The Witcher: Through the Worlds
Chapter 87: The End II (Heirs of Magic)
Narrator: The end has finally come. After weeks and weeks of fighting, Dominik, Ciri and Geralt all finally came to the final battle against the Wild Hunt. On the Isle of Undvik, with all their gathered friends and allies. Black Ones, Northerners, Skelligers, Witchers, Sorceresses, all have come together to fight, to prevent the Wild Hunt from invading their world. For Dominik and Geralt however, it was about much more. Dominik, along with his friends the powerful witchers, George of Toussaint and Faram of Undvik, along with the beautiful yet deadly Freya Kaminski of Ellander, all laid in wait to ambush the Hunt when they arrived, with the help of Sir Robert Anton, one of the last few remaining knights of Cintra from before the city was sacked. Ciri meanwhile anxiously awaits on the shore, watching as Geralt and Dominik lead their friends into battle. After the spell from Avallac'h was successful, the great icy wave of the Wild Hunt came… however, the ships were not the first thing to appear.
"EVERYBODY ON THE GROUND NOW!"
Everyone obeyed Dominik's orders right away, as Kilgarrah's roar and the blast of ice shot over their heads. A cold, icy gale more powerful than Dominik had ever seen soared overhead. He could hear screamed from the Nilfgaardeans down below. They shouted orders to load crossbows, aim arrows, amongst other orders.
A small part of Dominik wanted to scream 'I told you so' down towards the camp, but he decided to ignore that small part of him.
Another roar cut him off, and Dominik could hear the difference between Kilgarrah now and at Kaer Morhen. He scrambled up to his feet after the blast had gone, turning to see some of the troops had done the same, along with his friends and Anton.
"NO! NO STAY DOWN! STAY DOWN!" He said, screaming over the gale of icy wind.
"WHAT ABOUT YOU MATE!?" Faram yelled down in the snow in front of Freya.
Dominik shook his head, he reached his hand out to Anton, and against the gale of wind, the old knight tossed Dominik the spyglass. The icy finally stopped, but nobody disobeyed his orders to stay down. His knees clacked together as he stumbled forward towards the crest of the hill, Kilgarrah's echoing roar still in his mind.
The roars were deeper, louder, more feral. It sounded as if the dragon was in pain, and Dominik almost stumbled as he could feel the wind blow past him from the dragon soaring over his head. He looked up, pressing his eye to the spyglass, watching Kilgarrah's massive form shoot by.
He nearly bit his tongue in half when he saw his back.
Bella was there, she road on Kilgarrah's neck, directing his icy breath down towards the camp of Nilfgaardeans.
CIRI!
He moved his gaze down to the camp and saw Ciri and Avallac'h both leap to cover at the dragon's breath. Bella must not have been interested, because Dominik saw a massive fiery stone launch and nearly smack Kilgarrah from the air. The dragon lurched, spinning around to see clearly that the Imperial Fleet had was closing in. Pressing the glass against his eye again, Dominik frantically looked for the main ship, the one Geralt had been riding. After seeing screaming, trembling men onboard the vessels, he finally spotted the front on Geralt had been on.
The ship had become stuck in ice, its golden sun banner violently flapping in the wind. He could see Geralt scrambling if he focused though his shape was blurry. He bit through his lip, closing he spyglass and looking back toward Anton who had come up next to his side.
"What do we do Captain! Orders?" He asked, his hand gripped to the hilt of his broadsword.
Dominik looked to his right, where Freya and his friends had rose. "Freya, I don't suppose your weapon can hit him?"
She looked to the weapon to the right. Moving her blonde ponytail out of her eyes she shook her head. "I don't think so, it fires too slow! Besides, it's meant to take out armies, not one dragon. It would only draw him to us!"
Dominik cursed under his breath. "Okay… then our best bet is to-."
A loud crash cut him off, the sound of splintering wood, and every one of the soldiers shot to their feet to look what had happened. Dominik turned as well, and right away put the glass to his eye again, and what he saw made his stomach drop.
He watched Bella on the back of Kilgarrah point down towards the armada of a hundred Nilfgaardean ships that had been amassed. Dominik heard in the camp; it was almost all of the ships that Emhyr had in his entire navy combined. He had brought all his ships to Skellige, minus the few he guessed the Emperor needed to protect the mainland.
And if there was one group that Bella could possibly still hate more then Dominik and Ciri at the moment, it was the Black Ones.
"GET BACK DOWN NOW!" He grabbed Anton by the arm and yanked the old knight to the ground with him.
A loud crash pierced out over the wind. The shattering of wood, splintering of ships, the screams of men dying, drowning, it carried over the wind slamming into Dominik's ears with the force of an explosion. Anguished cries, men screaming, he heard gestured for everyone else to stay down, and sucked in some of the magic around him that he had been controlling. His eyes alight he shot to his feet, rushing to the crux of the hill again, just at the top of the slope.
He looked out in horror, as Kilgarrah strafed over the Imperial Fleet. One by one, ships tried to use their trebuchets to fire flaming boulders towards the dragon but Kilgarrah even for his massive size was much too quick. Bella gripped him neck atop his back, directing and shouting for him to take aim at the ships that fired. He could hear her screaming voice carrying on the wind, and if he focused on her, he could see the magic exhuming from her just like it was from him. Alexander had said she could control her powers with anger and hate, and it would be even more powerful, but erratic, dangerous to her and everyone else around him.
I need to get to her… and I need to do it fast, he thought. If he could get to Bella and get through to her quick, perhaps together they could get through and break any hold Eredin had on Kilgarrah.
"Dominik! We need to do something mate!" Faram shouted, rushing up behind him as everyone else stayed low.
Dominik nodded, unable to take his eyes off Kilgarrah. He knew they needed to act, but his mind was racing with too many ideas-most of them horrible- to act. Kilgarrah dive-bombed downwards towards one particularly large ship that fired two large flaming stones at once. Kilgarrah fired a powerful stream of ice towards both of the boulders, and with a loud hiss the fire on them turned to steam. Steam rose from them, sending up a large cloud after which Kilgarrah rose high back into the air. He watched the soldiers helpless scramble, looking like ants from his position on the deck. For a moment he thought Bella retreated with the dragon.
He was wrong, as he watched Kilgarrah come through for another pass. A stream of ice burst from the white dragon's mouth again- it was going to be hard to see the beast if the snow continued like it was- and the breath, splintered the ships hull with little effort, meeting the same fate as most of the other ships in the bay.
Within less than half an hour, almost the entire Imperial Fleet lay in splinters in the bay of ice.
"Geralt…" He said, ripping the spyglass from his belt again.
He scanned where a large coalition ice had gathered. All along the bay, there were large, shattered plains of ice, the remains of the Imperial Fleet all seemed to connect them, floating bits of wood and ice scattered about. A few meters out of the center from where the portal had opened, it was amazing, it was still sunset, as if outside that one spot in the bay nothing had changed. However, the night was approaching, the snow beginning to come down harder. If that came, and they didn't get Kilgarrah under control, they'd be in even more trouble.
Where the hell is Borch? He shook his head, he couldn't stand by and wait for the dragon, not with Geralt in the middle of the danger. With the spyglass in hand he found the original lead ship. It miraculously hadn't been hit by Kilgarrah yet, Bella had led the dragon to hunt down smaller ships in the fleet that had tried to flee. It had been wedged in an ice burg, towards the center of the planes of ice, and like the other ships, the soldiers were like ant scrambling around the deck.
However, with more focus he was able to spot a head of silvery white hair. Geralt he managed to see clearer, he stumbled to his feet, just as Kilgarrah's roar pierced the air again. A large blur of white shot past him, and he saw the stream of ice aimed toward the ship.
Dominik almost screamed, but he watched as Geralt grabbed another soldier by the collar of his armor and took the both of them overboard just as the ship erupted into splinters.
He drew out a sigh of relief, Geralt would survive that, he had survived far worse. But Kilgarrah still roared, strafing streams of ice, his focus-and Bella's- not leaving the Black Ones ships.
I need to draw his attention away from them… but how? He bit his lip, until Borch arrived from wherever he went, they had no way to handle Kilgarrah and get his attention away from the ships. As much as he hated the Black Ones, the soldiers below on the ships had done nothing to him, and he wouldn't see them needlessly slaughtered because their leaders refused to listen. There was also the fact, that once the Nagalfar appeared, they'd need the fleet to stop them from fleeing right away. Despite the fact there couldn't be more then 15 ships left in the fleet, he needed to do what he could to save it.
"Dominik!" Freya's voice shouted behind him, both he and Faram turned. The blonde came running up, grunting as he bushy ponytail hit her face. "Their getting antsy! I had an idea!"
Dominik listened to Kilgarrah's roar one last time, closing the spyglass, as he saw Bella's glowing form on his neck. Cursing he turned back to Freya.
"I could use a good idea right now," He said, his voice on edge.
Freya looked back at her weapon. "If we fire it up, we can draw his attention, get it off the fleet! After we have it, we can scatter, get down towards the bay, or into the woods, we can lose him!"
"That's a risky plan goldilocks," Faram said, looking out at the dragon again, his beard flecked with white snow. "Are we even fast enough? And what's to say he couldn't just blow the forest down?"
Dominik listened to the two begin to discuss the plan in detail, but soon the wind and his thoughts tuned them out. He pulled the spyglass out again, looking back up at Kilgarrah, Bella on his neck as they hunted down the last of the fleet. Only a few ships remained, but Dominik could still hear the screams. The screams of dying men. He could hear them, and the screams from the Battle of Brenna. The Battle of Brenna had been the one major victory the North had won against the Empire in the second war, and even then it had been a slaughter for both sides.
The screams were more distant now, but they all rang in Dominik's head like a chorus of bells.
His hands curled around the spyglass as he looked at Bella again. Glowing with a blue magic light similar to how he was. His sister. He knew he had to get to her, to stop the slaughter that was happening now. It wasn't just men she was killing below, but he knew that behind that helm she had to be slowly ripping apart piece by piece.
Behind him, he saw the soldiers he was leading, still in formation. Anton and George worked to keep them calm. The longer they waited, the more anxious they became
And he had to be there for her this time, he wouldn't give up on her. He had left her to the mercy of the Nilfgaardean invasion in Cintra, hadn't gone back for her. Like him, that massacre of their home, more then likely gave Bella the hatred for the Black Ones she was showing now, as she led Kilgarrah to shatter ships.
Dominik shakily sighed, taking one last look at Bella with the spyglass, before slamming it closed. She hates them, just like I do… but there's one other thing she hates more…
He turned back to Faram and Freya still bickering, if I get myself killed, Ciri may bring me back as a ghost just to kill me again… but this is the only way.
"We can't risk the men!" Faram shouted over the wind, looking down at Freya, who despite her smaller stature didn't waver.
The blonde shook her head, her hand gripped tightly to her sword. "It's the only way! If we hide in the trees and find cover we can make-."
"I'm going!" Dominik said, rushing back to them, and tossing the spyglass to Anton who had turned around.
He turned back towards the carnage, pulling Fate from his back again. Looking down he adjusted the straps of his armor and looked at the magical mist forming around him. He didn't know exactly how it worked yet, but he had been learning quickly. Before, he had only been able to use so much before it became unbearable for his limbs, they started smoking and he'd nearly pass out. He'd seen the mist and magic glow around him before but had been unable to control it.
This is it, after this, you, Ciri, Fiona. Your life begins. He shot open his eyes and magic exhumed from him like a blue cloud, his body brimmed with energy and spilled over like a leaking damn, as he turned and saw Faram and Freya's shocked expressions.
"What do you mean 'you're going!?" Freya yelled, "you're not going out there alone you're insane!"
"She's right mate, can't let you do that it's suicide!" Faram said, his massive arms falling to his side.
Dominik looked back, he stood only a few meters from the line of men. They had clearly heard him, and were all staring at him with adoration, from his plan, or from the glowing light he didn't know.
But Kilgarrah's roar reminded him he had no time to deduce what it was. He turned to Faram and Freya. "It's the only way, Freya you're right, we have to take his eyes off the ships! It's only a matter of time before he turns on the camp, Skellige's fleet, and then us."
"But what about our dragon! Where is the fucker, let him handle it!" Faram argued with him.
"No time, I need to do this now," He said, looking up at Faram, and then down at Freya, who was on the verge of frantic tears. Dominik sighed, his hand tightening around Fate's handle. "I won't let everyone else act as bait. I'll run down there and scream for Bella… Ciri and I are the only ones who she may hate more then the Black Ones now… and not risking Ciri."
Wind howled as more snow began to fall. Kilgarrah roared, another strangled one that sounded like the beast was in pain. He didn't want to harm the dragon, but from his short interactions with the beast, he wouldn't mind if Dominik did to save more. The snow was going to be a problem soon, as well as the night that was rapidly coming, they needed to start now.
George ran along the lines of men, shouting out what he guessed were stories from old battles back in Toussaint. The stories of brave knights fighting impossible odds. It gave the soldiers before him some leverage, but he knew soon their palms would be too sweat to even hold their spears.
"Won't let you do that mate!" Faram said, grabbing his massive hand to Dominik's shoulder.
Dominik shook him off. "You will and you won't follow! Not either of you or anyone! As soon as I have his attention then you charge, Anton's in command!"
"Stop being fucking stubborn for once in your life!" Freya said getting closer to him. "Ciri asked us to look after you and we will! We won't let you risk your life like this alone."
"You don't have a choice!" He snapped at them, the icy wind violently biting at the tip of his nose as he looked between them. "I'll go now don't follow. I guess it's time to see what this magic can do. I'll-."
"DOMINIK! INCOMING!" Anton's deep, commanding voice carried over the wind, and Dominik spun on his heel.
A loud, bone-crushing roar came next.
His eyes widened, as he looked and could count on one hand the number of ships left from the Imperial Fleet. However, he didn't look at that, as he saw a giant white blur zooming towards them.
No…. Sucking in the magic around him he turned to the group of soldiers behind him, who had all been shattered by the roar. Kilgarrah came towards them, flying at speed, Dominik would never have guessed possible for a creature so large. He needed to do something, he turned to Freya, magic leaking from his lips and eyes in small wisps.
"FREYA ON THE WEAPON NOW!" He shouted over the roar, and the wind as he turned back to the men. Freya darted off, and Dominik looked to the men who were shaking at the sight of the great white dragon barreling towards them. "HOLD! STAND YOUR GROUND!"
They all did as they were told. Dominik looked and saw Freya striking flint and steel near the back of her weapon. Another roar came through the air, and he turned back to the top of the hill, he was a few meters away, hidden within a thicket of trees, one wide opening for them to charge down, and for Freya's weapon to fire. However, he knew Kilgarrah could still see them, that Bella could still see them.
"Dominik! We need to take cover!" Anton yelled from his left. Dominik looked and the old knight grabbed onto his arm, pale eyes frantic as he called over the wind. "We should retreat further back, let the weapon do its work!"
Dominik turned again, Kilgarrah got closer, closer, closer, until he could make out Bella on the dragon's neck. He had no idea how he was riding her when he was now under the control of Eredin, but he assumed she would be in danger too if Kilgarrah went rouge. Closer, closer, the roars, the pained, struggled roars got louder and louder. His ears almost bled, as the sound jumbled around in his mind.
He looked to Freya, who was having a hard time striking the flint to make fire in the gale. He looked to the men and women who were shaking more and more behind him as the dragon got closer.
It's not gonna fire in time…. He watched Freya struggle, then looked out to the hill. Closer, closer, the white blurb was even more visible in the snow now. I need to do something.
He turned to Anton, his heart thumping over wind. "I need to go!"
"Dominik wait no-." Anton tried to argue, but Dominik darted from him.
He felt the magic releasing from his limbs like steam floating out of a hot bath. It flowed through him invigorating him. He willed more of the magic out of him, his mind remembering times spent back with his sister in Cintra, times growing up with Ciri at Kaer Morhen, running pendulums and first attempting witcher signs.
More magic came around him, the mist and glow brighter. He ran, faster then his legs had ever taken him, and he skidding to a halt next to Freya. She looked up at him and seemed to yell something, but it was lost to him in the galling wind. He yanked the fuse from her hand, and forming the right-hand movement, the Igni sigh flared to life in his palm, lighting the fuse in seconds. Freya nodded to him grateful, then shot to her feet to yell orders to the men surrounding the weapon.
Dominik stood, when he heard Anton scream.
"HOLD BOYS! HOLD AND DON'T LET HIM RATTLE YOU! STAND STRONG!" The old knight waved his broadsword, trying to calm the stirring soldiers.
The wind seemed to pick up speed, but Dominik still heard Kilgarrah's pained roar over it. Ice started to form on the trees around him and bursting past Faram who had retreated to the lines, he ran and got to the top of the hill, just as he looked up and saw Kilgarrah open his massive jaws. He saw collating mist, ice forming between his rows of dagger like teeth, and he broke out into a run.
The magic around him sucked into his body, he forced it, right into his legs, and it moved him at speeds he didn't know possible. He could see Bella on the dragon's back, the black slits of her faceplate narrowed down towards the hill, he assumed that she was able to sense his magic, and any hope int hat moment of getting through to her was lost. He heard her scream over the wind and just as he reached the top of the hill he sucked in the rest of the magic mist around him, pulling and forcing it all to his palms.
Men behind him screamed, one shouted that they were going to die. He thought of all the ships splintered in the bay, while he wouldn't cry for Emhyr's lost resources, he thought of all the men who had died in those ships. He thought of Ciri down in the camps, why couldn't they have just been left alone? Left alone by Emhyr, Avallac'h, the Aen Elle, everyone, why could they have just left them alone and let them live their lives?
If they survived this they could. He could save his sister, the woman he loved, finally let all his friends live in peace. He'd be free to spend his life what he had always dreamed of doing in his youth. Protecting people, helping them. Protecting those who cannot protect themselves.
I'm a witcher… that's what I do… I hunt monsters!
He let out a scream, just as Kilgarrah was about to unleash his gale of ice on his troops, Dominik let out a gut-wrenching scream. Leaping and firing his hand forward he formed the proper hand signs for Aard.
Aard had been the first sign Geralt had taught him, and it unleashed from his hands then. In a giant burst of blue magic light, the sign shot from his hands and smacked into Kilgarrah just before his breath could unleash. Dominik landed, his legs feeling like pudding for a moment before he sucked in more of the magic around him and energy shot back to them. He stood up and watched the sign smacked into Kilgarrah and cause the dragon to let out another bone chilling roar.
Kilgarrah was the most massive beast Dominik had ever seen but as his Aard blast hit the dragon, Kilgarrah crumble. A loud pain roar made Dominik go deaf for a moment. He stumbled back in the snow, the wind churning through his ears like a canyon.
