The Witcher: Through the Worlds

Chapter 65: Protectors of the Blood

Narrator: The Battle of Kaer Morhen had come to an end, and it was victory for our defenders. However, it did not come without costs. Brave men died, and Dominik of Cintra, the Young Wolf was wounded and almost killed fighting Eredin, King of the Wild Hunt. However, after a week of careful treatment thanks to Freya Kaminski of Ellander, support and love from his friends, and most importantly having Ciri back by his side, Dominik is walking yet again. Meanwhile Ciri had been training to better control her powers with the elven sage Avallac'h. Soon they will all move out again, to take the fight to the Wild Hunt, to find Eredin, so that they may finally end him. However, while Ciri is training and Dominik is recovering, the young lovers take the few moments they have to finally spend quality time with one another after eight years apart. However, on a day where they plan to simply take a ride into the forest with one another, something goes astray, and Dominik will learn something pivotal to the destiny of Ciri and he both…

"Hey buddy, good to see you again," Dominik said gently, as Ciri watched him lean forward and gently stroke the horse's mane.

She felt her heart grow warm, and she smiled broadly when she watched the white stallion eagerly bump his head against Dom's, before nuzzling his face into his shoulder. Her love's laugh filled her ears, and Ciri couldn't think of a single moment the last week that she had felt so elated, so much more pure joy then she did then, watching him laugh as his horse eagerly greeted him again. On the way he had told Ciri the story of how he met the animal, a few days after Rivia, he had been wondering alone through the forest, walking the whole time since the incident in the city. He had found the white stallion bone thin, fighting a pack of wolves, and his protective instinct kicked in. Dominik had saved the horse, which Ciri remembered that he did indeed name Clop again from the wolves, and nursed the animal back to health, before for the previous two years the stallion had practically been his best-friend, his only companion most times. He joked with Ciri that he felt the horse could practically read his mind, and initially she had laughed it off.

However, as she saw the horse eagerly nuzzling its head into his neck, and saw Dominik completely elated, Ciri was starting to believe it. The sun beat down on them, and the chilly breeze pleasantly blew through her hair, cooling her body as she lightly laughed. Looking at him laugh then, seeing him standing, walking, she didn't think anyone would believe that only eight days ago, Dominik had been minutes from dying. He was just like she always remembered now, full of life, energy, a huge smile on his face as he eagerly pet the horses head and mane, so warm, warm and alive, and his smile made her chest flutter. After so many days of her non-stop training, him recovering, seeing him so happy, it brought a broad smile to her face as well. And as the morning sun beat down on them both near the stables, she almost scoffed, still not believing Avallac'h had actually given her the morning off to go for a ride with him.

After yesterday, the argument they had, despite the fact he insisted she didn't have too, she wanted to do something special for him, even if it was small. She didn't tell him, but she saw the new unfinished crown of flowers he had been making her in his room, she had already been planning on doing something, but seeing he clearly had as well only spurred her on. She knew how much he wanted to ride, simply be out of the keep. So, she had went and begged the sage for just that morning lesson off, and she didn't know why but the sage had agreed rather easily, stating how maybe a small bit of time off would make her focus more, but he had been fervent she show up for their lesson in the afternoon. Ciri knew it was a small price to pay, so she had agreed, before eagerly collecting Dominik from his room and bringing him to the stables. She knew he was making her something, so she felt slightly bad that all she thought of was taking him for a ride through the forest, however, seeing his smile then, made her smirk grow even wider, and when he turned to her he gleefully laughed.

"Haha, Ciri this is Clop," He said gently guiding the stallion towards her and stroking the animal's neck again, "Basically been my best-friend the last two years. Clop this is Ciri."

The horse looked over and bopped Dom's head again, laughing he smiled and nodded, "Yes, THAT Ciri."

"You still talk to your horse," She asked with a smirk, and he laughed once more and rolled his eyes.

"Of course I do," He said with a smile, turning back he met the stallion's eyes, "Clop here can basically read my mind. Go on buddy say hi."

Ciri laughed lightly as the horse turned and cantered over to her. The animal truly was beautiful, with a sparkling white coat that the sun shone off of. She looked and met the animal's black eyes with a smile, and gently reached out to stroke its mane.

"Haha… hello there, it's so nice to meet you, he hasn't gotten on your nerves too much has he?" She asked the horse who responded by nickering, and Ciri swore she saw it roll its eyes.

Dominik playfully scoffed, "Traitor…"

Clop neighed and playfully batted his head against hers and nuzzled into her neck the same as he did Dominik's and Ciri laughed. She continued to laugh and pet the horse's neck, and behind the animal she saw Dominik leaning up against one of the posts of the stable, smiling at her, and Ciri took the minute to admire how well his face had healed.

He only wore a white top again, and Ciri found herself looking down at his chest as she normally did. She saw a piece of the long scar she knew ran diagonally down him, and felt her face get slightly red. He also had on the trousers to his armor, with his boots and of course the swallow and the wolf around his neck. She found herself smirking when she met his eyes, he smiled mischievously at her, his brown hair was soft and silky now as it blew in the wind, his gorgeous green eyes sparkled, and she couldn't find herself looking away from them. A cool breeze ran through her shoulders and they chilled above her top, it blew strands of her hair out of her face, and after gently patting Clop's neck once more she took a few small steps towards him when she noticed he hadn't stopped looking at her. Clop neighed and seemed to roll his eyes before he went to join with the other horses that were in the stables, Roach, along with a few other mares and horses were grazing, and Ciri quickly looked and saw the white stallion turn to join in.

She turned back around to see him sure enough still looking at her, and she couldn't help but laugh at the loving look he was giving her. The sun casted a beautiful glow over him as his shadow fell over her. Gently she walked up and met his eyes, and when he saw the look in them, she felt herself pleasantly tingle. His eyes, they bore into her like she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen as he leaned against the wooden support post, gently he stood off it and looked down at her. A small smile was on his face, and the gaze made her face heat up slightly as it normally did as well, and she soon found herself lightly laughing.

"Ha… and what are you smirking at," She said as she gently reached her hands up to wrap around his neck.

Smiling he laughed, and as her arms went around his neck, soon she felt herself gently pulled closer to him. Both his strong arms wrapped around her slim waist, around her corset to pull her closer until their chests were touching, she felt herself lean against his hard chest and it made her feel warm, he was still the warmest person she knew. He let out a breathless sigh and gently laughed as he shook his head again.

"What? Am I not allowed to just look and admire how beautiful you are from time to time?" He said with a slightly amused tone as he smirked at her.

She felt her face get hotter, but she chuckled and met his eyes, "No you are… but am I right in assuming you're trying to get another kiss like last night out of me?"

"Well… how close am I?" He said playfully as she felt his arm explore up her back before wrapping around her again.

Every bit of her back he touched she felt herself pleasantly shudder, she chuckled again, after biting her lip for a moment she playfully looked at him. She leaned up closer to his ear and lightly whispered, as she did she could feel him shudder, along with the hairs on his neck stand up.

"Pretty close… but you know, I've told you, you can just ask me to kiss you, you don't have to suck up for me to do it," She said before she pulled back and smirked at him.

She laughed more when she saw how red he got, how flustered he got before he slowly nodded and stuttered, "Ha.. can… can you-."

"Yes, yes I can," She said with a triumphant smile, before leaning up and kissing him.

The night before after they argued, after she went to his room to apologize, she found herself laying in his bed, cuddling into him and kissing him for almost an hour. It wasn't until she realized she'd be late for one of her lessons that she left, telling him that if he took a bath she'd come back later. He had, and she indeed had kept her promise. The previous night had felt like the first true night she spent with him. She fell asleep in his bed plenty of times when they were younger, but last night, falling asleep with his arms around her, leaning against his chest, it had felt absolutely perfect when she awoke. She managed to slip out of bed and go to meet with Avallac'h to ask him to skip the morning lesson. She could see how elated he had been that whole previous night, they had talked about smaller stories they both had, she listened with bated breath at some of the contracts he had completed. He had told her about the tribe of skin changers he had saved up in Kovir, and the time he fought what he thought would be a grave hag but turned out to be a necromancer gone crazy.

Of course there had been kissing in between, and a small part of her laughed realizing Geralt had been right. A large part of why they had both been so angry the day before, was the pure fact they hadn't been able to spend true, quality time with one another. So, after the previous night, she knew he felt just as refreshed as she did. He was finally able to walk, and the next day he would finally begin some basics of training again. After a day or two of that, Freya had said he should be ready for real training, and Geralt, Faram, George, Letho, Gaeten and of course Ciri herself had offered to help get him back into shape. It wouldn't take long for him too she knew, and before they knew it, it would finally be time.

Finally time for them to bring the fight to the Hunt, and after they had beat them, they both were planning on creating new stories, together, across every single part of the continent.

He squeezed tighter, and breathlessly laughed between each kiss she gave him, "Ha… I… I love you… god I… I missed you."

"I missed you too…glad… glad you didn't forget how to kiss me," She said jokingly, and as soon as she did he deepened the kiss.

He pulled back and leaned his forehead against her for a moment, he breathlessly laughed and Ciri held his face as he spoke, "Ha… I… I could never forget… I'll never get tired of it either."

"Good…" She said softly, leaning closer to his ear again with a small laugh, "Because… I missed you… a lot… and you've gotten even more handsome since I saw you last."

He laughed, and when she felt his hands go under her thighs she did as well. He lifted her up and quickly she wrapped her legs around his waist as she felt herself begin to laugh ever more at the sound of him doing the same. She felt like she was flying for a moment before she looked down at him while still holding his face in her hands. She felt his hands under her thighs and lightly shuddered with a breathless smile as she looked down to meet his loving gaze. He smiled back up at her, and the love in his eyes, it washed over her, he still looked at her like nothing else mattered, gently he leaned up and pecked her on the lips again.

"And… you're even more beautiful then I could have imagined," He said with a genuine look of amazement on his face, and the compliment made her face heat up even more.

She laughed lightly and gingerly ran her right thumb over his new scar. He shuddered lightly at her touch, and she was about to say something, but that was when she felt him kiss the side of her neck. She let out a breathless moan before she could even think, she felt that tingle run from the spot on her neck, all the way down her body, before she felt herself scoff and look down at him.

"Such a gentleman… you know… I say we make this ride a little interesting," She said playfully, as she smiled down at him.

He chuckled and let her legs slide back down to the ground, "Oh yeah? What do you got in mind princess?"

She smirked as regrettably she felt his hands leave her waist. He met her smirk with one of his own as he looked down at her. Biting her lip she held onto his arm as the afternoon breeze gently blew both their hair. It was truly a beautiful day, and Ciri hadn't experienced one like it in such a long time. A perfect day, her, Dominik, horses, she had a lesson later yes, but that night they'd get together with Geralt and all their friends, Freya said she'd make dumplings which were Ciri's favorite. And to finish it off, she'd cuddle up in bed with him, they'd talk for hours and fall asleep.

And she was even debating making that the night, the night she finally told him everything. She had thought about it the previous night, while they were both in bed, but something had stopped her, telling her the time wasn't right, so she held off. Like he was then as the breeze shot through them both, he had been so, so happy, and so was she, she didn't want to ruin the moment they were having. She had still been undecided on whether to tell him that night in the moment, but either way, after their fight the day before, and how hard they had both been working, she wanted something special that night.

So, she smiled and met his eyes as they were glistening in the sunlight, "We race a few miles out and back… if I win.. you have to cook the two of us dinner, and before you ask no, you can't have Freya help you."

He scoffed and rolled his eyes, "You know that it may turn out horrible."

She chuckled and smirked at him, "I know, but I still want you to try. You'll cook us dinner, and we'll have dinner in your room, and you can recite your play for me, from beginning to end."

The smile that grew on his face made her heart flutter, and she again took a second to appreciate the glow the sun casted over him. He laughed and let his hands fall to his side, and she smirked when he wrapped them both around her waist again.

"Okay… and if I win?" He said playfully as he looked down to meet her eyes.

It was her turn to playfully laugh, she felt herself chuckling as she bit her lip again. Slowly she brought her lips up to his ear, and as she softly spoke into his ear and held his arm, she right away felt the goosebumps run up them.

"If you win well… I could use a bath," She said playfully and right away she noticed his eyes widen before she laughed and went on, "And Freya says it's good for your leg to soak in hot water, helps it loosen, so if you win… maybe you could join me?"

She pulled back and when she saw his widened, flustered look she felt herself laugh uncontrollably. He stuttered and Ciri couldn't help it, she gently wrapped her arms around his neck, and right away he did the same around her waist. She kept smirking up at him, she had really meant it, she still didn't want to go all the way until she told him everything, but that didn't mean she didn't find the prospect of a bath with him enticing herself. She felt herself lightly shake and smile as she imagined it, and it only increased when she brought one hand down to his chest.

His face was completely red, and Ciri smirking at him didn't help it go away any. He managed to breathlessly laugh as he slowly nodded at her.

"Ha…ye…yeah…that… that sounds like a deal," He stuttered, and Ciri found herself laughing again as she felt the warm sunlight hit her face.

Quickly she leaned up and kissed him quickly, before pulling back with a smirk, "Okay, good, now let's see which one of these mares I'll beat you and Clop with before we-."

She was cut off, and both their heads turned around when they heard Clop nickering behind them, followed by a *THUD* as she noticed something fall from the horse's saddle. It fell out of one of the stallion's saddlebags and landed in a pile of hay. She narrowed her eyes and all she saw was a bundle of brown leather, a book, and she scoffed turning back to Dominik, who's face was no longer red as he also looked curiously at the book.

"Ha, I didn't take you for that much a reader on the Path," She joked with him, as he looked back to her and gently laughed.

He smiled at her and gently shook his head, "I read yeah but… that's not a textbook or anything, I almost completely forgot about it."

Slowly he left her grasp, and for a moment Ciri heard the wind begin to howl in her ears. She felt her skin slightly begin to tingle as she watched Dominik slowly reach down and pick up the leather-bound book. Carefully, she took a few steps towards him, and with every steps she just felt something was off. Her eyes fell on the book, and when she stood next to him and saw the cover, her eyes narrowed for a moment and then widened.

"Dom… where did you get this?" She said as she gently ran her hand over the coat of arms on the leather cover.

The sun beat down her neck as her heart began to race. She recognized the coat of arms, she had only seen it once or twice, but it was distinct enough for her to remember. Two swords crossed, and below those blades was the intricately drawn head of a dragon. Her gaze shifted down and she noticed the words, 'Proktechers oe te bloed,', was written under the coat of arms, along with the initials A.L. She looked around Dom's neck as he held the book and could see his medallion lightly humming, and around her waist she felt the cat one doing the same. It was clearly magic on the closed book, but it wasn't the magic, or the fact she recognized the symbol that made Ciri worry, it was the tingling at the base of her neck. She felt almost as if she should know, know who A.L. was, and why the journal was important.

Dominik looked down and met her eyes, "Got it when Geralt and I were on our way to get you. We saved a Salamandra convoy, in their cart, I found this journal, and a potion."

"Salamandra?" Ciri asked as she didn't recognize the name.

He shook his head, "Long story, Geralt will tell you later. But in the cart this… this book it… it called out to me. Remember how you told me Brokolon called to you? And then when you went it was when you met Geralt?"

Ciri scoffed and nodded, "Of course I do, I could never forget. You… you're saying this thing, and a potion called to you?"

Slowly he nodded as their eyes stayed locked, "Yeah it… it kept saying things about destiny, how my destiny was near. I.. was skeptical at first, but I'm glad I took them. If I hadn't drank that potion, well… I don't know if either of us would be here."

"What do you mean?" She asked as a hundred questions started to fill her mind.

Sighing he bit his lip, "When… when I drank the potion I.. unlocked my carrier powers. It.. it unlocked the strands of DNA that were closed like I told you about. But… but I also had a vision, a vision of a man."

"A man? Did you know who it was?" She asked him right away.

Shaking his head he sighed again, "No but… I think it was my ancestor, the one who gave me my powers. He.. he told me if all seemed lost to remember the words, 'ae minne taedh essea heyu' and-."

"That was the spell you used to calm my powers…" Ciri said slowly as she tore her head back down to the journal, "If.. if that potion showed you your ancestor, then… then maybe this book could have belonged to him. I… recognize the coat of arms."

"That's what I started thinking but… you do? Where have you seen it before?" He quickly asked her, his voice getting slightly frantic.

She bit her lip and looked back up to him, "I… saw it once or twice in Avallach's notes. I.. don't know what it means but…"

"If it's in your nanny elf's notes… it has to be old," Dominik said, and Ciri rolled her eyes at his words before he looked back at the book and sighed, "I just wish I could get the damn thing open, now that I found you… if I can learn who my ancestor is, then I can figure out more about my own powers."

Ciri felt her love for him spike in that moment. She remembered back after she had awoken, when they were talking in that hut on the Isle of Mists. He had told her he hadn't inquired more about his powers, because all he wanted to do was focus on her. She had known that if he figured out who his ancestor was, then he'd have a much easier time learning to master his powers and could learn just how far his magic could go. She had seen a great glimpse of it during the battle, the whirling magic around his limbs, the power that was put into his signs, he moved at speeds that Ciri didn't know possible, and in the end even after so much fighting, he had stood for a good amount of time against Eredin. She also could see the slightly enthused look he got, he wanted to know, he wanted to know who had given him the powers, especially if his ancestor had given him the spell to calm her in the vision. She knew 'Proktechers oe te bloed', translated to 'protectors of the blood', and as soon as she read the words, and thought them over, the thought finally came to her.

They had always known, but it seemed that Dominik and she truly were linked by destiny, even more then just by the fact his parents had said so. She had always known and loved this fact, she loved him, and as she grew she began to realize, he truly was one of her destinies, him and Geralt. The man she loved also happened to be her destiny, that was a part of the reason they had found each other, and if Ciri ever had any luck or good fortune in her life, it was the fact that was true, the person she loved was her destiny, and he loved her back just as fiercely.

However, another reason that even Ciri herself was curious to figure out who his ancestor was, was because of the Hunt's reaction to him. Eredin himself had referred to him as 'his descendant', and Ciri knew Dominik even more so then her, wanted to know who 'he' was that the Hunt kept referring too. Whoever it was, they had to have pissed the Hunt off enough to make them willing to leave Ciri be, to leave her there while Eredin himself personally tried to kill their descendant. She could even remember Eredin commenting how he killed that ancestor's children, his son and daughter, and now he wanted to end the line by killing Dominik. She wouldn't let that happen, he wouldn't get Dominik, she would die before she did. However, she needed to learn control first, and she also knew that Dominik wanted to fight Eredin again, to make him pay for chasing her for all those years. They couldn't both kill the King in their current state she knew, but there was no way if she could help it that she'd make him fight alone again. They'd train together, they'd grow even stronger together.

And if figuring out who his ancestor was helped that, then Ciri was ready to help him.

She looked up and nodded at him, "You're right, I'm going to help you… we just need to figure out how to get it open. It looks like it's locked."

He breathlessly laughed and nodded at her, "Thanks princess…. And it is, no matter what Geralt and I tried it wouldn't open."

"Let me see," She said gingerly taking it from his hands.

He looked at her as she examined the journal, and it didn't seem like anything particularly special. It was like any normal leather-bound journal you could by in the market. She bit her lip in concentration as she turned it. The horses near them nickered, and the sun beat down on her neck, she could feel Dom looking at her waiting with bated breath. She wanted to help him, however she didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. The wind shot through her bun and loose strands of hair, and she finally let out a sigh before she turned around to look at the latch.

And that was when she first noticed the seal.

"Did you see this here…" Ciri said, holding it up to him, and he leaned his head down next to her, "I… think I've seen something like this before too."

A sort of faded glyph was imprinted onto the metal latch. It was faded to the point where if you weren't looking for something then you wouldn't have noticed. She felt one of his arms wrap around her waist, and he leaned his head down over her shoulder to look. A small smile came to her face at his touch, but when she met his eyes he gently shook his head.

"No… I didn't, but to be fair I was kind of rushing, had something much, much more important to get too when I found it," He said with a slightly amused tone as he smirked at her.

She scoffed out a small laugh as she smiled back at him. Quickly she leaned to kiss his cheek and smiled at his flustering face before looking back to the journal. The glyph looked extremely familiar the longer she looked at it. Just like she had with the coat of arms, she had seen it multiple times on a few of the books Avallac'h had carried with him. She looked to see he had gently removed his arm from her waist and came in front of her. Around his neck she could see the eyes of his medallion slightly humming, it confirmed her theory and she looked up to meet his eyes as the sun casted their shadows over the ground.

She smirked and scoffed, "I'll remember that compliment later. But… like I said, I think I recognize what this glyph is now."

He chuckled and smiled once more before looking at the book in her hands, "You're full of surprises today princess. Where'd you see it? Did nanny elf have something like it again?"

Rolling her eyes she nodded, "Yes he did…. It's a blood seal, Avallac'h has a similar symbol around some of his books."

"A blood seal? Sounds painful," He joked with her, and Ciri managed to let out a small laugh.

She met his eyes with a smirk, handing him back the journal she shook her head, "Not hard at all actually. All it needs is a tiny drop of blood from either the one who casted the spell, or someone with their shared blood. So, if this journal is really your ancestors…"

"Then looks like I need to borrow your dagger," He said with a smirk as he gestured down to her waist, "Do you mind?"

"Not at all," She said as she eagerly slid the sleek knife out of her belt and twirled it before she held it out for him, "Did Yen or anyone have any guesses on who it might be?"

He reached out to take the knife from her and shook his head, "No, I did see she was reading a book in Skellige on old houses. She was trying to see if any had a powerful mage…. Whoever it is though, clearly they majorly pissed off Eredin, enough to where he was willing to fight me."

"And apparently he killed them too… and their children," Ciri said, as she felt her heartbeat begin to increase and her skin crawled.

Right away he saw the change in her mood and gently shook his head. He smiled broadly at her and took a step closer, he laughed lightly and met her eyes.

"Don't worry princess, if we can figure this out, maybe next time I'll last longer," He said in an obvious attempt to cheer her up.

She sighed in annoyance and rolled her eyes, "You know, I really wish you wouldn't joke about that…"

After she narrowed her eyes at him he lightly chuckled and shook his head, "Okay, okay I'm sorry. But seriously, don't worry… not going anywhere I promise. Now, you ready to figure out where I got my super magic blood powers from?"

