1 Week Later
"This is a bad idea and I think we should quit and turn back now." Harry growled angrily as they slowly approached a city at about midday on horses.
"You told Ciri you would at least try." Geralt reminded.
"And I will do just that. And when he inevitably crosses the line, I'll knock him on his ass and…"
"We aren't here to start a war, Hadrian."
"I'm already at war with this man. The only reason I haven't already barbequed him is because of his daughter. He should be thanking me on his knees!" Harry growled. Geralt eyed him.
"Is all this really just because of his relationship with Ciri?"
"Of course not! I dislike the man as well. Anyone who has a stick shoved so far up their ass that it pokes their brain tends to annoy me. So of course, Emhyrs is close to the top of that list. And he doesn't even have magic to make him such an asshole, which is unbelievably impressive."
"He is an Emperor." Geralt pointed out as they approached the gates.
"Ugh, don't remind me. Even his title is gaudy. As if there needs to be a name for something to distinguish a person above a King. It's just god awful."
"You promised…"
"Stop saying it! I'm here aren't I? Let's just get this over with so I can tell Ciri her sperm givers an asshole and we can do this my way."
"Sperm giver?"
"As far as I and Ciri are concerned, there is only one man who has the true title of her Father and it's not Emhyr." Harry said with a quick side glance at his white-haired riding partner. Of course, with his enhanced senses, Geralt clearly noticed. He said nothing, but Harry was sure he was happy to hear it.
They finally reached the gates of Vizima where Emhyr had continued to stay as his campaign was put on hold. His progress into Redania was slow and his progress into Aedwen was… non existent. Funnily enough, a giant ice wall wasn't exactly easy to get by. The White dragons that would occasionally attack any enemy encampments that got too close might also have been a factor.
"Halt, state you' business." The guards at the gate said as they looked at them. They were two soldiers dressed in heavy black armor that seemed standard for Nilfgaardians.
"Geralt of Rivia, Witcher. I am on a mission for the Emperor and he is expecting me." Geralt said at ease. The guards nodded before looking at Harry. Harry squinted in annoyance.
"Hadrian Black, King of the Avalonian Empire and the Black Mage." Harry said with a blank stare. Both guards just stared at him in shock for a moment. For a minute, nobody seemed to do or say anything, except for Geralt who was currently glaring at him.
"It was a joke." Harry said blandly after another moment. Both guards seemed to take a breath and one even chuckled while the other frowned in annoyance.
"You think that's funny?" The annoyed one asked.
"You think that you get to universally decide what is and isn't funny?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow. The man puffed up in anger, but Harry interrupted him before he could continue, "Look, I am just the Witcher's companion and as he said, the Emperor is expecting us so either let us pass or go explain to the Emperor why you didn't. Either way, stop wasting our time."
At this point, the guard seemed to want to argue further, but the one who had laughed at his little joke finally interrupted.
"Just let them pass. The Witcher was here recently to see the Emperor so he's probably telling the truth."
"… Fine. Get out of here, and don't cause problems while you're here." The guard before moving to let them pass. With that, Harry and Geralt trotted pass. Once they entered the city, Geralt resumed glaring at him. Harry just rolled his eyes.
"Worst came to worse, I would have just used some magic to make them let us pass."
"I am sure you would have. I still don't want you causing trouble at every turn just because you can. If you are truly not going to be helpful then I'd rather you not join at all, regardless of what Ciri wants." Geralt growled. Harry grit his teeth in annoyance, but nodded.
"Fine, I will do my best to be good." Harry replied before going silent as they trotted through the city towards the castle where the Emperor currently resided. Harry eyed the entire city and simply scoffed as he looked at the poor design. It looked pleasant enough, but it was rather poorly designed from what he could see and didn't make much sense. The districts seemed to spill into each other and spots that made it hard to tell where one ended and another began. Eventually they reached the gates of the castle and dismounted from their horses.
"Remember that you said you would be civil." Geralt reminded.
