6 Merigold

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works; all other characters and worlds belong to their respective owners. I'm just playing with them.

Betad by Malcolm Tent, Priapus, Beans, Mike God of Lore, Marethyu, Old man of the mountain

The Guild of Gamers: The Warlock

Chapter 06: Merigold

– Margarita Laux-Antille –

Combing her hair, she looked out of the window at the new land the Raven Queen had granted Lucas. Albion was undeniably a beautiful place. The buildings were incredibly elegant in a way you only really saw in ancient elven architecture, but also not quite the same. Fey architecture was undeniably beautiful but also noticeably alien.

The important part was that they now had the land for the mages Triss had saved. Hopefully, Lucas would be contacting her tomorrow. Philippa knowing where Triss was hiding had been a stroke of good luck. It seemed quite a few Lodge members would end up in Albion at this rate because she knew where another of their sisters was hiding.

Tracking down Keira wasn't particularly hard. As intelligent as she was, Keira was rather predictable. The idea of that one playing the village witch was highly amusing, given her hatred of the countryside. Convincing her to join them would not be difficult; Keira would sell her soul for a room in Albion, safe from Radovid and away from the countryside.

Somehow, she half-expected Francesca and Ida to end up here eventually when word reached them. Francesca wouldn't be able to resist seeing this realm for herself, especially if she got word of the very elven appearance. The elves of their world had forgotten most of their traditions and customs, but she suspected the Raven Queen knew what the elves had forgotten. Most of the myths surrounding the Raven Queen had her interacting with elves and she was said to have her own elven worshippers, the Shadar-kai. The temptation would have Francesca coming here even if Albion wasn't going to be such a pivotal place in the coming months.

She hadn't missed that since his meeting with the Raven Queen; Lucas's ears had become decidedly more pointed. His looks were already impressive, but they'd improved further now that he was a member of the Winter Court.

She just hoped her Lodge sisters would cease their scheming for once; Albion had too much potential for them to ruin it with their conspiracies. Still, Saskia should help delay Philippa's inevitable scheming.

She wished she could trust Philippa not to start plotting to take control, but even with Saskia watching her and a magical bond essentially enslaving her, Philippa would eventually start something; it was in her nature. It was why she wanted Triss here; Triss wouldn't be willing to risk the mages and would serve as another deterrent for Philippa.

A knock on her door made her look up, moving over to the door with a smile. She wondered if he was going to take her offer, opening the door and giving Lucas a soft smile. As he went to speak, she grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him into the room.

Capturing his lips, she guided her saviour to the bed and pushed him onto it with a sultry smile. No words were needed as she pushed her nightie off her shoulders and let it fall to the floor, pooling at her feet.

Standing before him, utterly nude, she felt his gaze slowly wander her naked form. 

"I wondered whether you were going to show up," Margarita admitted, giving him a moment to ogle her breasts and neatly trimmed pussy as she walked towards him.

"I'm not so strong-willed as to be able to turn down such an invitation," Lucas admitted, watching as she undid his shirt with deft fingers. Tossing it over her shoulder, she gave him a pleased smile as she fell to her knees, working on his trousers as she pulled them down. His cock sprung up, large and proud, making her grin.

"I'm glad you didn't; I owe you a lot, after all. I want to pay you back for everything you've done for me. For my girls," Margarita said, her hand grasping his throbbing cock. Slender fingers started to stroke him gently. "A night of pleasure can't possibly compare to what you did for us, but it's a start."

He went to speak, no doubt to tell her that she didn't owe him anything. He was a good man, not wanting her to feel obligated to do this, but she cut him off as she dragged one nail gently along his shaft, making him hiss before she took the crown of his cock into her mouth.

Felicia and Morgana were just girls, really. Felicia probably wasn't a virgin, but Morgana certainly was. Or had been, as the case may be. She didn't think she was easy, but she was also far older, and her experience showed as Lucas gasped, one hand moving to her hair.

Her hand gently fondled his testicles, the large hefty balls being massaged as she easily took his entire length into her mouth and then her throat. Lucas was well-endowed, but nothing she couldn't handle as she maintained eye contact with him, showing her gratitude to him with her worship of his manhood.

Before long, she could feel his balls churn and his cock twitch, preparing to blow its load down her waiting throat. He held back, making her smile around his shaft as she sped up. Lucas gritted his teeth, trying to hold off his climax, which made her silently giggle.

