ELVEN RUINS - Unknown destination
They landed on the ground. Geralt sighed painfully and caught his head with hand.
"I hate portals." he cursed and then caressed the painful place on his head. He looked at Yennefer and noticed she was even more puzzled than him. Yennefer's head was still spinning but she managed to stand up. She looked around and she was trying to understand where they were. She said the spell which stopped her dizziness and then she moved forward.
"Ciri! Ciri! Ciri, can you hear me?! Cir.." Geralt suddenly appeared next to her and put his hand on her mouth.
"Stop shouting Yen, we don't know what lives here yet." Geralt whispered to her. Yennefer looked at him strictly and then she removed his hand from her mouth.
"This really bothers you now? What monster I could wake up? You can't be serious." she said angrily.
"I am serious. I want to get out alive from here and I want the same for you." Geralt stated.
"Geralt, our daughter is lost somewhere here for fucks sake and you are just.." he interrupted her.
"We will find her, I promise. But making a noise won't help us." the witcher caressed her cheek with his thumb.
"We should go. We're running of time." Yennefer's face was serious but her eyes got warmer.
"Let's go then." Geralt offered his hand to her.
Yennefer hesitated but after couple of seconds she grabbed it. Geralt smiled at her and they entered to the one of corridors in the Ruins.
"I've never been in the place like that.." Ciri said with awe while they were walking through some big hall of the Ruins.
"I've seen bigger one's." Gabriel said without interest.
"Oh' sorry, I forgot that your the guy who has known and seen everything." Ciri said sarcastically.
"At least I can do what I want." Gabriel looked at her. He knew he hit her weak spot.
"Yeah, being a dick is a great way to live your life.." Ciri rolled her eyes.
"When people see good they expect good. I don't want to live up to their expectation." Gabriel said honestly.
"Really? That's your excuse?" Ciri laughed. "I thought you're more wiser." she shaked her head. Suddenly she felt a strong hit in her chest and then her back hit the wall. She even didn't make to react on his move.
"You know a shit about me Cirilla." Gabriel pushed her stronger towards the wall. She felt how her back started puzzling from the pain.
"I'm not any saint. I'm a murderer. I kill, that's all I know. That's the only thing they ever teach me. I don't know anything else.. no one has ever showed me something different." Gabriel told her strictly. But Ciri saw his eyes. His eyes were betraying him all the time while he was speaking.
"I don't have any boundaries.. You know I would fuck you right now here just to fulfill my needs?" he softly caught her chin and pushed it closer to him.
"And I wouldn't care about the consequences.." Gabriel whispered. Their faces were so close so they could feel each other's breaths. She slowly reached collar of his shirt with hers hand and squeezed it properly. It had to hurt him but he let her to do it anyway.
"Do you know what I see?" Ciri looked straight into his eyes. His face didn't even move.
"You're pretending. You know the best way to not get your heart broken is to pretend that you don't have one."
"Am I pretending?" Gabriel said with soft voice.
"I don't know. Let's find out." Ciri winked at him and in that moment she kicked him into his crotch with her knee.
Gabriel caught his manhood and sighed painfully. He looked at her unbelievably.
"At least I know you're a real man." Ciri smiled from ear to ear.
Geralt and Yennefer were searching for them at least for hour. They've searched so many corridors and halls of the Elven Ruins but they didn't find them.
"It's strange we haven't met any monster yet.." Geralt said thoughtfully while the were walking through the dark corridor with small torches on the walls.
"Maybe I scared them away when I started shouting Ciri's name.." Yennefer said sarcastically.
"Yen, it's not funny. Something is not right on this place and it's making me uncomfortable." Geralt said seriously.
"Do you know what's making me uncomfortable? Our missing daughter. So, stop making your stupid witcher's theories and rather move your ass. You're slower than a dying troll.." Yennefer stated and started walking quicker. Geralt had to stop walking for a second in that moment.
"Dying troll?" Geralt snorted. "You could at least chose a better comparison.." he frowned.
"Geralt, move." Yennefer commanded him and she continued in her way. Geralt frowned again and then he followed her.
He was not too far from her when she suddenly stopped walking and even his witcher's senses didn't prevent so he wouldn't bumped right into her.
"What is this place?" Yennefer said with awe when she stopped walking and started looking around the huge open hall. Geralt caressed his nose to erase the pain from the strong hit and then he stood up next to her.
