Kaer Morhen
Several Weeks Later
Harry sat silently at one of the dining tables as various people milled about the keep. With the arrival of both his soldiers as well as the Nilfgaardian soldiers, Kaer Morhen was bustling with life. Harry had made sure to only choose some of the most loyal of his men to ensure they wouldn't fight with the Nilfgaardian host. Some of Emhyr's men had noticed his men's reserved manner and had snipped at and insulted them on several occasions, though it stopped once Harry, having grown tired of the behavior, roasted an officer to a crisp and told the rest of the host that he would do the same if they kept sowing discontent. That worked quite well, though, Ciri had smacked him several times on the back of his head for his extreme measures.
Fringilla had come with the Nilfgaardian host as well, but she had been in chains. Harry had released her and explained the deal once more to her for her freedom though there was no need. Emhyr had already made sure she understood before he sent her. She had been rather subdued for a few days but had slowly started to regain her silver tongue. Right now; she, Yennefer, and Phillipa were at their nearby table, making subtle digs at each other under the guise of 'talking strategy'.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you are looking rather chuffed," Ciri said with a smile as she slid into a seat next to him on his bench with a plate of food. Harry snorted. He glanced at the sorceress trio before responding.
"If I have to break up one more magical catfight, I'm going to explode…" Harry muttered into his cup as he went in for another soothing sip. Ciri snorted.
"You're the one who wanted to have the Lodge here instead of your magic users." Ciri pointed out.
"I have faith in my magic users, but I am not dumb enough to think any of them yet are comparable to a member of the Lodge. Still, I don't understand how you can keep an organization like the Lodge afloat when all they do is argue with each other."
"What's it about this time?"
"I don't know, I can't keep up with them. Based on what I can see from previous arguments, Yennefer isn't a huge fan of Philippa for personal reasons, Philippa feels threatened by Yennefer, and Fringilla feels threatened by both."
"Why would Philippa feel threatened by Yennefer?" Ciri asked as she bit into a cooked chicken leg. Harry frowned as his eyes flickered to the blind woman again.
"I imagine fear and jealousy. Judging from the various subtle questions she's asked me since she arrived, Philippa believes that Yennefer is in the good graces of both me and Emhyr which, politically, makes her the most powerful sorceress on the planet. She probably is thinking about what is going to happen after this whole ordeal is over with and believes Yennefer will benefit the most out of all of this."
"That seems dumb. Yennefer isn't doing this for the political benefits." Ciri commented with a slight frown.
"It doesn't matter what her reasons are if the results are the same. If she comes out of this alive and well after helping both of us, Yennefer could easily ask for any political position she wanted."
"And you would give it to her?"
"Of course. I trust Yennefer and she has a lot of experience. That being said, I don't think she plans to go back into politics after this. I bet she would like to leave the political scene in its entirety if she could. Maybe retire with Geralt." Harry explained.
"Hmm, she didn't say anything to me."
"Oh, I doubt she has anything set in stone yet or even talked to Geralt about it. That is just my hunch about what she might do." Harry admitted.
"Huh, well going back to the original topic, didn't you also promise a position for Phillipa?" She asked.
"I did, but its low level. The real thing she wants is the side effect of being able to possibly rise above said station and gain a higher position later. I promised something similar to Kiera to get her to come." Harry replied.
"Where is Kiera? I haven't seen her recently." Ciri commented as she looked around.
"It would seem she and Lambert have been spending a lot of time together recently…" Harry replied suggestively.
"Ah… I don't want to think any further about that."
"How's Margarita been doing. I know she's fully healed, but you keep having medical 'sessions' with her… Should I be worried?" Ciri asked him with a raised eyebrow. Harry just looked at her in confusion.
"Worried about what? I already told you, she is physically fine now." Harry said. Ciri stopped and looked him directly in the eye for a moment. She seemed to be searching for something, but her arched eyebrow also had him, believing he had just said something stupid; he just couldn't figure out why.
"Never mind. If she is physically fine, why are you still having medical sessions?" Ciri asked with clear exasperation. Harry frowned deeper in confusion by her exasperation but continued anyway.