"You don't have to hold back, Lucas, cum for me. I want to taste you," Margarita encouraged, kissing his cock several times before she moved up and trapped it between her bountiful breasts. She had some of the largest in the Lodge, and he certainly seemed to enjoy the feeling of them squeezing down around his rock-hard length.

"Fuck," he groaned, making her smile as she sped up.

"That's it, give it to me," Margarita whispered, feeling the first spurt strike her chin as she smiled. It dripped down onto her cleavage, and she quickly moved down again to take his manhood back into her mouth, catching the second spurt entirely as she easily swallowed it.

She owed Lucas far too much and had no qualms about paying him back in the oldest way a woman could thank a man. 

– Lucas Hall –

Margarita is a semen demon, sucking me dry with ease as I clutch the bedsheets, never breaking eye contact as she swallows my load. Pulling back, she wipes the cum from her cleavage and licks her finger clean with a sultry smile.

"You're still hard," she says, stroking my cock a few times. "Good; enough foreplay. How do you want me? I'm yours," Margarita swears, standing up with a proud smile as she licks her lips clean, catching the small trail of cum that was leaking out of her mouth.

Unable to stop myself, I take her hand and pull her onto the bed, manoeuvring us so she is face down. Getting the hint, she moves onto her knees, lifting her ass up and shaking it enticingly. Taking a moment to admire the perky, heart-shaped ass waving in my direction as she smiles over her shoulder at me, I line myself up and press the tip against her dripping slit, rubbing the head of my cock up and down her pussy for a moment before I push forward and sink into her enticing depths.

Holding her curvy hips, I start to thrust and set a slower pace, enjoying the moment as I smile to myself. It's damn good to be the hero, isn't it? 

It pays to be the good guy.

– Next Morning –

Waking up with Margarita cuddling against me, I smile and yawn slightly. The sun isn't even up yet, but the day and night cycle here is set to Raven's whims, so that doesn't mean much.

'Actually, it's set to yours. As a noble of my court, this slice of the Feywilds is yours to command. The sun will rise and set to suit your whims; the weather obeys your commands.'

Ah, well, it is nice to know my new role comes with some benefits. Focusing, I can sense she's telling the truth, but I don't force the sun to rise. It is set to a vaguely normal day and night cycle and I change it to make it in sync with the outside world. I guess I just woke up earlier than I expected.

Slipping out of bed, I move to the en suite and thank Raven for this place's magical plumbing as I start the enchanted shower. Hearing some movement behind me, I turn and smile at Rita as she approaches.

"Did I wake you?" I ask, making her shake her head.

"I'm a professor; I'm used to being awake entirely too early," Rita replies with a smile, my eyes roaming her still-naked body as she joins me. I can still see my seed dried out on her upper thighs. "An early riser, I take it?" Rita asks, our bodies pushed together. The shower is large; there's no reason for her to be so close, but I'm certainly not going to complain as she pushes her breasts against my chest.

"Not normally; I think I need less sleep after my… transformation," I reply, making her glance at my sylvan ears. "As far as side effects go, having a couple more hours in the morning is far from the worst one."

"Very true. Would you wash my back for me?" Rita asks, making me nod easily. If my hands wander a little too low, she doesn't seem to mind as I help her clean up. She's certainly even more handsy when she returns the favour; I don't think my cock needed that much attention. "Do you still plan to find Triss today?" 

"I do; the sooner we get Triss and her mages out of the city, the sooner we can hit the prison. I don't want that place to stand a single day more than necessary," I agree, groaning slightly as she pumps her hand with a sly smirk. "Philippa has told me how to find the King of Beggars and his 'Putrid Grove', where Triss should be. Hopefully, it should be an easy trip in and out."

Helping her get clean faster, I return the favour and make sure her breasts are very clean, getting a quiet moan from her.

"We can only hope; I doubt the hunters have been relaxing since your daring rescue. Not to mention the Templars," Margarita agrees, but whatever response I was going to say is cut off as she falls to her knees. Leaning against the wall, I groan as she takes me into her mouth again. 

Yeah, it's good to be the hero.

– Philippa Eilhart –

Sensing Lucas and Margarita's approach, she would have rolled her eyes if she still had them. She was blind, and even she could tell these two had just fucked. Margarita had found someone as soft as her and was obviously infatuated with her saviour. 

