The platform faded to black and in its stead, a meadow appeared. Brightly lit by sunshine, animated by the flight of bugs and chirping birds, with a whimsical path fenced on either side by colourful flowers, it was the farthest thing from what Geralt expected to see. His medallion hummed against his breastplate, letting him know that everything around him was infused by magic.

"Does this look familiar?" a voice cackled.

"Not in the slightest," Geralt answered the invisible entity, although this place he had been transported to had the feel of a construct. "What game are we supposed to be playing?"

"Follow the path and see for yourself."

With caution, he stepped onto the dirt path and followed it out of the meadow, into the dense forest ahead. Would something be waiting for him, hidden in the brush? He drew his sword and walked on, ears perked for any sound out of place. A faint laugh blew in with the wind - so faint that it might have been his imagination. What was this? Some attempt to throw him off kilter?

"If you're expecting to catch me off guard, you'll be unpleasantly surprised," he said, still following the path.

Another laugh. "There's someone I'd like you to meet."

A bush rustled to his right, so he moved into a defensive stance, but it was nothing more than a skittish deer scared by his passing. He exhaled and walked on, stifling the urge to rush down the path. This uncertainty nagged at him, but perhaps that was exactly what Gaunter wanted - to make him act rashly and get him to walk into a trap. So he advanced unhurriedly, suppressing his impatience.

As he passed the last line of trees, he found himself in a splendid garden. The trail branched out into multiple paths that weaved through flower arrangements and intricate topiaries, rounding beautiful fountains dotted with life-like sculptures worthy of the richest palace he'd ever seen. Farther ahead, the paths all met again in front of a white stone building he guessed to be a temple by the line of caryatides depicting the same female figure at different stages of her life. The statues held up a large pediment that featured the relief of a kneeling figure in front of a woman sitting on a throne, between the two stood a lit brazier and under the scene, two words were inscribed. Know yourself.

He chose one of the paved footpaths and made his way to the temple, hoping that the mysterious game would be revealed once he was inside. But when he stepped foot into the temple, nothing out of the ordinary happened and he felt slightly foolish for expecting something grand.

The interior was dimly lit by torches hanging off the walls and the scent of vanilla, jasmine and sandalwood hung in the air. Something about that blend sent his senses alight. Or perhaps it wasn't just the scents alone. A faint whiff of ozone trailed them as an aftertaste one could almost ignore if one hadn't felt it before.

Magic.

His pupils dilated fully to catch every strand of light, searching the dark niches of the dimly lit stone hall for signs of danger, but there was nothing there. At least nothing living. Only more statues of the same female deity.

Faint laughter bounced off the walls, but it wasn't the same cackling he heard in the meadow and the woods - this was girlish, with a silvery tone, like windchimes touched by the wind.

In front of him, the hall opened up to a round chamber in the middle of which sat a large unlit brazier.

"What seek you traveller?" another girlish giggle resounded as the brazier came alive with deep purple fire.

His keen hearing caught a faint rustle, like that of silk fluttering or slipping off a woman's shoulders and pooling on the ground. He shook his head. Why would such an inappropriate image come to mind? The scent was the answer that came to him in an instant. He had been inhaling that sweet aromatic blend since he came in, it saturated the air around him. Shifting his sword to a one-handed grip, he buried his nose in the crook of his left arm, trying to keep from breathing in more of… whatever that was. For all he knew, it could be poison although it felt more like a mild hallucinogenic drug.

"What do you seek?" the voice asked again.

"Right now? The end of this game."

"Game? Stepping inside the temple of the Goddess is no game!" The voice held a hint of outrage, but the undertone of amusement made it perfunctory.

"Then I must be in the wrong place. I'm supposed to play a game for someone's soul, but it seems I'm the one who's being toyed with," he replied, still holding the sword expectant.

He backed up slowly the way he came, but t he door shut before he could get to it and the hall amplified the sound of a locking mechanism falling into place. With the door closed, locking out the fresh breeze coming from outside, he became more keenly aware of the scent and its effect as the flames in the brazier burned steadily until the air itself took a faint purple colour and the rustling sound returned. It moved from one side to the other of the room, but no visible movement accompanied it.

"Show yourself," he called, worrying that the haze would blur his vision soon.

"Why not?" came the answer, again with an undercurrent of amusement. "After all, it must be at least a century since my last… visitor."

