHAT YOU DID HERE, WHAT YOU DID TO ME HE'LL MAKE YOU BOTH PAY! YOU'LL BE KILLED AND-."
"ENOUGH!" The voice, of his mother, the woman who had protected them both, love them both, had become that mother they needed erupted, stepping in front of the woman.
"Threaten them again you, pompous, arrogant, self-centered-bitch, and I SWEAR, I will make you regret the day you came into this fucking world! You and Avallac'h both!" The sorceress screamed, and Dominik scoffed with a smile as Yen shoved the elf back.
The woman scoffed, getting in Yennefer's face. "Don't you DARE speak to me in such a way you pathetic witch! Avallac'h will make you pay! He'll make you all pay for this, and then he'll take those two abominations and do exactly-."
"If EITHER you or Avallac'h lay a single FINGER, on either one of MY children, I'll REDUCE YOU BOTH TO A PILE OF ASH!" Yen screamed, her violet eyes erupting with new fire.
"You don't scare me, or Avallac'h!" The elf woman said, shaking her head and stomping towards Yen again. "You WITCH, are nothing but a second-rate sorceress, nothing compared to the power Avallac'h- GAHH!"
"Kick her ass Yen," Geralt said amusingly from next to him, as Dominik and Ciri both scoffed out in amazement, as for the first time in their life, they watched their mother throw her fist out and punch the woman across the face.
Cutting her off from her ranting, Yen punched the elf, and shoved her back towards the entrance of the lab. Just before she hit the ground Yen shot her hands forward, and a swirling black and white portal opened beneath the woman just as she looked up. She yelled as she fell through the churning portal, and while Dominik and Ciri laughed with a loud *RIIIIPPP* the portal closed, and the beach was silent except for Dominik and Ciri's laughed.
Geralt chuckled from next to them. "Damn Yen not gonna lie, there haven't been many times I found you more attractive than I do right now."
"HA, that was amazing!" Ciri said from next to him, using his shoulder to push herself up.
Dominik helped Ciri settled himself as the laughs didn't stop, looking up at his mother who huffed and turned back to them. He shook his head and laughed. "Ha… I don't think I've ever seen you punch someone like that!"
Yen scoffed, and straightened out her outfit, a small smirk coming to her face as she looked at them.
"Well, I don't normally like reverting to such… uncivilized violence," She said, with the smirk still growing on her face, as she looked at Dominik and Ciri both. "But… when someone threatens the ones I love most…that's a different story…. Are you all ready to head to Lofeton?"
Dominik's love for his mother had reached new heights then. He couldn't stop himself from smiling as he looked down at Ciri, who nodded at him, still giggling before she turned back to Yen, who Geralt still hadn't stopped staring at with admiration and love.
"Yeah… we're ready," Ciri said with a nod. "We'll be back before it gets too late."
A/N: And now ladies and gentlemen, one of my favorite quests in the entire game is complete! Gods I have been waiting for the chance to write this chapter with this quest for so long and finally getting to it made me so so giddy and I really hope that I nailed it for you all! I really really am excited as well to finally be getting so close. Next chapter we'll be heading o Lofeton, to visit Sjkall's grave. After that, we'll have a chapter where we head to the destroyed village of Brekka, where Bella was raised on Undvik. Dominik, Ciri, Geralt and Yen are going to go, and Dominik is going to try and get a message somehow to his sister, that chapter is going to be a great one… Then we'll have a small calm before the storm chapter, where we recap and catch up with friends, and after that, the final battle. So THREE chapters are left before the final battle arc!
First in this chapter however, we first get a small glimpse of Bella training under Eredin and see just what the King of the Hunt had planned for her. I've said this before, Bella is going to be one of my favorite characters in this entire story and beyond, she's so complex and deep and I can't wait to explore her more.
After that, we have a little romantic breakfast between Dominik and Ciri, before they gather Geralt and Yen and head off for Avallach's lab.
Now, anyone who had read my ANs before, know that I am not a fan at all of Avallac'h. I believe that the Witcher 3 games turned him into a somewhat "Good guy", completely different from how he is in the books. In the books his manipulative, scheming, and always looking out for his own agenda, and that is how I decided to portray him in my story. If you're one of those people who can separate book and game Avallac'h I applaud you, however I simply can't xD And I have made it my mission with this story to keep characters as loyal to their book counterparts as possible, which while I LOVE the witcher games, I will say, that CDPR did change up the personalities of a few, Avallac'h being the main example for me. I understand why they had too, since they need to appeal to everyone not just book readers, however, as someone who loves the book and the movies, I decided to keep the characters in my story loyal to their book counterparts as often as possible.
Ciri is another example of this, while I adore her in the Witcher 3, after reading the books, I always thought that in those games she was… a bit different then I would have expected an adult version of her to be. For example, I always thought she wouldn't be as… well naïve, and nervous as she is in the game. I don't think there's ANY chance at all book Ciri would EVER trust Avallac'h enough to travel with him after what he did to her in the books, I think she would act a bit more like she does in my story, where she's only with him to use him to help her as well, not trusting him completely. I don't think book Ciri would have been afraid to talk to the Lodge of Sorceresses, or be upset like she was learning the truth that Avallac'h doesn't care about what happens to her. While most of the times in the game is exactly how I'd imagine Ciri, someone who would help save a little girl in the woods, defend a village from the Hunt, be kind, caring, a bit silly, social and smiling, I always thought that she would have been different in the instances mentioned above. So, as you all have seen I tried to make her more like I believe book Ciri would have been.
Which is why the scene in the lab is change immensely! We finally see the pressure of Ciri's situation snap as she almost kills Avallach's concubine, but thankfully she's able to control her temper, and with help from Dominik Geralt and Yen she is able to control herself.
However, one of the major things we learn in Avallach's lab, is the identity of another of Dominik's ancestors. Leila of Tir'Nala, the wife of Alexander of Lod, who after her children Connor and Lara of Lod were born, willingly returned to Tir'Nala, to hide the location of her best friend Lara Dorren her love Alexander of Lod and their family.
As I stated during the 'Protectors of the Blood' arc, where we learned about Alexander, we know virtually nothing about Lara Dorren and Cregan of Lod's relationship and what happened between them before their death. So, it gave me a lot of creative freedom to work with when I decided to write this fic, and I am really excited with what I came up with. First we had Alexander, Connor and Lara of Lod, and now… Leila of Tir'Nala, Lara Dorren's best-friend, a powerful navigator, who never broke after months of torture at the hands of her own people. And in the end she stood her ground, and they had to result to an experimental spell to discover Alexander's location, but thankfully she held out long enough.
And we learn… that Leila of Tir'Nala could possibly be alive… is she? Well, you can be sure that will certainly be a quest in a later sequel or short story…
After the events in the lab, we see Yennefer show her claws, before Geralt, Ciri and Dominik teleport to Lofeton, where next chapter will take place….
I want to remind everybody that if you like this story, I have tons more fanart on my Instagram page that I made for this story! Go and follow dominik_of_cintra if you wanna see more fanart then just the photos on this story and my profile! I have tons of amazing quality art, and tons more to come and I can't wait for you all to see it!
So! As usual, thank you all for reading, we've passed almost 250 followers and 200 reviews, which is completely mind boggling! I am so glad you're all enjoying, thank you for going on this incredible journey with me! As always again, make sure to favorite and follow if you enjoyed, review if you have time and of course stay safe!