"Good morning, Philippa," Lucas said, making her nod his way, well aware of the chain around her neck.

"Good morning, my lord," Philippa replied, making him pause.

"I know Raven proclaimed me a member of her court and made you my servant, but I'm no lord. Not yet, anyway," Lucas sighed. "Right now, my 'kingdom' consists of a few dozen schoolgirls and an empty village."

"We all have to start somewhere," Margarita replied.

"True, but while I can't say I don't see the appeal in the plan to make this place a truly magical kingdom, we should focus on making it a sanctuary first," Lucas said, his tone severe. Is there anything else I should know about Triss or this King of Beggars?"

"Triss has always been soft; she's a good leader, but she's often so focused on the little people that she misses the big picture. She's always let her emotions control her far too much," Philippa explained, a frown on her face. "Francis Bedlam enjoys having a collection of desperate mages reliant on him for protection; he's not likely to want to let them go easily. He's one of the four bosses of Novigrad's underworld, known for being one of the more benevolent ones, if you can call a crime lord that. He may try to force them to stay, but I suspect he will fold and let the mages go if that fails. If for no other reason than because Triss could turn him into a pile of ash."

"Once she is convinced you're telling the truth, she won't give you any trouble. I know Triss; her main and only goal will be to get the mages out of Novigrad and away from the Eternal Fire fanatics," Margarita agreed. "She's a brilliant Sorceress, perhaps one of the best. She cares little for politics despite once having been King Foltest's advisor."

"Speaking of brilliant sorceresses, I have contacted Yennefer. She is heading to Velen soon," Philippa said. She didn't particularly like Yennefer, but she couldn't deny her skills and, more importantly, her connections. Yennefer had been in the Emperor's court. She'd serve as a good source of information on Nilfgaard.

"Ah, that's going to be… interesting," Margarita sighed, making them both turn to her. "Triss and Yen in one place, I mean."

"Please, with all that's going on, I'm sure a pair of adult sorceresses have better things to do than squabble over who slept with whom," Philippa scoffed, making Margarita sigh again.

"I feel like I'm missing something here," Lucas said, making Philippa snort.

"Yennefer had a lover named Geralt. A Witcher of some renown and skill. Yennefer disappeared and Geralt lost his memories, during which time Triss became his lover," Philippa explained. "Geralt has disappeared now; I doubt Triss and Yennefer are going to squabble like schoolgirls over a man when the world is burning around them."

"It's a bit more complicated than that. Geralt has a considerable history with both women. He's a good man; you remind me of him in some ways, but he's always been weak when it comes to attractive women," Margarita laughed slightly, Philippa snorting at the understatement. "Regardless, you may be overestimating them. They're both incredible sorceresses, but hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and I know Yennefer too well to think she'll 'get over it.'"

"My patron disagrees; he says the Hells have far worse furies," Lucas chuckled, making them both turn to him. The patron Lucas wouldn't name, the one the Raven Queen herself seemed cautious of. "But either way, it sounds like they'd both be a major boon in our plans for Deireadh."

"Very true, Yennefer and Triss are both powerful battlemages; Yennefer might just be the strongest out of all the Lodge," Margarita explained, getting a scoff from Philippa. "Can you get into contact with Yennefer before she sets off? I've found another of our lost sisters. Keira Metz is currently in Velen, hiding as a village witch. Yennefer could pick her up on the way."

"Keira Metz, a village witch? How times have changed," Philippa said, her lips twitching. Keira, for all her skill, was a brat. She despised the countryside, wanting the comfort of a castle with servants tending to her whims. "I will contact Yennefer again; she shouldn't have set off yet. It seems Albion will be hosting half the Lodge at this rate if that is alright with our host," Philippa remarked, her tone slightly mocking.

"I don't mind. I might not be thrilled with the mess your scheming started, but let's face it, we need all the help we can get," Lucas admitted pragmatically, making her nod.

"Wise, that attitude will get you far when you are king," Philippa praised. "I doubt too many more of our sisters will be arriving once we have saved Sheala anyway."

"I'm not so sure about that, Sabrina and Assire may be gone, but I suspect Francesca will be very interested in this realm and will likely send Ida eventually if she doesn't come herself," Margarita pointed out, making Philippa pause. 

Of course, Francesca was always seeking a way out of Emhyr's control; combined with the possibility of re-discovering ancient Elven history and culture through the Raven Queen, it was only a matter of time.

