Chapter four
the ghost eye
It'd already been a year since what happened taking the lives of five Skellige men who'd sought vengeance on Yennefer for destroying Freya's Garden. The cut on Yen's arm had healed and Kiko bore no emotional scars from the slight beating she'd endured at the hands of her captors. The girl seemed more focused than before about her lessons but she still took time off when Ciri came home to spend some time with her older sister. It was easy to see how much Ciri adored little Kiko that the Witcheress even stated her visit wasn't complete without seeing Kiko. Yet on the nights before she'd leave again, Kiko always begged Ciri to tell her stories about her adventures until they both dozed off with Cirilla holding her little sister close.
Yennefer would often find Ciri sitting outside on a stump with Kiko on her lap hearing stories about how she had to hunt down a new contract and each time she'd come home upon her black mare would be the head of her recent contract. Cirilla was even teaching Kiko how to ride a horse when she was home while Geralt took over while she was away. And it always pained the Witcheress to leave because she wanted to stay so much and keep teaching the young girl more but duty always called her away.
When Geralt peered outside, stepping up behind Yennefer he saw his one-time ward resting on a blanket with the young girl just staring up at the clouds slowly passing overhead. They'd point out shapes they supposedly saw in the puffs of white among the sea of light blue. The Witcheress's hands were tucked behind her head with Kiko mimicking her like any young sibling would when they idolize the older one. Soon though Kiko sat up turning to face Ciri seated on her feet.
"Ciri, do you really have to leave tomorrow?" She frowned. "I hate when you leave," Cirilla turned her head as wild green eyes peered over at the younger one spotting the frown on her face. She lightly reached up setting a hand on her head of dark hair.
"I know but with all the monsters bothering people my services are often needed, but I hate leaving too because then I miss seeing you," When she saw a tear trickle down Kiko's cheek, Ciri moved her hand to brush the tear away with her thumb. "But I'm sure the world won't burn if I stay an extra day here just so we get to have a whole day to ourselves that sound like a plan?" Kiko's dual color eyes brightened up as she nodded leaping over to hug Ciri around the neck. She wrapped her arms around the younger girl and sat up keeping her close.
"Just us tomorrow,"
"Yeah, just the two of us; two sisters," Kiko looked up at her sister's face, she always thought the scar on her cheek gave her a tougher look and really Kiko had seen many of the scars Ciri had on her arms, upper chest and back. The strength she always saw in her older sister was something she loved about Ciri because she could always feel safe. Just like one time two years ago when Kiko and Ciri went on a walk in the woods together but the girl let herself stray from her sister chasing a butterfly right into the location of a wolf den. If it had not been for Ciri coming when she did, the wolves would have surely killed the poor girl. "No more tears now, okay?"
"Mommy says when I go to the academy I can't cry anymore,"
"Sorceresses aren't known for crying or being emotional, but you're young yet so you have some time to cry out all the tears you have to before you start your magical training," Kiko simply buried her face in Ciri's shoulder as the older gave a loving soft smile rubbing her back.
Everyone knew how good Ciri was with kids or making friends, they all just took a liking to her as for Kiko though she didn't mind that her sister often returned home smelling like a wet dog after a day's hunt in the middle of summer. It always made Cirilla happy to see her little sister run out of the house as she dismounted her mare, with the little girl excitedly clinging to her hips speaking so quickly Ciri would have to calm her before she could understand a word of what she was saying. The two were certainly close, a bond that was seemingly unbreakable.
"Geralt, do you ever find yourself wishing Ciri didn't have to leave after only a few days?" Yennefer asked leaning against the doorway watching her two daughters with a smile on her lips. The Witcher set a hand softly set a hand on her side.
"Yeah but she chose to walk the path, so she'll pick the day she retires from it,"
"Even you haven't truly retired from it," the sorceress turned brushing pass him. "But you're home more often than out there hunting monsters," She sat in her seat picking up her book returning to where she'd left off as he shut the door behind him hearing the two girls outside having fun playing.
"I mostly do that around our home to keep away anything that could hurt you or Kiko, I mean I know you can take care of yourself, Yen—better than most other sorceresses, but I feel better if I remove anything before something happens,"
"You worry mostly for Kiko's safety,"
"Of course, I still remember your face that day… you didn't have to say anything and I already knew—saw, the panic in your eyes," Yennefer sighed softly looking up from the book.
