Hello there! Welcome my friends to the next chapter of Light Bringer Stories: The Witcher.
Hope your going to enjoy it and now time for the story.
The Sansretour Valley is the center of world wine production. It is on this valley's vine-covered slopes that one can find Castel Ravello, Coronata and Vermentino, the estates of famous winemaking families which have for centuries been the envy of every other vintner.
Captain de la Tour was riding in the front, with Geralt, riding on Roach making up the rear. Between them was a beautiful white mare with an even whiter manes, know Shadowmere. Lucifer was steering as Anarietta was sitting behind him, arms wrapped around his waist.
"Lucifer, I wish to know your thoughts." Anarietta said, "The Sangreal stain, how did it wind up on the paper? Is someone from the vineyard blackmailing the vampire?"
"There are many possibilities, my dear. Could be that the was was simply stolen from the estate." Lucifer said, "Could very well be that this Master Fabricio is the one blackmailing the vampire."
"He has his flaws, but I would never suspect him of such a thing. He's been very loyal. He owes all he has to me." Anarietta said, "His father frittered away the family fortune. He left his son an encyclopedic knowledge of wine, that is all. Fabricio lived as a beggar until I appointed him steward of Castel Ravello. Only then did he came into his own."
"We shall know soon enough." Lucifer said as the estate came into view.
Connoisseurs claim the best wines of Metinna or Alba do not hold a candle to even the most mediocre labels from the Sansretour Valley. Among the countless larger and smaller local vineyards found here, Castel Ravello is the most renowned, and for good reason. From its slopes come Pomino, Fiorano, Erveluce and Est Est, the wine realm's uncontested kings.
Geralt, Lucifer, Anarietta and Captain de la Tour arrived at Castel Ravello where they where welcomed by Master Fabricio himself.
"Captain de la Tour! We did not expect any visitors from the palace." Master Fabricio said, "How are affairs at court?"
"Doubtless you've heard of the Beast of Beauclair. Well, we've our hands full." Captain de la Tour said, "Especially since the rogue last attacked in the palace gardens."
"I..." Master Fabricio said surprised, "I trust Her Illustrious Highness was not harmed?..."
"Kind of you to ask, Master Fabricio." Anarietta spoke up, having been hiding behind Lucifer with her hood up, "I am well."
"You.. Your Grace?... We were not warned." Master Fabricio said even more surprised and a hint of panic, "I shall order the salon prepared at once."
"That won't be necessary." Anarietta told him, "As you can see, we are not here on an official visit.", gesturing to her incognito outfit.
"Naturally." Master Fabricio agreed quickly, "Might I ask, then, what has brought you to Castel Ravello?"
"Just an inspection. Me and my friend over here are going to ask a few questions." Lucifer said, gesturing to himself and Geralt before pointing at the wine maker, "And you, Fabricio will answer them. And you better be truthful, because I will know if your lying."
"And who are you sir?" Master Fabricio said, turning to the tall blonde man, "To speak to me this way."
But it was Anarietta who spoke up for him, "His name is Lord Lucifer Lux, a very close personal friend of mine." she told him, "And this is Geralt of Rivia, a witcher. Both are here in Toussaint on my personal invitation. You will show them the proper and utmost respect."
"O-Of... Of course, Your Grace." Master Fabricio said with a bow to the Duchess before turning to the duo, "I am at your service."
"Want to talk about Sangrael, some of this wine might've been stolen." Geralt began the interrogation, "Just a suspicion we have, but... any burglaries lately?"
"Burglaries? Not to my knowledge." Master Fabricio said, "And a few days past I took stock of the inventory. All was accounted for. The barrels lie safely in the cellar, I assure you."
"Who hauls the barrels to the palace?" Geralt said, arms folded in front of his chest.
"We've our own garrison." Master Fabricio said, "Guard who have served here for years and would answer with their heads for the wine."
"We'll not get anywhere asking questions, I see..." Anarietta said suddenly, "It's a waste of time."
"Your Grace?" the wine maker said confused, "How am I to understand this?"
"Master Fabricio, we have proof someone's gained access to Sangreal, someone who should not have. Which means one of two things." Anarietta said, sounding more threating, "Either you lie to our face or you are an idiot who has had wine stolen from under his nose and not even realized it. In either case, you shall answer for it!"
"B-But.." Master Fabricio said, tripping over his words.
