Kidnapping Yennefer

You'd better hurry up; dawdle for a while, and the knight is probably going to meet his gods."

As everyone was still reeling from the shock of the golden dragon appearing in front of them, Wayne suddenly emerged from the nearby woods. There was a faint smile on his face, but his amber vertical pupils, the sharp sword on his body, and the pointed ears on both sides of his head immediately drew everyone's attention.

Another witcher, and a half-elven one at that.

"Wayne! Haha, I knew you were coming too," Jaskier exclaimed, quickly recovering from his state of shock. He greeted Wayne cheerfully and began crafting the prototype of a poem for the heroic Eyck knight and the powerful, elegant golden dragon in his mind. With a few modifications, it could become a widely circulated poem. Of course, the protagonist of this song would not be the heroic knight Eyck, but the poet himself, who witnessed the events unfold.

Like the poems he composed during his adventures with Geralt, although the mighty white wolf Geralt was an excellent swordsman capable of defeating many monsters, it was often the witty, brave, and handsome poet Jaskier who turned the tide.

Wayne greeted several people one by one, but the haughty sorceress and magician, Dorregarey, didn't seem keen on conversing with him. She simply hummed lightly, which Wayne took as a response.

Seeing that none of them were willing to risk saving Eyck, Wayne glanced at Geralt and then gave the White Wolf a sympathetic look. Suddenly, he stretched out his hand and swung it violently. A light blue chain flew out of his cuff, directly binding the sorceress Yennefer, who was not paying him any attention, nearby.

Wayne flicked, pulled, and braced, using the strong magic-blocking gold chain to bind Yennefer, securing her hands and feet. This chain had been smelted and forged from Demeritium he obtained from the Wild Dog Gang. Once bound by this chain, sorceresses, druids, and other spellcasters would lose their ability to cast spells. It served as a sharp weapon against magic users.

Initially intending to retaliate with magic, Yennefer quickly realized her predicament. Stripped of her spellcasting abilities, she was rendered helpless like an ordinary woman, unable to break free from the chain's control. Desperate, she turned her head with all her strength and called out to Geralt, "Geralt, you bastard, what are you doing here? Come and save me."

Geralt watched the scene unfold, unable to tear his gaze away from Yennefer's plight. Instinctively, he reached for the hilt of his sword with his right hand but stopped himself, puzzled by Wayne's actions and intentions.

Wayne reassured Geralt with a wink before hoisting the tightly bound sorceress onto his shoulders, positioning her with her back to Geralt to shield her from his view. Speaking loudly to Geralt, Wayne explained, "Sorry, Geralt. I promised to Borch, a favor to prevent Yennefer from casting her spell on him. But rest assured, I won't harm her. Once this matter is resolved, I'll return Yennefer to you unharmed."

"Of course, you're welcome to fight alongside me. However, let's be careful. Our swords have no eyes, and during the fight, there's a risk of inadvertently harming your sorceress."

Geralt's expression turned perplexed. While he trusted Wayne not to harm Yennefer, he hadn't expected his brother to resort to this method to restrain her.

Seeing Wayne's wink, Geralt reluctantly cooperated and spoke fiercely, "Wayne, remember your promise. If you harm Yennefer, don't blame me for disregarding our brotherhood."

Jaskier, perceptive as ever, likely inferred something from their exchange. Despite Yennefer's usual arrogance and temper, the poet felt a pang of sympathy for her. Playing his part, he shouted in apparent dismay, "Wayne, I never expected you to betray our trust like this. Geralt and I placed so much faith in you, only for you to betray our team. What did this golden dragon offer you in return?"

Wayne twitched the corners of his mouth at Jaskier's dramatic performance. Glancing at him briefly, he turned his attention to Dorregarey, maintaining a vigilant expression. He responded firmly, "The dragon didn't offer me any favors, nor did I seek any. I didn't act out of obligation. I simply couldn't bear to see such a wise creature, the golden dragon, fall prey to despicable and greedy hunters. That's all."

Wayne's response impressed Dorregarey, who advocated for balance in all things. First impressions were crucial, and Wayne's stance resonated with the mage's beliefs.

To avoid further scrutiny, Wayne secured Yennefer's struggling form with his left hand, ensuring she didn't fall from his shoulders. He continued, "There's no use dwelling on it. Geralt, once this is over, you can find me at the green dragon's lair, where I'll return Yennefer to you."

With that, Wayne swiftly departed from the group, leaving Geralt to watch his beloved being carried away by his trusted brother. Geralt hesitated to say something, his palm outstretched but remained silent.

After Wayne's departure, the remaining trio exchanged glances. Ultimately, Geralt took the lead, nodding to Jaskier and sighing, "Don't worry, Wayne won't harm Yennefer. Let's go see that bastard Eyck. Despite his flaws, he's still a good human. If we can save him, let's do it."

Out of a desire to observe the golden dragon up close, Master Dorregarey also spoke with a hint of pride, "Now that Yennefer has been taken away, you two probably don't want to slay the dragon. I'll go with you to take a look. Although I don't know healing spells, I should be able to think of a way to help stabilize that mad knight's injury."

After a simple verbal agreement, the trio descended the hillside and approached Knight Eyck. The golden dragon watched them from a distance but made no move to stop them.

Dorregarey gazed at the golden dragon with eyes akin to admiring peerless treasures. Then, he casually inspected the comatose Eyck knight and remarked, "This guy is useless. His legs are severely deformed, and his bones are broken. Even if he is cured, he probably won't be able to walk again. The chest and head are protected by armor, so they're not a big problem, but his head suffered a serious impact, and no one knows what will happen to him."

He gestured for Geralt and Jaskier, who had assisted in removing Eyck's armor, to step aside. Dorregarey then chanted a spell, commanding the nearby chaotic magic with both hands, and slowly infused it into Eyck's body.

Eyck trembled all over, even in his comatose state, unable to suppress groans of pain. After about five minutes, Dorregarey wiped the sweat from his forehead, lowered his hands, and said, "I've cast a stabilizing spell on him. Although it can't heal his injuries, at least they won't worsen. Fortunately, he only suffered severe fractures and contusions, with no bleeding or internal damage. Otherwise, he would be dead by now."

With a glance at Geralt, Dorregarey smiled and continued,

"If you don't mind and are not concerned about covering the treatment expenses, after this ordeal, find a skilled doctor for him and see if his mobility can be restored," Dorregarey suggested, his tone pragmatic. "However, as I mentioned, his legs are completely necrotic. Unless you locate the finest healer who can specially regenerate new leg bones for him and perform the surgery, there's no chance he'll be able to continue fighting."

"Of course, such a mage won't come cheap. Including materials and surgical fees, it will likely cost thousands of crowns."

Geralt exchanged glances with Jaskier upon hearing this. While Geralt might be willing to assist Eyck out of a sense of principle and justice, thousands of crowns were a considerable sum, even for a witcher. It was regrettable that Eyck was merely a wandering knight, not a true feudal lord. Even if he were to sell all his possessions, he likely wouldn't amass such a fortune."