The dragon lurched downwards, he heard a loud cheer go up from his soldiers behind him, but Dominik kept his eyes on Kilgarrah. The beasts flapped his wings furiously, and now Dominik could clearly see Bella sitting on his neck. She was shaken by the spell as well, she was hanging onto the dragon's horn, and Dominik felt a stir of panic. Against all reason he almost ran towards where he thought Bella was going to fall, but quickly she was able to get herself upright.
He could hear a distant scream over the winds, it sounded far off, but he knew it was Bella. Up on Kilgarrah's back, as the dragon tried to shake off the effects of the sign, he watched his sister climb back up onto his neck.
And she looked down at him.
The magic around him churned when Bella met his eyes. It swirled around him, and seemed to be surging forward, wanting to meet the same kind of mist that was forming around Bella as well. However, he could see the difference between his magic and Bella's. Bella's shot around her, a darker shade of blue then his. It was sporadic, cackling around her light out of control lightning, unlike a fine mist like his was. Her armor was already scored, and he didn't see Coram on her belt. Instead, it was the same jagged black blade she had used the last three times they fought.
Dominik could move. For a moment, all time seemed to freeze around him. His bones turned to ice under the weight of his sister's cold stare under her helm. Kilgarrah's wings seemed to beat in slow motion, as all he could focus on was the cold stare from Bella's black eye slits.
He saw the moment when she first removed her helm, when he saw her up close, heard her voice, saw the woman she had grown into. His little sister was fully grown, a woman, a warrior, and he had missed it all.
Not anymore.
"BELLA!" He screamed, seeming to break the slow rolling battle around him. "BELLA LISTEN TO ME! BELLA!"
Kilgarrah roared before Bella could answer. He couldn't see any indication of what she was feeling under her helm, but without any movement from her, Kilgarrah turned back on him. Instead of gold eyes that contained years of wisdom the dragon's eyes were blood red, as his scales were so white they almost made him seem lost in the snow and dim light.
Panic welled up in him, again Bella didn't move, seemingly unable to give any commands to the beast, but Kilgarrah's mouth opened wide anyway. He prepared to raise a shield, but that was when he heard Freya's voice yell out from behind him.
"FIRE!" She shouted, so loud it carried over the storm.
"DOMINIK MATE MOVE!" He felt massive hands grab him by the should and yank him backwards.
Faram managed to pull him back, as a loud BOOM rang overhead. The Bear Witcher finally stopped pulling as Dominik got back to the main line of men, and that was when he saw the destruction 'the Kaminski' unleash.
Along with arrows fired from their archers, a volley of flaming arrows all soared towards Kilgarrah. A beautiful flaming volley soared towards Kilgarrah, and it seemed to take him by surprise, because Bella seemed to scream, yanking on the dragon's horns.
*BOOM*, *BOOM*, *BOOM*. Kilgarrah waved his wings, knocking away some of the volley, but some of them found home in the dragon's chest. A loud cheer went up behind him, but Dominik knew better, Kilgarrah was distracted but far from defeated.
He sucked in a shaky breath, as Anton came running up next to him. "Are you alright!?"
"I'm fine," He muttered, picking up Fate which he had dropped to the ground. "What's the status of the Skelligers!? Do we see-."
"HE'S COMING AGAIN!" A man shouted, and all heads snapped back as Kilgarrah roared.
Dominik turned, and sure enough despite the flaming burnt scales on his chest, Kilgarrah dove again. He scrambled, trying to suck in magic again to go meet him but he was stopped in his tracks.
Another roar pierced the air, and this one wasn't Kilgarrah.
The air around him grew hot, the trees blew forward with a whoosh and Dominik almost stumbled forward. Him and all the men and women following looked up as a gold streak of light zoomed through the air, followed by a torrent of fire.
He's got the gift of great timing he does, that's twice now, Dominik thought, as he could help but smile.
Borch Three-Jackdaws wasn't as large as Kilgarrah, but the gold dragon didn't let it stop him. He zipped through the air, illuminating the air around them, melting the snow. His blast of fire met Kilgarrah's icy one, and a hiss of steam came from it. Borch slammed forward into Kilgarrah, his mass jaws going for the white dragon's neck, as his claws dug into his chest.
"BELLA!" Dominik yelled, trying to run forward, but Anton grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back.
Dominik saw as Borch attacked, Bella stumbled and was thrown from the dragon's neck. He wanted to rush to try and help her, but he watched as Bella shot her hand forward. Magic erupted from it, and soon, she disappeared in a puff of frost just before she could hit the ground. He let out a sigh of relief, but then his heart sank, as he looked back out towards the icy plains.
She probably teleported back there, he thought. He let out a puff of bright magic, I can't avoid it any longer… I need to go; we need to go. Not to mention Geralt's still down there.
Around the icy planes, which was now a graveyard of the entire Imperial Fleet, Dominik could see the swirling ball of icy mist. He knew that if they entered it now, they'd be alright, but any soldier lucky enough to survive Kilgarrah's initial assault, were more then likely frozen like they had been at Kaer Morhen. It was the same spell Caranthir had used at Kaer Morhen.
"Sorry we are late!" A voice said, a thick accent, which Dominik recognized as Zerrikanian.
Soldiers cheered as they watched Kilgarrah and Borch fight in the skies, teeth and claws snapping at one another. The battle took them to the east, further away from the icy planes, but Dominik knew better then to assume the threat of Kilgarrah was gone. However, he turned and focused on the crowd of soldiers all raising their weapons and cheering.
Dominik watched as some of them parted, making room for Tea an Vea. The two Zerrikanian's made Dominik cold just looking at them. How did they still show that much skin when in a climate like this? It didn't matter, as long as they could still fight as well as he knew they could.
"We hope, we are not too late to join the fight," Tea or Vea said, he still couldn't tell the difference between them.
Dominik however still smirked, shaking his head. "Not too late at all, welcome to the party. Fall in with the rest of the skirmishers, we're charging soon and-."
"Dominik…" Faram said, and for the first time all day, Dominik heard the tone shift in Faram's voice.
He turned, his three friends on his right. Tea and Vea listened without question, running to join the line of fighters. To his right, George had joined Faram and Freya, while Anton stood to his left. He looked and saw the looks on their faces. Freya's weapon to the right was being loaded again, it was so effective against Kilgarrah, Freya obviously must have ordered a second volley. To his left, Anton held out the spyglass, and Dominik could see why as he looked out over the planes, down the hill.
His bones grew cold, the roar of both dragon's pierced his ears, but Dominik could only look out over the swirling black portal. Out of it, sailed the Nagalfar, the ship made from the bones of dead men. The stories had been true, it was massive, stretching out over the bay, splintering through any ships that held any semblance of shape. Two more ships appeared next to it, but they were much smaller in comparison.
The Nagalfar was bone white, jagged pieces of bones sticking out at all angles. The sail was massive, and it crushed through anything in its path before coming to rest finally, lurching. Net to it, the two more Hunt ships both came to a stop as well, the intense winds, icy and snow unaffecting them all. The cold barrier of ice around the planes got thicker, as the sunset outside slowly turned to knight, and Dominik could already see riders tossing torches over the side, settling the remains of ships alight.
Fire, ice, snow, and undoubtedly rain soon as well. The perfect storm.
This is it… no more running, no more hiding. All the ships had one thing in common however, Dominik could see dozens upon dozens of riders, and beasts of the Hunt on each ship. They had to easily outnumber them, over a hundred, perhaps two hundred. He didn't know how many men were frozen stiff below from the Black Ones, but even with them unfrozen, it would still only just break even.
"Dominik… your orders lad," Anton said next to him, looking down and closing his spyglass. "Do we charge?"
They had too. Without the Black Ones there to stop the initial wave, the Hunt could easily overwhelm the camp below.
They could get to Ciri… can't let that happen. He turned to Anton, to his friends, his bones went stiff, the magic gently whirling around him in a puff. Could he really do it? Lead the men and women around him, into a battle where they were clearly outnumbered? Sucking in a slow breath, he exhaled, looking down at the swallow around his neck. Gently he also pulled back his glove, revealing the underside of his wrist. Black ink, a wolf, just like Ciri's.
He turned to the men and women, all were still antsy, and Dominik almost felt guilty making them wait so long. The anticipation was the worst part his father always told him.
He looked down at Fate which he almost forgot he was holding and exhaled. Finally time… today, you make them pay, all of them.
For Ciri, for his sister, and for his world.
"SOLDIERS! KNIGHTS! SAILORS!" Dominik said, yelling over the wind and the dragon's roar. Raising his sword into the air he exhumed more magic mist looking across them. "WE CHARGE! LET'S-."
"DOMINIK! THE SKELLIGERS! HJALMAR AND CRACH!" Anton shouted behind him, and right away Dominik turned.
A loud *BOOM* erupted in his ears, and he looked. His jaw dropped, as he saw an army of longships zooming directly towards the Nagalfar. It was led by one at the front, flying the banner of Clan An Craite and all Skellige's clans. It slammed into the ship to the right of the Nagalfar, it splinted the Hunt ship in half before more smaller longships all zoomed towards the icy plans. Dominik saw flaming axes and arrows and could hear the distant battle cries and cheers from the Skelligan men.
He knew Cerys wouldn't be on the ships charging. His friend wouldn't be stupid enough to send all her ships at once, and Hjalmar and Crach more then likely convinced her to stay back and command from the back, protecting the new Queen. However, if he knew Hjalmar and Crach like he had though he did, he knew they'd be at the front, on that flagship.
For a moment he was stunned by the boldness of the Skelligers. The ships rammed around the Nagalfar into the shattered icy planes. The Hunt seemed to be taken by surprise at first, the Riders who had left the ship clashed with the Skelligers, and the sounds of battle soon followed.
"HA! THE BALLS OF AN OX ALL OF THEM!" Faram whooped next to him, his silver raised.
Dominik shook his head, "Brave yeah… but they won't have enough, we need to charge, we need to help them! Freya! Order your weapon crew to focus all fire on the Nagalfar! Tell them to keep an eye on the camp below, if they see them approaching start focusing fire there!"
"You heard him boys! Calibrate the launch angle!" Freya yelled, rushing over to help the men calculate.
They needed to move quick he knew, the Skelligers wouldn't hold out long, and if they didn't somehow get the remaining Black Ones free, the battle would be over quick.
Caranthir was more then likely the one to cast the spell… take him out and the spell should vanish.
He looked to Anton. "Anton, Faram, George, Freya and I have a mission, a specific one. After the initial charge you're in command! Assist the Skelligers, keep clear of the dragons, and move slowly towards the Nagalfar, after we're finished we'll meet up with you there, go ready the lines!"
"Yes captain!" Anton yelled, a gleam in his eyes before dashing back to the lines, screaming out the orders to tighten ranks.
Dominik looked down at the fighting one last time, checking to make sure he had sucked in as much of the magic around him as he could. He was amazed to feel himself able to pull on magic from all the sources around him. The trees, the grass, if he focused, focused on what he was fighting for, what he would get if the battle went well, he was able to summon and fill his body with magic, the mist around him starting to trickle from his mouth and eyes like steam in a beautiful bright blue color.
He gripped tighter on his sword, gripping the swallow once more around his neck. For Ciri, for Bella, for Arno, Declan, Folan, Vigi… and all the worlds you've taken.
"You mention a mission mate! What're we doing," Faram said, coming up next to him, "I'd say I'm done waiting, ready to crack some skulls I am!"
"I concur with Faram," George said, sharply coming up next to him as well. His silver sword was already a wash with flames, his golden hair blew back in the wind. "We will send the wraiths back from whence they came! They shall regret attacking our world, attacking the ones we love!"
Never in his life had he heard George speak with such intensity. Dominik looked and could see the flames burning brighter down his sword, his yellow witcher eyes narrowed on the riders below.
Freya ran up with him as well, done helping calibrate the weapons launch angle. She twirled her new sword a few times, before resting it on her shoulder and standing to his left.
"Angled and ready Dom," She said darkly, looking down at the battle below. "So… what's the plan?"
All three of his friends, his hansa looked to him. Dominik eyes the Nagalfar. Eredin is there… and today he dies, no more fear… no more games.
"We charge with everyone else, but after that we break off," He explained slowly, his voice low but carrying over the wind. "Four people can move where an army can't. While Anton and the Skelligers distract the main force, we slip near the Nagalfar and find Caranthir. He cast the spell, if we find and kill him, the ice lifts, and the frozen Black Ones join the battle. It's the only way we stand a chance."
"And what about Eredin?" George asked, his Toussaint accent carrying on the wind.
Dominik squeezed his blade again. "After that… I'm going to find him… and this time I'll kill him."
He expected them to protest, to insist they come with him for that fight. Dominik wouldn't let them, that fight was he and Ciri's. He didn't know what it was that made him feel that way, but he knew it would come down to just them. If the prophecy from Connor of Lod was correct, Dominik could kill him, he would.
It didn't matter who, but that day the King would die.
He looked at them all, and they all nodded, weapons at the ready. The wind howled deeply again. The night was now only lit by the light of the torches and fires set in the planes; snow continued to fall. Dominik heard the roaring from Kilgarrah and Borch but couldn't locate them, the white dragon would be hard to locate then, but he assumed if he could kill Eredin then the spell he had over Kilgarrah would break.
Nothing is going to happen until we charge… it's finally time.
"Captain, we're ready at your word!" Anton said from behind him.
Dominik turned and the old knight nodded to him through the slits of his helmet. He let out a sigh and looked to his friends. They all nodded in confirmation that they were prepared, and Dominik then looked to the men and women in lines. He saw the first few men in the front rows, spears and shields ready, swords at their hips incase the fighting got too close. He saw the golden lions of Cintra across their breastplates. Would this have been what it was like to lead Cintra's armies? Hopefully, it's as close as I'll get.
But he fought for much more then Cintra now, he fought for Ciri, and for the world.
He looked out at the men and women and raised Fate into the air. "WHAT DO YOU ALL SAY? WILL YOU JOIN ME IN DEFEATING THESE SELF-PROCLAIMED GODS!?"
A loud cheer went up, as weapons bashed shields and the ground. Next to him his friends led a cheer of their own, weapons raised as Dominik found himself somehow smiling.
"WITH ME THEN! LET'S SHOW THEM HOW WE FIGHT ON THE CONTINENT!" He yelled, turning towards the battle himself, weapon still raised. "LETS SHOW THEM, THAT THEY WONT MAKE SLAVES OF US! LETS MAKE THEM BLEED! FOR THE WORLD!"
"FOR THE WORLD, FOR THE WORLD, FOR THE WORLD!"
The cheer went up, and next to him Freya stepped up and smirked. "See? Told you you'd come up with a good speech. Ready?"
No, but how could I be? Geralt's reminder rang through his mind. Nobody could possibly be ready for what he had to do, but he would do it anyway.
Because he was a witcher, and it was his job to protect people from monsters. Ciri he knew could protect herself, but that wouldn't stop him from helping her, because you protected the ones you loved with everything you had, no matter the foe. She also was his destiny, his destiny that he protect her.
Sometimes destiny and love, are one in the same.
Turning to Freya and his friends he nodded. "Follow me…"
"FOR THE WORLD, FOR THE WORLD, FOR THE WORLD!" The cheer kept up behind him, not letting up over the roar of the wind.
And he charged towards the battle, towards his destiny.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
"DOWN AGAIN, EVERYONE!" A voice from the camp yelled, and Ciri didn't hesitate to follow instructions then.
Damn, that dragon has the gift of good timing. Her vision blurry, she shook her head to try and see clearly again. She had fallen down onto the dock, and the first thing she heard was the massive roars form Kilgarrah and Borch. Finally managing to look up, she saw flashes of gold and white in her blurry vision. Night had come, and if not for Borch's fire, she would have had a hard time seeing Kilgarrah. Just above the camp they clashed in a loud bang. The two beasts slammed into each other, Borch's jaw snapped onto Kilgarrah's thick longer neck. Kilgarrah smacked him back aside with a wing, dragging his claw down across Borch's chest, and the two dragons went slamming into the mountains and forests behind them.
Well it won't be for long, but at least Borch got him away… but the fleet, she thought, struggling to her feet as she looked out at the now graveyard.
She could only see one or two ships remaining, though they were soon quickly frozen by the icy spell that had once engulfed Kaer Morhen as well. Shards and splinters floated in the now icy bay, forming a battlefield of broken ships and planes of ice. The wind continued to howl with the snow blistering past, but it wasn't that which made Ciri's spine tingle.
"Geralt…" She said, grunting from some pain in her back as she stood.
Behind her, she heard shouts from soldiers to get the Emperor and escort him to safety. She heard them scrambling to try and find some way to flee. She was sure Emhyr's flagship had to be amongst the graveyard in the bay, so surely now they had no way of escape, all of the Nilfgaardean forces were trapped. She heard on man mention emergency ships were coming from the mainland, and they would retreat as soon as they got there, orders from Emhyr.
He's leaving his men that are alive, frozen or dying in the bay, she thought, a disgusting taste filling her mouth, and Geralt is amongst them.
Magic swirled in her eyes, she needed to do something she knew. Scrambling to her feet, Ciri looked up towards the cliffs. Why hadn't Dominik charged yet? That was her plan, as soon as he charged to teleport and join him, but he still hadn't gone. Her heart had stopped when she saw Kilgarrah, Bella riding on his neck charging towards the position, thankfully saved by Freya's weapon and Borch.
And she remembered Bella falling from Kilgarrah, before teleporting away. Her vision turned towards the new arrivals in the battlefield. They had finally arrived just before Kilgarrah and Borch nearly killed her again. The Nagalfar… Bella teleported there, Eredin will be there… time to end this.
Geralt was trapped, frozen somewhere in the ice, and Dominik would undoubtedly charge to try and find him soon. She wouldn't let them fight alone. It wouldn't be like Kaer Morhen again. She reached up to her hair, tightening the bun of her ashen hair, she checked around her neck, the bronze ring, and her wolf medallion were there. Quickly she squeezed the ring, as she did every single lonely night she had in the previous eight years, every bit of pain, suffering, torment, all of it had led to this moment.
No more running.
She tightened her corset again, ignoring the nipping wind and distant roar of dragons. Her gaze traveled up to the sphere of icy mist around the bay, the trap. Outside of the sound of soldiers behind her, the roar of the dragons, Ciri could hear nothing. It was night, the sun had finally gone down. She could see small bits of fire flickering around the Nagalfar and two ships. It was like the distant light at the end of the Cave of Life, the torches that led her to the chambers.
A torch drawing her into a fight for her life, possibly death.
"It's completely silent…" She muttered to herself, stepping forward on the dock. "Not a single word…. Dominik what are you doing?"
"It is a trap," A hissing voice came from behind her. Ciri looked and saw Avallac'h had climbed to his feet, the tip of his staff glowing. The sage pulled his hood back up, his face twisted in a snarl and looked at her. "It is too dangerous, we must flee. NOW."