"Silence!" Anarietta commanded, before she felt a hand on her shoulder.
Glancing to her side to see that it was Lucifer. "You know." he whispered in her ear, "I had almost forgotten how sexy you sounded when you got angry."
"Glad you enjoyed." she said with a easy smile, something he returned as he stepped forward.
"Now, now, Fabricio. Look at me, in the eyes." Lucifer said, as he stared into the wine maker's eyes, "You sold some of the Sangreal, didn't you?"
Master Fabricio stares into his eyes, he stiffened a moment, "I-I sold a barrel of Sangreal. I couldn't resist..." he said getting a stupid, dreamy grin on his face, "The sum they offered, it was enormous. I gave in..." as he snapped out of it, looking shocked by what he said.
"It's okay, Fabricio. People like to tell me things." Lucifer said amused, "Those deep, dark, naughty little desires that are on their mind. Must be something about this face."
"Was what I provided not enough!?" Anarietta demanded to know angrily.
"Good point." Lucifer said with a nod, turning back to the wine maker, "Tell me, Fabricio. What is it that you truly desire?"
Fabricio stiffened for a moment, getting that same stupid, dreamy grin on his face, "I wished to buy back my family's estate. For here, nothing is truly mine. I've a roof over my head, ample food to eat, but... what is a nobleman without land of his own? I shall tell you everything, if you agree to show me mercy..."
"Really thought nobody'd find out?" Geralt said.
"I was a fool, very foolish." Master Fabricio said, having been let out of Lucifer's gold again, "I beg you, Your Grace, you must forgive me..."
"Who'd you sell the wine to?" Anarietta demanded to know.
"A few weeks past at the Pheasantry a rich nobleman approached me. He called himself a diplomat, well-connected at court." Master Fabricio said, "He suggested we embark on an enterprise. Some of his 'clients' had offered dizzying sums for even a drop of Sangreal... He was to serve as intermediary."
"A name would be nice." Lucifer said.
"He never revealed it." Master Fabricio said, shaking his head, "He was tall, black-haired and spoke with a foreign lilt. He claimed to hail from Cintra."
"I've no Cintrian aristocrat at court." Anarietta said.
"The wine itself." Geralt continued to interrogate, "How'd you hand it over?"
"We met under the cover of darkness in the ruins of Fort Astre. A dozen or so men came to collect." the wine maker explained, "Armed men, the kind that stink of trouble."
"Oh, like a certain witcher I know." Lucifer pointed out.
"I had hauled the barrel there, they transferred it to their cart." Master Fabricio said, "And we went our separate ways."
"That's it?" Geralt said, "That the last you ever saw of them?"
"They... That is to say, a few days past a messenger arrived." he said, "They wish to buy another barrel and... well, I've prepared it, have it ready to deliver."
"That's enough." Geralt said, "Know all we need to know."
"Get out of my sight!" Anarietta hissed before turning to her Captain of the Guard, "Captain, have your men take Master Fabricio to the dungeon. He must answer for his crime. High treason the charge."
The trio of Geralt, Lucifer and Anarietta stood to the side, discussing their next part of the plan before they where joined by Captain de la Tour after he had overseen the handover of Fabricio.
"What is the plan now, Lucifer?" Captain de la Tour said.
"Well, your taking Anarietta back to the castle." Lucifer said, "I'm going to Fort Arsen and bust some heads."
"Shouldn't go at it alone, Lucifer." Geralt told him, "Coming with you."
"For once, I agree with the witcher." Captain de la Tour said, "Me and my men will..."
"While I appreciate the concern, I don't need a team to back me up. I'm more of a solo artist anyways." Lucifer said smugly, "It's not like I'll run into Mikey there. Or worse, my mother."
"Now that would be something, the very woman who raised Lucifer into the man he is." Anariatta said, "Sounds like an interesting person to meet."
"Very interesting, and a very dangerous woman." Geralt said, remembering her when she spectated the Game of Ancients between Lucifer and O'Dimm, "But still kind of beautiful, though. In the same way as a dragon or a natural disaster."
The Devil gave the witcher a questioning side-glance but deciding not to remark on it.
"Lucifer." Anarietta said, "I wish for you to bring back one of the men, I wish to interrogate him personally."
"Of course, my lady." Lucifer said with a bow, "Be back in a flash."