"Well, since I don't have anyone properly trained in psychology, I have been acting as a sort of unofficial therapist for her about her experiences," Harry explained.
"Psychology… That sounds familiar. What is it again?"
"It's medical practices that deal with someone's mental health instead of their physical." Harry gave her a simplified explanation.
"Oh, right. We've talked about that before. So, how is her mental health then?"
"Shaky but improving. She is doing much better than expected from others who have been in her position. She watched the torture and murder of her students and then dealt with extreme torture herself. There have been some people who have gone mad from such things. She is still rather reserved but she is recovering. She is with Triss right now, I believe." Harry told her. Ciri nodded at that.
"Good. I am glad she is getting better."
"Excuse me." A voice said, interrupting their conversation. Harry looked over his shoulder and saw Yennefer standing there.
"Do you mind if I join you for a moment?" Yennefer asked. Harry nodded.
"Of course," Harry said as he gestured to the other side of the table for Yennefer to sit at. She nodded and walked around the table before sitting down.
"Did I hear you talking about Margarita?"
"Yes, I was just giving Ciri an update on how the sessions we have been doing have been going."
"I forgot to thank you for those. I have noticed Margarita's improved condition after your talks. You were right about the potential of these mental health practices." Yennefer complimented.
"Well, I am just glad I could help, I am not officially trained in them after all, so some things I have to simply wing," Harry said to her.
"Well, it's working. While that is good to hear, it is not why I came over. Do you recall a conversation we had about your adventures with Geralt in Velen?" Yennefer asked. Harry frowned in confusion at the turn the conversation just made.
"I do."
"Do you remember those witches you said you killed?"
"Yes?"
"Well, I found out that the Sabbath event Imlerith is planning to go to is one in Velen near the Crookback Bog. Because of her somewhat close proximity to the location, I asked Kiera about the area. She told me that from what she knew, it was still under the domain of the witches you killed." Yennefer revealed.
"What? That's impossible." Harry growled. Just the thought of those cursed beings who had desired to consume Ciri's flesh had his blood boiling. How could they have possibly survived Fiendfyre?
"I am just reporting what she said. They are the ones hosting the Sabbath from what I was able to find out." Yennefer said calmly. Harry said nothing for a moment in thought.
"If they did survive then they must be more powerful than I thought… Where is Geralt?" Harry asked.
"I believe he and Vesemir went to go deal with Forktail nesting nearby." Yennefer said. Harry nodded slowly.
"If what you say is true… then it is even more important I go personally to deal with this. Imlerith is the last general we can directly takedown before we lure the Wild Hunt in. But if he is protected by the witches and they have a way, stopping one of my most powerful attacks… I may need Geralt's help with this." Harry said to her. Yennefer looked like she wanted to say something but held back and simply nodded instead.
"I will have to speak to him when he gets back. I will make sure that our forces know you are in charge while I am gone. If any act out while I am gone, mine or Emhyr's, you have my permission to deal with them as you see fit." He told Yennefer. Yennefer nodded.
"How long do you think you will be gone?"
"Just the night it happens, I assume," Harry told her.
"It's in three days."
"Understood."
Three Days Later
"Thanks again for helping me with this Geralt," Harry said to the man as they both looked over their equipment one last time. Harry had made sure to enchant Geralt's armor specifically to be able to better handle blunt force attacks.
"Sure. It's no issue. Are you sure you'll be able to take down those witches this time?" Geralt asked. Harry knew the man wasn't taking a dig at him and was simply asking seriously.
"I have several contingencies ready in case it turns out I can't kill them."
"Like what?"
"Well, the easiest is I'll most likely seal their essence into a powerful object before casting said object into oblivion," Harry explained.
"That sounds complicated."
"Somewhat, yes. If I do end up having to do that, I'll have to weaken them first. Throwing them into oblivion is much easier."
"When you say oblivion…"
"It's basically the space between worlds. As they will be sealed, they won't be able to escape it and even if they did escape the sealing, they won't have the necessary materials needed to escape oblivion. A permanent solution I came up with to deal with beings I can't directly defeat." Harry admitted.
"Have you ever had to use the method before?"