"You always did read me well," As she said that Kiko and Ciri walked in shutting the door behind them. The sorceress looked up at the pair as the young girl ran over and rested her chin on the chair arm. Yen placed a hand on the girl's head.
"Mommy, can Ciri and I go to the lake?" she asked as her mother brushed a few small leafs from her hair. The two had been playing around outside and when Ciri pretending to trip and roll, Kiko had leapt on top of her but fell over getting the leaves in her hair. Yennefer knew Cirilla was never rough with Kiko but she wondered how that'd be when Kiko got older and could rough house. Perhaps she should find a way to make the walls and other things stronger in case the two decide to play fight in the middle of the floor. Yennefer had to mentally shake herself from her thoughts realizing Kiko's dual colored eyes still watching her.
"I'm sure that's fine," she looked up to Ciri. "But Ciri take your swords just in case,"
"You needn't have to tell me," Cirilla took her two swords; one silver for monsters and the other made of steel for humans and non-humans, securing them to her back like how Geralt did. The way she did things was never surprising really being she was taught to think, move and even act like a witcher. From the way she walked you could tell she was always ready to draw one of her blades but the way Kiko had seen her fight against the wolves once made her realize her sister was more than a witcher taught woman. Yennefer had told her about how Ciri could move through time and space, between worlds and vanish in the blink of an eye.
Ciri had even told Kiko of their adventures years ago when she had to save the world from the Wild Hunt and the White Frost. Kiko was told about the Hunt being after her for her powers but she'd fled from their world and escaped into several others until she returned here where she was chased from Velen to Ard Skellig. So the young girl knew of Cirilla's bloodline called the Elder Blood and how her sister felt it was more of a curse than a blessing. But what the young girl saw was a woman with piercing green eyes that'd seen much and experienced anything beyond what others could ever dream about. She admired her sister and even Yennefer for being strong women and Kiko one day wanted to be a strong woman herself.
"Alright then, Kiko, you ready to go?" Kiko blinked a few times and nodded quickly following behind Cirilla as they left the house and headed down the pathway toward the large lake teaming with fish. This time the young girl dared not to stray from her sister's side again.
"Hey Ciri, mom told me you're actually royalty… how come you didn't become a ruler?"
"I found the position boring and for a woman like me who prefers a blade on her back and in her hand it wasn't a fit for me, sure I'd have ruled half the world but seems my father; the Emperor only took interests in me once I was grown,"
"You've ruled half the world if you became Empress?"
"Yeah," she gave a light chuckle. "Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon, the Queen of Cintra, Princess of Brugge and Duchess of Sodden, heiress to Inis Ard Skellig and Inis An Skellig, and Suzeraine of Attre and Abb Yarra," Kiko's jaw was practically on the floor from such a wide range in which her sister was the one who was technically the rightful ruler over. She was a Queen, princess, duchess, heiress and suzeraine or as definition would state she was technically a feudal overlord or was it Overlady? Either way Kiko wasn't aware how important Ciri was until that moment.
"Wow, no wonder everyone was after you all the time…"
"They all wanted me for the same things, my powers or some supposed prophecy about me ruling half the world and some future son ruling the whole world, always remember destiny can be shaped by your hands by your own choices," Cirilla placed an arm around her younger sister's shoulders. "And never let anyone tell you otherwise, got it?"
"Mhmm," Kiko leaned her head onto Ciri's side as they came up to the lake. With it being midday when the sun was at the highest point the bright light was glistening off the calm glassy surface only until a fish leapt from the water to snatch a buzzing dragonfly hovering overhead. There was plenty of shade if one needed to hide from the warm spring sun and catch a few minutes of sleep. The girls' favorite spot was to sit upon the rocks that formed a flat place to sit where they could dip their feet in the water only for the tiny fish to tickle their toes.
The two sat upon the rock, first removing their shoes and placing them aside, dangling their feet into the cool water. Kiko often found herself looking at a scar on Ciri and wondering what or who put that there. She'd seen all the different scars she had some which looked still a bit bad but others that were like markings in a book; they told a tale of what she'd been through. Especially the one on her face, upon her cheek which made the young girl conclude that every witcher; or in Ciri's case Witcheress had a face scar. Since she'd met Lambert and Eskel both one time and saw they both had facial scars as well.
"Say Ciri, I've been meaning to ask… how had, you ended up with the scar on your cheek anyway." Kiko asked leaning against her sister's side peering up at said scar.