Fort Astre Ruins are the remains of an old castle in Gorgon Foothills. It first served as the heart of Epicéa, an early Nordling realm which was ultimately absorbed into Toussaint.
A group of mercenary's pulled up in a cart, ready to take the barrel of Sangreal but to their surprise, nobody was there. Getting out, they drew their swords and weapons but they didn't seem to noticed Lucifer leaning against a nearby tree, or maybe he didn't allow them to notice.
"Hello, my very ugly friends." Lucifer said as the group turned towards him, "Now who can tell who wants those barrels?"
"It's not him." their leader, an ugly tattooed crook said.
One of them aimed his crossbow at Lucifer, and without hesitation fired it. But without moving from his spot, Lucifer knocked it out of the air as simply as if it was a fly.
"Really?" Lucifer said, raising his hand, "Fine, be that way.", he snapped his fingers.
The stars above seemed to have been turned off as the air around them had frozen: their breath caught and solidified in his chest as it looked like the night sky itself was descending down on them. Shapes moved out in the darkness, swirling figures of concentrated blackness, moving in a great wave toward the mercenaries, their faces hidden and their breath rattling.
Out of the darkness, Lucifer appeared, taking a hold of one of the men. "You will do nicely." he said.
The mercenary fell backward, he attempted to crawl away as Lucifer approached him.
"What.. No! Crikey, no!" the mercenary said, "W-What are you?"
"An Archangel, technically speaking." Lucifer said squatting down next to the man, "So what was the destination of those barrels?"
"The first barrel went to a warehouse at the port. The other one, it was meant to go to Dun Tynne Castle." the man said, "I speak true, you must believe me."
"Oh, I do. Can't fib the Devil, I would have known if you where lying." Lucifer said, "So, who hired you?"
"He..." the man said, deadly afraid, "He'll kill me..."
"Don't worry about that. Think about the here and know." Lucifer said, reaching out and forcing the man to look him in the eyes, "You either tell me what I want to know, or I'll give you to my friends out there. Let me tell you, they are very good about sharing and even better at making their meals last."
"The Cintrian, that is what they call him. He works out of Dun Tynne Castle. It were he mustered the men for this caper. That's who are working for, the Cintrian." the man said, "He has a job next at a soirée hosted by 'Mandragora'. He needs to retrieve something called the 'Heart of Toussaint'. I don't know anything else, I swear it."
"Oh, I believe you." Lucifer said, knocking the man out with a swift chop to the side of his neck, "Your lucky Anarietta want to interrogate you personally."
Constructed on elven ruins, Corvo Bianco, known as Gwyn Cerbin in the Elder Speech, is one of the oldest vineyards in the duchy, it origins have been lost to the mists of time.
Yet it became famous as producer of startlingly unique wine, Sepremento. Sadly, the rakish lifestyle of one of its owners, the last member of the Bolius line, drove the possession into ruin. The next owner, Baron Rossell, tried to return the vineyard to its former glory, but to no avail. Corvo Bianco was then auctioned off and eventually passed under the control of the Ducal Treasury.
Geralt had received Corvo Bianco Vineyard from Duchess Anna Henrietta herself as partial payment for the contract.
After a preliminary inspection of Geralt's new property, Lucifer noticed that the vineyard would need quite a bit of fixing up before it could shine in all its glory. This would be a monumental task requiring aesthetic sensibilities Geralt was not sure he possessed.
"You really need to fix this place up." Lucifer said sitting down at the table with, Geralt and Anarietta, in the dinning room, "I estimate that it cost around 14,000 crowns to bring it back to it's full glory."
"I'll get my majordomo right on it." Geralt said dryly, "We have more pressing matters."
"Right, back to the business at hand." Lucifer said, snapping his fingers plates with sandwiches along with a bottle of red wine and three crystal glasses appeared on the table.
"I love it when he does that." Anarietta said helping herself to a sandwich as the bottle of wine began to fill the glasses before sliding to each of them, "But what you told us, it disturbs me."
"Dun Tynne... Remember the place." Geralt said as his glass slid in front of him, "Abandoned ruin just a few years ago."
"More recently the family's last heir, Roderick, returned to his ancestral seat and restored the castle. His grandfather was an advisor to Queen Ademarta." Anarietta said, picking up her glass, "The family received those lands as a grant for his service. Roderick is quite the recluse. He avoids society, preferring the company of a small team of knights... though the latter term is imprecise, as they seem more akin to vandals with crests on their shields."