Beyond the stone colonnade that marked the centre platform holding the brazier, something twisted. Metallic scales rippled through the air as some snakelike creature circled the room, drawing ever closer with each turn. Geralt tried to follow it, but the twisting only made him slightly nauseous and more aware of the sweet scent around him. In the end, he halted, and let the creature come to him. It stopped before him, scales, teeth and claws all in plain view.

True to his witcher training, he weighed his chances to best the monster, looking for its weak spots and its potential dangers. Its body, from snout to tail, was armoured in hard metallic scales packed in tight, their thickness difficult to tell from a distance, whilst all four limbs ended with sharp claws, so polished that they glinted in the firelight. The spiked tail flicked rhythmically behind the creature in a playful manner as its eyes measured the witcher, presumably for strength. Despite its brutish appearance, its eyes were round and intelligent with a surprising human-like quality to them. They rested on Geralt's sword for a second longer before meeting his gaze without fear.

"You know," it said in a girlish voice that had nothing to do with its appearance and the fangs that lined its jaws, "it's considered bad manners to enter the Goddess's temple armed. Her boon cannot be gained by force, only by a true heart."

"What if I don't want any boon and I just want to leave? Would that door open?" He nodded towards the entrance.

"It opens when I say it does," the answer came, quick and harsh.

Geralt pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes, trying to focus through the sweet haze.

"Then let's get this over with," he replied dryly, raising his sword an inch higher and taking the first step. If he was to fight, he might as well do it while he still had full function control. Who knew what effect the drug might have if given enough time? Right then he felt once again normal after the first bout wore off, but it could have been just the quiet before the storm.

The monster didn't move an inch but threw its head back and bellowed a laugh.

"You think I mean to fight you?" it asked with amusement and Geralt saw its snout form the words as if it were a human mouth. "The Goddess does not require a trial by combat. No… The measure of your worth will be taken and if you're found short… then… well…" The beast licked its lips.

"Alright, then let's do that. I'd rather get this over with."

"All in due time." Geralt could swear that the beast smiled, though he'd never seen a reptile capable of the act. It twisted to the side, uncaring of the weapon still pointed at it and gave him a side glance. "If you wish this to go faster, I suggest you stop guarding your nose. Once the spice takes hold of you, then you can be tested."

He hesitated, weighing his options first, but the beast interrupted his thoughts.

"If you wish, I can promise that I won't attack. In truth, I never do."

"No offence, but you're not exactly the spitting image of trust."

The monster tipped its head. "None taken." It sighed as a clawed paw waved over its body. "This is what one gets for loyal service." Its tail flickered like that of an irritated cat. "Tens of thousands of years of being posted here to guard against intruders, defending without fail, alone in silence for decades at a time."

"So you're the keeper of this place?"

"Yes, you could call me that, though most would just say I'm a guardian. That is what we're called."

Geralt raised an eyebrow. "We?" His eyes flicked from right to left and back again, sweeping the room for more creatures.

"Oh, worry not. There's no one else here. None of them has visited me since… since…" It drew a breath. "Nevermind. All you need to know is that you're alone here."

It gave another sigh and circled the room once more, this time in plain sight. The speed with which it moved surpassed anything he'd ever seen and for a moment he was overcome with doubt. If it decided to make a meal out of him, there may not be a way to stop it. So, with a sigh of his own, he dropped his hand from his face and lowered his sword a smidge. The creature stopped and looked at him with undisguised curiosity.

"Huh… You're an interesting one, visitor."

"Geralt."

"Hmm, Geralt." His name rolled around its mouth like it was trying to taste it. "Yes, interesting. Didn't expect you to believe me."

"Figured I might as well get this over with quickly."

For a long silent moment, they looked at each other, expecting something to happen and when it didn't the monster's eyes narrowed. It closed the gap between them so quickly that he never even had a chance to blink. Luckily, it did so without the intention to cause harm, instead, it drew in a strong breath and Geralt's loose hair was pulled towards it.

"Hmm," the beast hummed, tilting its head. "You're unusually resistant. It should have taken effect by now." It pulled back on its hind legs, then coiled around the burning brazier like a cat nestling next to a fireplace. "Looks like this won't be over quickly." Its tail swiped at empty air and an armchair and a side table appeared, the latter laden with food and drink.

"Is this supposed to be a last meal or something?"

The creature giggled. "No. Not at all. Just rules of hospitality." It swayed from one paw to the other, settling in better. "You haven't been judged yet, so the rules still apply."

Geralt strode to the armchair but only leaned on the backrest, undecided. It could have easily killed him just moments ago, so if it wanted him dead this would be a very backwards way of doing it. Although, there was always the chance that it might be trying to fatten him up.