"No, though I almost did once. A certain high vampire I couldn't deal with. I managed to seal her and threatened to throw her into oblivion. I released her once she swore a magical oath to me that she would no longer act directly or indirectly against me. Unfortunately, she had a way to break magical oaths with lesser beings which I didn't know about at the time. Luckily, she gained some respect for me after the incident and we developed a compatible enough relationship built on that respect."
"Sounds like you got lucky."
"You have no idea. It worked out though. She doesn't attack me or my citizens and in exchange, I give her a steady supply of blood."
"Why would you do that?"
"Easy way to deal with my worst undesirables. Cold-blooded murders, rapists, those sorts of people." Harry replied. Geralt had looked unsure when he had first said it but looked at ease after he mentioned who exactly he was giving to the vampire.
"I see."
"Anyway, the point is, this should work. I do have a few other tricks in case sealing doesn't work, but I hope to just be able to kill them directly." Harry explained to Geralt. He nodded.
"I am ready." Geralt said.
"Good. Let's go." Harry said as he grabbed onto the man and apparated.
Crookback Bog
Harry and Geralt both landed heavily before recovering and looking around. Harry could see the huts of the small little village where the Crones usually stayed within the bog. It was mostly destroyed still from the fire he had unleashed upon it. It was empty and he couldn't feel their presence confirming what Yennefer had told them. In the distance, he could see a tall hill, or small mountain, that had random glowing fires on its side showing people being on it. He looked at Geralt and took in his appearance.
"You're getting better at handling it. I told you that you would get used to it." Harry said with a small smile.
"Hmm. I still don't like it." Geralt said back as he looked around the bog. Harry shrugged.
"You probably never will but it can get to a point where the discomfort it causes is almost nonexistent," Harry told him.
"We're riding to the mountain." Geralt said, ignoring his words. Harry frowned.
"It would be faster to simply apparate again."
"We're riding." Geralt said with a finality in his voice. Harry rolled his eyes.
"Fine," Harry responded before holding out his hands and casting magic on the ground before them. Soon the ground seemed to come to life, rising and taking form. In front of them stood two horses both brown and looking similar to the dirt they had been created from. Harry casts a simple transfiguration and the dirt stallions turned into real living ones though both still had a dark coat. Harry then gestured to the horses.
"Shall we?"
With that, they both mounted the horses and started riding towards the small mountain. Harry made sure to cast a simple charm to prevent monsters from bothering them on their trek. It worked, but it didn't stop Geralt from reaching for his sword every time he saw a group of drowners or a hag. Luckily, they made it out without any incidence before starting the trek up the side of the mountain.
"The villagers are up ahead. Let's try and not cause a problem." Geralt said with a look at him. Harry simply nodded.
"No issue, I'll use a bit of fancy magic to make sure they let us go by."
"Hmm, just be careful. I doubt they'll be happy if they catch you."
"My magic is a little more advanced than your Axii Geralt. Though I will heed your words and make sure I am careful." Harry shot back. As soon as he finished speaking, he saw the entrance to the camp where the villagers were located. Unfortunately, there seemed to be a guard stationed at the entrance.
"Hold up! Who're you?" The guard asked them as they arrived. Harry raised a hand lazily and a dull brown spell came flying out and nailed him in the chest. The man immediately straightened up and paused for a moment.
"Alright, you can go on through. Don't cause no trouble while you's here." The man said before getting out of their way. With that, they walked on by and unmounted from their horses. They then walked through the camp silently. Most of the villagers seemed to be in the midst of drinking and partying and barely noticed them. Harry quickly noticed the path further up the mountain and that it was blocked by a gate.
"Hmm, are you going to magic us across?"
"Well, I doubt they would simply let us through so yes."
Harry looked at the gate for a moment, then looked around before placing his hand on the wood. He concentrated for a moment before he heard a thump from the other side of it. With that, he pushed forward and the gate opened seamlessly.
"Oi! Who are…"
The guard who had been about to stop them on the other side of the gate stopped as Harry silently repeated the spell, he had used on the first guard they had run into. The man stopped and simply backed away from them silently.