"The wine, the jewel, both have ties to you." Lucifer said with a now empty glass, which the bottle began to refill, "Coincidence, I think not. This might end with an attempt on your life."
"It... it could be something else altogether." Anarietta admitted, "My sister, Sylvia Anna, might be among the schemers. She left court when we were children... My parents banished her from the duchy. I've not seen her since."
Upon hearing the name, Lucifer's eyes widen for a second, something that didn't went unnoticed by Geralt, which he decide to ignore for now.
"What'd your sister do to get banished?" the witcher said.
"Syanna was... cursed. She was born at an inopportune moment. They said she was touched by the Curse of the Black Sun..." Anarietta said turning to Lucifer, "Can it be true? Can an individual be evil because they were born during the wrong lunar phase?"
"No human is born evil, just some are more incline to... darker urges. Though nurture plays a big part in how a human turns out." Lucifer said, "What was your sister like?"
"She was angry at the whole world. She felt inferior, felt pain, though she masked this with confidence, arrogance, even. She could also be cruel at times." Anarietta recounted her memories of her sister.
"I recall one such situation... She persuaded Cedric de Coulbert that she could see the future in her dreams. We were children, and Cedric's brother was smitten with me. It was an innocent childhood crush. Syanna knew of it. She told Cedric of a dream she had had, that he would die at the hands of his own brother. Cedric stole his father's sword and killed his brother. She destroyed two lives with the prank, Cedric mourns to this day."
"In the end, they forced her to leave the palace... A decade past, more." she concluded, "I've missed her terribly since."
"You think your sister is involved." Geralt said, "Why?"
"You see, I recall her always being rather... possessive." Anarietta said, "Throwing jealous fits if I had something she didn't."
"Not unusual, for sisters to have rivalry." Lucifer said, "I'm pretty sure even brothers have them."
"True, I suppose I gave as good as I got. There are times I miss that very much." Anarietta said with a nostalgic smile, "The wine, its theft, was the first clue. That's very much like her, she always did enjoy stealing my toys. But I grew almost certain when Lucifer mentioned the Heart of Toussaint. Syanna received it from our father as a gift. At a time when my parents thought of her as but an ill-behaved little girl. Someone wanted some of my wine. The same someone ordered our family jewel stolen or recovered. It's my sister, it must be."
"A fallen princess satisfying whims, going after lost luxuries..." Geralt said as he thought it over, "Hm, could be right."
"Then your mission has gained new import." Anarietta said, "You must go to Dun Tynne and if Syanna is there, you must find her. No matter what she did, she is not to be harmed in any way, shape or form. You must make sure of that."
"Can't guarantee her safety, unfortunately." Geralt said, "Especially if she's one of those responsible for these crimes."
"Just a moment." Lucifer said as he stood up, "Someone is coming." before he headed for the door.
He opened and as he had claimed, it was Regis, a hand raised as he was about to knock on the door. But the one who caught Lucifer's attention was the second man, or rather vampire.
A tall, pale figure, dressed in a black coat with red inner lining. His black hair long and slicked back as it complimented his pale complexion. His icy blue eyes met Lucifer's, a look that showed Lucifer distrust, and a little reverence.
"Regis, what a surprise!" Anarietta said cheerfully from her seat, "I had no idea you were in Toussaint. And this is?..."
"Uh, my very dear friend, Dettlaff van der Eretein, an arrival from Nazair." Regis said as they where led in, "We are lending our combined resources to the witcher's hunt."
"Ah, yes, splendid." Anarietta said as they too took a seat at the table, "You aid him with his contract involving the Beast of Beauclair?"
"Indeed." Dettlaff said his eyes never leaving Lucifer, "Did I hear it right? You'd rather talk to a monster than to slay it?", his question was directed at Geralt.
"I don't lunge at every monster I see, sword in hand." Geralt told him, "Talking gets the job done for some."
"An interesting inquiry." Anarietta said, "I wonder what a monster might have to say to you."
"It might want to apologize." Dettlaff said for the first time he sat down, looking away from Lucifer and turning to Geralt, "For killing. Though at times there is no choice. When loved ones are at risk and require protection."
"How very human." Lucifer said, as two more glasses filled with wine appeared in front of the two new guests, "They will also kill in that situation... Though I guess Devil's aren't that different either."