She let out a shaky breath and met his eyes. In them, she could see the excited enthralled look, she knew that he had reason to be like that. For so long he must have been wondering who passed the powers down to him. She remembered he said for a carrier's powers to unlock, they needed to start using magic, unlock their DNA completely, and sometimes there was a third trigger, one set by the mage who passed down the power that completed the activation. However, they didn't know if he had a third trigger, from what she had seen, the power he showed, she had just assumed it was already unlocked, but the knowledge of who the ancestor was, was something that could help them greatly. She thought it was ridiculous herself, but she knew he thought he could have done more for her, beaten Eredin, done more damage so she could have escaped, somehow prevented everything that happened to her.

Ciri had assumed most woman's boyfriends wouldn't fight the King of the Wild Hunt for them, however, despite her and everyone's insistence, she knew he thought he could have done more. In reality, she knew it was herself who could have done more, in the previous week, she'd had plenty of nightmares, seeing Dominik get cut by Eredin's blade, his body lifeless underneath her, the explosions, Declan and Arno's sacrifice, and of course her powers unleashing. It all led to what they were doing now, preparing for that final push, so that she could finally, finally get that life she wanted, that life with herself, Dominik and her family. Their last journey in this chapter of their lives would begin soon, as soon as they left Kaer Morhen, and it would possibly be even more dangerous then the previous one.

However, Dominik and she would both have each other for this one, and she knew figuring out who his ancestor was would greatly help them. So even though she felt the anxiousness in her rise, from thinking about their entire situation, she was calmed by his enthused look, the smile he gave her in that moment. She managed to sigh as a small smile came to her face, she gently nodded and met his eyes as the wind whipped through his brown hair.

"Alright, let's do it, just hurry up," She said jokingly as she smirked up at him, "We have a race, and a wager to get underway but maybe… we can just race for fun, and can do both those things tonight, because I really do need a bath."

He got all red again and scoffed out a breathless laugh before nodding, "Ha… I like that idea…. Okay, let's see how this goes."

Ciri watched as he slid the book under his arm, before carefully bringing her knife up to his bare palm. With a quick flick of his wrist she felt her skin crawl as he winced, and she saw the light drops of crimson blood come from her knife in the sunlight. He blinked for a minute before smirking and handing her back her dagger. She took it gingerly and wiped the small bit of blood on it off on her corset, before sliding the knife back into the sheath she had for it. The wind howled in her ears yet again, as all the horses behind her nickered impatiently, and the sweat from the beating sun trickled down her neck.

"Alright… now lets see if this works," He said, before bringing his left hand up over the book.

Gently he placed his hand on the latch, and Ciri's eyes widened, because the moment Dominik's bloody hand touched the latch, sure enough the magic worked. Her heartbeat increased as a bright blue light encircled the journal, the same color that their powers exhumed when they unleashed. Dominik backed his head up, and Ciri saw the light bounce off his emerald eyes, and thought for a moment he was going to drop it, but then a loud *POP* ripped through the air, and she saw the latch to the book explode open. She had to take a step back as her heart nearly leapt from her chest. After looking back she saw the book looked as if it was barely touched, and as the sun beat down onto them both, she gently looked up to meet Dom's eyes.

"Ha… looks like you were right princess, gods… this things making my medallion go crazy," He commented, Ciri looked around his neck, and sure enough his wolf medallion was vibrating almost uncontrollably.

Slowly she nodded and took a step closer to him, "Yeah… I can practically feel the magic exhuming off of it. What's it say inside? Does it have a name or anything?"

Carefully Dominik flipped through the pages. Ciri walked up next to him as she felt the wind begin to howl even harder, and suddenly as if it only took a few seconds, the clouds came and covered the sun. Dominik kept his eyes down on the pages, but Ciri tore her gaze up to the sky. Clouds had indeed come rolling in, and behind her she looked and saw Clop, along with all the horses neighing and bucking nervously. A cold breeze shot through her body, and her bare shoulders quivered. Looking back up, she saw the clouds were getting dark as they slowly continued to roll in.

Dominik spoke up next to her and tore her gaze back to him, "It's… blank, all of it's blank, well that was… anticlimactic."

"Blank? That's impossible, why would your ancestor put a blood seal on his journal if he wasn't hiding anything?" Ciri asked, as she began to shiver from the now potent wind.

"Don't know… maybe this isn't… wait… wait here it is. Kinda weird how it's the same words on every page though…" He said slowly, and she quickly looked down at the old pages, just as the sunlight was replaced by cloud cover.

She shakily sighed from the cold, but her eyes widened again, and her blood started to race when she saw the pages. Dominik's eyes were intently flipping through pages, examining them all as if he was actually interested in what they said. However, no matter how hard Ciri tuned her vision, she couldn't see anything at all. The first drop of rain fell on the pages of the book, and that was when she looked up to Dominik.

"Dom… those pages are blank, what are you talking about?" She asked him, as the drops of rain started gently spitting at them.

He looked at her incredulously as his brown hair started to blow to the side in the wind. Rain slowly started to hit her head, and the fact he seemed so convinced, so sure that their were words on the page worried her, she thought for a moment that perhaps he had hit his head during the fight with Eredin harder then she had first assumed. Behind them the horses knickered, and as the wind howled she looked down at the pages again. She tried to narrow her eyes, blink, anything, but no matter what she did, all she saw was the wet spots the raindrops were leaving on the pages. She looked back and he laughed lightly and shook her head as he turned back to the pages.

"What do you mean, clear as day, huge letters… you recognize the words," He asked as he flipped a few pages and landed on one before he looked back to her, "Rostiel te bloed aep bloed, you know, I really should have taken those elder speech lessons with you and Triss when-."

He stopped talking, and Ciri saw his eyes go wide. His green irises stayed put in a look of shock, and his arm which Ciri had reached to grab had gone completely stiff. He was using both hands to hold the book open and he still did, it was propped open on one page, and Ciri still didn't see anything on it before she looked back up to him.

"Dom? What were you saying, what is it," She said as she grabbed onto his arm.

And when he didn't respond that was when she first knew something was wrong. She narrowed her eyes and felt her heart begin to race, a loud *BOOM* of distant thunder clapped ahead, and the horses behind her bucked and neighed, the rain started to come down harder, quickly drenching her ashen locks, but she didn't care about any of it in that moment, because as she shook him, gripped his arm harder… he still didn't move. He was a stiff as a piece of wood, and frantically she felt her heart race, the ring around her neck trembled as she quickly got back in front of him and grabbed his face.

"Dominik!? Dom, this isn't funny at all, what's wrong," She said as she felt her skin begin to crawl, her heart almost beat out of her chest, and as she tried to move his head nothing worked. She stood on her toes and looked directly into his eyes, her voice rising to a panic, "DOMINIK!? Dom!? Dom, do you hear me!? It's me, Ciri, come on what's wrong!?"

But he still didn't respond, and his body still hadn't moved. She slowly shook her head as her arms began to tremble, she gently slid her shaking hands to his chest. For a moment she was horrified, but then she felt his heartbeat still going. His eyes were unresponsive, but his chest lightly rose and fell, everything else however, it all stayed stiff, and the rain pounded down on his head, his shirt became drenched, the thunder boomed again overhead, and that was when Ciri began to panic.

"DOMINIK!? DOM COME ON, IT'S ME CIRI," She started begging as she shook his shoulders, she was beginning to have horrible flashbacks to him unresponsive after the battle, so she only shook even more fiercely as she looked deep into his eyes, "DOM!? DOM WHAT'S WRONG, SAY SOME-."

Ciri was cut off when his eyes flashed completely bright blue, and he completely crumpled to the ground, just as another massive boom of thunder ripped overhead.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

"Urgh… fuck my head… I need to stop passing out like this," Dominik said with a shake of his head, as all he could see as he blinked was fuzzy images.

He had no idea where he was, the last thing he remembered was seeing Ciri's face, talking to her, but then out of nowhere he felt the magic surge in him. It felt as if his bones all at once had been shocked with a bolt of lightning, and that was when he saw nothing but white. He didn't remember hitting the ground, other then the headache he didn't feel any pain other than the throbbing of his brain. Looking down as his vision began to clear, he saw he was wearing exactly what he had been wearing when he passed out. His medallion and the silver swallow bounced on his chest, he wore the same boots, trousers, shirt, and much to his regret he still felt the throbbing, tingling pain in his right leg. He hadn't admitted it to anyone, not even Ciri, but there were still moments when his wound would erupt and feel like it was on fire. However, he knew he had much more important things to worry about in that moment.

Like figuring out where the hell he had gone, as his senses retuned and his blurry vision finally cleared, he could see he clearly wasn't at Kaer Morhen anymore.

"Where the hell am I… medallion's going crazy," He groaned to himself as he shakily stood up and finally he managed to look around.

His leg trembled still, but after steadying himself he felt the warmth of the fire. Slowly he craned his head and he was in what looked to be a large bedroom, a master bedroom. He noticed a large four poster bed, along with two massive bookshelves. Multiple tables, chests, containers, it was as if someone was meant to be shacked up in that room for weeks. He noticed mortars and pestles, magic amulets, a few old swords, and even a megascope. Scoffing he heard the fire crackling in his ears and felt the flames warm him. His cheek lightly throbbed, and as he gently moved his leg trembled. Shakily he sighed as he walked over to the megascope, carefully he ran his hand over where he knew the crystal was supposed to go.

"Looks exactly like Yen's, where the hell did-. FUCK," He said as out of nowhere, he saw the megascope begin to slightly shift, as if his vision were moving in front of him, and as his medallion began humming more incessantly, he let out a relaxed breath and scoffed.

He looked closer at the table next to the megascope and saw the shimmering as well, and finally he sighed as his theory was confirmed.

"An illusion… pretty damn powerful one too… spell I saw must have been the trigger," He said as he scoffed and gently fiddled with the swallow around his neck, "Sucked me in… and Ciri didn't see the words… because only someone with my blood could see it."

A hearty laugh came from behind him, "Bahaha! Clever my boy! I would expect nothing less however, from what I've seen, those witchers have trained you well!"

"FUCK," He yelled as his heart nearly leaped out of his chest and he whirled around, he hadn't seen anyone in the room before, but he yelled, "What the hell, you scared the-… it's you. I… I saw you, saw you when I drank that potion!"

The old blonde man laughed again and smirked wildly at him, "Haha yes indeed my boy! Old spell my daughter came up with, utter genius that girl was. Simple really, it tames out of control magic, calms it, but only if you're strong enough yourself!"

Dominik scoffed, "It nearly fucking killed me too but… well I should be thanking you then, if… if I didn't have it, I… wouldn't have been able to save Ciri."

An even more wicked smirk came to the old man's face, "Ahhh young love! Nothing more heartwarming then that! You and that Cirilla HA, like a new Cregan and Lara, even though thankfully for you, you inherited my looks as opposed to his!"

He floundered for a moment as he looked at the eccentric looking old man. Dominik scoffed as he thought the man had appeared out of nowhere. He had thought that the man he saw in the vision when he drank the potion was his ancestor but seeing him now only made him flounder. In the vision, the man had been sage like, composed, and had deathly serious green eyes. Now however, the old man before him looked like a loon. He wore elegant black robes, with streaks of grey, but he also noticed the coat of arms sewed into the chest. Two swords crossed over a dragon's head, exactly like he had seen on the journal. His gaze went to the man's left hand, he held a large pure white staff, and at the top he saw a crystal ball that was held in place by the tight branches. The ball swirled with what seemed to be orange fire, however, the staff wasn't the man's only weapon, an elegant longsword was at his hip, the bright steel glinted, and it seemed like it could almost be a witchers blade. Dominik's skin was warmed by the crackling fire, but he felt all his breath leave him when he looked up to the man's face.

The first thing he noticed was how extremely long his hair was. His straight, silky looking blonde hair went all the way down to his waist, it was streaked with bits of grey, white, and his beard was even longer. The old man's beard was tied into intricate knots and fell down to above his stomach, but it was also frizzy, sticking out at all angles, and the man's pale, old, leathery hands were covered in old scars and burn marks. His gaze traveled up to the man's face, he had a crooked, tiny old nose, but a broad, eccentric smile was on his face, as if he was finally elated to see someone after being stuck in that illusion for so long. Around his face, Dominik saw more old cut and burn marks, his leathery, pale old skin slightly sagged, but he still maintained his smile. Dominik didn't believe for a few seconds that this was his ancestor, the old man, even if Dominik imagined him as younger, looked absolutely nothing like him.

However, when he looked up at the old man's eyes, all of his doubts were erased.

As he looked at them, he couldn't help but marvel at how exactly similar the man's eyes were to his. A shining, sparkling, dark emerald green. Ciri had told Dominik multiple times he had almond shaped eyes, and when he smiled, his irises would seem to grow three sizes. And as he looked at the man then, he saw the exact same thing. However, even with the man's eyes looking almost exactly identical to him, he gazed back down at the rest of him. The old man stood there smirking wildly with his staff against the ground, the fire crackled and glowed off his leathery skin, it was a stark contrast to the man he had seen during the vision.

Narrowing his eyes Dominik spoke carefully, "You… um… look… a… little different, then you did when I saw you in that vision."

The old man scoffed and laughed heartily again, "Haha that's because I planted that message just before I died! Told my children how to do it, GODS I was strong then!"

Again Dominik scoffed and shook his head, "Planted it? What are you talking about, how… how is that possible?"

Quickly the old man laughed yet again and shook his head, "Baha my boy, I would love to sit and talk about the ins and outs of magic with you, I'd even whip us up some tea if we had time, Lara always said I made the best earl grey! But we have little time! We must get moving!"

The old man went to turn around, but Dominik's head started to spin, and he quickly took a few limping steps to come up next to the old man's staff.

"Hold up, who are you!? Are you my ancestor, how the hell did you get stuck in an illusion? I've heard of whole worlds being stuck in books like this, but I.. I need to get out, Ciri's probably going crazy, last thing I remember is my powers flashing in my eyes!" He said to the old man, who quickly turned back to face him.

For the first time, Dominik saw the old man's face soften. He smiled softly down at him, even in such an old age the man was extremely tall, and he gently gazed into Dominik's emerald eyes with his own, the eyes he had passed all the way down to him apparently. For a moment, Dominik thought that the man looked like one of the stereotypical wizards you'd see in old fairytales. His staff's crystal ball of fire whirled as the fire in the hearth crackled, and soon the wild smirk appeared back in the old man's face as he lightly chuckled and bowed to him.

"Aha, you must forgive my manners my boy, in old age they're the first thing that starts to go! Alexander of Lod! It's a pleasure to finally meet you Dominik, I'm your great, great, great, great…." The old man started to trail off, as if he was trying to think of the exact number of great's that came between him and Dominik, but eventually gave up and scoffed, "Bah I don't know the exact number. Bottom line is, I'm you're great grandfather!"

Dominik felt his blood turn to ice as his jaw dropped, "L…Lod? Like… like… Cregan of Lod? Does… does that mean-."

"That you and Cirilla are distant cousins? Nay, nay don't worry lad," Alexander said with a small laugh and wave of his hand, "Cregan was my brother, will always be! However, in reality I was adopted, our parents saved me from the streets of Lan Exeter when I was a child, so… technically we don't share blood Cregan and I. You and your Cirilla can fuck till your heart's content, with the knowledge, you're NOT distantly related!"

"That…that isn't what I was going to ask…" Dominik said, feeling his face get completely red and his heart fall to the pit of his stomach.

Alexander tilted his head, "Huh… to be honest I thought that was gonna be the first thing you asked… forget I mentioned it. What is it lad? We must hurry! I don't know how much time we'll have!"

Dominik's heart nearly beat out of his chest. He scoffed in his head as he remembered the book, the book that Yennefer had been reading in Skellige. His adopted mother had turned the page of the notes concerning the House of Lod, it only had two members, Cregan and Alexander, both considered to be powerful sorcerers, it had said Alexander was a student of Cregan. And for the longest time he had heard the story of Lara Dorren and Cregan of Lod, Cregan was said to be one of the most powerful sorcerers to ever walk the continent, so powerful that he was apparently able to meet and fall in love with Lara Dorren, and Aen Elle elf from a completely different world. He had memorized Lara and Cregan's story, what with them being Ciri's ancestors, the reason she had her gifts and powers that day. It all started with Lara Dorren, the power of the Elder Blood in her veins, and with Cregan of Lod, the most powerful sorcerer to ever have lived according to some.

And that man's brother had apparently learned everything from him, and that brother was Dominik's ancestor.

He felt himself stuttering as he met Alexander's eyes, "Does… does that mean… I… I've really been connected to Ciri this… this whole time?"

Alexander's eyes grew soft again, the man gave a genuine grandfatherly smile and nodded, "Yes my boy… I have only been able to observe you since you came into contact with the journal, but… I can see the connection you have with Cirilla… and to answer your question yes lad. The whole time when you were younger, and you were told, that your destinies were linked… it was the truth. Your parents didn't know the entire story behind it… but they were right."

Another horrifying thought came to his head, he suddenly felt the scar on his right cheek throb, and his right leg begin to tremble. "I will finally end his line…." "I not only killed your ancestor… but his son… his daughter…" the words of Eredin echoed in his ears. He knew that after Cregan and Lara had their child Riannon, that the Aen Elle were furious, called it a disgrace to their race, and a combination of angry human's and elves were the ones to kill the two lovers. The Aen Elle hated Cregan for what he had done, considered it the ultimate dishonor to their race, having their prized daughter fall in love with a human. He remembered how the Hunt had been targeting himself specifically during the battle, he heard Caranthir, Baelen, even Avallac'h refer to him as 'his' descendant. The entire time, Dominik had been furious, just wishing someone would shout out a name, and why they hated him so much. However, it was all clear now.

Cregan of Lod had committed the ultimate crime in the eyes of the Hunt, the Aen Elle, so Dominik had to assume they had just as much hatred, and loathing for his brother Alexander… and Dominik was his descendant.

"And… and I'm guessing that's why the Hunt, REALLY wants to kill me," Dominik said slowly, as for a moment he looked at the swallow around his neck, before looking to meet Alexander's eyes, "Also why Avallac'h seems to have hated my guts since before he met me…that fucker knew…"

"BAH, of course he did, arrogant prick," Alexander said with an eye roll before looking back down at him, "I must apologize lad… as I'm sure you know, the Aen Elle they… weren't very fond of Cregan, and after what I did oho, they weren't happy with me either. And now you bear the consequences"

"Wh… what did you do? I wouldn't put it past them to hate you just because you're Cregan's brother but… it has to be something more for Eredin himself to want to fight me," Dominik asked as his skin began to tremble.

Quickly Alexander nodded, "Aye my boy… I did. That is what I am here to tell you about today. I left the journal, a part of my consciousness inside it to help any of my descendants, after their powers were fully activated, and they came into contact with the book, they would be able to finally open it, and I would be able to aid them."

Dominik's heart began to beat quicker, that had been something he had wondered since he drank the potion itself. Yennefer had explained that for a carrier's abilities to fully activate, they needed to begin using magic, and also fully unlocked all their strands of DNA. However, sometimes the mage who passed down the powers placed a third stipulation, or trigger that would finally give the wielder full control of their abilities, able to summon all the power they inherited. That was a reason his adopted mother, and himself after he had found Ciri, was so anxious to figure out who his ancestor was, because if there really was a third stipulation to unlock his powers fully, the only way they'd be able to figure out was to know who it was.

He had thought that he had full control, he was able to activate the magic at will with great difficulty, but he was able to do it nonetheless during the battle. However, it had been erratic, and hard for him to control. During his fight with Eredin he nearly felt himself lose it multiple times, becoming sloppy, reckless, and while he did get a few solid hits in, Eredin had taken full advantage of his recklessness and almost killed him, this had led Dominik to think that maybe he didn't have full control.

Now however, in that room as the fire crackled, Dominik had his ancestor in front of him. This crazy, eccentric looking old man was apparently the powerful sorcerer who had given him his powers, the magic whirling around his limbs, the light flashing in his eyes, his much more powerful signs. After worrying about it for so many weeks, hearing Alexander say he had full control made him both relieved and worried. If he had full control, then he didn't know why the power had been so erratic during the battle, he assumed it was because he hadn't trained enough with them. He could also ask however, if this was simply due to him not having the third trigger, which would contradict what Alexander had just said.

He scoffed and shook his head at the old man, "So… you're telling me my powers are fully unlocked? There's no third stipulation then, like a certain thing I have to do or touch?"

Alexander scoffed and shook his head, "Ha, my boy of course I put a third stipulation! But like I said, your powers are fully unlocked. You've had that special stipulation, that third trigger active since you were eleven years old, you simply didn't have control during the battle because-."

"Wait, wait hold on," Dominik said quickly cutting the old man off as he felt his heart begin to race even faster. He looked and met Alexander's amused eyes, "You… said that I've had part of my powers unlocked since I was eleven? How, I didn't start using magic until I started using witcher signs a month ago!"

Alexander tilted his head curiously at him, "You really never noticed my boy? While you were traveling, haven't you ever had a moment where you felt yourself, move faster unexpectantly, take a hit you didn't think you'd survive and then get a jolt of energy?"

Dominik scoffed at first, but as he thought more, he realized the old man was correct. As he stood there a small trickle of sweat went down his neck from the fire as he remembered. He had always used to call it his, 'second wind', during his years alone. There had been times where he had been extremely hurt, fighting a monster much faster then him, or simply feel drained. However, when he thought about why he had to get back up, why he had to continue fighting, he'd feel that jolt of energy, something pick him back up. He'd perform a combo or dodge he didn't think he could have; he'd feel as if a burst of energy had been shot through him.

Was that really his powers? Had his powers been helping keep him alive during the last eight years without him even knowing? He couldn't think of anything, anything at all that could have happened to activate his powers, but apparently they had indeed been keeping him safe. Yennefer had also said, that as the carrier's abilities activate, as each one of the three triggers activate, the carrier gains parts of their powers. That had been apparently what happened to him, and apparently it had been happening since he was eleven years old.

"Ye…yeah… actually I have," Dominik said as he scoffed down at the swallow and his medallion. Shaking his head he looked up and met Alexander's eyes, "You… you said I've had them active since I was eleven? What… what was it? What was the trigger?"

Alexander smirked wildly and nodded, "Why, it was your Cirilla of course! The first moment you ever came into contact with her lad, your powers began to activate."

His eyes widened again. All the people, his mother, father, Geralt and Yennefer, Ciri herself, everyone who had ever told him that Ciri was his destiny flashed into his mind. He had always believed them of course but hearing now that she was even the reason his powers activated, he felt the swallow tremble around his neck. Scoffing he looked down at the small silver bird, and gently took it in his fingers.