"Yennefer, you could warned me that.." Geralt didn't finish because the view what he saw in that moment made him speechless. The open hall was so huge like a castle. Everywhere were a big statues of Elf's warriors and at the end of hall was some altar. Towards it leaned beautifully bricked path with couple of huge stairs. Yennefer decided to moved forward again but Geralt stopped her with his hand.
"What again?" Yennefer frowned at him.
"Look down first." Geralt pointed on the ground with his head. Yennefer did what he told her. Geralt then indicated a move forward with his leg and in this moment from the small holes on the path came out a big sharp thorns. It would kill them in a second if they would step on that.
"Thank you." Yennefer told him honestly when she looked at him.
"I know you're frustrated because of Ciri but you're also forgetting to be careful." Geralt told her kindly and kissed her on hers forehead.
"I know." Yennefer sighed. "Then lead the way witcher." she caressed his cheek with her hand. Geralt nodded.
They managed to pass the thorns without being hurt and they came towards the altar which they saw before on the other side of the hall.
"It's Elder speech." Geralt said when he was looking at the walls which were covered with letters and sentences. Yennefer went closer to the one of wall and put her hand on the words.
"Those elfs who wrote it were my ancestors.." she said with awe.
"I've never seen this speech before." Geralt admitted when he came to her. He was also surprised where they were both standing right now.
"I've read once a book about it but I thought those Elven Ruins already vanished. The Aen Siedhe destroyed their once proud architecture and inventions so that the humans won't steal their technology. But I thought they destroyed all of them. Place like that shouldn't even exist anymore.." Yennefer said thoughtfully. She looked at the witcher. "Geralt, these Ruins are almost two thousand years old.." her eyes started shining.
"We're standing at historical relic.." Geralt couldn't believe it. "Can't wait when I tell this to Lambert. He will be cursing himself that he didn't come with us." the witcher said with laughing.
Yennefer went to the altar. She cleaned the dust with her hand so she could read the text on it.
"What's written there?" Geralt asked her when he stepped next to her.
"It's similar to the text which was written on the altar outside the Ruins. But almost everywhere they're using this particular sentence.. 'In amore omnia possibillia sunt.'." Yennefer explained.
"With love everything is possible.." Geralt translated her words. "Why would they use that sentence so many times?" he was confused.
"I don't know but what I know for sure that Elfs never do useless things. I think this sentence is here for a reason or it's trying to tell us some legacy of Aen Siedhe or something." Yennefer answered unsure. She was also so confused about everything and this was one of things she hates the most. She hates not being in command.
She then went to look on other wall to read the text. Geralt was trying to translate at least the one word of Elder speech but he was far from succeeding. Yennefer cleaned the dust from the text on the wall but in that moment a strong screamed filled almost the whole hall. She immediately caught her ears to stop the horrible sound.
"Yennefer! Beware!" Geralt screamed so loud that she could hear him even when she was holding her ears. Yennefer then noticed the creature which appeared in front of her. It was a Wraith but two times bigger than usual. Yennefer immediately said the defending spell but it didn't stop the Wraith and it attacked her. In that moment Geralt appeared from nowhere and attacked the Wraith with his silver sword but the Wraith still managed to hit Yennefer and that hit threw her on ground. She sighed painfully. Geralt was grateful to the Gods that Wraith's hit didn't kill Yennefer immediately. Geralt's adrenaline in that moment raised about hundred percent. He immediately used Yrden to trap the Wraith. It slowed the monster for a while. He used this advantage and he started attacking the monster from the sides. He was using so many types of different techniques and styles and he combined them together. Geralt's blows with swords were deadly. Any human whom would be hit with with his sword in that moment would be dead with a heartbeat. But the Wraith wasn't just any human. Geralt knew he has to fight differently and has to be extremely risking if he wanted to beat the Wraith. The Wraith was clever and strong but he was The White Wolf. Some shitty Wraith won't end his life. It didn't take long and The Wraith disappeared into a dust when Geralt gave it deadly final blow. Geralt wiped away a sweat from his face with his hand and then he ran towards Yennefer. She was sitting on the ground and trying to stand up. He knelt down next to her and caressed her face.
"Are you alright?" Geralt said worried.
"I have some scratches and bruises but I'll be fine." Yennefer told him honestly but in her eyes was still a fear.
"Let me help you." Geralt offered her his hand and then helped her to stood up. Yennefer sighed.