"You understand this... It must be why Regis respects you." Dettlaff said, who seemed to be pleasantly surprised, "If I understand you correctly, you would rather help a monster than kill it?"
"If possible, yeah." Geralt said, "Or at least try."
"I would wish to talk more, but duty calls." Anarietta said as she stood up, "Lucifer, walk me out?"
"Of course." Lucifer said with a nod, before standing up, "Enjoy the wine. It lasts a while." he gestured to it.
They went down the front steps, the splashing of water came from a nearby river. With her arm wrapped around his and her head leaning into him, Lucifer and Anarietta set off along one of the winding paths as sunlight began to come over the mountains as the sun was rising.
"You have exceptional friends." Anarietta said, "This Dettlaff, an intriguing man to say the least."
"Indeed he is." Lucifer said, "What do you make of him?"
"Sensitive. Sad. He carries within him the weight of a terrible tragedy. He is a good man, but lost. Which is why he comes across as grim." she told her thought, "I've a good sense of the true nature of those I meet. I'd not survive a week at court otherwise."
"He reminds me of my brother, in a way." Lucifer mentioned off-handed, "Though he's just grim, not a funny bone in him."
"But I did not drawn you out for a romantic stroll, Lucifer." Anarietta said, suddenly turning serious as she stopped in front of him, "I wish to make certain you know what you are to do."
"Go to the castle, save the princess." Lucifer said, "Rather simple task, if a plumber can..."
"I need you to do me a favor, Lucifer. I need you to protect Syanna at all cost. Your the only one I could trust with such a task." Anarietta said, "As payment, I will return any favor you request of me."
"...Very tempting." Lucifer said as he thought it over, "Very well, I will protect Syanna, no harm will come to her for she will be under my protection."
"Thank you, Lucifer." she said, with a grateful smile.
"Of course, what are friends for?" he said with a smile of his own as he took her hand before raising it up and pressing his lips on her knuckles.
Once he saw her on her way, Lucifer walked back through the Vineyard where half-way he was met by Geralt.
"An interesting conversation, don't you think?" Lucifer said casually, "Vampires, a witcher, the duchess of Toussaint and the Devil... It almost sounds like the beginning of a bad joke."
"Lucifer, I wanted to talk with you in private." Geralt said glancing over his shoulder, "Regis told me Dettlaff believes we'll succeed in our task. And he'll not need to kill anymore, that is, until he gets his hands on the men who kidnapped his Rhena."
"Yes..." Lucifer said slowly, "I see how that might be a problem..."
"Lucifer, be honest with me." Geralt said, "You know this Syanna, don't you?"
"In fact I do. It was ten years ago, I was summoned using the olden ways. A very unusual way to get my attention and bargain for a deal." Lucifer said, "What surprised me the most was that it was a young teen who managed it. She was denied food, abused, left in nothing but a ragged dress, penniless, and nearly freezing to death..."
"All she requested was the chance to survive, a chance to seek revenge against those who wronged her. In return, I received anything I could request from her. Honestly, it's generally not a good idea to give some cart blanc like that."
"So I brought her to a bandit campsite, a gang I would employ from time to time. They welcomed her into their group and they had set off for Nazair, and she quickly rose in their ranks before becoming their leader. I sometimes came to check up on her..."
"You slept with her, didn't you?" Geralt said dryly.
"Of course, people find me so very charming." Lucifer said with a his trademark smugness, "And I promised Anarietta I would protect Syanna."
"Yeah, best we don't breathe a word of this to Dettlaff. Who wants revenge above all else." Geralt said with a nod, "I explain things with Regis. Gotta keep Dettlaff here while you go to Dun Tynne. That way you can make sure neither woman will come to any harm."
"Geralt..." Lucifer said, sensing the unspoken trust the witcher had in him, "I won't fail you." holding out his hand.
"I know, Lucifer." Geralt said and the two friends shook hands.
Dun Tynne, a castle tied to the dark legend of Waltharius the Burly.
A dashing knight who wed the beautiful Nazairi princess Hiltgunt. Waltharius then embarked on a lengthy campaign and returned to find his wife in carnal relations with his relative, upon which he flew into a rage and murdered them both.
The moral of the tale? Nothing good ever comes from Nazair, or that when one has a young wife, one should stay at home instead of gallivanting about on campaigns.
