Chapter 3: The Nilfgaardian Connection

(Author's Note: Seems I've made a mistake and it turns out there actually is a "Witcher" category. Never mind, then. Forget what I said about it in the last chapter.)

After a few days of riding, Geralt finally made it to war-torn Velen, Northern Temeria, the region south of Novigrad – called "No Man's Land" by the locals. And for good reason, too. No gods or masters rule over it. He who wishes to survive here must seek his own protectors.

It has never even been close to what you might call a "paradise", but since the war started, it has been bathed in blood…and quite literally, too. Armies have swept through this land, trampling fields, ransacking granaries and setting villages ablaze. Famine also plagues the people of Velen.

Though the Nilfgaardians have crushed Temeria's army, they have found it virtually impossible to control the local peasants because the war has spread their armies thin and the region is made up mostly of swampy forests that are difficult to control. Plenty of places to hide from soldiers in this neck of the woods. And several Nilfgaardian patrols have still yet to return to their camps. Consequently, the Black Ones were forced to temporarily give this province to a local Nordling warlord named Philip Strenger – A.K.A the Bloody Baron – who once served as a low ranking Temerian officer before Emhyr's men smashed the Northern Army. Ambassador var Attre warned Geralt to stay away from him.

The witcher stopped by Hanged Man's Tree and looked up at the corpses of dead men – most likely Temerian soldiers, by the looks of them - hung there by the Nilfgaardians. Hung by their necks from a tree so tall without a fair trial, for the crime of fighting for their freedom. Or so one might presume. There was a good chance some of them might have been mere peasants, who never raised a blade against the Black Ones yet they were falsely accused of aiding and abetting the Temerian forces and sentenced to death for a crime they did not commit. Such was the way of war.

Moving on, Geralt spurred Roach on towards the Inn at the Crossroads, set up near a major fording point in the river. Geralt dismounted his steed at the nearby stables just outside the door, hitched her to a post so she wouldn't go anywhere and entered the premises. The innkeep was cleaning a beer mug when the White One walked in. "Looking for a man. Goes by the name Hendrik"

"What do you want with him?"

Sensing that he was being led around because he hadn't ordered anything yet, Geralt said to the innkeep "Give me a bottle of something strong"

Just a few moments later, while Geralt was enjoying his drink, riders were heard galloping into town. "You gotta go!" the innkeep said. "I'll open the back way for ye!"

"Haven't finished my drink yet" Geralt calmly replied. Men in armour then bursted into tavern. "Innkeep! Vodka!" the first one to enter the room said impatiently. Noticing the strange white-haired man at the bar, carrying two swords on his back, the second asked "Who's this 'un?"

"Brave warrior, looks like" the third and final man answered. "Got two swords, see?"

"Oi, gray boy!" the first man called. "What's the point in having two swords?"

But Geralt did not answer. "Wonder if he keeps an extra prick in his trousers, too" the third man added. "You fuckin' deaf? Gonna say who you are, or do I need to loosen your tongue with me knife?"

Calmly, Geralt answered "I'm a witcher. Heard you wondering about my swords. Well, one's for monsters, the other – for humans. Only got one prick, though. In case you're wondering about that, too"

"Don't touch him. Don't even look at him. Worse than lepers, that lot"

"Saw one in action once. Killed half a dozen, blood everywhere. Freak didn't even show a drop of sweat"

"Got the stench of corpses on him"

"If you wanna rest, come with me" the innkeep said to the mutant and led him around the corner. "Thanks for not starting a row with those swine"

"I don't generally poke my nose into other people's business"

"Lookin' to stay the night?"

"No"

"Ahh…"

"I'm looking for Hendrik"

"Man lives in Heatherton"

"Don't know where that is"

"Other side of the hill. Looked thataway this morn and saw a strange glow. Imperials on the raid, perhaps, but who knows…"

"Anything else you can tell me about Hendrik"

"Odd fellow. Arrived from who knows where for no apparent reason. Shacked up with a widow whose husband was stabbed for a scrap of bread."

