Okay, so, before I get onto this new chapter, I should point out that, of my new fics, at least two are nearing being published. Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus, my Harry/Raynare High School DxD crossover, and my Overlord crossover 200 Years, A Long Wait for Friends, both have well over my minimum threshold for publication as a standalone story. However, I do want to write more chapters for them before I do, so be patient waiting for those. I think they need at least a few more chapters each.
Also, who amongst you would like to see me do a God of War crossover, with a Harry/Freya pairing?
In any case, here's my new attempt at a Witcher crossover. I did some quick research, and the title means 'Swallow and Raven'. Anyone with a passing familiarity with The Witcher 3 will know who the Swallow is. Hope you guys enjoy this new fic...
ZIREAEL UI CERBIN
CHAPTER 1:
THE SWALLOW AND THE RAVEN
Along the moonlit dirt road walked a man. The man seemed utterly unremarkable, a jovial, pleasantly ugly man with close-cropped hair who would fade into the midst of any crowd. He walked with a strange spring in his step, whistling a cheery and yet disconcerting tune. In one hand, he held a cage, with a rather large raven in it, which squawked indignantly.
The man looked at the raven and tutted in reproach. "Enough of that, okay? I already explained your situation. Draco Malfoy made the mistake of making a deal with me to try and get rid of you. Goes to show how grateful he is, doesn't it? I so despise those who don't pay their debts. But your mother…she went with me willingly, more or less. A mother's love for her child, a most beautiful thing. Whereas Malfoy…well, he really lived up to his name, 'bad faith', despite the debt he owed you for saving his worthless, bleached arse. Oh, he'll suffer a rather interesting fate, he and his parents. Andromeda will be down two sisters before long."
Another indignant squawk from the raven in the cage, and the man rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I'm sure you're immensely irritated at me ripping you away from your friends and all that. Do you really think you could make a difference in that world any longer? I know you. You're the kind who needs something more to fight. Ginny had it right, really. And to be perfectly honest, it wouldn't have worked out. I mean, you were still dancing around each other. Don't worry, one day, you'll be able to go back. And I gave you your Expanded Trunk. I'm being quite generous, I think."
The raven was silent this time. If anyone had been observing the raven, one would have thought its demeanour seemed sullen, even sulky, somehow, in a way one wouldn't expect such a bird to be. As they approached an inn, the man said, with a grand gesture as if showing off a cathedral to a tourist, "Behold, the charmingly named Cunny of the Goose. The original owner and namer of the inn died of liver failure. A relative inherited it, and made it a little more respectable. This, my lad, is where we will meet your new friend…"
Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon, better known to her loved ones as Ciri, was not in a good way. After spending some time indulging in the hospitality of Philip Strenger, better known as the Bloody Baron, she'd ruined it, using the power she had been cursed with, and all but guaranteeing that the Wild Hunt would begin tracking her anew. She left for Novigrad with his blessing, a pouch of coin, and a border pass…only, when she showed the pass to the border guard, he denied her, and she was forced to find other means of crossing over, meaning that, instead of heading to Novigrad from the southwest, she had been forced into a series of aggravating diversions that meant she was approaching it from the southeast.
She felt she had put enough distance between her and any pursuit by the Wild Hunt for now to rest at the inn charmingly named the Cunny of the Goose. Hopefully, once she was in Novigrad, she could see if she could find anyone familiar, someone who could help her repair that phylactery Eredin used to curse Avallac'h. She was fairly sure Uncle Zoltan had a presence in Novigrad, unless the witch-hunting fanatics had turned their attentions to non-humans, and maybe Viscount Julian Alfred Pankratz, better known as the bard and minstrel Dandelion, was present. Hell, maybe she could get lucky, and Geralt of Rivia or Yennefer of Vengerberg, the closest thing she had to parents (what with her mother dead, and her father a tyrannical emperor) were there. Then again, she doubted any Sorceress she knew like Yennefer or Triss were in Novigrad. The Bloody Baron had already told her of what the witch-hunters of the Eternal Flame were doing.
As she entered the inn, she noted a number of eyes watching her. Not that many, as even with her hood up, she wasn't quite that conspicuous. But with tensions in Novigrad so high, she was still probably suspicious in concealing her face. And she was too tired to try entering the city now.
