I do not own Witcher or any of the characters.
Voleth Meir
Eldin tied Lambert's horse to the post, Renfri likewise securing Coen's as Ciri walked into Kaer Morhen in silence. Lambert and Coen walked out to them, folding their arms across their chests.
"We had to borrow them to save Ciri," Eldin explained. "How are Triss and Vesemir doing on the mutagen?"
"Triss left," Coen said. "They haven't made any new mutagen."
Eldin nodded. "I need to see Vesemir."
"He was in the lab a bit ago," Lambert said.
Eldin nodded and walked through the keep quickly, Renfri and Aralyn following. After a few minutes, they reached the lab just as Vesemir turned to leave, holding a new wolf's head medallion.
"Ah, there you are," Vesemir smiled. "I made this for Renfri."
He held it out to Renfri, who pulled it on, thanking him.
"Voleth Meir found someone to fool into a pact," Eldin said, Vesemir's expression going dark instantly. "She turned against Voleth Meir at the last second, but then something that was setting me and Renfri off even besides my medallion stalked us back."
"You think she's free?" Vesemir asked.
"We need to be ready to assume she is," Eldin said.
Vesemir nodded. "Gather the others. If she's free, she'll try to kill us off for imprisoning her."
Eldin nodded and the four of them scattered throughout Kaer Morhen, warning every Witcher they could find and bringing them to the main hall. Then, at the same moment as Ciri entered from one side, Geralt and Yennefer entered from the other. Eldin looked around as his neck's hairs stood on end again, but when he looked around, a chill ran down his spine as his gaze landed on Ciri.
"So, that's it," Eldin said, drawing his sword. "Voleth Meir is possessing Ciri."
Ciri's eyes narrowed as her irises flared lime green, and she turned, fleeing back through the door.
"Shit," Geralt sighed. "That complicates things."
"We have to force Voleth Meir out," Eldin said. "Then we can trap her."
"How?" Bodwel asked.
"Like with that Miasmal?" Coen asked.
"Voleth Meir is nothing like a Miasmal," Eldin said. "If she were that weak, we would be planning to kill her, not trap her."
"How, then?" Lambert asked.
"What do we do?" Gwain, one of the Witchers Eldin interacted with only infrequently, asked.
"I'll do that," Geralt said. "You all be ready to deal with whatever trick she pulls."
Everyone nodded and headed for the armory, gathering every last elixir they could find, the others who needed one grabbing silver swords. Eldin drained an elixir that would last him twelve hours, the only long-lasting one he had, then chased it with a decoction made from the Chernobog Geralt had killed. It empowered his Signs and made using them near effortless while also enhancing his strength and hardening his bones. Then, they spread into the keep to try and find Ciri.
"Give me a decoction," Renfri said as she, Aralyn, and Eldin walked down a hallway near the furthest end.
"They're probably toxic to you," Eldin said.
"Eldin, I was made from your mutagen," Renfri said. "I can take it."
Eldin hesitated, then pulled one out. "I won't tell you what it's made from, for your sake, but this should make it easier for you to use Signs. They make mine stronger, so they should make it easier for you to learn. You remember the hand signs?"
Renfri nodded, then took a deep breath and drained the glowing blue decoction. She immediately gagged, but after several seconds, she sighed, her face paling as black veins spread through her skin. She drank an elixir next, grimacing, then shook her head.
"This feels weird," Renfri noted, looking around. "And those decoctions taste like shit."
Eldin snorted, shaking his head, and they continued, finally finding her and Geralt before the Medallion Tree.
"It's not a matter of price," Voleth Meir said, just as the other Witchers also arrived. "It's a matter of cost. Make your ask."
"Release her, and you can have me," Geralt offered.
"That is enticing," Voleth Meri said, moving closer to Geralt. "What glorious pain we could create together. But it's too late for that."
"Geralt!" Jaskier called, jogging into the room. "Yennefer told me to..." he stopped as all of the other Witchers turned to him. "Shhhhhit. You're busy. You're busy." He nodded as Voleth Meir turned her eyes to him, the Witchers all turning back to her. "Yeah." He walked across the room, out of the way.