"You're not having anything?" he asked the creature.

"I don't require that kind of nourishment."

"But you eat the visitors who fail the test?"

"Mmm, that's an improper way of putting it. I don't eat anyone, but I do imprison the unworthy within me."

"And you wonder why you don't get any visitors," Geralt muttered as he sat in the armchair with his sword across his lap, still gripping the hilt in case the monster changed its mind.

"Mm, I don't wonder. I know why. They don't want to see what their lies made me into." Anger flashed in the beast's eyes. "They don't want to face the consequences, but they'll have to one day." It gave a toothy grin. "Or they can just leave one of their own to rot inside me until he's mad beyond recovery. Either way, he'll get his just desserts."

"Is he one of the ones who failed this test?"

"No. He just failed me ."

"Sounds like there's a story there," Geralt said, taking a cup from the side table and sniffing its contents to find it was only simple dry wine.

"There is, of course," it replied simply, resting its head over its paws, watching Geralt sip his wine.

Geralt thought he'd get a little more than that, but the beast remained silent.

"Not something you want to share with a visitor, I take it."

Its head jerked up, scaly brow drawing up in a frown, so Geralt continued.

"Despite you not believing me, I'm not here to get any boon from whatever Goddess this temple belongs to. The reason is far dumber than you'd expect," he said, taking another drink and thinking of Gaunter's voice whispering with the wind. "My brother asked me to save a despicable man's soul from a demon and the demon wanted me to meet someone," he paused as the monster drew back and its tail bristled. "So who are you? Because I think it was you I was supposed to meet."

"Me?" It looked surprised.

"Yes. I'm not sure what this place is, but I doubt it's what you think. I doubt it's even real. And I doubt whatever test I'm to submit to will come to pass until the demon gets his way and I learn who you are."

"No, no matter how resistant you are, the spice will take effect sooner or later and then…"

"Nah-huh. When I came it, it's true, the scent, spice, whatever you call it, messed with my mind, but its effects lessened instead of growing. I barely even feel it now."

The monster's tail swept over the brazier as it narrowed its eyes at the dwindling flames that refused to be stoked.

"Strange. This should be burning brighter. No wonder…" It turned to Geralt again, pinning him with its shrewd eyes while it debated with itself on what to do. In the end, it acquiesced. "Fine, let's test it out." It drew up to its full height in front of Geralt. "My name is Daw." It looked back at the fire that burned just a little bit brighter. "At least it was before I looked like this."

With each spoken word, the scent in the room grew stronger and the monster seemed to realize it.

"Hm," it hummed. "So it is. Then I suppose I'll tell you my story. After all, it matters not. You're either a virtuous man who will pass the test or you'll take it to your resting place."

Geralt stayed silent and waited for it to continue. After a deep sigh, it did.

"In many ways, my kind is no different than humans, though we tell ourselves we are. We lie, cheat, love, hate and feel jealousy… even embarrassment. The only difference is that when we act out on the worse part of our nature, the consequences are much graver. So this is a story of betrayal and revenge and it's quite ridiculous that I still feel shame at someone knowing the depths of my naiveté." It huffed a small laugh. "A few hundred thousand years ago, when I was posted here to protect the temple, I had a… pair."

Geralt raised an eyebrow at the word, thinking of a time when someone very dear to him called him her pair , but the monster looked at his expression and took it as something else. It grimaced in disgust and recoiled from him.

"Yes, don't act so surprised. I didn't always look like this. In fact, I was quite beautiful before, as are all of my kind."

"I'm not, that was not what… Never mind," he said, realizing he was apologizing to a monster. "Please, continue."

"We had been together since we were but budding spirits and although I chose a specialization that would take me to such secluded places while he remained more… domestic, we made it work. I wasn't often allowed to leave my posting, but he'd always visit and stay as much as his own duties allowed him. Seeing him helped me remain sane and I'd look forward to those short periods when we were together. Eventually, my rotation would finish and then I'd return and we'd be like any other pair. Until I was posted here."

The creature hesitated, swinging from one side to the other as if uneasy. It looked to the brazier that burned brighter, then back at Geralt who was once again beginning to feel the effects of the sweet scent. Eventually, it sighed and continued.

"At first, things didn't appear to be much different, but soon the visits grew apart, from decades to centuries and then millennia. Soon, I grew worried, pacing the gardens of the temple. Could some ill have befallen him? The way here has always been treacherous, perhaps some demon got hold of him. I even had short outbursts of rebellion and almost set out to search for him, but my orders were clear - I had to stay and protect this place. So, instead, I asked every spirit that passed through to bring word to him. To… to tell him how I missed him."