"Ha… so I guess she really has been saving me this whole time…" He said slowly, before looking back up again.

Alexander's eyes softened as they became less eccentric. In that moment, he went from a cooky old man, to a warm, wise looking sage. Gently he smiled down, before he reached over and placed one of his pale leathery hands on Dominik's shoulder. As the man's hand hit him, Dominik felt a jolt run down his spine, his touch was warm, and somehow, Dominik felt reassured, and as he looked up into his ancestor's emerald eyes, and saw the smile, for the first time he felt like this man could truly be his great grandfather. The emerald eyes in that moment, looked so much like his own, and as Alexander nodded, Dominik could see the wisdom behind his gaze as the fire lightly crackled.

"Yes my lad… she has been. For my descendant's carrier abilities to activate. They must of course begin using magic, they must fully unlock their strands of DNA…" The man said slowly as the smile became broader on his face, "And finally… they must come into contact with the Elder Blood… their destiny. That night you met Cirilla my boy… your great destiny began, and I've only been able to follow you for a short time… but it seems that your destiny has also led you to your love… so often are destiny and love one in the same…. I am happy for you lad, it warms my heart… you may be my grandchild… but my god, do you and Cirilla remind me so much of Cregan and Lara."

Dominik let out a breathless sigh, "We… we do? Really?"

"Haha… you do my boy, you really do. Only with Cregan and Lara… did I ever see two people so in love, so seemingly made for each other, history as it always tends to do it seems, is repeating itself," Alexander said fondly again, before he removed his hand from Dom's shoulder, "But we must get moving my boy, there is much I must show you, and we must move quickly."

A thousand questions ran through Dominik's mind as he scoffed, "But… but what about Ciri now? She's probably worried out of her mind, I have to-."

"Easy, easy lad, you need not worry," Alexander said as a small smirk came to the old man's face again, "You are in a magical trance in your world now. You are alive, Cirilla, and your friends can see that. The two of us must get moving, if you are to succeed in your journey, in your great destiny there are things I must show you."

Dominik slowly met his ancestor's eyes as his breath left him, "What are you talking about? What do you have to show me, and… and what's it have to do with my destiny?"

Alexander grew a hard look on his face and placed a hand on his shoulder again, "Dominik my boy, if you wish to save Cirilla, if the two of you wish to save the continent and this world from the Hunt… you must know my story lad."

"Your story? What… what did you do to piss of Eredin and the Hunt so bad? What about Avallac'h, why does HE hate you, you said it was more then just because you were related to Cregan," Dominik started ranting, all of the questions spilled out of him with no filter.

The hard look stayed on Alexander's face as he sighed, "Fear not lad, your questions will be answered. For you to be able to protect the Elder Blood, to protect your Cirilla and defeat the Hunt… you must know the story of me and my children… the story of how we died. Crynvael… truet…"

Alexander's spell hit his ears, and before Dominik could ask any more questions, a white fog enveloped his vision.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

"GAHHHH! Some warning next time would be nice!" Dominik said looking over to Alexander, as the two of them seemed to be floating, "I hate portals… or portaling spells…"

Alexander chuckled next to him, "You do realize my boy, that Cirilla does indeed teleport often?"

Dominik groaned and rolled his eyes, "Ugh… don't remind me, I'm going to have to get used to-."

And that was when Dominik heard it and he was cut off, cut off by the most beautiful singing voice he had ever heard.

Hush nin daerling nall sin draling grat ae tri

Naneth luve cin adar… Adar luve cin adar…

Rast nin daerling nall sin darl

Cin wale guin nin daerling… Naneth luve cin adar… luve cin adar….

His head slowly craned downwards, it was as if him and Alexander were in a dream, gently floating above and watching the scene unfold. Before he took notice of who the voice belonged too, Dominik looked around the room. They were in a sort of throne room, stone floors and pillars, a few weapon racks lined the walls, and as Dominik looked to the right he did indeed see a large chair. It was a simple, well carved oaken chair which he assumed had to be the defacto throne of the castle, but when he looked above the chair is when he saw the banner again. On a black field, he saw two swords crossed in white, along with a dragon's head. Slowly he craned his head to the left as well, and he could almost feel the wind chill.

"Where… where are we…" He said wonderingly as he looked up to a smirking Alexander.

Sighing fondly the old man had his eyes trained down the small hall, "Castle Lod, in the beautiful mountains near Lan Exeter… a small keep… but home, nonetheless. This… was the day my boy."

"The day? The day for what," Dominik asked right away as he felt the swallow trembling around his neck.

Alexander pointed his old bony finger down the hall, "The day… my destiny, my children's destiny… and yours began my boy."

Hush nin daerling nall sin draling grat ae tri

Naneth luve cin adar… Adar luve cin adar…

Rast nin daerling nall sin darl

Cin wale guin nin daerling… Naneth luve cin adar… luve cin adar….

Dominik's head shot back down the hall as Alexander pointed and the singing hit his ears again. The voice was still beautiful, and as he looked down towards the entrance to the hall, he could see the large open windows looking out over the beautiful mountains. Kovir was known for snow, and beautiful mountains this he knew, but the view, combined with the angelic sounding singing voice was even more breathtaking then he would have ever thought. Small torches lined the walls, a fire burned and crackled in a brazier near the entrance, and Dominik was beginning to think Alexander was correct, it seemed to be a small castle… but a warm one, welcoming, somewhere you could call home. The sun outside the windows was gently setting, the beautiful orange rays of sunset were glowing over the mountains, Dominik couldn't help but sigh relaxed at the breathtaking sight, thinking that it could have possibly been the most beautiful sight he'd seen in sometime.

However, that was when the singing hit his ears again, and he finally looked over at the woman.

"Cin wale guin nin daerling… Naneth luve cin adar… luve cin adar…." The woman's voice gently sang, and Dominik's eyes widened when his gaze finally fell on her, she gently smiled down into a bundle of blankets in her arms and smiled, "Sleep my darling… soon you will be safe… we will make sure of it."

The woman was dressed in an elegant white dress up to her neck, a small cut out was just above her chest, and from her elbows down were exposed. Around her neck was an intricate silver circlet, and all along her arms, and wrists were jeweled bracelets, she had white pearl earrings hanging from both her ears, and when she spoke her voice was soft, so incredibly soft and loving as she looked down at the bundle. Dominik knew it had to be a child, the bundle of white blankets moved, and when the woman lightly laughed and stood from the windowsill she was sitting on and turned, Dominik's heart nearly melted.

"C…Ci…Ciri!?" He said incredulously, and Alexander next to him heartily laughed before shaking his head.

His ancestor smiled and fondly sighed, "No… not quite lad, but I must admit, the resemblance is uncanny. Gods little sis… I miss you more then you know…."

"Little sis!? What does… does that mean that's," Dominik said slowly as his gaze turned back to the woman who was in his full view now, scoffing without looking away from her, "That… that's… Lara Dorren? Like THE Lara Dorren?"

Alexander laughed lightly again as they both looked down, "Yes my boy… that's Lara… your Cirilla's great, great, great, great… oh fuck it I don't know how many but yes… her ancestor."

Dominik slowly turned his head back as his gaze fell on Lara Dorren again, the elven princess. For so many years he had heard the story, Lara Dorren fell in love with Cregan of Lod, causing the Aen Elle elves to be furious, the humans of the continent to be furious, before they were both hunted down and killed, just because they had fallen in love with one another. The woman standing before him, it all began with her, the power of space and time, the immense magical power, the ability to leap between planes, all the power Ciri had now… began with her, came from her.

Other than Ciri, who would of course always hold the title for him, Lara Dorren was the most beautiful woman Dominik had ever seen, and that was due to how incredibly similar she looked to Ciri now. She was tall and slender, her white dress flowing behind her as she gently cradled the bundle in her arms. The wind howled through the hall, the torches and brazier flicked, between them and the sunset, it casted a beautiful illuminated light over her face, and Dominik couldn't tare his eyes away. Just like Ciri she had long ashen locks that fell down around her shoulders, and in every detail, from her higher cheekbones, sharper jaw and slightly longer neck, every single detail he could see Ciri, the woman he loved now. As Lara gently cradled and played with the child in her arms, she smiled broadly and lightly laughed, the laugh was even the same as Ciri's, and when Dominik saw the woman's eyes, shining, brilliant, large green emeralds, he felt the swallow violently tremble around his neck. Without taking his eyes off the woman, Ciri's ancestor he gingerly wrapped his fingers around the silver bird, and when Lara laughed again, for a moment he yearned to see Ciri.

A small laugh left him, one of Lara's ears poked through her ashen locks, and sure enough like all elves they were pointed. It was the only distinguishable difference between Ciri and her. Dominik truly believed, that if Ciri had pointed ears like that, and no scar on her cheek, then there would have been no way to tell any difference between them. Smiling gently his attention then turned to the child in Lara's arms, playfully the small arms of the child reached up and grabbed it's mother's hair, making Lara laughed more, and Dominik couldn't help but scoff a smile and look up to Alexander, remembering the history he memorized so well.

"That… that's Riannon isn't it? Cregan and Lara's child…" He asked his ancestor, and Alexander smirked wildly yet again.

"Oho yes it is lad… I loved that little girl," The old ancestor said with another fond smile before his face lightly fell and he sighed, "I… wish I could have known her more… and.. Cregan could have."

Dominik looked around the hall again, curiously he looked back up at his ancestor, "I… don't see anyone that could be Cregan… where is he?"

He saw Alexander's face fall for the first time, and Dominik could see the pain reverberating in his ancestor's eyes. His old eyes didn't come off Lara and the child in her arms, as he sighed and gently shook his head.

"This.. this is a few weeks after Cregan had died…. Lara she… she knew she'd be next," Alexander said with a small shake of his head as he looked to meet Dominik's eyes, "And.. she knew if she were next… Riannon would be after her… and like I said… this is when your destiny began."

Before Dominik could ask questions, he heard a latch open, he whirled around to see the great oaken doors open. A new voice pierced the air, and Dominik's eyes widened again when he saw Lara smirk and roll her eyes as the new person entered the room.

"Oho is that my little sister's beautiful singing voice I hear!? Go on, don't stop on my account, you know little sis, that put's me to sleep just like little Riannon here," Alexander said, however, it wasn't the old, withered Alexander that floated next to him.

Dominik scoffed and looked up to his ancestor, "That's you?"

Scoffing the old man's smirk quickly returned, "HA! You bet it is, like I said before, GODS I was strong then! Had a better handle on my hair as well…"

His vision turned back down to indeed see the young Alexander. The young version of his ancestor smirked wildly as he busted into the hall, and right away Lara rolled her eyes with an amused smile as Alexander eagerly joined her near the window. Dominik saw that indeed his ancestor had a much better handle on his hair at his younger age. Young Alexander's blonde hair was neatly combed and down to his shoulders, not a single hair was out of place, his blonde beard was precisely trimmed and wrapped around his chin, and while he was younger, Dominik still saw the sage like emerald green eyes that looked so much like his own.

However, just like old man Alexander, young Alexander wore the same elegant black robes. He had the swords and dragon coat of arms stitched to the front, along with a rose as well, and then on his waist Dominik saw the gleaming steel longsword. The mage robes, however, were much fresher, and unlike old man Alexander that floated next to him, it seemed like they had been freshly laundered. The sun shone in through the window and hit young Alexander's handsome face as he eagerly smirked over at Lara.

Lara lightly laughed and shook her head with an eye roll, "Aha…You know, I am about a hundred years older then you right?"

"Would you prefer I call you 'old lady'?" Young Alexander joked as he crossed his arms, his blonde hair blew in the breeze as he rested his hands on the windowsill.

Scoffing Lara shook her head as she rocked young Riannon in her arms, "You can yes… but you know I'll smack you upside the head if you do."

"Oho, I won't take that risk, that temper of yours? A scary sight," Alexander smirked at her, and after a small laugh from Lara a silence fell over them both.

For a few moments, the two looked out over the balcony, into the beautiful mountains and sunset. Young Riannon cooed in her mother's arms, and gently grabbed onto Lara's ashen locks. Dominik was speechless still from seeing both his ancestor and Ciri's in the same room, so close to one another, and joking with one another as if they truly did love one another. If he squinted and focused, he could almost see himself and Ciri standing in that hall, looking out the window, seeing that beautiful view with one another.

Unlike Alexander and Lara he'd prefer to have his arm around Ciri, perhaps kissing her a few times, but still, he watched with bated breath, wanting to take in every single detail.

Lara finally sighed and looked from Riannon to Alexander, "So… is everything prepared? Cerro is truly willing to take her?"

Young Alexander stood up straight and nodded, "She is yes…. Lara, I still wish you would simply leave her here with me, you know I would die before I let anything happen to her."

The young woman gently smiled gratefully at Alexander and nodded, "I know you would not, and I know that even when you bring her… you'll watch over her. But… you know Avallac'h is already working on ways to track you."

"Let that son of a bitch come and try to take her," Young Alexander said sharply as his green eyes hardened, "I'll shove my boot so far up his ass he'll taste it, then I'll blow him to tiny fucking pieces."

Lara sighed and gently shook her head at him again, "I don't doubt you would, but… he won't bring just himself. All the Red Riders will come with him… you know he won't let this insult to his pride go lightly."

Young Alexander scoffed, "Yes, because his 'prize', and his 'right' was stolen from him. Bastard's acting like a child who won a toy at a fair, who's had it taken away from him."

Again Lara sighed, gently she took a step closer, and keeping one hand on Riannon, held a hand up and smiled at Alexander, "As true as it may be… and as much as I know you'd keep her safe… you know why we must do this. You're the first one they'll go to when looking."

"So… it would be best if she weren't here… I know…." Young Alexander said with a sigh and shake of his head.

Dominik felt his brain erupt as a new wave of questions burned into his brain. He had known that Avallac'h was old and thinking more it made sense that he was alive at this point, but what he heard finally brought the realization to him. For the entire week, he had been wondering why the elf hated him so much, didn't even seem to give him the light of day. Dominik also had been furious by the elf's possessive nature over Ciri, it had led to the argument he had with her. He had reserved himself to the fact Ciri for some reason trusted him, so Dominik had promised her he would at the least let her fight her own battles if the elf went too far.

However, hearing what he just heard, it answered that one burning question.

He shot his gaze up to old man Alexander, "Avallac'h? You mean the same Avallac'h that is currently staying at Kaer Morhen, teaching Ciri to control her powers?"

Alexander's eyes hardened again as he nodded, seeming to spit his words out, "Yes… still as much of a prick now as he was back then I've seen. As I'm sure you're aware, Lara possesses extraordinary abilities, many Aen Elle vied for her hand, the fact she was King Auberon's daughter was simply a bonus, the 'honor' and 'privilege' of being selected to marry her was considered the ultimate badge of pride you could say."

Scoffing Dominik shook his head, "And you're telling me Avallac'h was supposed to be the one to marry her? Fuck, no wonder he hates me so much, he lost the woman he loved to-."

"He didn't love her, the son of a bitch was simply proud he was selected," Alexander spit out, and for the first time, Dominik saw fire build up in the old man's eyes as he went on, "He was picked for the 'privilege' of marrying her out of all the other suitors. It was his ultimate source of pride, so when she left him for Cregan…"

Dominik rolled his eyes, "His pride was hurt… and he hunted her. Why am I not surprised…. But… but why is he helping Ciri now then? She's Lara and Cregan's descendant, I'd think he'd hate her just as much."

Alexander scoffed again, "I know not… I am a believer in the fact people can change but… after you see what I have to show you later, you'll know why I am skeptical of that."

Dominik was about to ask what he meant, but before he could hear a loud howling gust of wind, followed by Lara's voice ringing through the hall again. He turned his vision back down, to see that Lara gently smiled up at young Alexander reassuringly.

"You may not be with her… but I know that you will always be watching her," The young woman said as she smiled down at baby Riannon, "She will always have you, Connor, and Lara protecting her. I trust you Alexander… more then anyone now with Cregan gone… I love you… big brother."

Young Alexander's blonde hair blew in the wind as he sighed and gently laughed, "Haha… and I love you too little sis… and you little one."

Alexander held a finger out, and sure enough young Riannon grabbed it for a moment and pulled. Lara and he both laughed, and Dominik could hear the genuine joy in their voices. For a few moments, his heart warmed, seeing the both of them so happy, however, he knew both their fates. Alexander in his old state was hovering next to him then, and everyone knew the fate of Lara Dorren and Cregan of Lod, both dead, killed by their own people. Knowing that it would happen to the two laughing, smiling as the baby laughed and started to try and yank on Alexander's beard, he felt the cold breeze hit him particularly hard. The swallow around his neck trembled, and he shakily sighed.

Everything that was happening to him and Ciri now, it all started with Lara Dorren and Cregan of Lod… and now Dominik knew, Alexander of Lod as well.

"I'll never let anything happen to you little one… I swear it," Alexander said down to the bundle, before slowly looking up and meeting Lara's eyes, "And I swear to you as well little sis… I won't let them have her… me.. my children.. and all of their children to come…. We'll always protect them… I swear it."

As the younger version of his ancestor finished speaking, he leaned down and wrapped the young woman in a hug. With being sure to keep baby Riannon from being crushed, Lara hugged him back, and Dominik could see as if a magic spark had gone off. His medallion trembled, and as he looked at Alexander and Lara hugging one another, he felt his own head begin to buzz. As they both stood there embracing one another, Dominik could almost see a small tendril of magic pass between them both. It was as if the universe had seen this promise and blessed it themselves. Alexander's words, 'the day… my destiny, my children's destiny… and yours began my boy,'. And as Dominik watched Alexander and Lara slowly separate and smile at one another, the words finally made sense.

This was the day that Alexander promised, promised that himself, and all of his descendants, Dominik included, would always protect Cregan and Lara's line, the Elder Blood. It was the day that Ciri and he became linked to one another, this faithful day, over a hundred years ago. Around his neck, the swallow lightly trembled, and gently he held it in his fingers, thinking about how much he loved her, loved Ciri, and now knowing that it was truly meant to be… it made his heart flutter, and somehow, he felt his love for her rise even more in him. He was about to look up and ask Alexander another question, but before he could another voice, much younger and higher pitched echoed into the hall.

"FATHER! CONNOR KEEPS PULLING MY HAIR," A young female's voice complained, as Dominik heard the doors shoot open again.

A loud scoff came quickly after, "THAT'S BECAUSE LARA KEEPS KICKING MY SHINS!"

Dominik's heart nearly leapt from his chest, as he looked down and saw two more children rushed into the room. However, these two were walking, rushing and stomping towards a smirking Alexander and Lara. The two children couldn't be any older then six or seven years old, and Dominik noticed how they looked extremely similar to one another. The boy wore a leather tunic with sleek black trousers, while the young girl's blonde hair bounced down her back in curls as she wore a similar outfit. Dominik scoffed as he looked back up to old man Alexander next to him.

"They… there you're children? So… one of them…" Dominik trailed off, as the old man couldn't stop smiling, Dominik looked and saw tears almost pooling up in his old weary eyes.

Fondly Alexander sighed and nodded, "My pride and joy… the both of them. Yes lad, that's Connor and Lara… my two children, twins they were, swear they could read each other's minds growing up. And yes… as you'll see soon, one of them is your great, great, great… fuck I'm not trying that again, great grandparent."

Before he could ask anything further, he heard a hearty laugh from below. He whirled his gaze back around, and young Alexander knelt down in front of the two currently fuming young children.

"Aha… and I thought you were supposed to be in the library? Am I right in assuming you snuck your practice swords in there, and that was what led to the hair pulling and shin kicking?" Young Alexander said with a smirk.

The fires crackled in the brazier and torches, a howling gust of wind shot through the hall, and Dominik couldn't help but laugh at a flustered young Connor and Lara. He assumed Alexander named his daughter after, his brother's lover, and as soon as Lara with baby Riannon in her arms saw this, she laughed gently as well, and walked over to both the twins. Connor and Lara from the ground both looked at each other agitatedly for a minute before they both pointed towards each other.

"It was Connor's idea!" Lara accused right away.

Connor scoffed, "No! It was Lara's idea! She told me we should-."

"Enough, enough oho you two are going to make me pull my hair out," Alexander said with a playful eye roll before he ruffled both his children's heads, "Tell you what, go back to the library and finish up the chapters, and later we'll show your aunt here some new moves we learned huh, what do you say little sis?"

Alexander looked up to Lara who laughed lightly with baby Riannon still in her arms. The elven princess smirked wildly down at the two children who excitedly looked at her and nodded.

"I quite like that idea yes," Lara said with a fond smile, before she gently knelt down with Riannon in her arms in front of both children, "Before you head back, Connor, Lara, could you be dears and take Riannon to her room and watch her for a quick moment? After that I promise I'll come watch you both."

He watched as both twins eagerly nodded, and little Lara stepped forward. Gingerly the young girl took baby Riannon in her arms, and as the baby cooed, Dominik felt his heart flutter at the scene. After so many weeks of violence, death, fighting and weariness, seeing something so pure, so wholesome as little Lara smiling as she held baby Riannon, it brought a broad smile to his face.

"Come on Connor! Let's get her to bed," Little Lara said enthusiastically as right away Connor narrowed his eyes and jealously looked over at his sister.

"What if I wanted to be the one to carry her!?" He argued as the two twins started walking from the room.

Little Lara scoffed and rolled her eyes, "Because you're too clumsy, you'll drop her!"

"I will not! You're the clumsy one you…." Young Connor started to complain but soon his voice trailed off as he and his sister left the room.

A set of hearty, pure, joyous laughs could be heard, as Dominik looked to the right and saw Lara and Alexander both nearly in tears from the laughs. He was ready to sit there and watch them talk for hours, seeing the ancestors of he and Ciri both together, standing, smiling, talking and laughing together, it made him forget for a few moments, forget all the horrible things that were happening in the outside world, forget what the two's fates really were. Lara finished laughing first and neatly folded her hands in front of her, fondly with a smile on her beautiful face she looked up at Alexander.

"You need not worry Alexander…. For I know that she'll not only have you… but Connor and Lara both always…." She said fondly, as she and Alexander turned back to look out the window.

Young Alexander smiled and nodded, before looking out the window as well, "Yes… you're right. They'll always look after her… we always will, I swear… you know, Redania is lovely, Cerro is a great woman… I believe she'll be happy there… and… perhaps after a few years I can visit."

Lara laughed lightly and fondly looked at him, "I'm sure she is… thank her for me again… and… Alexander?"

"Yes?" Young Alexander asked right away as they turned to face each other.