"Years ago someone threw one of those throwing stars at me and it cut open my face,"
"It makes you look like a person not afraid to get bloody,"
"That works then, being on the Path means I'll get bloody, a bit cut up and so on," Cirilla put an arm around Kiko. "But I'll always be sure to come home no matter what,"
"You promise?"
"I'll do one better and make it a Pinkie promise," When she held up her hand with the pinkie extended but slightly curled Kiko hooked hers to it with a smile gracing her face. She rested her head upon Ciri's upper chest listening to the sound of her heart beating and the rhythmic breathing before she soon fell asleep against her sister. Cirilla didn't move for a bit until she saw the sun was beginning to dip behind the mountains.
She gathered their shoes and picked up Kiko onto her back carrying her home still sound asleep. Ciri could feel Kiko cuddling firmly against her back, hiding her face in the older one's neck with a sleepy sigh. Arriving home, Yennefer opened the door and glanced from Ciri to the sleeping child on her back and chuckled lightly.
"She fell asleep again?"
"Of course, but it was getting late so I thought it was time to get her home," She responded stepping inside, dropping their shoes by where Yen and Geralt left theirs all the time. It was always unique or odd to see Geralt and Ciri's blood or mud covered boots beside Yennefer and Kiko's which were the cleaner or expensive ones. Yennefer did always tend to buy shoes that would take at least 20 years of Geralt hunting contracts to ever afford just one of the pair let alone two. It wasn't much of a shock though seeing as the sorceress did have a shop in Vengerberg that sold magical beauty creams and oils. She'd also often take Kiko with her there to help or check up on the shop and see how everything was being run with her away.
And seeing as none of her employees dared to want to see Yennefer angry they kept the shop up to her liking at all times. Geralt always seemed to be the more relaxed type because to him a bed was a luxury, even a bath was a luxury to him seeing as when he was always on the road sleeping on anything but the cold hard ground or bathing in anything but a murky river was unusual for him. Yennefer was the wealthy sorceress and him a lowly witcher who barely had a copper on him most days. Ciri was the same but she'd also been saving much of her coin and eating light unless she came home then she'd fill her belly and Yen always made sure she'd leave with something to last her at least a few weeks.
Just thinking about it made her smile as she placed Kiko carefully in Yen's chair as the sorceress was speaking with their servant who was more times the chef than anything, perhaps going over what was to be made with the roasting chicken for dinner tonight. Ciri could already smell the chicken dressed in onion, garlic and butter. That was a good thing because the chicken skin would be crispy as Ciri liked it and the wafting smells of the cooking bird soon woke Kiko, rubbing her light colored eye. Cirilla actually liked the unique sight of Kiko's two different colored eyes. With one light as a white-blue crystal and the other like a darker red ruby, perhaps it was closer to garnet in color. Either way it was not often that someone with those eyes would be seen. Yennefer's purple eyes were unique themselves, also just as rare.
"Hey there sleepy," Kiko glanced up to see Ciri crouched down before the chair she was sat in, giving a small yawn. Her older sister smiled softly. "You fell asleep while we were at the lake so I carried you home,"
"I always do that, but I was listening to the sound of you breathing and your heart beating," She had to admit listening to the subtle sounds of either her or Yen's heart made her become soothed and fall asleep with ease. She figured it was because she felt safe with them so close. She suddenly caught the smell of what was for dinner. "Ooh roasted chicken tonight!" She said excitedly. Ciri couldn't help but laugh at the young one's excitement over dinner but then again even though she'd been living with them for several years it didn't change the fact that her own birth mother left her and she lived alone for a year surviving on stealing or begging.
Just the thought that any mother could do that most times made Ciri's blood burn with anger. She'd always thought a mother's job was to love her child but abandon them to an uncertain future; possibly death. If she ever met the woman who was Kiko's mother she'd most likely punch her for being so heartless but for now Ciri, Geralt and Yennefer were her only family and all she needed.
"Kiko, about tomorrow how about we have a picnic in the valley; just us?"
"That sounds fun," the young girl reached up taking something from Ciri's hair, opening her hand it was a simple ladybug crawling across her palm.
"Finding those is a sign of good luck," The two girls looked up at Geralt when he spoke. "Best to let it free outside," Kiko nodded and lightly cupping her hands to carry the ladybug she leapt up and went to the door opening it to let the little beetle out but stopped when she saw a woman with a hood over her head standing there. From what she could see the woman had fiery red hair and what looked to be greenish or hazel eyes. One of her hands looked a bit scarred like at one time her nails had been ripped from their places. Kiko opened her hands as the beetle flew off with the woman's eyes peering down at her.