"Not this time… no more running," Ciri said, her eyes darting back towards the sage. She could see the loathing in his eyes, the annoyance. She didn't care anymore. "You don't order me around, I'm going I-."
A *BOOOOM* followed by the distant whooping of men and women shot Ciri back around. The hair on her arms stood up, her heart leapt to her throat as fire erupted inside the sphere of ice. Arrows of fire, flaming stones and weapons were launched towards the Nagalfar, as Ciri watched ships from Skellige, flying the banner of Clan An Craite and the rest of Skellige's clans. Hjalmar and Crach had begun their assault with the rest of Skellige, as Ciri watched a longship plow into the side of the Nagalfar. It was bigger than the rest and sent the riders she saw in the distance scrambling as more longships zoomed forward, Skelligers pouring from the ship and smashing into the riders to begin the bloody fight.
"The fools…" Avallac'h said, coming up next to her, shaking his head. "They're outnumbered, there are even more than I expected…. Zireael we must flee and-."
"I said not this time!" Ciri snapped, grabbing the ring around her neck, watching her friends, Skelligers, Hjalmar and Crach charge the Wild Hunt. She turned to the sage, her skin suddenly hot, her limbs twitching, ready to move. "I won't leave them! I won't run anymore, and you can't tell me otherwise!"
"You idiot girl!" The sage said, grip tightening on his staff. "Do you realize what will happen!? They are outnumbered, you do not control your powers, it is too dangerous. We are fighting a losing fight, we must flee!"
"FOR THE WORLD, FOR THE WORLD, FOR THE WORLD!" The loud cheer carried on the howling winds. Both Ciri and Avallac'h snapped their heads towards the east, as Ciri could hear a practical avalanche. Her eyes narrowed to the hill, the slope that she was supposed to be charging down.
And now Dominik led Anton's men without her, no doubt with their friends right next to him. She looked up into the night sky and saw the most beautiful sight of the night. A massive volley of flaming, crackling and exploding arrows set the night sky alight. Freya's weapon fired and the target was the Nagalfar. Ciri watched as the arrows found their mark, just as she could spot black specks moving and streaming from the Hunt's command ship. From the distance she was at, they sounded like small little pops, but Ciri knew they were explosions from the arrows, hopefully finding slits in the rider's skeletal plate.
She turned her attention back to the small charging army. Dominik had told her he didn't expect anymore then a hundred men, and it didn't seem to be anymore then that much as she watched them charge. However, what they lacked in number, they made up for in vigor, in determination. The cries of 'for the world', carried on the wind, and Ciri could spot a glowing white-blue figure streaming forward past the entire group.
With a loud *BOOM* she watched as Dominik clashed with a group of riders, that was going to take the Skelligan forces by surprise. She couldn't see how he fought, because all she could see was a bright white-blue whirlwind, spinning, parrying, blasts of fire and Aard shooting from all directions.
Is that really his full control? He told me he would have the power of his ancestors but… this is something else, Ciri scoffed. He's amazing… but I can't let him do it alone, not again!
The rest of the army slammed into the Hunt's lines. Together, Anton's men along with the Skelligers had to equal at least a hundred and seventy-five troops. Eredin had undoubtedly brought more. At Kaer Morhen, the King had underestimated them, with only a dozen or so friends they had killed at least over a hundred riders- Ciri's final total for the battle had been twenty-seven she and Dominik did the math later on- so that meant she knew there had to be at least double that now. The King was arrogant, but he wasn't stupid.
Even with all their vigor, their determination, the Skelligers and Dominik's force wasn't enough. The only hope was freeing the frozen Black Ones amongst the ships remains, finding Geralt, and cutting the head off the snake.
She watched the white-blue blur spin, moving quickly from rider to rider. Soon she found herself gawking, but quickly shook it off. Can't let him get a big head now… time to move!
"Idiot boy… keeping this from me…" Avallac'h hissed next to her.
Ciri ignored him, her hand shooting up to the ring. "I'm going! The time for running is over, this ends tonight!"
"Zireael no! You do not yet control your power, we must flee!" The sage snapped at her again, his pale eyes fuming.
She almost smirked, he has no idea…
"It doesn't matter, get out of my way!" She said, her shoulder hitting the elf as she passed him, walking towards the edge of the dock. "I'll manage, I won't let him-."
"CIRI!"
This is it; he's making his move for me now! Ciri's hand shot right up to the hilt of her sword, turning back towards Avallac'h. She expected to find the sage's staff pointed at her, a spell ready to knock her out. The whole time she had been waiting on the dock, she had eyed the elf, waiting for him to hatch whatever plan he had. She knew he had one, everyone knew, and she was almost glad to finally have him try to spring it.
Only when she turned, Avallac'h didn't have his staff raised. He looked at her annoyedly yes, like she was an annoying cat that had been caught knocking over a flowerpot. Ciri's hand slowly left the hilt of her sword, but she stayed on her toes, the magic whirling around her, ready to teleport at a minute's notice.
The sage's eyes flared, but he didn't make no move towards her, instead turning his gaze out to the Nagalfar.
"Caranthir is undoubtedly the one who cast the spell," He said in a dark tone, turning and sharply meeting her eyes. He sighed annoyedly, as if the next words hurt him to say. "Find Dominik… you stand a better chance that way…. You must find Caranthir and destroy his staff… it is the only way."
Ciri would have had an easier time believing Eredin surrendered, coming over and licking her boots before she believed what she just heard the elf say. She swore it was the first time she ever even heard Avallac'h call Dominik by his name, as opposed to 'your idiot boyfriend', or 'that arrogant brat'. He had spent a better part of half a year, trying his best to make Ciri forget about Dominik, to avoid him when they were reunited. It had failed of course, but the elf had been fervent.
And now he's telling me to go find him? I know he wants Eredin dead… but what is he playing at? Is he trying to gain my trust back again, he didn't seem to care earlier… what is it he wants from me? If that were indeed what he was trying, it wouldn't work. Ciri would never make the mistake of trusting the elf again.
However she heard the sounds of battle, a loud explosion turned her eyes back to the fight. She watched as Dominik, still a white-green blur dashed between riders, slowly separating from the main bulk of the army. Panic welled up inside her, as she realized what he was doing.
He realizes it's Caranthir too… that and… and he's looking for Bella. She looked back to Avallac'h, who still was staring at her, eyes fuming, urging her to go.
I don't have time to wonder… this needs to end, and now.
She nodded in the elf's direction, hands tightening to fists. A small smirk came to her face. "I won't stop at just his staff…"
And with that, before the sage could change his mind she turned sprinting towards the end of the dock. With a leap, she let the magic envelope her, focusing on the brilliant white-blue light she saw fighting.
With a blink she teleported.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
The initial clash into the small wave of riders had been a blur to Dominik. That may have been due to the fact he quite literally moved in a blur. Rider to rider, enemy to enemy he moved, effortlessly, his legs knowing where to move and to spin before his mind. The battle raged around him, he heard the screaming, the death, the initial charge from him and Anton's men seemed to take the Hunt by surprise, and for a few moments they pressed them back towards their ships. A loud cheer went up from the Skelligers at their charge. Dominik heard 'FOR THE WORLD', ringing behind him as they clashed.
He realized how long it had been since he was in a proper battle like the one he was in then. The Battle at Kaer Morhen hadn't been like this battle now, that had been more tactical and quicker. No, the battle then reminded him of the Battle of Brenna, with the screams and the clash of swords behind him. He didn't realize how far ahead of the rest of his forces he head ran, the blue misty magic swirling around him.
As he got to the bottom of the hill he leapt up, the magic around his legs spurring him upwards higher then any jump he'd ever been able to make. The Riders all yelled in their language and he heard men shouting at him. However, he ignored it, focusing all his energy onto the one spot on the ground.
He landed, forming his hands in the proper way and slammed his fist into the ice below. With a crack, a loud *BOOM* exploded under his gloved hand. Blue telekinetic energy shot around him in an all-encompassing circle. The ice below him cracked, and riders were thrown back. Another loud bang rang out behind him, and he turned to see the rest of the men and women he led had finally caught up. He saw Anton smack a hound of the Wild Hunt to the ground with his armored fist before stabbing his longsword through it. The line of spears and heavily armored men from the front line crashed into the bulk of the Hunt's forces with him.
Blood watered the ice below them, turning it red as Dominik stood back up, magic still whirling around him. He examined the battlefield, his Aard blast giving him a moment too. The two ships that had come with the Nagalfar stood in the way of the command vessel itself, the graveyard of the Imperial Fleet formed a sort of maze of discarded wood and debris, along with the planes of ice. Further along he could see crater like plateaus of ice and snow, being held together by the ruined ships wedged into them.
This is going well… too good, he thought, looking up to the Nagalfar. He cursed at the sight, shit… called it.
Eredin had been testing them, the waved they had crashed into then had to only be an advanced force to test defenses. As he looked, he saw more and more of the riders all pouring from the massive ship. They filed out on all sides, and he could see they were going for their flank with the main bulk of their forces engaged near him then.
However, before he could even begin to worry, it seemed Crach or Cerys, whoever was in command of the longships had it covered. On the other side of the giant sphere of ice, more Skelligan ships, this time of other clans not just An Craite were making land in the ice, attacking the Nagalfar from both side. He smirked as he felt the magic continued swirling in him, and around him. The forced Eredin had undoubtedly been sending to reinforce the front where they were now were redirected.
Okay, phase one is finished, he thought, his eyes going to the clashing of soldiers, Anton at their head leading with the Skelligers. Front force is distracted, but this won't last long… need to get the Black Ones unfrozen, and to do that-.
The crunch of snow behind him took him out of his thoughts. He spun on instinct, ducking under a strike that would have cleaved his head. Striking his sword upwards, a magic enhanced strike cleaved through the rider's arm. It went flying, and Dominik ended him with a cut across the riders back, ending him.
He looked up and saw the riders had finally seemed to take notice. Quickly, he sucked in some of the magic mist around him. It whirled up his arms, down his legs, invigorating them, and as the large group around him came, he moved like a blur. They came from all angles, and feeling one behind him getting close, he spun and fired an Aard blast into the rider's stomach after deflecting his sword. Feeling in complete control finally, he spun back, parrying a blow from two more riders who came for him. He stepped between them both, cutting the legs of one and side-stepping te next one's stab, grabbing his arm and stabbing his sword into his side.
The speed at which he moved marveled even himself. He spun and saw a beast of the Hunt leap, he ducked and cut it out of the air, coming back to center and seeing three more of the riders coming his way. He knew more were behind him and knowing that even despite how fast he was moving he needed to go faster, there was no more time to move.
One in the lead jabbed at him with a halberd, grabbing the shaft of the weapon Fate cleaved through the wood. Still holding the head of the halberd, he spun, leaping and jabbing it into the slit of the rider's neck. Blood splattered onto his face, but he spun still and parried another incoming blow, and came back with two quick strikes across the massive rider's chest. Before blasting him back into the final one with Aard. He heard the crunching of plate as the one ride died, and with speed quicker then any witcher he had ever watched spun back around and forming his hands in the right way fire erupted from his fingertips.
The wall of flames sparked forward, catching all four of the riders that were coming from over the icy hills were set alight. They screamed and he went to dash and cut them down, but he heard steps behind him. The last rider he hadn't killed came back for him, a massive axe over his head. He went to reach to his waist, for his crossbow, but before he could blood splattered from the rider's side onto the snow below.
A silver dagger protruding from the slits in his armor, a perfect throw.
"GAHHHHH!" Freya screamed as she came sliding in. On her knees she cut across the bottom half of the rider's torso, making him yell and stumble. Still standing somehow, he wildly swung his axe down towards Freya again. Dominik went to leap to up and help, but Freya was quick, and didn't seem to need any.
She rolled out of the way and the riders axe became stuck in the sand. Freya cut upwards, her polished new sword reflecting the flames dancing around them it found its mark. She cut up through the rider's elbow. She wasn't strong enough to sever a limb, but Freya knew every ligament, ever tendon that made our bodies move correctly. The rider went to try and pull his axe from te snow, but the torn ligaments in his now cut elbow made him yell out in pain from behind his helmet as Freya moved quickly again to find her mark.
Before the rider could do anything she was behind him. She cut across his legs, sweeping them from under him and he fell to his back with the clank of skeletal plate.
Dominik scoffed over the wind as she stabbed her blade to the rider's chest. He reached and yanked her dagger from the rider's side, tossing it to her as she pulled her blade from the corpse with a squelch.
She smirked at him as she twirled the dagger to a reserved grip, her sword in a forehand one.
He got back-to-back with her so neither could be attacked from behind. He saw more stragglers coming over the hills from the Nagalfar, along with more coming their way from the main bulk of the fight. The sound of battle clashed into his ears again, as the next group charged for them both.
"You have the gift of good timing as always!" He yelled to her as he parried and spun to cut the torso of one, before pulling out his crossbow. A bolt found the chest of a rider that would have gotten Freya's flank just before he struck. "Did I ever tell you you're a fucking genius! 'The Kaminski' is working wonders!"
Freya spun around his back, stepping with perfect precision, seemingly remembering her times on the pendulums for the short time she was at Kaer Morhen. A loud clang of steel hit his ears, as Freya parried and cut across a rider's chest with her knife, ducking under an attack and stabbing her blade deep into its chest.
She moved and spun back around to his back blood splattered across her cheeks. "I guess I am pretty smart aren't I? It'll keep the camp covered, but we won't last long unless we can get this storm down!"
"Where are Faram and George!?" He yelled, twisting around a strike and blasting a rider away with Aard. A strike came from his left, but Freya was there she parried a strike that would've cleaved his neck. He spun around her again, shoving his hand and blasting the rider far back smacking into one of their ships.
"They both joined to help push back the first wave they'll be here soon!" She shouted, staying at his back.
"Why didn't you all tell me!?"
"You and your magic legs were too far ahead!" She said, grabbing a bomb from her belt. Dominik shot his hand forward and Igni ignited a beast of the Hunt tat had leaped.
The blow also ignited Freya's bomb, she spun and threw it towards the main wave of forces, and a loud *BOOM* erupted and sent the riders into a frenzy. It helped, he saw more Skelligers pouring in, but he knew it still wasn't enough.
We need to find Caranthir… and we need to do it now! He hesitated for a moment, realizing what would happen when they did. I'll find Bella too…
He hesitated a moment too long, he knew Faram and George were coming, but every single bone in his body wanted to move then. If he could get to Bella, he knew he could virtually end the battle then. If the Hunt lost Bella, they lost one of their commanders, and if he could convince her to join him…
No, don't think about that… all that matters is getting her back, making her realize. It was what failed him te last time he spoke to her, he had told her how they could protect Ciri together, defeat the Hunt, and those had been the wrong words. No, he would focus only on making her see the truth. He couldn't run from what happened anymore, he couldn't put it off.
I'll have to fight… I knew it would come to this. But could he swing his sword at Bella?
You have too… for her sake, and for Ciri's…. You have to protect them both.
"DOMINIK!"
Freya's voice rocked him out of his thoughts as a flash of light appeared in his eyes. Sucking in some of the magic mist around him, he ducked under a strike and lopped the arm off one rider who had attacked him.
Protect them both…. He had failed the last time he promised that.
But he had been helpless then, and he was far from helpless now.
He lunged into the group of riders and hounds that had come for him. Swinging his blade with precision, magic enhancing his movements and senses he was a whirlwind, he was untouchable. The magic helped him hear, even the wisping sound of a blade cutting across the air, and he was able to stop it. He spun and parried one blow, dancing in between two riders who jabbed at him. Grabbing the arm of one, he jabbed his blade up into the unarmored part of the rider's arm, before spinning the corpse around to block another stab that came from a rider with a halberd. Spinning around and letting the corpse drop he cut up through the shaft of the halberd and sucking in more of the magic around him blasted his hand forward.
Aard rippled from his hands and set the rider flying back into another. The magic let him move at speed which shouldn't have been possible, one by one each of the riders that came towards him fell to his silver. He thought about Ciri, about Bella, Geralt, his friends besides him and all the men and woman who had charged with him, charged into a battle they weren't expected to win.
I WILL protect them, I'm not helpless anymore! Not again, never again!
In Cintra he had been helpless, forced to watch his home burned before his eyes. He had never truly gotten over it. Survivors guilt Elise had called it, feeling guilty that he had survived, while so many others hadn't.
He'd never get rid of it, but he could avenge them all. He and Ciri swore the day they started training at Kaer Morhen, they would never be helpless again.
It had taken years. Years of training, of sweat, blood, heartache. He had done horrible things and had horrible things happen to him and the ones he loved most.
But finally he wasn't helpless anymore.
He lunged with new vigor, and no rider that stepped his way stood a chance. He was amazed at how trivial he found defeating them, one by one they attacked. A side-step, one parry and a quick spin, he saw new openings in their attacks, his arm and legs knew what to do before his mind even questioned it. There had a been a time when he was nearly killed by a general of the Wild Hunt, he still bore the scar across his stomach from Nithral's axe in Velen, he bore scars from Eredin at Kaer Morhen, and dozens more. But that was before.
"DOM!" Freya's voice carried over the wind, and Dominik's head shot up after taking the head of another rider.
His legs started out into a run. Freya had gotten separated from him; he hadn't been paying attention to how far away he had gotten from her. Cursing his foolishness he charged at her.
She had gotten backed up against the side of busted off hull of a ship. Six of the riders surrounded her, but Freya was far from as finished as she looked. She was smacked across the cheek, as one rider came up next to her laughing as he raised up his jagged blade. Freya was unmoving on the ground, and Dominik yelled sucking in more magic at first, moving into an all-out sprint. He just got near her when Freya leapt.
Just as the rider raised the blade, Freya yelled, grabbing her silver knife from just out of her reach. With another yell she stabbed it into the side of the rider's leg from the ground. The rider cried out, and the other five went to move towards her, but Freya again was too quick. She yanked her dagger out, sweeping the rider to the ground while she did. She rolled up to her knee, yanking a bomb from her belt. Sticking the fuse towards a nearby piece of flaming wood, she pulled it back and dug it into the snow near the writhing rider.
"FREYA!" He yelled, just about to get to her, but the bomb exploded before he could.
Freya rolled out of the way, and the explosion sent the rider shooting into the sky. The other riders finally charged her. Dominik went to fire his hand forward but heard rushing behind him. He spun and cut down a beast of the Hunt before turning back to Freya who got to her feet.
She thrusted her own hand forward, her knife zooming through cold windy air, and finding its way into a rider's neck, before twisting to parry another who came. Only now the remaining four charged her at once. She stepped between them, rolling down to cut across one's torso, but another stabbed her in the side with its blade, and Freya yelped, grabbing her side before rolling back to her feet, sword out.
"COME ON! IS THIS THE BEST HE HAS!?" She screamed defiantly her sword waving in front of her.
"FREYA I'M-." He went to rush again but heard new footfalls behind him.