"Baron's men don't like strangers"

"Aye, an' he stays out o' their way. Always seems to know when they're comin', always manages to disappear"

"Thanks, innkeep"

Geralt then left the inn and headed for Heatherton. But just as he expected, he was too late. The village had already been ransacked. Homes had been burned to the ground and the local peasants had been slaughtered. At first glance, one might have thought this was just another Nilfgaardian raid…but what was strange about this village was that it was…covered in snow. How could this be, when winter's still a way off? The snows were not scheduled to fall yet. Not for at least a few more months. Perhaps the Black Ones had a powerful mage among them who could manipulate the weather?

No, of course not! The Wild Hunt did it. Why, you might ask? Because Geralt wasn't the only one looking for Hendrik. Sadly, the Wild Hunt had found him first. The White Wolf only knew this because one villager was lucky enough to survive this brutal assault by the infamous wraiths.

His luck, however, would have run out afterwards if not for Geralt. He arrived just in time to save the man from a pack of wild dogs that attacked him right outside his front door. Despite being rescued, the man was too frightened to tell Geralt of his own volition what happened recently, so the witcher had to use Axii to calm him down and prod him to speak.

The Hunt had unfortunately found Hendrik first…and brutally tortured him in order to get him to tell them what he knows about Ciri. And the torture was so bad, there was no way he or any other man could have survived it. He died a horrible, horrible death. Geralt walked into his home to find his mangled corpse on the floor and blood literally everywhere.

Yet despite what Hendrik had been through, the man showed amazing resilience…as he refused to give in no matter what and took the information he had gathered about Ciri with him to the grave.

And though Geralt may not have been able to save Hendrik…or the village, for that matter, he did manage to learn two important things about Ciri. The first being that she had quarrelled with a local witch, and the second was that she had met the local baron in Crow's Perch.

So now Geralt had only two leads – a baron, and some witch hiding in a village called Midcopse. The witcher decided to travel there first and ask around about the local sorceress. From them, he learned she lived in a hut that was not in the village, but somewhere fairly close by.

He followed the clues the peasants gave him and managed to find the hut. The witch in question was standing outside the hut and speaking to a group of peasants. When Geralt managed to get a good look at her, he recognised that she was not just some village herbalist, but a sorceress of the Lodge – a faction of the world's most powerful witches. Keira Metz was her name.

Needless to say, Geralt knew this woman well…though; it had been approximately two years since they last met. He leaned against a nearby wall and observed the peasants entreating her wisdom.

"Miss…cow's a-wheezin'" said a man. "Won't rise from the barn floor. Pus streams from her snout"

Keira gave the man a funny look. "Do I look like a dairy maid to you?"

"No, miss" a woman spoke up. "But you know things. 'Tis our last cow, none other left in the village…"

"Rest died of hunger, or soldiers led 'em off. Oh…we're as good as dead without her"

"I shall give you herbs" said Keira. "Mix them with water drawn from the spring at midnight, then make the cow drink them. But first you must clean out your barn. Thoroughly, is that clear?"

"Thank you, miss! A thousand thanks!"

"Enough! I've had my fill for the day – go home!"

The peasants left and Keira went back inside her hut, ignoring Geralt. "She's in a foul mood. We best come back on the morrow" one peasant commented.

"Watch what you say" another cautioned. "She's quick to ire, apt to take revenge"

"Bitch is in a proper fury." A third spat, ignoring the second peasant's advice. "Needs a man!"

Geralt entered the hut and asked aloud "Is anyone home?" but nobody answered. "Where did she disappear to?"

