A/N: This is not a rendition of any game in particular, just a jumble of fun things I've encountered while playing various MMORPGs over the years. And I admit I cackled while writing some scenes in this chapter so... Enjoy the "raid" in this case! 😉
Geralt found himself cursing again at his unavoidable attraction to people who wanted or needed to travel through portals, but nonetheless walked through the shimmering oval.
The image that met them on the other side spoke of utter destruction. The desert on Idris looked like a flowering paradise teeming with life by comparison. In this world, even the soil beneath their feet looked like ash, and all around were only traces of death and decay, burned stumps of trees and various bones sticking out of the black soil.
The moment they landed on the other side, they all readied their weapons. Akira nocked an arrow in her bow, while the elf and Geralt drew their swords. Only Criss appeared to be unarmed and to Geralt's eyes, completely defenceless in her ivory dress that fluttered in the harsh wind. Her eyes became alight with the white glow that signalled her entering into that state in which she harnessed her magic freely. She raised her palms slightly and rays shot from her chest into the three of them, creating bonds that looked much like the tether that had linked the two of them throughout his recovery.
They advanced as one, carefully treading on the scorched ground. In various places, toxic and foul-smelling gas emanated from the rotten earth. In others, the ground appeared to be unstable and Geralt's eyes caught slight tremors coming from below.
"What is this place?" he wondered aloud. The two looked at him in surprise, as if they never imagined for a second that it was his first time on such an expedition.
"The breeding ground of evil," Criss spoke with clear disdain. "It's one of the places where they create foul creatures that spill into other worlds and wreak devastation on them. There are so many that we never bothered to name them. We just gave these places numbers."
"From time to time, someone - meaning us usually - needs to clean up the place a bit," the elf chimed in. "But since some of us have been busy frolicking instead of working, this has really turned into a cesspit." He eyed Criss with a smirk.
"Still a wise-ass, I see. I'm here now, aren't I?"
"Yes, Lyarrri, let the girrrl have some fun, no need to..." Her purr was interrupted by a creature that spurted forward from a crack in the ground. She quickly unleashed an arrow into its misshapen form, quieting its menacing growl. Geralt studied the corpse of the creature as they passed by it - it looked like an inbred dog that had caught a plague - and thought whoever created it had no talent for shapes.
They carefully continued to advance, their destination still unknown to him. After a hundred yards, the low rumbling sound that came from below the ground became increasingly louder. The others took a defensive stance, and he followed suit, his sword raised, its tip pointing to his right shoulder. A golden shield flashed around each of them as Criss prepared to defend them from the incoming attack. It was just in the nick of time because, only a second later, the earth around them shuddered and crumbled and a horde of ugly misshapen creatures shot up at them.
He and Lyari covered the women's flanks. Their swords flashed with savage rage and plunged with thirst into the bodies of the incoming creatures. Over his shoulder arrows flashed and hit their mark with the crunch of bone, going through skulls, eyes, hearts and whatever other vital organs the monstrosities possessed. But there were so many that soon the archer had an empty quiver.
"Crrriss, can you make me some morrre arrows? I don't want to waste the pierrrcing ones on this sludge waste."
"Sure, just try not to get hurt too bad while I make them. I can't keep the shield up and the healing tethers and fuse at the same time. Albion drained twelve enchantments from me already and I wasn't expecting this to be how I spent my early morning."
All three of them moved around her to give her cover while she leaned down and dug her hands into the ground. Akira drew a pair of daggers and joined the melee, hitting the monsters with precise blows that quickly led to a pile of corpses forming in front of her. Geralt and Lyari had already begun to furiously kick the corpses away to make room, and Geralt used spurts of Igni to keep the approaching monsters from overwhelming them.
This is really turning into a shit show, he thought as he watched the unrelenting and seemingly never-ending mass of creatures move towards them.
A shield flashed in front of him and he didn't have to turn to know that Criss was done making the arrows. What minor scrapes he had from monsters that had come too close were already closing and healing and a surge of power ran through him, sending him into a blood-thirsty frenzy. He advanced with confident strides and turns, wielding his sword in a continuous deadly movement that created a hurricane of destruction around him. Whatever lay in his path was dealt a quick death and his zeal was matched by Lyari, who cleared the area opposite him. The shields around them flashed and flickered each time one of the monstrosities attempted to bite or claw at them. In one of his spins, his eye caught the tense expression on Criss's face; her jaw was clenched and her brow furrowed in concentration. Akira shot arrow after arrow with deadly precision and slowly but surely, the mass of creatures turned into a pile of corpses.
He looked around at the result of their efforts. Nothing but death, but it fit right in with the general scenery.
