Ciri's scream still resonated in the air, a sound that could have shattered stone. Rocks floated around her in a chaotic orbit, whipped by the sheer pressure of her magic.
Even the wind seemed to cower before her. Sebastian's flames danced violently, buffeted by the maelstrom, but his strange anatomy, his being of fire kept him from being ripped apart. Every step he took was a careful move, balancing across slabs that wobbled under the power emanating from her. He moved slowly, letting the fire between his feet act as leverage, tethering him against the violent currents of her magic.
"Ciri…" he called again, this time louder, straining to push his voice through the storm of her uncontrolled power. "Look at me!"
Her head whipped in his direction, but her eyes were pure white, unseeing, locked in the aftermath of her unleashed rage. The wind threatened to knock him off his precarious footing, flames whipping outward from him, but he pressed on, his hands out to the sides for balance.
"I… I should have told you about my power… I should have…" His voice faltered slightly, the enormity of her uncontrolled energy pressing against his mind and senses.
He finally reached a slab close enough that he could leap to another floating rock without losing balance. Sparks erupted as fire flared beneath him to stabilize the leap. Another, then another. Every step forward brought him closer to her, but also deeper into the storm of her emotions.
Her chest heaved, tiny sparks and shards of energy dancing at the edges of her aura. The heat pressed against him, the roar of her power shaking him, yet his flame-body absorbed the pressure. He stopped just a few meters away, crouched.
"Ciri," he said firmly, this time more controlled, trying to anchor her attention. "It's me. Sebastian. I'm here. You're safe. Nothing you've done… it can hurt me. I'm… I'm not gone."
Her head tilted, still wild, still lost, but the faintest hint of recognition started to appear beneath the white of her eyes.
"Ciri… you are there right?" he continued, raising one flaming hand slowly, so she wouldn't flinch. "I should have told you about my powers. I should have told you everything before this… but it's alright now. Just breathe. Look at me. I've got you."
The rocks beneath him shifted and trembled under the force of her lingering magic. Flames flickered wildly around him, whipped by wind and energy, but he moved forward again.
Finally, he reached eye level with her. She was suspended slightly in the air, eyes still unseeing, hair lifted by static energy, aura burning around her in blinding white.
"Ciri," he said softly. "I'm alive. You're safe now… I'm right here. Just… open clear your mind, you can control this."
And slowly, almost imperceptibly, the edges of her aura began to calm, tremors in the rocks subsiding as her gaze, flickered toward him.
Sebastian didn't move closer yet, didn't relax, not fully. His fire danced in protective swirls, his golden eyes never left hers.
"Yes…" he whispered, almost a prayer. "It's alright. Everything's going to be alright."
She blinked, slowly, and the storm around her began to yield, trembling, faltering.
Then suddenly, the world shifted violently beneath them. Ciri's eyes snapped shut, and for a moment, the chaotic storm of energy that surrounded her surged once more before collapsing inward like a wave. The floating rocks quivered and gave way, plummeting into the ground below. The one Sebastian had been balancing on wobbled precariously, then fell.
"Shit!" Seb cursed, flames roaring from his form as he propelled himself toward Ciri, using the fire as leverage to push against the collapsing fragments. Time seemed to stretch as he caught her mid-fall, his hands searing against her. They tumbled together, air rushing past them, rocks and debris spinning in the void around them.
Seb's body absorbed the impact when they hit the ground, flames flaring in a protective burst that shielded her from the brunt of the fall and he was still careful not to burn her. She was limp across his arms, unconscious, her chest rising and falling shallowly. He staggered slightly, golden eyes narrowing against the smoke and dust.
His muscles ached, weak in ways they hadn't before. Blood trickled from his nose, and he felt the fatigue settle deep in his bones. "It… it did hurt me.." he murmured to himself, voice tight and strained. "Her magic… immensely so."
Still, he forced himself upright, with careful steps, he hoisted Ciri onto his back in a piggyback hold, making sure her head was secure against his shoulder. Each step sent tremors of pain through his body, but he refused to falter.