"Are you really alright Yen?" Geralt wanted to be sure. He softly wiped away a piece of blood from her mouth.
"No, I'm alright, thank you witcher... but what the hell happened?" Yennefer was confused.
"I think when you wiped away the dust from that wall you woke up the Wraith. It had to be the tomb of some Elf long years ago." Geralt explained.
"I also wiped the dust from the altar and nothing happened.." Yennefer gave him suspicious look.
"Because the altar is not the tomb. The Wraiths haunt the places where they died or were buried. Sometimes they are summoned by magic, but more frequently unfinished business makes them linger in our world." the witcher admitted.
"Why my spell didn't stop that creature?" she wanted to understand it.
"From the same reasons why the Witchers were created. Not even a skilled swordsmen are able to fight with some monsters, neither a sorceresses." Geralt said honestly.
"We have to go. Now." Yennefer stated and she started leaving but Geralt caught her arm and stopped her.
"Hey.. where do you think you're going?" Geralt told her seriously but he was also confused from hers reaction.
"We need to go Geralt." Yennefer said uneasily.
"I know we have to go but we should firstly look around here. It can gives us a useful information." Geralt told her calmly.
"No, Geralt you don't understand. We have to go. Immediately." Yennefer started to be frustrated. She was clearly still in shock as Geralt noticed from hers behavior.
"I know Yen, but tell me why." the witcher told her kindly. He wanted to calm her down.
"She's in dangerous. If Wraiths are here, the others monsters can be here as well.. and even worse things. What if she is lost somewhere and she doesn't know what to do? What if something happened to her?" Yennefer said with fear in her voice. Geralt looked at her sadly because she was right. He totally forget on the fact that Ciri is still missing and he didn't realize it because of circumstances which happened recently. He didn't realize that the portal could separate them and they both could be alone somewhere in this huge labyrinth. He didn't realize that something could happen to them. Geralt cursed in his thoughts but then he came back to the reality where his wife wasn't too far breakdown.
"Hey, don't think like that. She's alright, I would feel if something happened to her." Geralt pushed her closer to him and hugged her.
"You don't know that for sure." Yennefer said sadly.
"I'm sure she's fine." Geralt stated. He would know if something happened to her. At least he hoped he would know..
"That's all your fault." Yennefer suddenly pushed Geralt from her and stepped back from him.
"What's my fault?" Geralt gave her confused look.
"All of this! "Yennefer raised her voice. "Because of your witcher adventure needs she's now God knows where.." she gave him angry look.
"We will find her." Geralt came closer to her. But she stepped back again.
"Yen.., please." Geralt begged her with his eyes. Yennefer shaked her head and went to the altar. Geralt was now facing her back.
Yennefer crossed her arms and started reading the written words on the altar. The tears started rolling down her face. It didn't take long when witcher spread his arms around her waist from behind and put his head on her left shoulder. He snuggled closer to her.
"Don't cry." Geralt softly kissed her cheek. She then slowly put her head on witcher's and relaxed a bit.
"I hate it. I hate that I can't stay be mad at you because I love you that much.." Yennefer sniffed.
"I hate that I do things which are making you mad." Geralt caressed her abdomen with his hands. "And I hate I can't give you what you want.." he said sadly. The tears started rolling down her face even more. Yennefer slowly turned around to him and then she caressed his face with hers hand.
"Some things are not meant to be.." she managed to smile at him even though her whole face was wet from tears. "But that's not your fault my love." Yennefer almost whispered those words. "That's never gonna be your fault." she caressed his face again. Geralt couldn't look at her face like that. He couldn't stay to be emotionless. He couldn't hold his tears anymore. He started crying too.
"I'm sorry Yen. I'm so sorry.." Geralt started to be emotional.
"Don't be.." she wiped away a tear from his cheek with hers thumb.
"That's not fair.." the witcher's eyes was full of sadness.
"I know my love." Yennefer smiled at him through tears. "But in some ways we can't change our fate." Yennefer told him honestly even if those words were hurting her like a hell.
"There is no such thing as fate.." Geralt didn't want to believe it, but deep down he knew it's true. That the fate changes lives.
"Really? What's this then?" Yennefer raised her eyebrows and pointed on her and Geralt with hers finger.
"That my charm succeeded on you?" Geralt was trying to smile.
"Only in your dreams.." Yennefer laughed a bit and Geralt wiped away another tear from hers eyes.
