Met By Moonlight:

Chapter 17: Light at the end of the Cave

Unconscious, again... Well, almost. What luck. I wasn't fully out this time, but had no vision and every sound around me is faded, so basically I wasn't really there. I could feel my arms constrained, legs too. I have no idea what to think anymore. At least I'm alive, but is My Ciri? If that's the case, all this is worth it, if not, well then I have no reason to try.

My wolf. Who is it? What is it? I've always treated it as another being, but is it really? Or is it just a pigment of myself? All my instincts have always been connected to my wolf. Every subconscious decision I have ever made has been affected by my wolf. So is that what my wolf is? My subconscious self? Maybe I should treat my subconscious as another being. Maybe then I'll understand more, cause if I ignore it, maybe I'll lose helpful ideas. If I just ignore it, even if it's rather stupid at times, it'll stop giving suggestions, so it's worth trying.

I start regaining consciousness and there it is again. That familiar voice. I'm looking for the name, but couldn't grasp it. Suddenly it came to me, once I stopped trying to think of the name. My subconscious, my wolf said, "Yuric." Yuric? Why would it be Yuric? But I reminded myself to listen to my wolf, my subconscious as another person, so I accepted the possibility.

I hear my name being called and the first face I saw was Yuric's. I asked him about the restraints and he told me it was just to keep them safe, as they didn't know what would happen once I woke up after being out for so long. The library, the Arch-Collective, it's destroyed... I was shocked, I didn't know what to say or how to react. I knew how much this place meant to Yuric and now, it's in ashes. All of it... Yuric noticed my shock, crouching down onto one of his knees, looking down hurt, untying my feet and told me about everything that happened. That Ciri warned them, but they didn't listen and now, it's all gone. Everything he has dedicated his life to, gone.

I asked about Ciri and he told me she fled in a hurry. He told her to run, that he'll fend them off. She said she had something that they can't get a hold of. "She was stubborn, fighting off hordes of these things with us. Powerful, but we convinced her to flee. Whatever she had, they would kill everyone and destroy everything in their path till it's theirs. Amrynn volunteered to ride out on a different horse with her into the forest nearby and split, but we haven't heard from her since. The last things Ciri told us was sorry and she thanked us. I asked her where she was heading, but she then told me," It's not safe to tell, but Malacath is the only one who will be able to find me" and then she and Amrynn left. That's the last I saw of them both."

I helped get some order in the Arch-Collective and got something to eat. I wasn't back to my full strength, but it would have to do. My clothing and weapon, gone. All that I had, was the amulet around my neck and this... robe. Yuric told me Ciri took the ring I had with me, so I'm always near her and she'll be safe. I thanked Yuric and headed outside. I know My Ciri is somewhere out there and alive. She is the most powerful Sorceresses I know. She can look after herself, but with this... cult chasing her, she'll have very little rest. I have to get to her before they do.