"Triss is that you?" Ciri asked from behind Kiko, making the hooded woman look up before reaching up and pushing her hood back. Just as she thought the woman's hair was a bright fiery red pulled back into two buns at the back with a few loose bangs that fell across or around her face. "What are you doing out here?"
"Where's Yennefer?" was all she responded with as Yen came to the door. "Yen, Philippa and Margarita wanted to see if you'd become a professor at the new academy, they need more older sorceresses to teach the students,"
"Triss to do that we'd have to move,"
"I know, I told them that but they insisted it be you,"
"What about Fringilla or Ida?"
"Ida turned it down and Fringilla is already on her way there, it's your choice to be there but if not then we'll have to try and find someone else though many are still in hiding even though the Witch Hunters have been disbanded," Yennefer sighed, rubbing her brow while Triss glanced down at Kiko who'd been watching her. "Also… who's this little one?"
"Kiko is her name, we adopted her a few years ago," Triss crouched down and smiled, which lightened up her face from being so serious to a more welcoming glow. She extended her hand.
"Nice to meet you Kiko, I'm Triss Merigold," the hand she extended was the one donning scars around the fingernails. When the young girl grasped her hand she suddenly felt a jolt and what Triss saw her darker colored eye do made the younger sorceress almost jump. Triss watched the pupil of the dark red eye go from a normal circle to a spiral but what she didn't realize was what was happening to Kiko.
Kiko saw it; the pliers rip her finger nails off, hearing the tattooed gruff man saying 'This little piggy' as each nail was ripped out causing her to hear Triss's wailing pain. Soon enough Kiko wrenched her hand from Triss's clenching it against her chest. She felt eyes on her; Ciri, Yen, Geralt and Triss as she shook her head.
"They ripped each one out… this little piggy…" She said almost fearfully, like she could feel the pliers ripping at her own. Triss even realized that the spiral pupil returned to its normal state.
"How… how did you know that?" She asked dumbfounded. She hadn't even been there long enough to even know the young girl and already just from touching her she knew what had happened to her hand and her eye what happened, why did the pupil become a spiral like that?
"I saw it, the moment I touched you it… I saw the man who was doing that, I heard him saying everything and I heard you screaming in pain begging him to stop," She said as Triss glanced to Yennefer with a puzzling look. Even Yennefer couldn't answer what had happen, this was the first time Kiko had ever displayed ability on that level.
"I… yes that happened but amazing you even saw that…" Triss stood as she heard the flutter of wings and a midsized white owl landed on the fencing nearby, the bird eyeing the younger sorceress as she turned around. "Philippa, what didn't trust me coming here?" Kiko glanced around her to the bird who turned it's gaze onto the young girl and blinked before in a flash the bird vanished and walking over was a woman with a blindfold over her eyes decorated with eye patterns but in the dark outside you could see the pattern glowing as if those eyes were hers or just were letting her see.
"What's going on? I sent you to speak with Yennefer not play auntie to the child,"
"Well… I don't know how to explain it but that girl saw what happened to my hand without me even telling her," Philippa's brow perked up in a questioning manner as she turned to Kiko's direction. The young girl pondered to herself if she could see her and how if she donned a blindfold over her eyes.
"How is it you saw that?" She asked her. Kiko wasn't sure how to respond besides shaking her head and giving a shrug. Philippa seemingly became intrigued by what she was told but moved her attention to Yennefer. "I'm sure Triss told you why she was sent here?"
"Yes and I'd have to think about it,"
"Well do think quickly, we need another sorceress to teach the students and I prefer it was a well-known one and not a novice who can barely assemble a megascope," From the way Philippa sounded, Kiko could tell she wasn't the joking around type; she came off as serious and very straightforward. "It also might be in the young one's best interest too, seeing as she is displaying perhaps some unique power though with you and Geralt I am not surprised you'd find another child housing such abilities,"
"I guess you are right but… to move everything we have here would be no easy task,"
"Your point is? We can easily open a portal and move the things you need most there, worry about the others later," She turned her attention back to Kiko before crouching to her level. The girl wasn't sure how she could be seeing her, maybe she was right perhaps that blindfold pattern was her way of seeing what was around her and if so was she blind or did she even have eyes? "So you could see what happened to Triss's hand?"
"Yes ma'am," Kiko nodded quickly; something about Philippa made her think she should remain on her best behavior and not attempt to make her angry.