"Was that it?" was the only thing he could think of asking. He wished for this to be the end. The sweat cooled over his brow, and now that the surge of power subsided, he felt drained. He realized how naïve he was when he saw them look at him in awkward silence. This was just the beginning. He flicked the blood off his sword with a quick movement, then returned to Criss's side.
"I'm sorry, this is going to take longer than I thought and it's not going to be as easy as I expected," she whispered to him with an apologetic look.
"Don't worry, I'll be fine. At least now I understand your fascination with multiple opponents in the constructs. I always thought you were trying to over-prepare me, but now I see that this is your normality," he whispered back to her in the most reassuring way he could muster.
"It's not this bad usually, but Lyari was right. We've been away too long. If I had known this was the state of things, I would have asked more people to join us..."
"It's not too late, you know. I can go back and get at least a few more people," the elf interjected, ignoring the fact that it was supposed to be a private conversation given their hushed voices.
"Lyarrri is rrright. You chastised us for being rrreckles. It would be trrruly rrreckles to prrroceed." Akira turned to the elf. "And since you offerrred..." she added with a sly grin that showed her very sharp teeth, Lyari just nodded in acknowledgement and looked at Criss as if waiting for instructions.
"Find Tezzi, Ila and Olir," she spoke without a second thought. "Make sure they are prepared. Tell them there's most likely a Corrupter here and tons of trash." She paused for a second with her index over her lips. "If Tezzi hesitates, you can tell him I promise to make any stone he chooses."
"Aren't you awfully generous today! Perhaps I should start crinkling my nose at you as he does?" Lyari asked mockingly.
"You shouldn't, but you can if you want to. The fact of the matter is, I am in a hurry and I want this to be done quickly and without taking risks. If you wish to use that to your advantage... feel free."
"I think we've known each other too long for such things." He bowed his head and turned on his heels. "I'll be right back," he added over his shoulder, then with a wave of his hand, he made a portal appear and vanished through its glowing shape.
Geralt looked at his two companions, both were wading through the piles of corpses, Akira pulling arrows out of the dead bodies and Criss walking behind her, hands outstretched towards the ground, her palms acting like a magnet collecting little dark pieces from the inert masses. He joined them, helping Akira collect her arrows.
"Can I ask why you sent Lyari alone? I assume we could have all gone. Unless collecting... whatever that is, is very important." He aimed his question at Criss, but it was Akira who spoke with an incredulous look.
"And who's going to provide the time counterweight then?"
His "what the fuck?" expression must have been very plain as he looked to Criss for a proper explanation. She looked apologetically from him to Akira as she spoke.
"Our presence here upsets the passage of time. In fact, it slows it down and prevents the further creation of these... things," she kicked one of the bodies with the tip of her foot. "Events unfold at a different speed here. It's the main reason none of us age. If we did, then we'd die of old age after a few trips. Mere moments on Idris can mean years or decades here, and a regular anchor is not enough. Had we all gone, there would be no counterweight and when we returned, everything would be considerably worse than when we left."
"So we're like a timestamp." He put his boot on the head of a dead creature and leaned down to pull out an arrow sticking out of the monster's temple. "And we're stuck here until reinforcements come."
A small guilty nod was all the answer he got from Criss.
"So he's rrreally new," Akira concluded, looking at Criss.
"First time," he replied in her stead, slightly annoyed that she was speaking about him as if he wasn't there.
"I wouldn't have guessed by the look of you." This time she spoke to him directly, her own cat-like eyes peering at him.
"Does that mean I look old or that I'm good with a sword? I'm asking because I'm not sure if I should be flattered or tell you to fuck off..." he sneered at her.
She looked at him with another toothy grin showing her pointy canines before bursting into a low growling laughter.
"Both, now that you ask!" she said with a smirk. "I meant no offence," she looked at Criss, "the new ones are usually less scarrred and don't carrry sworrrds like the one you have. They don't swing them as you do eitherrr," her voice was a low purr once again. "You should take it as a compliment to both you and the sworrrd."
"I may be new to this place, but I'm not new to swinging a sword. I've just swung it on a different world until today."
"In that case, welcome," she said languidly, "trrruly you will make a fine addition to ourrrr team."
"I'm not..."
He didn't get to finish his sentence as Criss cut him off.
"I dragged him along today, but it's a one-time thing and mostly because of your rashness. He has business elsewhere."
"Pity," she spoke softly, "I quite like you," and as she said that, she wrapped her tail around his waist. This must have been the strangest hug he had ever received.
He was dragged out of the weird embrace by Criss, who pulled him to the side, all serious looking.
"What is it?" he asked.
