Hello there! Welcome to the next chapter of Light Bringer Stories: The Witcher.
Hope you enjoy it has much as I had writing it and now review time.
TheRagFromTheCrag: That idea actually made me laugh.
Now story time.
Lucifer was standing at the bow of the ship, looking over the waters covered by a thick mist as it drifted toward the Skellige Ilse.
"Lucifer." the gruff voice he instantly recognize as beloning to Geralt.
The witcher approached him from behid, while Lucifer continued to look out over the ocean as the White Wolf stood behind him with his arms crossed.
"I have a few questions." Geralt continued, "About somethings you mentioned earlier."
"Of course, Geralt." Lucifer said, finally turning around to face him, "Ask and I will answer to the best of my abilities."
"You mentioned Lara Dorren and how Avallac'h wasn't over her." Geralt said, "How did you actually know her?"
"Lara was an old friend of mine, I met her one day in court in Tir na Lia. We bonded over our shared love for fine wine's." Lucifer said with a nostalgic chuckle, "One day she accompanied me to another World..."
"Where she met Cregennan of Lod?" Geralt guessed correctly.
"Yes, she did! It seems your familiar with the tale!" Lucifer said slightly amused, "Though it often leaves out how I set them up on their first date. Funny how they always leave out the parts in storied when I actually do something nice for a change."
"Strange that you didn't try to hide your sausage in her royal pantry." Geralt noted.
"Unusual euphemism aside, I can be friends with a woman without trying to bed her." Lucifer said with a roll of his eyes, "So was that everything?"
"One more thing." Geralt said, "You questioned if Emhyr was a hedgehog at one point."
"Aside from the fact that his name is similar to the word 'eimyr', which in Nilfgaardian dialect means 'urcheon', an old name for a hedgehog." Lucifer said, showing of his vast knowledge of languages, "He looks like a someone I met who had been cursed into a hedgehog, albeit Emhyr is a lot older than the young man. I slightly lifted the curse so he became a humanoid hedgehog and a human form every night."
"Lifted it slightly?" Geralt said with an raised eyebrow, "Thought someone with your power could easily turn him back."
"Oh, I could." Lucifer said simply, "But I wouldn't get anything out of it, I'm not a charity service."
"Speaking of the emperor." Yennefer said as she and Ciri walked up to them, "We know of his whereabouts."
"He's here?" Lucifer said surprised, "What the bloody hell for? Wanting to conquer Skellige?"
"But he knows..." Ciri said distressed, "Those are my friends!"
"He wishes to grant you the isles." Yennefer informed her, "With Cintra... and the rest of the empire."
"There is an upside to this." Triss said as she comes walking up.
"Is there!?" Ciri snapped. But the instant she saw Lucifer's amber eyes, a larger hand resting on her shoulder, she calmed down.
"What I believe Lady Triss is trying to say and feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, that if we summon the Hunt they will have to help us fight them." Lucifer said seeing the nod Triss gave him, "We also know where Fringilla Vigo is."
"We must hurry and find the Sunstone." Ciri said at once, "Seems we've plenty to do in Skellige after that."
"Great more work." Lucifer said sarcastically, "So, what is the plan? Any suggestions?"
"Can you teleport me onto Emhyr's ship?" Geralt said, turning to Yennefer.
"Not a chance." Yennefer said shaking her head, "It's better shielded than the emperor's alcove."
"I can fly you there." Lucifer offered.
Ciri let out a small chuckle, earning her the attention of the others. "Sorry, I was just imagining Lucifer carrying Geralt bridal-style as they fly." she said.
"Geralt!" Lucifer teased, "I thought you didn't want people to know!"
"...I'll get on the emperor's ship myself." Geralt said annoyed.
"Suit yourself." Lucifer said, "A long swim with swords on your back is like no time to me. But you do you."
"He'll find a way. Make your approach by night, you'll stand a better chance then. Once you're on board." Yennefer said walking towards Geralt holding out a rolled up letter, "Show His Imperial Majesty this letter. Hand it to him directly. We should remind him what he promised, and what he'll get in return."
"Now we know that, onto our main objective." Ciri said, "So what is the Sunstone?"
"It was created so the Mountain Elves could summon the vessels of the Aen Elle." Avallac'h explained as he walked up, "Now it merely serves as a symbol of a lost opportunity to unite the two tribes."
But all of them gave him a questioning look. "Truly? Can all of you unfamiliar with the story of Gealbhan and Dillian of the White Fleet?" the elf said.
"Oh no, I'm familiar with it. It's just rather boring and I don't wish to hear you repeat it." Lucifer said looking at the elf, "So this Sunstone is in Skellige?"