"You don't think they'll notice him reacting like that?" Geralt asked.
"No. He only acts like that around us. If anyone approaches, he will act as normal." Harry told him.
"Hmm."
They pushed further up the hill but soon Geralt spoke again.
"I've been meaning to ask…" Harry looked at Geralt as he made to speak.
"What's up?"
"How did you convince Ciri to stay behind?" Geralt asked seriously. Harry tilted his head at the question. It was true that the last few days, Ciri had been pushing for him to take her with him to confront the Crones.
"Cold hard logic. She knows that under normal circumstances, I would have brought her along, but since clearly there is more to the Crones magic than I previously thought, there is a chance they would be able to disable the protections I placed around her to keep the Wild Hunt away. If that is the case, after such a long time, the Hunt will likely jump on the lead to confront her before she can disappear again. This could be extremely bad, especially with all the effort we have put into the plans we have made."
"And saying that worked?"
"Absolutely not. She pulled her sword and threatened to cut off my bits if I kept trying to coddle her. Had to make a bunch of promises for stuff I am not sure I can even do to finally convince her." Harry answered blandly.
"Hehehe. Yeah, that sounds about right." Geralt said with a soft chuckle. Harry looked at the man as he did so. It was rare to see him do that.
"I am sure it'll work out. I mean, I am not exactly sure where I would even find a unicorn or why she wants one, but I am sure it'll work out."
"What?"
"What?" Harry said back as he looked at Geralt with confusion. The man looked at him with a hard eye.
"She asked you for a unicorn? A stuffed one?"
"… Yes? Is that a problem?" Harry asked.
"Did she say why?"
"No. Just said to make it up to her I would have to get one. I asked her if it was because of the one she used to know and she said she wanted it for something else. After that, she gave me a weird smile before walking away. I figured it had something to do with Yennefer since I know she has that stuffed one." Harry said as they continued walking. Though he also kept his eyes on Geralt who suddenly seemed agitated.
"I bet she did… Do you know what Yennefer uses that unicorn for?"
"I never bothered asking. I assumed she just liked the look of it since it seems to just be a decoration piece." Harry answered honestly. Geralt went silent at that for a while. They continued up the mountain for several minutes in tense silence. Finally, Geralt sighed.
"Hadrian. Do you love Ciri?" Geralt asked. Harry almost tripped at that before catching himself at the last possible moment.
"What? Where is this coming from?"
"Don't make me ask twice." Geralt growled as he eyed Harry. Harry simply looked back at the man searching for… well, he wasn't quite sure. After seeing how serious he was, he thought about the question.
"I… don't know. I am assuming you are speaking in a romantic sense and if so, I simply do not know. Overall, Cirilla and I haven't known each other that long even if she is very easy to get along with and like. That being said, I am not sure we have known each other long enough for me to concisely say. I can say that I am as close to Ciri as I have ever been with another human being. Even if it is not romantic love, I feel for her, which I am not saying it isn't, my feelings are intense and I know I would do anything for her… Does that answer your question?" Harry asked.
"You think you are in love with her then?"
"I… yes. Perhaps."
"Hmm. If you hurt her, you know I'll do everything in my power to gut you, I hope." Geralt said completely seriously. Harry decided to not point out the difference in combat power between the two of them and simply nodded.
"Of course. I would never willingly do something like that." Harry said. Geralt eyed him for another moment before sighing.
"Fine. Let's continue you so we can go back and I can get drunk enough to drown out the revelations of tonight."
"I still don't get it. Does it have something to do with the unicorn? I am not about to accidentally propose to her by giving her a unicorn, am I?" Harry asked a little frightened now.
"No, its… Never mind. I don't want to talk about this anymore. Let's just go kill these people and leave."
"… Okay."
They reached the mouth of a cave that led into the mountain. They entered in silence and saw the paths diverge. There was also the matter of the red and black Sylvan sitting on a ledge and watching them approach.
"Halt. None but the chosen may see the Crones." The creature said as it stood up. Harry looked over at Geralt.
"Do you want to or should I?" Harry asked.
