Chapter 32: Ch. 32 Swallow finding a roost
-Cir POV
'Well shite. How did I get caught by devils and agreed to be taught by one?' I thought as I looked around.
The room I was assigned was a bit like the Aen Elle world, but… newer and better. And less nature focused and more magic focused.
What I saw about this place wasn't exactly hellfire and evil spirits, more like one of those worlds where sorcerers are in power I had ran through when escaping the Wild Hunt.
I couldn't even tell this was supposed to be the Underworld.
"Vesemir would never let me hear the end of it if he found out." I bemoaned aloud as I flopped into the bed of this room that the maid Lith had assigned to me guided me to.
'Woah, this is the softest bed I've ever been on.' I thought as I sunk into the mattress and already felt like sleep was already creeping up on me.
'No! I can't let my guard down!' I thought as I got up and glared at the dangerous temptation.
In the end I decided to set myself up on the couch instead and made sure to keep a knife under the pillow.
'Even if I can't beat these devils I still won't go down without a fight if they try anything.' I thought before doing my best to fall asleep like Geralt taught me.
Keep just enough focus and sleep at just the right depth to be ready for anything.
Zzzzz
*Knock knock*
I bolted upright as I clutched my knife and immediately looked around for a threat.
"Lady Ciri, breakfast will be in 20 minutes if you wish to attend with the rest of the household. If not, Master had told us to guide you to the kitchen where you can order anything you desire and eat wherever you wish if you wanted to eat alone. The only thing he requested was for you to prepare for training after lunch." A person I assumed was a maid told me as I felt like grumbling over being woken up.
But noticing the sun had actually risen, I couldn't exactly say it was too early and I should have woken up on my own already.
'Damn. I fell asleep for real.' I inwardly scolded myself.
"I'll come down." I told the maid outside the door.
'At least this way I'll be able to get a better read on these devils.' I thought.
"Do you wish for some help getting ready Lady Ciri? Most of the other ladies prefer to bath after their meal, hence breakfast is rather informal unless another important guest is present." The maid asked as I took a look at myself.
'No blood or mud, and I can't see any kind or tears or cuts. I'll just check my hair a bit and maybe clean my face. At least I can try not to look like a total pig if they turn out to at least be a decent sort.' I thought as looked around and found a mirror. 'Not like they abducted me or imprisoned me, or even hinted at wanting me for my blood or anything, so far anyway.'
"Maybe something to wash my face." I said through the door.
"Then may I come in? Master warned us that you would be treating this as hostile territory and that us entering your room may trigger aggressive responses." The maid said which caused me to feel a bit insulted and then annoyed that this guy knew exactly how I'd react when I know next to nothing about him.
All I know is that he's some kind of Lord amongst devils and that those girls who surrounded me yesterday are something like his family or close aides/fighter/advisors.
"Yeah it's fine." I answered her as I hid my knife.
She entered and I finally got a good look at the maid.
She looked like she was in her early twenties, had delicate features but her blacks eyes showed confidence, she had straight black hair which reflected the light from the window and a fair body hidden under her maid outfit.
What was weird was that I felt like I shouldn't be a brat to her or she would discipline me.
"Greetings Lady Ciri, my name is Fia and I am the head maid of house Azaroth." She introduced herself with a quick curtsy, "I will need you to look up a bit while cleaning your face."
"If you're the head maid, why aren't you attending to that Lord?" I asked before I could really think.
"My Master and the Mistress tend to enjoy their mornings in intimate ways and rarely require any of the serving staff to be present, hence master usually assigns me to make sure guests or new residents are properly taken care of." She answered as she made some circle appear in front of her and which cause me to jump back and drew my knife.
"What's that?" I asked as I tried to be as threatening as possible.
"Hm? This is a basic magic circle and how devils initiate their magic Lady Ciri. I was creating water to wash your face as requested." Fia patiently explained as I now felt a bit awkward pointing my knife at her.
It was even worse when she just waited there with a floating ball of water to prove her point.
Not that i didn't think that water couldn't be dangerous, but I felt kind of silly when I thought about them trying to kill me like this or something.
So I lowered the knife and approached the maid, letting her clean my face, which was an interesting experience as she didn't even touch me and let the water move all over to get dirt in places I didn't even know I had. It was even matching my temperature, so it felt rather nice.