She went over to the innkeeper. "Excuse me, have you any rooms?"
The innkeeper looked at her, and then started. "Oh, yes. Actually, someone took the last room…but he said he was holding it for a young woman with green eyes and a scar on her cheek."
"Who was that?" Ciri asked, instantly on guard, though hoping this could be a friend.
The innkeeper indicated someone who wasn't familiar, drinking from a bottle of schnapps, a raven in a cage next to him. In fact, the man could easily blend into a crowd. Ciri was wondering whether she should flee or not, but the man waved her over. So, for now, Ciri approached, wary.
"Sit down, girl. I won't bite. He might, though," he said, indicating the raven in the cage, which squawked indignantly.
"Just because you don't bite doesn't mean you're not a danger," Ciri said.
"Of course," the man said with a pleasant smile. "Anyone can be dangerous. But let's just say I am here to help you a little."
"People who say that often end up trying to use me for their own ends."
"Like that brat Avallac'h?" As Ciri's eyes widened, he said, "Oh, I know you trust him…but considering he tried to pimp you out to King Auberon…why is he worthy of your trust, hmm?"
As Ciri, spooked, made to leave, the man clapped his hands twice, and suddenly, the noise in the inn ground to a halt. No, it wasn't merely that. The people around them were frozen, not in ice, but in time. Only the man, the raven, and Ciri were able to move.
"Sit down, Ciri," he said gently. "Please. We have quite a bit to discuss, and I have no doubt that you would prefer not to remain in my company for any longer than you have to."
"…Who are you?" Ciri asked, even as she did sit, knowing that, if he really did have power over time like that, escape might be futile. She'd have better luck fleeing Eredin and the Wild Hunt than this…thing masquerading as a man. "What are you?"
"…A humble merchant. In some corners of the world, I am known as Master Mirror, but to you, I am Gaunter O'Dimm."
Ciri frowned, and then said, with a strange certainty, "That's not your real name."
"No, it isn't. Trust me, you're better off not knowing what that is. Those who do are either dead, or wish they were," Gaunter said.
"…Then what do you want with me? Everyone wants me for some reason, some plan," Ciri said.
"…My only plans involving you is to ensure that you save this world. There's no enjoyment to be had from a dead one, or one that has been trampled underfoot by the Aen Elle under Eredin's leadership. I'm not appealing to you from a moral point of view, as I've nary a leg to stand on in that regard, but a pragmatic one."
That damned prophecy rearing its ugly head once more. Ciri scowled. "Then say your piece and go."
"Very well. Now, you're a rather seasoned traveller between worlds. You've been to Earth a couple of times. Once, during the rise of King Arthur himself, and another, a possible time where its inhabitants get a perverse kick out of replacing themselves with cybernetics. As it happens, I was on another iteration of Earth not so long ago, in 2011 by their calendar. You see, I was asked to provide a service, but there was a bit of a conflict of interest."
"Conflict of interest?"
"Yes. About twenty years ago, a certain boy's mother contacted me, willing to sacrifice her soul to save her boy from a ruthless xenophobic warlock. Not quite as bad as Vilgefortz, but certainly a nasty piece of work. I obliged her. Said warlock had made deals with me before, but had reneged on them. It was partly thanks to my intervention that this boy would survive his final clash with said warlock, not that he knew it at the time. During that final battle, he saved the life of a rival, and said rival repaid him by summoning me and demanding I remove him from existence. Now, I could have done so, but…the boy did me a favour by ensuring that the warlock who wanted him dead was delivered into my hands instead, not that he knew this. I honour my debts, and I decided to remove him from existing on that world, instead bringing him here."
Ciri looked to the raven in its cage. She was struck by the emerald eyes it seemed to have, as well as a lightning bolt-shaped tuft of feathers above one eye. She came to a conclusion, before looking to Gaunter. "…He's the raven, isn't he?"
Gaunter chuckled. "Sharp, aren't you? I needed to ensure his cooperation while bringing him across worlds. Don't worry, once I am gone, you can free him from his cage, and he'll go back to normal."
"Then why bring him to me?"