Gently Lara reached up and hugged young Alexander again, whispering into his shoulder, "Thank you… for everything you've done…"

Young Alexander's eyes almost seemed to water, as he wrapped his arms around her waist and shakily nodded, "Aye… aye little sis…. You're welcome. We'll keep her safe… I swear it."

Dominik just had time to smile at the heartwarming scene before a strong hand was placed on his shoulder.

"We… must be moving on lad, come now, crynvael… truet," Old Alexander said in a deep, forlorn tone.

And Dominik just had time to widen his eyes and take one last look at Lara Dorren before all he saw around him was white. For a moment he didn't teleport and looked next to him to see older Alexander still with the forlorn look on his face. As now all he could see was the white mist around him, and his ancestors old, saddened eyes, Dominik remembered again. The heartwarming scene was gone, and the cold grip of reality came back to him. Anyone who had watched a scene like that, would have clearly been able to see how much everyone cared for one another. Alexander had loved Lara like his sister, his children loved Riannon like she truly was their blood cousin, he saw the image of Lara's smiling face, her shining emerald eyes and long ashen locks that looked so much like Ciri's.

That was when Dominik remembered, their story did not have a happy ending.

He carefully met Alexander's eyes, "Lara… how… how soon after did…"

"A few weeks later…" The old man answered with a deep sigh before Dominik could finish, carefully Alexander looked and met his eyes, "The next day was when I brought Riannon to Redania… I'm sure you know the story lad. I brought her to newly minted Queen Cerro, an old friend of mine. Her and King Vridank both were kind enough to take her in."

Dominik knew the story, not just because it was the story of Ciri's ancestor, but because most children in their education growing up in the continent heard the story of Riannon and Queen Cerro. King Vridank of Redania had separated from his first wife, Beatrix of Kovir, and married Queen Cerro, after this, they both took in an orphaned Riannon. It may have seemed like a kind enough story at surface level, however each child who heard the tale, also learned the great consequences this had. Dominik's skin began to crawl as his stomach churned, the white mist around him started to whirl as he met Alexander's eyes.

"Yeah… and in doing so… King Vridank pissed of his first wife Beatrix," Dominik said slowly, as the story came back to his mind, "And… he also pissed off his first daughter, Falka."

Falka's rebellion, it all started when King Vridank of Redania put aside his first wife Beatrix, and his daughter Falka in favor of Queen Cerro, and Riannon. The rebellion was a story that all young children on the continent learned, the first trueborn daughter of King Vridank led a great rebellion to take the throne for herself, the throne that she thought was hers by right. A small part of him could understand why Falka was so angry, she and her mother had been put aside, casted off when Vridank met Cerro. However, after hearing all the atrocities, the devastation Falka wrought across the North, the death, the carnage, it quickly had made any sympathy for the woman leave him. It was also said that Falka was mad, an extremely talented warrior, and that when she was burned at the stake, she cursed all in attendance.

Alexander sighed with disappointment and nodded, "Yes… for twenty years everything went smoothly. I trained Connor and Lara, we watched over Riannon with a multitude of spells from Castle Lod but… that was when the rebellion broke out. It was fine for a few months but… that was when Riannon was taken."

"Falka and the rebels captured her," Dominik said quickly as the story continued to come back to him, he looked up and met Alexander's eyes, "Did… did you leave to go and save her? They say that after Riannon was rescued, was also when Falka was beaten and captured."

The white mist began to churn more and more as Alexander snapped his fingers loudly. Dominik heard wind howling in his ears as the mist churned. It was a story that again, most children on the continent knew. After months of war, Falka and her rebels were able to capture Riannon, who had been twenty at the time, and married to Goidemar King of Temaria. During her time in prison, the rumors said that Riannon went mad, and gave birth to three children. It isn't known who saved her, but Dominik now felt the realization starting to come to him.

"I couldn't… although I wish I could have," Alexander said with a sad shake of his head, he gripped tighter to his white staff and met Dominik's eyes, "The Hunt, the Red Riders were still looking for me. I was there only lead to find Riannon, so… when I couldn't go, my children did… Connor and Lara, they rescued Riannon from Falka's imprisonment."

Dominik felt a small scoff of amazement leave him, "So you're telling me… that MY ancestors were the ones to END Falka's rebellion!? I always heard it was a mystery."

Alexander's face softened and he lightly chuckled, "Ha… yes they were lad. As I'm sure you know, Riannon was married to King Goidemar of Temaria. He couldn't risk sending a whole army to the stronghold, he simply didn't have the men. However… that was when Connor and Lara met with him and offered to go sneak into the castle themselves."

"Did Connor and Lara have their carrier powers activated?" Dominik asked right away, forgetting to ask the question earlier.

"They did yes, I completed the process well before they were born," Alexander explained as he gently smirked with his eyes fondly glowing, "Between having my power in their veins thanks to that, and their own training, well… for lack of better words, my children kicked serious ass as you'll see… crynvael… truet."

And again before he could ask any questions, the churning white mist around him shot up into his vision, and he felt his insides being turned upside down.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

"GAHHH DAMMIT OLD MAN," Dominik screamed, he almost felt everything he'd eaten in the last week leave him as he looked up to Alexander, "I thought I told you to give me some warning next time!?"

Alexander scoffed again as he felt them floating, "Weren't you the one who was saying earlier you needed to get used to portals and portaling spells?"

Rolling his eyes Dominik groaned, "I didn't mean right-."

Dominik was cut off by a loud scream, a blood curdling scream that would certainly haunt his dreams. He whirled back around and found himself and Alexander in a tower, a large stone tower with circling steps that seemed to lead down to one singular room. He didn't see any windows, no windows could be seen, and the only thing Dominik saw was light from the torches and walls sconces. He could feel a cold, chilling draft run up his spine as he finally looked down. His eyes widened when he saw two people, a young man and a woman, both were wearing black leather tunics over black gambesons. It was clear that they were both on a stealth incursion because they were crouched and moving extremely carefully. The man had a gleaming steel longsword at his belt, while the woman who's bushy blonde hair was tightly tied in a ponytail had one as well. As he looked down at them, it was as if Alexander and he drifted closer, and when he saw them both finally turn around he saw their eyes, the shining emerald ones that looked so incredibly similar to his own. When he realized they both looked exactly like one another he turned up to Alexander.

"That's Connor and Lara? So… so this is when they…" Dominik started, but Alexander quickly nodded with a huge smirk on his face.

"Haha it is lad! The day my children ended Falka's bloody rebellion, I was watching them with a locating spell from Kovir, gods they were strong, and you got all their power as well my boy," Alexander said with the pride evident in his voice.

Dominik floundered for a second and completely forgot about the scene below him as his gaze didn't leave the old man, "What!? So… you mean to tell me I don't only have YOUR magical power but… but… theirs too!?"

Alexander scoffed and nodded, "Of course my boy, and if it weren't for the fact the powers after them didn't activate until you, you'd have even all your ancestor's powers."

"So… so that means that-," He started to ask, but Alexander quickly waved him off.

"Bah, I'll answer questions later lad… watch here, time for a show," The old man said with a smirk as he looked back down to his children.

Dominik was about to ask more questions anyway, but the cold draft shot through the stone tower again, and the screams echoed in his ears. He looked back down to Connor and Lara, just as they stopped in front of a locked oaken door with multiple locks. Both the twins took positions on each side of the door. Dominik had a hard time believing the man and woman before him were those little children he saw in the previous vision. Lara had her blonde hair tightly up in a ponytail, but she had grown extremely beautiful, her emerald eyes had a calculating determination to them, as if she were carefully examining each possible option. She had a pretty face with a light jawline and longer neck, she was tall and slim, looking as if she would give any man a run for his money, and Dominik could see the intelligence and careful planning in her eyes.

Connor across from her had grown as well, he was smaller yes, but had broad shoulders and wide emerald eyes. He had a strong angular face and high cheekbones, and unlike when they were younger, despite still looking similar, they both did have distinct features now. It was clear however that they were siblings, and as he saw them look at each other, he could see the determination and anger boiling in them both, as the woman's screams coming from behind the door they stood in front of were agonizing. While Lara looked like she was calculating a plan however, Dominik saw the anger spilling out of Connor in a similar way it did to him.

"I'm gonna fucking kill EVERY single one of them in there…" Connor said darkly, the screams echoed, and he groaned before furiously looking at his sister, "I wish you'd let us just blast our way in there. You know for a fact we can end this fight in seconds!"

The screams continued, and Lara sighed sharply before fiercely shaking her head at her brother.

"You know what father said Connor! Keep our magic to a minimum," She hissed back to her brother, and when Connor rolled his eyes she hissed again, "If the fucking Wild Hunt were to come down on us, we'd have a lot more fucking problems!"

Connor sighed in annoyance and reluctantly nodded, "Fine… so do you have a plan? I hope you'll at least let me knocked the door down, it's locked in case you didn't notice."

Lara rolled her eyes as the screams continued, and with every one that came, Dominik could see the two twins getting more and more anxious. While he was floating next to Alexander he slowly began to realize who the screams had to belong too. Riannon was being held prisoner behind that locked door, and the story went she was pregnant the entire time she was captured, even giving birth to three children while she was held prisoner. So behind that door, Ciri's ancestor was being held prisoner, and now he was watching his own ancestors go to save her. Something Alexander had said earlier poured into his mind, 'history as it so often does, seems to be repeating itself,'. So many years ago, Lara and Connor went to save Riannon, and now over a hundred years later, Dominik was going to save Ciri.

A cold draft shot through the tower, as he saw Lara slowly pull her longsword from her belt and gesture towards the door. Connor's eyes widened and Lara sighed.

"You heard what they said upstairs, she's here… Falka, came to visit Riannon," Lara said spitting out each word before she took in a shaky sigh, "They have her trapped in one of the cells, I'll make a break for it, think you can stay alive without me for a few minutes?"

Connor scoffed, "Course I can, so you want me to blow the door down?"

Lara quickly nodded, "Yeah… I'll cast a muffling spell on the door, nobody should hear us. Just remember… Riannon is what matters, we need to get her, don't try to play hero."

"I know that," Connor said with a roll of his eyes as he narrowed his gaze at his sister, "When did we decide you were in charge anyway?"

It was Lara's turn to roll her eyes, "Because I'm the older one."

"By about forty seconds," Connor said annoyedly.

"Exactly," Lara said with a smirk, "Which means I've been alive forty seconds longer which means I'm in charge, now come on, knock the door down little brother."

Connor rolled his eyes again, but Dominik watched as he raked the longsword from his belt. The screams from inside were followed by muffled voices this time, Dominik could hear chattering, shouting and arguing, even some laughing, and even his own blood began to boil. He had heard about the cruelty Falka wrought in her rebellion, and from the short time he had spent in what was apparently the rebel's stronghold, he could see why people still spoke of it to the current day. The loud, agonizing screams of who he assumed now was Riannon pierced his ears again, and that was when he saw Connor grip tighter to his longsword and fiercely close his eyes.

"HAIDIEM BLAT," Connor bellowed in Elder Speech, and when the young man's eyes shot open, just like Dominik's did when he activated them now, Connor's eyes glew bright blue.

He shot his hands forward after magic began to whirl around his body, and Dominik only watched in amazement as the power was all channeled to Connor's palm. After a loud *BOOM* the once locked door was ripped to splinters, as in a mere second afterwards Connor's eyes returned to a normal green color. Dominik looked next to him to see Alexander smirking down with pride as he stroked his long frizzy beard. Dominik marveled at how easily Connor had activated his power, he assumed that the twin also had natural power of his own, but he had a level of control over the carrier magic, the added power from his father that Dominik could only ever hope to achieve.

More shouting and screaming came from inside the room, and Connor and Lara both rushed in, within a flash Alexander and he's vision went white, and soon Dominik found himself inside. Connor and Lara had rushed a few feet in, and Dominik watched Lara quickly turn back to the blasted open doorway.

"Muflian DAS!" The young woman shouted, and just like Connor, her eyes flashed bright blue, magic channeled to her palm, and Dominik saw something similar to a Quen shield erupt where the door had been.

Screams hit Dominik's ears again and he shot his gaze to the room. His heart sank when he realized he was in a dungeon, a bloody dungeon that was lit by nothing but the torches on the wall's. It was a long hallway with bloody cells, iron bars and Dominik could see skeletons, bodies, and some alive prisoners all shooting back towards the walls in their jails. Right near the entrance was a large guard area where he saw at least ten men scrambling. Tables with gwent cards were knocked over, he saw old swords, bloody knives, and even shackles on the wall and a torture rack stained with prisoners' blood. The screams got louder, a woman's agonizing screams, he found the source and realized they were coming from down the hall, down the long line of cells to one large wooden door. The door had only a slit in the middle of it large enough to he assume put food through, along with a small barred window.

"WHERE IS SHE!?" He heard the voice of Connor yell from his left, and his vision was quickly whirled back.

Dominik shot his gaze back to Connor in Lara just to hear a dark, cackling laugh.

"Baha… you mean my sister? I'm sorry but that's private information only available to the Queen of Redania," The voice said condescendingly, before Dominik heard it turn inquisitive, "Now you two… I don't recognize. I killed my bastard of a father, my half-brother's… I killed that traitorous bitch Cerro with my own hands… who are you both? Did Goidemar finally get off his ass and send someone to save his wife?"

Lara quickly leveled out her sword, her voice becoming dangerously low now, "Who we are doesn't matter! You're going to give her to us, and we won't kill you, we only want her, this is your only chance Falka!"

Bloody Falka, that was what she was called, but when Dominik looked at the woman standing before Connor and Lara, he was shocked. She was beautiful, long silky black hair, high cheekbones and a sharp jaw, she was tall, slender and gracefully composed. She wore light chainmail; it had the insignia of a black and red falcon implanted onto the metal. Her armor, gloves, trousers, boots, the longsword at her hip, it was all beautifully washed and well kept. Falka stood with perfect posture, her hand rested on the pommel of her blade, as for a few moments Dominik couldn't believe it was her, if Lara hadn't addressed her as so, he never would have believed the woman standing before him was the Falka of legend, the traitor who wrought destruction across the north, the one who while being burned at the stake, swore a descendant of her blood would cause the destruction of us all.

Dominik had heard the rumor, the rumor about the children of Falka and Riannon. It was well known that Falka also had a child during the rebellion, but she left it in the care of mad prisoners and nurses in the very castle they stood in. After Riannon was rescued, it was well known that she had succumbed to madness, and she wasn't able to tell which child was hers and which one was Falka's. So, there was a theory, that Fiona, the one thought to be Riannon's daughter, Ciri's ancestor, was actually the daughter of Falka, so theoretically, Ciri could be the descendant of Bloody Falka, and not Riannon. Looking at Falka then, she looked more elven then most human's, he knew that the woman had at least some elven blood, so for a horrible second, he thought that the theory could actually have merit.

However, when he saw Falka's eyes, any even slight belief she could be Ciri's ancestor was dashed. Her eyes, the cold, calculating, murderous grey eyes Falka had as she looked at Connor and Lara, they weren't Ciri's eyes. Her voice was dark, smooth and honeyed, her face was beautiful, her silky black hair, armor, everything about her made her seem like someone you would trust, but her eyes, Dominik had seen eyes like that in many a monster before. No, this wasn't Ciri's ancestor.

Alexander floating next to him apparently could read his mind because he looked at him, "The rumor isn't true you know."

Dominik shot his gaze to the old man, "What?"

Slowly Alexander shook his head again, "The rumor that Fiona was Falka's child, making her Cirilla's ancestor. Connor and Lara performed the proper tests to make sure after the children were saved. Recognized Fiona's blood right away as that of Riannon's."

Shakily Dominik sighed and nodded, "Good… I… was kinda worried about that. What… what happened to Riannon here, is she okay?"

"Watch now my boy, watch my children work," Alexander said with a hint of pride as he and Dominik both looked back to the scene.

Falka tilted her head at Lara and sneered, and the woman's honey smooth voice hit his ears again. The torches crackled, and the screams of who he assumed was Riannon and other prisoners hit her ears. Falka seemed unaffected at all by the noise, it only seemed to spur her on as a sick, twisted smile grew on her face.

"Oho… such a temper. You break into my home, wish to take my DEAR sister from me, and you don't even do me the courtesy of telling me your names?" Bloody Falka said condescendingly.

Connor took a step-in front of Lara and pointed his blade, "We don't have time for this, GIVE ME MY COUSIN BACK!"

"Connor!" Lara hissed quickly as she leveled her blade and came up next to her brother.

Falka tilted her head again and smirked at the two, "Cousins? Well… I've never heard of my dear sister having any cousins, are you related to that traitorous Queen? My, oh my, if that's the case, I'm afraid I'll have to kill you, just like I did her... Kill them both."

Falka gave the order to the ten or so men around her so easily to kill, that Dominik felt his gut swirl. All the men drew their blades as Connor and Lara shifted their stances. Falka didn't move as all the soldiers rushed forward, and that was when he saw the skill of Connor and Lara of Lod. It was ten against two, the guards were heavily armored, wearing plate with Falka's coat of arms implanted into the metal, and all of them carried heavy blades. Connor wasn't the tallest man despite how strong he looked, and Lara while tall for a woman, looked like a twig compared to the men charging.

The fight was over quickly, just not for the side you'd think would win. Connor knocked a man's blade into the air before coming around and cutting through his legs, and just before another could stab him in the back, Lara lunged forward and ended the attacker. Lara squelched out her blade, she spun with perfect grace and precision, reminding him of how Ciri fought as she spun pirouetted and side-stepped through the men. She jabbed with her blade, before ripping her dagger from her hip and fighting with two weapons. Quickly she caught one man's sword on both her blades, before stepping under the strike and spinning to cut the man's neck. Behind her, Connor parried one man's blow with such force he sent the man stumbling and cut him down, before Dominik saw the young man's eyes flash blue again and without even looking shot his blade up behind his back to block a blow that would have killed him. Connor smirked at the man mid-battle, before finally Dominik saw the blue overtake his eyes, magic began to swirl in his limbs, and he lashed out with renewed intensity, and the man attacking him stood no chance. Just like when Dominik's powers activated, the blue overtook Connor's eyes, and it spurred his limbs on moving them at great speeds. However, unlike when Dominik used his own powers, Connor was in complete control, the magic hummed around him, it didn't erratically fire from all sides, easily the young man controlled it and took down several men.

Lara next to him was starting to show the same, the young woman's eyes flashed blue, and she twirled and moved both her weapons with perfect grace. He ducked under one man's sword strike before jabbing her dagger into his underarm, before spinning around and pulling the blade to drag across his throat. After this man finally fell, all of the soldiers Falka had sent laid dead, before Connor and Lara quickly got next to one another again. The magic gently stopped swirling around them both, and Dominik saw their emerald eyes return as they pointed their blades towards Falka who stood unmoving.

Slowly, ever so slowly Bloody Falka clapped, "Well, well, well… it seems I underestimated how much Goidemar loves his wife… however, no matter what special magic you may have… this will not end. Even if you strike me down here today… it will not end. I will take what is mine by right, one way… or another."

A loud scream echoed through the hall, Dominik could hear the distinct shrill scream of a woman, and both Connor and Lara looked down the hall of cells. The torches casted an ominous light down the corridor to the one oaken cell door in the whole room. From the room the screams started getting worse and worse, desperate, pleading, and Dominik felt his heart sink to the bottom of his boots as the screams would surely haunt his nightmares. He shot his gaze back to Connor, Lara and Falka. Connor and Lara both shot their gaze down the hall, their faces falling at the desperate screams of who they knew had to be their cousin Riannon. The torchlight hit off their faces as they stood amongst the bodies of the men they had killed, Dominik saw their boots eagerly lapping up the blood that soaked the stone floors. It was a horrifying scene, the bloody torture rack was soaked with fresh crimson blood, the torches casted their orange glow, and the screams of Riannon and the other prisoners pierced the air.

Bloody Falka however, simply raked her longsword from her hip, her chainmail clanged on her as she twirled her blade and leveled it towards Connor and Lara.

"Come then, come face down the Queen," Falka said darkly as she leveled her dark steel blade towards Connor and Lara both, "But know, even if you strike me down… you will never see the last of me."

Connor was the one to quickly take a step forward, the young man's blonde hair was caked with sweat and blood as he twirled his own blade. He leveled it with two hands towards Falka, before turning to his sister.

"Lara go, go get her," He said quickly to his sister before turning his gaze over to Falka, "I'll take care of crazy over here…"

Lara looked worried for a moment but nodded, "Alright… just be careful little brother, and remember what Father said, we're already pushing it."

Connor nodded and Lara took off in a sprint down the corridor of cells. Falka didn't look or follow her, smart enough to know not to take her eyes off Connor. Slowly, as they both stepped over the bodies, Connor and Falka circled one another. Dominik couldn't help but scoff, even if Connor wasn't his direct great grandfather, he was still his ancestor, and if what Alexander said was true, his ancestor really was the one to end Falka's rebellion and defeat the mad rebel. Next to him as they floated, he looked at a smirking Alexander, and Dominik slowly scoffed before looking back down at Connor and Falka again, as he saw the bloody rebel smirk.

"So handsome, before we do this, will you at least do me the honor of telling me your name? Such a handsome, powerful man like yourself, I'd at least wish to know who you are," Falka said in her honey sweet voice as she aimlessly stepped over the corpses of her men.

Connor chuckled lightly with a smirk, "Aha… you can call me Connor, I understand. I'd want to know the name of the one who was going to kill me as well."

Falka chuckled and smirked at him, "Oh my, such anger. Tell me Connor… how well did you know that bitch Cerro? Are you really willing to die for her, I already killed her you know, strangled her until the life slowly bled from her with my bare hands."

Scoffing Connor stood his ground and leveled his blade, "Never met Cerro, but you took my cousin, trapped her, hurt her. Now I'm gonna either kill you or take you back to be burned at the stake, either way is fine with me."

Bloody Falka smirked and looked at him inquisitively, "So… you claim to be Riannon's cousin, but you didn't know Cerro? Hm… intriguing, could it be that… you're her cousin from… her other parents? Oh, what an interesting conversation we could have Connor, a handsome man like yourself, powerful, and dedicated. Such a shame you picked the wrong side."

"I'm on the side of my family, Riannon, I'll always protect her," Connor said as Dominik saw him twirl his blade again and level it, "It's my destiny…. Such a shame that such a pretty face ended up being so crazy."

Again Falka chuckled as she stopped as well, "Well, you know what they say… only weak men fear strong women or think them crazy. Come then Connor, let us see if you're one of these weak men."