"I said I would try. And I will simply give him the same respect he shows me as is custom between two equal ranked monarchs." Harry said back. Geralt grunted in annoyance, but didn't press him further. With that, they both walked in and were immediately greeted by an elder man who was clearly waiting for them in nicer clothing, but clearly meant to show he was a servant of some kind.
"The gentleman has returned. His majesty awaits you in his study." The man said, lifting his hand and gesturing for Geralt to follow. Geralt nodded and followed the man and Harry simply followed Geralt. Harry continued to eye the castle and its layout. He had never been to the inside of this castle before. He had only ever flown over it.
Eventually, they finally made it to a doorway out of the courtyard and into the actual castle. At this point, Harry started eyeing the several nobles that they walked past. Harry eyed each of them with an intensity that made most look away. Considering he was using no actual magical presence or any other enhancements to aid in frightening them, this pleased him.
"Right through here. Your companion may wait outside until you are done." The servant said.
"Actually, he will be joining us. He has relevance to what we will be discussing, but thank you." Geralt said politely. Harry simply eyed the man with a bored expression. The man looked him up and down and his face tightened.
"… Does he know how to address the Emperor?"
"Yes… He does." Harry said in a tone that clearly showed he did not like being talked about as if he were not there. The servant simply nodded before moving away. With that, Geralt knocked on the door and they both entered.
To be honest… Harry was actually impressed. The office wasn't quite as ostentatious as he thought it was going to be. In fact, it was rather sensible, at least, for someone who called himself an Emperor. Harry thought this until he turned and saw a giant picture of Ciri on the wall.
She seemed to still be just a young child in this picture and it was clearly a time when she was still a princess of Cintra considering the dress she was being forced to wear. Harry wished he could chuckle at the amusing image of his friend scowling in the painting after clearly being forced to be in the dress and stand for said painting. While he filed the painting for later to show Ciri to poke fun at her, he wasn't exactly pleased at whose office it was in.
"And who is this… individual you have brought?"
The voice brought Harry back to reality and he immediately locked eyes with his least favorite man currently alive. Harry managed to hold back a grimace as their eyes met and simply held the man's gaze easily.
"A friend." Was all he said. Emhyr eyed him for a moment and Harry could feel a flash of annoyance enter the man's gaze.
"Is this your first time in front of royalty?"
"Unfortunately, no."
"Then should I be taking your lack of respect as an insult."
"I am giving the appropriate amount of respect given the circumstances." Harry said back evenly. Geralt already tensed as he looked at Harry, silently asking him not to cause a scene.
"Is that so? And what circumstances would that be?" Emhyr challenged.
"It would be better if Geralt explained." Was all Harry said. At his words, Geralt took the initiative.
"I found her." Geralt said. At this, he had the Emperor's full attention once more. Where the man had been originally lounging back in his chair, he now sat at attention with his elbows on the desk in front of him.
"Should I take the fact that she is not with you that she is dead?" Emhyr asked seriously.
"No. She's fine, though she just fully recovered from an ordeal and immediately coming all the way down to Vizima was not recommended." Geralt responded.
"Where is she then?"
"At the moment, she is at Kaer Morhen with Yennefer." Geralt responded easily. At this Emhyr stood and moved over to the fireplace and looked up at the picture of Ciri which hung over it. He stayed silent as he clasped his hands behind his back as he simply looked at the picture above.
"I take it there must be a reason Yennefer has not brought her through a portal. Going to Kaer Morhen would mean going through Aedwen, something I cannot do right now given the circumstances with the Avalonian Empire. There are only two options. Either you bring her down through Redania or you go to the coast and sail with her. Both have risks, Radovids reaction if he finds her first could be disastrous. The man would likely kill her for no other reason than to spite me. If they take to the coast, the Skelligan marauders may assault any vessel she takes, regardless of her connection with him. That being said, either way, she needs to get through Aedwen as fast as possible."
"Why?" Geralt asked, feigning ignorance. Harry had to keep himself from snorting as he silently took a seat back closer to the desk. He would let Geralt sort this out for now.
