Fiendish Encounter
Making their way up the mountain path, the pair tracked the Fiends far up into the hills. Watching around the tree lines, Ciri pointed at where there was a break in the tree's. "That has to be where they come from" she spoke and Geralt jogged up the hill to where she stood.
"Might be" he smirked and drew his blade. "From now on, we have to be careful" he instructed and she nodded, drawing her own silver blade.
The pair walked up to the tree line and Geralt knelt down. "This has to be it, look at the foot prints, defiantly a Fiend, bigger and smaller" he nodded and dusted off his trousers.
"Time to oil up." Ciri spoke and pulled out a clean rag and began to tip the foul smelling liquid onto the rag and wiped it along the blade. Geralt did the same, the pair really did look like father and daughter as the white haired pair knelt oiling their blades.
Once done, Geralt hooked the bombs on his belt and readied himself with a small meditative relaxation motion. Ciri seemed to be doing the same and he knew it was some of his and Vesemir's teachings.
"Lets move" Geralt growled with a grin and jumped to his feet, the pair rushing forward through the forest and towards the cave where the footprints led.
"Whats the plan old man?" Questioned Ciri to a laughing Geralt. "I draw him out, you strike first; Samum first then I hit it with signs" he told her to which she shook her head.
"You're too slow, I'll draw it out" and with that, she rushed forward.
"Damn impatient girl" Geralt grumbled but readied the bomb on his belt and readied the throw. A moment later there was a loud growl and the Fiend came running out, Ciri a head of it, just as it looked like the Fiend might hit her with its giant antlers, Ciri teleported to the beasts right and threw her bomb, Geralt threw his own and within two seconds apart they blew. The beast let out a loud howl as it was blinded by both blasts and Geralt charged forward.
With a slide, he came under the beast and slashed it across its under belly with one long cut before jumping, pirouetting and slashing the beast along its right hind leg and thigh. It growled and turned to face its attacker, still blinded; Ciri ran forward and slashed twice along its chest, teleported and appeared behind the beast, slashing several times, pirouetting and slashing again. The beast was confused as it tried to find where its attacker was, unaware as of yet there were two.
Geralt dodged the stamping feet and swinging antlers to slash at its rear. Luckily ducking an attack, he grabbed the antler and lifted himself up onto its head, bringing he sword down on its third eye; this would stop it from using its main attack on them. Blood gushed from the wound and the beast let out a howl as it began to buck like a unbroken horse.
"Hold on there cowboy!" Ciri laughed as she continued to slash, pirouette and then slash again. Ciri dodged the beasts attack as it slashed its claws at her. Geralt held on for his life as he tried to stab back down with his sword.
Bringing his fingers together in the sign of Aard, Geralt used it twice to knock the creatures head down with some force. Disorientating the creature, Geralt stabbed the blade down into its head once again, this time managing to bring the blade down into its skull.
The beast let out a loud howl as it struggled with the blade inside its brain. It shrugged and tried to pull off Geralt but fell forward on its face with a groan. Geralt jumped off and walked over to the side of the beast, using Aard again to push the sword deeper into its head.
"Nice work old man" Ciri smirked as she walked over, wiping the blade on a small rag.
"Well I did do most of the work here, you just teleported around so I don't think that counts. You are rather cheating with that" Geralt smirked softly then turned as his medallion began to shake.
"I am pretty sure even though we just killed this one, this is defiantly not what we thought it was" he took a step back and over the head of the beast.
"I think you might be right" Ciri shook her head and sighed. Out of the cave, the other Fiend stepped out but this one wasn't the same size of the one they fought nor was it smaller like they had expected. It was bigger and defiantly not the child of the one they killed.
"I think we might have pissed off the mother" Ciri nervously spoke and gripped her sword hilt tighter.
"Perhaps, maybe we should not have used both Samum bombs, Alright, here is the plan; throw your Devils Puffball and I will go right, you go left and we'll pin it from both sides. Watch out for its third eye, you get up top and take it out this time" Geralt instructed.
