Reincarnation ➵ The Witcher

xxii.

"GERALT!" Edith called, and Geralt turned towards her yell. He saw through the darkness of the alleyway Renfri approaching with Edith in her tight grasp. Anger surged through him in that second, blood of the man smothered across his face seemed minimal towards what he saw infront of him. Why the fuck couldn't the girl listen one second? His jaw clenched, watching them come near with Renfri's face written with surprise.

Edith looked scared, almost as scared as she looked before Geralt killed her, but this time her face was held in the hands of Renfri. Geralt had no control. He had no control of the blood dripping from his sword in a continuous loop onto the pavement bellow him. He had no control of her life in these few moments, and having no control was a lot worse than having all of the control.

"You chose." Renfri mumbled in disbelief, and Edith saw the corpses of Renfri's men littered across the ground like a massacre had occurred.

"Let Edith go." He demanded, and Edith could see his slow movements towards them with the blade still clasped in his hand.

Renfri looked down upon Edith, grasp tightening painfully, "I will kill her. She has to die," she began, and Geralt froze momentarily, golden eyes linking with Edith's own, "I will kill everyone here until Stregobor comes down." Renfri admitted, her eyes narrowed onto Geralt's movements whose eyes stayed pinpointed on Edith and Edith alone.

He attempted to comfort her with his eyes, but she she looked like a scared doe in that moment before she clenched her own eyes shut in preparation of what thought was to come, just as she'd done the same a lifetime ago that acted as a painful reminder. She thought she was going to die. But Geralt would not let that happen.

"Leave Blaviken," Geralt began, his hand rising in suspense as the image warped, "It's not too late."

"Magic doesn't work on me," her eyes locked with his, "silver does though."

"Silver is for monsters."

Renfri raised her eyebrow in challenge, "You should try it on Edith then."

Edith yelped as she was thrown to the side suddenly, Renfri's grasp no longer around her. She caught herself on the side of the building next to her, fingers rising to dab on the small cut on crimson escaping her neck. Her gaze turned back onto the pair, both Renfri and Geralt interlocked in an intensive fight Edith knew not to interfere with, not after she'd deliberately went against him the first time.

"If we cross swords, I won't be able to stop."

She watched wide eyed as both parried and attacked like it was a graceful dance, Geralt avoiding Renfri's swings as if it was second nature. She winced as Geralt's hand whipped across Renfri's face, until the fight came to a standstill with Renfri's back meeting the wall painfully.

"They created me just as they created you. We're not so different." Renfri hissed at Geralt, who hesitated in his movements. Edith was too late to notice the dagger in Renfri's hands, until it was embedded into Geralt's side as he let out a slight groan in pain.

Edith stopped herself from calling out to Geralt, instead biting her tongue as she waited patiently for the events to unfold. Come on, Geralt.

The dance of death had begun again without a blink of a second. Geralt had blocked with masterful skill, but once his parry had resulted in Renfri's position on the floor, he had hesitated once again. She had countered with a painful slice to Geralt's leg, and he stepped back in a pain induced shock. This did little to stop him though, as he still block and countered without struggle even as Renfri came at him with a dagger.

His face was pulled back into a stern expression, whilst Renfri's was full of malice. Geralt had grabbed a hold of Renfri's blade at one point, which she had ripped out of his grasp harshly. Then it had began again, except this time that had gone down the alleyway Edith resided in with Geralt forcing Renfri backwards with his repetitive attacks.

And then, it came to a standstill, with a blade pointed at Renfri's neck and no sword placed in her own hands. The pair gazed at eachother, and Geralt knew what it was going to end like when he took a step backwards and Renfri followed with the dagger firmly in her grasp. Geralt had grabbed her hand expertly, dagger placed on the skin of her neck instead of through his stomach. There was a pause, and Edith held her breath at what would happen next.

Edith watched as Geralt made the choice. Watched as Geralt sliced Renfri's neck as the life slowly drained from her. She had slumped in Geralt's arms as her eyes began to flutter ever so slightly.

"The girl in the woods will be with you always.. she is your destiny," Renfri's breathing slowed, and Geralt slowly placed her onto the ground, with her last words branding him with the promise of fate, "H-history w-will repeat its.. itself." Her eyes fluttered shut, blood pooling beneath her like a river.

Edith approached his bloody form, noticing the bloody wound on his stomach, "We need to get that sorted." She murmured softly.

"Why didn't you listen, girl?"

"..sorry." his tone made her wince, but Geralt surveyed the carnage around him instead of listening.

Geralt shook his head at her, but apart of him couldn't stay mad at Edith. A small part of him knew what would probably happen next, and he ushered Edith away so she didn't have to witness it.

"Go and fetch Roach. I'll meet you near the crossroad in a bit." He rasped, and for once, Edith listened.

Ok, I lied enjoy 2nd update lolol