"There is something you should know so you won't be blindsided. One of the men Lyari went to find is the one I was involved with."
"Let me guess, he's the one you promised the special reward to."
She nodded. "It's just a work relationship. Please remember that and keep your focus on the job."
"Don't worry, I'll be professional. And since we're on this topic, do you know what we're up against?"
"If it's what I think it is, then you'll be in the thick of it, so you should know that the beast has a few tricks up its proverbial sleeve. Besides the usual 'stay away from the sharp talons, teeth and spiky tail', if you see dark smoke coming out of its body, move as far as you can from it, it will ignite after a short while and you don't want to be anywhere near it. Sometimes I've seen them cause the earth to give way under our feet, so you must always be careful where you tread. It might also summon smaller creatures similar to those you've seen earlier."
Just as she finished her sentence, they heard a loud crack behind them, and Lyari, along with three other people, walked out of a portal. A large green-skinned man, whose size dwarfed even Akira, a pink-haired slim and dainty she-elf dressed as menacingly as Criss, and a bald-headed man in dark robes with black runes tattooed on his chest and up his neck. Geralt's eyes drifted over them and stopped over the bald man. Unless he was mistaken, the staff he carried indicated he was a mage, so he must have been Criss's ex. He studied the man's slim build, angled features and dark eyes with interest, a hint of jealousy leading him to draw a comparison between them. Criss squeezed his arm to draw his attention, very aware of where his eyes were. He threw her an apologetic look and returned his attention to the task at hand.
"Perrrfect!" Akira purred, seeing the new arrivals.
"Welcome," Criss greeted them with a smile and was about to say more when Lyari cut in.
"I've already filled them in. That's Geralt of Rivia," he pointed to him then introduced the rest without making a fuss, "Geralt, this is Olir Blackwind," he pointed at the green-skinned giant, "Ila Shaemi", he shifted towards the she-elf, "and Tezzi Vemmeas," he nodded to the tattooed man. Each, in turn, bowed their heads slightly and, with that, the formalities ended.
"Thank you for expediting things," Criss said.
"I'll take point," Olir said. "Geralt and Lyari, you two should keep close to me when the fight begins. The rest spread out behind us."
They all nodded in accord.
"Tezzi, do some scouting so we know which way is shortest," the giant spoke with a snarly voice and added a snort at the end.
The dark-robed man's mouth opened and, instead of sound, a bright orb of light shot out at incredible speed. It spun quickly around them, then darted off towards a valley. The man remained motionless, frozen in the same pose, his eyes blank. The orb returned from a different direction, passed through Olir's body, and went back into Tezzi.
"Next time you do that, I'll smack you," the giant warned him, but the bald man just grinned mischievously, unaffected by the prospect of receiving a thrashing.
"This way," Tezzi waved them over as he walked in what he deemed to be the correct direction.
All followed without question, including Geralt. He marched in silence, contemplating the possible mess he had gotten himself into by agreeing to this detour. Much of a witcher's strength in battle relied on knowing his opponent, but now he was going to face an unknown beast with no clue of what he was supposed to do aside from the small pointers Criss gave him. Being on unfamiliar territory made him feel off-balance, he just hoped that a hack and slash approach would be enough to survive. A small hand coiling around his arm snapped him out of his worried thoughts as her sweet perfume enveloped him.
"You shouldn't be concerned. Just remember what I told you and don't stray too far from the group. I'll be tethering everyone and you know all too well how that works." She raised herself on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek, then unwrapped her arm from his and moved further ahead, in line with Tezzi, who was still leading them down a winding path. For a moment he frowned, then whispers of their haggling reached him. The mage was making his demands, and by the sound of it, she thought the price for his help wasn't cheap.
"Not be concerned…" He sighed. It was easy to say. Although he had never been one to worry too much, he had also never been one to know so little. He kept moving. For now, one foot in front of the other was all that was required of him.
Soon they reached the bottom of the valley, and a deep ravine laid beyond two large stone pillars.
"Down there." Tezzi pointed at the pitch-black darkness below them. Not even Geralt's eyes could see much, only slight outlines of jagged rock faces.
"Why does the path always seem to lead into the depths of the earth?" the dainty elf bemoaned in an unhappy childish voice.
"If they liked the light, we wouldn't be here in the first place," Lyari replied, peering down. "Who wants to go first?"
"Move overrr." Akira pushed him aside and got down on all fours.
"Willing to pick up a passenger?" Criss asked in a playful voice.
"You? Anytime, my sweet." She winked and let her climb onto her back.