"I love you Yen." Geralt looked straight to her eyes and then he put his arms on her waist and pushed her closer to him. "And every day I'm falling in love with you over and over again." he caressed her cheek with his thumb.
"I love you too witcher. I'll never stop stop loving you." Yennefer told him while their looks locked. Then she leaned towards him and kissed him on his lips. Geralt returned the soft kiss. They started kissing slowly but with desire.
Geralt started turning her around and then he slowly put her on the altar.
"What are you doing Geralt?" Yennefer gave him confused look.
"Something what I wanted to do for such a long time.." the witcher caressed her raven hair.
"We're in the Elven's relic and this altar might by even sacred.."
"I don't care." Geralt leaned over her.
"What about Wraiths? It could be more of them here.." Yennefer told him a bit worried.
"Screw Wraiths. They can wait at least ten minutes.." Geralt stated.
"Only ten minutes?" Yennefer raised his eyebrow.
"You'll regret these words." Geralt told her seductively.
"Just kiss me already witcher." Yennefer caught his medallion so she could push him closer to her. Geralt didn't hesitated even for a second and he kissed her passionately. He untied buttons on her blouse and then he pressed his lips on her neck. With one hand he started rolling up her dress and when he was ready to take off her panties he stayed totally surprised.
"Since when you've stopped wearing your panties?" Geralt looked at her suspiciously.
"Since you've stopped looking under my skirt.." Yennefer said with flirting voice and she started untied his pants because Geralt was still puzzled by her words.
"I.. I don't know what to say." Geralt was searching for the right words.
"Babe, just do your thing finally." Yennefer caressed her face. "If I would know this gonna take you out of balance like this I would done it sooner." Yennefer said with laughing. Geralt then pressed his lips on her naked abdomen close to her groin. Yennefer almost screamed from pleasure.
"And if I would know that pressing just my lips on your abdomen would make you an orgasm so soon I would do it more often.." Geralt was teasing her.
"I didn't have an orgasm yet.." she was barely speaking.
"Didn't you?" Geralt smiled in provoking way and then he did his thing.
"Oh' Gods.." Yennefer almost saw a stars.
After a while she started breathing heavily and looked at him.
"Why did you stop?" Yennefer's eyes begged him.
"Because we have only a five minutes left.." Geralt made a cheeky smile.
Then they got connected.
The Witcher found her lips again and kissed her passionately. Yennefer couldn't even take a breath because she was feeling like she was in heaven right know. Her moans could be hear almost over the whole hall. If those sounds didn't wake up the monsters then she didn't know what else could. Geralt wanted her. He wanted her so much as she wanted him. But this time it was different. They were more intimate, more observant, more hungry than usual. Their souls got connected, they were like a one in that moment. Maybe it was because of this place. Maybe it was because of the honest words which they told to each other or maybe it was just because their relationship hit another level of loving themselves. They thought it was not possible to love each other more but here they were, making love in Elven Ruins not caring about anything else than themselves.
"I didn't expect it from you.." Gabriel told her honestly while they continued in their way. His balls were still hurting.
"What did you expect then?" Ciri only raised her eyebrow but inside of herself she was laughing so loudly.
"Not this.." Gabriel smirked.
"You deserved it." Ciri made a fox smile.
"Maybe." Gabriel laughed a bit. He slowly started liking this young woman.
"What if we play a game? You'll tell me a secret and then I'll tell you a secret." Ciri suggested. She wasn't afraid of him anymore.
"Sounds stupid. I don't have any secrets." Gabriel said without emotions.
"That's not true. Everybody has secrets, even you. You always speak more meaningfully than you actually say." Ciri crossed her arms.
"Okey, fine." Gabriel frowned but then his eyes changed. "I'm not a virgin." the young witcher said proudly.
"Of course this gonna be the first thing you'll tell me.." Ciri rolled her eyes and sighed. "I'm still a a virgin. Happy?" she said with calm face.
"You've never done it?" Gabriel was surprised and also a bit ashamed of himself.
"Well, almost.." Ciri laughed. "When that guy was ready to do it he suddenly died because of bleeding after an open wound.." she admitted.
"No way Cirilla.." Gabriel laughed. "How old were you?" he couldn't believe what she just told him.
"Seventeen." Ciri shrugged her shoulders.
"Have you told it to someone?" Gabriel raised his eyebrow.