He searched the hut for Keira, only to find she wasn't home. And there wasn't much inside worth inspecting save for her book collection, a shiny mirror – the kind you don't often see in Velen – a pentagram in chalk drawn on the floor and that's about it…but then Geralt found an inscribed skull on a shelf near the mirror. "Powerful aura" he commented. "Must be some artefact, or…"

It then created a portal on the pentagram. "So, this is where she disappeared to" he said, then stepped in to find the portal lead to a tranquil glade. "Well, well. Nice"

At that moment, he heard a familiar voice say "I was wondering how long it would take you, Geralt. I'm upstairs. Don't be shy. Greetings, witcher"

He ascended the stony steps to find her lounging brazenly in an ornate bath. "Missed a spot" said the wanderer.

"Where?" the witch asked. Geralt pointed to the aforementioned spot and she started scrubbing it. "Hope you didn't come to gawk"

"No. To talk"

"Turn around and wait"

Geralt hesitated for a moment, but Keira signalled with her hand at him to look away and he somewhat reluctantly turned his back to her for a moment. She then got out of the bath and used her magic to clothe herself. Geralt then turned back around and, seeing as how she was now fully dressed, he said "Keira Metz in deep in the heart of Velen…thought you hated the countryside"

"I can assure you I do, now more than ever"

"Heard a witch lived out here. Never would have guessed it was King Foltest's former advisor"

"I'm so pleased the world's still able to astound you, Geralt. I actually envy you that sense of wonder – common in children, knights errant and morons"

"Hm. Someone's grown irritable. Is that any way to greet an old friend?"

"I believe I greeted you with a pleasant view. Now tell me what brings you here?"

"I'm looking for a certain young woman"

"Oh, really? Who?"

"Apparently, she quarrelled with a local witch"

"Pff. Someone's been feeding you horseshit. The girls around here are too stupid to quarrel with me."

"She's not from here"

Keira paused for a moment, then deduced "You're up to something, Geralt. If I'm to help you, you must tell me what's going on. Who are you looking for?"

"Ciri"

"Ciri? Well…now I understand the secrecy. Not to mention the brooding, the furled brow. And you say she had some sort of problem with a witch?"

"So, you haven't seen her" Geralt stated the obvious.

"I'm certain I haven't. But recently someone asked me about an ashen-haired young woman. He claimed she would stand out from the peasant crowd"

"Who was it?"

"Not so fast, Geralt. No humble plea? No offering for the witch?"

"What's your rate these days? A couple dozen eggs? Three hens, maybe?"

"My rate rises with every word you speak. I'm not sure you can afford the information anymore."

"Hm, you're pricklier than I remember. Isn't living in nature's lap supposed to be cleansing, calming…?"

"Nature stinks" Keira answered. She paused again for a moment before adding "Oh, sod it, don't give me that look. I know it's Ciri we're talking about. It was an elf – this individual asking about Cirilla. No flea-bitten Scoia'tael slob, either, but an elven mage."

"He say what his name was?"

"He didn't. And he wore a mask. Very secretive all around, but…I liked him. He was intelligent and composed."

"He say what he wanted with Ciri?"

"Only that they were to meet in Velen. He wished to know if she'd arrived before he did"

"What was an elven mage doing in Velen?"

"Well, I tried to ask him, of course, about everything…"

"Of course."

"But you know how elves are – he asked many more questions than he answered."

"He leave any message for her?"

"No, but he asked where to meet her, to lead her to him"

"So you know where to find him?"

"Yes, he said he'd found a hideout in some elven ruins near the village of Midcopse"

After learning about this hideout, Keira walked back down the stony steps with Geralt and opened up a portal. "I'll go there with you" she said.

"Why? Think I'll have trouble finding this place?"

"I've unfinished business with this elf. He promised me something, but he never delivered it. Besides, I know you think as I do – that she might be there. And I'd like to see Cirilla, too"

"Let's go, then"

"Yes, let's"

On that basis, Keira immediately teleported Geralt and herself to the entrance of the aforementioned elven ruins. "This is the place" she commented. "Been here before?" Geralt asked her.