"Will do" Ciri nodded and began to move to the left in slow steps while Geralt moved right. With a nod to her, Ciri threw her bomb and teleported. The beast roared and charged right into the cloud of poisonous gas. It coughed and shifted its head, allowing Geralt to run in a half circle and slash the beast. Ciri teleported in and slashed at its rear and so began the back and forth, dodging and rolling, hacking and slashing of the beast. This one was almost twice as big as the last and the last was at least two Geralt's high. Dodging a charge and rolling to the side, Geralt raised his hand up in Igni and put a wall of fire between him and the beast.
Ciri used this chance to jump on the head and began to slash. However it used its power and Geralt suddenly felt a sudden vertigo come over his body. Shaking his head, he tried to clear it but it wouldn't go.
"Geralt!" Ciri yelled and he felt hands around his body, a sudden rush of air and then dirt. The beast had charged at him while he was distracted, Ciri had to teleport, grab him and then dive to the side. His head cleared quickly and the pair rolled to their feet. Using Axii, the beast stopped for the briefest second, letting Geralt charge and pirouette to one side and slash its neck while Ciri mimicked the attack on the opposite side; their blades carving open its neck from below and gushing blood.
Teleporting above the beast, Ciri hacked down at its neck like a farmer with a scythe in the wheat fields. The beast howled and fell to its knee's and with a final hack, the head came clean off; spurting blood all over Geralt as he stepped to the side, spitting the blood out of his mouth.
"Nice work Ciri, next time, we check the cave before starting our attack" he laughed softly and spat again, taking seeps from his canteen.
"Do I get to keep it?" she asked and pointed to the larger head.
"Sure do, its your kill after all, I don't mind the smaller one" he smirked and went to work with his knife removing the head of the younger and smaller fiend.
Heading back to the estate, the owner was in a glorious mood at the news and had hot baths and food brought for them. Geralt spent a long time in his bath, cleaning himself of the foul smelling ichor while Ciri's bath was shorter due to the fact she was wanting to stuff her face with the hot and fancy food.
"Where will you two go now?" Asked Sir Quintin Rutherford as he cut a long strip off a steak and filled his face with wine.
"I think we'll go back to Toussant, relax a little bit. It was a pretty big job going after a Fiend, especially two that big." Geralt explained as he lifted the goblet to his lips.
"Home is always the best place to relax. I have something extra for you. A thank you for dealing with those Fiends that were much bigger than any of us thought" he clicked his fingers and a servant brought out two bottles of wine.
"This is a rare vintage and I would be honoured to give you several bottles for your vineyards collection" he smiled and Geralt accepted the bottle.
"Thank you Quintin, we will defiantly enjoy a bottle of this at our next gathering" he smiled and looked to Ciri who was stuffing her face. "Ciri, manners, chew before you stuff your fork in your mouth again"
"Sorry father" she added sarcastically.
"Is she your daughter? You both look very similar" Quintin asked curiously.
"No, I adopted her and brought her back to Kaer Mohren, Ciri is a Witcher though, without the mutations however" he explained.
"Are you, THE Cirilla?" he asked and leaned forward.
"Oh no" Ciri laughed softly. "That girl died during the Battle in Skellige, I am named the same coincidently" she lied, never wanting to change her name to hide her identity so came up with a somewhat plausible lie.
"I am sorry, I did not mean to offend" Quintin bowed his head and Ciri shook her head.
"None taken, honestly" she waved her hand and smiled.
The next morning they set off, having stayed over night, taking the heads of the beasts with them, Quintin not wanting to accept them and letting them have it.
Riding back in to Toussant, the pair waved at people as they passed and grabbed small snacks from the same vendor they saw on the way out. Finally arriving at Corvo Bianco, Geralt jumped off the horse and stretched, adjusting his crotch as he walked up the pathway to the the main door.
"Oh Master Geralt!" BB opened the door and approached. "I am glad you are here, the Madam arrived two days ago and has done nothing but move things around and…"
Geralt raised his hands "Calm down BB, the Madam?" he turned and saw the raven storm come through the door before he could blink.
"Yen?" he asked and smiled.
"Geralt" she snarled.
"Yennifer!" Ciri cried out and ran up the ramp and hugged Yen.
"Ciri, it is nice to see you" she grinned and then turned to Geralt again. "Dear, can you go to the kitchen and get me some wine, I need to talk to Geralt for a moment." Ciri nodded and went inside, Geralt watched her go with a pleading look.
"Oh boy, here we go" he mumbled to himself as the pair went back out to the rear of the house.