"Don't be a fool. As much as a thorn as Radovid is, the man is mad and can and will be dealt with. King Hadrian is another matter entirely. A sorcerer who seems to amass resources previously unheard of and can wield magic at a higher level than any other. Judging by the time it took him to become the greatest force the North has seen in centuries only proves his mind and cunning. A bargaining chip such as Ciri falling into his hands would be the worst thing possible." Emhyr said as he glared at Geralt. Geralt looked at him for a moment.
"King Hadrian won't be a problem." Geralt said finally. Emhyr just rose an eyebrow.
"Oh? And why is that?"
"Because he is currently sitting ten feet away from me and you and has yet to kill either of us." Geralt said easily. As soon as he said that, Harry silently cast several charms behind his back to make sure they would not be disturbed while they dealt with whatever Emhyrs reaction would be.
The man in question stilled at the Witchers words and his eyes immediately moved towards Harry's presence. Harry gave him a lazy salute in greeting from his seated position, but also channeled magic to his eyes so they would pose to help prove Geralts point.
To his credit. Emhyr didn't flinch or even visibly react at the knowledge that his current greatest enemy was currently in the same room as him.
"So, you have chosen to betray me then Witcher? A poor choice, even if you kill me, you will be dead far before you get even close to the border."
"I'm not here to kill you, idiot. If I wanted to, I wouldn't need to sneak into your castle to do it. I'd just fly my dragons over and watch them destroy you and your annoyingly built city." Harry snipped back. At this Emhyr frowned.
"If you have not brought him here to kill me then what is he doing here?" Emhyr questioned.
"It's a long story…"
"I'll simplify. I'm a good friend of your daughters and she tentatively asked me to play nice with you for the moment. Despite my attempts to say otherwise, she wishes for us to work together towards a common goal. Against my disbelief that we need further help, since Ciri was the one who asked, I will at the very least entertain the idea." Harry said, making it clear that this was not his idea at all. Emhyr frowned at this. There was silence for a moment as he contemplated what Harry said.
"Work together on what?" Emhyr asked.
"The Wild Hunt is still a threat. I personally am confident I can handle them myself with my resources, but Ciri believes we should use all resources available and she hopes you would be willing to lend aid." Harry said with boredom. Truthfully, he hoped the man would say no already so they could leave.
"If the Wild Hunt is still after her, then the safest place would be here. Under the protection of the biggest Empire in the world." Emhyr said. Harry scoffed.
"You're saying the safest place from hunters that can appear anywhere is in this empty castle that doesn't have a single magical protection on it? Please, she could be dead in a week, and that's if all the vultures you call nobles here don't make her want to off herself before then." Harry declared. Emhyr frowned and glared at him. Harry just glared back.
"This kingdom is her birthright. She belongs here."
"Ciri is her own person who can make her own decisions. She is also someone who has unrestricted access to all worlds and all of time. Her supposed 'birth right' is nothing but a shackle, one that you ask her to put on willingly. Is it any wonder that she did not want to come here in person? I know this may come as a surprise, but there is a good chance you will get nothing out of this arrangement except a chance to help your daughter. If that's not good enough of a reason, then say it so we can leave already."
Emhyr went silent at this. He walked over to his desk and sat back down at it, completely lost in thought. Harry continued to look at him with a bored expression and Geralt, who had been simply standing in silence since Harry had been introduced.
"I assume there are limits on this arrangement." Emhyr stated rather than asked. Harry eyed him, but nodded slowly.
"Obviously. Whatever force you send can be no stronger than 500 strong. I won't let any true force traipse around my territory unchecked. Any magi who comes will need to be approved by me first. If I find one sent without my permission, I'll kill them no questions asked." Harry told him. Emhyr nodded slowly at that as he continued to look deep in thought.
"I will send a force of three hundred North. Where shall they go and will you give them a rite of safe passage?" Emhyr asked. Harry stilled at the news that the man was actually willing to help. Harry had observed Emhyr for years and could say he probably knew the man better than most. He was genuinely surprised the man would offer aid even knowing he would most likely get nothing for it.