Criss coiled her arms around the woman's neck, and her legs circled her hips. Akira's tail wrapped around her waist to ensure she wouldn't fall off, and then quickly jumped into the darkness with feline grace. Geralt's heart sunk as he lost sight of them. He waited for a sound to come from below, anything to let him know that the women made it down safely. Instead, something resembling fireworks shot up from the chasm. It must have been regarded as a sign that the way was safe because all the others began clambering down the rock face. All except Ila, who had conjured up a little cloud for her to float down on.
The descent was not particularly difficult for him and soon he found himself with his feet on flat, solid ground. His eyes quickly adjusted and saw a myriad of tunnels stretching out in all directions. It looked like they were at a junction of sorts.
"Can we get a little light here?" Lyari requested after accidentally bumping into Olir. Tezzi, Ila, and Criss each conjured up a floating light orb in response.
"Which way?" Olir asked, looking around at the many possibilities.
The tattooed man simply moved to one of the tunnel entrances in silence, and the rest followed him in.
It wasn't long before they encountered the first pair of monsters. Tezzi quickly fell back behind the green giant as Olir swung his war hammer at the beasts. It hit with a dull thud and the sheer momentum made the beast fly through the air and hit the rock wall, making the whole tunnel shake. The other monster was hit with a bolt of lightning shot from the she-elf's graceful fingers. It staggered but didn't succumb to the damage it caused. Instead, it lunged forward, avoiding Olir and aiming for the she-elf. Geralt's sword sang as it left its sheath. In a few quick steps, he was in between the elf and the beast. His left leg firmly planted into the ground, giving him something to push off against, he swung his blade in an upward motion at the leaping beast. It cut through its body like it was made of butter, cleaving it in two without meeting any real resistance. The sword was excellent. He wiped off the blood spatter from his cheek and they moved further through the tunnel with weapons at the ready.
The passage ended inside a large cave with a high ceiling, and they were near the top of it. From somewhere above, water flowed down in a raging cascade that pooled below in a dark and probably very deep lake.
"Behind the base of the waterfall is another tunnel. That's the way in." Tezzi pointed below them.
Geralt looked around for the best way to descend. They were on the edge of a cliff, but somewhere to the side, some rocks jutted out and he judged that one could safely jump from one to the next and make it down. Before he could voice his idea, the giant approached the edge of the cliff and promptly jumped into the lake below with a booming splash. They all looked over the edge in unison.
"It's fine, jump down," they heard Olir's booming voice from below.
"Brrr, I hate swimming." Akira shuddered visibly. "I'll climb down thrrru therrre." She pointed at the rocks Geralt spotted earlier.
A roar and the splash of waves interrupted them, and they all looked down again. Unfortunately, Olir's success was short-lived as he thrashed in the water or, better said, something was thrashing him around, causing waves and foam that obstructed their view.
Without missing a beat, Criss conjured a shield and plunged over the cliff, straight into the fray. Her skirt fluttered around her through the air, then she was swallowed whole by the dark water below.
Was she insane? Geralt cursed and looked at the frothing foam below. He weighed his options for a moment; the rest had just recovered from the shock and were scrambling down, each as they could - Akira leaping from rock to rock with Lyari on her back, while Ila conjured the cloud again and Tezzi summoned some winged creature.
Fuck it.
He jumped.
The water was icy cold and, for a moment, it paralyzed him upon contact. He regained control and twisted his body, trying to get his bearings and assess the situation. Through the bubbles and froth, he saw a shimmer and swam towards it. The shimmer was Criss, who was casting something that made the water around the monster boil. The monster itself looked like a giant octopus, and Olir's leg and torso were caught in its tentacled grip. It didn't look like he was going to get out anytime soon.
Olir viciously swung the war hammer around but couldn't get enough momentum to make any actual damage. The little shimmer sent rays of light into Olir's body, helping him stay alive a while longer until help arrived. Yet the tentacle around his torso only wound up tighter, pulling his whole body towards the central mass of the monster. Geralt saw the maw that opened menacingly, threatening to swallow the giant whole. He kicked his feet and thrust himself at the beast, sword first.
His blade met the flesh of the monster, slicing through the tentacles that aimed for his body. His hand swerved and cut off the limbs that held the green giant prisoner, and Olir quickly swam to the surface to catch his breath. Geralt thrust his blade forward once more, piercing another limb that shot up, trying to catch Olir's leg. A luminous blade hit the monster's massive body, landing dangerously close to Geralt. He moved away as even more magical projectiles pelted it from above, along with a few arrows that disappeared swallowed inside the fleshy mass. Dark liquid seeped from the beast's open maw and its movements became sluggish. He swam around it, dragging the edge of his blade all around the surface of the monster's body, cutting deep and making it twitch and bleed profusely before any and all movement ceased.
