To Thaw A Frozen Heart

~ chapter 13 ~

3rd person POV
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The Striga lunged for the pair and Geralt pushed Antea to the ground, causing her to land in a thump and groan. The Witcher slashed the beast with his sword, not doing too much harm. Antea got to her feet and drew the small silver blade Geralt had gifted her. With a yell, she jumped on the striga and began stabbing the creature in the back, which only just seemed to piss it off.
The Striga flung Antea against a a wall and the wind was blown out of her. She now had the monster's full attention. She stood quickly as the Striga approached her, but Geralt kicked the beast into a window,

"Get out of here!" He yelled at her,

She didn't waste time, and began running down the hall, as fast as her bruised legs would allow. She heard yelling and grunting behind her, but dared not look back.
Suddenly, a screech was heard close behind, and a peek over her shoulder informed her that the Striga had escaped Geralt's grasp and was now running right for her. She winced and tried to speed up, but failed.

The pain was like nothing she had felt before. Searing agony spread through her entire back like branding irons. The scream she emitted was sure to at least crack the windows. She collapsed to the ground and tried not to writhe in pain, but struggled against the temptation. The creature stood over her, and got ready to strike again, but a flash of black and white took it down the hall, where more grunting could be heard.

She tried to move, she really did. Her body would not allow it. Breaths became shallow and vision blurry, but she willed herself to stay awake - Geralt was in trouble. She looked back and saw him struggling to keep the creature at bay once again with his chains, and held out her hand, which quickly glowed a faint green.

The effort it took was tremendous, but the vines quickly sprouted from the cracks in the walls and floor, and wrapped themselves tightly around the beast. Geralt whipped his head around to look at the young woman lying on the ground, surrounded by a pool of red, eyes glowing bright green. Blood revealed itself when she coughed, and her heartbeat was slowing.

He moved quickly towards her, and knelt down beside her,

"Antea stop! You're going to kill yourself!" he said, panicking.

She smiled, but sadly, "It's worth it to save you. Please, go. Break the curse - please." She coughed once more, "I can't hold it for much longer.

The creature shrieked behind them as the vines began to crack around its limbs.

"Not without you. Just hold on." Geralt stated, and he tried to pick her up without hurting her too much. She let out a yell of pain as his hands met her wounded back, but she didn't break concentration.
He carries her past the Striga and to the crypt, where he places her in gently. He climbed in just as her eyes rolled to the back of her head, and her body went limp. The Witcher quickly closed the crypt and placed a sealing spell on it, so that the Striga that had now broken free could not enter. The crypt was a small space, but Antea didn't take up much room. Geralt was looking at her face - her eyes were closed and she had gone pale. He stoked her cheek and brushed a piece of hair behind her ear. Her heartbeat was faint, but it was still there. He prayed that she make it through the night.

"Hurry the fuck up you fucking rooster."