"Ha… you'll see," Connor said, and that was when Dominik's eyes widened as the duel began, just as Riannon's screams pierced the dungeon with new ferocity.

The screams of his cousin distracted Connor for a moment, he turned around and Falka spared no time before lashing out. She leapt and spun down, Connor just barely turned around and side-stepped before going for a thrust himself. Falka's sword shot up and blocked the blow before she gracefully spun around, her black hair whipped past Connor's face and the two faced each other again. Dominik saw Connor bite his lip, he remembered what Lara had said, Alexander told his children to be careful using their powers, because using them too much, it could attract the Hunt. So Connor had to fight the duel with just his swordsmanship.

Thankfully however, Connor of Lod seemed to be just as much of a master as Falka.

Both of them lashed out in a steel whirlwind. The blades clashed with new ferocity, as the only light their was had been from the torches. The screams came from not just Riannon, but other prisoners as well, wailing and begging to be let out, blood from the dead men on the ground pooled, however, Connor and Falka both gracefully stepped over the bodies and continued to lash out. Falka thrusted out and caught a piece of Connor's shoulder, the young man cried out in pain but was able to sidestep and quickly slash as he dodged. He caught a piece of Falka's torso, and the bloody rebel yelled out as well.

"BAHA… you… you're not half bad handsome," The rebel yelled as she struck out from the right side.

Connor parried a series of blows before Falka tried for another thrust. He had to sidestep, but as he raised his sword he winced from the pain, and this gave Falka the chance to cut forward, Connor however, raised his blade and held the top end to block. Falka's sword clashed against his, and with her gloved hands the mad rebel pushed Connor up against the wall with their blades locked. The once beautiful, calm face had turned monstrous, demonic as Falka's erratic grey eyes bore into Connor as she pushed his own blade closer to his throat. Connor narrowed his emerald eyes at the bloody rebel, and actually managed a scoff.

"Ha… you… you to… but… but you made one… one fatal error," Connor said with a small smirk as he pushed back on his blade and met the rebels eyes with hard ones of his own, "You hurt my family… and for that you're going to pay… not because of what you've done.. but because you hurt them."

Falka had time to scoff, "HA, oh how very noble of you Connor, a shame you-. GAH!"

Connor bashed his head forward against Falka's and the rebel stumbled back. This gave Connor freedom to move again, and now he used this chance to lash out. Falka and he parried and spun around each other for a few moments, but it was clear that the Bloody Rebel was put on the back foot. Connor lashed out from the right, but with renewed ferocity parried a blow with great force. It sent Connor stumbling back, but Dominik's eyes widened when he saw the move the young man performed. It looked like Connor was sent stumbling, but he used his momentum to spin and when he came back around he leaped and thrusted his blade out. The move was so fast Falka had no time to react because she was still in the process of throwing her parry. Connor's blade hit and raked against her cheek, Falka just barely moved her head, but yelled out as soon as the steel hit her.

"GAHHHHHHHH!" The woman yelled as she stumbled forward, and Connor waisted no time.

He swung his blade down and swept Falka's legs out from under her. Connor winced from a bleeding shoulder, but as soon as the rebel hit the ground with her face bleeding, Connor held his blade to her throat. When the Falka finally opened her eyes again, she looked up to see Connor staring down at her with the tip of his blade under her chin. Her grey eyes went wide, and he saw a murderous look appear on her face as she met the emerald eyes of a smirking Connor.

Connor scoffed and smirked as he ignored the bleeding wound on his shoulder, "In the name of King Goidemar of Temaria, and an extremely pissed off Connor of Lod… I place you under arrest Falka, for the crimes of-."

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO," The screams that had been echoing the entire fight ripped through the air, the screams of Riannon, and right away Falka and Connor both shot their heads to the now opened cell door.

"CONNOR, CONNOR I NEED YOU," The voice of Lara screeched as a giant blue light, exactly the same as the one Ciri exhumed started exploding from the hall.

Connor's eyes widened, "LARA!"

The young man looked down at Falka, who was staring up at him as if she were daring him to move. Connor bit his lip as the scream got louder, he quickly punched the hilt of his sword down across the side of Falka's head, and the bloody rebel was quickly knocked unconscious. Dominik's eyes widened as he realized what had happened. He and old man Alexander floated down the hall as Connor sheathed his sword and sprinted down the hall of cells, as he got closer he got slower and slower, the noise, the magic, the light it all got louder and brighter. All the prisoners were screaming as well, screaming and curling up in their cells shaking uncontrollably with their hands over their ears.

"GAHHHH LARA!?" Connor yelled as he managed to stumble his way into the cell.

It was a large cell, with shackles on the walls, skeletons and a few dead bodies, but the first thing Dominik noticed gave him horrible flashbacks.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" The voice of who he knew had to be Riannon echoed into the air, and Dominik finally looked down at the young woman.

Just like Ciri had done during the battle she was on her knees, she wore a tattered red dress, her long ashen hair was spewing out at all angles, and as she screamed she saw Connor fall to his knees as well, the young man looked frantically around the room, and finally Dominik saw him find Lara. Lara was on her knees a few feet away from Connor and with her hands over her ears, bones, dirt, rocks everything spinning around her from the violent storm she desperately looked over at her brother.

"CONNOR! CONNOR WE HAVE TO CALM HER!" Lara yelled over to him, as Riannon's screams got even louder, more debris of dirt, rocks and even the bodies of dead prisoners began to swirl around the screaming young woman who was Ciri's ancestor.

Connor violently shook his head with his hands up, "LARA YOUR SPELL, YOU NEED TO USE IT, IT'S THE ONLY WAY!"

"I TOLD YOU I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S READY!" Lara yelled back quickly as the blue light from Riannon made her hold her hands up to block it.

Doing the same Connor kept his eyes locked with his sister and shook his head. Stones, bones, and the bodies all violently circled in the miniature tornado gathering around Riannon as her screams continued to echo, the same exact way Ciri's had, and while he was unaffected due to him being a spectator, Dominik still found himself clamping his hands over his ears as well. Connor however shook his head and managed to meet his sister's eyes.

"WE DON'T HAVE TIME LARA IT'S THE ONLY WAY, THE HUNT WILL BE HERE IF WE DON'T CALM HER SOON," Connor yelled, as he could see him look deep into his sister's eyes and nod, "YOU CAN DO THIS, COME ON DO IT FOR UNCLE CREGAN AND AUNT LARA!"

Lara bit her lip, before quickly nodding and forcing herself up to her feet. She stumbled up and a bone almost hit her face. With her hands shaking, barely able to move her legs due to the wind, Lara held out her hand, and Dominik saw magic begin to swirl. Magic swirled around her limbs, and fiercely she shut her eyes, after a few seconds they shot open. When her eyes opened, magic shot from her limbs to her hand just like it did with Dominik himself, her eyes were bright blue the same color that shot from Riannon in that moment, and Lara bellowed out in Elder Speech.

"AE MINNE TAEDH ESSEA HEYU!" Her voice ripped out, and right away just as it did for him during the Battle of Kaer Morhen, a bright light ripped from out of Lara's hand.

All the magic that ripped from Lara, is raced out and clashed with the magic swirling around Riannon. Just like he had done a week prior, it smashed together, and all of the energy started shooting into Lara's palm. She kept her hand raised as it shook, she stumbled a few times while she was standing, but then Connor quickly managed to stumble up to his feet as well.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Riannon screamed again, but this time her screams weren't as deep, the magic slowly began to fade all going towards Lara's palm as the ball of magic bellowed in her hands.

Connor looked over to his sister as he stumbled forward, "YES, GO ON, GO ON LARA IT'S WORKING!"

"AE MINNE TAEDH ESSEA HEYUUUUUU!" Lara yelled again, she shot up her second hand and finally all the magic swirled to her, she shot both her hands down and with a loud *RIIIIIIIIPPPPPPPP* the magic whirled violently one last time, before everything went silent.

Connor stood on his feet still with his bloody shoulder, but his eyes widened when he noticed Riannon finally with her eyes open. Dominik took in every detail of the ashen haired woman's vibrant emerald eyes. She looked exactly as Ciri had when he calmed her in the courtyard. Her ears were slightly pointed, the woman looked exactly like Ciri did, however, not to the extent that Lara Dorren had. Riannon's eyes didn't stay open for long however, because in her tattered, dirty red dressed she groaned loudly and her eyes closed before she slowly fell forward.

"Ria, I gotchu, don't worry," Connor quickly said as he darted forward. He caught Riannon in his arms, the young woman's ashen locks fell over Connor's lap as he gently sighed and smiled fondly down at her, "Gods… gods you got big… I… I remember putting you to bed… gods."

"Is… is she okay?" Lara said weakly as Dominik saw her fall to her knees next to Connor and Riannon.

Riannon's chest gently rose and fell, her breathing was steady, and Connor let out a shaky sigh as he held one arm to steady her in his lap while he ran the other through his blonde hair. Lara's ponytail had come undone across from him, and her bushy blonde hair cascaded down her shoulders, she seemed exhausted, but she looked down at Riannon with a large smile. Connor scoffed and met his sister's eyes and slowly nodded.

"She… she seems okay. Good… good job sis," Connor said giving his sister an exhausted broad smile.

Lara scoffed and smiled back at him, "Ha… thanks… thanks little brother. She… she kept yelling about her child her… her mind is going. We… we need to get her out of here."

Connor quickly nodded as well and breathlessly sighed, "Yeah… you.. you're right. And… we need to use that spell father showed us, the one to mask her magic signature. She… she unleashed the powers, the Hunt will be able to find her soon. Where are the kids?"

Letting out a shaky breath and falling back on her ass Lara gestured towards the exit, "Upstairs… in a nursery. How… how'd it go with Falka?"

Scoffing Connor gently stood and held Riannon in his arms, "Unconscious out there. We… we'll throw her in a cell, and lock it, tell Goidemar she's here and captured."

Lara lightly laughed and got to her feet as well, "Good job little brother, you took down Falka. The rebellion it… it'll practically be over."

Connor smirked and winked at his sister with Riannon in his arms, "All in a day's work, what can I say, I was just born this great."

"Ass…" Lara muttered as she walked out of the cell.

Dominik looked at the scene completely dumbfounded. He had believed Alexander when he said it, but to see it unfold before him, he still couldn't practically believe it had happened. It had always been a mystery, a mystery for so long who the one's to capture Falka, and rescue Riannon were. Now, he learned that it had been his ancestors, Connor and Lara of Lod, one of them being his direct descendant. Above it all however, he felt the swallow tremble around his neck. Again, it made him think to Ciri, how just like with Lara, Connor and Riannon, their destinies were interlocked, and he was almost sure after this, Connor and Lara had to have stayed with her, protected her just like he was doing with Ciri. Ciri of course protected him as well, but to keep seeing it unfold, to know that it all wasn't a hoax, that the love, the connection he felt to Ciri truly was meant to be, it made his heart flutter. As he watched Lara and Connor joking with one another as they walked out, all while fondly looking at their cousin Riannon, he couldn't help but smile.

However, soon the vision began to fade to white, and Dominik jumped when he felt Alexander's bony hand on his shoulder.

"So… what do you think?" The old man's voice said in his ears, a bit of amusement to his tone.

"GAH," Dominik yelled, almost completely forgetting the old man was there. However, he turned and looked up at his ancestor with wide eyes, "HA that…that was amazing. They… they really saved her; Connor beat Falka and.. and they rescued Riannon and her children."

He expected Alexander to smile, to make a joke about how great his children were. However, the vibrant eccentric old man only smiled forlornly as he sighed.

"It was yes… they did a great thing this day my children," Alexander said as he looked down to meet Dominik's eyes, "I watched on with great pride and… every part of me wanted to go and see her, see Lara and Cregan's girl, my niece…"

Dominik felt his own heart slowly fall as he kept his ancestors gaze, "But… but you didn't…. I… heard Riannon was mad after this. What… what happened to her, and to Connor and Lara?"

Alexander sighed and lightly laughed, "In thanks for saving his wife, King Goidemar offered Connor and Lara anything they wished. The both of them, naturally, wished to stay close to Riannon, especially with her madness setting in. They didn't want her powers to unleash again. Connor… he became Riannon's personal protector, captain of the Temarian guard, while Lara she became Riannon's caretaker."

"Was… Lara able to help her?" Dominik asked the old man.

A small smile came to Alexander's face, "After a while… yes. They didn't tell the King, only Riannon of the relation they had. Riannon while… she was able to be healed after a few years thanks to Lara, she… still died young. It was eighteen years later when she did… and… that was when things started to go downhill… it all fell apart."

Dominik felt his skin turn to ice as the white mist enveloped them. After a few moments the dungeon was gone, and the white mist finally completely surrounded Alexander and he again. He felt the reality slowly coming back to him again. He had just seen Connor and Lara fighting together, bickering back and forth, smiling and supporting one another. He remembered Alexander from the previous vision, so happy, full of life, and proud of his children. However, the longer he stood there, looking at old man Alexander's forlorn eyes and letting his words wash over him, the colder he felt.

And that was when Eredin's words hit his ears again, 'You are aware boy…. I not only killed your ancestor… but his son… his daughter.' The last two visions he saw had been happy ones, despite the blood and fighting in the second vision, his heart had warmed at watching both Connor and Lara fight, fulfilling their destiny, and being with one another. It reminded him of how Bella and he were when they were young. And then the previous vision, a young, happy, energetic Lara and Connor holding baby Riannon, a smiling Lara Dorren and young Alexander. It had all warmed his heart, made the swallow tremble and make him miss Ciri. However, after the words hit his ears, and he remembered back to the present, to what the cold reality was he felt himself shiver.

Alexander had died, Lara Dorren had died, Connor and Lara of Lod, they had both died. Eredin was responsible for killing all his ancestors, and when he looked up at Alexander's face, he could tell that's what the old man was thinking about.

"They… they said that they suppressed Riannon's magic, so the Hunt didn't find them," Dominik said slowly as Alexander grimly nodded. Shakily sighing he met the old man's eyes again, "And… still then, there only lead to find Riannon was to find you…and… and they did… didn't they?"

Shakily sighing the old man nodded and met Dominik's eyes, "They did…. They did. Shortly after Riannon died they found me at Castle Lod, they had finally tracked me down. I knew they would come, so… I sent a letter saying goodbye to Connor and Lara in Temaria, and…performed the spell to bind my consciousness to the journal when I died…. And then… that was when they came."

Shivering Dominik slowly shook his head, "Did… did you fight back?"

Alexander laughed right away as a light smile came to his face. His old, leathery face smirked at him again, and slowly he nodded. He gripped his hand tighter on his white staff and snapped his fingers before looking and meeting Dominik's eyes.

"Of course I did! I may have stood a chance if I didn't need to sacrifice some of my strength to complete the spell on the journal, and teleport that and the letter to Connor and Lara, gave them quite the fight I did," Alexander said, as Dominik saw his withered old face smirk again as the white mist churned around them.

Dominik scoffed and shook his head in disbelief, "You mean to tell me you tried to fight off the Wild Hunt, Eredin, all by yourself?"

Again Alexander laughed and smirked down at him, "Bahaha of course not! I had some help from… an old friend. Come now my boy… let us go see.. the day I died. Crynvael… truet."

Dominik's eyes widened and this time he was sure to ready himself, and quickly, the white mist shot around him, before he felt himself being pulled.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

"Well, well, successful teleport, and you aren't even complaining, you're getting better at this," Alexander said sarcastically as he smirked down at him.

Dominik scoffed and rolled his eyes, "I see that my sarcasm runs a lot further back than just Geralt and Yen, where are we-."

His question was cut off by the horn, the loud bellowing of the horn that ripped throughout the entire valley. He shot his gaze down, and took in the scene before him, the first thing he noticed was the crumbling castle nestled perfectly into the mountains. Other then the walls around the keep itself, three great mountain ranges jutted upwards, giving any attackers only one direction to attack from. Dominik scoffed at first, realizing that the castle, if it didn't seem like such a complete crumbling ruin, would be the perfect stronghold to hold out in for an attack. The walls looked like they were once high and strong, and with the mountains jutting around them from three sides, with a row of decent archers, he assumed his father Sir Gregory or any experienced commander would have been able to hold out against an entire army with only a small force of their own.

However, when he looked at the flat ground of snow outside the castle walls, coming from the one attackable direction, and heard the horn again, Dominik's heart froze, and despite the fact Alexander and he were floating above the battlefield, he could see them all clearly. The riders, rows upon rows of riders of the Wild Hunt on skeletal horses, their hooves beat into the snow in the cold night, the only sounds that could currently be heard was the howling of the chilly wind and the nickering of the horses. Dominik felt himself barely able to breath as the air was incredibly thick, the smell of sulfur and ash hit his nose, and as the snow gently began to flurry down from the sky, he shuddered. The sun was set, but despite the castle being crumbled, he saw large braziers lit with roaring fires on the crumbling battlements, and the moon was full so the bright light casted down and illuminated the army of riders that had gathered outside the keep, ready to roll over it in one fell swoop.

Dominik's heart dropped as he looked up to Alexander, "They… they really wanted you dead didn't they?"

Alexander sighed and let out a small laugh, "Oho lad.. they did indeed… this is eighteen years after Connor and Lara saved Riannon… they had been searching for me almost forty years at this point…"

"Is… is that Castle Lod? What… what happened to it, it looks like a ruin, doesn't even look like you could live in there," Dominik said as his gaze fell on the crumbling castle again.

A hearty laugh escaped the old man as he smirked and pointed his bony finger down to the riders, "Aha… you'll see lad. Look down there, it's your best-friend."

Dominik's gaze shot downwards to the army, he still could hear nothing but the cold howling wind, but it was as if Alexander and he got closer to the action below. Slowly they had floated down, and he took another look over the perfectly lined up riders of the Hunt. Dominik counted at least a few dozen lines of riders on skeletal horses, all of them coming up to this one castle. The horses nickered as the snow gently fell through the thick night air. With the light coming from the moon, the braziers on the crumbling walls, and the torches some riders carried Dominik was able to see the two horses canter forward. The skeletal armor on the horses clunked, and as soon as Dominik saw him, he felt his deeply scarred right cheek begin to throb, and despite not having any pressure on it, he felt a stinging pain shoot up his right leg.

He could recognize Eredin's crowned helmet, his massive horse, and the crude jagged longsword that only a week prior had raked across his face, nearly killing him hung at his side, and when he and another rider got a good distance in front of the line of horses, only about a dozen feet from the crumbling walls, Dominik saw him slowly reach up and remove his face plate. He knew Eredin hadn't been crowned King of the Aen Elle yet, but he assumed the man still led the Red Riders, which was another name for the Wild Hunt. It was slightly odd when he saw Eredin's eyes, they were clearly the same demonic eyes that had faced him down a few days prior, however, he was clearly younger, but Dominik assumed he was still as deadly. Slowly Eredin craned his head to the rider next to him, and when he spoke, it cut through the thick air like a sword through clay.

"Avallac'h… are you sure this is the place? This… is a crumbling ruin," Eredin spoke slowly, and before Dominik even had time to be shocked, the rider next to him nodded, before reaching up to the base of his helmet.

Slowly, the elf removed his helmet, his eyes not leaving the keep, "It is… a powerful illusion, but a feeble attempt to hide. I will finally wipe him from this earth… he has eluded us, eluded me for too long."

Dominik floundered when he saw Avallac'h remove his helmet. Avallac'h just like back at Kaer Morhen now, was must smaller then Eredin, the size of a normal man, but he still wore the skeletal armor of a high-ranking commander of the Hunt, armor in a similar style to Eredin. A longsword was at the sages hip, and when Dominik saw his grey eyes, he marveled for a second, realizing how young the elf looked, his grey hair had been receding back in Kaer Morhen, but in that moment he saw, he had a full head of flowing white grey hair, it was combed back down his neck, and as Dominik looked at his face he couldn't help but scoff.

Just like in the present day, the sage had an arrogant prideful look on his face, like he couldn't believe that he was forced to come to the castle. However, Dominik could also see the anger, the seething rage that was building up in the sage's eyes. It was the same kind of look he gave Dominik back in Kaer Morhen then. He had assumed he was once a member of the Hunt, or at least in their ranks someway, but for a few seconds all Dominik thought about, was what the sage could possibly be doing helping Ciri now. Was the elf's hatred for Eredin truly that high, that he'd actively work with Lara and Cregan's descendant, and now, even though it was with much complaint, Alexander's as well? Why would he even bother helping Ciri, all the questions raced to his mind as his gaze shot to Alexander next to him.

"So… he really tried to kill you? What the fuck could he be doing now working with us? Why is he willing to help Ciri," He asked, feeling completely dumbfounded.

Alexander stroked his blonde and white frizzy beard before sighing, "It is as I said lad… I do not know. If I'm being optimistic, he's had a change of heart, seen the error of his ways, and believes that Eredin is a great threat to the world."

Dominik rolled his eyes, "And if you're being realistic?"

Scoffing Alexander shook his head, "Then he thinks Eredin is a threat to himself and his own power, and he has some plan that he hasn't been mentioning to you all yet… with your Cirilla at the center of them."

"I could've told you that…" Dominik said as he crossed his arms, feeling the wind whip through his brown hair.

Alexander let out a small laugh, "You're a sharp one lad… I know not what he plans. However, from what I have watched, he is right about one thing… you and your friends need him to defeat Eredin. So, let him stick around… but be wary my boy, you and Cirilla both, because well… you'll see in a moment that he… doesn't like me very much in particular."

Alexander's words washed over him, and he sighed, remembering Geralt saying a similar thing to him after his fight with Ciri. It was what he and Geralt both agreed, as long as Ciri said she trusted Avallac'h, they'd led the elf stay around, because they trusted her judgement. However, as Alexander said, Dominik was going to be sure to keep a close eye on the elf. As he looked down at the scene he wondered for a moment what Avallac'h had been doing there. He assumed of course the sage wished to hunt Alexander down to get the location of Lara's descendants, and Hunt down Cregan's brother of course, however, he knew that Eredin was the one to kill Alexander and not Avallac'h, so Dominik wondered what the elf was doing next to Eredin that night. He also wondered what Alexander was referring too when he said, 'you'll see in a moment why he doesn't like me in particular'.

However, as he watched the scene unfold, he slowly came to realize why the elf had such a massive disdain for him back in his world.

Eredin slowly shook his head, "Well… get on with it then. Unless… you plan to let another member of this family make a fool of you."