He needed air. His chest constricted, and a suffocating feeling was threatening to overwhelm him. He kicked his feet and swam to the surface to draw a large breath of air. The gasp he took as he met the cool air inside the cave gave him much needed relief.
Above him hovered Ila on her little cloud and Tezzi was flying in circles, the wings of his mount skimming the surface of the water, causing small ripples. Akira stood on a rocky edge, bow in her hand, while Lyari was dragging the exhausted Olir onto dry land. Somewhere behind him, he heard a splash and a gasp as Criss surfaced. Then she disappeared under the water again, only to resurface moments later. She headed for the nearest shore and he joined her.
He lifted himself onto the rocky surface and helped her up. With her teeth clattering, she curled into his side with her eyes closed. Her thin dress clung to her body, revealing everything that lay underneath. He hugged her tightly, trying both to warm her and cover her up at the same time.
"I'll be fine, don't worry. I just need a moment," her voice barely a whisper.
She buried her face in the crook of his neck as she took a few deep breaths. His medallion vibrated wildly. Steam rose from her as her skin shimmered once more. He had to pull his hands away to not risk getting burnt from the heat coming off her. Her hair and dress gradually dried. A minute later, she stood up, as put together as she could muster to be, extending her hand to him to help him up. For a moment, he wanted to tell her she nearly gave him a heart attack with her jump, but instead, he stood and used the opportunity to pull her in for a kiss. Her lips were as delightful as ever and for a second, he forgot all else, including the urge to scold her for being reckless.
Their small moment was rudely interrupted by Tezzi, who was clearing his throat to draw their attention.
"What?" she snapped at him, a touch annoyed at having to break the pleasant contact in order to speak.
"Did you... get anything good off it?"
Criss threw him a stone in response.
"What do you think?" her question doused in irony.
Tezzi caught the stone, held it between his index and thumb and looked at it with a delighted grin.
"Perfect." Without so much as a thank you, the stone disappeared into a pocket of his dark robes. "I would have shot at it earlier, but we couldn't see anything through that foam and we thought we might hit one of you by accident."
"You almost did," Geralt grumbled.
"Don't worry, I expect you'll make it up to me and earn that stone when we reach the end of this tunnel," she replied coldly.
She untangled herself from Geralt's embrace with an apologetic look and strode with sure steps towards Olir, who was still lying on his back on the rocky shore. She knelt at his side and put her hands on him. The familiar healing glow enveloped him and when she withdrew her hands, he stood up without a struggle.
"Sorry, it looked like a good idea at the time," he excused himself, scratching his head and looking down at her from his full height.
"For a moment, I thought you were planning on ruining my record," she replied with a friendly smile.
"Come on, the real fight awaits," Lyari urged them on, and they all gathered in front of the small entrance hidden behind the waterfall. Geralt had to twist to the side to get through while Olir had to use his hammer to dislodge some rocks, otherwise, he and Akira wouldn't fit through the opening.
They followed the narrow passage in a single file, walking in complete silence, Lyari leading the front, followed by himself, Criss, Tezzi, Ila, Akira and Olir in that order. He felt Criss's fingers interlace with his own and he looked back to see her look at him with deep appreciation. He wasn't sure what he had done to deserve it, but he welcomed it and gave her hand a gentle squeeze before turning his eyes to the front once more.
It felt like they had been walking for ages when finally Lyari raised his hand in a gesture that meant they needed to stop and wait. Geralt watched as the elf camouflaged himself, effectively disappearing from view even to his sensitive eyes. All he could see were small ripples in the air, too small to tell anyone was standing there. Had he wanted, the elf could have easily snuck up on anyone to slit their throat.
They waited while he scouted ahead, and soon he returned bearing news.
"It's as expected. It's a big boy too, churning out those vile things."
"Doable?" Akira asked, and he nodded in response.
"It's not far off. When we get there, everyone fan out."
They advanced quickly, and soon a glow was visible after a bend in the passage. It heralded the end of the narrow path and the entry into a hall-like cave with walls glittering with precious minerals and stones.
In the middle of the hall was a giant reptile-like monster chewing on remains of various creatures. It looked like it was standing in the middle of a black carpet until the carpet started moving and distinct shapes could be seen.
The colossal beast let out a roar and the smaller shapes that made up the surrounding mass howled in return. The echo inside the cave made Geralt's brain hurt. Having a hearing as sensitive as his was sometimes a curse.
He drew his sword and moved around the edge of the cave while holding the blade expectant and looking to see Lyari doing the same on the other side of the room. Meanwhile, Olir advanced straightforward, swinging his war hammer menacingly.