The creature glanced at him to gauge his reaction, perhaps see if he found it amusing, but Geralt sketched nothing so it continued.

"They promised to do as I asked should they see him, but another century passed without a visit. The spirits must not have found him, I thought. And since they travel all over with the exception of demon worlds… I was sure he had been caught by some evil spirit. Why else wouldn't he come? So, once again, I took my plea to my elders, asking them to unbind me from my post so I could search for him, but my request was met with a stern refusal. All I got from them was pity and encouragement to focus on my task instead.

It was such useless advice. Especially since my task no longer held any challenge. After so many millennia of rebuffed attacks, hardly any malevolent spirit ventured this way. The only visitors we still got were hopeful humans. So I left without their blessing, thinking that I'd gladly endure the punishment if only I knew my pair was safe.

I travelled from demon world to demon world, gradually descending into darker dungeons, to no avail. He was nowhere to be found. In the end, it was a taunting demon who opened my eyes.

"Pretty bird," he said, cooing mockingly. "You fly through the crocodile's teeth in search of a matching feather, when you should be searching comfortable coops."

His taunt gave me pause and I hesitated for long enough that the demon escaped. But I no longer cared as my mind swerved around a possibility I hadn't considered. After an eternity together, could he have forsaken me without a word?

I renewed my search, this time focusing on plentiful worlds. And just as the demon said, I found him in a comfortable nest alongside another woman.

I saw black in an instant and the voice of the demon cackled in my head. When I got a hold of myself again, my former partner and the woman were lifeless on the floor and their souls bubbled angrily inside me, feeding a dark hunger I now had.

Now that my quest to find my missing lover had ended, I was left unmoored and purposeless, so I did the only thing that seemed natural to me - return to my post. Had I looked in a mirror beforehand, I would have seen how the light that once sparkled inside me had dimmed, but I didn't even consider how deeply my revenge had poisoned me. To my mind, I was still defending the temple as instructed, but I was no longer able to rejoice in watching the happiness of others. But I could rejoice in watching supplicants fail. I rejoiced at taking their souls and feeling their anguish. It was lucky for them that I was still bound by the rules and I wasn't the one deciding their worth, or none would have left this place alive. Either way, not many do.

Before long, scales covered my skin, my teeth sharpened and talons replaced my once delicate fingers, and I became the looming gargoyle over the temple entrance.

As young spirits, we were told tales of others who had fallen and they all seemed laughable.

They weren't anymore.

They were… are my truth."

It - no, her, Daw, because Geralt realized that halfway through her story she became a person - fell silent. With downcast eyes, she looked to be reflecting on her long life, not noticing that the fire in the brazier burned so tall that it almost reached the ceiling and the air around them took on a purple hue. Geralt stood, unbidden but incapable of stopping himself.

"So it worked. Now we'll see where you'll take my story," Daw said, watching him with interest.

"How does it end?" he asked, taking the first reluctant step towards the brazier.

"How does what end?"

"Your story. Your curse," he replied, realizing this might be the last conversation he'll ever have. He was heading right for the flames and in a few steps, they'd envelop him.

Daw swayed and then shrugged. "Like all demon stories end. In death. The elders that denied my freedom will order warriors, perhaps even another guardian to kill me and I'll either get my revenge or I'll meet my end."

"No second chances?"

Daw huffed a small laugh. "I doubt any of them will be that generous, though that old custom does exist, few believe in redemption."

"For what it's worth, I hope whoever they send is old fashioned and…" He took the last step, right into the blazing flames. "...and they give you a chance."

"For what it's worth, I hope the Goddess finds you worthy," Daw replied.

That was the last he heard before the flames licked at his skin. He squeezed his eyes shut as his heart ceased its steady drum, all his thoughts leading him to the numerous witches and non-humans he'd seen burnt on Radovid's pyres.

"Where did he go?" both Lambert and Keira asked right after Geralt vanished off the platform.

Criss's shield flickered then failed as she looked despondent at the place where Geralt last stood, unable to answer their question. What would she even tell them? That he went to play a dangerous game with a creature that had no qualms about cheating? That wherever he went, she couldn't follow?

She remained silent, watching the dark smoke that circled them, cackling like the villain in a bad movie.

"I might not have the strength to end you, but you are bound to the same universal rules and if you step one inch out of line, I'll make sure a contract is put out on your hide."