"Silence you disrespectful fool," Avallac'h snapped over at Eredin, who only rolled his eyes, before Avallac'h turned back to the castle atop his horse, "He will pay… pay for what he and his brother stole from me…. RAVELIAN TOMAN CRUET NOED!"

He knew the spell wouldn't affect him, but Dominik still leaped back when Avallach's hand shot into the air. The once silent valley of falling snow outside a crumbling castle erupted into a bright blue light, the spell that Avallac'h summoned shot upwards towards the castle, as Eredin waved his hand forward, and the thundering of hundreds of skeletal horses all moved forward, and within seconds, Avallac'h and Eredin were standing directly in front of their riders, in that snowing valley, but instead of standing in front of a crumbling ruin, they were standing in front of a large keep, a fully erected, not crumbling castle as opposed to the one that was in disarray that Dominik had seen. He looked and saw aw shit-eating smirk come to Avallach's younger face as he looked up towards the walls, and Dominik finally got his first good look at Castle Lod.

It wasn't a very large keep, however, with the naturally defensive position it didn't need to be. It only had one large front wall; it was at least a couple hundred feet high with one large iron gate with a winch that Dominik saw right above it. It had jutting battlement's, followed by a large wide keep inside just beyond the courtyard that shot up even higher than the outer walls. It seemed as if the castle had almost been built into the mountain, because after the outside wall, the keep itself was wedged far back against the sides of the mountain itself. Dominik could see a stable, a forge in the courtyard, and at the top of the tower in the inner keep which he assumed was where the inhabitants would live, he swore he could see the same exact window that in a previous vision he saw Alexander and Lara Dorren looking out of, and the sight made his stomach crawl, and his head begin to buzz as he realized just how much time had past between the visions he had seen. The castle was absolutely beautiful, and from the windows of that tower, one could sure enough see the beautiful forests and mountains. Now the snow gently fell, after the skeletal riders advanced everything went quiet again. Avallac'h lowered his hands and steadied his horse next to Eredin, the light from the moon and the fires hit their faces as the snow continued to fall. Dominik noticed that their gazes were shooting upwards towards the front wall, almost a hundred feet upwards, after a moment, Dominik saw Avallach's eyes narrow.

"Finally…." The elf said darkly, and Eredin scoffed next to him with a shake of his head.

"This… is the man who has eluded us… for so long?" Eredin said in a rather unimpressed tone before he turned back to Avallac'h, "The man who eluded YOU for so long?"

"Silence," Avallac'h hissed at Eredin, before he turned his head up towards the battlements again, "ALEXANDER!"

Dominik's eyes widened as his gaze went up the walls, and when they got up to the battlement's and he saw the man standing there, his gaze shot up to a smirking old Alexander next to him.

"That's you?" Dominik asked in complete disbelief as Alexander continued to smirk.

The old man laughed and nodded, "You bet it is yes! GODS look at me, I was strong!"

Dominik narrowed his eyes back to young Alexander on the battlements and scoffed, "But… it's been what, forty years? How the hell do you still look so young?"

"Being a sorcerer has it's perks," The old man said with a smirk.

"But… you're old now," Dominik said, looking at his ancestor's pale leathery old face.

Alexander rolled his eyes, "Because in case you didn't know, holding an illusion and keeping your consciousness in a journal for over a hundred years tends to take a lot out of you."

'Starting to think I got my sarcasm from you…." Dominik muttered to himself, before he tore his vision back down to the castle again.

Sure enough as he followed Avallac'h and Eredin's gaze up to the top of the walls, Dominik saw him. Castle Lod seemed like it could possibly repel an attack from the riders of the Hunt. If you placed enough archers on the walls, perhaps a ballista, a few crossbows, and then braced the gate down below, it would certainly be possible. Dominik knew there had to be at least over a hundred riders there, but it seemed like only about fifty men or so would have been able to hold the keep. The braziers along the battlements burned, the moonlight illuminated the walls, the night wind began to howl even louder as the snow fell, but instead of fifty or so men, a garrison of guards perhaps standing and guarding the castle, there was only one man, one singular man facing down the riders of the Wild Hunt, along with a powerful elven sage and Eredin himself.

And that man was Alexander of Lod, still standing in the same black robes he wore now, the coat of arms, two white swords crossed over a dragon head, however, he saw something new stitched just above the dragon and the swords. It was a swallow, a white stitched swallow was just above the sword and dragons, and Dominik felt his heart drop, Alexander had clearly done it for Lara, for his little sister as he called her. For so many years he hid himself, keeping the Hunt's attention away from Riannon, from his brother and his adopted little sister's children, protecting his line fulfilling his destiny, his goal. The same goal that Dominik would have to fulfill when he got back. The snow started to fall harder, the wind continued to howl and whip through young Alexander's robes as he stood next to a burning brazier just above the gate, looking directly down at Avallac'h.

Young Alexander looked barely any different then he had in the previous vision with Lara Dorren. He had a slicked, combed back head of blonde hair, with a neatly trimmed and cropped beard, both of which blew in the night breeze. His eyes went to stare down at the hundreds of riders gathered before him, along with Eredin and Avallac'h. Dominik expected Alexander's emerald eyes to be hard pressed, narrowed in concentration, facing down his foe and analyzing any possible way to defeat the vast amount of riders before him.

However, as he had come to expect from his ancestor, Alexander simply looked down with a wild smirk.

"AHH! Hello Avallac'h! Fancy seeing you here. Who's your tall, handsome friend, is he your new boyfriend!?" Alexander shouted down, and Dominik, despite knowing the situation and how it would turn out, couldn't help but laugh.

Alexander smirked wildly, and Dominik saw that he was holding a weapon in both hands. In his left hand, young Alexander held the same white staff that old Alexander held next to him, while in his right hand, Dominik could see he was casually leaning on the top of his broadsword. The snow gently fell onto his blonde hair, and as he leaned on the point of his blade, Dominik saw the crystal ball at the top of the white metal staff glowing fiercely with the same ball of fire that it was on old Alexander's staff next to him. The horses down below all nickered below the riders, and Dominik could see they were all eager to charge. Alexander however, remained calm, cool, collected, and couldn't stop smirking down at a completely enraged Avallac'h. Eredin seemed to simply annoyedly roll his eyes at Alexander's comment, while Avallac'h on the other hand screamed back up towards Dominik's young ancestor.

"You know why I am here Alexander! You will die this night, you arrogant fool," Avallac'h shouted up the battlements, Dominik could see the elf shaking as he shook his head, "Tell us where the child is! And your death shall be quick and painless!"

"MHMMM!? What!? What's that Avallac'h?" Young Alexander shouted down from the walls, holding a hand to his ear as he looked down, "I can't hear you! Hearing is the first thing to go in old age, you'll have to speak louder!"

Avallac'h growled from atop his horse and shouted up again, "I SAID SURRENDER TO US! Surrender the location of the child, and we will grant you a swift death!"

"WHAT!? I still can't hear you; I don't know what you're asking me!" Alexander shouted down again, and Dominik felt himself scoff and begin to laugh as again Avallac'h growled loudly from atop his horse down below.

"I AM TELLING YOU TO SURRENDER YOU ARROGANT FOOL," Avallac'h exploded from down below, as Dominik could see the sage's face contort while he screamed, "TELL US THE LOCATION OF THE CHILD AND SURRENDER! YOU WILL NOT LIVE THIS NIGHT!"

"I STILL CAN'T HERE YOU! WHAT ARE YOU ASKING ME AVALLAC'H!? YOU NEED TO SPEAK UP," Alexander said as he gripped his staff with one hand and hefted his sword to his shoulder with a wide smirk as he looked down at the elf.

Dominik felt himself laugh as Avallac'h lost it again, "LISTEN YOU IGNORANT FOOL! SURRENDER NOW AND-."

"He is toying with you Avallac'h…" Eredin said dryly from the massive horse next to Avallac'h and Dominik saw the future King look up towards the battlements, "Alexander! I am Eredin Breacc Glas, leader of the Red Riders. Surrender yourself and the location of the child, and you will be granted a swift death!"

Young Alexander made a joke and deeply nodded his head before he laughed, "Ohhhhh! You want me to surrender!? Avallac'h why didn't you just say so!?"

Down below, Dominik felt himself laughing again, as Avallac'h gripped tightly to the reins of his skeletal horse. In the elf's short time at Kaer Morhen, Dominik thought he was an ass of course, but he had always seen the elf composed, even when he was angry. However, in that moment as the sage sat on his horse next to Eredin, he seemed like he was ready to explode, his face got red from the anger, and he kept shooting a murderous gaze up at Alexander.

He scoffed and looked at a bemused Alexander floating next to him, "HA… so… this is another reason he really doesn't like me."

Old Alexander laughed heartily and nodded, "From what I've seen you're just as sarcastic as I am… so yes. And well… you'll also see why in a moment."

Dominik chuckled and turned his gaze back down to the scene. He watched down as Alexander stood up straight on the walls. His young ancestors' emerald eyes sparkled in the fire light, it casted an illuminating glow off his face as the wind howl and blew back his black robes. Dominik watched as he smirked wildly again and looked down to the snow-covered earth towards Avallac'h and the riders.

"SO, you want to surrender is that it? Oh very well," Alexander said as he brought both hands to his staff, holding his sword against the metal staff he smirked wildly, and Dominik could see his ancestors eyes flash bright blue for a moment, before he shouted down again, "Let me just write you my letter of surrender! ANSAVAN, BREAS GRAN!"

Sparks shot upwards from the tip of Alexander's staff. Dominik had expected a magic spell, a torrent of magic to wrought destruction in the Hunt's ranks, perhaps take down Avallac'h or Eredin. However, as was becoming the pattern with his ancestor, he was a jokester before anything. The sparks shot up into the night air just above the Hunt and their riders, Avallac'h and Eredin both shot their gazes upwards, and while Avallac'h looked finally ready to erupt out of his skin, Dominik saw Eredin laugh for what he assumed was the first time in his life.

"BAHA… I must say… at least he has a sense of humor…" Eredin said condescendingly as he looked over at Avallac'h.

Avallac'h shook with a new rage as he slipped back on his helmet, he shot his gaze up to Alexander, "THAT IS ENOUGH! YOU WILL DIE THIS DAY ALEXANDER, JUST LIKE YOUR RIDICULOUS BROTHER! HE TOOK WHAT WAS MINE, MINE BY RIGHT, AND YOU WILL PAY FOR IT! YOU ARE ONE MAN IN A CASTLE, YOU CANNOT HOPE TO SURVIVE!"

Dominik looked over to the letters that the sparks had formed in the sky, and he felt himself burst out laughing. In the night sky, the sparks from Alexander's staff had erupted and whirled in the sky to form letter's, a message, and for a few minutes Dominik couldn't stop laughing as he read the words they made.

The message, "Avallac'h sucks flaccid cock', was spelled out in the sky.

"HAHA… you.. you really did that?" Dominik said looking up to a still smirking old Alexander.

Alexander smiled but the old man quickly sighed and looked back down to him, "Yes… I figured if I was going to die… I would at least amuse myself before I did."

Dominik felt his heart sink as he slowly looked down to a wildly smirking young Alexander on the battlements. He scolded himself for forgetting, he had gotten so wrapped up in laughing, and marveling at the bravery of his ancestor, that he had forgotten the entire point of the journey the old man was taking him on, why he was showing him everything. 'For you to be able to protect the Elder Blood, to protect your Cirilla and defeat the Hunt… you must know the story of me and my children… the story of how we died.' Hearing the words made his face fall, he looked down at a fuming Avallac'h and Eredin, and a smirking young Alexander, and he remembered the hard truth.

Despite all of Alexander's confidence, he would die in this battle.

The snow continued to gently fall over the castle, the fires in the brazier next to a young Alexander burned, and finally he sighed. For the first time, Dominik saw the young Alexander's eyes grow hard, he gripped tightly to both his staff and longsword, and Dominik saw the look of realization appear in his emerald eyes. The snow gently lapped over his head, and he walked towards the edge of the walls and looked down to a still fuming Avallac'h who's eyes didn't leave him.

Alexander let out a sigh and took a step back before yelling, and Dominik could see the fire in his emerald eyes erupt, "SHE WAS NEVER YOURS AVALLAC'H! SHE WAS A LIVING BREATHING PERSON, NOT YOUR PROPERTY! AND YOU ARE WRONG AGAIN! I AM ONE MAN YES! BUT I AM NOT ALONE!"

"IT WAS MY RIGHT, SHE WAS MY RIGHT," Avallac'h yelled before his gaze shot to Eredin, "Go now! Take down the gate, kill him, and tear the Castle down brick by brick!"

Eredin sneered at the sage before turning to his riders, gently the future King put his faceplate back on, "NOW! BREAK DOWN THE GATE!"

The future King racked his longsword out, and Dominik couldn't help but wonder if it was the same sword, that a hundred so years later would almost kill him. All of the riders seemed to stir, and Dominik heard the thundering of over a hundred horses all beginning to move at once. He looked and saw Avallac'h and Eredin both place their helmets and faceplates back on, Avallac'h raked out his longsword, and both he and Eredin continued to stand at the lead as finally the riders began to move forward. Magic energy and ice all churned around the horses, and they thundered their hooves through the snow, the once peaceful, silent valley was filled with the echoes of hoofbeats, the moonlight and the fires all illuminated the scene as the riders began to charge for the walls of Castle Lod. Dominik's eyes widened, he looked between old man Alexander and back down to young Alexander standing on the walls, waiting for either of them to do anything, or even look the slightest bit concerned.

However, young Alexander in the vision below, and old Alexander next to him simply smirked.

He watched down to the walls, and with a loud *BOOOM* all the riders stumbled as they charged. On the battlements he saw young Alexander, and when he did, Dominik's heart leapt up in his chest. Young Alexander's body was completely incased in swirling blue magic, the same exact way Dominik got when his own powers unleashed. For a few moments he saw Alexander's emerald eyes staring down at the advancing riders, but after a moment of magic whirling around his limbs, Dominik saw his young ancestor blink. When his eyes reopened the magic erupted around him again as it shot out at all angles. The fire in the ball at the top of his metal staff whirled, and he slammed both his sword and staff into one another, before the light took over his eyes and he shouted out into the valley in Elder Speech.

"YOU SHALL NOT HAVE HER BLOOD, AND YOU SHALL NOT PASS HERE," Alexander yelled, and the magic began to pour out of him as the riders continued to charge, and finally his eyes seemed to glow even more intensely before he raised his staff and sword, "EGTHLANE CERAIN DEFRAIN, IGNATIUS BREACAN GLYNVAIL AENYE!"

A loud *BOOOOOOOM* echoed throughout the entire valley and shook the very walls of Castle Lod, all of the riders who had charged past Avallac'h and Eredin stumbled, the riders horses bucked, the more then a hundred riders all came to a screeching halt as the magic ripped from Alexander on the walls. Dominik's ancestors slammed the but of his staff into the ground with his blade erupting magic, and soon the very ground beneath the riders, the snow covered earth begun to shake, and then out of nowhere another *BOOOOOOOOM* erupted from the very ground itself as torrents of fire erupted from under the ground and shot towards the riders, it enveloped and circled them all, effectively trapping them in the flat earth outside Castle Lod in an enormous, roaring arena of fire that's walls shot as high as Castle Lod itself. Never in Dominik's life had he seen such powerful fire erupt from a mage, not even Yennefer or Triss, he had never seen magic like this before. He watched onto the walls as Alexander's sword erupted into flames as the magic continued to whirl and whirl around him in the night.

The castle and the surrounding battlefield were illuminated by the light of magic and fire. Riders who couldn't stop themselves ran into the walls of flames and were set alight, some fell from their horses, the charge had been completely halted and the riders were in complete disarray. He turned his gaze over to Avallac'h and Eredin, neither of which seemed worried, only even more agitated in Avallach's case. Next to the sage, Eredin growled before raising his sword and twirling it.

"Regroup you fools! He has simply trapped us, he is still only one man," The future King of the Aen Elle screamed out before he turned over to Avallac'h with an eye roll, "You didn't describe the power this man had Avallac'h…"

The sage turned to Eredin and sneered, "It matters not, he is simply delaying the inevitable. I will cast a spell to-."

"EXCUSE ME AVALLAC'H." Young Alexander shouted from the balcony, as Eredin and Avallac'h both turned on their horses back to the walls. Up at the top, young Alexander who was still radiating magical power smirked down at them with his staff and sword still out, "I DO HOPE YOU DON'T MIND IF I INVITE AN OLD FRIEND OF MINE TO OUR LITTLE PARTY! LARA WAS OH SO FOND OF HIM!"

Avallach's face grew enraged again as he screamed, "IT MATTERS NOT! It matter's not who you call you ignorant man, you will still die this night!"

"OHO! I THINK THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE WRONG! ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE AN OLD FRIEND OF MINE," Alexander yelled from the battlements as the riders continued to scramble in the arena of flames beneath them. Dominik's ancestor smirked and raised his staff and sword up into the air yet again, his voice bellowed in Elder Speech, "AE CALLAN AEN TEADH AEP FLUAE TE AVARE! CAEM AEP MAE A OBYE DEIN MAE!"

Dominik's eyes widened, as young Alexander spoke the words he felt as if someone draped a wet towel over him. He shot his gaze up to Alexander as with every word he had the flashbacks to the battle he recognized the spell, he knew exactly what was happening, and he couldn't believe it. The snow still gently fell over Alexander and he as they floated above the scene, the fire illuminated over their faces, and Dominik felt his mind ready to explode.

"What!? I recognize that spell, you mean to tell me that you really-," Dominik started to ask as Alexander quickly cut him off by turning to him.

The old man while tightly gripping his staff slowly nodded, "Yes my boy… we will speak of it in a bit… say hello to my old friend."

Dominik scoffed with his eyes wide and shook his head, "I… I thought it was possible when he didn't kill me, but how did-."

He was cut off, when Young Alexander's voice rang through the air again, and when he heard it, Dominik almost felt as if his soul left his body.

"CAEMM AEP MAE…. KILGARRAH!" Young Alexander yelled as he slammed his staff down into the walls of the keep again, and a blast of magic shot through the air.

He looked over to see the riders all stumbled again, most had fallen from their skeletal horses, and they ran amok in the arena of fire that Alexander had erected. His gaze went over to Eredin and Avallac'h who tried to get a handle on their horses. As the skeletal beasts bucked under them both, Avallach's eyes widened as Eredin scoffed and shook his head.

"What is he doing Avallac'h? You once again… failed to mention this," Eredin said darkly as the wind began to howl, and the walls of fire continued to erupt around both of them.

Avallach's eyes darted to the sky, the fires burned the snow around them, the light illuminated their armor, and as the riders continued to run amok, the wind became even more violent. Under Avallach's helmet his hair whipped in the wind as he quickly looked to Eredin and shook his head.

"I thought it only a rumor… we must pull-," The sage began to say before he was cut off, cut off by the same earth-shattering roar that stopped the defenders of Kaer Morhen in their tracks.

Young Alexander laughed gleefully as the magic whirled and whirled around him, he smirked down as the roar got louder and louder. Quickly he extinguished the fire around his blade and slid it into his waist. His black robes, the dragon coat of arms and the swallow that he had stitched into the fabric whipped, and Dominik watched as for a few moments he simply stood there. The wind blew back his blonde hair, his emerald eyes had the bits of blue magic erupting in the sides of them, and he watched on as the riders finally looked as if they had begun to regroup back in their horses, Eredin and Avallac'h both got a handle on their horses, but the wind, the wind blew more violently then Dominik had ever seen, and just as another roar pierced the air, Alexander closed his eyes, magic began to swirl around him even more as he shot his gaze back open and leaped from the battlement's.

"What is that fool doing…." Eredin said darkly as he racked his blade from his waist and looked at Alexander who quickly fell from the battlement's.

Avallac'h scoffed from under his helmet and shot his gaze to Eredin, "I told you, we must-."

The sage was cut off yet again by a loud, earth shattering *ROOOOOOOAR* and then a gust if wind shot from behind Eredin and the sage, followed by a blur of white that almost completely blended in with the snow at first. However, when it zoomed past the walls, he saw Alexander who had been falling carried up into the air, as the great white dragon Kilgarrah appeared and caught Dominik's ancestor on his back before unleashing another castle rattling roar and ascending into the sky.

"You… you really were the one… the one he made an oath too… like Borch said…" Dominik said in amazement as he looked up to old Alexander, who fondly smiled at the sight of his younger self zooming upwards perched on the white dragon's neck.

The old man sighed and smirked, as the wind blew his scraggily hair and beard, "Oho yes my boy…. Kilgarrah… my old friend… gods I miss that dragon as well."

Dominik scoffed and shook his head, "Yeah, he must be really great, but there's the small fact that now he's working with the Wild Hunt, and almost killed me and all my friends a week ago."

"Kilgarrah will never harm you boy," Alexander said slowly as he looked down to meet Dominik's eyes, "His oath prevents him from it, that is why he spared you."

He felt his blood slightly begin to boil, he had of course remembered his conversation with Borch, when the gold dragon said Kilgarrah could be under some kind of spell by the Hunt. Eredin was at this battle when Alexander summoned him, perhaps the King was the one to teach it to Baelen, and once they summoned him, they were able to take control. However, he wouldn't forget that if not for that dragon, many of his friends wouldn't be injured, Vigi and Folan wouldn't have fallen, the courtyard where Arno and Declan had sacrificed themselves would have remained aflame, and the Hunt would've had a harder time getting through. However, as he looked at the vision then floating there, Dominik watched as Kilgarrah's massive form soared up into the sky above the battle, Alexander was on the dragon's neck, even seeming to talk to the beast as if they were old friends.

"You are blood of his blood." The words from the dragon rang in his ears. It was clear that he wouldn't attack Dominik, however, he still fought Borch, and still he worked with the Hunt and obeyed their orders. It was a staunch contrast to the beast he saw spin in the air before rapidly descending down with young Alexander on his back.

"He didn't attack me yeah… but he's still under the command of the Hunt, how the hell is that possible!?" He asked the old man, as the giant walls of fire illuminated them both.

Old Alexander sighed and gripped tighter on his staff, "My boy… there are some things that even I don't know. I only have the power to see what you see since you've touched the journal."

"Could he be trapped under a spell? Could he have just betrayed that oath he made to you, but felt bad when he saw me? If we can help him somehow, then the Hunt loses probably their biggest weapon," Dominik asked desperately as the cold wind blew through his cold hair.

Alexander slowly shook his head, "I wish I had the answer for you my boy…. It takes all my strength to hold the illusion and my consciousness in the journal. Other then perhaps him being trapped, the only other explanation is he is fulfilling his oath… but that's impossible, from what I've heard you say… all of your relatives are dead."