"Yes, it lies where the White Fleet landed centuries ago." Avallac'h said.
"Meaning anywhere on any one of the Isles." Yennefer said with a roll of her eyes, "Splendid..."
"Oh don't worry your pretty face over it." Lucifer said with a smile, "I got my top agent already on it."
The ship mourned at the docks of Kaer Trolde. Where the occupants of the ship departed except for Avallac'h who decided to stay onboard to continue working on the plan.
"So what are we doing first?" Lucifer said as he, Geralt, Ciri and Yennefer stood on the docks.
"Ciri says there's a site in Skellige we must examine." Yennefer said, "Avallac'h's clearly hiding something from us."
"Oh, really?" Lucifer said, placing a hand over his mouth, "You don't say."
"Earlier, when we were in the Isles together, Avallac'h mentioned a laboratory." Ciri explained, "At one point, he wished to teleport there... to retrieve something. And he refused to take me with him. It was all very strange..."
"That sounds like fun, count me in!" Lucifer said excited, "What about you Geralt?"
"Fine." the witcher said, "Where is it?"
"On a small isle between Undvik and Spikeroog." Ciri said.
"A bit out of our way, seeing as the Sunstone's on Ard Skellig." Lucifer said much to the surprise of others, "What? I already told you I have my top agent on it. Potato is very efficient when she wants to be. Wouldn't be surprised if she has the Sunstone in her small hands once we get return here."
And so the group traveled to the Pali Gap Coast, each by their own means. Ciri and Yennefer traveled by portal, while Lucifer simply flew there. He offered Geralt a lift but he had declined as he rather took the long way.
Lucifer, being the first to arrive inside the isolated cavern found north of Undvik and west of Kaer Almhult. Elders say the isolated cave on this coast was once used as a retreat by the world's most famous bard, Xirdneh of Zanguebar, renowned from Nazair to the Dragon Mountains for his ferocious lute-strumming.
During the waiting period, Yennefer had taken to study the door until Geralt finally arrived.
"There you are!" Lucifer said as he put away his flask inside his coat, "Right on time!"
"Did you find anything yet?" Geralt said immediately, "Any incriminating letters? Closet full of skeletons?"
"We where waiting for you." Lucifer said as the two joined the women, "Cirilla insisted."
"The door is locked with a highly complex magic barrier." Yennefer said, "Let's try..."
But with a snap of his fingers, the barrier shattered into nothingness as the stone door crumbled to dust.
"There we go." Lucifer said, giving a small bow while holding out his hand, gesturing for them to enter.
As the group stepped through the dust and through the door into a rather large and dark laboratory.
"Pretty cozy." Geralt noted, "Doesn't look much like a laboratory at all."
"That proves nothing." Yennefer said, "We must look around."
"It's a bit low, isn't it?" Ciri said suddenly, "Rummaging through his papers?"
"Hold up." Lucifer said, turning around near a bookcase to look at her, "This whole operation was your idea!"
"Would you look at this." Geralt said with his back to them near a table.
Walking over to him, the found the table covered with parchment, each of them with sketches of a woman, looking extremely similar to Ciri, though with loose hair that reached her shoulders and lacking the scar Lucifer found so sexy.
"Portraits of you?" Geralt said as he looked them over.
"No, that's Lara. See? No scar, not nearly as sexy, lacking the seductive fire that could make even the Devil melt. Honestly Lara is a seven on a good day, while Ciri is a consistent ten." Lucifer simply noted, sending a wink to Ciri, "Strange I didn't realize you where related to her sooner. I'm usually good with faces."
And so their search continued of the laboratory, Lucifer was looking over the collection of books, giving them a quick look over before throwing them over his shoulder.
"Did you find anything?" Ciri said.
"Nothing important or very juicy really." Lucifer said looking over a book, "The only thing of interest I found is his collection of young adult vampire romance novels."
"How creepy." Ciri said dryly.
"Not really." Lucifer said casually, "They're not good by any means, but their not the worst either."
"Hey, you two!" Yennefer yelled from across the room, "Come see this!"
Following in that direction, they met up with Geralt and Yennefer again. They were standing by a tapestry that hung the length of the wall.
"Genealogical chart of the Aen Hen Ichaer." Geralt said, "The Elder Blood. From Lara Dorren..."
"To me." Ciri said looking up at the tapestry, "You never showed me the full version. I had no idea Videmont of Aedirn was an ancestor. Was he the one who punished his daughters with a hot iron, or the one who had his own father's eyes gouged out?"
