Calling Backup

A cloaked man was walking through the slums of Novigrad. He was walking through a bridge when he saw a man and a cloaked woman, climbing up the stairs from the filthy canals below. The cloaked man frowned, and decided to follow the two.

The cloaked man was of course Mikael, and he was trying to find Triss. He had visited her home, but the owner said that she was not there, he visited the Putrid Grove, and the guard said that she just left, so Mikael decided to search the streets, and he found her, along with a certain white-haired witcher, Geralt.

Mikael followed the two, they talked with a fat man for a while, before entering a granary just near the canal. Mikael didn't enter the granary, he just stood in the middle of the streets, still cloaked, and he was trying to listen to the two.

They were sitting on a wooden railing inside the granary, sitting beside each other.

He could hear Triss laughing, her tone was a bit forceful. "So… what do you think? Rat catcher? It's a long way to fall from being advisor to Temeria's king…"

Geralt shrugged while looking at Triss. "I'm just glad to see you safe and sound, and…"

"Reconciled…?" Triss continued Geralt's words, adding a bit of sarcasm in her tone.

Geralt sighed. "Knew a man once who reacted to everything, especially adversity, by mocking it."

"Healthy attitude, must've lived long." commented Triss.

"Came a day he lost both his legs in battle. He shrugged, said it was better that way, he'd never feel pain in them again."

"I understand him perfectly." hummed Triss.

"I know." Geralt nodded. "Thing is, he was lying to himself."

"I think he just didn't have much of a choice…"

"We all lie sometimes. But lying to yourself is running away, whereas there's really nowhere to run."

Triss shook her head in disagreement. "Sometimes, you have to escape to forget. Your friend might've dwelled on his lost legs, but it's not like by grieving he could've grown another pair…"

Mikael, who was hearing this conversation rather religiously, shook his head as soon as he heard Triss say those words. "That is the most hypocritical words I've ever heard from your mouth Triss…"

Mikael continued to listen to the conversation shamelessly.

"So… tell me how Yen's doing?" questioned Triss calmly, avoiding eye contact.

"How do you know I found her?"

"You didn't answer my question." Triss continued, this time, looking at Geralt straight in the eyes. "How's Yen?"

"She's… fine…" he answered. "Asking about anything specific?"

"Never mind…" she murmured. "I got my answer."

Mikael then saw rodents suddenly coming out of the granary, as if hypnotized by some kind of smell. But then, he also saw the fat man from earlier, bringing a squad of witch hunters to the granary.

Mikael frowned as he grabbed his sword's hilt. "Shit…"

He walked towards the squad, who had entered the granary. He could hear the fat man speaking to Triss and Geralt, arguing rather arrogantly.

"Let's agree your friends were never here." said Geralt, threatening the fat man. "Now pay the rest and let's part in peace."

"You don't set the terms, mutant." the fat man sneered.

"Stay out of it." a witch hunter said. "We're here for the witch."

The witch hunters then abruptly unsheathed their swords, brandishing it in front of Geralt and Triss.

Mikael walked inside the granary, also unsheathing his sword. "Well, I'm also here for the witch."

The witch hunters turned towards Mikael, but he attacked first, kicking the nearest witch hunter towards the pile of grain. His kick was so hard that it probably broke a couple of bones of the witch hunter just from contact.

Geralt and Triss also started to move, attacking the witch hunters. A witch hunter was trying to attack Mikael from behind, but Mikael, who was still in his cloak, used the cloth of his cloak to distract the witch hunter, waving his cloak towards his face.

As the witch hunter was trying to get off of the cloth, Mikael stabbed him in the heart, killing the hunter instantly. He saw the fat man trying to escape, but Mikael blocked the exit, placing his sword on the fat man's neck.

"D-Don't kill me!" the fat man shouted in fear. Mikael saw Geralt and Triss finished dealing with the other witch hunters, and were walking towards Mikael.

"T-They forced me good sir…" the fat man continued. "H-had I not told them… They'd have set fire to my home… my warehouse… the mage hunters know no mercy…"

"Yeah I know about the witch hunters…" Mikael murmured menacingly as his sword cut the fat man's skin. "I saw them burn mages innocently… not caring about their families watching…"

"Wait, Mikael, stop." said Geralt abruptly.

Mikael raised his eyebrow. "What?"

"Let me talk to him." Geralt said.

Mikael sighed, and sheathed his sword. "Fine, be quick."

"Spare me… good man… be not like those murderers…."

Mikael saw Geralt punch the fat man in the face, and he threatened him that if he did not pay double, he would kill him right there. The fat man agreed, and gave Triss two full coin pouches.

The three then left the granary, leaving the fat man and his wet trousers alone.

Mikael cloaked himself again, cleaning some dust from it.

"What are you doing here Mikael?" questioned Geralt, crossing his arms. "How's your memories?"

"My memories are fine, coming back slowly…" Mikael murmured. "As for why I'm here, I need to talk to Triss."

"Is something wrong Mikael?" questioned Triss in worry.

"Yeah… I just saved a bunch of mages, one of them's dying, and I need your help."

"What?" Triss was surprised. "Where are they now? And how many?"

"I don't know… About 30?" answered Mikael. "They're safe right now, hidden in a cave outside Oxenfurt, they're Aretuza's students."

"Aretuza?" Geralt questioned.

Mikael hummed. "There's a sorceress by the name of Margarita among them, she knows you it seems…"

"Rita?" Triss was even more surprised. "So she's okay…"

"Barely." Mikael said. "Bruises all over the body, witch hunters tortured her, there's also a sorceress named Sile, she's practically dying right now."

Triss frowned. "Then we need to go quickly." She quickly turned to Geralt. "Geralt, thanks for your help… I've been thinking about who might know something about Ciri, and I just got an idea. There's an oneiromancer in town, Corinne Tilly, very capable supposedly."

"Never trusted in dreamers' abilities myself…"

"She's been very effective apparently, might be worth a try." she continued. "She's taken a job close by, follow the canal, away from the fish market. The house near the first bridge. Its owner, de Jonkheer, is a rich banker. I would come with you, but…"

"I know, something more urgent." Geralt nodded as he looked at Mikael. "Right… nice to see you again Triss, and you Mikael, take care of yourself."

Triss nodded. "You too Geralt."

Mikael also spoke. "Nice meeting you again too Geralt, if not for the circumstances, I'll bring you for a drink or two."

"Might hold on to that." Geralt hummed. "Where will I find you, Triss?"

"I live in the bits, near the fish market." she said. "But I'll probably won't be back for a while."

Geralt nodded, and turned to Mikael. "What about you?"

"Near Oxenfurt, though I suggest you don't try to find me right now…"

"All right, see you later…"

Geralt then left the two, walking towards his next destination.

Meanwhile, Triss turned to Mikael. "What did you do?"

"I freed the mages," said Mikael as they started walking. "I broke them out of prison."

"You what?" Triss frowned. "You could've killed yourself."

"We both know I'm more capable than that." Mikael hummed. "By the way, I heard your conversation with Geralt from before."

"Ever been taught that eavesdropping is rude?" Triss scoffed.

Mikael ignored the jab. "Gotta say, speaking about not sticking with the past, while continuing to get jealous about your ex-lover's lover is a bit hypocritical, don't you think?"

Triss didn't say anything as they turned towards a quiet alleyway. Triss then made a portal towards Oxenfurt.

"You coming?" she questioned.

Mikael just hummed, and both of them entered the portal at the same time.