"Francesca? I know that name. Raven mentioned her, but only briefly," Lucas admitted, surprising them both.

"And how does the Raven Queen know of Francesca?" Philippa asked.

"My patrons have tasks for me; my first patron wants me to end the subjugation of mages. Raven wants me to stop the oppression of the elves. Apparently, their treatment in this world offends her," Lucas explained, making her mind race. "Raven mentioned Francesca Findabair as 'Nilfgaard's bitch' and claimed I'd get an extra reward if I either killed, freed or fucked her."

"...fucked?" Margarita asked, making him snort.

"Raven is a hedonist of the highest order; she likes it when I indulge in the same," Lucas admitted easily. Philippa already knew this, given what the Raven Queen wanted her to do. Lucas was holding back, bound by morality, and she didn't like that.

"Are these pacts as binding as the one I have been forced into?" Philippa asked.

"No, well, not exactly. I made those two deals and will get rewarded with more power as I fulfil my quests, but unlike your enslavement, my pacts have a clear endpoint. It is not an easy task, but by ending the persecution of mages and the oppression of the elves, I will free myself from any obligations while keeping the powers I gained from it," Lucas explained. "I'm also not magically bound to obey them, though it would take a braver man than me to refuse a request from either of my patrons. Don't bite the hand that feeds and all that."

So, he had freedom in sight. Did he decide to save Margarita purely because of his obligations? No, Lucas was soft-hearted; she could sense as much through their bond. His worry for the mages of Novigrad was genuine, even if it served a higher purpose.

That was good, given that he held the key to her own freedom.

"Margarita, I plan to examine the village today. I would like your assistance in the matter. If we are about to have every two-bit hedge wizard Triss managed to find in Albion, we need to start making preparations. We also need to examine the fruits and berries that grow in the surrounding forest. I have some ideas on arranging for more consistent supplies, but for now, we are stuck working with very little," Philippa said, changing the subject.

"Of course, I'd be happy to help," Margarita agreed.

"The land is apparently very fertile, but I haven't the first clue about farming," Lucas admitted.

"And I doubt Triss' mages are eager to put down their spellbooks and take up hoeing either. I do hope they understand that we can't tolerate freeloaders; Albion doesn't have the resources for that," Philippa scoffed. "There's a difference between being generous and being taken advantage of; many of the mages will toe that line."

Far too many were used to being above such things as manual labour. They'd be grateful when saved, but it wouldn't take too long until they fell into old habits. It was especially important since many of the mages would barely even qualify for the title; she wouldn't tolerate incompetent hedge wizards becoming parasites on Albion's limited resources.

"I have to agree with Philippa there; we'll need to watch out for that," Margarita sighed. "But that's for the future. First, we need to get them out of Novigrad. We can worry about lazy mages later."

"Agreed. On that note, I must leave you, ladies. Thanks for the help, Philippa, I wasn't looking forward to just wandering Novigrad and hoping the Devil's Luck would bring me to Triss," Lucas said.

Another power he'd earned from his hellish patron?

"You are welcome. It is the least I can do for you for extracting me from that damnable auction before the Templars found me," Philippa replied easily. "Do be careful. I'd rather not starve here because you got yourself captured being overly confident."

"Well, if everything goes wrong, you can ask Raven for help," Lucas joked, making her mentally roll her eyes at his carefree attitude. He wasn't nearly as relaxed as he acted; she could sense his worry at returning to the hive of the enemy. "Wish me luck; I should be back soon enough."

Saying goodbye, she frowned to herself as she sensed him vanish. Her blindness was becoming a real annoyance. Magic could only do so much, especially in a place as saturated with magic as this realm.

– Triss Merigold –

Returning from another expedition into Novigrad, she sighed as she reached the putrid grove, a very apt name for Bedlam's hideaway. It was a downgrade from the courts of Temeria, but she couldn't complain.

She could complain about Bedlam's… tax, as he liked to call it. Then, he charged the feesfor hiding them away from the Templars, the fees for the food the mages she saved needed, and a dozen other fees made to ensure she couldn't earn enough money to get out of his debt.

She wasn't in a position to argue. How far she'd fallen. She needed his protection, not for herself but for the other couple dozen mages she managed to save from the witch hunters. Lodge Sorceress and former advisor to kings, being exploited by a petty crime lord. God, she missed when her biggest worry was hunting Foltest's killer.

