(Chapter 6)

Lone Wolf

Kailynn was standing by the fire now and looking at her two unwanted companions with curiosity as they stared back at her. A faint whisper could be heard creeping through the surrounding woods, one which Kai tried desperately to ignore. The voice was familiar to her and only growing louder until what was once a soft murmur had turned into a deafening roar. The nagging sensation in the back of her head thundered into an ear-splitting headache and Kai could all but shake it from her thoughts. "What is that?" Kai snapped, closing her eyes as she allowed the discomfort to overwhelm her. Kailynn's hand raised to caress her trembling temples which felt as though they were convulsing in the unknown murmur. Kai was starting to feel faint again and wasn't sure if it was the injuries or the incessant pestering of a distant voice clawing through her mind. "Ugh." She commented dryly and sat back down by the side of the fire, head in her hands.

"You can hear that?" Geralt questioned curiously as he felt the medallion call out to her.

"Hear what?" Kai's eyes were dark from bruising but darkened further as her head quaked with stress.

Geralt looked from Jaskier who simply shrugged, back to Kailynn who looked up at them with a forced and dizzy smile on her face. Geralt fished the medallion out from his bags and tossed it onto the ground at Kailynn's feet. Kai looked down at it and forced her body to stabilize itself. "Hmm, nice trinket." There was a familiar feeling in the back of her throat rising… Kai looked away from the medallion and into the woods.

"You can feel it, can't you?" Geralt said knowingly. Jaskier simply stood dumbfounded and unimpressed.

"Feel what?" Kai shook her head stubbornly.

"The chaos." Geralt replied gruffly, growing impatient with the woman.

"I am not a child of chaos." Kailynn stated plainly and kicked the medallion back in the direction of the Witcher. The closer the medallion got to Kailynn the more her body succumbed to its efflorescence. Choking down whatever putrid bile crawled up her throat Kai felt her body giving in to the darkness once again. Kai steadied herself and stood up brushing some fallen ash from the fire off her cloak and changing the subject, "I appreciate the help, thank you both, but I think I'll be alright from here…" She wanted to wash her hands of this day and continue her travels, alone.

Geralt picked up the medallion from the ground and stood. "You're injured." He wanted answers, but obviously had some convincing to do.

"You've taken good care of me." Kai stated fondly.

"This medallion - -" Geralt extended his hand.

"It's not mine." Kai insisted before he could continue.

"I don't think it knows that." Geralt replied as it vibrated in his grip.

Kai eyed the amulet curiously and felt her stomach turn. "I don't want it." She was staring down at it with an intense look now, the thoughts in her head became cloudy and disturbed. There was something about the medallion that called out to her, scared her. The crackling of the fire grew louder in her peripheral, drowning out all the other sounds of the forest. Kai could feel the flames against her skin, warm at first… then burning. Muffled screams in the distance. "Its -" The bile which she effortlessly choked back down rose rapidly and burst from her lips, dribbling down her chin before she could stop it. Kai bent forward to spit the rest of the tar out onto the ground before it slid back down her throat. "Fuck." Kai shook her head furiously, she wanted someone to blame and glared up at Geralt. "What are you doing to me, Witcher?"

Geralt closed his hand around the medallion and stepped back. As he did so Kai seemed to regain her faculties. "Not me, the medallion." Geralt tilted his head to the side as he observed the thief. "It contains magic."

"So, he says." Jaskier added offhandedly.

"Some sort of sickness..." Kai added, whipping the black ooze from her face, peering down at her hands it had the consistency of blood.

"No." Geralt insisted curiously. "I think it's a lock. I won't hurt you, but I need to know if you recognize it?"

Kai glanced at the medallion before she looked back down at the black substance on her hand. Her skin was hot, red, and felt like it might blister. It was as though she had just stuck her entire arm into the firepit. "It hurts." Kai's eyes welled with tears as her head felt faint, she felt her knees weaken until she lost her balance altogether. Kai stumbled and Jaskier lunged forward to keep her from falling, one hand tight around her arm and his other hand around her waist supporting her body against his.

Kai's eyes rolled as she steadied herself. "I had - -" She pushed off of Jaskier and out from his grip, holding his arm for a second as she stabilized her position, eyes torrid with rage. "I had a dream… about it." Kai shook her head forcing her body to respond to her, she was already weak, but refused to let a medallion make her look powerless. "I've never seen it before."

Geralt eyed her curiously. "Who are you?"

Kai snapped her head to look back at the Witcher, standing stiffly now. "What?"

"Obviously there is more to you than you're willing to let on." Geralt insisted.

"I'm nobody." Kai let go of Jaskier. "I steal, that's how I make my living." Kai was exasperated by the relentless questioning. Kailynn knew she was of no importance, "I'm a lowly thief. I take care of myself, and I have no family." Kailynn was not the sort of person to share her personal information with random wanderers. They still thought her name was Kira, after all. "It was completely by chance that our paths crossed."

Geralt knew better than to tempt the hands of destiny. Many people believe in the existence of destiny, a mysterious force which binds certain people together. Geralt, had time and time again challenged this fate, tried to resist it. His attempts to prevent the events beyond his control would often bring grim consequences. "Perhaps it's fate which brought us together." Geralt could tell that the medallion was making the thief uncomfortable, and he went to put it back in his satchel out of sight. "If you follow us to the ruins ahead, we can find answers."

Jaskier's jaw was agape. "WHAT? You want her to just, tag along?"

Kailynn stood, composed now. "I'm not going with you."