"Then let's see if that ability can manifest again," she rested her chin on her hands a few inches from her bent knees leveling her face to Kiko's. "By seeing if you can see what happened to me and my eyes," the girl glanced to Yennefer who took a moment herself to think then nodded. Kiko turned back to Philippa and placed her hand upon her face as the sorceress got to witness the red eye pupil changing into a spiral as she started seeing what happened.
Philippa hands behind her back in cuffs she couldn't get out of, a guard on each side as the last thing each eye saw was a spoon dug around her eye socket ripping the eyeball from it as she screamed out in pain feeling the blood stream down her face from such a wound. She saw everything, heard it all… she saw the man who ordered it, the guards until… nothing but Philippa's own pained breathing almost like minor agonizing growls.
Kiko pulled her hand away as the pupil reverted back to normal again. Philippa's brows went up as she watched the girl clench her hand in either fear or anger. "What did you see?"
"Everything you did until you couldn't see anymore, the guards, the man who ordered them to do it and… how they did it…"
"I'm sorry I had to subject you to that but I had to see," She stood and faced Yennefer. "I've only read about this power one other time but that was when I was in training, I remember it being called the Ghost eye and there was only one half a page of information about it being 'the Eye that sees past pains' or that it comes from a bloodline I've never heard of but I feel Ida might know it if we could get in touch with her. Otherwise the power is unknown to me,"
"Ghost Eye, that was in a book I saw in Avallac'h's library when I was in the world of the Aen Elle," Ciri stated moving beside Yennefer. "It said it was a power believed to have been lost centuries ago that allows the person who possesses it to see past events or tragedy but as it grows stronger they begin to see future moments,"
"If only we had that book or could ask that elf about it," Philippa replied, tapping her chin. "But for now we will have to see and watch as Kiko is the only known person to have shown this," Yennefer felt Kiko lean into her leg, peering down at the young girl chewing her cheek.
"We'll make the move so I can assist at the new academy," She said, placing a hand on her daughter's head.
"Wonderful, Triss and I will go on ahead to ensure your new living quarters there are ready, it's of course a house bigger than this one,"
"The new academy even has its own little town in a way, when we found it the place was abandoned but recently so there wasn't much damage or—,"
"No Necrophages?" Geralt cut in.
"No, none of those or we would have called upon you Geralt," Philippa responded quickly, not liking how he cut in like that. "Triss, continue,"
"Or anything there besides a few belongings, then we found out the people just up and left because nothing was growing. Not an issue for mages really, so we started fixing it up ensuring things grew like herbs and food; we pretty much started a very active city there using some magic and hiring a few people to take care of livestock and other tasks no mage would," Triss finished, crossing her arms but Philippa took up explaining more.
"We have our students in something like dormitories or sharing large houses and the professors each having their own home,"
"So it's like a city made just for mages and their students," Yennefer stated not as a question but a statement yet still Philippa nodded. Triss had already stepped away and opened a portal. "We'll start packing and begin moving there tomorrow, it's late right now,"
"Very well, Triss and I will return midmorning to assist," Philippa looked down at Kiko before she turned and followed Triss through the portal. The young girl stepped inside and went to sit in Yennefer's chair, picking up a small hand mirror that belonged to her mother examining the darker of her eyes. The Ghost Eye… it wasn't something she expected to have she just thought it was something like her own mother who had a lighter eye than the other but she never seemed to show the ability like Kiko could. So she could see past tragedies, that was it as others thought but she heard everything even felt parts of it, saw everything that happened to the person.
No one could understand why the power was only just beginning to manifest but Kiko knew different. It was getting stronger slowly because when she slept leaning against Yennefer or Ciri she saw a few painful moments in her dreams but it wasn't so powerful that she could experience all that. And it wasn't screams in her head; it was sounds she could hear like they were happening around her; in her ears. Her eye couldn't see what was going on around her as the vision overtook her and her body would experience the painful event in minor ways.
"Kiko," She looked up finding Ciri crouched down before the chair. "You okay?"
"I… yeah I'm okay, just thinking," She placed the hand mirror aside and sighed. "Why do I have this eye? I don't get it," Cirilla frowned a bit before reaching up brushing a few of Kiko's hairs from her face. The moment her bare fingers touched her skin she saw it, the moment Ciri's face was scared. The throwing star that tore her flesh open felt so real to Kiko but she shook herself mentally with a shiver which made Ciri pause.