He spun and saw another squad rushing him. Cursing he sucked in more of the magic and blasted both momentarily dropped his sword. He thrusted both his hands forward, Aard forming in them both sending the entire squad flying backwards. Rearing back around he spotted Freya again, grunting and holding her side as she stood and waved her sword.
One rider lunged with blade, but Freya parried it downwards. The blade got sent into the snow, and Freya stepped forward onto the blade. Trapped with his blade under the weight of Freya's body, the rider couldn't move it. She yelled a battle cry, spinning with great speed and cutting across the rider's chest. Dominik yanked out his crossbow, firing a bolt that found the riders eye, but his eye's widened when he saw more approaching them both.
From all angles Freya and he were still surrounded, he cursed, at not having them leave earlier. It was clear to the riders now that he and Freya were going off on a different mission. And he knew that Eredin had to have ordered them to watch for him.
He the group he blasted stir, along with more approaching him, but he cursed and turned, going to run back and help Freya, but someone else had already leapt into to her side no the icy plains.
Freya parried and stepped between them, she cut one, but another jabbed at her. She side-stepped, but it did cut across an armored part of her arm. She went to strike again, but a knife flew through the and impaled into the rider's chest. Dominik's eyes widened as Freya's did, that was her knife.
"NOT TODAY HEATHENS!" A flash of gold and green whirled in front of Freya.
George slid forward on his knees on the ice, cutting his flaming silver blade across a riders back. Never in Dominik's life had he seen magic like he did then from a witcher. George wrapped his arm around Freya's waist and pulled her away, slamming his and into the ground as the Yrden glyph appeared on the ice. Freya nodded to him, and they both pulled up, as sparks flew from the glyph, completely immobilizing the last three riders that had initially surrounded her. Quickly the Griffin Witcher leaped forward, his golden hair blowing behind him as he stepped between the riders stuck in the glyph. George's sword moved with precision, each cut going across a rider's chest, before he removed the head of the last one, finishing his dance through enemy.
Freya didn't stay still to play damsel in distress. After the riders fell she rushed and pulled her dagger from a rider's corpse. George had come to stop, and Dominik yelled as he saw a rider approaching him from behind. Freya, however, saw it first and threw her weapon into the chest of the rider before George spun and ended him. Sprinting her feet, Freya got back-to-back with the Griffin Witcher as more riders broke off from the main wave and came sprinting for them.
Despite her wound, Freya moved perfectly with George, the both of them spinning around one another. Their skill was immaculate, even Freya who had just began training with them all and had spent the previous few days with her face buried in plans for her weapon didn't seem to lose an inch. Dominik scoffed, just wait until she spends a few months at Kaer Morhen.
George parried and blasted a beast back with Aard, a rider approaching quickly from his right. Freya vaulted over George's back which had been down to strike another hound, and parried the blow, before quickly stabbing through the rider's gut. It was a marvel watching them fight, perfect motion and harmony.
He scoffed again, smiling, that's a hansa for you… but still, we need to-.
Dominik felt something slam against his back. He yelled out and was sent flying forward. He landed on his stomach, Fate clattering to the ground as his back erupted in pain. Groaning he spun around, and his eyes widened. He rolled, just managing to avoid another strike from a captain's hammer. It slammed into the ice and Dominik could hear cracks. At first he tried to rise, but pain shot through his spine like lightning.
Looking up and seeing the riders black eye slits, he sucked in more of the magic around him, and amazingly, he felt the pain in his back slowly sooth. He felt invigorated, energy shot through his legs, and he rolled to avoid another strike. Grabbing Fate from beneath him, he got to his feet and went to parry a blow as he saw the rider rear his hammer back.
Just before he could swing however, a massive formed rushed at Dominik from the left.
"GAHHHH COME HERE!" A deep, booming, almost excited voice rang over the night winds.
Dominik turned and smartly got out of the way as Faram barreled forward. The Bear Witcher rammed his massive, armored shoulder into the rider, his silver sword already dripping plenty of blood. A wicked grin on his face, Faram stabbed his silver down into the rider's chest. Behind him a hound of the Hunt leaped, but again Faram saw it. He spun and soon the hound stuck from his silver like it was a skewer.
"FARAM!" He yelled, seeing another rushing from behind his friend.
Faram-somehow still smirking- turned and dropped his sword. With just his bare hands, Faram stepped a thrust from the rider. The rider looked stunned, whether it was from a man so massive as Faram dodging so quickly, or from actually fighting someone nearly as tall as him Dominik didn't know.
The moments hesitation proved fatal as Faram seized the rider's arm. He spun, and Dominik heard a loud crack. Faram dropped to his knee, and slammed the riders twisted and already broken arm down onto his massive shoulder. Dominik had never seen anything like it, through armor and all, he saw a white bone protruding up from the rider's arm. A loud shrill scream came from behind his faceplate, and Faram got to his feet. He twisted the rider's arm again behind his back, before reaching up and wrapping his massive, armored arms around the rider's head.
With a loud snap the rider fell limp before Faram.
Faram yelled out with a large smile, smashing the underside of his boot into the rider's head. "AHAHAHA! TAKE THAT YOU ICY CUNT! INVADE MY WORLD ARE YA!? HAHA NOT TODAY!"
"Faram!" Dominik yelled, rushing up next to the Bear Witcher, who smirked at him. Faram reached down and yanked his sword from the hound he had skewered.
"Haha there ya are mister magic feet!" Faram said, slapping his shoulder, almost making Dominik stumble. "Now THIS is a battle! Haha, we're going to kill every one of these fucks!"
"A suggestion I would see come to fruition!" George's voice came from his left.
He looked and breathed a sigh of relief seeing a very alive Freya and George come up to Faram and he, their blades dripping blood, a row of corpses where they had been fighting. Behind them, a distance off, Dominik took a glance, and saw the main forces clashing again.
His heart fell down to his boots, when he saw the body of a knight, the golden lions of Cintra adorned on his breast plate, along with multiple others.
No! Mourn later, fight now!
He turned back to his friends, and his eyes fell upon Freya, who was dripping blood from a gash in her side.
Pointing his sword at it he met her eyes. "You gonna be okay?"
"Just a flesh wound, I checked already," She said, her eyes not even glancing down at the wound. "I'll stitch it up later, for now we need to move!"
He nodded, if Freya said she was okay, then he believed her. Spinning his head back around he met Faram's gaze. "Anton and the rest? How do they fare?"
Faram quickly nodded, his smirk still not gone. "Hit the cunts hard we did! George and I cut a good amount of them down before coming to you both. They were making headway when we left!"
"And Anton?"
"He commands from the front, we met up with Hjalmar," George said over the gusting wind, he pointed his silver towards the Nagalfar. "They were slowly pulling back, I know not if it was because of our charge, or if it's planned."
"It's planned, of that I have no doubt," He said, walking over and looking towards the Nagalfar again. "Cerys sent ships to attack from all sides, Eredin's sending out more and more riders. He knows he outnumbers us. He won't fool around again like he did at Kaer Morhen. I bet he's waiting to see if Kilgarrah can come back. We have to hope Borch can keep him busy… but even if he does, we're still outnumbered."
"Then we need to find Caranthir like you said!" Freya shouted, her and the other two coming up next to him. "If we can kill him and break the spell, the remaining Black Ones can join the fight!"
"Even that won't be enough…" Dominik said slowly, his eyes not leaving the Nagalfar, separated from him by what seemed to be at least a mile. A mile of uneven icy planes connected by unsteady planks in a graveyard of ships.
Faram hefted his silver to his shoulder and looked down at him. "Aye… you're right. What do we do then mate?"
Dominik slowly sucked in more of the magic mist around him. He felt himself finally getting the hang of summoning it on demand. Feeling the energy swirling around in his veins, throughout his body, slowly healing his wounds, he opened his eyes again.
It's time… now it ends.
He pointed his sword towards the Nagalfar. "We cut the heads of the snake. First we find Caranthir, kill him and free the Black Ones… then… then I find my sister, and show her the person she is again…. And after that I find Eredin… and I'm going to kill him. We have to move quick… but all three of them, Eredin, Caranthir… and Bella they'll all be able to sense where I am. We may get surrounded and quick… you three with me?"
"Stupid question," Freya said from his right, her hand gripping tighter to her sword, her eyes not leaving the plains of ice before them. "I already see a path, one that could get us there quickest."
"Till all breath leaves me my friend," George said next to Freya, igniting his sword in flames again, pointing it towards the Nagalfar. "Today, we make sure Eredin's evil terrorizes our world, and all others no more!"
Faram laughed from his left looking at the three of them. "Well! What are we waiting for! LET'S GO KILL MORE OF THE FUCKERS!"
A loud yell went up from soldiers behind him, but Dominik focused on the three next to him. He smirked and nodded at Faram's words.
"Yeah… let's do just that," He said magic beginning to overflow his eyes. He turned over to Freya. "Lead on Freya!"
She nodded and darted out in front of them. Faram laughed and followed, George going after him as well.
Dominik sighed and let the magic wash over him. He looked down quickly at the swallow bouncing around his neck. Gripping it he leaped from the icy mound he had been standing on to follow his friends.
Wonder how much longer she's gonna wait… won't be long I'm guessing, he thought. A smile came to his face, and he raced forward to catch up with Faram, Freya and George.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
"BAHAHAHA! AGAIN IS THIS ALL YOUR CUNT OF A KING HAS!?" Faram laughed, throwing a rider off his silver. He pulled the sword back, dripping with blood as he closed ranks with the three of them. "COME ON! BRING HIM OUT!"
Dominik couldn't help but roll his eyes. A small part of him wanted to remind Faram that they were in the middle of a battle, but he'd known his friend long enough to realize he fought better like this.
They had been set upon in the middle of a large crater of ice, large broken planks of a ship leading to the next plain. The only problem they had were the dozens of riders that had set upon them. Outside the bubble of ice around the icy plains, thunder boomed as the snow began to turn to rain, the weather in shambles as the battle raged. If he looked up he could see one of the Hunt's ships had been set aflame, with the distinct figure of soldiers fighting on the decks.
Any form of battle tactics seemed to have been thrown out the door. It perplexing, because he could see soldiers, Skelligers, knights from Anton on both sides of the Nagalfar pushing the riders back, however more and more kept taking their place. They should be winning, but they simply weren't. Any general would be thrilled with what they saw. It was as if the Hunt simply kept pulling more riders out of thin air.
That's because they are… no doubt Caranthir is opening portals for fresh troops, he thought, parrying a blow, and blasting a rider back with Aard. We need to move, and fast.
The only problem was it seemed those portals were opening around them. It was as he guessed; he was sure Caranthir had his magical signature locked on and was directing soldiers their way. Riders and hounds poured over te icy cliffs, and the weather inside was only making it worse.
Rain, why was it always rain?
He slid down under a strike, cutting through a rider's thigh with a magically enhanced strike. Around him the mist of magic was still there, obeying his commands, sucking into him on command, powering his strikes and letting him move swiftly through the tempest around him. Quickly he stepped between two more riders, sliding low on his knees, his sword in reversed grip. He cut the stomach of one, blood splattering to the wet ground below, before he came up to parry the blow from another. Spinning back around and under a second strike he cut across the rider's stomach to end him.
He came up to a stand and scanned the crater around them again. They had gotten separated, and too far spread out. Quickly he reached to his crossbow, as he noticed three of them advancing on George.
Always keep one in the chamber at the start of a fight. He had made sure to load before they began their treck along the ice. On the side of the crossbow he looked at the Temarian lilies. Arno. This was Arno's weapon, a friend that the Hunt had taken too soon.
He promised Elise he'd avenge him, kill Eredin, to make him pay.
The King had much to pay for, and he'd be next.
He loosed the bolt and it found home in a eye of a rider's faceplate. When and how did he get so good with a crossbow? It was insanity to him how quickly he had picked it up, considering how horrid with a bow he was. He tried not to think about it then, as he loaded another bolt just as George turned around with a smirk.
Smirking and nodding his thanks, the Griffin Witcher turned back to the remaining two riders with his flaming silver sword. George didn't fight like Faram, or him, he didn't know if it was his training from the School of the Griffin, or from when he was younger learning in Toussaint from knights before he became a witcher. George danced through his enemies, quickly movements and cuts followed by devastating signs that left enemies to a crisp. Even with his magic spurring on, George had some of the most precise parries he'd ever seen.
Even up against three riders, coming at him with a flurry of strikes he blocked them all. After deflecting the flurry of strikes, George stepped through the riders with perfect movement, stabbing one through the back, before turning and unleashing a devastating wall of flames that set the riders alight despite the rain that had started. He quickly moved and ended the two riders before him as well, before coming out with a smirk.
Damn, they're good, but it's no use if we can't-.
He spun at just the perfect moment, the magic and his enhanced hearing from years of training coming to his aid. Parrying the blow that came, he deflected a flurry of blows as the rider spun and lashed out with precision. Dominik sucked in more of the magic around him, the small streams of white, blue light came from his eyes, as he spun low and cut across the rider's torso. His jagged black blade fell from his hands. Dominik snatched it from the air and jabbed it into the rider's gut.
More footsteps came behind him, and when he turned around again he saw a second rider had gotten mere inches from him. He ducked down quickly and rolled to avoid the first strike and was about to lop of the rider's arm, when a flash of blonde hair leapt from his right.
Freya yelled and landed on the riders back. The rider went to grab her, but before he could do anything, Freya slammed her dagger into the side of his neck. Yelling again she stabbed until the rider crumpled to the ground. Her wide icy blue eyes looked up for him, and she yanked her knife from the rider's corpse.
"DOWN!" She yelled, and Dominik quickly obeyed. He fell to the ice, and Freya loosed her dagger with perfect precision. It found the chest of a rider that was coming for him. Quickly the rider crumpled to the ground and Dominik retrieved Freya's knife.
She rushed up next to him and he tossed it to her. Her wide eyes met his and she shook her head. "We need to break through there's too many!"
"AYE I AGREE WITH THAT!" Faram yelled, closing ranks around them. He watched as the Bear Witcher parried a blow and slammed his fist into a rider's gut, making him reel forward. Faram snatched him by the arm and spun him around just as another rider's sword came. The one rider stabbed his friend, and in the panic, Faram spun and decapitated the second. Faram didn't use many signs in battle, but that seemed to be no big deal when you could punch a fully armored rider of the Wild Hunt and not flinch.
George on the other hand, took signs to an even greater height.
"TASTE MY FIRE YOU PHANTOM CURS!" He yelled, spinning and cutting down one rider, before blasting his hands forward.
His friend from Toussaint was fond of shouting flowery words in battle, but god dammit was he effective. A wall of flames, larger then even the crater walls they stood in sprouted from his hands and set a squad of riders alight. Dominik heard screams beneath their faceplates as George rushed to the three of them.
"They keep coming, we must find a way to advance!" He said over the howling winds, his back to them.
Dominik cursed as the four of them all fell to formation, their backs to one another forming a square, as around them, they saw more and more portals open. It was like back at Kaer Morhen, more riders poured from each portal. As soon as they cut down one, another would open, and that rider would be replaced. Caranthir really must have had their location, and as at least a dozen or more riders closed in on them, he racked his brain for options.
"Freya any dimeritium bombs?" He asked the blonde who stood on his right.
Freya, leveling her blade towards the advancing riders shook her head. "No, I didn't learn that one yet, we need to get those portals under control!"
"I know," He cursed, thinking back to Kaer Morhen again. "Dammit… I'm going to need to make a run for the portals, close them with Yrden!"
"I will go with you!" George yelled, just as the new group of riders slammed into the four of them.
A flurry of steel and silver erupted around them. First a hound leapt at Dominik, he sucked in some magic and shot his hand forward, Aard erupted and sent the hound flying, just as Dominik ducked forward and struck through a rider. More came as he saw portals continuing to open, one by one he cut riders down his friends at his side. Each one that came before them fell, it was for a moment as if no rider could break through, no matter the skill.
But there's still too many, I need to lead them away. He cut the arm off a rider and turned to his friends. His eyes widened when he saw Freya's dodge pull her away from the group. He lunged forward and slid on his knees, cutting down one rider who was advancing on her. That left him vulnerable to another, but Freya parried the blow to save him, rolling across his back and stabbing her blade into the rider's stomach.
She helped him to his feet, and Dominik looked over to George, who was closer now to Faram. At least twice their number advance, and Dominik pulled out his crossbow. A bolt loosed and took down one as Freya and he rushed for them.
"BEHIND!" He yelled, as George and Faram both moved.
Faram turned to him his yellow eyes wide. "MATE!"
He knelt down and pointed to his back. Dominik looked up and saw what Faram meant. A swath of portals were opening, riders and hounds pouring from them.
"STICK WITH THEM!" He yelled to Freya, turning and running forward and upon hearing his voice Faram lower to his knees, giving Dominik a perfect steppingstone for a leap.
With a loud battle-cry, magic swirling from his legs, Dominik stepped up onto Faram's back and leapt into the air. He yelled as magic formed around him, all going into his palm. He felt invigorated and saw a sea of at least a dozen riders still advancing on them. He and his friends were strong, but they stood no chance against this many for much longer.
Slamming into the ground he dug his fist into the ice. It cracked beneath is fingers, as purple glyphs appeared around him, shooting small bits of lightning from the lines as the Yrden glyph exploded onto the ice. All of the riders and hounds were completely immobilized, and all the portals around them shimmered to mist.
"AHA YES GET'EM!" Faram yelled, rushing forward from the spot they were holding.
Faram, George and Freya waded into the immobilized riders with their blades and cut them all down. Dominik rose from his spot on the ground and cut the head off one immobile rider and felt his satisfaction grow as one by one all the riders and portal around them fell and were closed. A few minutes later they all stood in a sea of corpses, blood and ice.
Thunder boomed as the rain began to pick up, and Dominik looked over towards the Nagalfar. Still no soldiers had gotten to it, and all progress had seemed to stall. In the icy plains and graveyard of ships men and women fought and died, all while the Hunt's riders kept coming from the Nagalfar.
He turned back to see his friends smiling and laughing, Faram wiping his blade clean of blood as George checked to make sure all the riders were dead. Sucking in a deep breath he decided to let them rest for a moment as he saw Freya pull a potion vial from her bandolier.
Around him, the magic mist had started to die out. Gently letting his breath go, he thought again of what would happen after this battle if they survived. He imagined he and Ciri on their way to Kovir, together in the beautiful mountains as it snowed, meeting up with Triss, long romantic nights.
Within minutes, the magic started churning from him again. He opened his eyes and could see the mist gently falling in streams them. Smirking he turned and jogged back to his friends, who all smiled as he approached.
"Aha you showed them mate!" Faram said, sword on his shoulder as he clapped him on the back.
Dominik shook his head looking out over the battle. "No time to celebrate, we're moving too slow we need to get to the Nagalfar. Freya, got another of those?"