The cloud coagulated into a human shape for a moment and she could swear she saw him sneer at her.

"Oh, worry not. I always play fair," the shape replied. "How else do you think one has come to be my age? Cheating is for rash little demons with no foresight while an old soul like myself is patient, knowing opportunities abound even when locked in a single world. Mortals will throw away their souls for a single chance at wealth, lust or revenge. It's all a matter of finding their greatest wish and bartering for it. One can keep being well fed even within the bounds of the rules."

She gritted her teeth and rubbed her temple, fighting the rage that was building up inside her. If the demon was playing by the rules, there was nothing she could do to get Geralt back without becoming an outlaw herself and that would leave Ciri short of two people who wanted to help her. Geralt wouldn't want that. No. Ciri had to come first, then revenge or death, whichever was fine. A heavy hand squeezed her shoulder and a familiar tingle ran down her arm. She turned, startled to find that it was Lambert.

"Don't worry, he'll win," he said with the conviction of a man who hadn't played enough games with the devil and she barely refrained from scoffing.

It wasn't entirely fair, but part of her blamed Lambert for Geralt being in danger despite the undisputable truth that his choice was the right one. All souls were worth fighting for, no matter how despicable their acts, leaving them at the mercy of a creature like Gaunter was both cruel and unhelpful. She looked over Lambert's shoulder at the redheaded dipshit that started all of this. It wasn't exactly easy to summon pity for him when he looked with stony, uncaring eyes at the rest of them as if it mattered not what the outcome would be. Moments prior he had been curled on the ground in sheer agony, but there was no trace of gratitude for the reprise gained. If Geralt made it through, perhaps it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if Lambert decided to kill the dipshit. After all, he deserved the honour, even if it rendered Geralt's effort partially meaningless.

Lambert grimaced, and then a familiar scent hit her. Ozone and something else, a sweet scent that made her bristle for no reason. A loud crack and a purple flash followed a second later.

The flames didn't burn. Not yet , he thought. Their purple hue clouded his view, tinting the world around him, slowly growing opaque until he was blind to his surroundings.

Now what? he thought, uselessly trying to move and not managing to even twitch a finger.

Now the Goddess will hear your three wishes , a feminine voice answered his thought as the contour of a woman's face appeared before him. The spice will keep you truthful and the spirit of your wishes will tell of your worth, so think carefully before you speak.

Fuck! Not wishes! Been through this with a djing once or twice, I'm not doing this again.

You cannot refuse. Your three wishes must be heard before you are released… One way or another.

He watched the face turn from a child's to a woman, to a crone and back again, ageing through all the stages of life, just like the statues in front of the temple. No good has ever come from me wishing anything into existence. There had to be a way to wish without wishing. He remembered the words inscribed on the frontispiece of the temple as he thought over everything he had and stood to lose if he failed this test and the words just spilled out of his mouth.

"I wish for the intelligence to recognize what I have, the wisdom to cherish it and the strength to protect it. Those are my three wishes," he said, knowing he spoke the truth.

The seconds that followed were the longest he'd ever experienced, and when the woman's lips curled into a smile, his heart lightened and a burden was lifted off his shoulders.

"Your wishes are noble. You are a wise man and as such you will be granted a gift of your choosing…"

"Save your gift," Geralt interrupted. "I don't want anything except for this game to be over so I can return to my world and my time."

"Very well," she agreed. "Though should you return, your gift will await you."

For a third time that day, he floated in the nothingness between two portals, but for the first time, he was eager with the knowledge of what awaited him on the other side - friends, family, love. He landed on his feet, sword ready and poised to gut Gaunter if he stood in his way, but the demon was in his ethereal shape, circling them.

"Guess you lost," Geralt said, following the cloud of smoke.

"Did I?" The demon laughed, pleased with himself. "Perhaps you have mistaken my intent, because I got exactly what I wanted out of our little game and what I stand to gain at the end is certainly worth one meagre contract being broken."

The link between Olgiert and O'Dimm appeared in plain sight and just as quickly evaporated in a wisp.

"Hey! How 'bout me?" Lambert protested.

"Oh, worry not, witcher. You did exactly what you were meant to, you're free of your debt," Gaunter replied as another connection was broken in front of their eyes. For a moment Gaunter appeared in solid shape. Lightning rained down upon him from Keira's hands, but the demon just grinned back at her, untouched, while she cursed under her breath.

"Perhaps we'll meet each other again if I'm fortunate," he said just before vanishing into thin air.