The smaller beasts attacked like a wave, but the group stood their ground and their weapons soon dripped with black blood and guts. The large reptile roared and jumped to the side, nearly crushing Akira under its weight. She lunged out of the way at the very last minute. They had to engage the beast themselves or risk it killing someone who wasn't as quick as Akira if it jumped again. The three melee fighters cleared a path through the black mass of teeth and claws until they were standing face to face with the gaping jaws of the monster.
He saw the monster crane his neck to snap at the elf, but Lyari was nimble and he darted to the side without missing the opportunity to leave a black gash on the monster's side. Geralt lunged and twisted, his sword landing a blow on one of the scaley front limbs while Olir's hammer smashed the side of the toothy mouth, enraging the beast. It let out a deafening roar which stunned the witcher for a moment, enough for the spiky tail to catch him off guard and throw him off his feet and right into the swarming mass of misshapen trash. Jaws and claws reached for him, and he rolled out of the way, only to be met by more sharp talons. They try to sink into him, but the golden flash of the shield that surrounded him stopped them in their tracks. A large fireball flew overhead and landed inside the pack of monsters, scattering them in all directions, giving him the reprieve he needed. He got up and felt the familiar warmth of the healing spells cast over him. Once again, he began thinning the herd of monsters, trying to get closer to the reptile.
A shriek behind him made his head snap back, but his blade never missed its target, severing limbs and heads with each turn it took in his hands. Ila, the dainty elf, was the one who produced the sound. But, to his amusement, she wasn't in danger. Only a piece of her skirt was missing, having been ripped off by an angry beast. Firebolts shot from her hand and the monster lay in a heap of ash with the piece of fabric still in its clenched jaws. Now that was the kind of sorceress he knew well. He smirked and twisted again, severing another head.
His efforts to cull the monsters were repaid. There were fewer and fewer remaining, and that left him time to observe what each member of the team was doing. Akira was leaping gracefully from one rock to another, bouncing off the hard surfaces with unfathomable power. Each time she landed, she let loose another arrow either into the ever-decreasing mass of monsters or into the large reptilian shape that loomed over her companions. Tezzi was perched on top of a tall pile of corpses and was conjuring fireballs before proceeding to launch them into the thick carapace of the reptile. Criss stood unmoving in the middle of the group. Wisps of light danced around her and each time a monster came close, the little glowing orbs attacked viciously, boring holes through whatever stood in front of them. Lyari and Olir struck with rage at the reptile. The blows dealt by the war hammer resounded with a sickening crunch each time, but progress was slow as the behemoth had thick scales that protected its vital organs.
Having dealt with all the small monstrosities, everyone focused their destructive efforts on the single large opponent remaining. It was more resilient than any of them had expected. Soon the interval between fireballs and lightning increased, while Akira had to resort to pulling arrows out of dead bodies to have ammunition, and beads of sweat collected over the green giant's forehead. Unless they found a chink in its armour, they would be stuck there for all eternity.
Dark smoke seeped from the beast and in an instant, Geralt jumped back, remembering the warning Criss had given him. The rest also fled, and shields flickered all around them right before the bellowing boom of the explosion. Thankfully, none of them was seriously injured and soon they closed the gap between them and the monster to keep it in check with their blades.
Lyari slashed wildly, jumping from place to place with an irritated look. He cursed something foul as the ground kept giving way under his feet. All looked weary and tired.
"We have to find a flaw in its defence or we'll never leave this place. If he spawns another batch, we're done for," Lyari warned for all to hear.
Geralt stopped hitting blindly and circled the beast, studying it with care, looking for a weak spot while dodging its attacks. He thought he saw something. A weak spot under its belly, but risking an attack was borderline crazy - not that it ever stopped him before. He looked over his shoulder to Criss, who had caught on to his intention and signalled her readiness through a nod.
"Tezzi, help him make the jump when the time comes," Criss shouted and Tezzi nodded while continuing to cast his spells. "Go!" she urged him.
Criss's shield flashed over his Quen, then he moved to attack.
He nimbly evaded the beast's talons and tail to position himself under the immense body. One wrong move, a one-second delay in his spin would be all it took for him to end up a smudge on the rocky floor. But the rest of the team wouldn't let that happen. Lyari and Olir caught on to what he was planning and skillfully drew the beast's attention to their attacks so he could slip unnoticed until he was directly under the patch of scales that were slightly smaller and weaker than the rest.