"Right here," She said, pulling a vial off her bandolier and tossing it to him.
He pulled the stopper out and drank it, a fresh taste of strawberry hit his lips and along with the magic helping, he felt the aching in his bones slowly fade. Tossing the bottle aside he helped Freya from the ground and turned back to the Nagalfar.
"Alright, let's get moving and-."
"Wait!" George said, his sword still out and flaming, he said turning to Dominik. "Dominik… you said Caranthir could track you… why has be not opened anymore portals?"
Faram scoffed. "Well I don't wanna stay and find out, we should move, we don't know how much longer the main force can hold."
Dominik saw George still worried but nodded to Faram. "Faram's right, we need to get-."
"CRYNVAEL PALEO ANYE!" A deep voice shouted, almost echoing on the wind.
"GAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"
Dominik screamed, as he felt himself almost being squished like a bug beneath his boot. Squeezing enveloped his spine, and he had just enough time to hear his friends yell and reach for him, before he was flown backwards, zooming through the air, until he felt a large burst of magic slam into his back.
"GAHHHH FUCK!" Pain erupted in his back, he tried to suck in magic, but before he could he heard the crunching of boots. He turned around just in time to see a ball of swirling white blur light come swinging for him. Quickly he rolled out of the way, coming up to his knees and grabbing the dagger from his back as he dropped his sword.
"I… am… growing tired of you… boy."
His vision finally cleared as he sucked in more of the magic around him. Slowly the pain in his back, that was once flaring as if stabbed, went down to a small prick. He went to draw on more of the magic around him, however, when his vision was finally clear, he couldn't think of any happy memories of love, goodness, or anything of the like.
Because nothing but rage overtook him. The man attacking Bella's village, killing her adopted mother, the girl Kendra who Bella had loved, his finger slowly trailing across his sister's unconscious cheek. He was the one who put the memories into her head, tortured her to train her, responsible as much as Eredin for turning her into what she was now.
"YOU!" He twirled his knife to a forehanded grip.
"You… have caused enough problems boy," Caranthir said slowly, his broken common tongue scraping from behind his stomach. The navigator slammed his staff into the ground, and around him, around te entire icy crater, portals opened.
Rider after rider stepped out with hounds at their sides. In the middle, he saw Faram, Freya and George all get their backs to one another, swords drawn. He looked and saw Fate laying on the ice a distance away. He looked down at his knife and cursed, sheathing it again and reaching to his back to pull out his steel. The freshly repaired steel glinted off the fires that burned around them, as Dominik leveled it towards the navigator.
Rage built up inside him. All he could see was Caranthir's finger trailing across Bella's unconscious face, him torturing her as they trained, berating her, beating her, turning her into a mindless weapon. The rage was unquenchable in him, it burned into the very depths of his soul, he felt it in his bones. It reverberated in every cell that made up his body. While he could see Caranthir's eyes, he knew that behind the mask the Navigator had to be smirking, and it only enraged him further.
Magic spurted from him, erupting like lightning. "I'm going to kill you…. YOU HEAR ME! I'LL KILL YOU FOR LAYING YOUR FILTHY HANDS ON MY SISTER!"
"Your sister… is nothing… nothing but a weapon," Caranthir said, his staff swirling violently with magic as Dominik's body did.
His staff! Break it now, and we get reinforcements, he thought for a moment. However, right afterwards, the image of Caranthir's twisted smile looking down at Bella, his hand gently stroking her cheek all came to his mind.
No… I kill him, I can break his staff afterwards.
He growled and pointed his steel forward. "I'll show you a weapon! I'LL KILL YOU, THEN I'LL KILL EREDIN, I'LL KILL EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU!"
"Aha… you may… but at what cost?" Caranthir laughed, only enraging Dominik forward.
Dominik made to charge, but Caranthir shouted out in elder speech before he could. "TEK NAH!"
All around them in the crater, two dozen perhaps more of the riders and hounds all charged. The ones near him came running, and Dominik had been so focused on Caranthir he stumbled as he went to strike.
However, none of them rushed him.
"DOMINIK!" Freya shouted from where she stood with Faram and George, as all the riders advanced on his three friends. They were skilled yes, but sheer numbers, riders and hounds would quickly overwhelm them. One reached Faram first, the Bear Witcher parried a blow, picking the rider up by the neck with ease and tossing him aside into others. George began his dance into he enemy, firing signs and swinging his blade, but he was caught with a strike on the shoulder as he tried to get back towards Freya.
Freya was strong, but she didn't have enhance speed or movements like George Faram and he had.
She didn't back down however, parrying and ducking under one riders strike, ending him with a stab through his groin of all places. Another came and kicked her to the ground, but Freya quickly rolled to her knees, bringing her blade up and locking her weapon with the rider. Quickly she realized she wouldn't win a battle of strength and rolled. The rider's momentum made him stumble, and Freya stabbed him from behind.
He couldn't remove his eyes as she got up, another rider coming for her. She just barely raised her blade to parry and the force sent her stumbling, but amazingly she dug her foot into the ground. Using her momentum to spin, she leapt up and leaned backwards, stabbing her blade forward it found home and stabbed the eye of the rider's faceplate. It was a move he used against Eredin at Kaer Morhen, one only himself, perhaps Ciri, Geralt and a few others could perform. Dominik never saw her practice it, but she pulled it off as the rider crumbled to the ground.
However, her success was short lived, because a hound leapt up and onto her back. She screamed and tried to grab for it, but its claws dug into her back. Dominik went to move, but George was there in a flash. He cut across the hound, and Freya fell with a yell. She stumbled and George went to help her, but a rider came leaping and cut him across the back.
"GAHHH NOT THIS DAY!" George yelled, spinning back and cutting across the rider's throat.
"GEORGE!" Freya yelled from the ground, pointing to one who came from George left.
But this time it was Faram who came to the rescue. He barreled forward and punched the rider across the helm. Faram's armored fist seemed to rattle him, and the time was enough for Faram to lop off his head. Freya reached and chucked her knife, it slammed into the chest of a rider that had almost skewered Faram with a halberd.
George helped Freya from the ground, she moved but blood trickled down her neck. George also spilled blood as the three got back-to-back again, still almost a half dozen riders rushing them.
Dammit, I need to get to them, I need to-. "GAAAHHHHHHH!"
He screamed out in pain again. Just as he tried to run to his friends, Caranthir had slammed his staff into Dominik's stomach. It sent him skidding across the ice, pain erupted in is gut, as he cough and got to all fours. He tried to call on the magic to heal him again, but realized it was sporadic and churning again.
I need to calm down, he thought looking up to see Caranthir again. Seeing the Navigator's face quickly dashed all ideas.
The anger returned, and he looked to realized Fate was within reach. Scooping it up he got to his feet, both his silver and steel outstretched.
At the School of the Viper we believed the gods gave you two hands, for two weapons.
They were both longer swords, and would normally get in his way but feeling how the magic had invigorated him, he decided to try and pull it off.
Two swords… two to stab this-. NO! Stop it… relax… you need to relax!
"This… is your end boy," Caranthir said, striding closer, his staff held out before him, the magic swirling at the end. Dominik had seen and felt the damage it could do. "Eredin… your… half-breed blood would stain his blade… so I will save him the trouble."
"Doesn't matter to me…" Dominik said, his voice low over the wind, the corner of his eyes staying on his friends. "After I kill you, I'll go kill him too."
"You… will try," He said in his broken tongue. "And you will fail. I will end your line… both of you… and then I will be the one to deliver… Zireael to the King."
Ciri… really could use you right now, he thought, as he sucked in a careful breath.
Ciri, her and him, their life, witchers together.
He had come too far not to get that life.
The mist slowly returned to him, the magic flowing through his body. It came out in small tendrils in his eyes, and soon he narrowed his gaze at Caranthir, hands gripped to both blades.
"Over my dead body…"
And he charged.
A loud *BOOOM* erupted as they clashed. Distantly he heard his friends yell for him, but Caranthir was too aggressive for him to focus on anything but him. Never focus on anything but your opponent, one momentarily lapse, and you could be dead, Uncle Vesemir's words.
Caranthir struck out with both sides of his staff, swinging at him from both ends. It was much more aggressive then Dominik had thought he would be. He remembered fighting the navigator at Kaer Morhen, how easily he had been dispatched. It was more then likely Caranthir thought to end the duel quickly to return to Eredin's side, he thought Dominik still the same man he was weeks ago at that battle.
The navigator was dreadfully wrong.
Sucking in the magical white, blue mist from around him, Dominik moved both of his blades to block each both. Caranthir leapt and struck with one side, and Dominik raised to blocked. Quickly the navigator went to strike with the other end, but Dominik raised his second blade in time to blocked as well. The navigator spun and went to strike at his back, but Dominik shot his blade up and blocked, bringing his other sword around for a thrust that caught Caranthir's arm, and soon the Navigator's blood trickled to the ice below.
Dominik made the mistake of marveling at his strike, because Caranthir leapt and spun his staff again, swinging it downwards. Dominik ducked and rolled backward, coming up with both his swords raised again. He spun his silver in his left hand to a reversed grip, while keep his steel in a forehanded one on his right. Sweat trickled down his forehead, he spared a glance for his friends, who desperately fought off riders.
Freya rolled over Faram's back and cut down one rider, before pulling a bomb from her belt. With help from Faram lighting it she tossed it. It turned out to be Samum, and it knocked aside a group that would have overwhelmed George. His friends fought like caged beasts, like cornered animals, on their last legs ready to do anything to survive.
As they should have been.
"It seems… that like your sister…" Caranthir said, drawing Dominik's attention back to him, "you need… one final lesson!"
The navigator leapt out again, pressing down with both sides of his staff. Dominik parried with one sword and went to strike with the other. Caranthir knocked the strike aside, and Dominik just had time to lean back and under another strike of the top of the navigator's staff. Seeing an opening Dominik leapt and spun, bringing both blades down on Caranthir's staff, pushing the Navigator back for a moment before he regained his footing.
Caranthir pressed forward, knocking Dominik's blades away and jabbing his armored elbow forward. Dominik felt it connect and he stumbled back, feeling blood trickle down his now broken nose. He sucked in magic and slowly felt it mend, pulsing the magic quicker through his body. Soon it enveloped his limbs and he lashed out with both his blades again, one with the left, one with the right, slithering between attacks like he remembered Letho teaching him at Kaer Morhen.
I need to end this! I need to get to the three of them, he thought looking back to his friends who were loosing ground again.
The lapse again gave Caranthir time, as the navigator had magic of his own circling through his limbs. He still bled from the spot where Dominik had caught part of his arm, and the bleeding seemed to anger the navigator more. Striking out with new vigor, Caranthir locked weapons with him again. Dominik tried to press down, but Caranthir disappeared in a puff of frost, Dominik spun, knowing the navigator would appear behind him. However, he was too slow.
He managed to get his silver blade up in time to block, but the parry was flimsy, and Caranthir knocked the sword away into the ice. Dammit! He knows I had the advantage, now he's going to teleport… Ciri… if ever there was a time for you to show up…
He had fought Bella who could teleport as well, but she wasn't nearly as skilled with it as Caranthir was.
The navigator pressed the advantage again as he put Dominik on the back foot. Dancing along the icy plains below, he moved his steel in motion, deflecting both sides of Caranthir's staff as he aggressively lashed out. His sword moved with speed equal to Caranthir's, but soon he found it hard to keep up, so he sucked in more of the magic mist around him.
Caranthir pushed him up to the corner of the crater of ice, and swung his staff for what would have smashed Dominik's head in. Dominik ducked under the strike, bringing his blade up to cut across the Navigator's back, but Caranthir disappeared in another puff of frost. Dominik spun and blocked the blow that came from behind, but as soon as he did, Caranthir started teleporting again.
Again and again he teleported, and it was all Dominik could do to keep himself balanced.
He looked to the center, and watched as George, now bleeding from a cut on his face, and multiple on his arms, blasted a wall of flames to give them time to regroup. Freya was breathing heavy, he sword arm droopy, and even Faram had been bleeding from a wound on his side.
They're losing ground, I need to find a way past his teleporting.
Growling he spun as Caranthir reappeared and struck his staff down. An idea came to Dominik's head, he spotted Fate laying in the ice near him and after he parried he rolled and fell towards it.
Like he expected Caranthir teleported again, however this time when Dominik heard the puff of frost behind him he didn't turn around. He heard the staff coming towards his head over the air, and just before it could smash into him, he ducked and grabbed his silver from the ground.
Feeling the magic fire through his veins, he turned and was able to cut his silver across Caranthir's back, and blood sprayed to the ground.
"GAAHHHHHHHHH!" The navigator growled, as Dominik pulled up with both swords in his hands again.
Blood dripped from him, as Caranthir held his back. His swirling staff was pointed at him, but with one hand now. Dominik's breath left him in quick heaves, he held both swords out leveled, as Caranthir hobbled and circled him.
"You're lucky you ran into me, and not Geralt or Ciri," Dominik shouted, twirling the two swords in his hands meeting the navigator's eyes. "The way you're fighting, you wouldn't have lasted very long."
Caranthir slammed his staff to the ground. "You… INSOLENT BRAT! It… is TOO LATE!"
"GAHHHHH!" He heard Faram yell behind him.
The yell was one of pain, and he turned to see Faram with a halberd being pulled out of him. Dominik's throat closed, as he watched the hole in Faram's arm drip blood. It wouldn't be a fatal wound for a witcher, but one still worth tending. Faram grabbed the halberd and yanked it from the rider. He snapped it over his leg before jabbing one end into the rider's neck, the other into the rider's stomach.
"BAHAHA! IS THAT ALL YOU CUCKS CAN DO!?" Faram yelled, as a hound leapt for him.
The Bear School Witcher caught the hound in both his hands, squeezing around its neck and snapping it in seconds. However, this gave time for another rider to come from his right, but again, Freya, more battered and tired then the rest rolled in. She parried a blow, and cut across a riders leg. However, she wasn't quick enough coming up. The rider would have killed her, had Faram not gotten his sword up to block. Faram fired an Aard sign and knocked the rider back, as George screamed from his left.
"I HAVED FACE WORSE IN TRAINING!" The Griffin Witcher yelled, doing his dance through a group of four riders.
He spun, parried, and cut through riders' limbs, but one was swift enough. It cut across George's arm, and another knocked him back. George rolled to his feet, bleeding from multiple spots on his body, while he got close to a beleaguered Faram and Freya again.
And still more riders came, a dozen remained, and more came from portals with each smack of Caranthir's staff against the ground.
They won't last much longer… he thought, seeing all three of them huddled back-to-back, swords raised, blood dripping from their blades and their bodies.
"Yes… they will die… you will die…" Caranthir said, turning Dominik's attention back to him. The navigator held one hand to his back where Dominik had cut, the other holding his staff outwards. "Even if you slay me… your friends… will not survive. Give us… Zireael… and… we will grant you… a swift death."
Dominik's heart sank, in the distance he heard the shouts of battle. The army wouldn't be able to hold much longer, his friends wouldn't be able to hold much longer.
And he had led them to this, again they had led them to their deaths.
He shakily let out a breath, wincing at the sudden ache in his bones. Ciri… gods Ciri, I… I don't know if-.
He stopped mid-thought. Caranthir stared at him, obviously awaiting an answer, probably smirking behind his helmet. However, Dominik didn't focus on the navigator for the first time in the entire fight.
Instead, he focused on the ride of the icy crater, and the shimmering light of white, blue magic in the night, that eventually took form. You beautiful, beautiful fucking woman… right on time as always.
Ciri met his eyes and nodded, and in their unspoken language, he knew exactly what she was trying to say.
"Okay! Alright, fine!" He yelled, dropping both his swords to the ground. Caranthir raised his staff higher, as if he were surprised, but Dominik shook his. "If you call off the riders, I'll leave and get Ciri for you!"
"MEMETAS!" Caranthir hollered, slamming the butt of his staff into the ground. Around them, every rider stopped in place. He looked back and saw Freya stumble, Faram and George both catching her arm before she steadied herself again. All three of his friends looked at him, and Dominik winked.
"You… lie boy…" Caranthir hissed, as Dominik turned back to him. "You… would not.. give Zireael to us."
Dominik looked up and saw the flash of green light. He met Caranthir's eyes and smirked at the navigator. "No, I'm being quite serious. You want Ciri so badly? Well… then you can have her!"
"ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Ciri materialized from above Caranthir, and navigator yelled out, spinning around and raising his staff. A loud *BOOOOM* rippled through the crater, making Dominik stumble back. He looked up and saw Ciri had split the center of Caranthir's staff, now the navigator held two separate pieces. He cursed when he saw the magic ball at one end still was swirling, but Ciri quickly looked to rectify it.
She spun with more grace then any witcher or fighter he had ever seen. She leapt up and struck down, Caranthir just barely had time to teleport out of the way. He teleported a distance away, but Ciri teleported right with him, clashing her blade with one of the two ends of his staff Caranthir still wielded.
"HAHAHAHA! I LOVE IT WHEN SHE DOES THAT!" Faram yelled from the center of the crater, looking to Freya and George. "COME ON! LET'S KILL THE BASTARDS!"
With a loud yell, Faram, George and Freya all waded into the still stunned riders, taking them all by surprise multiple of them falling before they could raise their weapons. Dominik saw them reinvigorated so rushed to where he saw Ciri. Full of hope, seeing her, her ashen bun of hair blowing in the rainy wind, her blade moving as if it was part of her arm, he felt the magic surge up within his body again. He could see them both arriving at Kaer Morhen, trying to attack Lambert together, sneaking out to spar more, how she'd always pretend to be hurt to make him lower his guard, all of the times they spent training. Every fall, every pirouette, every sparring session, it all lead to that moment.
Everyone always told them they were strongest together, and it proved true when he got to her.
He slid in on his knees, deflecting a blow Caranthir had aimed for her back. The navigator had summoned a silver slightly curved blade from thin air and wielded it with the top half of his staff. Ciri seeing him knelt in front of her, stepped onto his back and leapt down, trying to stab her blade down on the navigator. Like they expected Caranthir teleported. Dominik knew exactly where he was going and came up with his blade deflecting another blow meant for Ciri's back.
She lashed out after she saw this, and the both of them, magic whirling around their arms, around their bodies it moved their weapons to met every strike Caranthir threw. He was able to cover Ciri's flank as she attacked, she moved off of him, one of them always attacking the other defending, it was perfect, it was right being their fighting with her, it was all he ever wanted to do. This was what he wanted, this was the man he wanted to be, to fight besides the woman he loved, and to protect those who couldn't protect themselves.
To rid the world of monsters.
They continued the fight, and Dominik soon realized Caranthir must have inherited some of Eredin's arrogance. The Navigator was ill prepared to fight him, let alone him and Ciri, he hadn't been ready in the slightest. Dominik could see him trying to concentrate his power, to summon more of it, but Dominik and Ciri were simply too good, too quick, and had too much power oozing from them at that moment.