"You and he are rather alike in some regards," Gaunter said. "Like you, he had the spectre of a prophecy hanging over his head. He had some very dangerous adventures, not quite as traumatic as your own, true, but he has seen war. And he knows what it is like to be a puppet, dangling on the strings of those who believe themselves to be superior." His expression became solemn as he looked at the raven. "You need people you can trust, Ciri. And while I am sure you would not trust me, you can trust him. And, of course, there are people you can trust in Novigrad. Triss Merigold, Zoltan Chivay…oh, and Dandelion, I suppose."
"Triss is in Novigrad?! While Radovid's soldiers and the Eternal Flame's fanatics scour the streets for mages?!" she yelped in surprise.
Gaunter nodded. "Triss could certainly help with that gaudy little box you have, the one Eredin used to curse Avallac'h. But it goes without saying that you should tread lightly, lest you bring unwanted attention onto yourselves. You can find Dandelion and Zoltan at the Rosemary and Thyme in Novigrad, and I'm sure you can find Triss from there. In any case, I must be off." As he stood, he said, "Oh, and two more things. Firstly, don't open the cage until you're somewhere private, and make sure he's discreet leaving with you. Secondly…it's likely I might happen across your father on your travels. Do you have anything you want to say?"
Ciri scowled. "I have nothing to say to that man who calls himself my father as he brutalises his way through the North…"
"Not Emhyr! I meant Geralt of Rivia! The White Wolf has been more of your father than the White Flame Dancing Upon the Graves of His Enemies!" Gaunter scoffed. "Anyway, do you think a mangy vagrant such as all could gain access to the halls of the mighty?"
"I get the feeling you could go anywhere you damned well please," Ciri said in a cold tone that was probably unwise.
But Gaunter only chuckled. "You're right. But should I meet Geralt, should I send him a message?"
"…Just say I miss him, and that I look forward to meeting him again. I can't be sure if I'm staying in Novigrad for long, so it's useless and probably unwise telling him where I am now, in case I have to leave in a hurry. Besides, I don't trust you."
"Who, me? Then again, you're wiser than most who meet me, Ciri," Gaunter said. With that, he got up from the table, and plucked something out of the air, before placing it in a bowl of soup someone was about to sup from. "Fly in the soup gag, always worth a chuckle." He walked to the door, and said, "Farewell. Mayhap I will never darken your door again." With that, he clapped his hands again, and as time resumed its flow, he left.
Ciri grimaced, before looking to the cage. "…I think I'll have a meal first before I consider releasing you."
The raven looked resigned, if a bird could look resigned anyway. Ciri said, "Look, don't take this the wrong way, but that man gave me the creeps, and I've met more than my fair share of creepy, powerful men. I'm not sure if I can trust you. So, I'd like to have a meal first."
The raven actually nodded. And Ciri had to feel a little bad for it. Still, anything involving this Gaunter O'Dimm was bad news, she just knew it…
After the meal, she went to the room Gaunter had paid for her, and sat on the bed, looking at the cage. "Now…before I release you, I've got some questions for you. I presume you can nod or shake your head, even as a raven, right?"
The raven nodded. "Right. Now, you were human once, right?" Another nod. "And what Gaunter said was right, that if I open up the cage and release you, you'll change back into a human form?" At this, the raven looked uncertain, even raising its wings a little in what seemed to be the form of a shrug. "So you don't actually know for sure. Look…if I do release you…don't make a fuss or a noise. And don't try to attack me. I'm armed. I'll hear you out. I at least know of the world Gaunter claims you come from. I'm not sure I could take you back, not without bringing the Wild Hunt down on our heads."
Ciri wasn't sure she should do this. After all, Gaunter, despite his words, was dangerous at the very least, in a way that dwarfed the Wild Hunt or the Crones of Crookback Bog. Who was to say this mystery person wasn't dangerous too?
And yet, they were caged, in both a cage and in their form. She couldn't help but release them, just in case they were what Gaunter claimed they were. No, he was. Gaunter claimed this raven was a male.
In truth, she had made her decision. She knew what it was like to be caged in more ways than one. It would be one thing if she knew this person had done wrong, but another entirely if she didn't.