It was now or never. He crouched down and pushed hard off the ground, launching himself in the air as hard as possible, sword pointed directly at the beast. A rush of magic pushed him up, increasing his reach and speed. The momentum from his leap, coupled with the push he got from the mage, was enough for him to plunge his sword deep between two scales underneath the sternum, straight into the monster's heart. With a wail, the beast thrashed, and he hung on to the hilt of his sword, which was still stuck in the thick flesh. The monster waddled, and he used the rocking motion to raise his legs and push off against the enormous chest to extricate his sword and himself from the situation. His sword was now free, but he was also free falling. He turned mid-air to change his centre of gravity, spun and landed on his feet, then rolled away to avoid being crushed by the collapsing beast. He stopped on one knee just a meter from the dead body, panting under the rush of adrenaline, but relieved that his gamble had paid off.
He took a moment to draw a large breath before standing up, using his sword like a cane to support himself. The battle had been long and had taken its toll on him. There wasn't a single piece of his body that didn't hurt and, as he looked around him, he saw that all the rest were as drained as him. They had either laid down or had searched for support in the jagged rock face of the cave. Criss was staggering towards him. The effort of healing all of them for so long had used all her energy, and she was running on fumes.
She crashed into his chest and clung to his sword belt for support. He put a hand around her waist to steady her and lifted her chin with the other. He longed to see her eyes and her ever-present smile. Sure enough, it was there. As always, her beautiful, kissable lips smiled so lovingly at him. She reached out to stroke his face and her palm got smeared with black blood. The sense of urgency had been so great that he hardly felt the beast's blood pour onto him from its wound. He ran his hand over his cheek and forehead in a vain attempt to clean himself.
"Leave it, it's too hard to clean. You need a bath," she smiled, "I need one too." She pressed her cheek to his chest once more, not minding that she was covering herself in blood and viscera, and looked at the rest of her companions. Olir was now standing, preparing to use his hammer to dislodge some precious stones from the rock face. She sighed and left his arms to collect her boon from the dead.
She went through the piles of corpses extracting the precious stones that formed the coveted enchantments, then she shared the spoils with the rest of the team. The rest also had skills that allowed them to collect various resources and they all shared willingly with the others. By the end, he had a pouch filled with precious stones and enchantments.
"A truly profitable endeavour as always," Tezzi commented gleefully, his black eyes shimmering in the dim light.
"This trrruly calls for a celebrrration," Akira's voice purred next to Geralt's ear, inviting and strangely alluring. "Perrrhaps we should get a drrrink before you set out to wherrrever you have business."
"Perhaps next time we're visiting, right now I just want to get out of these clothes and take a well-deserved bath," Criss answered on his behalf. "Let's portal out of here. I need a rest."
They stepped out from the portal into the confines of her floating apartment. The next second she was already pulling on the straps of her - now dirty and ruined - dress, effortlessly slipping it down her body. Her underwear followed the next moment, and she kicked off her sandals, leaving her enticingly naked. Yet, he still didn't see a bath. He barely finished his thought when a fully furnished bathroom materialized out of thin air, complete with a large tub filled with soapy water and a full set of towels. It took up half the space in the apartment. The other half was now occupied by a sleeping area with an enormous bed with a massive frame and a sumptuous canopy above.
He was still standing there with his mouth open like an idiot when he heard Criss splash into the tub. With practised movements, he quickly unbuckled the belt that held his sword, then discarded his armour, leaving the items on the floor as they fell without bothering to arrange them. He joined her in the tub and for a while they just sat there in silence, at opposite sides of the large tub, leaning back and enjoying the feel of the hot water against their weary bodies.
He was the first to speak while she rested her head on the edge of the tub with her eyes closed in apparent bliss.
"Today was... interesting," he began as a means to open the conversation and get her opinion on how well their expedition went. Instead, he heard her silvery laughter. "What?" he asked, as the reason for her amusement wasn't apparent to him.
"Interesting? That's all?"
He kept quiet, suspecting she was about to tell him how things really stood, and she did.
"Geralt," she lazily opened her eyes and looked at him full of admiration, "you have proven today to be one of the best and smartest warriors I've ever seen." She pushed off from the edge of the tub to come over to his side. "Had it not been for your quick thinking and your courage, we would still be in that dank cave fighting that creature of darkness."
Her thumb rubbed at his cheek, trying to dislodge the crusty remains of blood from his beard. After what had felt like mere hours in that world, he now sported a month-long beard as proof of the different rate at which time passed. He grabbed a handful of water and splashed it on his face, vigorously rubbing any dried blood and gore from his skin, then leaned back so his head was submerged for a moment before he started giving the same treatment to his scalp and hair.
"You're going to peel your skin off at the rate you're going at." She pulled his hands away and positioned herself behind him. "Here, let me do it." Her delicate fingers massaged his scalp, and a wave of relaxation washed over him as he leaned back with his head on her bosom.