"Oh, who doesn't have daddy issues?" Lucifer said, noticing the look Geralt gave him, "What? I should know daddy issues, I invented them!"
"Him of the daughters." Yennefer said, stepping forward, "My, even I'd never seen the full version. Seems Avallac'h has analyzed all the paths of Lara's gene, even those we thought extinct."
"I found some notes." Lucifer said, standing at a nearby desk, "He spend over two centuries on this! Oh, there are some notes about you... He tried to cultivate a genetic mix like Ciri's. Excluding the human line, of course. Bloody hell, if any elf in the entire verse needs a hobby, it's this one."
"Meaning what exactly?" Ciri said distressed, "That I ought to be looking about for giant jars holding my siblings?"
"Of course not." Lucifer said with a chuckled, "Avallac'h is not even a quarter of the alchemist Nic ever was. All his experiments ended in failure."
"Nic?" Geralt said.
"Nicolas 'Nic' Flamel, legendary alchemist, personal friend of mine, fellow enjoyer of exotic drugs and one hell of a drinker." Lucifer said, "Coming from me, that's a compliment."
Ciri was understandably less than thrilled to see herself through Avallac'h's eyes as a subject in some twisted experiment. Continuing their search, they also discovered this secret research wasn't the only reason the Seer kept the place hidden. Avallac'h seemed to have been using it for something else.
Walking to the back of the laboratory and into an adjacent room, which look something of a rather lavishly decorated bedroom.
In front of the mirror, sat an elf who until they entered was brushing her hair. "How did you get in here?" she demanded to know as she stood up from her seat.
"Through the door." Lucifer pointed out.
"Who are you?" Geralt said.
"Not your concern." the elf said, "Get out of here. Now."
It was then that Ciri spoke up as she walked forward, "You... I remember you. From Tir na Lia."
"Remarkable." the elf said haughty, "I thought all elves looked alike to those of your race."
"Like elves are any better in that regard." Lucifer whispered to Geralt.
"I'll have to agree with you on that one." Geralt said with a frown, "Which isn't the most comforting feeling in the world."
"If it's Avallac'h you seek, he's not here." the elf said, slightly surprised when Ciri told her that they already knew that, "Yet you come here? What for? To spy on him? He tries his damnest to save you every time you do something stupid. Is that not enough?"
"Stupidest thing she has done is falling in love with the Devil." Lucifer whispered, "Hard to top that."
"You are correct on that." Geralt said before turning to Yennefer, "This is the second time I'm agreeing with him in a short period. Should I see a doctor?"
"Oh, I know this excellent one in Oxenfurt." Lucifer piped up, "She's also a pretty good gwent player as well."
"What can you possibly know about that?" Ciri said.
"You'd be surprised. He's told me a great deal about you." the elf said, her tone reeking with hate and loathing, "He said you shared Lara's features. I don't see whatever it is she sees. It seems a bit like trying to drink water from a mud puddle. It must help him with his task."
"What task?" Yennefer demanded to know.
"Do you think he trails you everywhere for pleasure?" the elf said disgusted, "Even I grow ill at the sight of you."
"Disgusting, misplaced elven pride. Believing they are superior to humans." Lucifer said, earning the attention from the elf, who's eyes immediately widen in fear once she realize who was before her, "Took her long enough."
It was amazing to see her confident, arrogant and haughty demeanor change into pure terror in a second.
"S-Star of Morning." the elf stuttered as she backed away., "I-I didn't mean to..."
"I believe you did." Lucifer said with a smirk, folding his hands behind his back, "Please, continue. I would like to hear what you have to say about my Queen."
"Y-Your queen? Y-You mean this..." the elf said, knowing she had to choice her words with the most extreme care, "This human... is the Queen of Gehenna?"
"Oh right, that was the word you people use for Hell. But yes, that is her. Cirilla, Hell's Queen." Lucifer said gesturing to her, "And I advise you to beg for her forgiveness. Lest she wishes to exert her Queenly rights."
At once the elf dropped to her knees, bowing her head low enough to that it touched the cold stone floor, much to the surprise of Ciri. "P-please, your Majesty. I-I had no idea w-who you where. I humbly beg you of your forgiveness and mercy." the elf begged, "I-I will leave, with your permission, of course."
"I..." Ciri said, slightly taken aback by this change in demeanor, "Yes, you are forgiven. You may leave."
The elf released a breath of relieve. Standing up but kept her head low in a bow, avoiding eye contact with anyone as she left the room.
"If he hates me this much... Why not say it to my face." Ciri muttered once it was the four of them, "If they despise me so, they should leave me be!"