His disappearance was so abrupt, that they were all left dumbstruck until a loud crack echoed off the stone walls. It was the sound of Lambert's fist connecting with Olgiert's jaw.

"Fuck! That hurt!" The redhead clasped his mandible as blood dribbled from his busted lower lip.

"Be thankful that I'm satisfied with a broken jaw for all the shit you put me through. I should take your head and hang it from my saddle, but your ugly mug would scare my horse."

Olgiert tapped his lip then looked at his bloodied fingers with something close to awe, then stared at Lambert.

"My immortality may be gone, but I've regained something more important. I do owe you witcher."

"Yes, you do. Five thousand crowns to be precise. You still haven't paid me for the toad contract."

"I have nary a crown on me, but…"

"Why am I not surprised?" Lambert scoffed, walking away from Olgiert and heading for Keira who still looked to be fuming. "Are you alright?" he asked, seeing her green eyes sparkling with rage.

"I'm fine, but I'm still undecided if I should turn him into a smudge on the mosaic floor. I'm sure Lilvani wouldn't mind much."

"She might not, but I'd mind, so leave him be," Geralt chimed in, letting himself be hugged into Criss's warm arms. "I've gone through enough trouble for him, might as well let him live a while longer."

"I am in your debt," Olgiert said, taking a break from massaging his broken jaw. "I haven't even a clue who you are and yet you saved my life as far as I reckon. I swear my sword in your service…" He paused and turned to Lambert. "And I swear to pay back every single crown I promised…"

"Save your shit promises," Lambert interrupted, turning to the sorceresses. "Will one of you ladies take us back? I'd rather spend the rest of the night with a drink in hand and a plump ass in my lap… Oof!" He rubbed at his side where Keira's elbow hit his ribs.

"Plump?!"

"Fuck! It was a compliment!" He dodged another elbow before spinning her into an embrace. "Fine! A perfectly sized, shapely behind in my lap. Happy?" he asked with a crooked smile.

"It'll do... for now," she replied, smiling back, appeased.

Lambert leaned in and whispered something into her ear.

"I'm going to need my eardrums bleached after hearing that," Geralt groaned.

"I think you can trust Dandelion to take care of that. Three to five of his ballads should be enough to render you deaf and if we hurry we might just catch him before he ends his nightly performance," Margarita commented. "Come, I'll take us back. Those two look drained enough to botch a portal and I'd rather come out on the other end with all my limbs still attached in their proper place."

She uttered the incantation and a shimmering portal appeared. Through it, Geralt recognized the back alley behind the Chameleon and, for the second time that day, he didn't mind the option of magical travel. Lambert and Keira walked through and Margarita followed. Geralt prepared to do the same alongside Criss.

"Wait!" Olgiert took a step towards them. "Though I might not seem it now, I am a man of my word. My wish… my curse, it rendered me unfeeling, but no more is that true. And despite what is said of the uncaring nature of witchers, you have selflessly stepped between myself and that demon. I must repay you somehow. I don't have much to offer but my sword and my services," he said handing out his sheathed blade, laid out across his palms.

The weapon was well crafted and would have fetched a good price had Geralt fancied to accept it, but he had no need of coin or an extra sword.

"I didn't do it for you, and I don't need payment. Keep your sword. You might need it if Lambert wasn't the only one you screwed over while you were…"

"Cursed?"

"...A dipshit," Geralt continued. "And I suspect he wasn't."

"Fair assumption," Olgiert conceded. "I have many a wrong to right."

"Good, then do that. And try not to make any more wishes," Geralt said over his shoulder just before he passed through the portal.

The witcher took a deep breath as he found himself within the confines of Novigrad's walls and tried to ignore the disgusting city odours in favour of the roaster meat scent coming out of the inn's kitchen. Dandelion's voice reached them through the patrons' clamour.

"Looks like you're on the right path to getting your eardrums bleached. Sounds like he's warming up the crowd," Lambert commented, grabbing Keira and heading to the rear entrance. "Come on, I owe you three a drink for helping out."

"I reckon you owe me a little more than a drink since I ended up doing most of the work."

"Oh, yeah! You never said what was Gaunter's game. Play Gwent with him or something?"

"It's hard to describe, to be honest," he replied scratching his nape and feeling all their interested eyes on him. "It involved wishes and the very odd story of a demon."

"How so?"

He had to think about it for a second because, the fact of the matter was, the story was very human and perhaps that's why he found it so odd. At the same time, it felt like a very personal confession despite it coming from a monster, so in the end he shook his head.