Geralt didn't bother verbally answering. Instead, he simply pulled out his silver sword and approached the Sylvan. Harry took a step back. For some reason, he had the feeling Geralt wanted to work out some aggression. He assumed it had something to do with their earlier conversation.
Immediately the creature jumped down from its ledge and moved to attack the Witcher. He opened with a fire breathing attack. Geralt saw it coming as he rolled under it and to the side of the fat creature. He moved in close, as fast as lightning, and launched a hard-upward cut that dug into the Sylvan.
It roared in pain before swiping at Geralt with its big, meaty, hand. Geralt rolled backward to avoid the hit and quickly cast an Aard back to knock the being off its feet. As it stumbled backward, Geralt came in again with his enhanced speed and launched into a pirouette with his blade whipping around him and cutting into the fat of the creature twice.
Instead of a roar, this time the creature groaned in pain as it fell heavily to one knee. It tried to look up only to find Geralt's rising knee smash under its chin, knocking it fully backward and onto its back. Geralt spun the sword expertly as he walked over and raised the blade upwards preparing to stab the creature through its chest.
"You may have defeated me, but the Ladies will-..hrrk." Geralt wasn't going to wait for him to finish whatever he wanted to say as he brought the blade down and right into the creature's heart, killing it. Harry approached as Geralt pulled out his blade and cleaned it for a moment.
"Always impressive to watch you work… Well, Imlerith is up further on the mountain. The Crones are down this path here. I'll meet you at the peak once I have dispatched with them. Sound good."
"Yes. Good luck."
"You as well Geralt," Harry said before turning and heading down the path that leads deep into a cave within the heart of the mountain. He walked silently as he felt the air grow thicker with the dark magic of the Crones. Harry saw an opening and a ledge that dropped into a cavern.
Inside, he saw the ground covered in a liquid, possibly several inches high. It almost looked like it was the color of blood. Deeper into the cavern there was a cauldron with three naked women surrounding it talking and laughing. It might have been beautiful if they weren't covered in blood and eating human limbs as they spoke. Harry dropped from the ledge and landed loudly onto the wet floor. He stood and looked at the Crones who were no longer laughing and glaring at him.
"Well, well, well… What do we have here? If I remember correctly, I could've sworn I killed you three and yet, to my eternal surprise, I got a notice several days ago that you were all alive and well. You can only imagine my… disappointment." Harry spoke and with every word, he let go of more and more of the tight control he kept over his magic, allowing it to fill the room. It was so strong that it even pushed back the influence of the Crone's own magic within the room. He could see them stepping away from the cauldron and watched their form twist into hideous beings that looked to be made of the collection of random limbs and part to resemble something vaguely humanoid.
"It would seem the Black one has returned sisters." The Crone with a cone-shaped hat on her head.
"Must repay him for what he did to her home when he last came to visit."
"Right you are sisters, right you are." The biggest one finished.
"I had a similar thought. Though I am curious, how were you able to figure out a way to survive the fire I left you in."
"Foolish boy! We are older than you sorcerers could possibly imagine. We are tied to these lands in a way you couldn't possibly understand." The original one spoke again in a taunting manner. Unfortunately for her, Harry understood exactly what she meant.
"You've imprinted on the land itself and tied your life force to it. You've made the land itself a natural Horcrux… Impressive."
"What?"
"Ah, apologies. You have no idea what I am talking about. And I see now how you survived. The magic is quite impressive and I imagine it took years to accomplish. I had thought you had used some other unknown magic to protect yourself. Unfortunately, there are at least two people on this planet who can naturally sever your connection. While I didn't let Ciri join me it matters little because the other person who can do it is the one known as the Master of Death… Which is me." Harry said. As he spoke, the air around him seemed to pulse with dark energy.
"What is it he speaks of?"
"Nothing at all. He tries to confuse but we won't let him."
"No, we shall not. Come, boy. You will be our next feast."
"There will be no more feast for you. Sigillum Vitae." Harry called out as he raised his hands and a black wave seemed to emanate from him and surround the entire room. As soon as it did so, the three Crones dropped to their knees and started screaming in pain. Harry took a moment to catch his breath as they did so. The spell took a lot out of him, not just his magic but his very essence. A spell exclusive to someone connected with death itself.