"… You may cross over by Vergen. I will create a small path for your men. That being said, I will have defenses ready for any… uninvited guests." Harry said, eyeing the man. Emhyr scowled at the accusation, but did not rise to the bait.
"Very well. They will meet you there in a week. Is that acceptable. Harry smiled. Oh, the things he could accomplish in a week.
"Acceptable." Harry said as he stood up. He looked and Geralt and waved him over. The man looked like he would be sick, but he complied anyway.
"Then I hope that this will all go smoothly soon."
"One more thing." Harry called out as he turned to the Emperor. Emhyr rose an eyebrow.
"This… arrangement, changes nothing between us. I will continue to conquer the Northern Kingdoms, including the ones you have already taken. After this is over, prepare yourself for a war the likes of which you have never seen." Harry told him, his eyes glinting dangerous light in the light.
Emhyr squinted at him and Harry could see a steely resolve within the man as well as some anger. He imagined that, despite his clear power, Emhyr was slightly insulted that someone who he saw as a rank beneath him was talking to him in such a way. At the same time, he was smart enough to reign himself and his emotions in. Likely knowing what would happen should Harry truly set out in killing him right now.
"I will be looking forward to it."
Kaer Morhen, Later That Day
Harry and Geralt had just returned and were meeting once more with the group at Kaer Morhen to discuss what had been accomplished that day.
"Emhyr is on board for now. He is sending a force of three hundred men." Harry said as he sat a chair near a rounded table that he had made for such talks.
"Will that be enough?" Yennefer asked with some concern. Harry scoffed.
"It's more than enough. The Hunt is impressive, but they are effective because of their guerilla warfare tactics. Their numbers are not extremely high, though they do number about the same as a small army from what we can gather. Is this correct Avallach?" Harry asked, looking at the elf. Harry eyed the one elf of their group who nodded at his words.
"That is correct. Their power lies in their skills, magic, and ability to open portals to summon the White Frost. Obviously, the White Frost will be the hardest thing to combat.
"Agreed, as powerful as I am, if enough of the White Frost is summoned then I won't be able to contain it. An extra dimensional world killer is beyond even me, unfortunately." Harry said with a frown.
"Then our main target should be this Navigator fellow." Vesemir mused.
"Agreed. He is knowledgeable, but in pure combat power, he shouldn't be a threat to me. At the beginning of the battle, I will seek him out first and confront him." Harry said.
"Caranthir, is rash and has a temper. If you could manage to provoke him, he should attempt to stay and fight against you. But you fought him as a child, you said and won. That means he will be wary of you if he remembers." Avallach said smoothly. Harry nodded in agreement.
"What of Imlerith?" Geralt asked.
"He will soon be attending the Sabbath celebration somewhere in the Northern Kingdoms. If we can delay the attack and the Hunt finding Cirilla until after that, we can possibly take him out on his own." Avallach mentioned
"There cannot be that many places left that still host such a celebration that imlerith would attend. I bet we could narrow such places down rather easily." Yennefer said in thought.
"Send me a list of such places and I shall look into each of them." Harry called out to her. She looked at him and nodded.
"We have a lot of resources coming in. But what is the actual plan." Ciri finally asked with a tinge of impatience. Harry waved his hand over the table and suddenly a map seemingly appeared from nowhere over the table. A custom-made blueprint of Kaer Morhen.
"This is a map of Kaer Morhen I had made. We will use it to help turn this castle into a trap for the Hunt. First, we know that Emhyr is sending three hundred troops to aid us. I will contribute two hundred of my personal guard as well. That's five hundred soldiers. The Wild Hunt won't take on such a huge number that they believe are fortified in a castle if they can avoid it. They work best in Hit and Run tactics. So, we will hide the main forces within the castle itself until we can lure the main enemy forces into the wall." Harry said, pointing to the main keep.
"The Keep won't comfortably hold five hundred men." Vesemir pointed out.