Voleth Meir smirked, then turned, screaming up at the Medallion Tree. It tore in half the long way, and one side fell, nearly crushing one of the other Witchers before he dove out of the way. Medallions clattered to the floor, and there, inside of the tree, was a Stellacite Monolith.
"What the fuck?" Vesemir asked.
"Ciri!" Geralt called as Voleth Meir turned back to the monolith after smirking at Vesemir.
Voleth Meir screamed again, and the Stellacite Monolith exploded apart into countless blade-like fragments and blew past Voleth Meir into the Witchers. Two of them were downed before they could react, but everyone else managed to raise a Quen barrier, even Renfri, and Eldin hugged Aralyn to himself to fit her inside of his barrier. However, as soon as the shards had passed, Eldin's neck prickled as his hairs stood up. Instantly, his arms snapped up to cross above his head, and a Quen Barrier appeared around himself and Aralyn. Renfri copied him, but no barrier appeared, though Geralt stepped between her and the returning shards, shielding her with his own barrier. Two other Witchers fell. Jaskier was also alive, crouched beneath a table, but he wasn't one of Voleth Meir's targets.
Eldin dropped his barrier as the shards spiralled into a pitch-black portal behind Voleth Meir. Instantly, everyone prepared themselves for battle just before a trio of monsters stepped through the portal. A paor of massive basalisks with scaly bodies, fears sprouting from ths backs of their two, stubby, curled-up arms, a pair of long, digitigrade legs with large claws, a long, reptilian tail, and a serpent's head.
"What the fuck kind of basilisks are those?" Lambert asked.
"I'll tell you after I kill 'em!" Coen responded.
"I won't let her have you, Ciri," Geralt vowed.
Voleth Meir smirked, irises glowing acid green, and the basilisks shrieked, charging. Eldin lunged, slashing, only for ont of the two to turn, batting him aside with its tail. Renfri ducked under the tail with Aralyn, but the second Basilisk rammed its head into them, hurling both backward before also spinning, its tail sweeping Lambert and Coen aside. Someone blasted a Basilisk with Aard, knocking it backward, then slashed at it, but only managed a small scratch before it grabbed him by the head and swung its head around, whipping its victim's body. The body's head tore free and the body crashed to the ground. Off to the side, Bodwel stabbed a Basilisk just as Eldin stood, but it lunged, driving its fangs deep into his back. He shouted in pain just as one of the Witchers hit by the Stellacite fragments leapt at the basilisk's back, only to be hit in the face by a spray of acid spit from the first basilisk. Another Witcher lunged at the basilisk that had spat acid, only for it to sweep his legs out from under him then immediately stomp on his head. And then, all froze as a roar of rage rang through the room.
All eyes turned to Eldin as his satchel fell to the ground, cold, undiluted fury shining from his eyes, which sparkled deep in the socketa of his mask. Renfri and Aralyn immediately scrambled away from him, but he ignored them both, along with the remaining Witchers. Instead, he charged at the nearest Basilisk. It shrieked angrily, spitting out a jet of acid, only for it to hit his Quen Barrier and wash over him, splattering across the stone behind him. Then, as the stream ended, he struck, his sword splitting the side of the basilisk's head. It shrieked angrilly, whipping its tail around at him, only for a blast of Aard to knoxk it away. The second Basilisk charged from behind, and Eldin leapt into a backward flip, allowing ot to crash into the first before Eldin's Igni sent a wall of flames into both basilisks, igniting them both. Both shrieked and flailed, then turned, lunging at Eldin. He stepped around the first, his sword drawing a downward arc and removing its head, before he pivoted and used a second slash to divert the remaining basilisk. As it skidded to a stop in the center of the room, half a dozen blasts of Aard exploded into it at one time from all sides, crushing its bones and making it collapse before Renfri drove her blade down into its head, Aralyn driving her own blade into its heart. Eldin watched both in silence for a long moment before reaching up and pulling his mask off, sighing instantly as Renfri and Aralyn both visibly relaxed.