Lucifer approached Dun Tynne Castle's front gate, wielding his cane in a reverse grip. Two guards where standing outside the gate who spotted Lucifer striding towards them.
"Hey you." one of them shouted, "What do you..."
But before he could answer, he and his comrade, along with the entire front gate where blown back with a simple gesture from Lucifer, where they where covered under heaps of stone.
"What a mess." Lucifer said, stepping over the ruble as the sound of a bell rang somewhere in the distance, "Hey Lucifer is going to show up, we better clean this place up! No, it's okay. He won't mind."
A group of knights came running into the courtyard just in time to see Lucifer. Each took out a weapon, swords and shields. Ready to take on the intruder, but despise their overwhelming numbers.
"Greetings and salutations. Allow myself to introduce... myself." Lucifer called out to them, "Lucifer Lux. I'm here to retrieve Syanna and Rhenawedd. So kindly hand them over or face annihilation."
He gave them a chose, and yet they rejected. They would rather throw their lives away against what was basically a force of nature, then simply hand the women over.
Lucifer shrugged as they charged, he would get what he came for.
Could Lucifer have taken them down in a less lethal way, yes of course. But from his experience, the people he left alive would come back to seek vengeance against him at the most inopportune times.
So it was best to take them down, and while he had a dislike of having to be reduced to use his abilities in a more brutish way, he had to admit it was sometimes refreshing to just cut lose and settle things with sword and fist.
With a simple gesture, Roderick Dun Tynne flew over the grounds, his knight's deceased bodies littering the courtyard as Lucifer came striding towards him.
"Mercy... mercy..." Roderick begged rather pathetically on the ground, "I... I did no wrong."
"Someone who wishes to talk. Finally!" Lucifer said smugly as he threw up his arms, "The Cintrian's men, where are they?"
"I knew..." Roderick said, "I shouldn't have let them under my roof."
"Not what I asked for." Lucifer said, a hint of annoyance as he looked down on him, "Where are they now?"
"In the keep." Roderick said gesturing behind him, "Readying their escape."
"There is a woman with them." Lucifer said, "one that goes by the name Syanna?"
"Of course, she..." Roderick said, "She convinced me to let them in."
"Let me guess." the blond Devil said, "She's in the keep?"
"Y-Yes." Roderick said with a nod, "Her chamber is in the tower. The top floor."
"That's great, thank you." Lucifer said with a nod, "One more thing, there should be a hostage. Another woman."
"What... What do you mean? I know nothing about a hostage... must me the handiwork of my 'guests'." Roderick said, being genuinely confused, "What... What will become of me?"
"I'll leave you to the guards... when they arrive." Lucifer said as he began to walk towards the keep, "That is, if you don't bleed to death."
Lucifer was striding through the courtyard, where just outside the front door stood a group of men, aiming their crossbows at him. Before he had decided how to take them out, a thick black mist rolled in, whips of red smoke weaved through out as one by one, the screaming men where dragged into it.
And just as suddenly the mist began to drift away as out of it stepped Dettlaff along with Regis, both looking a bit more beastly than normal as they had used their vampiric abilities.
"Very smooth." Lucifer said, looking around, "Wasn't expecting either of you here."
"Your impressive yourself, Satanael." Dettlaff said, "Regis thought you could use our help... Clearly it wasn't necessary."
"It's the thought that count." Lucifer said, turning back to the vampires, "Where's Geralt?"
As if he had been waiting for it, Geralt came running up the stairs. Having followed the path Lucifer had carved out for him.
"Ah, there he is." Lucifer said, who was about to say something more but was interrupted by the younger of the two vampires.
"We can talk and explain later." Dettlaff said, "Where is Rhena?"
"Tallest tower." Lucifer said, gesturing ahead before he led the way.
The four of them stormed the tower, few guard left inside where no match for two Higher Vampires, a seasoned witcher and the Devil himself. Dettlaff went on ahead, blitzing through a guard on top of the stairs, slicing his throat as he went.
"Cute." Lucifer said as the body rolled down the stairs.
Dettlaff went ahead in the room, Geralt and Regis following soon after with Lucifer just behind them.
"...You know me." Syanna said as she embraced the worried Dettlaff, "I'd never let them hurt me. I just waited for you to come."