"Nevermind. It doesn't really matter now that it's done. None of us will ever be foolish enough to play a game with a demon ever again."

"Damn right. Next time I find myself on my way to the gallows, I'll try my luck bribing the executioner," Lambert replied as they entered the inn.

A while later, after many strong drinks and just as many of Dandelion's songs, Geralt finally relaxed, leaning his back into the table and resting his elbows on the top, his eyelids drooped, heavy with sleep.

"I think it's about time we call it a night and head upstairs," Criss said, nudging his side to keep him awake. She looked about as weary as he felt.

"Mhm. If we don't I'm liable to start snoring soon," Geralt replied.

"Can't blame you. Even if you don't want to talk about what happened tonight, I'm sure whatever Gaunter put you through wasn't easy," she said as they gathered themselves off the bench and headed to the staircase.

"It was…" He huffed a sigh. "Well, it was difficult, but not in the way you'd expect. There was no actual fighting, so it wasn't exactly physically draining, but mentally… Mmm, that's another story and I wasn't sure I could beat him per se, half the time I wasn't even sure there was a fight to begin with. I can't even say he wanted to win. The whole time, it felt like he was after something else I couldn't quite catch, just out of sight in my peripheral vision."

"That sounds… unexpected. Most of his kind are quite direct about what they want."

"Speaking of his kind… is there such a thing?"

"Meaning?"

"I probably haven't seen as many of them as you have, but they don't seem alike."

"You're right. Other than their hunger for souls, they aren't alike."

"And are some of them former guardians, like your friend Sama?"

"That's an oddly specific question to ask," she hummed, rubbing at her bottom lip as he opened the door to their room. "Yes, there are some, but rare and very dangerous, guardians turn into titans. It's actually what Tezzi wanted me to help him capture for his summoning spell. Is there a specific reason why you're asking about them?"

In a flash, he remembered how fast the snake-like creature moved, how deadly it was with its claws and teeth, sharp and armoured. It wasn't something he'd ever want to fight and it certainly wasn't something he wanted her to fight either.

"Gaunter pitted me against one," he said plainly as he shed layer after layer of armour and cloth.

She paused with a boot halfway off, her eyebrows raised in surprise.

"There wasn't a fight," he continued with a shrug. "She was guarding a temple and I was to prove my worth by stating my three greatest wishes or get… devoured."

"Devoured. Apt description. They're bottomless pits of hunger and the more they feed, the bigger and stronger they grow," she said, continuing to undress and get ready for bed.

"This one seemed to abide by some unspoken rules. She had been the rightful guardian of the temple and despite everything, she still protected it as before; she hungered, but wouldn't attack me without cause. Only if I failed the challenge."

"Consider yourself lucky. Your mutations and signs, even your sword wouldn't have protected you if she decided to attack."

"Believe me, I was well aware of that."

"If they don't break the rules, they're allowed to just be. Trouble is, they become immense by the time a contract is put out on one of them. I'm not looking forward to facing one."

"Maybe you won't have to."

She sighed, folding her clothes and setting them on the backrest of a chair.

"Knowing my luck…" She shook her head and left it unfinished as she blew out the last candle that lit their room, but the darkness could never hide her worry from his eyes.

" When and if the time comes, I won't let you deal with it alone," he said, gathering her into his arms.

She gave him a crooked smile and tipped her head back as he leaned in to kiss her. He didn't do it out of lust, his intention was to reassure her, but once her lips parted for him, it became clear that she expected more than a chaste kiss goodnight. And although the day had been long and exhausting, he'd never been able to refuse a woman that was dragging him to her bed.

He smiled against her lips and let her walk him back until the back of his thighs met the mattress, then he sat back and pulled her with him, wrapping his arms around her back before letting them drift down. Without breaking the kiss, his hand wandered over her ribs, to her waist as he flipped her onto her back and nestled himself between her thighs. She parted her legs and eagerly arched towards him, but he had no intention of rushing. He cupped a breast, brushing his thumb over a pebbled nipple, letting himself feel the warmth of her body and the softness of her skin as her tongue stroked slowly against his. His caress turned into a firmer grasp and she moaned into his mouth as one of her legs hooked over his thigh, pulling him against her.

So eager.

