Zireael and Rhena

Ciri and Syanna emerged from their room well into the afternoon, as was customary since Syanna regained her strength. Both of them were thoroughly exhausted and sweaty, and ambled over to the kitchen to have their first meal of the day.
‘Having fun, ladies?’ Anna giggled.
‘Mmm yes, tons of fun,’ Ciri said, winking at Syanna.
‘How is Cecilia doing, Anna?’ Syanna asked.
‘Not much has changed… I just pop in to make sure she is breathing and check her temperature and whatnot. Even if she never woke up again I still would take care of her,’ Anna said, looking down.
Ciri and Syanna went to both sides of her and embraced her tightly.
‘I promise we will make things right, Anna, and she will recover. She has access to the best care in all the land, so I know she will,’ Ciri mumbled into Anna’s shoulder, holding her new sister tightly.
From across the house, all three of them perked up to the sounds of all of the children of the estate laughing and screaming and clomping around. They immediately went to go investigate what the ruckus was all about.
‘Orianna! You look better!’ Ciri laughed at the once proud vampiress that was now laughing and buried under a pile of Triss and Yen’s children.
‘I have not been around children since… well anyway it feels good to be able to play and laugh again. I am grateful to be here,’ Orianna exhaled as she wrestled with Ciri’s young siblings.
‘We are certainly glad to have you. These kids are too much for us, and I am noticing that Yen, Triss, and Phil are absent… another jaunt to the river, I’m assuming?’ Ciri rolled her eyes at her parents dumping their kids with the houseguest to go bathe and have sex. As if they didn’t get enough.
Orianna smiled and showed no annoyance whatsoever. ‘Ciri, your parents have earned every break and every pleasure. As far as I am concerned, I am very much in their debt and I do not even consider this to be repayment since these children bring me so much joy.’
‘Well I am glad to hear it, Orianna, and please consider living here indefinitely. It seems that you have already cemented yourself as a much needed caretaker and potential governess… these children are both spoiled and powerful and would benefit from having a fun but disciplined caretaker,’ Ciri replied.
Syanna and Anna scooped up several of the children that had passed out from all the fun and carried them off to their rooms. My gods, Ciri thought, everyone is here just taking care of these babies while my parents go out to fuck and make some more… It is a goddamn factory out here. And yet, Ciri could not bring herself to be mad or frustrated because everyone seemed to be having a good time. Her parents could take more breaks now that Orianna had come, and Orianna had rediscovered herself and her purpose in taking care of kids once more. Corvo Bianco had become undoubtedly stranger, but all the more joyous with every new houseguest.
‘I hate to interrupt, Orianna, but now that the kids seem ready for a nap, I hope you don’t mind if we discuss more serious business,’ Anna said gently into Orianna’s ear.
‘Certainly, your Highness. Please ask me anything.’
‘Orianna, as you know, we have somewhat of a vampire problem and we have to assume that as soon as we leave Corvo Bianco, more attacks will be imminent,’ Ciri started.
‘Yes I think that assumption is correct,’ Orianna corroborated.
‘As much as we love it here, Ciri and I cannot stay here forever, and Anna has a kingdom under her care that she has been neglecting to take care of me. Eventually we have to fight back to return to the world,’ Syanna stated.
‘I guess what we want to know is what is at the root of all this… since Detlaff died, we assumed that most of this would die with him but it seems that it is still just as dangerous for the royal family as it was when he was still terrorizing Beauclair,’ Anna pressed.
‘Yes, of course. And I am afraid the root of it all is quite simple, but impossibly difficult to overcome, I’m afraid,’ Orianna said cautiously.
‘What does that mean?’ Syanna said frustratedly. Ciri held her hand tightly to restrain her and pressed Orianna.
‘Orianna does this mean we would have to confront the Unseen Elder Vampire himself?’
‘It means you have to make him an offering… one that will compensate for the blood that has been spilt. Meaning that he will want Syanna’s life because she took Detlaff’s, albeit indirectly.’
‘Well obviously we cannot offer him that… what is something else we can give him? An Unseen Elder Vampire is one of the most powerful creatures on earth what could we possibly have to offer?’ Anna asked frantically.
‘I am afraid that you know as well as I do at this point… I am afraid he has an affinity for the old ways. I suppose as a way to make things as they were in our world before the Conjunction brought us here to yours. I know that he resides at the sealed entrance to our old world and wants for nothing else than to return. In a cave across the lake,’ Orianna offered.
‘Wait a minute…’ Ciri was thinking out loud.
And then it hit her like an Aard to the chest. She immediately ran up to her room to began strapping on her armor and swords. Her mind was racing frantically and she knew, with almost absolute certainty how she could bargain with the Elder Vampire. It could not be more obvious.
Syanna interrupted her thoughts by barging into the room.
‘Ciri? Do you care to explain what is running through your head? Remember you promised I could go with you?’ Syanna asked, Anna now standing behind her sister in Ciri’s doorway.
‘I know what to do. You both have to stay here and you have to stay safe. Do not even try to negotiate because it will be too dangerous. You have no hope to survive against him, please let me just go,’ Ciri fixated on getting her supplies together.