"Let's go back home," he said quietly, almost to himself, voice calm but still exhausted. The smoke and haze clung to them as he navigated the shattered mountainside and forest, shards of stone falling around them.
As they emerged from the lingering dust, the familiar shapes of Geralt and Eskel came into view. Both had stopped in shock, watching the pair appear out of the smoke and debris. Ciri's small form rested against Sebastian, and the sheer spectacle of her powers combined with the aftermath left them momentarily speechless.
Sebastian's gaze met Geralt's first, then Eskel's, and a wry, exhausted smile appeared on his lips. "Hi," he said, voice weak but tinged with humor, though his knees nearly buckled under the strain.
The moment he finished speaking, his body finally gave out, and he collapsed forward onto the ground, face-first. Ciri stayed on his back, arms loosely draped around his shoulders, unconscious, unaware of the exact chaos she'd just unleashed.
Geralt's brow furrowed and he stepped forward, concern lacing his voice. "Seb…"
Eskel shook his head slightly, a mix of exasperation and awe in his expression. "That was insane.. What the hell happened?!"
Ciri stirred slightly, blinking through the haze, her body clinging to Sebastian. She tried to speak but found no words, still stunned, still processing what had just happened and she fell back asleep.
Geralt crouched down, hands on his knees, studying both of them. "As long as they are alive.. you two are lucky," he said.
Eskel let out a low whistle. "Lucky, or cursed… I can't tell anymore."
Geralt exchanged a brief look with Eskel, then muttered under his breath, "We shoudl carry them out of here, you take Ciri I'll take Seb, We'll find out what happened here later in the keep."
****
KAER MORHEN -
Vesemir stood at the edge of the courtyard, one hand resting on the worn pommel of his sword, his gaze fixed far beyond the valley. The wind tugged lightly at his cloak.
The sky in the distance wasn't right.
Something unnatural bled into the pale morning light and his eyes narrowed.
"what is that…"
Behind him, boots scraped against stone.
Lambert stepped up beside him, squinting toward the same distant point. His expression shifted almost immediately, from curiosity… to concern.
"…that's coming from the direction of.."
He stopped mid-sentence.
Vesemir turned his head slightly, catching the hesitation.
"The direction of what?"
Lambert exhaled through his nose, jaw tightening.
"A Draconid was nearby recently."
Vesemir's gaze snapped back to the horizon.
"The forktail Eskel talked about two days ago?" he repeated slowly.
Another pulse of distant light flickered.
Lambert crossed his arms.
"Geralt and Eskel went out to hunt it," he muttered.
Vesemir turned fully this time.
"Without informing me?"
Lambert didn't look at him immediately, still staring at the distant disturbance.
"They found signs yesterday. Figured they'd deal with it early, I mean it's just a Forktail but uh..."
Vesemir's expression hardened.
"And you didn't think to mention that?"
Lambert shrugged, but it lacked his usual bite.
"They've handled worse."
He made a small pause.
Then, he added quieter "…they didn't go alone."
Vesemir's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Lambert."
Now Lambert looked at him.
"They took Seb."
Vesemir's grip tightened slightly on his sword.
"They took him out on a forktail hunt?"
Lambert scoffed, but there was no humor in it.
"Let? Since when does Geralt ask permission?"
Another distant tremor rippled across the horizon.
This time, even the ground beneath their feet seemed to tremble faintly.
Vesemir didn't respond right away.
His eyes stayed locked on the strange light.
Something wasn't right this was not a simple hunt, not anymore.
"…that's no forktail," he said quietly.
Lambert's smirk faded.
"Yeah," he muttered.
Another pulse of light, brighter this time cut through the sky before fading just as quickly.
Vesemir turned sharply.
"Get your gear."
Lambert didn't argue. "…Already ahead of you." He was moving towards the horses before the words fully left his mouth.
/-\
If you Like this story! Check out my other stories! Shadow Monarch: In One Piece / Shadow Monarch in DC
&
If you wish to read more or simply support me than check out my pat-reon / FrenzyAren"
You can Get Access to More Chapters Ahead of Release on All of My Stories!