"Correct, that is why they will have the forces split and a hidden force across from the castle in the tree line. I will have wards around the castle to prevent them from leaving through portals or other magical means. That means, when they realize the trap, they will most likely run away. The hidden force will then come in and block their escape." Harry continued. As he explained the plan, he showed continued to point out where the forces would be and how they would move.
"Hmm, a hammer and anvil strategy. That could work." Geralt said. Harry looked at him in surprise and temporarily forgot the man had fought in actual wars before.
"Correct. That being said, we should also reach out to mages. Triss Merigold would most likely be willing to help. Phillipa can be… coerced into doing it. With you three united, would you be able to convince the Lodge to offer further assistance?"
"It will be difficult. These are perilous times and the Lodge is…"
"Self-serving?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow. Yennefer sighed.
"I suppose you could call it that."
"I could perhaps get Shaela to throw her support in as well." Harry told her. Yennefer eyed him.
"Don't you have magic forces?"
"Yes, but they're still relatively new. They are successful in large numbers, but against a foe like the Wild Hunt? It would just be throwing bodies at them. The Lodge is much more skilled." Harry replied back. Yennefer frowned, but nodded in understanding.
"Fair enough. But the chances of getting the entire lodge involved is low. Not only because the mission is dangerous, but in helping you, they may believe that Emhyr will target them to weaken you." Yennefer said.
"Hmm. Very well. Let us move past that and get back to the discussion of our plan. Does anyone have any questions?" Harry asked. Though he almost missed it, he did happen to notice that both Ciri and Avallach shared a tiny glance with each other. He waited for either of them to say anything but neither did. He concluded that they must have been hiding something. Something that they both knew and did not want to share with the rest of the group.
"Very well. Then let us adjourn for the evening."
Later that evening, Top of one of the restored towers at Kaer Morhen
"You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were hiding something." Harry said as he appeared silently behind his favorite ashen haired girl. Before his announced arrival, Ciri has looked like she was simply staring solemnly over the landscape. Once he announced his presence, her hand immediately went to the hilt of her blade as she spun and lowered her stance to ready herself for combat. Once she saw it was him, she relaxed. She tried to pull a quizzical look before answering.
"What do you mean? What would I be hiding?" She asked as smoothly as she can manage. He rose an eyebrow at her to express his disbelief.
"You're almost as bad at lying as I used to be."
"I haven't lied about anything." She protested stubbornly.
"Omission of the truth is still lying." Harry pointed out.
"You're one to talk. I know you did not speak of everything you talked to my father about." She said pointedly. Harry rolled his eyes at that.
"It seems Geralt has a big mouth. Who would have guessed?"
"From what he said, it's you who had a big mouth. I thought you said you would play nice." She accused.
"And I did. You want me to be honest with you Ciri then I will. I know the man is your father, but he is also my enemy and almost my polar opposite. A man who goes through life in the belief that those who have power are allowed to do what they want with no consequence. Especially knowing his origins and how he should know how it feels to be without power. I have literally watched this man for decades turn into a cold and cynical robot that he is now. As my friend, you know I would do anything in my power for you. That being said, I doubt I will ever like your father and we will likely continue being enemies outside of affairs that deal with you." Harry explained to her. He did not like lying to his friends and he made a concentrated effort to explain his point of view so Ciri would understand even if she didn't necessarily approve.
Ciri eyed him with a frown after he gave his explanation. Clearly, she wasn't happy with what he was saying, but he hoped she would at least accept it. Eventually she looked back at the horizon.
"I can't say it is easy to have my best friend and father at each other's throats, but… I suppose I can understand why. I, of all people, can understand not approving of his actions. If I am honest, I still think of the rumors involving him and my mother. The only reason I don't push away from him is… at least he's putting in some effort. Even knowing that I may not return to him, at least he shows that he cares about my well-being."
"At one point he wanted to marry you." Harry pointed out dryly. Ciri snorted.
"Yes, there was that though I think he's moved past, such goals… I don't know. I don't know if what I am doing is right or wrong, but a part of me doesn't want to push him away. A part of me wants to hope that he does actually care as a father should. Do you think I am a fool for such thoughts?" She asked in a moment of vulnerability. Harry didn't say anything as he thought of the question. He tried to imagine if Emhyr was instead James Potter. In truth, he had not thought of his biological father in a long time. He had made peace with his parents passing and no longer felt the need to constantly have it on his mind.