"What.. What have you done?" The fat Crone asked as she wearily made her way to her feet next to her sisters.
"Simple. You are not the first beings I have dealt with that have ensured their life by sealing part of their soul into something. This spell seals the user and anything around them off from all connections to all living things outside of it. Essentially, you are cut off from your connection to the land in which you claim keeps you alive. You will have to survive off your personal power which is dwindling by the minute from what I can see. You better hope you can deal with me soon too, otherwise, the connection will dwindle to the point that it cannot be reconnected even if you leave." Harry told them as he continued to stall to regain his breath. As he spoke, he could feel the weariness from the spell wear off and by the end of the speech he was ready to deal with them.
"No, impossible!"
"He must be destroyed!"
"Ground up and cast to the wind with you!"
"Let's do this then. Flammis Acribus."
Immediately a white flame sprung out of Harry's hand and raced towards the three Crones. They seemed to melt into the floor as the fire went over their head. Harry frowned before moving forward to attack them. He summoned a dagger slightly shorter than a short sword. As soon as he got close enough, he moved as fast as he could to surprise the first one. The one with the cone-shaped hat barely managed to move out of the way not expecting the speed he was capable of.
Harry didn't wait for the others to react as he spun in the opposite direction and made for the Crone wearing a hood and face mask. She wasn't as fast as her sister, which caused her to catch his blade through her shoulder. She shrieked as she tried to move back. Harry didn't let her though, as he yanked the blade violently back, causing her to get pulled forward. He reached out and grabbed the Crone around the neck and lifted her off the ground.
Before her sisters could move into help her, Harry turned, while still holding the Crone in one hand as he then threw the dagger at the last big one. She moved one of her giant hands to block the dagger, but it still managed to stab her hand, causing her to yell in pain and stumble back. That gave Harry the breathing room he needed. He then looked at the Crone he was holding. He held up his now free hand and a dark ooze seemed to seep out of his hand and curl around his fingers before seemingly hardening into the shape of claws.
With his new claws, he thrust his hand forward and buried his now clawed hand into the face of the Crone. She screamed in pain showing that she must not have a physical, organic brain in her head because she was still alive. Harry dropped her to the floor and then ripped his hand violently away from her body tearing her head right off. The screaming immediately stopped and the body fell to the ground with a splash. Harry dispelled his clawed hand, causing the head to also fall to the ground next to the body.
As soon as it joined the body on the floor, both the head and body started to seemingly dissolve slowly into a cloud of black smoke. Harry looked at it and could physically feel the soul departing this plane of existence. He looked up at the two-remaining sister.
"That's one down, two to go," Harry said coldly.
"You'll pay a hundred times for her death!"
"Silence. Tumulatus Galcies." Harry called out. As soon as the words left his lips, a cold wind started whipping around him violently before exploding violently in all directions. Ice sprung up all around him and expanded rapidly outward.
He watched the two remaining Crones tried to seep into the ground to avoid the damage, but the ice froze the liquid on the ground and as soon as it reached where they had disappeared, it seemingly forced them out of the floor and threw them out.
"No more disappearing for you two," Harry said as he stalked over to them with a glowing light in his right hand. The two women picked themselves up and Harry released the golden spell towards them. It landed on the floor beneath them. A golden circle suddenly appeared on the ground centered on where the spell landed. It expanded until it was encompassing both women. As soon as it stopped, a static suddenly filled the air and specks of glowing lights appeared within the air above the area of the circle. The Crone with the cone-shaped hat seemed to sense what was about to happen and quickly moved to jump out of the circle. Her sister wasn't so lucky. Before either could fully understand what was happening, a pillar of golden light blasted out of the circle completely encompassing everything within it.
The big Crone let out a blood-curdling scream as she was completely engulfed by the light to the point that she couldn't even be seen. Harry heard her stop screaming after a moment and didn't need his death sense to know she had just been annihilated by the beam. As quick as it appeared, the beam disappeared and the room went back to its darkened normal appearance.