Dominik bit his lip and slowly felt his heart drop. He remembered back to Connor and Lara in the previous vision they had seen. Two siblings in perfect synch, their powers radiating, fighting to protect their destiny, how they spoke to each other, the banter, the complete trust and love they clearly had despite the teasing. It reminded him so much of himself and Bella when they were younger, and he found himself again wondering what could have been. Bella was the only sibling he had, their parents were both single children, so he grew up with no cousins to speak of. Bella would have been the only one who shared the powers with him, but she was gone. She had died in his arms, and thus, it made him the last member of the line of Alexander.

Shakily he sighed and nodded, "Yeah… they are. But… couldn't you tell if maybe I had a cousin or something my parents never told me about? Couldn't you sense your descendants?"

Old man Alexander scoffed and shook his head, "If I were alive it'd be no problem. However… as you can see, holding the illusion, keeping myself in the journal for one of my descendants to find… it… has taken its toll on me. As I said, I can only see through your eyes, so no… I cannot. I know not why Kilgarrah fights with the Hunt now my boy… but I can promise you this… he will never harm you."

"How do you know for certain? What happens to him if he does?" Dominik asked as the wind continued to howl in his ears.

Alexander looked deeply into his eyes and shook his head, "Nothing, he was released from his oath."

"WHAT!?" Dominik found himself yelling in complete disbelief as he shook his head, "Then… then why did he spare me!?"

A small smile came to the old man's face as he looked back down towards the battle. Dominik followed his gaze, and he saw Kilgarrah and young Alexander floating above the mass of riders who were all scrambling to get back into lines in the arena of fire, as Eredin and Avallac'h both shouted out orders, the wind and snow still whipped through the night, and when Dominik slowly looked up at old Alexander the man smiled fondly down at his younger self and the dragon.

His old ancestor met his eyes with a soft smile, "Because… I may have released him from his blood oath… but he made another one. An oath on his word… to help my descendant's when they have lost their way, when they need it most."

Dominik slowly shook his head as he looked back down towards the scene. It had to be a spell, Baelen, Caranthir, someone on the Hunt had to be the one to place a spell on Kilgarrah, from how passionately Alexander spoke of the dragon, how sure he sounded, Dominik refused to believe as Borch did, he was doing it willingly. He had to have broken the spell for a moment, and somehow recognized Dominik's blood that was why he didn't attack. A hundred new questions rang through his head again, it seemed whenever one was answered, a torrent of new one's took its place. However, he pushed the questions away from his mind as the smell of ash hit his nose, and the violent winds blew his hair upwards. He shot his gaze down just in time to see Alexander and Kilgarrah, both floating above the riders of the Hunt.

Young Alexander smirked from his perch atop the great white dragon's back. Kilgarrah flapped his wings as he flew in place meters above the riders, who had all reorganized into lines. Eredin and Avallac'h both stood in position behind the lines, and Dominik could see all the rider's horses nervously nickering. He couldn't see Eredin's face, or Avallach's but soon Eredin's booming voice rippled through the night.

"Dragon or no dragon! You die this night Alexander," Eredin bellowed, and Dominik looked over as young Alexander simply laughed loudly.

"BAHA! YOU HEAR THAT KILGARRAH!? WE'RE GOING TO DIE TONIGHT," Dominik's young ancestor yelled with his staff still firmly held in hand, he laughed again and shook his head looking down at the riders, "WELL, WE MAY AS WELL TAKE YOU ALL WITH US! KILGARRAH, GYVNVAEL!"

Just like he had done in the battle a week prior, Kilgarrah reared back his massive head, and a torrent of frost exploded down towards the riders. The stream of frost smashed into the lines, and it wreaked havoc. Riders were knocked from their horses, they were frozen in ice, but amazingly the fire that Alexander had erected stayed lit, and nothing could extinguish it. Kilgarrah flapped his wings and kept breathing the frost down on the Hunt's ranks, as with Alexander on his back he begun flying and strafing the Hunt's lines. The riders all scrambled and leapt from their horses, Dominik saw halberds, swords, spears, all of them flash. Weapons were thrown up to try and strike the great white dragon, but Kilgarrah's scales were impenetrable from that distance. The dragon continued to strafe, and the riders desperately tried to fight back, but Kilgarrah zoomed over the air, and passed over the heads of Eredin and Avallac'h, before flying back for another strafing run.

Eredin growled loudly and climbed down from his massive horse, his gaze shot over to Avallac'h, "Avallac'h… you never mentioned a dragon you arrogant fool!"

Avallac'h growled himself behind his skeletal helmet and climbed off his own horse, "I thought you said your riders were the best… or was that a lie? Are you afraid of a human? A meek, pathetic, arrogant-."

"WHAT WAS THAT!?" A loud voice boomed behind Avallac'h. and before Dominik knew it Eredin stepped forward and raised up his jagged longsword.

A loud *BOOOOOOOOM* erupted as just before Alexander could leap down to cut Avallac'h in half Eredin had intercepted. The magic that was whirling off both their blades collided, and smokey ash filled the battlefield. A distance away a loud *THUD* shook the earth, as Kilgarrah landed in the middle of the riders. The dragon roared and it seemed to shake the riders to their cores, some stumbled before they regained their footing and foolishly started towards the dragon again. Kilgarrah unleashed its torrent of frost, it swung its massive tail and claws, with every strike another rider was snatched up by either the dragon's jaws or squashed under its might. Dominik, however, knew dragons weren't invincible, the riders had no chance of defeating them from the sky, but Alexander had chosen to land.

Scoffing with his eyes wide he looked to the old man floating next to him, "Why did you land!? They had no chance of taking you out from the sky!"

Alexander sighed as he shook his head with a grim smile, "Avallac'h and Eredin are not stupid my boy. They would have known that too… and retreated, only to come back with an even larger force. No… I needed to face them… I thought if I could defeat them… the Hunt would cripple."

Dominik felt his heart break again, his skin grew cold, his blood began to race through him. Shakily sighing he gripped the swallow as he looked down to where Alexander had leapt for Avallac'h and Eredin. The smoke and snow that was whirling finally cleared, and that was when Dominik saw Alexander still standing. The blue magic whirled around his body, he gripped tightly to his staff in his left hand, while his blade was once again roaring with fire as he stood mere meters from Eredin and Avallac'h. His young ancestor's emerald eyes narrowed, and Dominik could see around Alexander's pupils started to glow blue as he pointed his sword with one hand and twirled his staff in the other. He looked powerful, confident, and from the power Dominik saw him exhume, he nearly didn't want to believe it, believe what he knew would happen. The snows started to violently fall as Kilgarrah roared and fought riders' meters away, the wind blew his robes back, but Alexander stood stalwart across from Avallac'h and Eredin. Dominik's eyes narrowed onto the scene, but his blood felt like ice, because he knew how the battle ended.

Slowly he turned to older Alexander with a shaky sigh, "But… but you didn't…"

"No my boy… I didn't," Old man Alexander said slowly, just as Dominik heard young Alexander yell from down below.

He tore his gaze down and again, his young ancestor twirled his staff and flaming sword, before he leveled his blade towards both Avallac'h and Eredin.

"So! Which one of you wishes to go first!? Or you could both come at once, it makes no difference to me!" Alexander said as his blonde hair and robes whipped in the wind.

Eredin scoffed and hefted his blade to his shoulder, "You are as arrogant as Avallac'h described… brave… but arrogant. Give us the location of the child… and I will kill you quickly… I will… deny myself the pleasure of killing you slowly."

"He is right Alexander…" Avallac'h said darkly as he racked his blade from his waist as well, from behind his skeletal helmet the sage spoke in a low drawl, "You will pay… for turning her against me…. You will pay for your brother taking what was mine…"

"She was never yours… she never was going to be, you turned her against you yourself," Alexander said, and Dominik finally heard the jovial tone leave his young ancestor, Alexander whirled his staff and blade again as Kilgarrah roared he met the elves eyes, "Even if you strike me down here tonight… my line will live on… they will live on, and they will forever be there to protect Cregan and Lara's line… protect them… from you. Strike me down yes… but one day.. my children will kill you, kill you both…"

Dominik felt his stomach churn as he floated above the scene. The words sank into his ears, and he realized that Alexander had indeed been right. Over a hundred years later after this battle took place, he was still alive, he was carrying on Alexander's line, protecting his destiny, the woman he loved, protecting Cregan and Lara's line. Alexander for Lara and his brother, for their children, for the fate of the world had faced down almost the entirety of the Wild Hunt with only himself and a dragon. Even with that dragon, the odds were still hopelessly out of his favor, however, Dominik's ancestor was standing firm still, not stopping the fight until the end. He looked to the old man floating next to him, and remembered how not long ago, he thought he was nothing but a crazy old man.

However, that crazy old man was possibly braver then anyone Dominik had ever seen. And just like Alexander, if it meant to keep the world, the continent, his family… and most importantly Ciri safe, he would face down the Hunt as well.

Eredin bellowed across from Alexander and dipped his longsword into the bloody snow as the small blizzard began to form around them, "Baha…you humans… so… predictable. Come then Alexander… let us see the extent of the power you wield."

"You will die this night… ignorant fool," Avallac'h said next to Eredin, as Dominik saw a ball of magic begin to whirl in his hands, "First you die… then your children…"

Alexander heartily laughed and smirked over at them, "Baha… you're having a hard time with me! If that's the case.. you stand no chance against my children together…. Come now! I think we've waited long enough!"

Just as Alexander finished speaking Kilgarrah let out another bone chilling roar, Dominik saw the white dragon whirl its tail around and knock out several riders at once. The dragon spit its breath forward and froze several more before snatching one up in its jaws and throwing it into the walls of fire around them. The fire and the moonlight lit the scene, and Dominik saw Eredin and Avallac'h both make the mistake of looking away from Alexander to the dragon. As soon as their heads turned, Alexander leaped into battle, with his staff and flaming sword in hand, Dominik's young ancestor waded into the two powerful elves, and as he watched the fight unfold he almost couldn't believe that it was a man fighting, because Alexander moved like a whirlwind.

With the blue magic spinning his limbs on, he spun parried and thrusted with his blade, all while smacking away spells with his staff. Avallac'h came charging in from the right, magic glew in the sage's hand as he fired a ball of lightning towards Alexander. Alexander spun around one of Eredin's strikes and quickly shouted words in Elder Speech, magic shot to the top of his staff and he caught the ball of lightning at the weapons tip. He spun and fired the ball back towards Avallac'h and the sage just barely had time to raise a magical shield before the blast hit him again. A loud *BOOOOOM* rang as Avallac'h was sent flying back. Kilgarrah's roars were ever present as the great dragon beat back riders, seeming to protect Alexander, he noticed whenever a rider snuck past the beast to aid Eredin and Avallac'h, Kilgarrah would whirl around and smack them away. However, Dominik's eyes didn't look at the dragon, they stayed locked on Alexander, just after he blasted Avallac'h back, Eredin came charging again. Frost and magic glew around the much larger elf as he swung down his blade. Alexander's eyes flashed blue and he whirled around just in time to parry. However, the blow was so powerful that he got sent stumbling. Eredin took the advantage and tried to swing his blade down, however Alexander spun on his back and thrusted up his staff.

"SNUA FLENDEAL!" Alexander screamed, and a torrent of the snow below them shot up and smacked Eredin back, the future King was trapped as his arms became incased in ice and snow. To Dominik's shock Eredin couldn't move, and Alexander went in for a decisive strike, his body still radiating the magic, his eyes glew and just before he could strike Eredin down, Avallach's voice rang in the night.

"ALEXANDER, FACE ME YOU THEIF!" The elf screamed, and Alexander whirled around with his blade and staff as Eredin went to rip himself from the ice.

Avallach's helmet had been blown off, his skeletal armor was singed and smoking, but the elf's grey hair flew in the wind, his blade was still clutched in his hand as he leveled it out with one hand towards Alexander. Alexander slowly turned from Eredin, and Dominik wanted to scream, scream at Alexander for being so foolish, for not taking the chance to cut Eredin down. All he needed to do was quickly slash his blade across Eredin's neck and the future King would have been no more. He felt his skin begin to crawl as he floated above and watched Alexander and Avallac'h slowly begin to circle one another, Kilgarrah roared loudly, and Eredin still tried to struggle out of the ice. Both Avallac'h and Alexander's boots crunched in the snow, Alexander's robes flapped back in the wind, the light from the roaring walls of fire illuminated them both, and Dominik could only shake his head.

"You're right, I was a fool… such a fool," Old Alexander said from his position floating next to him.

Dominik scoffed and shook his head with his eyes still on the scene, "All… all you had to do was kill Eredin, you still could have turned and faced Avallac'h, wh… why didn't you?"

Old Alexander sighed as he watched the scene as well, "I let my emotions get the best of me…. Avallac'h had treated Lara like she was an object, his property. I knew she could take care of herself, and she did… she left him for Cregan and came to Castle Lod. However… I let my anger get the best of me…. I was still furious… and it was the most foolish thing I could do."

He barely had time to realize how similar his situation back at Kaer Morhen was with Avallac'h and Ciri before he heard Avallac'h bellow below.

"YOU WILL PAY! SHE WAS MINE BY RIGHT, YOU AND YOURE BROTHER TURNED HER AGAINST ME," Avallac'h yelled with his blade leveled out again, his grey hair blew in the wind as magic began to build up in his palm, "You are first! And then we WILL find the child, and we will have what is rightfully ours again!"

In that moment something clicked in young Alexander. Dominik watched him grip tightly to his blade, the fire still roared around, at the top of his staff the crystal ball of fire glowed even fiercer, and all around Alexander's body the blue magic churned, it churned and churned, it shot into his eyes and when Alexander yelled, the wind blowing, the snow howling, his voice echoed even over the roars of Kilgarrah.

"SHE WAS NEVER YOURS! AND SHE NEVER WILL BE! YOU WILL NOT HAVE HER BLOOD; I SHALL MAKE SURE OF IT! ME AND MY CHILDREN, AND THEIR CHILDRENS CHILDREN!" Alexander's voice bellowed throughout the valley, the fire roared around him, and then again, Dominik's ancestor leveled his blade with one hand towards Avallac'h, "ONE DAY AVALLAC'H THEY WILL BE YOUR-. GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"NO!" Dominik screamed at the top of his lungs as he saw the blade squelched out the front of Alexander's stomach.

Eredin had freed himself, and as Old Alexander had told him, his anger and emotion had gotten the best of him, and now he stood there with shaking legs, screaming as Eredin quickly ripped his blade from Alexander's stomach causing Dominik's ancestor to scream out again.

"GAHHHHHHHHHHHH! GYNVALE ENASE CRYNVALE ANYE!" Alexander yelled out through the pain as he dropped his blade and slammed the butt of his staff into the ground.

A blast of magic shot from the bottom of the staff, all of the magic that whirled around Alexander shot into the one blast as a loud *BOOOOOOOOM* ripped through the night sky again. Eredin and Avallac'h both got sent sprawling backwards, even Kilgarrah stumbled, along with all the riders, the blast of magic was so powerful when the dust cleared Dominik saw Alexander standing in a small crater of blackened earth. The snow churned around him, the wind blew through his now singed blonde hair, Dominik saw his robes whipping in the wind, as crimson blood spilled from his stomach onto the ground. It was all Alexander could do to hold both hands to his staff, but from the gushing wound in his stomach, Dominik saw his legs begin to tremble.

Slowly Alexander began to fall, but Dominik saw his eyes widen, as tendrils of magic began to churn from his body again. Alexander's eyes shot bright blue, and just as Avallac'h came leaping in with another sword strike, he somehow got his staff up to block. Eredin quickly came from the left as well, and somehow, someway for the moment Dominik watched his ancestor twirled and raised his staff to block strikes from both the elves. With every step he took, more blood gushed onto blacked earth as snow and wind continued to howl. Alexander ducked under one of Eredin's sword strikes and shouted out another spell before swiping the future King's legs out from under him, Eredin yelled as he fell and Alexander slammed his staff into the elves side, sending him sprawling back. Just as Eredin got sent stumbling back, Avallac'h went for another thrust, but Alexander was ready, he side-stepped and twirled his staff above his head before smacking it into Avallach's back. The sage got sent stumbling to the ground, and Alexander stood above him, his stomach continued to gush blood, magic still whirled around him, but Dominik could see in his eyes he was ready to fall.

Alexander went to swing his staff down, but Avallac'h thrusted out his hand and Alexander just had time to raise a shield. Alexander stumbled and had to lean on his staff again as he groaned, one hand went to his wound as Avallac'h laughed and walked towards him.

"BAHA! The mighty Alexander of Lod, reduced to nothing! You will DIE this night, you petulant, arrogant human, this shall teach you to meddle before the superior race, to steal our heritage, to help in creating that disgusting abomination that came from Lara's womb!" Avallac'h yelled as he rushed forward to bring his sword down on a hunched over Alexander.

Alexander's eyes flashed blue one more time and he shot up, "You talk too much, you arrogant bastard!"

As Avallac'h leaped to bring his sword down, Alexander somehow was able to parry with his staff and side-step, as Avallac'h came down Alexander shot the tip of his staff forward and shouted again in Elder Speech.

"CRYNVAEL ANAY!" Alexander yelled, and a blast of magic erupted from the ball of fire at the top of his staff.

Avallach's eyes widened as the magic smacked into him. The sage was thrown back with a loud, *BOOOOOOOOOOM*. Alexander just had time to smirk as the dust around him settled, however, Dominik saw how pale his face was, his ancestor coughed violently as the snow and wind churned around him, Kilgarrah roared in defiance, as Dominik looked he saw that the riders were jabbing halberds and spears up at the beast, finally seeming to put him on the defensive. Alexander saw this and his eyes widened, he went to step forward, but as soon as he did he coughed blood up onto the snow and stumbled.

"Impressive… but you'll fine ME, much harder to defeat then Avallac'h!" The bellowing voice of Eredin roared, and Alexander's eyes flashed again as he turned around.

Eredin had recovered once again and swung his blade down. Dominik's eyes widened and his scarred right cheek throbbed, as he watched Eredin smacked Alexander's staff aside before spinning and slicing his blade out, Alexander had time to back up, but the tip of Eredin's blade still racked diagonally across his ancestor's cheek, and finally, Alexander of Lod fell backwards off his feet.

"ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Alexander screamed in pain as he fell onto the snow clutching his face with his staff no longer in hand.

A new loud *ROOOOOOOAR* ripped through the courtyard, and Dominik saw Kilgarrah's massive body turned towards Alexander just as he was knocked back. He saw as if the dragon's eyes widened, it whirled around and unleashed a massive torrent of frost that froze the rider's in place, before the dragon turned it's body back towards Alexander.

He saw as Eredin bellowed out a laugh, "Baha… brave… but like I said… as foolish… and arrogant as all humans…."

Alexander cough violently as he leaned up on his elbow, his face dripping blood, "Ha… I… I feel… honored that… that… Avallach's new lover… seems… seems to like me as much as his old one!"

The wind howled and Dominik finally saw Eredin's gaze narrow, "Tell us now! Tell me now where the child is, and I will consider sparing both your children."

Again Alexander coughed out a laugh, "BAH! Like… like I said… you… you could barely beat me… you… you stand no… no chance… against… against my children together…"

Eredin smirked down at Alexander and leveled his blade at the man's neck, "We shall see… but for now… I think I will enjoy-. GAHHHHHH!"

A loud *ROOOOOOAR* followed by a large *WHOOSH* and *THUMP* interrupted Eredin, as Kilgarrah roared and landed behind Alexander. The dragon roared and whipped its tail around, it smacked into Eredin and sent him flying backwards. The riders all began to finally converge, but with one final, mighty roar, Dominik saw the half-conscious Alexander gently picked up in Kilgarrah's massive front claws, and before the riders could charge another loud *WHOOSH* ripped through the air as Kilgarrah flapped his massive wings and took off into the sky with Alexander carefully in its claws. Dominik's eyes widened at the scene, he saw some riders try to throw spears and other weapons, but again nothing worked, Kilgarrah's roar echoed through the valley as the dragon ascended up into the clouds.

And just as he saw Eredin and Avallac'h both stumble to their feet, the first bit of light started to jut out over the mountains. Dominik saw the damage to both Eredin and Avallac'h, he understood perfectly now why Avallac'h hated him so much back at Kaer Morhen. Alexander had defeated him, and defeated him handily, but as he looked at Kilgarrah flying off with Alexander in his claws, Dominik saw a smirk appear to the elf's face, because he knew, just as well as Dominik did… Alexander wouldn't survive his wounds. The walls of fire finally slowly died down, and now, just like before the battle began, the valley outside Castle Lod was silent, and as Eredin and Avallac'h started barking out orders, orders to search and burn the castle, Dominik felt his insides grow hot as a rage started to boil.

Eredin had spoke as if he defeated Alexander in combat, went toe to toe with his ancestor and beat him. However, the King had simply stabbed him in the back, before slaying an already half-dead Alexander. Dominik was convinced after seeing the power his ancestor exhumed, that he could have killed both Avallac'h and Eredin. Alexander had done more damage to the King with a full stab wound in his gut then Dominik did at full health. He remembered the jolly man he had seen in the vision with Lara Dorren, how proudly he smiled at his children, how determined he was to protect them, how much confidence he exhumed. It was everything Dominik strived to be himself.

And he had died from being stabbed in the back, without a chance to defend himself.

Slowly he felt his mouth go dry as he looked up to a floating Old Alexander next him. If Dominik looked close enough, over his left cheek, in his old leathery folded skin, Dominik could see the faint scar from where Eredin's blade had cut his ancestor. He felt his own right cheek throb, and gingerly ran his hand over it, and his leg winced as they floated, the white light starting to whip around them. As he met Old Alexander's eyes, Dominik could see the grim look to them, a stark contrast to the eccentric, happy old man he had known earlier. Slowly he met Dominik's eyes, and Dominik could only scoff and shake his head.

"That… that was horrible," He said as he shakily sighed and met his ancestor's eyes again, "You… you got stabbed in the back! You didn't deserve to die like that!"

Alexander chuckled lightly and shook his head, "Aha… how do you think I feel lad? I wish I had gone in some other way yes… preferably of old age after a couple hundred years with my children at my side… but as you saw, I only have myself to blame."

"But that's still not fair! You face down Avallac'h because of how he treated Lara," Dominik said, feeling his annoyance boil, as he scoffed and shook his head again, "Even if you should've taken out Eredin first, it.. it still isn't fair! You should've gotten a chance to fight, you could've beaten them!"