"No. I was hoping the elf would return as he'd promised, or else his waif would appear. At any rate, I've no idea what to expect from this place"

"Well, let's find out"

"Come on!" said the sorceress. They entered the elven ruins, which were dark…too dark to see clearly, so she casted a spell by magically projecting her voice and saying some elvish words to light up the way down the stairs. "Gvella, glan!" she said.

The spell lightened up the area a bit and they headed down the stairs. A short ways inside, Geralt spied familiar soldiers in the distance investigating a room. "The Wild Hunt"

"The what?! Phantom riders?! That means…I thought they didn't exist!"

"Feast your eyes on the non-existent, then"

The riders of the Hunt then disappeared into a portal. "Hm. Got a navigator with them" Geralt spotted a huge figure wearing similar armour to that of the Wild Hunt. Yet unlike the others, he carried neither a sword nor an axe, but a big magic staff. Clearly, he was the Hunt's expert on matters of magic.

"A what?"

"Can you teleport us to the other side?"

"I'd rather teleport us home. Do you really mean to follow them?"

"Teleport. Hurry up!"

"Not sure I like any of this. Follow me"

Keira opened up a portal. "Ready?" she asked Geralt. He allowed her to go first – "Ahhhh!" she screamed from the fall – and the witcher stepped in after her, but then he appeared in a cave elsewhere, alone. It was then Geralt remembered getting separated from your friends was just one of the many reasons why he so strongly disliked being teleported. "Damn portals. Wonder where Keira is now"

He ran down a tunnel – fortunately, not much stood in his way besides a few drowners and some poisonous gases which was nothing he couldn't handle – to find her in a room, where she had found a literal rat's nest. "Geralt! Do something!" she shrieked like a damsel in distress while using magic to shield herself from the swarms of vermin. "They're crawling out of those holes. Use a Sign! Or Bombs! Anything!"

"Stay calm! They're only rats!" Geralt assured her. "I hate…ugh! I hate rats!" she protested. He slashed his way through about half a dozen or more rats and then used Igni to set their nests on fire while Keira continued to shriek and scream during the fight, crying out things like "Geralt!", "Disgusting", "Get them off! Ahh!", "Uggh, it's disgusting!" and "do you know how many diseases they spread?!"

Once the rats were taken care of, Keira finally calmed down and released her protective spell. Geralt approached her and asked "you that afraid of rats? Could have annihilated them with one spell"

She glared at him and Geralt said "fine…won't say anything. So, what happened to you?"

"There's something here, something that distorts teleportation. I've no idea how the Wild Hunt got to the other side problem-free."

"Wild Hunt's teleportation magic is different. Got specially trained mages for that. Navigators, they call them"

"They can have three helmsmen and a parrot for all I care. I'll not risk that again"

"Let's go. Wild Hunt got a good head start on us, but we still stand a chance"

"Have you gone completely mad?! We must leave at once!"

"I gotta know what the Wild Hunt is doing here"

"But we came to find the elven mage, not fight the Hunt!"

"If they reach him first, we might not get a chance to talk to him. Besides…"

"Go on, finish!" Keira curtly interrupted. "Wait…you've some special interest in the Wild Hunt, haven't you? Is this about Ciri? There's something you've not told me, isn't there?"

"Come with me and maybe I will"

"Are you always like this? I'm beginning to feel sorry for Triss and Yen. Oh, very well. Let's go. Gvella, glan!"

They continued their expedition through the ruins until they came upon a magical projection of the mysterious elven mage, who said in his native elven language "Daughter of the Gull. Greetings. I await you, Daughter of the Gull"

"That's him! That's the elf!"

"Follow the sign of your sword!" the elf said again in the Elder Speech. The hologram then deactivated and Geralt asked "What was that? An illusion?"

"No…a morphotic projection"

"A what projection?"

"Something akin to a postbox for mages. Much safer than an ordinary letter, which anyone can intercept en route to its' recipient."