"THE STAFF!" Ciri yelled next to him, ducking under a blow and spinning behind him to defend his flank.
"ON IT!" He leapt, going for the side Caranthir had holding his staff.
The navigator roared, holding up his blade to blow Dominik's strike, but didn't count on Ciri cutting her blade across his stomach. Caranthir yelled in pain, dropping to his knees, and as Dominik came down, feeling his frustration reach an apex, focused all his magic to his fist. As Caranthir fell to his knees, Dominik brought it up in an uppercut. It connected with the bottom of Caranthir's helmet, and with the magic Dominik didn't feel a thing as Caranthir got sent flying back with his staff still in hand. His helmet flew from his head, and Dominik saw the same long blonde hair and pale green eyes he saw when the navigator was unmasked in his dream, when Caranthir had taken Bella from her village.
Only now, instead of a cocky, confident grin, Dominik saw a blood cut across Caranthir's cheek.
And his eyes were full of astonishment, of worry.
"COME HERE!" Ciri screamed, teleporting forward with a stab of her blade through Caranthir's chest. However, just before she could the navigator-still holding his staff- disappeared in a puff of frost.
Dominik spun, expecting him to show up behind him again. However, he heard only wind, rain and the sound of distant battle.
The navigator had retreated.
"Dammit!" Ciri cursed, rushing up next to him. "We need to destroy his staff to lift the spell, and he'll surely be able to heal himself."
Dominik nodded, but turned, his eyes widening. "CIRI!"
He pointed towards Faram, Freya and George. The last few of the riders were advancing, and they seemed to be on their last leg. Freya looked worst off, she was on one knee as Faram and George stood next to her. Groaning in pain, she pulled off another of her potions from her bandolier and downed it, before gripping her sword from the ice and standing again, pulling out her knife to duel wield the weapons. One hound leapt from her side, she stabbed her blade through it, bringing it to the ground, before a rider came rushing in to skewer her. She rolled out of the way, coming up with a leap onto the riders back. She sank her sword into the riders shoulder, stabbing her dagger into it's neck before she stumbled to the ground with the body.
"I got ya goldilocks!" Faram yelled, coming to cover, as he threw a parry and blocked a strike intended for her.
"Keep her covered!" George yelled, blasting a wall of flames in their direction.
"NO!" Freya screamed, ripping herself from Faram's grip, stepping in front of them with her sword leveled again, her breathing heavy. "I won't back down from this! I will fight just like the rest of you!"
But not Freya, or Faram and George had too.
Only a handful of riders remained, but when Ciri teleported forward, blinking and cutting her blade clean through a rider's torso, the rest were quick to fall. Ciri's eyes like his were completely engulfed with a white-blue light. He watched her parry a rider's blow, side-step, then teleport, her blade cutting through one rider's chest completely. Her blade seemed to have a mind of its own, as she spun, a perfect pirouette which started as a parry, but ended with Ciri behind the rider's back, and soon the rider was cleaved in half.
Dominik pulled out his crossbow, killing one that had almost attacked his friends while they watched Ciri's display. It was a group of three that remained, but still feeling plenty of magic in his veins he leapt and cut down through one rider's block. It cut into his shoulder, and Dominik spun, cutting across his legs and bringing him to the ground before the rider's head left his shoulders.
Feeling the second behind him, he three his blade up behind his back, parrying a blow before spinning and ending the second rider. He heard footsteps rushing behind him and spun to face his last opponent.
But Ciri had it covered for him. She came teleporting in, her blade getting two quick cuts across the rider's chest. Those two cuts had the rider in three pieces.
After the slipped onto the ground, Dominik let out a breath. Ciri slid her sword onto her back and turned to him.
And of course she smiled. "Miss me?"
Gods, how can someone be this beautiful covered in blood? It's really not fair.
Her top and scarf were stained with blood, it married bits of her loose strands of hair. Her boots were covered in slush and blood, her trousers with small holes, her corset had rips. A small cut was across her non-scarred cheek. But the ring, and her wolf medallion still bounced around her neck, and her eyes were still bright, and warm despite the tempest around them.
Admire later, you're in the middle of a battle, he thought, but was unable to keep his smile away.
"More then you know," He said, letting out a shaky breath, "you really saved us there. Did you see the look on Caranthir's face?"
She scoffed, leaning forward she quickly kissed him. And somehow, even in the middle of a battle, his lips tingled as she kissed him.
"I would have like it a lot better if his head was removed from his shoulders," She said, sighing as she turned towards the Nagalfar. "Avallac'h says we must destroy Caranthir's staff to lift the spell, but I'm sure you already knew that."
He shook his head, not even wanting to attempt to ask what it meant that Avallac'h seemingly let her go to him.
"I did," He said, stepping up besides her. "That's where we were heading, but Caranthir detected my magic, sent riders after us."
"Then we'll have to move, before he does so again," Ciri said, looking up at him, a smile coming to her face.
"What, what is it?" He said, reaching to his face. "Is there something on my face?"
"No… it's just, your eyes, they're quite handsome when they have that white-blue color mixed in with the green."
"Ciri we're in the middle of a battle for our world and your life."
She shrugged and smirked. "Doesn't mean I can't admire your face now can I? You finally have it then… complete control?"
"I do," He said, sucking in some of the magic mist around him, letting it heal his aches. "I'll show you all the cool tricks later."
She smiled, but then her eyes fell. She looked like she was going to tell him something, but Freya's voice quickly caught on the air.
"Ciri, gods, have I ever told you how much I love you?" She said, coming up with a slight limp in-between Faram and George.
Ciri quickly rushed to her, hugging her and holding her upright. She smiled at the blonde and nodded. "I couldn't just leave you all out here. It's time for this to end."
George coughed but smirked, wiping some blood from his armor. "Aha, you arrived in the nick of time Ciri. Did you happen to see the army when you attempted to find us?"
Ciri let go of Freya and nodded. "I did, the forward force you charged with is making some headway, they're pushing closer to the Nagalfar but will surely be stalled soon."
"And the other side did you see it?" Dominik asked, hearing the distant sounds of fighting.
She bit her lip; she only did that when she was nervous. "The other side is stalled, Cerys is trying to reinforce, but something is keeping them from advancing. I don't know how; the Hunt has more men on the side you charged with."
Dominik's heart fell to his stomach as he shakily sighed. "It probably… means Eredin or… or Bella are there, ordinary soldiers wouldn't be able to scratch her."
A silence fell around the group. Ciri gripped his forearm, squeezing it, she met his eyes and nodded reassuringly. Gods, it felt better to have her with him. Her very presence invigorated him, the reason he was fighting was behind him now.
Freya broke the silence and nodded. "Alright then, let's get moving, we need to find your sister and chase Caranthir!"
"No," Dominik said right away, turning to them. "First you Freya wrap that leg and those wounds. After that, the three of you go and join up with Anton at the front, and make your way towards the Nagalfar," He said, looking towards Ciri and nodding, "Ciri and I will chase Caranthir… and deal with Bella."
Ciri as always knew exactly where he was going, as if she could really read his mind. He looked back at his friends. He didn't want to separate from them, but that fight had battered them, and the last thing he wanted to do was bring them to fight the enemies most dangerous warriors in their state.
Faram was of course the first to object. "Not happening mate! We won't leave you two to do this alone!"
"He is right, the enemy is powerful," George said, sliding his silver onto his back. "I would be there to when you face them, I would see this to the end."
"Yeah, and I'm fine I swear," Freya said through gritted teeth, "it's just a few scratches, the potions already kicking in. I'll be able to walk, I can fight still!"
"We don't doubt that, and you all will be there at the end. We'll meet up with you at the Nagalfar, I swear," Ciri cut in for him, "the troops could use the moral boost. Besides, it'll be faster if I teleport with Dominik. Myself is easy, another person no problem, two is hard… five of us? I don't think I can."
Her words had the intended effect, and Dominik could have kissed her again on the spot. However, he restrained himself, and looked to his friends again.
He of course loved all three of them, however, something in his gut was simply telling him as well, that this was simply something he and Ciri had to do themselves.
He couldn't explain why it felt that way, it simply did. They needed to end this.
Dominik in particular knew as well, that he needed to be the one to face Bella.
Faram sighed and nodded, looking down to Freya. "Aye, come on goldilocks, George and I will keep you covered while we dress that wound real fast."
"What!? No, I'm fine really," Freya said, trying to take a step, but wincing and grabbing her thigh.
George laughed. "Ha you are supposed to be the healer my dear, you should know we need to get that cleaned and quickly," He looked over to Dominik and Ciri both, before bowing and smiling at them. "Good luck my friends. Fight well, we will see each other again this day!"
"Aye, go kick some fucking ass for us mates," Faram said, leaning down at Freya's side.
Freya sighed annoyedly but smiled at them. "We will get the army to the Nagalfar, we promise."
Dominik smiled, looking at Ciri who had smirked again. Why the hell does she had to be so goddamn gorgeous when she does that?
"You're right, you will we know it," She said, smiling at them and then looking to Dominik. "Come on, we should get moving and quick!"
"Yeah, let's go," He said, looking to his friends, his chest getting warm again. "Thank you… all of you."
"Aye it's no problem mate, but you've wasted enough time, go now!" Faram said waving them off. "Those fuckers won't kill themselves!"
He smirked and took off with Ciri. The sounds of battle got louder, and as he climbed to the top of the crater wall with Ciri he could finally see the whole battle. It was as Ciri said, with Anton and the force he charged with gaining ground very slow about a half-mile behind them.
On the other side however, he could see small bursts of magic, as the smaller amount of Skelligan troops who landed were fighting. If he looked closely he could see small icy forms all over the graveyard of ships. Geralt was among them, and then needed to free him and the Black Ones from the ice.
"We need to hurry, we don't know how much longer till Borch and Kilgarrah come back," Ciri said from next to him, tightening her bun as she looked to him. "They went down over the other side of the island."
"They'll be back," Dominik said, gripping the swallow around his neck as his eyes didn't leave the opposite side of the Nagalfar. "Ciri… Bella's over there."
"You can sense her magic?" She asked.
He shook his head and sighed, looking down at her. "No… but I just know she is. Ciri…I… I-."
"You can do this," She said, leaning a hand on his arm, her eyes not leaving him. "You're strong enough… I promise. We leave today, with all our friends and Bella. Our lives start tomorrow, remember?"
"I could never forget," He said, looking down at her, the small smile that formed on her lips making his heart melt in that cold tempest. "I love you…"
"I love you too," She said, looking back out over the icy plains and graveyard of ships. She reached and laced her hands with his. "Now let's go… time to end this. You ready?"
"You gonna stay to make sure I don't do something stupid?" He said cheekily.
She looked up at him and nodded. "I am never leaving you again…. I promise. Now come on… let's end this."
He sighed softly, sucking in the magic around him. Around Ciri, he saw magic whirling, her powers readying to unleash.
He opened his eyes, and the magic slowly pooled out, mixing with Ciri's next to him.
"Yeah… let's end it," He said, looking down at her. "On your go princess."
She nodded at him and looked back out towards the opposite side and the Nagalfar.
And then, she teleported them.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
"Ughhh… fuck me, do you ever get used to that?" Dominik complained, as the two of them both landed on the snow.
Ciri let out a breath she'd been holding and rolled her eyes at him. "You're starting to sound like Geralt, now come on, it doesn't look like we've teleported to the battle, we have to find Caranthir."
Her limbs felt like they were about to explode with energy. Ciri never guessed complete control of her powers would feel this invigorating. For years the power had brought her nothing but problems, nothing but pain, worry and torment. She could remember blowing up the barn in Ellander, almost killing Dominik in the process, all the times magic had exploded in her face. They had come for her on Thanedd for her powers, Emhyr had come for her because of her powers, Avallac'h and Eredin held her in Tir'Nala because of her powers.
For her entire life she had hated them, hating having this power she never wanted in her veins. It had been the cause for all of her misery.
But now, she controlled it.
She looked up at the Nagalfar, they had landed right near the front of the ship, in a wide pathway of ice and ship wreckage, that led either to the right or left sides of the main vessel. The right side had been where they had come from, and Ciri rushed to make sure the army Dominik charged with was making headway, while she saw him go of to scout the left.
Both ships the Hunt had summoned fanned out on the sides of the Nagalfar, the ship of bone nearly close enough for Ciri to touch. She looked up onto the deck, and every bone in her body urged her to teleport onto it. Eredin would more then likely be there. Could she end this whole conflict so soon? No, Eredin would have been expecting something like this, and was probably surrounded by dozens of soldiers.
Outside the magic field of ice around the fleet, the windy rainstorm raged, thunder boomed, as the small bits of water that were able to get through did nothing to extinguish the flames that burned throughout the graveyard.
She could hear the sounds of fighting, on the right side, she saw that it could have possibly been the arrival of Freya, Faram and George that helped the army push forward. Already they had reached the side-ship that had come with the Nagalfar, soldiers were shouting out and scaling onto the ship, she saw fires beginning to burn, riders being thrown, but still more came. She had no idea how Eredin was getting to many riders, but she didn't have time to worry.
"Ciri!" Dominik yelled from behind her. She turned and saw him looking at her. "We got company!"
She rushed over to him, hopping up onto a small wall of ice that dropped down to an icy ravine. That stretched on for at least half a mile, pieces of broken ships and fires burned along its path as the battle continued smashing into Ciri's ears.
Coming up next to him, she marveled again at how he looked. She hadn't had the time to tell him yet that she finally found complete control of her powers, but seeing him then, it was she who was amazed again.
Streams of beautiful white-blue light gently streamed from his emerald eyes. The magic radiated a mist around him, it spiraled up his arms, down his legs. His armor was adorned with scorch marks and the small rips but was still in perfect condition. The light around him she knew would empower his signs, heal minor injuries, and make him move just as fast as she could.
And they'd both need their powers, when she looked down and saw the at least dozen or so riders and hounds that stood in their path. They hadn't noticed them yet, as they'd need to slide down the icy hill, or she'd need to teleport them into the ravine before they engaged.
He looked down at her, his eyes narrowed. "We need to move, the army on this side won't last much longer."
"You're right look over there," She said, pointing towards where flashes of light could be seen. The lights of magic blasts shot upwards from a large icy crater, followed by distant cries of death and pain. "That has to be Caranthir… or-."
"Or Bella…" He said, his voice low, barely a whisper over the wind.
She could see his shoulders tensed. She had tried to not speak about Bella as much as she could the previous few weeks since they discovered the truth, but now the truth was smacking them right in the face, killing dozens as a result.
Ciri knew Dominik would have to fight her, but in the back of her mind she wanted to take his place. What if he really froze, and couldn't swing his sword? Or what if in his attempts to try and speak to her, Bella took advantage and killed him? She didn't want Bella harmed either, but if it came down to losing Dominik, or saving her… what would Ciri do?
She knew then that they couldn't wait a minute longer. Reaching over, she squeezed his arm again.
"We'll do this… come on, you ready?" She asked him, trying to give him a reassuring smile as she laced her hand with his. "I'll teleport us down there, then we make for that crater, how long would you guess the distance is? I'd say a mile and a half."
He nodded in agreement. "Seems about right. Remember how annoying we found those types of lessons with Eskel outside?"
She scoffed. "You're right, all we ever wanted to do was swing swords at each other."
That got a smile out of him. Back at Kaer Morhen, Eskel had trained them on being able to track distance between objects as best they could out in the woods. From him was where they'd both learned many of their outdoor skills, with Dominik learning even more from her mother before she died at Cintra.
From the bottom of the hill they stood atop, to the walls of the icy crater, Ciri could calculate at least a half mile.
"I also count about a dozen or so riders, half a dozen hounds, should be no issue," He said, his voice terse as he turned down to her again. "Stay close, and we can carve through them like it's nothing."
"Care for another game?" She said, cracking her knuckles and rolling her shoulders.
"Sure," Dominik said, "what're the terms this time princess?"
She looked up at him and smirked. "If I win you finally read all the lines from that play you put on in Novigrad, a private showing just for me."
"And if I win?"
"I'll wear that dress again tomorrow," She said with a wink, "because I think after tonight, we'll have cause to celebrate then."
That got a laugh out of him. "Ha, what good is the dress if we're just going to both end up naked anyway?"
"So you'd prefer I come to dinner naked?"
"I'd prefer you naked all the time if I'm being honest."
"Dominik!" She said, scoffing and laughing as she met his gaze. "I've never heard such salacious words coming from you!"
He shrugged, and Ciri finally saw his smile return. "Just being honest, I could stop if you like."
"Oh no, I'm not complaining, I actually quite like it," She said to him, brushing loose strands of her hair away. "I'd actually prefer it if every now and then, you'd simply tell me how much you wanted to fuck me."
He laughed, looking back out over the icy ravine. "Well if we survive I'll be sure to tell you every day how much I want to have sex with you."
"To fuck me," She said, laughing when she saw his face get all flustered red.
He rolled his eyes at her. "Alright, alright enough of that. Come on, let's get moving. Won't be fucking anytime soon if we don't."
Ciri stopped laughing, the smirk returning to her face. She shook her head in disbelief, did we really just have a conversation about our sex life in the middle of a battle? Only us.
But Ciri looked back down to the ravine, the party between them and the wall was clearly a scouting party of some sorts, or troops being sent to reinforce the other side of the ship. She nodded, gripping Dominik's hand tighter, and focused her magic.
It bent to her will quicker then it ever had, and within second she felt the familiar churning in her stomach. With a loud *POP* she felt herself falling a small distance and landing on the ground, right away she let go of Dominik's hand and looked out ahead of her.
Sure enough, she saw the contingent of riders all turn back to her. She heard the raking of a sword next to her, and with magic whirling around his limbs, the blue color completely taking over his eyes, Dominik's silver blade was out. He twirled it to a reversed grip, the magic oozing from him like steam from a bathhouse. It radiated from him like a star, reaching out and humming softly. It traveled up his arms as he shifted his legs, one foot in front of the other, shoulder width apart, blade pointed out in the reversed grip. Ciri had never had interest in learning it but could recall vividly Dominik having Eskel drill it into his head for hours a day at Kaer Morhen.
"Look alive princess!" He yelled over the wind to her, his now magic filled eyes gazing into her.
Ciri turned and saw the riders had finally gotten over their shock. Them and their hounds all slowly approached, and feeling a surge of energy through her body, she did exactly what Dominik did.
She reached and pulled out her blade, leveling it towards their enemy. Magic shot from her eyes, up her arms down her legs and up her sword. The riders gave pause for a moment, and she couldn't blame them.
Next to her, she could see the mist around Dominik clash with her magic. It only invigorated him more, the two magics seemed to know about the connection they shared. It seemed to know, that in that moment, two powerful lines of magic, both connected through destiny stood as one fighting against the enemy both sides had for hundreds of years. Ciri had fought with Dominik plenty of times in the last few weeks, trained with him, grew up with him, loved him more then anything. Only a few weeks prior, they had stood and fought off dozens of riders together at Kaer Morhen.