"If it was me and my father… I would give him a chance. Knowing that we didn't need to necessarily agree on everything, the fact that he was able to put that aside and put in the effort to show me he cared would definitely be something I took into account. I would probably never be close, but… I don't know. It's hard for me to imagine at this point. I have long ago made peace with my father's passing and have gotten over most negative feelings of longing associated with his death." Harry admitted. Ciri looked at him for a minute as if she was searching for something.
"Sometimes I forget you are so different from the boy I left all those years ago. You have aged, if not physically, then mentally." She said. Harry moved to argue, but she gave him a nudge.
"Yes, I know what you're going to say, but despite not technically maturing mentally, you have certainly aged. You can hear it in how you speak." She said softly. Harry paused for a moment before responding.
"… Is that an issue?" He asked. She looked at him curiously.
"Why would it be?" She asked back.
"I tried to deny it, but… You were right, I am different from the boy you left. While it has only been a few years for you, for me it has been a lifetime. Since I came to this world, all I could think about was you and how I could help you in a world you had described as less than ideal. So, when you had first spoke as if I was someone different than you had remembered I was scared you would reject me and the biggest thing that connected me here would be cut. I tried to insist I was the same out of fear you would reject me, but… I shouldn't have done that. I should have shown you who I was from the beginning and allowed you to decide if you wanted to continue to have me in your life. That is a right everyone should have, to choose who they do and don't allow in their life." Harry spoke as he looked out at the horizon that Ciri had been staring as he came to the realization that Ciri may in fact ask him to leave and as hard as that would be to do, he would have to.
"It's when you say incredibly stupid things like that when I remember that despite all your changes, deep down, you're still the same stupid boy I remember." Ciri said as she let out a snort. Harry looked at her with surprise and confusion. That was not the answer he had been expecting.
"What?"
"Harry… I knew you were different the moment my admittedly delirious vision lay its gaze on you. I don't think you realize how different you look and feel. You're so much more…. I don't know, distinguished? You have this look about you that seems to scream your intelligence and power. And if it wasn't the look of you then it could certainly be the feel. If I, someone whose sensitivity is admittedly god awful, noticed the power radiating off of you then that should just show how powerful you truly were. The boy I remember was powerful and independent but it was clear you were still finding your place in the world and you were cynical too an extreme degree. Despite that you had a heart that was filled with compassion and were hurting only yourself by ignoring it. That heart, is why I trusted and was so comfortable around you. Not the power, not the wealth, not the protection you offered. As far as I am concerned, that heart that caused me to trust in you and come to consider you my best friend is still right there." She said annunciating her point by poking him in the chest right above his heart. Harry felt a warm rush come over his torso as she did so. Yet he could not identify if it was from her touch or her words.
"I-… I don't know what to say."
"It wouldn't be the first time I left you speechless." She teased. Harry could feel a warm flush in his cheeks as he shot her a glare. Her final moments before she had left his world was still a prominent memory.
"Hmph. Well… Back to the topic at hand! I spoke of what I had omitted, it is time for you to come clean as well!" Harry demanded, quickly changing the subject. Ciri's smirk quickly turned into a frown as she looked away.
"You won't let up about that, will you?" She asked with a sigh.
"Perhaps, but I know it involves Avallach and I don't trust the man. Although I am unsure of his motives, I know it is not your health and well-being because he simply has kindness in his heart. The fact that he is of the same world as Eredin only further makes me suspicious. Normally, I'd assume it was some sort of power play, but you usually do such from the shadows and his clear support of you is too obvious. So, he has some other motive and you know what it is but don't want to tell others, which can only mean that we will not approve of it. How am I doing so far?"
"Clearly your run-in politics has sharpened your mind if you were able to pick so much up already." Ciri admitted. Harry narrowed his eyes because she had just confirmed that no one would like what they are hiding. Harry narrowed his eyes.