Harry heard a groan and heavy breathing. His eyes were drawn to the last Crone who was on the floor panting and making quiet moans of pain. Harry could immediately see why. With the ice on the ground, she hadn't been able to get the traction to fully leave the circle and her legs had been caught inside. Everything from her mid-thigh down had been destroyed. Since she wasn't going anywhere, Harry walked to her slowly, taking his time and enjoying the feeling of a successful hunt. Like a wolf eyeing a rabbit, it had cornered. He stopped as he stood over her injured body.
"And then there was one…" Harry said as he looked down at the Crone.
"Wait. Please! I can be useful. I can gift you anything you wish for. Do not be so hasty!" She started begging. Harry rolled his eyes. It always ended up that those who avoided death were always the most afraid of it. He crouched down next to Crone and looked her in the eye.
"Your word rings hollow. Everything you would offer me would have a price and I would always have to watch you to make sure you would never betray me. There's also the fact that your corrupt magic truly disgusts me. But you know what, even if there wasn't all that to help my decision, I would still kill you and do you want to know why?" Harry asked as he reached out lightning-fast and violently grabbed her hair to pull her close to him. She yelped in pain as she looked into his eyes… he thought. He couldn't be sure since she didn't exactly have actual eyes.
"Because you fucked with someone I loved. You tried to hurt and kill someone precious to me just so you could gain more power. So, don't bother begging me for your life and die knowing that you won't find any peace in death, but punishment for your eons of sin." Harry ground out. With that, he used his other hand and slammed it against her face and held it.
"Bombardo." Harry spat and watched the head explode violently into an ooze that launched in all directions. Like her previous sister, the body fell to the floor and start dissolving into thick black smoke. Harry stood and wiped some of the ooze that got on to his face off. He took a moment to close his eyes and took a deep breath. He could feel the Crone's magic in the air slowly disappear now that they were dead. Soon, their influence on the lands of Velen would also disappear.
Harry opened his eyes and looked up towards the ceiling. From what he could feel, Geralt was still dealing with Imlerith. He should go up and make sure everything was all right with them. He exited the cavern he had his confrontation in without a second glance. He made it back to the body of the Sylvan that Geralt had killed and made his way up the other pathway Geralt had gone on.
Harry walked slowly up the path. It would seem he was more tired than he thought. Soul magic always took a different kind of toll out of him and keeping that spell that isolated the crones up for so long had made him feel sluggish. He hoped Geralt wouldn't need any help.
As he made his way to the top of the pathway, he entered a clearing that lay at the top of the mountain. Harry almost panicked as he saw Imlerith holding Geralt up in the air by his throat. Luckily, as soon as he saw it, he watched Geralt unleash an Igni straight into the man's head causing him to roar in pain. He dropped Geralt and he immediately calmed down. He watched as Imlerith fell to his knees and tried to rip off his helmet. He imagined it was extremely painful to do so considering his flesh was probably melted to some extent to the helmet.
Nevertheless, Imlerith managed to rip off the helmet and looked like every motion was causing him pain. He watched as Geralt moved and grabbed the huge mace that Imlerith had been using as a weapon. It was too big for Geralt to use comfortably though it probably wouldn't matter if he was going to do what Harry thought he was. Imlerith looked up and glared at the approaching Witcher. Geralt didn't even wait to see if he had anything to say before lifting the mace and slamming it down directly on top of the man completely squashing his head, killing him instantly. Both the body with the mace still stuck in it fell to the ground lifelessly. Harry took that as the time to come over.
"That looked intense. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. He got me with a few hits, but your charms held up well. Made to grab me once he saw his hits weren't slowing me down." Geralt explained as they both sat down on the edge and looked out to the sun that was just starting to rise on the horizon.
"Glad to hear that. No injuries, then?"
"None. What about you. Did you manage to kill the Witches?"
"I did indeed. No injuries on my part, though, I am rather tired. Took a lot out of me to maintain one of my spells."
"Did you end up having to seal them?"
"No, I found out the method they were using to stay alive and neutralized. I made sure they died this time." Harry explained.
"Good… You want to sit here a little longer to catch your breath?" Geralt asked. Harry thought for a moment.