"Miss Merigold," one of the men said, getting her attention as she removed her hood. "There's a man here asking for you; he's with the King at the moment."

"A mage?" Triss asked, making the man shrug.

"I don't know. He showed up here and asked for an audience with the King of Beggars, and knew we were harbouring the mages. Fancy guy, not a local for sure," the man replied.

What the King of Beggars' men thought was fancy could range from a noble to someone who had bathed this month, so that wasn't much to go on. That said, someone looking for her and knowing she was hiding here with the other mages had the potential to be troublesome.

"Thanks, I'll go and see them now," Triss said, giving the man a smile as she headed deeper into the Grove, towards Bedlam's 'throne room'.

"That almost sounded like a threat," Bedlam's voice said, making her frown as she sped up. "Am I not being a gracious host?"

"No threat intended, quite the opposite. It's just a warning," a voice she couldn't place said, clearly foreign. "The people waiting for her aren't as patient or polite as me, and you don't need those kinds of enemies."

"Waiting for me?" Triss cut in, making them both turn to her. Bedlam seemed irritated, but her attention was on the unknown man. Lightly tanned skin, well-groomed hair, along with a very intense pair of violet eyes. Definitely not local, she'd say a noble scion or a merchant prince from the quality of his clothes. "Who's your new friend, Francis?"

"Ah, Miss Merigold. Good timing. This is Lucas; he was just finishing threatening my life," Francis said, making Lucas scoff.

"Again, an over-exaggeration, and you know it, Francis. I was just enlightening you about the issues you'd face if you got in my way," Lucas replied, making Francis snort. "You know full well you're playing with fire. What pittance you can claim from them isn't worth the risk with the templars getting more active every day."

"On that, we can agree," Francis admitted, giving him a nod.

"What's this about? One of the guards said you were looking for me," Triss said, approaching this bluntly as Lucas smiled at her.

"I'm not; I'm just the messenger boy," Lucas said, reaching into his coat to pull out a sealed envelope. Handing it over, she froze at the feeling of magic on the letter. It was a simple spell made to help Lodge members identify each other's correspondence and ensure letters arrived unopened since you could reseal the envelope, but you couldn't alter the magic. 

Opening the letter, she started to read as her heart pounded. She knew it was genuine, signed by Margarita. Damnit, Aretuza falling wasn't something she'd even considered Radovid being able to achieve. 

They'd come looking for her, hearing she was helping mages, hoping she could get them to safety, only to find that the free city was not so free anymore.

"You saved Margarita; that's why the templars and witch-hunters have been going mad these past few days," Triss said, getting a nod from him.

"Pure chance on my part; I came across one of her students fleeing from some hunters. Morgana entreated my aid in freeing the others. Fortunately, I had the skills to free them and the sanctuary to shelter them. Right place, right time," Lucas said modestly. "Margarita sent me to find you, though I found Philippa first."

"Philippa is alive as well? I wasn't sure if she had escaped Loc Muinne," Triss admitted. She shouldn't be surprised; even blind, Philippa was no easy prey. "Do you know of any others? Who else survived?"

"Margarita managed to find someone named Keira, and a woman called Yennefer is supposed to be coming to join us soon. I've been told you're acquainted," Lucas said tactfully. Ah, that could be awkward. "Apart from that, Shaela was captured by the witch hunters. She's in Deireadh."

"Damnit, I heard rumours, but I hoped they were just that," Triss cursed, a deep frown on her face as she thought about what she knew of the misdeeds that went on inside that hellish place. "It's true then, you have a safe haven that the hunters can't reach?"

"It is; the only way to enter it is with magic, my magic specifically. We plan to hit Deireadh soon, but if we do that while you're still in the city, things could get… unpleasant," Lucas replied. He wasn't wrong; she thought the rescue of Margarita had caused a stir, but this would be far worse. Radovid and his hunters wouldn't take such an act lying down.

Bedlam remained silent, taking in Lucas's words. His eyes narrowed in thought as Lucas admitted he planned an attack on Deireadh, but Bedlam hated Radovid almost as much as she did. He was considering how this would change things for him, not planning to warn anyone.

"How soon can you get us out of Novigrad? Things are heating up every day here," Triss admitted, making him smile. She trusted Margarita's judgement; she was probably the Lodge member Triss respected the most, in truth.