"Message was definitely for Ciri. Daughter of the Gull – Lara Dorren's heir"

"Indeed. It is what the elves titled Ciri. But what was the bit about the sign of her sword? A riddle?"

"Yeah, not a hard one, though. Not if you know she named her sword "Zireael" – 'Swallow'"

"Come now, who apart from you would know that?"

"Might've been the point. Your elven mage secured the passage, hid it, so that only Ciri could find it"

"He failed to foresee that someone like you would show up"

"Nevertheless, I think he was expecting some uninvited guests, made some preparations. Let's hope the Wild Hunt ran into some obstacles."

"Well then, let's go. Do you think following the swallows will suffice?"

"We'll see"

They continued on through a large, watery cavern. "An old elven…port?" Keira asked.

"Must have been how they got here by sea"

"I wonder how long ago that was"

Geralt spotted some yellow gas ahead and immediately warned Keira by saying "Careful! That oily yellow vapour – it's toxic"

"I hardly need instruction from you. I recognised the vulpine morel immediately."

"Vesemir told me that soon after he'd learned how to cast Igni, he tried it out on a patch of these mushrooms"

"Terrible idea. What happened?"

"Well, he survived. And wounds heal awfully quick on young witchers. Come on"

Geralt used Igni to clear the way – while maintaining a safe distance, of course, unlike Vesemir when he was younger – and continued on with Keira in tow. Nearby, they spot some familiar iconography marking a passage entrance. "A swallow. Seems we're headed the right way."

The swallow-marked passages led them into a large chamber where they saw another projection of the mysterious elf. "Look. It's rather similar to that other pillar with the projection." Keira commented.

Again, in his elven tongue, the Sage said "Swallow, the most obvious route is not always the best. Find Kelpie"

"Kelpie. Does he mean that sea monster?" the sorceress asked her mutated, monster-killing friend. "No. That's what Ciri named her mare. Horse could apparently gallop like a demon"

"Hm, good name for a horse. So, shall we look for it?" Keira asked. "Gvella, glan!"

Nearby, Geralt found a marking of a creature on the wall. "A sea monster. Looks a bit like a Kayran"

"Geralt, what the hell is that?!"

He turned around to see Keira pointing at two ghost-like versions of themselves. "Another security measure. Dammit all…"

While they were fighting their clones with sword and spell alike, Keira asked Geralt "Do you think it's a mind game or something? You know, can you defeat yourself? Are you willing to? Perhaps these apparitions believe they are real"

"Sorry, just don't share your doubts. Know exactly which one of you is real. Now focus on the fight"

Geralt's steel sword clashed and slashed with his clone's while Keira and hers casted spells at one another. It wasn't easy, of course. Not only did the clones look the same, their fighting prowess was essentially identical to their material counterparts. Both sides were more or less evenly matched. However, the real Geralt and Keira managed to defeat them in the end.

"Anything like that ever happen to you before?"

"Weeeell, almost. While back, a certain doppler took a shot at impersonating me" Geralt answered as he sheathed his sword.

"Yes? And?"

"He hated being me. Felt uncomfortable. Dopplers are kind-hearted by nature"

In the centre of the room was a huge well. Geralt looked down into it and saw that the water was deep enough to prevent him from breaking his legs, and jumped into it. He found another drawing scrawled at the bottom shortly afterwards…of a horse, this time. "Drawing of a horse. Clue for Ciri, must be"

Geralt took a deep breath and submerged himself underwater. Beneath the surface, he found an underwater passage marked by the horse drawing. He swam through it and emerged from the other side. Geralt then found another image of a horse. "Kelpie. Another horse. Almost exactly like the last one. Let's see what it does"

He touched it with his hand and caused the room to shake. Then he heard Keira call out to him "Geralt! I don't know what you did, but it worked! Come back here! Look, they're opening!"