Jaskier shrugged dramatically, "Well you heard her, that's a resounding, No. Let's be on our - -"

"Jaskier." Geralt shot the bard a glare. "If the medallion is making you sick, wouldn't you want to find out why? Make it stop." Geralt stepped toward Kai and placed a heavy hand on her shoulder. His skin was warm, inviting, and the look in his eyes was strangely comforting. "I won't let anything happen to you."

Kai paused in thought as her mind cleared. In her haste to simply disregard the sickness, the medallion, and the bard… She hadn't thought to ask herself, why? "I - -" Kai sighed, "I guess." A vision of the decrepit cloaked figure flashed through her mind, and she held her breath. Geralt's hand squeezed tighter against her shoulder as her breath caught heavy in her chest, a re-assuring gesture.

Behind them Jaskier threw his arms in the air out of pure frustration. "Bollocks."

(later)

"I can't believe you just let her ride up there, and I'm stuck walking." Jaskier complained as he trailed behind the duo, high atop Roach and looking rather comfortable. Geralt had the reins, and the thief was straddling behind him, smirking callously down at Jaskier who stumbled along the dirt road.

"Jealous?" Kai cooed.

"Of you?" Jaskier scoffed.

"You can have your boyfriend back when I'm done with him." Kai was resolved to see their quest through to the end. Although the fear was still prominent within her thoughts, she was keen to find out what the medallion wanted with her, and the Witcher was volunteering his services. Kai was foolish to say no.

Jaskier mimicked her voice childishly, "hAvE yOuR bOyFrIeNd BaCk." Kai felt herself laugh, possibly the first honest thing Jaskier had said to her since their encounter back at the bar.

"What's wrong bard, afraid I might steal him?" Kai did not have to look at Jaskier to feel the sweltering glare he was firing at her back.

"I did not ask to travel with children…" Geralt sighed as the two bickered.

"She started it." Jaskier mocked.

"If you're not careful, I'll finish it." Kai stated plainly.

Geralt pulled back on the reins; dust kicked up from his heals as Roach stopped on the trail. In one swift motion Geralt kicked his left leg over Roach and slid down from the saddle. Kai paused in confusion and was taken off guard when Geralt reached for her, "Bu -" there was no time to stop him, with two strong arms Kai was suddenly tossed over the Witchres shoulder and placed firmly on the ground next to the bard.

"Walk." One word and Geralt climbed back onto the horse. His heels kicked into Roach's waist and the horse was off again, down the trail ahead.

Jaskier's smile was ear to ear as he chuckled. Kai reached two arms out and pushed them against Jaskier's chest, gently enough but with a certain amount of force behind her irritation. "Shut up."

They were coming up on the ruins now. Jaskier recognized the hallowed silence as the woods parted before them. Kai was in awe at the sight of a great oak tree, bustling with fresh water and soulful insects beyond imagination. "What is this place?" There was a vibration of life flowing through the vines of the tree, into the earth and rock beneath them. The water almost phosphoresces with a chaotic energy that beamed in all directions. "It's beautiful."

"The lost temple of Emon." Geralt answered back as he approached the pond. "A Nymph stronghold."

Looking into the treeline Kai could sense a restlessness of the forest in all directions. "What do Nymphs have to do with the medallion?"

Geralt fished the amulet from his pouch, "I plan to find out." Once again, the Witcher placed the medallion in the shallow pond beneath the tree, this time it glistened back up at him. Geralt turned back to Kai who was staring into the woods and offered out his hand, "Kira."

Kai turned back to him and took his outstretched hand with trepidation. The water was still and seemed safe enough. Geralt had made a promise to protect her, but Kai's heart still ached with fear. The blonde kneeled by the gleaming pool next to the Witcher, her body trembling as she got closer to the waters edge. "What is it doing?" The medallion glinted up through the waters surface, growing brighter with every step Kai took, almost inviting her into the water…

Geralt watched as Kai looked down at the medallion, everything moving at a snail's pace. Impatiently Geralt waited only a moment before grasping the back of her neck, with the force of a demon slayer he pushed her head under the water. Kai struggled beneath his grip, shocked by the sudden ambush. Kai choked in the water as her arms struggled to push against the rock beneath her, she couldn't move, Geralt was too strong.

"Geralt?" Jaskier stepped forward in shock.

Unable to breath Kailynn grasped behind her head at Geralts hand trying to pry it from her neck, but it was no use. Geralt dug his fingers in deeper easily overpowering her. Water bubbled up around Kailynn's submerged frame until eventually it went silent.

"What are you doing?" Jaskier lunged to protect the thief and grasped helplessly at Geralts shoulder. "You're killing her!"

Suddenly the water surged with a pressure too strong even for Geralt. A swell knocked the Witcher and the Bard back feet away from the pool splashing straight up into the air around them and coming down like rain. Jaskier gathered himself and looked back for Kai who had been propelled from the lagoon's edge. Without hesitation the bard rushed to her side and brushed the wet hair from her face, "She's not breathing." Jaskier put an ear to her heart and listened for the beat, it was distant but there. He tilted her head back opening a passageway for air to get to her lungs and placed his lips on hers, breathing into her open mouth and watching her chest rise. The thief's lips felt cold and clammy against his, her skin was pale and sullen almost like she had been in the water for days, not mere seconds. Leaning back Jaskier placed his hand on her cheek, patting it gently but wanted desperately to slap her into consciousness. "Kira. Come on." Kai's eyes opened and she choked for air, grasping at her neck, and spitting up the water that had gathered in her throat. Rolling onto her side saliva caked the dirt beneath her as she breathed deep scorching breaths of fresh air. Jaskier offered her a comforting hand. "Are you alright?" He watched helplessly as Kai wheezed and writhed on the ground, unable to respond.