They fought like well-oiled machine, and their eight limbs were the gears that made it move. Each gear served a purpose, knowing exactly where to move, when to move, and how to be there. Ciri had no idea how, but she just knew exactly where to move, where to be when she fought with him.
It was the greatest feeling in the world. It simply felt right. For the first time in her life, Ciri felt she knew exactly where she was always meant to be. These were all things she knew, Dominik and she could practically read each other's mind, they knew each other's quirks, styles and tendencies better then they even knew their own.
But in that moment, for the first time, Ciri felt like they were both finally the people they were meant to be. Everything was unlocked, and every fall off the pendulums, every sparring match, lesson with magic had led them to that moment.
In that moment next to him, Ciri felt unstoppable.
If only her grandmother and Gregory could see them now.
They do… they're watching now, they're always watching. It was what her grandmother had told her when she saw her in the Cave of Life.
Well… let's give them a show then.
"The magic's getting more out of control," Dominik said, pointing towards the crater a half mile away as the riders closed in front of them. "Let's show them what we're made of princess…"
She looked at him, smirked and nodded. "Yes… let's."
And finally, they both turned and charged.
Ciri got out in front with a teleport, cutting through the first hound that had leapt. She parried and cut down one stunned rider, before she heard footsteps behind her. Turning around she saw another rider with sword raised, but Dominik got there first. She came leaping in, lopping off the rider's arm, before blasting him back with Aard. The sign sent the rider shooting into another, crashing them both against an old wooden plank. It was sharp enough to where the one was stabbed, and the other crumpled to the ground from the impact.
Back-to-back now, she could have sworn he smirked at her before they both leapt into the fight in earnest. One by one riders charged, but Ciri knew exactly where to move, when to teleport. When she saw one approaching Dominik's flank, she'd teleport and cut them down, while Dominik covered her flank after the teleport was finished. She would roll over is back, she ducked when she saw him pull out his crossbow, knowing exactly every time where he intended to go with it.
The magic around them both erupted, it combined, smashing into one another making them both move like a blur. Ever sign that Dominik launched was more powerful then almost any spell Ciri had ever seen. Witcher signs were supposed to be simple, smaller forms of magic, but when Dominik launched them they fired as if they were full on spells casted from the most skilled sorceresses of Aretuza, and he wielded them with expert precision.
At one point they stood back-to-back, Ciri with a magically enhance parry, knocked a rider off balance. However, she didn't see one rider coming from the left, and Dominik tapped her left side with his elbow, before he grabbed Ciri's arm and spun her to the right. That gave her momentum to cut through the first rider, and left Dominik in perfect position to parry and cut down the one that would have skewered her.
She saw it leave him open for an attack, and quickly teleported behind him. The rider that would have cut him down fell in two, and after that she saw Dominik quickly turn back to her.
"GO!" He yelled, pointing down the road towards the crater walls they had broke for.
She didn't question him; he ducked and gave her space. She rolled over his back, cutting down one rider as he charged. Just as Ciri got to her feet and dashed, she saw the purple glyphs of the Yrden sign erupted under her. Dominik quickly followed, coming up next to her, and they looked back to see the remaining handful of riders completely immobilized.
"Gods I need you to teach me to do that," Ciri said, as he grabbed her arm and urged her forward.
"I will I promise," He shouted over the wind, as they darted off towards the crater. "For now we need to move!"
She didn't argue, but they were stopped in their tracks, when a loud *BOOOM* shook the ice below them. Dominik caught her before she could stumble, pulling her back to her feet just in time for her to see the light. From the crater up ahead, a large spiral of white-blue magic shot from the crater. Screams of dying, burning men hit her ears, and Ciri's heart sank to her stomach as she watched a man thrown over the walls of the crater.
It landed in front of them, and Dominik quickly knelt down next to the body. She turned and raised her blade, seeing that the Yrden glyph Dominik casted was staring to wear off, as the riders rushed towards them again.
"Dom! Your glyph broke, they're-."
"Ciri… these are Clan An Craite colors…" He said, cutting her off as she quickly looked back at him.
She scoffed and shook her head, her heart racing. "But that's impossible, all the other clans attacked this side, Crach and Hjalmar took the An Craite men to attack the other! The only one who could command other An Craite men would be…"
The realization hit Ciri like a brick, and apparently it hit Dominik as well.
"We need to move! Bella will tear them to pieces," He said shooting to his feet, but when he met her eyes he surged forward. "MOVE!"
She did as he asked, diving to the side as he ran and shot his hands forward.
All the mist around him formed into his palms, and an Aard blasted erupted through the icy ravine, shaking the ice beneath them, cracking it in some places. The blast slammed into the remaining riders who all went flying into the air over the walls of the ravine. One slammed with so much force into the broken hull of a ship that blood pooled beneath his armor. Ciri watched the powerful spell fade, and quickly Dominik grabbed her up by the arm.
"COME ON!" He shouted, darting out ahead of her heading towards the crater.
Ciri caught up to him, her power willing her legs to move faster trying to reach for his hand to teleport them. She almost grabbed it, when over the hill of the crater half a dozen riders vaulted down. They rushed at them both, but Dominik quickly slid into his knees, cutting the torso of one and stepping between two more.
They came at Ciri as well, but she quickly parried one strike and blinked between them, cleaving them in half. Another tried to strike, but she blinked to the side, cutting off the rider's arm, before Dominik ran in and cut him down.
It was like an instinct they both had, always able to sense when the other was in peril.
He met her eyes, just as they heard the explosion of another blast of magic erupt from behind the crater wall. She ran past him, leaping up and gripping into an outcropping in the ice and Dominik quick followed. They scaled the icy wall, which was only about twice the height of Dominik, not nearly the highest they've had to climb in tougher conditions.
She pulled up and stood at the top of the wall, reaching down and yanking Dominik up after her, his sword having been sheathed. Her legs shook from the cold, and from how much running she had done, but she steadied them only for them to be shook again by another explosion of magic.
Pain shot through Ciri's head, but she looked down into the crater and for a moment she couldn't breathe.
A small path led to where most of the ships the Skelligers had landed were plowed into small ice banks. The ship that had landed on the Nagalfar's opposite side was closer than the other one that the main bulk of the army was fighting towards now. About five ships had landed, and they watched as Skelligers, a few sure enough wearing the colors of Clan An Craite, mixed with multiple other clans fought to make their way towards the ship, and then the Nagalfar as a result.
And at their lead was their Queen. Cerys was at the middle of the battle, there only had to be about thirty or so Skelligers, with only a few more riders then that. Cerys was wearing armor like Ciri had never seen her wear. A shield in one hand, a sword in the other, she carved down a rider, in the direct center of the crater. About even numbers, their Queen leading them, it should have been relatively easy for the Skelligers to push the Hunt back.
Only despite having more numbers on the other side, this side of the Hunt's ship was even more guarded.
"BELLA!" Dominik tired to scream over the wind, but his voice surely got lost.
Bella as they had guessed, fought in the center of the crater. It seemed that after falling off Kilgarrah earlier she had teleported back like Dominik and she both assumed. She was wearing her black skeletal armor, the armor that commanders of the Hunt wore. Her plate was smaller, made to fit her slimmer, sorter body as opposed to the lumbering figures of the Hunt. Her trousers were of dark purple leather, leading up to an dark padded purple gambeson beneath the skeletal breastplate. Down her arms, the pauldrons were smaller, the vambraces fit perfect to her forearms. Her helmet was dome like, with the skeletal faceplate covering her bright green eyes, the same eyes as Dominik, but now instead of black slits, they were filled with white, blue light.
In her hands, she didn't have Coram the sword Dominik and Ciri had retrieved for her form the Cave of Life. No, she wielded a jagged black longsword, three prongs at the top, the same length as their swords, only with the crude design of the Hunt.
Around her the magic didn't hum in a calm mist like it did around Dominik then. It shot from her light small bolts of static electricity coming from the sky during a lightning storm. It swirled around her, churning, violent, like a tornado of magic with Bella at its epicenter.
And while her magic didn't look like Dominik's, she wielded it with just as much efficiency.
She stood in the center of the crater, mowing any man who dared come to her. One larger man rushed in from the right at her with an axe, Bella caught the head on her blade. Effortlessly she spun, stabbing into the man's stomach, her sword stabbing clear through his back. Bella slammed her hand into the man's chest, and with a blast of magic, the dead man erupted backwards, shooting up into the sky and splashing dead into the distant icy water.
Another group came, this time three men tried for an all-out rush at her. One cut down a rider as he did and came at Bella with momentum. Parrying and spinning like she had been trained by the finest swordsmen-which she had been, by the finest warriors of the Hunt- she cut down the first man in three strikes. She ducked between the two, yelling as she parried and cut her blade across the back of one's neck. Blood splattered into the ice below, as the last man saw what happened to his comrade and tried to retreat to his lines.
Bella saw this, teleporting in a puff of frost. She landed in front of the man, easily deflecting a parry and with her magically enhance strength cut through the man's gut, his blood and insides falling to the ice. He fell to his knees, already dead, but Bella, radiating with pure anger as he magic spiraled out of control, yelled-her pained scream reaching Ciri's ears- spun and cleaved the man's head from his shoulders.
Ciri's breath fell short, as she winced at the sight. It was as if that sword had been plunged deep into her chest.
That was Bella. That was the excited little girl from back in Cintra, that had been so, so excited to see Ciri's closet of dresses. The girl, who used to tease her, tease Ciri about having a crush on her big brother, that encouraged her to be with him. Who encouraged Ciri to be with him, so that she could be Ciri's little sister for real. She could remember her smile when they walked through the gardens, her laugh as they played a prank on Dominik or had a race through the castle halls.
The girl that Ciri had taken as her little sister. A little girl, that made Ciri blush madly when she first said Ciri was her 'big sister'.
And now, that little girl was grown, and she murdered men in front of her. She wanted to do the same to Ciri. Blamed her for 'corrupting' her brother, for turning her family against her. Who felt like she had been overlooked and cast aside by the ones she loved most for Ciri.
The scariest part was Ciri still wondered if it all was true. Bella was there now, because Emhyr had sacked Cintra for Ciri. Gregory and Sofia had died, because they had been determined to save all of Ciri, Dominik and Bella from Cintra.
Even after Bella lost her memories after the battle and managed to find herself a new life on Skelliger, the Hunt had sacked that village, because when Bella's powers unleashed, Eredin thought Bella was her. Was she really responsible for all that had happened? Dominik always told her none of it was true, and that Bella had just been brainwashed, programed into something she wasn't.
Bella did have fake memories yes, and had her mind skewed by the Hunt.
But that still didn't mean her words couldn't be true in a way.
NO! Stop it, you can't worry about that now, you need to-.
"CERYS!" Ciri's voice screeched from her throat, as she watched the Queen of the Isles move towards Bella.
"GO GET HER!" Dominik yelled next to him. He had been silent the whole time, his eyes unable to leave his sister, but within seconds he sprung into action again. He leapt down from the icy wall into the mess of riders, slamming his fist into the ground as Aard shot up around him. Ciri did the same, teleporting down to the ground just as the riders were blasted back and Dominik took off running again.
He cut down riders and spun under attacks as they came, saving several of the Skelligan men, as Ciri made a break for where she saw Cerys.
Cerys had seen Bella cutting down her men and rushed for her. Bella had finished decapitating the man as Cerys rushed into her with her shield. Bella was actually taken off guard, the red shield slamming into her and sending her stumbling.
Ciri picked up her pace as she watched Cerys press her advantage. She was skilled Ciri knew but would be no match for what Bella could do and that proved true. Cerys swung down from the right, keeping her shield up for defense. Bella screamed, the magic shooting from her, blinding Cerys and making it easy for her to parry. The force of the parry was so enhance, so powerful Cerys stumbled, and Bella spun back, coming down for a blow that would have cut any man or woman in half.
Cerys raised her shield in time, going to her knees, but as soon as Bella's blade hit the shield it erupted into splinters, and Bella kicked the Queen in the stomach. Ciri cursed and went to teleport but was accosted from the right by a rider. She quickly performed a perfect pirouette, cutting his down from behind, just as Bella leapt and swung down towards Cerys again.
The Queen thankfully got her blade up to block in time. She managed to parry a few blows, but it was obvious Bella was toying. Cerys went to strike herself, but Bella parried, twisting her blade to the hilt of Cerys's and sent the Queen's blade flying into the ice. Ciri watched as Bella yelled, about to bring her blade down as Cerys stumbled back dazed.
But she stopped before she delivered the killing strike. Instead, she kicked her foot forward, knocking Cerys onto her back.
"UGH DAMMIT! GOD DAMMIT!" Bella screamed, both hands to her head, almost trying to rip her hair out in frustration. Magic shot from her more, as she turned her eyes to Cerys again, and went to leap and strike, which would have finally killed her.
Ciri finally focused enough to teleport, but before she could, she watched as Dominik finally reached the seen.
A loud *BOOOM* erupted as Dominik got his blade up to block Bella's strike. A ring of magic shot out from around them both, knocking Ciri, and every rider and Skelliger to their feet.
Dazed, Ciri rose with the rest and she saw what had happened.
Bella had her blade locked with Dominik's, the magic swirling around them both erupting in tiny sparks around them. Bella pushed down, she was just a bit smaller then Dominik but still held the overhead position in the clinch.
Dominik's knees buckled under the strength of Bella's magically enhanced strike, despite his own magic helping him. Ciri saw their eyes lock, Dominik's eyes slowly glowing back to their bright green color, while Bella's went back to the black slits of her face plate.
"I TOLD YOU," Bella screamed, her voice scrapping against the wind. Bella's voice made Ciri's heart fall to her chest, it sounded as if she was crying under her helmet, her pleas desperate. "I TOLD YOU TO STAY AWAY! I TOLD YOU NOT TO COME!"
"AND YOU KNEW I WOULDN'T LISTEN!" Dominik yelled back, thrusting his hand forward.
Bella saw this and shot hers forwards as well. With the battle around them still raging, both blasts of magic slammed into each other, sending both Dominik and Bella flying backwards. Bella slammed into the wall of the crater, Dominik doing the same, and Ciri took the opportunity.
She teleported forward to Cerys, grabbing the dazed Queen by the arms and yanking her to her feet.
Blinking rapidly, her head probably pounding Cerys looked at up at her. "Ci… Ciri? What… what happened, when did-."
"There's no time," Ciri said, rushing her back towards the section of the crater with now wall, towards her ships. "Take your men and go! Go reinforce the other side!"
"What!?" Cerys said, having shaken off the dizziness. "We can't just leave you here! What will you and Dominik do!?"
Ciri shook her head fervently. "No time to explain, just go and-."
"ARGHHHHHHHHHH!"
Ciri had time to turn just as Bella fell down on her through a portal. If there was even a chance she felt any confliction fighting Dominik or the other men, it was gone as she lashed out at Ciri.
It took every bit of concentration Ciri had to get her blade up for the first strike. She pushed Cerys out of the way and managed to deflect the first few blows. However, Bella was relentless, Ciri tried to teleport, but she couldn't get her footing, or concentrate for the right amount of time.
Bella lashed out from the left, and Ciri parried, but Bella's other fist slammed into her stomach. Pain shot through her gut as she stumbled back towards the center of the crater.
"EVERYTHING! EVERYTHING WAS BECAUSE OF YOU!" Bella yelled, her voice pained and angry as she lashed out. "I MATTER! I MATTERED JUST AS MUCH AS YOU DID!"
"YOU DID BELLA YOU DID!" Ciri yelled back, desperately now fending off her attacks, memories of Bella flooding her mind. She thought of Dominik breaking down in her arms in the forest after running from Cintra, how she broke down as well upon hearing what happened to her. Now, Bella had suffered even worse. She had lost her memories, had her second family killed in front of her as well, and now she had gone through years of torment at the hands of the Hunt. They had turned her into something she wasn't, a monster, a machine, a tool.
And Ciri found tears falling from her eyes as she fell onto her back foot. Bella pressed harder, and Ciri just barely raised her blade, and avoiding a strike at her torso, before Bella shot her hand forward. A ball of magic hit Ciri's gut and sent her skidding backwards, falling onto her back.
She blinked away the fog and looked up, Bella walking towards her with her blade out.
And still, Ciri could only cry and shake her head. "I'm sorry…gods… gods Bella I'm so sorry… I'm sorry…"
It was all she could say. Bella slowly shook her head getting over her, her sword leveled out towards her.
"It's too late… it's too late for that Ciri…" She said, her voice surprisingly low, near a whisper, which made it a miracle Ciri heard it. Again Bella shook her head. "It was always you… they always wanted to protect you… fuck Bella, the princess is what matters…. Well now, Bella's dead… and now you will be too!"
"GET AWAY!" Dominik screams echoed over from the left, leaping and striking down at Bella from her flank.
Another loud puff of magic erupted as swords clashed. Dominik shot out his hand, Aard shot from his fingers and knocked Bella back before a furious battle began.
"IT WAS ALWAYS HER, EVEN NOW SHE IS ALL YOU CARE ABOUT!" Bella's voice was loud, hurt, and drew the attention of all the riders that were around them.
Dominik lased out, magic enhanced arms spinning and moving his blade quicker then Ciri had seen all battle. Bella spun and attacked; her head of brown hair blasted back behind her in the wind. She recklessly smacked aside Dominik's parry and went for a stab, which he side-stepped, spinning to Bella's back. It was a clear opportunity, a clear attack that could have cut deep into her back.
But he didn't swing. Instead, he shot his hand out and Aard sent Bella flying back, tumbling into her riders.
Ciri's heart thumped in her chest, loud enough to hear over the wind. It was exactly what she had been afraid of. He could have easily attacked her, but he pulled back. After Bella scrambled to her feet, pushing her soldiers out of the way she dashed forward again, and another whirlwind of blades ensued. The two of them, Dominik and Bella, brother and sister, they both moved and attacked with more vigor, more ferocity, more precision then Ciri ever thought possible.
Finally shaking off her dizziness, Ciri shot to her feet, and looked over towards Cerys, who was busy helping one of her men cut down a rider. The Skelligers were only a dozen or so strong now, with at least twice as many riders. She met Cerys's eyes and shouted over the wind.
"GO! GET TO THE OTHER SIDE!" She could see that Cerys finally understood Ciri wasn't to be argued with then.
"COME ON! BACK TO THE SHIPS!" Cerys shouted and threw one of her men back towards the wall of the crater. The others quickly followed, disengaging with the riders and breaking towards their ships.
The riders quickly went to follow, when Bella screamed. "NO, MEME TA CRE MAS!"
Whatever Bella had ordered it had an instant effect. All the riders stopped, filing out in a circle around the crater. Ciri still counted at least two dozen, and quickly she raised her blade, ready for them all to charge.