The witcher ran back to the previous chamber and found a hidden passage had revealed itself. "Let's go" said Keira. Further in, they saw a massive swallow design above an inactive portal. "Well, now I know what distorted my effort at teleportation. This very portal"

"And I know why I landed in that drowner nest"

"You should be pleased you emerged from the portal in one piece"

"And everyone still wonders why I hate to be teleported"

"We must try to activate it"

"Think that's a…swallow"

Geralt touched a smaller swallow glyph, which reactivated the portal. "It worked. Come"

"Sure it's safe?"

"Of course. The elven mage prepared this passage for Ciri. Come on, now"

They both entered the portal - Keira did so first, of course…as Geralt had already mentioned he didn't like portals. However, he understood that he had no choice but to go through it if he wanted to find Ciri. The witcher simply hoped he would emerge from it in one piece…and wouldn't get separated from Keira again.

Luckily, they came out of the teleport unscathed, and together this time; though they found themselves in a rather unfamiliar place. "It's grown awfully quiet" Keira commented.

"Is that bad?"

"A bit like the calm before the storm"

They heard an odd noise from the chamber next door, and entered it to find a massive golem sentry waiting for them. "Zireael not recognised. Intruders. Destroy the intruders"

Witchers' bestiaries say Golems are mindless matter brought to life by a spell. Magical constructs that obey their creator's orders without question. Their boundless strength, ability to withstand pain, endless patience and the fact that they have no need for even one bit of food or drink makes them the greatest servants and guards anyone could ever wish for. And when provoked, they will not stop until they've either crushed their enemies…or they themselves have crumbled into dust; which isn't too hard to do for a seasoned witcher and a powerful sorceress.

With a bit of sword and sorcery, they were able to do just that. "And that would be that! I knew we'd manage"

"That so? Make sure and tell me beforehand next time"

"My intuition's a fine instrument, witcher. Don't underestimate it. I've some veeeery good feelings about you, for instance. In several domains"

As they ventured onwards, Keira asked Geralt "Once you've finally found Ciri, what will you do? Any plans?"

"Depends what she wants"

"Imagined it – how it will…transpire? What will she say? What will she look like?"

"No."

"I'm sorry. For getting ahead of myself. At times, I forget…we hardly know each other, certainly not enough to discuss personal matters"

"Not to worry. We'll get there"

They enter another room with a teleport and Geralt pointed it out by saying "Teleport over there"

"We must activate it quickly. I've a feeling another golem is about to surprise us."

"Another swallow"

Geralt activated it and Keira said "Look, it worked. Come on"

They enter the teleport and end up back in the main room, but on the other side this time. "Look. We managed to cross the bridge. This is where we saw the Wild Hunt"

"Great. Means they're way ahead of us. Come on"

They run up a flight of stairs and see golems nearby. Fortunately for them, they didn't attack because they had been frozen solid. "Wild Hunt – definitely." Said Geralt without a doubt in his mind.

"They destroyed the mages' sentries? They didn't come here for a friendly chat with the elf"

"Meaning you ever thought they might've?"

They find another golem past the others. "Frozen 'em before they could attack" Geralt observed.

A bit further onward, the pair found a large chamber currently occupied by the Wild Hunt. "Shaar'az!" the navigator said in his native tongue as he casted a spell. "They're here already" one of the soldiers said in the same language.

"I'll tend to them. We've no time to lose. Go"

The mage prepared to cast a large spell. "Shaent tah'vir!" he bellowed, and the room suddenly became deathly cold as an unnatural frost gripped the cavern walls and snow began to fall heavily. "What is this?!" Keira asked.

"The White Frost! Mage from the Hunt summoned it! Can you seal those cracks it's blowing through?"

"They're too far! We must get closer! I shall shield us with Demetia's Crest Surge! Stand at my side!"

Without question or hesitation, Geralt did as he was told and Keira used her knowledge of the Elder Speech to cast a force field spell. "Da'arian annoi!"