Breaking the kiss, he smiled despite knowing she couldn't see his face in the dark, then moved lower, to her collarbone, leaving a trail of kisses along her slender neck up to her ear as his fingers ghosted her inner thigh, tracing an upward path until they met the last vestige of clothing on her. With a smooth move, he pulled her undergarments to the side and drifted his fingers over the wet skin they covered. Small gasps punctured the silence of the room, alongside her racing heart and Geralt relished in knowing that he was the cause of her excitement. With delicate care, he continued to build touch upon touch, delighting in every moan he drew from her. He was completely engrossed in her, focused on her pleasure, on watching her expression change slowly as she abandoned herself in his hands. Just as his world contracted so much that it only fit the two of them, a door creaked down the hallway and suddenly he was transported into another time and place. The woman under him was different; raven curls spilt over an unpretentious straw mattress and her moans pitched higher through thin lips. He froze as the interior of a wood cabin came into focus, a young girl scurrying out the door with red cheeks as he laid over Yen. Shame flooded him both in the present and in his memories. Had they really been that thoughtless? The answer came to him in the flashes that followed and it was worse than he imagined. Some drunk yokel hollered down the hall and he blinked back into the present where Criss was cupping his cheek, looking at him with worried eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"Sorry," he said, sitting back on his heels and rubbing his forehead. "I just remembered everything."

"Oh," she replied, pulling away from him.

A long silence followed. He didn't know what to say. It all replayed in his mind, their conversation, Yen's anger, her accusations and worst of all, how he caved to her demands and ignored the girl for days. Until they needed her. No wonder she hadn't helped them.

"That bad, huh?" she asked with lowered eyes. "I didn't dare ask you earlier…" she continued, then shook her head and made to get up. "Nevermind, I already know the answer by how you froze up. I can go ask Dandelion if he has a spare room or maybe Margarita won't mind if I stay with her while you…"

"No," he said, taking both her hands in his.

He looked at her speechless as she clenched her trembling jaw and tried to steady her voice while she spoke.

"If you're looking for an explanation, I told you it wasn't my proudest moment and if you want an apology… I'm sorry. It wasn't my intention to cripple you, I just… I had to run…"

He pulled her against his chest, hushing her softly as he ran his fingers through her hair.

"No, love. I'm the one who's sorry." He huffed, annoyed at his inability to find the proper words to convey how awful he felt. The one time he needed to be verbose, he clammed up like an idiot.

"I don't understand. I thought you were angry," she said, blinking in confusion.

"I'm only angry at myself for behaving so carelessly." He sighed, bits of conversations coming back to him. "No wonder you worried about being discarded once I was better. My former lack of gratitude was shameful and I won't dare blame it on Yen. It was all my doing. I chose the path of least resistance to keep the peace with her and didn't stop to think…"

"Hey… stop…" she soothed him in turn. "I never held that against you. You didn't know me and had no obligation to be kind or take care of me, but you both did…"

"But we didn't. Not really. Sure she bandaged you up and we had a nice chat while you cast your spells around the island, but you were in a rough place and we could have done more."

She scoffed. "Not really. I was hostile and didn't want to let anyone close to me. I was too sick of being pitied, and hearing you think of me as a poor thing was something I didn't want a repeat of."

"That night… I didn't think of you as a poor thing for being scarred and wounded, but because you always looked so sad and you seemed to be endlessly punishing yourself like you deserved the hurt." He hummed. "Actually, that side of you is still there. It's why you push yourself until you're pale and clammy, until you puke over a basin, why you throw yourself over cliffs without knowing what lies below… And why you gave so much of yourself that you pass out for hours."

"I was made resilient for a reason…"

"It wasn't so you could hurt yourself more."

She fell silent, nibbling on her inner cheek, so once again he wrapped her in an embrace, feeling her melt against him.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm sorry for being a careless asshole. In the past, I might not have recognized what I had, but I do now and I promise I'll cherish it. Now I just pray I have the strength to protect it."

A/N: Sorry for the melodramatic ending. I thought about ending it earlier and having the conversation continue in the next chapter, but I didn't want a cliffhanger when my updates are so sparse and unpredictable. The conversation about his lost memories was due to happen at some point and I kept pushing it back, but someone on AO3 asked for more on that front so this was as good of a place as any.

As far as Gaunter is concerned, I thought it would be more interesting if he had a long game in mind. He's such a good villain that I felt he had to have more of a hidden agenda, so if this part ends in a confusing manner... well, that's the reason why.

Next up should be Radovid's trial and the wedding. Hopefully, that chapter will take me less to write than this one, but realistically it should be at least 2-3 weeks since real life obligations take precedence.

Thank you for reading and hope you all have a good week! As always, comments are welcome if you have them. Oh, and for a while I've been meaning to thank those of you who have left reviews, know that I appreciate every single one of you wonderful people :)