"I... I didn't know where to look. They threatened to kill you..." Dettlaff said, hanging his head in shame, "I... Forgive me. I failed you."
"Now we need only to find Anna Henrietta's sister." Regis said turning to Lucifer, "Where should we look? Do you know?"
"Oh, I know where she is." Lucifer said, ignoring the wide eyed stare Syanna was giving him as he went to the desk, looking at a nice bowl filled with fruit, next to a goblet with still some traces of Sangreal, of the 1269 vintage variety.
"Then speak, and let's grab her." Regis said, "Time is short."
But Lucifer was studying the bowl, before deciding on a particularly nice red apple. "I believe she can speak for herself." he said turning around, "Isn't that right, Syanna?"
"I have nothing to tell." Syanna denied, a bit too quickly.
"Satanael..." Dettlaff said in a low growl, "What is this?"
"You've been duped, Dettlaff." Lucifer said, taking a bite from the apple as he crossed his arms, "Happens to the best of us."
"My friend, please..." Regis said, feeling the air changing, "You must listen to what Lucifer has to say."
This seemed to calm the younger Higher Vampire for a bit, who in turn gave the Devil his undivided attention.
"Well for one, Rhenawedd, not her real name." Lucifer explained, "This is Syanna, sister to Anarietta, the duchess of Toussaint."
"W-What?" Dettlaff said, "What nonsense is this?"
"Lucifer speaks a lot." Geralt said, "But nonsense isn't one of them."
"Thank you." Lucifer said with a head gesture to Geralt before turning to Dettlaff, "Syanna, feel free to correct me if I got the details right."
"When Syanna was a child, she was banished. I should know because I saved her back then. But she came back to this lovely Duchy recently, moved in to Dun Tynne and ran a vandaguild from here. One of her men, called The Cintrian was dispatched to Beauclair. Steal some wine reserved for the ducal family and a jewel known as the Heart of Toussaint. And as part of her revenge plan, she used you to take care of the knights who had abused her."
"So how did I do?" Lucifer said, flicking the remains of the now eaten apple in the burning fireplace, where it would be consumed by the flames.
The truth began to set in for Dettlaff, who began to pace around the room clearly in distress. Worried Syanna placed a hand on his shoulder. In a rage, he reached out with his claw and wrapping it around Syanna's throat before binning her to the wall.
Lucifer stood ready to intervene if it went too far, but luckily for Dettlaff he had just enough self control to stay his hand. Letting go of Syanna, the vampire turned away from and towards the open window.
"You will come to Tesham Mutna and explain all." Dettlaff snarled, "If you do not, I will raze Beauclair to the ground. This I promise you. You've three days."
Not waiting for a response from anyone in the room, Dettlaff turned himself into a trail of red smoke, rising out of the open window escaping into the night.
"Honestly." Lucifer said as he walked to the window, "I think he took it well."
"He just flies off?" Geralt said surprised.
"He did not wish to act rashly." Regis said, "He's gone to soothe his nerves."
"Think he'll do it." Geralt said, "Make good on his threat?"
"I cannot say." the vampire said, shaking his head, "He can be unpredictable when fury consumes him."
But as the trio of Devil, witcher and vampire where talking, a voice came from the nearby window, "I shall go to him."
It was Syanna who had spoken.
"Come again?" Regis said surprised, "After what he just?..."
"You don't know Dettlaff like I do. If I don't do as he says..." Syanna said, a slight shudder going through her body, "He truly will destroy the city. He's more than capable of it."
"Seems you got some last scrapes of honor left." Geralt said, rather gruffly.
"It's the least I can do." Syanna said.
"...Your only doing it because you know I will be there." Lucifer said with a raised eyebrow, "Don't you, Syanna?"
"It's a strong incentive, but I know you, Lucifer." Syanna said, "You wouldn't let anything happen to me, right? Not to an old friend."
"Perhaps." Lucifer said, trying to play it off that is was true.
Even if it wasn't for his promise to Anarietta, he would still do his best to keep Syanna save. Because as much as the Devil would like to deny it to himself, he wasn't so different from humans after all.
And that was the chapter, hope you enjoyed.
I think there is one more chapter covering the Blood And Wine story before we move to the final arc.
Many thanks to everyone who read, reviews, favorites or follows this story, you beauties.
If you enjoy my work, I would be pleased if you leave a review and I hope you will join me next time.