A barrier was then erected around her and the witcher that protected them from the chill. "Ready? Stay close! Bhain'ne calar! We must close them!"

"Want me to go…?"

"I'll do it, just cover me!"

Keira then began using her sorcery to close the first portal. Hounds of the Wild Hunt – horrible four legged creatures created by their evil masters out of ice that mindlessly attack anything in their sight like a pack of feral dogs - poured out of it and tried to stop her, but Geralt fended them off with both his silver sword and Signs. One by one, he slew them until Keira chanted "An Gal Scam'Hanach!"

The sorceress took a while, but eventually closed the first portal. She and Geralt then moved on to the next. "Whew, I'm beginning to think we might make it." She said. "Bhain'ne calar!"

Geralt once again defended her from the Hunt's Hounds while she worked on closing the second portal. "An Gal Scam'Hanach!"

Now there was only one left. "Just one more." Said the White Wolf. "Mhm. Bhain'ne calar!"

"An Gal Scam'Hanach!" she siphoned the last of the magic from the portal, ending the freezing spell. "It worked…Da'arian annoi!"

She became noticeably drained and soon collapsed into Geralt's arms. "Keira, what's wrong?" he asked. "It'll pass…that took…a great deal of power"

"Just don't faint on me"

"Now, in your firm embrace? Not on your life!"

"Love to say we could stay a while and rest"

"I know, I know. We must go on"

They moved on to where the mage was, but the exit was blocked by ice. "Hm. They blocked the passage. Maybe I can try-"

"Leave it to me"

She disintegrated the icy barrier with lightning spells. "Gvella, glan! Come. We might still catch them"

"Thanks for your help. Pretty tough slog"

"Good thing I came with you. You'd never have managed without me, would you? Come now, admit it!"

"Yeah. Never"

They come to another chamber containing another Hunt member. He was a huge, heavily-armoured warrior carrying a large two-handed battleaxe…and his name was Nithral.

"He awaits us" said Keira. "You're stubborn, dh'oine!" the big warrior growled.

"Geralt, I shall help you…" Keira spoke up, but was interrupted by Geralt who said as he drew his silver sword "Step back"

"Stop telling me what to do!"

Since this was the first time Geralt had to fight a member of the Wild Hunt, he knew he wouldn't survive – even with the aid of a powerful sorceress - unless he come up with a sound strategy. Nithral was incredibly tall, looked strong and his armour was thick…but it must have a weakness. The witcher simply needed to find it.

He casted Quen to protect himself from the soldier's heavy blows and used his superior speed to steer clear of his axe while hacking and slashing at Nithral's armour until he found a weak spot. Keira, on the other hand, casted lightning spells at the big guy. Though as powerful as her magic was, Nithral's armour was strong enough to protect him from her spells for the most part.

However, at times, she was able to stun him and that gave Geralt an opportunity to cut through the metal that protected him. But while they whittled him down with swords and spells, Nithral growled "Salah vatt'ghern!" and surrounded him in a protective magical shield made of ice while portals opened and Hounds of the Wild Hunt emerged from them. "Geralt! Another rift!" Keira shrieked.

Now the duo were forced to fight the Hounds instead of Nithral until the portal closed again and there were no more Hounds left. Nithral, who used his magic to protect himself while he healed his wounds, continued the fight until he needed to heal them once again.

Needless to say, this battle was not easy. Nithral was as tough as he looked…perhaps tougher. And while the lightness of Geralt's armour made it easier for him to dodge the big guy's attacks, he couldn't dodge every swing. Nithral was also surprisingly quick for an elf his size and actually managed to hit him a few times. Luckily, Geralt used his witcher magic to shield himself. And when that failed, he had brewed a few potions earlier which he used to heal his wounds and keep fighting.