The old man sighed again, and as he met Dominik's eyes he simply shrugged his shoulders, "Sometimes lad… life just isn't fair, and it's the innocent one's who suffer. What did Cregan and Lara do to deserve their fates? What did your Cirilla do to deserve hers? You must learn my boy, that in life, not all things will be fair, whether it's during a fight, or during life itself."

Life just wasn't fair sometimes; it was something that Dominik had known for a long time. It was the innocent who suffered, his father, mother, younger sister, Pavetta, they were all the ones who suffered, while the people like Eredin, Avallac'h, Emhyr, Radovid, they were the ones who seemed to thrive. Dominik's skin tingled as he saw the white mist begin to swirl around him, and slowly he looked up to meet Alexander's gaze.

"But… it's what I've been taught my whole life, I… I've had to do horrible things, things I wasn't proud of and… and each time I hated it," Dominik said as he looked down towards the swallow around his neck, remembering all those starving days alone.

Alexander slowly shook his head and placed his leathery hand on his shoulder, "I'm not saying that you must change your ways my boy. I've not watched you for long, but from what I've seen, you've been raised into a good, honorable young man. However, you must be prepared for whatever your enemy throws at you… you also must learn to control your emotions… you saw that was the reason I was slain.

The loud squelch of Eredin's blade rang in Dominik's ears, and he slowly shook his head at the old man, "I… really think you could have taken them both, killed them both."

Old Alexander chuckled and nodded, "Haha aye… I like to think I could have, but I didn't…. I let my anger get the best of me, and because of that… you must now deal with the consequences. If I had killed Eredin that day, controlled my emotions… you and your Cirilla would be safe now."

Quickly Dominik scoffed and shook his head, "You can't blame yourself for that! You were angry, Avallac'h deserved it!"

"Bah, and what did beating Avallac'h then get me? I died, and now Eredin hunts you over a hundred years later, all because I didn't see the bigger picture," Alexander scoffed, before looking his old withered eyes deeply into Dominik's, he squeezed his shoulder and shook his head, "You must learn from my mistakes my boy. You must see the bigger picture, look past your anger, and realize what is best."

Right away Dominik knew what the old man was referring too. Feeling his skin crawl he thought to Avallac'h in Kaer Morhen in that moment, and for a second he couldn't believe Alexander was telling him to put his anger for the elf aside. He could see how much detest Alexander had for the elf, and after seeing his ancestor completely demolish Avallac'h like he did, it only served to make Dominik even more suspicious as to why the sage was helping Ciri now. He felt the white mist around Alexander and he begin to churn again as he looked up and shook his head at the old man.

"Ha, you expect me to just go back to Kaer Morhen, and let Avallac'h stay around Ciri after this? After what I just saw happen, what I saw him do, you want me to trust him?" Dominik asked as he felt the wind begin to blow the swallow pendant around his neck.

Alexander slowly shook his head, "No… I want you to trust in your Cirilla. I watched the argument you had with her yesterday. Be wary of Avallac'h Dominik, but you must realize that no matter what his motives are, he is helping you now, and shares your common goal for the moment."

"But what if he tries to take Ciri away!? What if he's trying to use her for something," Dominik shot back quickly, just as he felt a new chilly breeze whip through his hair.

Scoffing Alexander smirked at him, "Then you kill him, you act, as simple as that! You and your Cirilla boy, you are each other's destinies, partners, together you will do great things… but for that to happen, you MUST trust her, trust her judgement, as long as you trust one another, I promise you my boy, you WILL get that life you both deserve… the life that Cregan and Lara were never given the chance to have."

Right away he felt the swallow tremble around his neck, the silver seemed to only shake even more after Dominik put his bare hands around it. Sighing he heard Ciri's voice in his head, saw her face, felt her arms around him and her lips on his. If these visions had taught him anything so far, was that he was right in his younger life, and now. Ciri was his destiny, he was meant to find her, to meet her and protect her, and he liked to think even to fall in love with her. And destiny or not, he couldn't have been happier with that fact. She was his destiny, he was hers, and just like people had been telling him his whole life, they'd do great things together. She was his partner, his best-friend, and Alexander's words rung true in his head, he had to trust her. He knew he wouldn't trust the sage, he still believed and knew deep down Avallac'h was up to something, but just like they had decided yesterday, as long as Ciri trusted him, then Dominik would trust her judgement.

Alexander had said not to learn from his mistake, not to let his anger get the best of him, to look at the bigger picture. The bottom line of it was, that as much as he hated to admit it, if Ciri didn't learn control, if they didn't have a way to find Eredin and kill him, they would never get that life they wanted, the life they both deserved. And the only one who could help them with that, was Avallac'h. So, like Alexander said, he'd trust Ciri as he always did, trust her when she said the sage was helping them.

And if it were discovered he tried to do something to hurt her, to try and take her, he would be right there to act.

He was about to respond to Alexander, but a roar pierced the air, and the wind gently breezed through his hair. Whirling down to the scene before him he squinted, as the sun gently began to rise over the snow covered peak. The mountain they were on had the most beautiful view Dominik had ever seen, looking out over almost the entirety of the mountains in Kovir. In the distance, he saw what he assumed was Lan Exeter, that was how high up they were. It was if they were in a small meadow, that while still having piles of snow, Dominik could see the dirt, and the small patches of beautiful flowers that were jutting up, yellow, purple orchids, even a few red roses, beautiful blooms all stuck out in the dirt around the small piles of snow. He had no idea how such a meadow got onto the mountainside, but Dominik had never seen such a beautiful landscape, and it being large enough even for a dragon as large as Kilgarrah to land on. A loud *WHOOSH* hit his ears, along with a giant gust of wind blowing back his hair, and the old man's robes next to him. With a light crash into he dirt, he saw Kilgarrah swoop down and land in the meadow, right near the edge of the cliff.

Despite the beautiful sight, Kilgarrah's low mournful growl made his heart shatter. He looked and in the dragon's front claws, was the bloody body of young Alexander. The elegant black robes, the dragon coat of arms, and the swallow itched into the fabric blew back in the wind, as it seemed to calm when the dragon landed. A large boulder was situated just as the edge of the meadow, and gently Kilgarrah leaned down and laid the groaning young Alexander down into the small pile of snow. Alexander's body was scarred, Dominik could see the blood still running down his face, welling up in his stomach from where he knew a massive wound was, his face was black with soot, and as his back leaned up against the boulder, Dominik's ancestor groaned loudly, but managed to look up and meet the dragon's eyes.

"GAHHHH…. Thank… thank you, old friend… quite… quite a way to go isn't it?" Young Alexander joked, as the rising sun gently hit his face, and the wind blew his bloody blonde hair.

Dominik watched Kilgarrah adjust his massive body, he turned and looked out over the cliffs just as Alexander did before sitting and laying on his stomach and curling his wings into his body. The dragon's eyes grew softer then Dominik had ever seen them, and just like he had done to Dominik on the battlement's of Kaer Morhen, he craned his neck down near Alexander, who was also looking out over the beautiful view.

"It is… yes old friend…. Did you send the letter… and the journal to Connor and Lara," The dragon asked, his deep voice echoed throughout the meadow on that mountain.

Alexander coughed, and Dominik saw blood come out the sides of his ancestors' mouth as he slowly nodded. A small smile appeared on the man's face as he looked out over the view. Down in the valley, Dominik marveled at the rows of great oaks, the snow-covered fields, the distant view of Lan Exeter, the gentle, streaming sunrise that hit Alexander's pale, bleeding face. The wind was gentle, the snow had stopped falling, and the day that was dawning seemed beautiful, as Alexander started to breathe heavier, and next to him, Dominik could see Kilgarrah looking down. Borch had told him, that Kilgarrah and Alexander had a blood oath, they were partners, bound after the oath was made. And the look in the white dragon's eyes, Dominik could never remember a beast having such a look on their face.

A look of pure anguish.

Young Alexander cough again against the boulder, and Dominik saw his injured face smirk, "I… I did.. yes…. I… also destroyed anything… anything that would be of use. They… they won't find anything they can use… and… and Connor… Connor and Lara as… as long as they stick together… the blood.. Cregan… Cregan and Lara's will be safe."

"Good…" Kilgarrah said slowly as his head turned out towards the valley again, and the dragon slowly shook his head, before looking back down at the dying man, "I am sorry my friend… I am sorry that I could not save you…"

Dominik watched as Alexander chuckled, coughing his ancestor shook his head. He saw Alexander's face growing paler, as the wind blew and the blood started to slowly pour out of his mouth more, both his hands were on the wound in his stomach, but Dominik could see the blood begin to pool even more rapidly. He was near death, anyone could have been able to tell, but Alexander laughed weakly again, before slowly looking up to meet the dragon's eyes.

"It… it is alright Kilgarrah… you… you have been a good friend… a very good friend… thank… thank you for everything… I… I would have died much longer ago if… if not for you," Alexander said with another bloody cough.

Kilgarrah slowly nodded, but Dominik saw the anguish building in the dragon's eyes. Gently the dragon leaned down and held his massive head near the dying man.

"And you… old friend… thank you… I would not be here if not for you either. I.. had always despised human's but.. you… your children… I will always be there for you all," The dragon said deeply, his voice ringing in Dominik's ears.

Young Alexander readjusted himself against the boulder, and he met the dragon's eyes. A small smirk came to the man's bloody face as he weakly raised up his hands. The sun was up now, casting a beautiful morning glow over Alexander and Kilgarrah both, the wind gently blew, and Dominik saw a small ball of magic appear in Alexander's eyes as he spoke, and with every word, he could see how much it pained the man.

"Ig…igthlane… relan… defrain… aep… Kilgarrah…." Alexander said weakly, and for a moment Dominik saw Kilgarrah's dark eyes widen as the magic shot towards him. The spell lasted for a moment, it enveloped the dragon, and reverberated around the great white beast, and after a minute, a small *POP* ripped through the air, and the dragon shot his gaze back to Alexander.

"Alexander… what did you do…" The dragon asked deeply again, his voice resonating around the meadow, as Dominik could hear a slightly worried tone.

Alexander smirked up from the boulder, "I… I released you Kilgarrah… you… you are no longer bound by blood to… to me… or… or my children."

"What!? I did not ask you to do that Alexander," The dragon bellowed as he lowered his head back to the dying man.

Chuckling his young ancestor shook his head, "Aha… my old friend… I… do not wish to force you through anything… I… I refuse to have that kind of power over you my friend… and I know my children think the same. You… you are your own being, Kilgarrah, a dear friend… and both my children and I… we refused to have you under our command against your will."

"It was not against my will you crazy human," Kilgarrah said as he shook his massive head, "I came to your aid willingly, and would do the same for your children, or any with your blood."

Slowly Alexander shook his head, "I know that… I know that old friend. But… we respect you too much… care for you too much… we refuse to hold that kind of power over you."

Dominik felt his heart swell as Kilgarrah lightly growled for a moment in agitation before the dragon seemed to sigh. The sun continued to shine, and Dominik saw the snow and flowers blow as Kilgarrah adjusted himself again, he wrapped his long neck around the boulder Alexander was leaning and bleeding against, and he saw the beasts head come to rest next to Alexander's as they looked out over the beautiful valleys, the view of the sprawling city in the distance. For a few moments there was silence, as Dominik didn't see a man and a dragon, he saw two friends, two beings who had great mutual respect, and care for one another sit and enjoy the view.

Kilgarrah lightly, and mournfully roared as he turned his gaze to meet Alexander's eyes, Dominik could still see the anguish, the mournful, distraught look in the dragon's large eyes. Very few times had he ever seen emotion in such a beast, and see the look they both gave each other, Dominik felt his heart nearly shatter, and as Kilgarrah spoke, he could almost hear the massive beast's voice completely break.

"I swear to you Alexander… oath or no oath… I will for as long as I shall live… protect your line, protect your blood," The dragon said slowly, a small smile formed on Alexander's face as Kilgarrah nodded once again, and continued, "And… if any of them should ever lose their way… lose track of who they are… of the great things they will be meant to do… I will be there for them… I swear it."

Young Alexander laughed lightly and nodded, gently he held a hand up to the side of the dragon's snout and nodded, "I thank you… for everything old friend…. And… and thank you, for choosing this location… this… this is where it all began, so I… I see not a more fitting place for it to end for me…"

"Meaning…" The dragon said deeply as Alexander and he both looked out over the meadow again.

Dominik's skin continued to tingle and grow cold, he could almost feel tears come to his eyes as he saw the fond smile come to young Alexander's face. The man's breathing got quicker and quicker, the blood began to pool more and more, the blood rushed down his cheek and from the sides of his mouth. He didn't have long, however, as Alexander looked out over the cliffs with Kilgarrah in his final moments, he laughed.

"Aha… this… this is where Lara she… she first stumbled out of a portal, half conscious," Alexander said with his breathing starting to grow quicker and quicker, but he smiled, "Ha, I… I was over taking a piss, but Cregan! He… he saw her stumble out, almost fell over the cliff she did but… but he caught her. I… I turned around and.. and my brother comes running towards me an… an unconscious elven woman in his arms! 'Alexander, Alexander we must help her!' Ha… he… he was smitten from the moment he saw her…. So… so was I, not.. not in that romantic way but… but gods I… I loved her as well… little… little sis… Cregan… gods I… I can't wait to see them again… what… what do dragons think happen when they die?"

"I do not know. Some believe we ascend and become stars; others believe we're reborn into new hatchlings," Kilgarrah said with a light shake of his head, and slowly, he turned down to look at Alexander one last time, "I… am going to miss you… my friend…. Va fail, crendman, dov, ulma, ulsa… me fyandus… Alexander."

Alexander weakly laughed one last time as his chest rapidly rose and fell, he looked over to Kilgarrah and slowly nodded, before turning to the valley again, "Va fail, me fyandus… Kilgarrah. C…Connor… L…Lara… I… I am sorry…. Cregan… Lara… I… I am sorry…"

And with those final words, Dominik saw the eyes of Alexander of Lod closed, he slumped against the boulder, his hands fell to the snowy ground besides him. Kilgarrah turned his head to the now dead body of his friend, and Dominik watched as the dragon gently touched its massive forehead to the body of Alexander, before quickly shooting its head up to the sky, and letting out a new bone chilling, earth rattling, *ROOOOOOOOOAAARRR* into the skies of Kovir, and the beast kept roaring, and roaring, and with each roar, Dominik heard the anguish. Soon, the white mist around him started to swirl again, and he felt a strong hand on his shoulder.

"Come now my boy… I'm sure you can understand I… don't particularly like watching myself die again," The voice of Old Alexander said, and as the white mist finally enveloped him, Dominik turned to see the sad eyes of his ancestor.

Slowly he shook his head, feeling his heart crashing, "Kilgarrah he… he has to be under some spell now, after… after that I… I can't think of any other reason he's with the Hunt."

It had to be the only explanation, after watching the beasts mournful cries, Dominik had almost felt bad for threatening to kill the creature. He had never seen a connection between man, and a beast like he had between Kilgarrah and Alexander. Now after seeing it, it only made the anger inside him boil even higher, the innocent creature, one that had fought besides his ancestor, was his friend, was now being controlled by the Hunt, by Baelen, Eredin and being forced to do their dirty work. The white mist swirled around him completely again, as Alexander sighed and gripped tightly to his staff. Looking down, the old man slowly shook his head.

"Again my boy I… I am not sure," He said regrettably, before he gazed his soft emerald eyes down onto Dominik again, "But it is as I said… Kilgarrah will not harm you… my old friend will not do that."

"I swear, I'll do everything I can to free him," Dominik said quickly as he met Alexander's eyes with a hard look, "I'll find a way to lift the Hunt's spell off him, I promise, I'll do whatever I can."

Alexander smiled softly and nodded before reaching out a hand onto his shoulder, "Thank you my boy…. However, we must get moving. I don't know how much time we have left and… and there is more you must see… as I said, you must learn not only my story… but that of my children as well."

'I killed not only your ancestor… but his son… his daughter,' Eredin's words quickly rang in his ears. Dominik felt his heart begin to race, he could hear Alexander's words, speaking his children's names on the side of the mountain as he died. He remembered he said that after they had saved Riannon, Connor and Lara had worked in Temaria to protect her, Lara became her personal caretaker, while Connor became captain of the guards… and Alexander had apparently sent them a letter, along with the journal before the Hunt came, telling them more then likely that he would die… and with the words of Eredin ringing in his ears, Dominik shuddered as he met the old man's eyes. Just like he expected, Alexander's eyes had fallen, and as the white mist began to churn and churn around them, he knew that he wasn't looking forward to seeing the memories again. And Dominik wasn't looking forward to it either.

The smirking, bantering, powerful, laughing siblings, that were his ancestors, the ones he saw end Falka's rebellion and save Riannon, were going to die, and apparently he needed to know how.

He was afraid at first, but managed to slowly look up, "Is… is it true that.. that Eredin…"

Alexander nodded before he could finish, "Yes… it is. In my letter I told them goodbye, but instructed them to stay put, to keep guard over young Fiona, Riannon's daughter, to stick together, together my children… they would have been able to easily defeat Eredin. However… my children were as stubborn as I was… and made the same mistakes, come my boy…. Crynvael… truet."

A/N: And after another massive chapter ladies and gentlemen, one of the biggest mysteries of the entire book so far has been answered! We know who Dominik's ancestor is, the great mage who passed down his power, and that man, was Alexander of Lod, the brother of the who some call the greatest sorcerer to ever live, Cregan of Lod, and of course, adopted sister to Lara Dorren. Now before anyone asks no, Alexander of Lod is not cannon, he is an OC I created, along with his children Connor and Lara who we will learn more about next chapter! I was SO excited to bring you this chapter, because it's the first real chapter where it's all my own lore that I created, and I hope that it was interesting and enjoyable! Let's quickly break down this HUGE chapter!

First we have a cute scene with Ciri and a now walking Dominik. I hope you guys enjoy these cute little scenes, because I am a sucker for writing them xD I just feel after both of them have gone through so much, that they deserve to have these cute fun scenes with one another, especially with so much going on. It ends with them finding the journal again in Clop's saddle, and Ciri recognizing the blood seal before Dominik's spirit is sucked into an illusion… I had this planned for a while, I considered having Alexander be one of the specters Dominik saw when he was in limbo, but after crafting more backstory, I knew it had to be its own chapter like this.

Then we finally meet Alexander of Lod! Again he is the adopted brother of Cregan of Lod as we learn, they're basically the same age as one another with Cregan being a bit older, and while Cregan I will confirm was more powerful, Alexander was a close second. A couple of you theorized that Dominik was a descendant of Cregan himself, and I'll be honest that's what I was going to do at first, but I changed it for two reasons, 1.) I honestly just wanted to create something new, and as we see more of Alexander and his children's stories, I hope you will all love what I came up with! And 2.) Because as Alexander said, if I had made him Cregan's descendant, he and Ciri would have been like very distant half-siblings xD And I don't care how distant it would've been that would have made it extremely uncomfortable to write their romantic scenes now and future love making scenes lol

After a quick introduction, Alexander takes us and Dominik to see visions of important events, and god I had so much fun writing them.

First, we get to see the beautiful Lara Dorren, Ciri's ancestor. I had so much fun with her, in cannon we don't know much about her other then she had the Elder Blood powers in her, she was Auberon's daughter, and she was supposed to marry Avallac'h, so I had a good amount of freedom to explore with. All we knew about her and Cregan is that they met and fell in love, that's it really, so I really had fun writing her, even for this little bit. We see a sweet, touching scene with her and Alexander, and a young Connor and Lara, along with baby Riannon. As Alexander said, this was the day his destiny began. In cannon it is true Riannon was taken in by Queen Cerro of Redania, but I didn't see a clear way how, so in this version, Alexander was the one to bring her there.

Now, we flash forward 20 years, and we get to see the end of Bloody Falka's rebellion. I am 99% I got all my lore right about Falka's rebellion, but please if I got a detail or two wrong feel free to tell me. While I was researching, it was also unclear who was the one to capture Falka or defeat her, so now, enter Connor and Lara of Lod, the children of Alexander. Connor duels and beats Falka, while we see Lara use the spell to calm Riannon's powers. I LOVED writing these two and had so much fun writing about Falka. Next chapter we'll learn more about Connor and Lara, and I am extremely excited for that.

The final flashback is the great last stand of Alexander. And we know now why Avallac'h hates Dominik so, so much. I wanted to write Alexander at first as a sort of Gandalf type of character, and I left a bit in there (YOU SHALL NOT PASS)! However, I decided to have him be a master troll instead xD We also see and confirm, that Alexander was the one bound to the great white dragon Kilgarrah! A bunch of you thought that he was based off Merlin/Emrys or Balinor, from the Merlin TV series, and it was loosely based off that yes (PS, go watch Merlin if you haven't 10/10 show). And also I want to say yes, Alexander on the back of Kilgarrah was basically the icy version of Dany from game of thrones, there's even a 'dracarys' moment lol.

And finally, we get the big showdown between Alexander, Avallac'h and Eredin. I originally had this big epic duel planned, where he takes them both down, but Eredin just barely gets the better of him. I will confirm that yes, Alexander would have been powerful enough. However, I thought it'd fit more with the theme of 'sometimes life is just unfair, and bad people win' that I sort of have going. Alexander wasn't this perfect mythical figure, he died because he couldn't control his emotions and anger, and it's a lesson to Dominik. However, he does still manage to defeat Avallac'h even when wounded, before Eredin takes him out.

We get the last touching scene on the mountaintop between Kilgarrah and Alexander, as next chapter we learn about the fate of Connor and Lara, Alexander said multiple times Eredin wouldn't stand a chance against them together… however… as Alexander says, his children were stubborn.

We have another LONG chapter, this one is gonna clock in at 40,000+ again! That's a reason updates may take an extra day or two, because longer chapters mean longer editing times xD However, I promise to keep a steady update rate still! If you haven't, and you really enjoy this story, go and follow the Instagram, dominik_of_cintra on there I post writing updates, cool excerpts from the chapters, and just cool witcher stuff in general!

Also, more fan art will be coming soon! So stay tuned!

As usual thank you all so much, I had SO much fun writing this chapter, and I hope you all enjoyed it! Next chapter we'll get a small Ciri interlude, and learn the story of Connor and Lara of Lod, and after that, two more chapters at Kaer Morhen, before we're officially in the home stretch! Review if you have time, and follow to stay updated! See you all next time!