"You're a monster," Lambert said, helping Coen up.
"Yeah," Eldin said, picking up his satchel and storing the mask, looking around.
Just as he did, Voleth Meir chanted something in Elder Speech, a new portal forming before something began to stomp toward them. Then, from this portal came five more basilisks. First was a snow-white basilisk more than double the first pair's size, and behind it came three more of the first type of basilisk, then a cockatrice. Eldin swore harshly, charging instantly, only to dive aside as the albino charged past with Geralt barely keeping it from biting him. One of the other basilisks charged Aralyn, another charged Renfri, and the last charged Vesemir and Lambert. Eldin shoved himself to his feet and all but launched himself at the one heading for Lambert and Vesemir. He collided with its neck at a dead sprint, knocking a bite off course, then blasted it with Aard, sending it crashing into Aralyn's basilisk just as Renfri blasted her own basilisk with Aard. As the two basilisks began to rise, Eldin and Aralyn reached them at a sprint and slashed, severing their heads. Eldin turned instantly, intending to help Renfri, but before he could, Renfri narrowly stepped aside from her basilisk's teeth and brought her sword down on the back of its neck. It wasn't a clean cut, but it smashed through its spine, and the head dangled as the body flailed for a moment before collapsing. Then, the cockatrice crashed into Eldin, knocking him to the ground and very nearly trampling him, kicking him instead as it passed over him and charged Coen. Coen barely avoided its talons as it jumped at him.
Its head alone was nearly as big as Eldin's whole body, and its body shape was similar to that of a Griffin. Its upper body was mostly that of a bird, but with claws on the top edge of its wings like a wyvern, then its lower body was a lion's, complete with a tail, but with bird feet. Unlike the more greenish ones or white ones Eldin had seen in the past, this Cockatrice was entirely black, except for its brown beak and the dull, dark orange comb atop its head. It also was nearly triple the size of any Eldin had ever encountered.
Eldin shoved himself to his feet and charged, leaping onto the gargantuan beast's back, driving his sword down into it, though he missed the heart. It shrieked and thrashed, forgetting about Coen, and began to flail about, trying to buck Eldin off. Finally, he leapt away from it, ripping his sword free, then blasted it into a pillar with Aard, cracking the pillar but failing to do lasting damage to the Cockatrice. It pushed itself up, shrieking, only for Aralyn to sprint past, slashing it across the front. It shrieked, rearing back and swiped a wing at her, connecting with her side and hurling her. Renfri, Lambert, and Vesemir blasted it in the side with Aard, hurling it, and as it crashed to the ground, Coen drove his sword deep into its heart. Except, it failed to die. It batted him aside with its wing, then flapped them, shrieking as it leapt at Eldin, talons extended. He narrowed his eyes and stepped forward and to the side. Its talons snatched at him, but missed by an inch, and Eldin's sword swung dow ward, severing a wing. It crashed to the ground, shrieking in pain, and he turned, pulling his sword back up. As he'd guessed, it lunged, and he sidestepped the snap of its sharp beak, then swung hard as he pivoted. His sword bit into its neck but failed to cut through its bones. It shrieked and flailed, throwing him away, but before it could pursue him, Renfri stepped up beside it and ripped Eldin's sword from its neck, then drove it back into the middle and slashed downward, severing muscle and blood vessel and flesh with ease before the sword passed from its body. Then, she leapt away, Eldin blasting it with Aard again to prevent it from snapping at her. It shrieked and flailed, colappsed, thrashed, and finally fell still. Eldin sighed, accepting his sword back from Renfri before they all turned toward Voleth Meri once again.
"Ciri, if you can hear me, if you can hear us, come home," Geralt called to Ciri.
"It's not working, Wolf," Vesemir said as Voleth Meir smirked.
"She doesn't want to be here," Voleth Meir snarled.
"Come back to us, Ciri," Coesn said. "Can you hear me, girl?"
"I believe in you," Vesemir called out. "I'm sorry for what I did."
"You're stronger than this, Ciri," Eldin called.