"No, you're first." Ciri said honestly.
"I'm glad you told me this thing even you didn't need to." he smiled a bit.
"Don't flatter yourself that much.. we're playing a game. Remember?" Ciri was teasing him.
"Yeah, I know." he frowned. "It's your turn." he told her reluctantly.
"I love to risk. I like when it's all or nothing." Ciri said with excitement.
"I would say you more like to do a reckless things.. and then you always need saving.." Gabriel laughed and punched into her with his elbow.
"Hey! You're not allowed to do it." she hit him into his arm for that. He smiled honestly.
"Well, I like to sing." Gabriel looked at her calmly.
"What?" Ciri burst into laughing.
"What's so funny about that?" he frowned.
"Maybe that you and singing? You're voice must be awful.." Ciri was still laughing.
"You've never heard me sing before.. so, don't judge my voice." Gabriel was a bit offended.
"I'm not judging it, but just imagining you singing it's just hilarious.." Ciri said with laughing. Gabriel just smiled but then his eyes got darker.
"I had a brother.." Gabriel said thoughtfully. Ciri stopped laughing in that moment.
"What happened to him?" she asked him with caring voice. She knew what means to have a siblings.
"Sepsis.. he died when he was six." Gabriel told her calmly but Ciri could hear his voice. It was filled with pain.
"Your brother remind me of him.." Gabriel paused. Ciri gave him a time. She knew it was hard for him to speak about it. It seemed he's never told this to anyone. Gabriel continued.
"My mother couldn't handle the pain and she died two weeks later.. I was alone couple of months and somehow tried to survive and then Cöen found me." Gabriel said without emotions and he stopped walking. Ciri did the same and then she caught his arm and squeezed it. Gabriel looked at her with sad eyes. She saw he was trying to hold his tears. She understood his pain more than anyone.
"I lost my whole family when I was twelve. Nilfgaardians attacked Cintra and they killed them. I was totally lost and scared. I had to run all the time because everyone wanted to find me. They wanted to kill me or used me because of my status. I thought it's the end but then Geralt found me." Ciri told him honestly.
"He gave you a second chance." Gabriel added. Ciri nodded.
"Not just that... he gave me everything. He gave me the best mother I could wish for.. he gave me another family, the witchers and a little brother.." Ciri smiled.
"I've never have that.." Gabriel admitted.
"But now you could have.." Ciri looked straight into his eyes and was waiting for his reaction.
"We should continue." Gabriel said without emotions and then he started walking again. Ciri stayed standing there alone and she was clearly disappointed. Gabriel saw the disappointment in her eyes. But he couldn't tell her more, it was too soon. He has too many wounds which refuse to heel.
He was walking couple of seconds when he heard how she stepped next to him and joined him in the walking. She didn't say anything. He understood her reaction. They were walking couple of minutes without words when he finally took a courage to ask her.
"Do you love him?" Gabriel tried to be emotionless. He saw her with Matthew. He knew he could go too far with this question but he risked it anyway. She stayed quiet longer than usual.
"I do." Ciri answered honestly. Gabriel's face stayed calm but something stung him in his heart when she said it.
"And you.. Have you loved someone?" Ciri said calmly. Gabriel was surprised by her question. He didn't expect it.
"I.." Gabriel was searching for the right words. "I think I've loved in some way but.." he sighed. "I don't know if it was a real love what I've felt.. I mean.." he hesitated. "How can you love someone if you've never known what love really is?" he said thoughtfully. Ciri was surprised that he opened that much to her. She didn't see this coming.
"That's why you're pretending?" Ciri looked at him.
"I'm not pretending Cirilla. That's who I am.. and I'm not gonna change." his voice changed. It was more irritated. Ciri knew that not all of his words were totally honest. But she was amazed or more scared how he could so quickly change his mood.
Gabriel was speechless for a while and she let him. She slowly started to understand how to speak with him. He started speaking first as she predicted.
"Do you think it exists? God?.. The peace?" Gabriel asked her more carefully.
"I do.." Ciri answered honestly but she was also a bit confused. But then she quickly understood what he was asking her. "You'll find it Gabriel. You'll go there too." she told him kindly.
"Me?" Gabriel laughed sarcastically. "I'm going the other way. I probably reopen hell for me.." he said honestly but in his eyes was sadness. Ciri smiled at him.
"Don't be so sure." she told him. Their looks locked.