Van Bereaver

Chapter 14- Beautiful

Sage

The spirit of Ithilnne had landed me in Metinna on the north shore of the lake, Tarn Mira. There, waves were crashing onto this rocky path that led to where the curmble of a tower would lie. I—we—since this dead woman still had a hold on me, saw the hooveprints of multiple horses and their neighing in the distance.

The wind blew in my silver hair as I looked afar to see the head of a white horse. Just as I had abnormally travelled a great distance in the white mist of a wraith, I shifted again to spawn to where Ciri was fighting a group of bandits.

They had Nilfgaardian coat of arms and one of them had a scar on his left cheek. So did Ciri. Her long, mousy hair had been pulled back into a braid, she was wearing a breastplate atop her longsleeve with a few cuts in them, and brown slacks. She had a devilish scar on her cheek and she had a few bruises but it made her look strong. She also had a long silver sword, and overall, she looked like a Witcher. She was a Witcher.

I would have thought Ithlinne would let me intervene with the fight but she didn't. I couldn't move even if I wanted to. The man with the scar on his left cheek was on his knees and pleading for mercy as the others were on the verge of death, wheezing for help. I could feel Cirilla's eyes on me but my head had lowered, knowing the fate of the man before her. I exhaled when the sound of a sword penetrating flesh, organs, and bones, filled my ears and the body drop on the rocks.

Stampeding came near, and I turned to see a larger man atop a horse jump off. He already knew who Ciri was and was approaching her with a sword in hand. During the fight, I thought I was invisible because no one came to attack, but this man halted and glared at me.

"Who are you?" he questioned.

"Who are you?" I replied back, my voice sounding unusual.

"Leo Bonhart," Ciri called. "He's been wanting to kill me while the others have been trying to capture me. He even gave me this sword." She said the last part in delight, feeling comfort in my presence to make humorous comments.

"Answer me, woman!" he raised his voice, addressing me. "Who the hell are you and why have you come in the name of this child?"

We refused to answer because neither Ithlinne nor I knew how to answer the first question. He grew frustrated and started heading towards me, wanting to get through me to reach Ciri. He wasn't running, but taking heavy steps in order to slice me in half with a quick move since I was weaponless. The only defense I had and offense was my voice.

With the dauntless Elven mage who forced me to break my oath of killing people, she forced me to bring this man, Leo Bonhart, to death. He had waved his sword and it stopped in my front of my hand where it channeled a scream from my lips. He stood there frozen, his enraged face turning to an expression of terror where he would run back to his mother. Blood sputtered out of his ears as the skin on his body began to shrivel and turn gray. The corner of his head deflated and punctured into his brain that destroyed his eye. Before his head could explode, he had already collapsed onto the rocks, blood oozing out of his head.

The rest of the bandits were whimpering at this point, praying to whatever god they believed in that they woudln't face my wrath. I had presumed that Ciri would open the portal of Tor Zireael, but just like before with the Tower of Gulls, I opened this one.

"Follow me Ciri," Ithlinne had said through me. Ciri, who trusted me when I was the real me, nodded, and followed me into the portal that had appeared in the ruins of the tower.

***

There was water. It was everywhere. I could see legs floating as I rose up and surfaced with a large gasp. Ciri was next to me and we assured each other with a nod before swimming out of the lake and flopping onto the shore.