Her Sweet Kiss | Geralt of Rivia X OC | The Witcher FF

Chapter 19 - Story telling -

"It's my favourite tale. You see, this snow-capped sourpuss here was hired by the most horrible monster of all, my father, to clear our woods of a wyvern infestation." he started the story. "I've seen those in books." Ciri said. I looked between them. "Horrid creatures. See that weak young whelp of a lad?" he asked and pointed on a family portrait that hun behind him. "That was me. And I tried to prove myself to my father by killing one first. But instead," he continued and chuckled in between. "I fell into the damned beats's lair. This one pulls me up by the scruff of my neck and slays the wyvern snapping at my nethers. What do you think he does next?" he asked Ciri.

She smiled a little. "What?" she asked. "Gives me a hiding for being such a cretinous twit? No. He hands me the wyvern's head and tells my father I was the one that killed it." he said and Ciri looked impressed in my direction. I looked at her but said nothing. She grinned and leaned back in her chair. "I had to clear the forest of the entire pack. Got paid either way." I shrugged. "Nonsense! He's a big softie. I tell you no word of a lie, young Ciri. It was the first and last time I saw my father proud of me." he sighed. "After that, Geralt and I became friends, of a sort, over many a summer."

"Since we're telling no lies, tell us about your curse." I demanded. "In front of the girl?" he asked surprised. He was trying to find excuses. "She's tougher than you think." I said and nodded slightly at Ciri. He sighed and put away the silverware. "I was a gormless young twat. That's how. Fell in with a bad lot. I trashed the Temple of the Lionheaded Spider. High on godflesh mushrooms." he began. "All the mushrooms in the world wouldn't make anyone that stupid." I said with a frown. "If only it was so. After the damage was done, this priestess cursed me to live like this. Forever." he said and pointed at his face. "Alone." he added.

"all curses have cures. What did she say?" I asked him and he looked at me, thinking for a second. "She screamed something about love and blood. I don't remember." he admitted. "I'll be honest. I've tried to end it, Geralt. More than once. But I kept coming back. That priestess won't let me off so easy." he said.

Hoping that it will bring his good mood back, we walked into his living room, where he sat with me at a table with a mug of wine and was at the same time playing a board game with Ciri. "The village below is abandoned." I stated. Maybe he knew something about it. "What happened there?" I asked now directly. "After the Battle of Sodden, the countryside is a dangerous place. Hungry soldiers, deserters..." he explained and fumbled with the mug in his hands. "Not reason enough for an entire village to leave their homes." I said and he looked at me with wide eyes and started nodding. "It is. When the Wild Hunt's riding over the horizon. I saw them myself. Just last week. Riding their skeletal horses across the southern sky. A portent of doom." he said 

"The Wraiths of Mörhogg? My grandfather saw them just before Cintra fell." Ciri now added. "Her grandfather was a drunk. He saw a lot of things." I said. Eist was never one, to tell the truth. He turned embarrassing stories about himself into something that 'destiny' made him see and, or experience. "I'm simply saying, the North and South at war, monsters roaming when they should be hibernating, pestilence sweeping the land. Maybe it's the end of days." he said.

"I've lived through a whole dark age and three supposed end of days. It's all horseshit." I said with a small grin. "No, something has changed, Geralt. The world's acting of its own strange accord these days. Far outside the reach of Kings and men." he said. A small, almost not noticeable rumble went through the ceiling. It almost sounded like a rumbling stomach. "Nivellen, do you have a cat?" Ciri asked as I looked up at the ceiling. "I think that the poor thing might be stuck in the ceiling."

"I do, in fact. She's fine." he assured her and stood up from the armchair he's been sitting in. "Vereena, she's called. I'm very glad of her company, even if she's a shy wee thing. Not fond of strangers." he said and followed the little rumbles in the ceiling with his gaze. "Didn't you say you were cursed to live alone?" I asked, suspicion swinging heavily in my voice. "Didn't you say cats are afraid of Witchers?" Ciri asked, having her doubts as well. "How about a show?" Nivellen asked with extended arms to change the topic. "How about we scout the property? Make sure it's secure for the night." I suggested and stood up as well. Nivellen sighed and grunted in defeat. "Go on, Geralt. We'll be alright." she said and looked up to me from her sitting position on the ground, on a pillow. 

"It's as if she's determined to do the opposite of the things that'll keep her safe." I spoke to Roach as I brushed through her mane. "Verbose when I need her to be quiet. Stubborn and sullen when I need her to talk. Looks like you're in good company." I said and pat her forehead. I leaned on a wooden pole next to Roach, having a look over the front of the mansion and perhaps of something that may come outside of it. Roach kept nudging my back as if trying to push me forward. 

I followed the direction she wanted me to go and found footsteps in the snow, barefoot footsteps. It weren't mine, nor Ciri's. Nivellen didn't exactly humanly have feet anymore. I looked at the doors of the mansion. Nobody went outside except for me. I opened the front gate and saw these footsteps going in the direction of the village below this mansion.