Only they didn't, they all stood, swords out at the ready, as they watched Bella clash with Dominik again in the center of the crater. Ciri turned as well, to see the whirlwind of magic erupting around them both. Dominik's calm mist, and Bella's tornado of magic. Both of them rammed into each other as the two clashed, seeming to grow more violent with each blow. It was as if the magic knew that two people of the same blood were fighting, and rejecting it.
Ciri wasted no time, she teleported forward just as Bella was about to strike out from the left. She landed behind her and went to strike downwards towards her legs. Bella however saw, thrusting her hand out and knocking Dominik's back, before disappearing in a puff of frost. Ciri's attack missed, and she spun just as Bella leapt down at her.
Another blast of magic erupted as their weapons clashed. Bella lashed out at her, striking from left and right, trying to put her on the back foot again. Ciri raised and blocked each blow, wanting to lash out herself, but soon understood Dominik's struggle.
This was Bella, she didn't want to attack Bella. It wasn't her fault she was like the way she was, she was manipulated, tortured.
"Bella it isn't too late! I swear it isn't!" She cried out, parrying another blow and stepping under the one that came after.
Bella spun and screamed, striking downwards. "IT IS! THIS IS THE ONLY WAY! IT'S THE ONLY FUCKING WAY DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND!?"
"IT ISN'T," Ciri said, her powers moving her faster then she ever felt. "DOMINIK AND I CAN HELP YOU! WE CAN HELP YOU WE KNOW YOU'RE CONFLICTED!"
"YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!" Bella yelled again, her voice pained and weak. She lashed out at Ciri again, lunging recklessly. "YOU WOULD SEE ME DEAD LIKE MY PARENTS! DOMINIK WILL KILL ME IF IT MEANS PROTECTING YOU!"
"I LOVE YOU BELLA I ALWAYS HAVE!" She cried, her heart palpitating. She blocked one of Bella's blows and teleported away.
Bella yelled as she turned seeing Ciri now a few meters away. "I THOUGHT THAT WAS TRUE! BUT YOU LIED, YOU ALL LIED I'VE SEEN THE TRUTH!"
"EREDIN'S LYING TO YOU! HE'S GOING TO KILL YOU WHEN THIS IS OVER!" Ciri yelled desperately her hand gripping around her bloody sword.
"NO, NO HE WOULDN'T! HE'S GIVING ME A PLACE WHERE I BELONG!" She yelled, a ball of magic forming in her hands.
Ciri went to go teleport again, when she saw Dominik leap forward again. He went for a strike at Bella's arm, but Bella spun and parried. They exchanged blows for a moment, all of them perfectly thrown and perfectly parried. Ciri noticed Dominik had switched to steel instead of silver.
Because no matter what, Bella wasn't a monster.
The exchange was brief. Dominik struck from above and Bella blocked, spinning and attacking again, but Dominik parried, and at the same time they both went and thrusted their hands forward. A blast of magic, and the Aard sign erupted from them both. The both of them got sent flying back, Dominik landed next to her as Bella was shot back towards the center of the crater. No rider made a move on them, they all simply watched with twitching hands on their weapons, ready to pounce at Bella's orders.
Ciri helped Dominik to his feet, just as Bella shot to hers, scrambling to pick up her sword. Dominik was shaken, but Ciri could still see the magic mist swirling around him. He nodded to her and took steps forward, desperately looking out at Bella, who's faceplate had cracked down the middle.
"HE MADE YOU INTO THIS BELLA! HE'S LIED!" He yelled, his eyes rapidly streaming light. Holding his hands out he shook his head. "It doesn't matter what you've done! It doesn't have to be this way! Come with us now, and we can make everything right!"
Bella's legs shook, she looked like she wanted to lung forward and attack again. Only she didn't, with a trembling arm she gripped onto her sword and met Dominik's eyes with the lighted ones of her faceplate.
"It was yours who hurt most of all… big brother," Bella said, her voice loud enough to carry over the wind. She shook her, magic radiating from her like a storm. "You left me! Even if what Eredin showed me isn't true, you still LEFT ME IN THE STREETS! YOU HAD TO GO AND SAVE YOUR PRINCESS! YOU PROMISED! YOU PROMISED ME YOU'D PROTECT US BOTH YOU PROMISED YOU COULD!"
"I didn't everything I could!" Dominik screamed, as Ciri saw tears falling from his cheeks. "I regret it every single day! There's nothing I can do about that, I can't bring our parents back, but I can save you now! I won't let Eredin kill you, I know you're still you, I've seen it!"
"I was a foolish little girl when I trusted you the first time, I won't make that mistake again," Bella said, clearly crying beneath her helmet as well, the magic growing ever more unstable as she adjusted her stand, sword out. "It's too late… big brother. You're too late! This ends today, either I kill you, and finally belong somewhere. Or you kill me… and you will… because if you don't I'm going to do everything I can to make sure your princess is next!"
She wasn't going to back down, Ciri could see it. The words tore her heart apart, tore it to pieces, blowing it away like the wind. She couldn't gage what Dominik was thinking for what seemed like the first time in her life. He stood there, magic around him, his hair blowing in the wind, his grip on his steel tightening.
Despretely Ciri looked up at Bella in her stance, ready to fight. She stepped forward, trying to reach her. "Bella please… I'm so sorry, don't do-."
Dominik stopped her. He held his out in front of her, stopping her from advancing. Ciri looked up at him, his eyes hadn't left Bella. She stopped moving, looking up desperate to hear him say anything.
"Dominik," She said, her eyes darting between Bella and him, "what are we-."
"Ciri," He said, cutting her off, his eyes slowly moving down towards her. "Go. Teleport and go find Caranthir, kill him and break his staff."
"WHAT!?" She yelled; sure she didn't hear him right. She looked over at Bella, who seemed to simply be letting the situation unfold, her eyes on Dominik. "Dominik, I can't let you do this alone, I won't leave you and-."
"That's too bad…," He said, looking back at Bella, "because this is just something I need to do on my own…"
A thousand alarm bells went off in Ciri's mind. He was insane, she couldn't leave him, she wouldn't. They were stronger together, they proved that, and she had seen how he hesitated fighting Bella. If he hesitated for too long and Bella finally decided to attack she'd lose him, and Ciri would then have to fight and kill Bella.
None of those were things she wanted to do. She looked around at all the riders watching them, swords at the ready. Not only was she leaving him to fight Bella, but all the riders around them.
"Dominik I can't let you do this," She said, her eye darting to all the riders around him, and over at Bella before they went back to him. "What if something happens and I'm not here? If you were too-."
"Ciri," He said, silencing her, "do you trust me?"
She paused, remembering herself asking him the same question on the beach.
And she gave the same answer he did. "With everything I have…"
He nodded, his eyes going back towards Bella. "Then go… find Caranthir and kill him. Destroy his staff, find Geralt and the others, then go towards the Nagalfar. I'll meet you there."
"But-."
"Ciri… go." He said, his eyes falling down to her.
Ciri saw the look in them. It was something she very rarely saw in them. They always made decisions together, weighed what was best for them both. What he wanted to do then was crazy and could get him killed.
But it was as Ciri said, she trusted him more then anyone. If he said he'd meet her at the Nagalfar, that's what he'd do.
"Be careful… please," She said, gripping onto his arm as he nodded.
Ciri took one last look at Bella, who hadn't paid her any mind. Her eyes, the magic swirling lighted slits of her faceplate were rigidly fixed on her brother, her sword pointed towards him.
I'm sorry… I'm so… so sorry Bella…. She looked up at Dominik, who nodded to her once more, leveling out his sword.
Believing his words, trusting them, Ciri stepped away from him. Her last vision of the crater was of Bella shifting and moving towards him.
And then she teleported, she had another mission now.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
"You're a fool to send her against Caranthir alone!" Bella yelled across the crater, slowly moving in a circle around him. "He'll kill her, she stands no chance against him!"
He let out a breath as Ciri disappeared. It managed to slightly calm his racing heartbeat, but when he turned back to Bella it started up again.
Around him he made sure none of the riders moved. Sure enough they followed Bella's orders, not moving until she were to order it again. The rain started seeping through the cracks in the icy dome around them. The streamed onto his head, as the icy crater below him was slick with blood. Half of a destroyed ship was smashed into the wall of the crater, as he slowly circled with Bella, not wanting her to get behind him. With Ciri gone, now all her anger was directed at him. He had a better chance this way.
In that moment he remembered a dream he had what felt like ages ago. Before he left for Novigrad, to go to Skellige with Geralt to reunite with Yen and search for Ciri there. It had been two wolves, one female, one male, on an icy battlefield, attacking each other with their limbs and blasts of magic.
That dream made sense now as he looked over at his sister.
All thoughts of what he was going to say were tossed from his mind, as all he could see was Bella decapitating the man, and having her sword inches from Ciri's heart. All he could think of is what they did to her.
Simply pleading and reminding her of what they had wasn't going to work. Words weren't going to work anymore. He had to show her, had to do something, anything else.
He let out a shaky breath, his eyes not leaving Bella as he gripped tighter to his steel. The sword Ciri had fixed for him a few days earlier. The one he had fought Bella with each time they had clashed. All three of those times, Bella could have killed him, and he could have killed her.
And that was how it would be now, they would both walk away from this.
He stopped as she did and met her gaze, her magic illuminating the eyes of her faceplate. "You underestimate her, you all do. You, Eredin, Caranthir. You arrogance blinds all of you, and it's going to be the reason you all fail."
Bella laughed, but it sounded forced. "You're a fool to try and stand up to them! Neither of you have any idea what they're truly capable of, what I'M CAPABLE OF! AND I'LL SHOW YOU WHY I MATTER!"
"You always mattered Bella…" He said, keeping his voice calm, fighting off the sting of tears threatening his eyes. "You always did… and you still do. Please… don't make me do this. We don't have to fight here."
Bella was silent for a long while. He simply looked over at her, watching her brown hair blow back behind her. Magic churned from her like a small hurricane. He remembered what Alexander said Eredin did. He showed Bella how to control her powers yes, but the way Bella did, in anger, regret, in pain, it gave Bella even more power then he had, but it would also kill her if it continued to unleash like that.
The air around them tasted stale. He was cold, wet, and so, so tired. Despite the magic keeping him invigorated, he could feel the fatigue underlying in his bones. The sounds of the battle growing more and more closer, a small part of his brain said he should turn and check on his friends.
But he didn't dare look away from Bella. He looked at her, and all he could see was her when they were young. Ciri became his best-friend, and was his best-friend now. However, that was different, that was love. The person you love was in a different category then other friends, they were in a spot all their own.
Bella had been his first best-friend, from the moment she had been born. She wasn't gone, that girl, his sister, the light of his and everyone's lives couldn't be dead. His sister was strong, just like how Eredin and everyone else underestimate him and Ciri, they were underestimating Bella.
However, when she finally spoke, Bella simply shook her head. "You're right… we don't have to fight here. All you would need to do, would be let Eredin have Ciri. I can get you amnesty, I can convince him to spare you… and maybe we could even be a family again…"
"But you know I won't do that," Dominik said, his heart falling to his stomach.
Bella nodded, and when she spoke, Dominik could hear the pain. "I knew you wouldn't…. It was always her. Eredin's shown me the way… the way for me to finally belong somewhere. And after I kill you… he'll reward me… with a true family."
"Are you trying to convince me or yourself!?" Dominik snapped, feeling a surge of anger boil up from his heart as he desperately yelled. "He's using you Bella! After this he'll kill you and destroy everything on the continent. Every man, woman and child will be killed, enslaved if they survive. I know you don't want that! I know you; this isn't who you are!"
"YOU DON'T KNOW ME! NOT ANYMORE! YOUR SISTER DIED IN CINTRA WHEN YOU LEFT HER IN THE STREETS TO DIE!" Bella screamed, the magic erupting from her like an active volcano. She let out a shaky sigh, looking to meet Dominik's eyes. "We both knew it would come down to this… me against you. We've both come a long way since that cave…"
Dominik sucked in a shaky breath. When he first fought Bella, he almost died. She could have killed him multiple times, but she didn't. That night in the cave outside Oxenfurt felt like years before. He had no idea it was even Bella then… but now he did, and he had tried everything he could, spoken every word he could.
He couldn't talk anymore; it wasn't going to work. I need to run… I can't do this… it's Bella, fucking Bella… can I even swing my sword at her?
If it meant saving her, Dominik would do anything. He could leave, simply avoid the fight. If he found Eredin and he and Ciri could kill him, perhaps his hold on Bella would break. Or perhaps she would finally see sense if she saw Eredin was gone.
No… I left you once Bell… I won't do it again.
"We have…." Dominik yelled across to her, the magic traveling up his sword and arms. "I'm glad I could give you something to look forward too."
"I wasn't looking forward to it… no matter what you may think…" Bella said, her jagged black blade dripping blood.
He had no idea where she had put Coram. She could have thrown it over a cliff for all he knew.
Dominik shook his head, his eyes not leaving her. "I know you weren't… and neither was I. I've seen you Bella, Eredin, Caranthir… they've forced you to do these things. They've turned you into something you're not…. You're my little sister, you always will be, I don't care what you've done! You're Bella, you were before, you are now.
"You're the daughter of Gregory and Sofia! One of the last descendants of Alexander of Lod. You love exotic places, flowers, spicy foods. You used to keep dolls to have fake tea parties, blue is your favorite color because of the runes on granddads sword. You got upset even when we saw an animal in a trap, you're a great swimmer, you prefer winter to summer! You're my little sister, they didn't kill her, you're stronger then that! I know who you are Bella-."
"BELLA OF CINTRA WAS WEAK!" Bella yelled, cutting him off as she stepped forward, making the two dozen riders around them flinch. The eyes of her faceplate look at him, erupting with magic from the slits. "SHE WAS A WEAK FOOLISH LITTLE GIRL! SHE'S GONE! I DESTROYED HER!"
The words sank into him like a hot knife into his chest. He looked at Bella as she breathed, her chest heaving as she exploded with white-blue light.
No… this wasn't Bella. This was Baelen, the one who had killed his sister.
Bella he couldn't fight, but Baelen he could.
He opened his eyes, the streams of blue-white light shooting from them. Looking over at Bella he slowly shook his head. He shifted his feet, magic swirling around him, he sucked in the mist and leveled his blade out towards her.
"Then I… will avenge her death," He said, speaking softly as he let the magic invigorate him.
Bella scoffed, leveling her blade at him as well. "You always did have a flare for the dramatic…. A part of me expected you to run… avoid this… leave me be like you did before."
"I won't leave you!" He shouted more forcefully, shaking his head. "Not this time… never again."
She slowly shook her head, her voice low and quick. "I believed you the last time you promised me that… and here I am…. Come then… big brother… let's end this."
Dominik almost went to lung forward, but something stopped him. He dug his feet into the ice, standing and pointing his sword out towards Bella again.
"If you're going to make me do this…" He said, his voice low and dangerous, "at least take off that ridiculous helmet."
If he was going to do this, if he was going to fight her, he was going to remind himself what he was doing it for.
Bella hesitated for a moment, a moment that Dominik could have taken advantage of. But he remained still, his eyes fixated on Bella's hand, as she slowly reached up to the bottom of her helmet. If he was going to die, he wanted to see her face one last time.
She ripped the helmet up off her neck. Bella's brown hair fell around her shoulders as for a moment the wind died down. Her eyes were closed at first, just as the wind began to pick up again. Her helmet fell to the ground, sticking into the ice, as more and more of her magic began swirling like a tornado around her.
Her eyes opened, and just like him, streams of white-blue light came from them. Behind it however, he saw her bright emerald eyes, the same ones as him. His sister.
Beneath her eyes, he saw black bags. She hadn't slept in weeks. Her hair was in a tangled mess, small scars on her head and shoulders.
And she had been crying, just like he expected.
She held her hands out, her eyes not leaving her. "Here it is… now you can look at me and think about how you left me in the streets to die…. How your princess meant more than your little sister."
"You thought of her as a sister too," Dominik yelled back as the riders twitched for action watching the exchange. He sighed and shook his head. "Family… can be much more then blood ties."
Bella scoffed, and he realized how amazing it was for him to still hear her voice. Her voice, not the raking sound that came from behind her helmet.
"You tell me that… Kilgarrah told me that, everyone tells me that," She said, shakily sighing, and leveling her sword again. "Even if it is true… it's too late, I have to do this…."
Dominik went to say something else, but his voice died when he realized it would be useless. Nothing he said was going to change her mind anymore, they couldn't bring her back.
The only way he could, was with his sword. So, he leveled his blade as well, the magic moving at his command.
He met her eyes and ran forward at his sister.
A/N: And with that cliffhanger, part two of the final battle has finally come to an end! I had a lot more fun writing this chapter then I thought I would! I knew we'd leave it off just before the fight with Bella and Ciri's fight with Caranthir, but I had a lot of fun coming up with some stuff to put in between! Now, we're just about half-way done with the battle, the actual battle parts. The parts with the actual fights will be either five or six parts, and after that I'll probably include the last confrontation on Undvik at the spire as part of the battle, so either way we're approaching the end!
In this chapter however, we had a ton of action as expected! We begin with Dominik and his troops. Now I may have dragged the charge out a bit longer then I wanted, but I wanted to show the use of Freya's weapon, and a first blow with Kilgarrah! He and Borch will be back soon, as will Geralt! However, next chapter is one that I have been waiting to write since I penned chapter one of this story… and I am so so excited for it!
We get some fighting with the hansa, and a tiny taste of what the fights with Caranthir and Bella will be like. Dominik truly has come a long way since the beginning of this story and I am very proud of it. I had many people complaining and messaging me in the early chapters of this story, complaining how Dominik was too weak, that he got beat too often, and that he was far too underpowered to be a witcher.
And I gave them all the same response, 'just wait and see' xD Now, Dominik is a seasoned warriors, and we still have the rest of this story, and the sequels to see the true extent of what a force he and Ciri can make!
I won't spend long on this A/N since not much outside of the fights happened! I will say again as always, if you enjoy this story, and want to see original fanart for it and other projects I have upcoming, please go and follow my Instagram for this story!
dominik_of_cintra is the username! Go follow it to chat with me, see cool fanart, and know when updates are even quicker!
That's all for this A/N, I am so excited to bring you guys and girls the next chapter. Dominik and Bella have fought four times in this series. Bella won the first, the second was a draw, Dominik won the third, and now, they will fight for a fourth and final time. The Line of Lod clashes in the epic middle of the final battle! Meanwhile Ciri faces her own test, as she attempts to turn the tide of the battle faces off against Caranthir!
So as usual, please if you all enjoy and want to see more be sure to favorite and follow this story, and favorite and follow my profile, so that when the sequels come you can be alerted for them! As usual, everyone please stay safe and thank you again!