"Ciri." Yennefer said softly.
"What!?" Ciri snapped.
"How about we wrack this place?" Geralt suggested, "Blow off some steam."
"I agree with Geralt." Lucifer said, "That's a good idea."
And upon hearing their suggestion to vent some steam, Ciri picked up a nearby vial of ink, and threw it against the wall. Geralt happily joined in on the vandalizing of Avallac'h's laboratory, while Yennefer stood back, watching with a smile.
"Alright." Lucifer said as a orange flame appeared on his index finger's tip, "I got dips on his collection of young adult vampire romance novels!"
Yennefer chuckled bemused at their antics, until she spotted a portrait of Avallac'h, on which she added a mustache and beard.
Arriving back at the docks of Kaer Trolde, where the from the boat, they could hear the loud hissing and demands from Philippa.
"You snot nosed little brat." she said with a low tone of danger, "Give the Sunstone to me!"
Walking up onto the deck, they saw that she was trying to use her magic on the small Potato, who was clutching a glowing rock between her small hands.
"No! Instruction's very clear!" Potato protested, as she evaded another bolt of fire, "Potato should only give Stone of Sun to Luci, Ciri or Geralt!"
"Listen here you little shit." Philippa said before noticing that the four had returned.
"Excellent work Potato! Well done!" Lucifer praised his assistant before turning to Geralt, "What did I told you? Got the Sunstone before we got back."
Having this situation resolved and the stone safely in the possession of Geralt, Lucifer decided it was high time to get a Skellige ale and so he departed the boat for a quick stop at the local inn.
But he had only walked a few feet on the docks when the voice of Philippa reached him.
"Not so fast." she said, walking up to him, "We've a matter to discuss."
"Of course, what more could a Devil want than the company of a beautiful sorceress." Lucifer said with a charming smile, "So, what is it you wish to discuss?"
"Flirting won't get you anywhere with me." Philippa said haughty, her hands resting on her hips.
"Oh believe me, my dear." Lucifer said, leaning in close so he could whisper in her ear, "If I wasn't already spoken for, I would gladly tie you down and give you the night of your life."
He smirk with satisfaction as she tried her best to hide the light blush appearing on her pale cheeks as pleasant goosebumps appeared on her arms.
"No need to be ashamed." Lucifer said with a playful wink, "I am very persuasive."
"Shame you are." Philippa said with an amused chuckle, "You could have slept with someone on that boat who even Geralt hasn't slept with."
"I believe he hasn't slept with Cirilla either..." Lucifer said, "And as enticing as that challenge is, I believe you wished to discuss something."
"I wish to talk to you about the future. My future, so listen carefully." Philippa said, "Once we've defeated the Hunt and Ciri is safe, Yennefer's meteoric rise at the imperial court will come to an abrupt end. Which is wonderful from my perspective. I'm not interested in reviving the Lodge if I'm not to have the deciding vote."
"Yes, very interesting." Lucifer said nodding along, "Is this going anywhere?"
"I expect that once we've defeated the Wild Hunt, either you or Geralt aim to slip out the back door, with Ciri..." Philippa said, "To disappear into the wilds, correct?"
"Well that is depending on what Cirilla wants. All I can assure you that once this Wild Hunt mess has been dealt with, anywhere she goes I will go." Lucifer said simply, "Anything else?"
"How very romantic of you." Philippa said stepping closer to him, "I want that you make sure Geralt takes Yennefer with him."
"Oh, I see." Lucifer said amused as he saw her desire, "It Yennefer's place you want? The one she had at Emhyr's right hand."
"And at Ciri's." Philippa said, "I think you understand it's inevitable. And I would truly prefer Yennefer to be far away when it happens. Holding her in the imperial dungeon would be costly. And it would give the wrong impression."
"I doubt Cirilla would allow Yennefer to be in that prison for long." Lucifer said with a smirk, "Was that all, my dear?"
"You may go." Philippa said, "I know you've things to do."
"Cirilla is one of those things. My apologies, I couldn't resiste the temptation." he said with a small chuckle, "I will speak with her if she would allow you to borrow me for an evening." he added with a wink before turning on his heel, setting off to the inn.
That was the chapter, hope you enjoyed. Many thanks to everyone who read, reviews, favorites or follows this, you beauties.
Holy crap! They announched Witcher 4 or whatever they are gonna call it. I'm curious what they are going to do with it, doubt it is going to be as good as Witcher 3 but I'm looking forward to it.
Anyways, I hope you will join me next time. Bye for now and I hope you will join me next time.