"Come home, Ciri," Aralyn called.
"You're ours," Renfri said. "She can't have you."
"I'm not going anywhere," Voleth Meir said, smirking. "I'm staying right here. Living in her. Forever."
"Her hut burned," Geralt said. "She needs a vessel to exist within this sphere. Ciri can't eacape. Unless..."
"Use me," Renfri offered. "Take my body. And Eldin, let the demon out. One more time."
"No!" Eldin snapped. "That's not an option!"
"I'm doing it," Yennefer said, smashinf a potion she was holding. She stooped, picking up a broken shard. "My wounds wouldn't heal, because magic wasn't what I was missing."
"Yen," Geralt began.
"I can be the vessel!" Yennefer said, stepping forward. "For her."
"No!" Geralt snapped, but it was too late.
Yennefer slashed her wrists and turned to Voleth Meir, chanting quickly.
"No!" Voleth Meir seethed, stepping away.
Yennefer continued to chant quickly. Sparks and smoke began to flow from Ciri to Yennefer. Geralt stepped forward and set his hands on Geralt's shoulders.
"Ciri, I know you're scared, but what you're seeing in there, it isn't real," Geralt called to her. "We belong together. You, us, it isn't perfect, but it's real. It's yours. We are your family, and we need you."
Finally, Ciri collapsed as the last of the sparks, the last of Voleth Meir, left her body. Gerlat caught her and eased her to the ground, but she stirred instantly, sitting up as Voleth Meir finished seeping into Yenefer through her wrists.
"Ciri, we don't have much time," Geralt said urgently. "We have to trap Voleth Meir once and for all. If you can pull monsters through the monolith, you can send one back again."
"What?" Ciri asked as Geralt pulled her to her feet.
"You can do this," Geralt said.
"Yennefer's lessons," Ciri breathed. "But I don't know if I can-"
"I believe in you," Geralt pressed.
"Alright," Ciri nodded, turning toward the remains of the Medallion Tree and the Monolith shards below it. "See the outcome...make it happen."
Wind began to blow toward the tree.
"Oh, not again," Jaskier groaned.
Ciri called out an incantation, forming a portal, and instantly a strong wind begsn to blow toward it. Yennefer lurched forward, grabbing Geralt, then again, grabbing Ciri before passing into the portal, which vanished behind them. Everyone waited, but after several minutes, they hadn't returned. Vesemir sighed, seeming suddenly exhausted, and moved to collect the medalliona of the fallen Witchers. Eldin walked over to Bodwel's, pulling his medallion over hia head gently, then moved to the basilisks and cockatrice, beginning to harvest pieces for decoctions, one for him, and one for Renfri. He walked outside and looked down, seeing the albino basilisk had wound up in the main courtyard after its battle with Geralt. Then, just as they returned to the others, Geralt, Ciri, and Yennefer reappeared in a sudden gust of wind and distortion of the world around the tree.
"You're back!" Jaskier gasped, catching Yennefer as she stumbled. "Are you alright?"
"Were those the Wraiths of Mörhogg?" Ciri asked Geralt.
"The Wild Hunt, yes," Geralt nodded. "We're safe now, thanks to you. That's all that matters." He glanced at Yennefer. "The Witchers need you."
Ciri nodded, and Geralt followed Yennefer out of the room. Eldin and the others helped Vesemir and the others gather the dead, taking them to the main courtyard. Once there, Eldin harvested some of the albino basilisk's body for decoctions and elixirs as well before they headed back inside.
"We should autopsy the big one and the cockatrice," Eldin said. "And I want the cockatrice's head."
Vesemir smirked. "The cockatrice wasn't your kill."
"No," Eldin agreed. "But Renfri and I share a room."
Vesemir chuckled, nodding. "I suppose you do."
They headed inside and found theother Witchers already dragging the carcasses of two basilisks through the keep by ropes, all of them flashing Eldin knowing grins as they passed. Eldin chuckled, heading to the cockatrice and began to shove it along with successive blasts of Aard, Vesemir dowing the same for another of the basilisks.
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