"Please tell me this has nothing to do with Ithlinne's Prophecy?" Harry finally said with suspicion. Ciri stiffened at his words and that was all the confirmation he needed.
"My god Ciri, you can't be serious! You think the end of the world is coming? What makes you believe…"
"How could I not? We both know I am a child of the Prophecy; my powers have seen to that readily." She points out.
"I think it highly likely yes, but taking prophecies at face value never works out well. And the bigger the prophecy the more room for inaccuracies there is. The prophecy I was involved with took years to figure out and it only held the fate of me and one other man. The prophecy you are in holds the fate of the world. There is no true guarantee of anything, it says." Harry argued. Ciri sighed and shook her head.
"I wish I could believe that, unfortunately, there are simply too many signs to the contrary." She said solemnly. Harry paused and took a breath at that. He remembered being denied when he spoke of the coming of Voldemort and the prophecy. An entire year of those denying he was telling the truth had left him with bitter feelings towards Britain for years.
"Alright… explain it to me so I can understand. Tell me what you have seen so I may see it as well." Harry told her calmly.
"You know of the prophecy; do you remember its lines?" She asked him. He thought about it for a moment, then nodded.
"I do."
"What were the conditions that would signal the end?"
"… The spilling of elf blood and the coming of the White frost, I believe." Harry said.
"Exactly, and what are we about to do?" She asked. He thought about her words for a moment.
"… You believe the death of the Wild Hunt will signal the end? Why? You've killed their members in the past with impunity. What would make this time different?" Harry asked.
"Avallach has shown me evidence… that the Conjunction of Spheres is about to take place once more." Ciri said uneasily.
Suddenly the pieces came together in his mind. The Conjunction was when the walls between worlds collapsed enough for things to come through. The last time it had happened, humans, magic and creatures poured through. Harry could suddenly imagine what would pour through instead of such beings. It all came down to the timing of course. If the Wild Hunt was dealt with but there was no evidence of the Conjunction then there was no need for fear necessarily. The same if it was just the Conjunction again. But both happening at the same time could not be considered coincidence.
"The White Frost… Is it that close?" Harry asked. The Conjunction still only truly knocked down the walls between worlds which meant the worlds would have to already be close to or next to each other to cross over. That meant the White Frost was already close enough to this world that it could cross over easily. Which meant that even if it did not come through in the Conjunction, within another few centuries it could cross over on its own.
"It is."
"I see…" Harry said as he now looked at the horizon in silence with her as he lost himself in thought. It was several moments before he spoke again.
"You should have said something earlier, but… I suppose I will have to start planning for this as well." Harry said.
"You can't stop the end of the world Harry." Ciri said with a clear resignation in her voice.
"Nor do I plan to, my only goal is to make sure you come out of it alive and unharmed. After that… well, we'll figure it out. I will research as many rituals as I can and look into ones speculated about Elder blood immediately. It is not my area of expertise, but I have enough to make speculations. Making equations based on the combination of your blood and an extradimensional all-powerful destructive force will be tricky, but I will do my best."
"Harry…"
"Of course, we will also have to make plans for what will happen after the battle and make estimates on where the Conjunction will open…"
"Harry."
"There will also need to be speculations on what else may come through the portal that we may need to be dealt with…"
"HARRY!"
Harry finally stopped his rambling and looked at Ciri who look exasperated but was still smiling at him. He frowned in confusion.
"What?" He asked befuddled. Her smile widened before she reached up and grabbed his face. Before he could question her on what she was doing, he felt her lips pressed against his. 'Soft' was all he could think as she pressed against him and he briefly allowed himself to become sucked into the moment as he closed his eyes and simply allowed himself to fully experience the sensation and the moment. He wasn't sure how long they had stayed like that but eventually, much to his chagrin, she pulled away. Harry finally opened his eyes and looked at her blankly as he waited for his mind's processing ability to return. She just gave him an impish grin.
"What…"
"Thank you."
"… Dare I ask what for?"
"For everything."