"What did you see?"
"How you got your scar," Kiko pointed to the one on her face. "You didn't even see the star coming until it tore your skin open," Ciri's green eyes softened a bit as she scrunched her lips to the side in thought. She was amazed that Kiko could see such events let alone that she had the ability to do so. Part of her wishes she had the book about the Ghost Eye, but that was in another world entirely though perhaps she could go to that world and get hold of it but could she trust going back there? Sure the Wild Hunt was defeated but could she just go there without issue? Perhaps she could find Avallac'h and see what he knew about the power of that eye. Maybe she could somehow take Kiko with her, they were supposed to spend a day together and maybe it could be spent finding out what her ability was truly like.
"Don't worry Kiko, we'll figure everything out," Ciri smiled, taking Kiko's hand and giving it a firm assuring squeeze…
Early the next morning…
"Kiko, wake up," Ciri's voice whispered with a hint of haste in her tone. The young girl yawned and sat up in bed rubbing her light colored eye before she peered up finding Ciri dressed with the hood pulled over her head and both swords present on her back.
"Ciri, what's—,"
"Keep your voice down, I wanna talk to a friend about that eye of yours but he's… not in this world," She crouched down beside the bed. "I'll explain later just get dressed quickly and meet me outside by my horse," Cirilla gave her sister a quick kiss to the brow and quietly left to wait outside for her. Kiko sluggishly got out of bed and dressed sneaking to the door, hearing Geralt lightly snoring as she passed her parents room.
Stepping outside the sun was not even peeking over the mountains yet, but the moon had drifted out of the sky for the night. The grass was wet with a bit of early morning dew when she quietly closed the door so not to wake Yennefer and Geralt. Most of all she hoped that Geralt didn't hear since he had the witcher senses. Turning around she took a deep breath with the crisp cool air filling her nostrils as she saw her older sister securing a few things in the saddle bags. Cirilla glanced over and smiled before mounting her mare and extending a hand down.
"Are you going to explain yet?"
"Not here, c'mon," Kiko groaned and took the offered hand being hoisted up into the saddle behind Ciri. She steered away from the house letting the horse follow the path up the hill. The young girl rested her head onto Cirilla's back watching them pass colorful flowers and listen to the sound of birds waking and beginning to chirp and sing morning songs. "We're far enough for me to start explaining,"
"Please do,"
"Kiko, I can travel to other worlds; that's why I'm called the Lady of Time and Space, I can teleport people and I easier than any sorceress could. I'll be using that power today to take you to the world of the Aen Elle to meet my friend," She pulled the reins halting the horse when they reached the top of the hill, getting off first before helping her sister down.
"So we're going there because your friend might know something about my eye?"
"Exactly, we need to find out all we can about it and if you need to be trained to use it like how I had to train to use my power, because without training my power is dangerous,"
"Wait, your power is dangerous?" Ciri sighed softly and nodded ringing out her hands. "How dangerous is it?"
"I'm what's called a source, but my powers come from my ancestor; an elf woman by the name of Lara Dorren. She was supposed to marry another elf but fell in love with a human mage, married and had a child with him. Every woman in my family; from me and generations back, have had very powerful abilities. Mine is so strong when it unleashed full force I couldn't control it, all I could do was scream… my screaming would only get louder causing people around me to grow dazed or pass out, even die from the ear bursting sound. The force of my energy alone was pulling apart things around me… if something tragic happens before my eyes I lose all control over it,"
Kiko moved to her sister's side hugging around her waist. She could tell the thought of what her powers could do; how dangerous she could be made her sister tense. Cirilla looked down and seeing her sister trying to comfort her brought a smile to her face. Anyone who saw the two together could see the strong bond they had. Not even blood sisters but they acted as if they were. Ciri was protective and one of the few things that could ease, calm or relax her was the sound of Kiko's voice or being able to hug her.
"Don't beat yourself up, Ciri, you didn't ask for what you have,"
"No I didn't but in the end I have the best family I could ask for," She set a hand on her sister's head, feeling her arms hug tighter. "Anyway… ready to go?"
"Yeah," Kiko released her hug and took Ciri's hand. Cirilla held her young sister's hand firmly and focused to take them to the world of the Aen Elle, vanishing in a flash of green that spooked the horse to gallop back to the house where Geralt was standing outside and Yennefer reading the note Cirilla had left explaining she took Kiko out for the day as she'd promised her but gave no indication to where they went to…
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