"How soon can you be ready to go?" Lucas replied, a cocky smile touching his lips. "I can take you to meet Rita and Philippa right now."

Rita? Ah, Margarita had always worn her heart on her sleeves (not that she could talk). Somehow, she wasn't surprised.

"I can get my people to gather their things in a couple of hours. Is that going to be a problem, Francis?" Triss asked, knowing that Bedlam enjoyed having a pet mage as skilled as her around.

"No, Lucas is right about one thing. Harbouring mages is getting far too risky with the templars tearing the city apart to find you," Francis said, clearly not thrilled.

"Don't be so sour, Francis. This is an opportunity for you," Lucas said, making Francis pause.

"And how is that?" Francis replied, giving Lucas a curious look.

"I imagine Miss Merigold has worked hard to gather as many as she can, but there will always be people she's missed. I need someone in the city that can serve as a go-between for them and Albion, our sanctuary," Lucas explained. "Once they run out of mages, they'll find other people to hate. I want you to gather them up in your little slice of Novigrad, and once or twice a week, I'll come by and take them to safety."

"And why would I risk that?" Francis asked. "We just agreed this was too risky."

"Because you're a better man than you want to admit and because you're an entrepreneur. You get to stick the middle finger up to Radovid, get paid for doing a good deed," Lucas listed, tossing a bag of coins at Francis, who caught the hefty bag. "And Albion has a need for more mundane items as well. The middle-man between our slice of safety and the rest of the world could make a pretty penny and gain the alliance of a group of powerful mages."

Francis paused, considering his words. 

"When you wage war on Radovid and his fanatics, don't expect me to get involved," Francis warned, making Lucas smile.

"I don't; we can wage our own war. Radovid had us on the defensive, but the tide will turn soon enough," Lucas swore. His words had a certain steel to them; even she believed him. "Take this."

Handing Francis what seemed like a normal stone, he held up a identical second one.

"Squeeze it hard, and mine will start to glow to tell me that you want to talk," Lucas explained, Francis squeezing down hard as the second stone gave off a soft glow. She could barely feel the magic in it, barely a trinket, but that would help stop any templars from sensing it. Squeezing again, the stone stopped glowing.

"I'll consider it, but you're right about one thing. The last thing I need is Eilhart deciding to come visit my little home to convince me to let the mages go," Francis said, snorting as he pocketed the rock. "It's been a pleasure, Miss Merigold."

"Thank you, Francis, for everything," Triss said genuinely. Without his help, she wouldn't have been able to shelter nearly as many mages. He might have been greedy, but his actions meant she saved more lives than before. 

He gave her a nod, a brief smile on his face. He was a good man, for a crime lord, at least.

"I'll gather my people now if you don't mind waiting?" Triss asked, making Lucas nod easily. 

"Of course, take your time. I'm ready when you are," Lucas agreed. 

Despite his words, it wasn't long before they were ready. Most of them didn't have many belongings and were eager to leave this place. 

"This is everyone," Triss said, approaching Lucas, who had been playing some card game with one of the guards to kill time. She didn't miss the relief on the guard's face, clearly having been losing. "How are you planning on getting us out of here? I doubt the hunters would appreciate us just heading for the city gates."

"That won't be a problem. I've found a suitable place for me to open our way out. However, my method of travel has risks involved. They're easily avoided, but I need you all to listen to me when I say to not wander off the path. No matter what or who you hear in the mists, stay close and in a single file line," Lucas warned, making her raise an eyebrow. "If you wander, I cannot guarantee your safety. In truth, even I don't know for sure what would happen to you."

This was no normal portal, clearly.

Making sure everyone understood the risk, she turned back to Lucas and gave him a warm smile. 

"We're ready, Lucas," Triss said, watching as he approached a tree that stood in the corner of the grove. Placing his hand on it, they all watched as the trunk of the tree shifted and morphed unnaturally, an opening large enough for them to walk through easily forming.

The opening had a thick white mist coming out of it, and giving her a nod, Lucas turned and walked into it, vanishing almost immediately. She decided to have everyone else go first, making sure no one was left behind. Giving a distant Francis one last wave, she headed through herself and immediately understood the warnings.

They were in some incredibly magical forest, even the trees seeming to be enchanted. This made Brokilon seem mundane, the very air tingling against her body. She understood his warning as well as they walked in single file along the thin pathway.