The battle took a long time, but in the end, Geralt and Keira finally managed to slay the Hunt member. "Are you well and whole?" the witch asked. "I feared…"

"Unnecessarily. Let's look around"

"If I've my knickers on straight, this looks like the elf's laboratory"

Another morphotic projector appeared nearby. "Look, the elf left another message for Ciri"

"Daughter of the Gull" the mysterious elf said in his mother tongue. "All right, let's watch this message"

"Zireael, this place is no longer safe. Do not tarry here long. Trust no one, and above all; beware the witches of Crookback Bog. Try to reach the place where last we were together"

The projection ended and Geralt repeated "where last we were together." Not much to go on. Dammit!"

"Perhaps it's best he didn't leave a clearer message. The Wild Hunt broke in here; surely, they saw the projection."

"They searched everything…and if they had more time, they would have torn this place to the ground. But that doesn't change the fact that we haven't learned anything. Not about the elf, not about Ciri"

"Well, we know they were well acquainted and travelling together"

Geralt paused for a moment to think, then recalled the elf mentioned something about witches. "The witches of Crookback Swamp…"

"Crookback Bog"

"Keira! If you're hiding something…"

"But – I didn't say…"

"You know these witches?"

"I've never met them, but I've read of them – in an old manuscript in one of the huts of the village. It mentions the village witches venturing into Crookback Bog at times – to liaison between the villagers and the Crones; the Ladies of the Wood. The Crones appear to be intolerant of outsiders, but they help the local folk. Apparently, they stopped the spread of the plague in Velen"

"Hm. What's your take on all this?"

"I'd love to shrug it off as the nattering of old women, but…throughout my first fortnight in Velen, I had horrible nightmares. Something was calling me out into the swamps. One night, I decided to enter the dream consciously, render it lucid. I confronted the…thing directly. It broke contact at once. Peaceful nights ever since"

"Why didn't you say anything earlier. I told you Ciri had a run in with a witch"

"I had no idea you meant them…If I'd told you something, you would have rushed off to find them…but we first needed to confirm that Ciri was here, right? I shall tell you everything now, of course"

"Now, after I safely led you through the cave?"

"I can't believe you'd think so poorly of me. Perhaps you do bear a grudge against sorceresses"

"Mhm. Can't imagine where that comes from…how do I find them?"

"The swamps are vast, dangerous. But they say the Crones mark the way for peasants who wish to visit them. The manuscript mentions a chapel in Crookback Bog. And from that chapel, one must follow the Trail of Treats."

"Treats"

"Of course, they didn't read you bedtime stories at Kaer Morhen. All normal folk know witches live in gingerbread houses poised atop chicken legs"

"I'll have to see that to believe it"

"Take the tome and read it. I…truly do believe you'll find your Cirilla. All right, then. As a start, let's look for a way out of here."

"Good idea"

"Why'd we even come?"

They inspected the laboratory, but didn't find anything even mildly interesting there besides some herbs – which is rare for a mage to be in possession of – some burnt notes and a potion given to the elf by Keira…which was currently empty.

However, Geralt's medallion started to vibrate when near a wall. "hmm…strange. My medallion's trembling, but there's nothing here…what's with this wall?"

"It's an illusion. I sensed it as well. I suspected we might run into such things, so I brought this"

Keira held out an odd disc. "Meaning what?" Geralt asked. "The Eye of Nehaleni. It dispels illusions. It's bound to come in handy. And each time it does, you'll think of me"

"Hm, thanks"

Geralt took the Eye and used it to dispel the fake wall, revealing a new passage. "Simple, isn't it?" Keira asked him, though she did not require an answer. "Mhm" said Geralt.

"Do you feel that? A flow of fresh air, from the left." Keira commented. Must be an exit that way!"

"Good, let's get outta here"

"Wait, there's still the magic lamp"

"Magic what now?"

"Lamp. The elf promised it to me in exchange for my help. And since his return here seems doubtful, I must retrieve it myself. If I can find it; that is…will you help?"

Geralt thought about it for a moment, then said "Yeah, I'll help"

"Splendid, come then"