"Nah. I'll just sleep when we get back to Kaer Morhen. You ready?"
"Yeah, let's go."
Kaer Morhen
Harry and Geralt both landed easily enough at the entrance to the main hall. It frightened the guards that were now on duty outside of the hall. Once they saw it was him, though they calmed down.
"Your Majesty. It is good to see you back safely." One of the guards said while saluting him.
"At ease. Thank you for your words soldier. Anything happen while I was gone?" Harry asked. The soldier shook his head.
"Nay. Quiet as a mouse. Lady Yennefer made sure the boys didn't get too rowdy." The soldier said.
"Good. Well, have a good night, then a soldier.
"You as well, your Majesty."
With that, both Harry and Geralt walked into the Main Hall.
"Well, this is it for this adventure. Thank you for your help Geralt." Harry said, holding his hand out to shake. Geralt took it and shook it with ease. He nodded at Harry.
"My pleasure. Glad we managed to take care of this. Also, remember what we talked about. I'll be holding you to your word." Geralt said, turning serious at the end. Harry nodded slowly as he looked back at the man.
"I know. I won't disappoint."
"See that you don't. Good night Hadrian."
"Good night Geralt."
With that, they both headed up to their respective rooms. Harry's was in one of the newer rooms he had created when he had expanded Kaer Morhen. It wasn't overly big having just a nice sized bed, a chest and a fireplace off to the side. It did also have a balcony though Harry barely went out on it.
He immediately started taking off all his clothes save for his undershirt and a pair of boxers. His room temperature was controlled by him so it never got too hot or cold. He immediately climbed into his bed and laid down under his covers. He closed his eyes and could already feel the realm of dreams calling to him. While doing so, he was sure he heard a noise but was too tired to acknowledge it. Next thing he knew he felt a shift next to him on the other side of his bed. Again, he ignored it before feeling a jolt as he finally realized the situation, he was in. Someone was in his room.
Harry opened his eyes and immediately met a set of green eyes staring directly into his. It took him a moment to process what he was looking at due to his tiredness.
"Ciri?"
"Yes?"
"What are you doing in my room?" Harry asked gently.
"I wanted to ask how your mission went. Though you seemed very tired, so I thought I would wait until you woke up."
"You decided to do that in my bed?"
"Mmm. Why not? We've slept together before."
"On my couch in my living room. Not in my bed."
"Does that matter so much?"
"… I suppose not."
"Exactly. So, go to sleep and we can talk in the morning." Ciri said as she shifted closer to him. Harry eyed her for a moment but was honestly too tired to fight her on this.
"Fine. Just let me sleep." Harry murmured. Ciri smiled before nodding.
"Ok. Goodnight."
"It's morning…" Harry muttered softly before drifting. For a few moments, all was quiet and Harry was almost on the verge of completely submerging his consciousness in dreams.
"… Harry?"
"Hn?"
"I'm cold."
"Ugh." Harry moaned in annoyance. Without even thinking about his actions he wrapped his arm around the woman lying next to him and brought her in close to him.
"Thank you," Ciri said with an unusual perkiness in her voice.
"Mph."
"…"
"…"
"… Ciri." Harry muttered.
"Yes?"
"Are you not wearing any bottoms?" Harry said, dragging himself away from the sleep he so desperately wanted.
"I am."
"Besides your underwear?"
"Well, no. This is what I normally sleep in though. I don't see the problem. You're also wearing only underwear."
"… Fine."
"…"
"… Ciri?"
"For someone who wants to sleep you seem to be rather chatty."
"Why did Geralt get upset when I told him you wanted me to get you a unicorn?"
Ciri didn't verbally answer, she just snorted and started giggling which is the sound that Harry finally fell asleep to.
Several Hours Later
Harry stood around the conjured table with maps and plans scattered across it. Around it were several people, including; officers from both armies, the Witchers of Kaer Morhen, the Sorceresses of the Lodge, Avallach, Ciri, and Harry himself. He looked around and eyed each one of them.
"We have all gathered for one purpose and now that we are all here. It is time to finally initiate our plan. Tomorrow, we will begin our plans to trap the Wild Hunt and kill them once and for all."