"If interesting is all today was to you, then I'd hate to see how a hard day would look like in your life," she said, and even with his eyes closed, he heard her smile while speaking.
"I admit, it was more than interesting. Perhaps I was trying to underplay how challenging it was. If you want me to be perfectly honest, it was one of the few times when I went into something not knowing exactly what I'm supposed to do."
"I'm sorry for that. I didn't mean to drag you into such a perilous skirmish." While she spoke, her fingers gently peeled bits of crusty blood from his eyebrows.
"I'm thankful we all came out in one piece. Your friends are formidable fighters and it was lucky they caught on to what I was trying to do."
"You did cut it close, but that is what we do. And you shouldn't be surprised that they had your back. We're a team, and we don't leave anyone behind."
"Especially you." Her fingers stopped their movement, and she tensed up for a moment before resuming her grooming. "You could have been killed when you jumped after Olir."
"Maybe, but if I hadn't, he would have surely died." She leaned in next to his ear. "And you jumped in right after me."
His eyes affixed to hers.
"That only means one thing..." He paused for dramatic effect. "We're both equally crazy."
She responded with a short chipper laugh and moved on to massage his back and shoulders and, by all the gods, her hands felt good. He hummed and relaxed under her touch, laying back and sinking lower underwater.
"My friends really liked you too, if you care to know."
"Did they?" he asked, amused, with his eyes closed, still enjoying the feel of her hands washing his body. "I don't remember anyone saying that."
"Mmm, either you're getting old and your memory is fading or Akira has suddenly become less memorable than I know her to be. I distinctly remember her saying exactly that when she had her tail wrapped around you." Her hands slinked down under the water's surface to curl around his waist.
He opened his eyes and looked at her with a questioning gaze.
"Was she hitting on me? I thought it was my dirty imagination." The corner of her mouth curved up slightly. "So she was!" His mouth twitched up, and he closed his eyes once more.
It was time he returned her caresses. His hands skimmed over her legs, feeling the smooth skin underwater, moving up to ghost over her inner thighs. He pushed off against the surface of the tub to sit up and turned to face her. His hands wrapped around her hips, pulling her to him.
"Is this jealousy I see in your eyes?" he asked, teasing.
She rolled her eyes instead of answering, so he nipped at her bottom lip.
"My jealous little nymph, no woman could ever pry me from you… Not even if she has a tail."
She laughed and replied to his bite with a kiss that quickly turned heated when her tongue stroked along his. Her nails scratched along the side of his neck, trying to pull him even further to her, like she wanted them to melt into one. His eager hands reached out to cup a breast and her ass as he deepened the kiss. Desire flared in him, but a tub full of water wasn't the proper place for a satisfying fuck.
"How about we make good use of that giant bed?" he asked, nodding to the enormous bed behind him.
"Hmm, did your dirty imagination win over the exhaustion?"
"It almost always does."
He leaned in and nibbled on her neck, and she couldn't help let out a moan. He stood up, his hand extending to help her up and his eyes begging her to follow. She took his hand to stand, but wobbled on her feet and held on to his shoulders for dear life.
"On second thought, let's have a nap first. You put on a brave face, but you can barely stand."
"You don't mind?" she asked tentatively.
"I prefer you rested," he smirked, "but only so I can tire you out myself." He helped her out of the tub and handed her a large towel. After she dried herself, he swept her up and carried her to bed.
The thick fabric hanging from the canopy obstructed most of the light coming from outside and it proved to be a blessing when the second sun made its way up the sky, shining blindingly. She cosied herself in his arms and drew a thin and refreshingly cool bed sheet over them. From under lids heavy with sleep, she looked at him with soft eyes. He delicately ran the back of his index over her cheek before tucking a rebellious strand of hair behind her ear. She exhaled loudly with a profoundly satisfied sound, then fell into a deep sleep. He soon joined her.
Having concluded the preparations for their journey, they stood together in front of the shining portal that opened before them. He, in his armour, with the sword securely fastened to his back, hidden beneath a thick wool cloak of the best quality, perfectly impervious to water, she, in dark grey travelling clothes, wearing a matching cloak, each carrying a travelling bag containing a few changes of clothes and other necessary items.
They looked into each other's eyes, their fingers intertwined, and with a deep breath, they stepped through to another time and another place.
A/N: Hope you liked the little detour I took! Some of these characters will be returning in future chapters because I rarely do gratuitous stuff :)
I've also started posting the prequel which details what happened on the island for those who want more context. It's called "Apples & Scars" and it'll only have 3 chapters which I'll post one per week and it'll contain Geralt & Yen smut (but please read the tags before going in).
Next chapter - the Continent - FINALLY! 😁