"Done. If you wish I can either guide you to the bath after breakfast or you can follow the other ladies of the house to the communal one." Fia said as the water disappeared and she stepped back a bit. "But for now please follow me to the dinning room."
I followed her after quickly sheathing my knife.
The walk to the dinning room made me realize that this place was probably the fanciest or prettiest castle I had even been in.
Decorated windows with scenes of people with different kinds of wings fighting using swords or magic. Paintings which even made me appreciate art, even if it felt like some were watching me. Some weapons on the walls which I could only look at with envy. And it was all lit up with some kind of magic which made the place feel bright, unlike all those castles back home where fire is used indoors.
The dinning rom was rather similar to what I was used to, but with a lot of windows as it had floor to ceiling tainted windows which made colored lights stream through. The colors even moved and changed which made the entire room look like rivers of light were dancing through the air.
"Whoa." I softly exclaimed as this once again clashed against the fire and death I was warned about, but made it's because this isn't the devils or demons of my world.
I snapped out of it and sat in the seat Fia had pulled back for me, noticing that not everyone who I saw yesterday was here.
There was that dark skinned woman with the weird crossbow like weapons calmly drinking what I assumed was tea, talking to a purple haired woman who felt a lot older than she looked. Then there was that pale blonde woman with yellow eyes looking cranky as she drank something I couldn't recognize when I smelt it.
Soon enough that Devil Lord who called himself Lith came in with a shorter black haired woman who was basically radiating happiness as she hummed and skipped with an arm around his.
'Must be that Mistress Fia mentioned.' I thought as the concept of devils getting married felt a bit weird.
"Can someone get Musashi over from her morning practice and drag Da Vinci away from whatever she is doing in her workshop?" Lith asked after taking a quick look at the table.
I was surprised when two servant bowed and just disappeared from the room.
"So how was the couch Ciri?" The dark skinned Devil asked with a teasing smile.
"Did you spy on me?" I asked him as I felt myself ready my defenses.
"Please. I feel everything in the Underworld and it's clearer the closer it is to me. I can't not feel everything which happens in the city, much less my own castle." He answered casually, "I told you, you have no idea what your powers can really do."
I felt stunned. I don't know how large this Underworld is, but to know everything which happens in a city just like that is something I can understand. And I can't even picture being able to do that. I can barely do short range teleportation and have to travel worlds randomly, while he can choose dozens in a moment and feel everything around him.
I chose to just believe him since I couldn't do anything about it even if he really did peek while I slept. It just annoyed me that he could do it whenever he felt like it according to him.
"Do not take it personally child, he mostly does it to keep everyone safe." The purple haired woman said to me.
"Doesn't make it less creepy." I mumbled as I crossed my arms.
"Heh. She's right you know Lith." The pale blonde one as she apparently heard me.
"What can I do Jeanne? It's a passive effect of my own power. If I didn't hold it back this much I would be feeling the other strata as well." Lith replied with a shrug.
"Yeah Yeah." Was this Jeanne's response.
Then four people appeared in the dinning as the two servants from earlier returned with the Musashi and Da Vinci Lith had mentioned.
I recognized this Da Vinci from last night, but the sweaty woman in odd clothing and with ethnic features was new since she hadn't left much of an impact yesterday.
"There, now we can start eating." Lith declared as a literal feast appeared in front of everyone.
*growl*
Embarrassingly my stomach started to practically roar in desire as soon as the smell of all this food hit my nose and my mouth started watering.
But I still hesitated as I looked at the others carefully, judging which ones are safe to eat.
"This is all things even base humans can eat with no issues, so feel free to chose whatever you wish." Lith said as he already had a full plate of some things which I think are made of eggs and some meat. "And if you want something to drink just say it to the glass. Although I am not sure we would have all the same fruits for juices or alcohol if that's what you prefer in the morning."
With a hesitant nod I started to pick things I think I recognized like some eggs, fruits and bread. I also took some meat which smelt like ham and some cheese.
But as soon as I took a bite, it felt like I was in an entire different world. In a different way than usual.
The flavors of the eggs were so great that I unconsciously let out a moan and began almost devouring everything I could like I hadn't eaten in days.
Which to be fair, wasn't that far from the truth as the Wild Hunt was relentless.