So, gingerly, she opened the cage. She kept a hand on her sword as she did so. The raven hopped out onto the floor…and then changed.
He appeared to be a young man, about her age, with a messy mop of black hair. His eyes were green, but not quite her shade, more of a darker, deeper emerald. He was wearing those glasses things, closer to what she saw on other worlds than her homeworld, this one. He was dressed in jeans, a shirt, and a jacket that reminded her a little of that advanced but polluted world she had visited.
The young man looked at her warily. "…Please don't stab me," he said, not fearfully, but more wearily, as if he was done with everything. "I've had a long day, and I don't want it to end with a sword through my vital organs."
After a moment, Ciri snorted. "So have I. And being stabbed is highly-overrated."
"So's being the subject of a prophecy. Still…I…I need some time, okay? I think an explanation can wait until we've both had a good night's sleep."
"There's only one bed," Ciri pointed out.
The young man merely pulled what looked like a wooden box from his coat, before laying it on the ground. He then pulled out a stick, no, a wand, and tapped it. The box swiftly grew into a trunk, which he opened. "I don't suppose during your travels on my world, you ever watched a TV show called Doctor Who? No? Well, I have enough space in here to fill a house. I'll sleep in here. There's enough bedrooms for both of us and more, but we've only just met, and thanks to someone who seems like Nyarlathotep's little brother for that matter. Honestly, I'm not sure I can blame you for being paranoid. I'm not wholly sure I can trust you myself."
Ciri grimaced, but she couldn't dispute that. If Gaunter told the truth, he had been torn from his prior life by the spite of another. "Then we'll talk tomorrow. But before you go to sleep, I must ask you, what is your name, mage?"
"…Mage? That's a new one. But…my name is Harry Potter. And Gaunter called you Ciri, right? It's good to meet you, I hope…"
CHAPTER 1 ANNOTATIONS:
Oh dear. Gaunter O'Dimm's taken Harry to the world of The Witcher, thanks to Draco Malfoy being a stupid, ungrateful shit. And now, Harry and Ciri have met.
Now, why would Gaunter O'Dimm, of all people, do Harry and Ciri a collective solid, seemingly with no strings attached? I admittedly know little of the man's character, having only just started Hearts of Stone while writing this, but I get the feeling that Gaunter is basically a VERY dark karmic trickster. Yes, he does harm people out of proportion to what they deserve, and yet, you see glimmers of something that shows him to be more than the 'Evil Incarnate' that he is dubbed as.
A major case in point is when (and if) you give him Olgierd at the end of the DLC. Gaunter, if he truly was evil incarnate, would screw Geralt over, simply for shits and giggles. Instead, he removes the brand and offers a reward, with no strings attached. And if you haven't found Ciri yet, and ask for her, Gaunter seems sincere in saying he can't help Geralt there…but he actually gives hints as to how to avoid the bad ending of the main game. The world is saved even if Ciri does die, so why would Gaunter offer such a thing?
This is where I think Gaunter does have some nuances. He occasionally does good things, without thought of repayment or debts he owes, either on whims, or because of the entertainment value. And he's also helping Ciri, simply because if the world ends to Eredin's conquest or the White Frost, it's lost its entertainment value…though I'd like to think he has a soft spot for chosen ones, even if only because their struggles are entertaining.
Of course, I also constructed a web of deals to ensure Gaunter had motivation. In brief, around the time Voldemort started making Horcruxes, he made a deal with Gaunter, only to renege on it like Olgierd. Gaunter was far from amused by that, but when Lily summoned him to help protect Harry, he saw opportunity. He actually helped Harry discreetly, behind the scenes, as Lily's deal was her soul in exchange for Harry's survival. Indeed, surviving the Killing Curse in The Deathly Hallows, in this story at least, was down to Gaunter rather than Dumbledore's plan, which could've helped.
That being said, Draco, being the ungrateful little shit we know, decided to bide his time, before summoning Gaunter, not knowing or caring of the consequences. Harry was on the out with Ginny for the time being, and now, it's permanent.
Now, in case you're wondering, I do have an interesting notion about what happened to Lily's soul. We'll see what that is, later…
No numbered annotations this time.