‘Ciri, just slow down, okay? Stop stop just look at me, please,’ Syanna went to Ciri and held her face in her hands, ‘You don’t need to do this. If we are safe here, then we can live here permanently. I don’t need to go anywhere else; I just need you. Please, Ciri. Don’t do this. We are safe here and we can stay. Please don’t go. Please don’t risk your life for me. Please,’ Syanna pleaded, tears forming in her eyes.
‘Syanna, this is not the life I wanted to have with you. As happy as I am here, I know that I want to explore the world with you. And it’s about more than just me and you… the fates of Anna, Cecilia, and Orianna are tied up in this too. Please let me go. I promise I will return. I swear to you, my love,’ Ciri begged.
Syanna collapsed onto the floor, ‘Please, Ciri, I cannot lose you. If you die because of me, I will not be able to live with myself, please baby do not go,’ she started to sob.
Anna crouched down and held her sister, ‘Ciri… do what you need to do. I will tell your parents where you are and take care of her. Go.’
Ciri knelt down and kissed both of them on the forehead before stepping over them and running out of the house.

Ciri found herself at the entrance of a pitch black cave, a cool breeze stroking her cheeks that caused the hairs on the back of her neck to stand straight up. Geralt used to tell Ciri all about the powerful creatures he came up against, but his encounter with the Unseen was a topic he frequently breezed over. Standing before the abyss, she could understand why he did not wish to reminisce about his encounter.
Proceeding carefully down winding pathways, cursing the fact that she could not even stomach a simple Cat potion, Ciri took longer to reach the bottom than she cared to admit after being lured down false tunnels that lead to dead ends after miles of traversal. Even with the her teleportation powers, she found it took her hours to reach the bottom. But then again, in complete darkness she had no reference for time.
She knew she had reached the bottom when she began to see flickering torch lights in the distance. She clenched her fists and walked into the light.
Above her, the Unseen was hanging upside down, laughing.
‘Welcome, Child of the Elder Blood. It took you long enough to reach me. Not quite a Witcher yet?’
‘How do you know this?’
‘You keep strange company, Child, do you not know that vampires are my eyes and ears? You have two in your home, and whether they like it or not, I can access their senses.’
‘Well at the very least that saves us some time since you know what I want.’
‘The real question is do you have what I want?’ the Unseen laughed again before vanishing.
Ciri drew her sword out of reflex and felt the Unseen grabbing around her throat from behind her at the same time.
‘Will you bring me the head of Detlaff’s lover?’
‘Is that really what you want most?’ Ciri managed to get out, ‘I know there is something you want more.’
‘Oh? And what might that be?’ He questioned, squeezing her throat even harder, letting her feet dangle off the floor.
‘To… return… to… your…….. world,’ Ciri managed to get out.
‘AHHHHHHH!!!’ he yelled and threw Ciri across the cave, ‘You little slimy worm, you know not of what you speak. And for this disrespect I will have no choice but to kill you and let the remaining vampires of Toussaint descend upon your quaint little estate.’
Ciri staggered up to her feet, feeling a couple broken ribs that made her wheeze slightly as she breathed. She clutched at her side, holding her bones in place.
‘I, like those before me, can traverse to different worlds and times. Please. In exchange for you leaving me and my family alone, I will return you to your world,’ Ciri exhaled.
The Unseen stiffened and stopped in his tracks.
‘Impossible. There is no way a little bitch like you could possess so much power. Demonstrate.’
Ciri was gasping for air and could feel blood spilling over her hand that was clutching her side. But she had come too far to give up now. In order to demonstrate she would teleport quickly to the vampire world and bring something back for him.
‘What is something you miss from your world?’ she whispered.
‘In my world, I had a favorite temple that housed the texts of our great laws and religion. Upon the altar of this grand temple, I left a string of beads etched with my family name. I was praying at this temple before the Conjunction ripped me from my realm. Bring me these beads and I will agree.’
Ciri was bleeding more seriously now, and she knew that teleportation would take all of her strength. Wincing, she glowed green and disappeared, reappearing in a flash, collapsing on the ground with the beads in her hand. Unable to stand, she raised her hand to give the beads to the Unseen to inspect.
He grabbed the beads and faced away from Ciri. Collapsing to his knees, he said ‘I accept, Child. You will take me home. And I will remove the order for Detlaff’s lover and grant the two traitors at your estate their freedom. Orianna, as the remaining higher vampire in Toussaint will become the new Unseen.’
‘I will not have the strength to make a return trip… Please allow me to heal before I take you,’ Ciri mumbled into the ground as she bled out.
‘I WILL NOT HAVE YOU MAKE ME WAIT. AFTER THOUSANDS OF YEARS HERE I WILL NOT BE MADE TO WAIT A SECOND LONGER.’
‘Please… I beg you.’
‘Your mortality makes me sick, and it is of no concern to me. You will bring me home and your family will be safe, just as you requested. I would kill you now… but like you said you have something I want. Bring me there. Now.’
The Unseen placed his hand on Ciri’s head, pressing it into the ground, coercing her into teleportation. She mustered every last bit of her strength and teleported both of them to his world.