I almost choked until a maid handed me a glass of an orange-yellow juice, which turned out to be made from oranges and mangos, also bloody delicious as I immediately asked for more.
Honestly don't know how much I ate or how much my grandmother would scold me for eating like that, but that was, without a doubt, the best damn food I had ever eaten.
"Fufufu. Liora's food simply charms everyone doesn't it." I suddenly heard the purple haired woman say as even I blushed once I noticed all the plates around me and the mess I had made.
"I'm sorry I-"
"No need to worry, Liora's gonna love you if you keep eating that much." Jeanne said with a smirk as she looked at my stomach, which I noticed was kinda bulging.
"Be careful with overeating. You weren't in the best of states judging from what I could get from you." The Da Vinci woman said before I could say anything as she looked at me seriously, "I'd suggest a careful meal plan for a few weeks to get her body back on track as well as a full check up to make sure she has no hidden or lingering injuries if she is going to be training."
"Jeanne, any curse or negative energies around her?" Lith asked the blonde as I noticed her giving me a look over.
"Hmmm, nothing obvious. But her spirit is somewhat turbulent." She answered him as I felt a bit naked at the moment.
"Scáthach-sama and I can start her off on some rehabilitation exercises once she digests her food properly. She has the feel of a fellow sword wielder so I should be able to teach her a few things." The ethnic woman by the name Musashi said to Lith and the Purple haired woman who's name was apparently Scáthach.
That last one sounded a bit like it came from Skellige.
"Not until we make sure her body is alright. She is human after all, one who hasn't surpassed her racial limits either, hence we will be moving with care." Lith replied as his eyes, which were almost identical to mine, stared at me with what seemed like concern. "He training for now will be with me as we focus on her bloodline abilities."
"Don't I get a say in this?" I asked out of annoyance as people were deciding what I would be doing again.
"Up to you. We simply wished to not make things worse for you unknowingly, but if you desire to train physically or recklessly rush forward as you always do then be my guest." Lith answered as he gestured for me to go.
It kinda pissed me off that he was just poking at me again.
"Why would you even care?" I stubbornly asked.
I knew I was being kinda ridiculous, but I couldn't help myself.
"Care is a bit of a stretch. I found your future self endearing and thought that you being born with similar powers to mine shouldn't be a reason for you to be hunted down like an animal by entitled fools. But now that I've decided to train you and you have become a guest of my house, we shall give you the best we can for someone outside of the family. This includes making sure you are at your peak in all forms." He answered which made me a bit more relaxed unconsciously.
I was far to used to people showing 'care' and then selling me out somehow or them dying cause they helped me.
But they aren't trying to get close to me, or even get to know me, just doing what they said they would, which is training me. That at least mitigates the first signs of someone trying to use me.
It might be because Lith supposedly saw some of my futures and already knows a lot about me, but he's not trying to get closer anyway and is just acting like a host and trainer.
"Fine. But you your maid said we won't be training until the afternoon, so what do I do till then?" I asked with less agression, not like they even did anything to deserve it anyway.
"Whatever you desire really. Hopefully while at least staying in the city for now since you have no clue about the Underworld or how it works, while here my people can make sure you don't accidentally break a law or get yourself in trouble somehow by insulting some visiting noble or merchant who thinks too highly of himself." He answered me as I started to feel a bit excited about exploring a Devil city and seeing how it compares to back home.
"I can work with that." I told him as I noticed his wife whispering something in his ears and him nodding.
"Don't think I introduced her, but this is my wife Serafall, and she believes that the first order of business for you is to at least get you some proper clothes and training outfits since your current attire is rather… outdated her. I am sure your stay would be a bit more pleasant if you had more than a single pair of clothes." Lith said to me as I felt a bit of creeping dread as I saw the look in said wife's eyes.
I might agree that having at least something to change into would be nice, I didn't want to be stuffed into those awful dresses again.
"Fine, but only things I agree to wear." I said as I tried to compromise.
"Sera, just get her more male styled clothes and you'll be fine. She hates dresses and over the top/stuffy clothes." He advised as he somehow even knew that.
"Ooohh! I know just the place! Heltana introduced me to it and it has the most comfortable pants for both indoor and outdoor. We also need to get her plenty of underwear and some hygiene products. Then we can go check out the sleepwear over at 'Slumber's' and finally have a nice lunch in one of the café's." The bubbly woman quickly said which had words which made me confused, a bit dreadful and a bit curious.