She could see shadowy figures in the distance, whispering for her to join them. They danced and sang, the sounds of revelry reaching the path and drawing peoples' attention. Up ahead, she spotted one of the mages grabbing another and pulling them back onto the path, making him blink confusedly, having not realised he'd turned and was walking into the forest. The voices giggled, the figures never truly visible.

A moan drew her gaze, and she saw clearly through the trees as a red-headed figure made love to a white-haired man in a pool surrounded by elven architecture. For a moment, she froze as she watched herself in the throes of passion with Geralt before both beckoned her to join them. She took a single step before she shook her head, moving on even as Geralt's voice called for her to return. They weren't real.

Another mage went to wander into the forest, but a winged creature landed on her shoulder and slapped her across the face. The horned creature chattered to her in an alien language as it dragged her back to her senses.

In the distance, she saw another scene that made her freeze. Geralt play-fighting with a short, ashen-haired girl, Ciri giggling at something before turning to her. Waving in her direction, the fake Ciri called out for her to come join them. They could be a family; all she had to do was step off the path. She went to move on before a raven-haired woman joined the duo, giving her a superior look, Ciri turning away in disappointment.

She spotted Lucas up ahead, standing before another tree that the path was leading to, guiding people through it.

"What is this place?" Triss asked, reaching him as the last of the mages passed through the portal.

"Welcome to the Feywilds, Miss Merigold. I apologise for whatever the residents decided to try and tempt you with. Fey can range from mischievous to outright malicious," Lucas explained, making her pause in confusion before he reached up and gently wiped his finger just below her eye, catching a tear as her eyes widened.

She hadn't even realised she'd been crying, blinking the tears away.

"What do you see?" Triss asked, changing the subject away from her as he chuckled. His features shifted slightly, his ears growing pointed and his features growing more ethereal.

"I wasn't born here, but since I joined the Winter Court the Feywilds are my home. They don't need to tempt me to join them," Lucas explained, looking out over the forest. "Let's get moving before anyone worries."

She didn't miss the way his own eyes were lingering on something in the distance, but she didn't mention it as he gestured for her to head through the portal. 

Stepping through, her first thought was of the sheer beauty of Albion, the elven castle surrounded by wondrous forests, a small village clear in the distance. Her attention was quickly diverted to the sight of a smiling Margarita, Philippa beside her with her normal frown.

"Triss, it's wonderful to see you again," Margarita said cheerfully, giving Lucas's arm a squeeze as he walked past her. "Welcome to Albion, our little sanctuary. We've prepared the village for the mages you saved."

Giving Margarita a smile, she let out a sigh of relief as she looked over their new home. Her followers would get to relax for the first time in weeks, truly safe from the hunters.

"This place is amazing, just who is Lucas?" Triss asked, making Margarita smile awkwardly and glance at Philippa.

"We can talk more about that soon, but let's get your group settled in," Margarita said, making it clear that something was going on.

Still, it didn't really matter right now. For the first time since Loc Muinne, she felt like she could truly relax. The weight of leading the Novigrad survivors briefly lifted, glancing towards where Lucas was chatting with a younger girl she recognised as Morgana, Foltest's secret daughter.

There was a story there as well, given the way Morgana was looking at him, but that could wait until later as she turned and started to see to her people.

– Lucas Hall –

After retrieving Triss and her followers from that shithole, we're ready to start planning the strike on Deireadh. This is where the danger will truly start, but I'm proud of what I've achieved so far.

And so is my patron, apparently.

[Hurl Through Hell]

Temporarily banish your target through the Nine Hells, giving them a taste of what is to come. Once banished, the target will be hurled through each of the hells and returned to the spot they vanished from shortly afterwards, unharmed but forever changed by the experience.

I can think of a few people who could do with a taste of what is to come, Radovid for one. Even as I chat with Morgana, my mind is on Novigrad. Just the sheer amount of sin I could feel from that city was absurd, I meant it when I said Francis was a good man.

What does it mean when a crime lord feels less corrupt than the guards and some of the civilians? He is a greedy man, but that was all I sensed from him. 

Novigrad is a corrupted shithole, but it makes my demonic powers feel so excited. I might just burn this hive of scum down, with Radovid trapped inside it. The important part is that we can finally take the fight to the hunters, even if the templars are still rather intimidating.

But hey, at least I have a dragon and a bunch of sorceresses on my side.