"Go by Muramasa's shop to get her a decent sword too." Lith said to her which immediately made me pay attention.
"You're getting me a sword? Like a real one?" I incredulously asked since goods swords are expensive and I just met them.
"You are a Sword user no?" He asked in return, to which I nodded, "Then you need a sword and Muramasa is the best when it comes to swords, even ones which suit your style. And if you want a custom one, that'll have to wait until we know what actually suits you well."
Ok that got me excited.
'My very own custom sword. Maybe I could ask for one like Geralt's or the wolf school if I describe it well enough? I always wanted a Witcher blade.' I thought as I remembered my time at Kaer Morhen.
"Yes sir!" Serafall said with a bright smile, "Now come on Ciri, let's go!"
She dragged me away with surprising strength for her size as she lifted me up from my chair with little to no effort, then proceeded to drag me around the city.
The place was honestly beautiful and I really couldn't tell that this was a Devil city, with them looking and even acting pretty much like humans but more intense. There were even races I couldn't even tell them names of wondering the streets as well and magic pretty much everywhere as it was used in taverns, shows, shops and in all the wonderful sights around.
Shop signs lit up and showcasing various moving images like a dwarf slaying a dragon with an axe, a man getting drunk at an oasis, and one where a robed person pours a liquid over a body and it comes back to life.
Things I had never seen before were for sale as we walked the incredibly clean streets which even had good smells as scents of food and flowers drifted around instead of the piss and shit I was used to.
During the 'shopping spree' that followed, I was introduced to wonders.
These panties and bras are so much more comfortable that that linen underwear and the chest wrap I had. And the clothes we unbelievably soft as they felt like gentle caresses on my skin compared to what I wore before, while the pants and boots actually fit me perfectly now. The boots would even adjust to my feet, keep them comfortable, were completely weather, water, mud, and even magic proof to a certain degree, and prevented bad smells and foot diseases.
A bloody miracle I say. As I walked around in more comfort than I ever had.
The so-called 'feminine hygiene products' were extremely embarrassing.
I had never spoken about what they called menstruation to anyone but Triss and Yen, but this Serafall just took it in strides as she had apparently had to help Mana, the dark skinned girl, go through the same.
It was really weird to hear that most of these were invented by Lith and that Da Vinci, but if it worked like Serafall said then I might actually hug the man.
A pill to help both regulate your 'time of the month', minimize blood loss, eliminate the abdominal pains and help you prevent pregnancy was simply amazing.
And I wouldn't admit it, but I was kind of looking forward to trying out this shampoo and conditioner after Serafall showed me her own hair. Her's beat even the state those sorceresses had their hair in and they had actual magical products, which these were too but much more advanced.
We didn't even have to carry any of these things as Lith had apparently used his abilities to create rings which could store a lot and keep it exactly in the state it was put in.
The uses that had for not just regular people but armies too were simply far too many for me to just brush off, but then Serafall said that only Lith could make them so far and that he didn't want to spread them exactly for those reasons.
Getting some sleepwear was the next thing which embarrassed me a lot. I wasn't used to either showing so much skin like that or wearing something so light. But being around Serafall kind of made thing a better as she was just so supportive and warm. It felt like I already had a friend, which surprised me and made me wonder if she had somehow influenced my mind or was some kind of succubus.
She didn't have any kind of horns or hooves, unless here they were different. But I kept my guard up a bit after that thought.
That kinda went out the window when we reached the weapon shop of this Muramasa Lith told Serafall to bring me to.
The weapons on display were absolutely breathtaking.
It felt like they could cut me if I was too close, while some exuded an intimidating aura, others felt warm or cold, some emitted lights or sparks, but then one behind the counter drew all my focus.
It was like it was calling for me as I heard some kind of singing voice in the wind.
The blade was a bit more than three feet long, engraved with runes i couldn't recognize as they pulsed in a light green. The beautiful longsword was a bit narrower and less thick than others I had seen, with a graceful curve near the wing-like hand guard, a black leather handle and finishing off with a circular pommel.
"Looks like you've already found the right sword for yourself little lady." A man's voice suddenly said from in front of me, causing me to jump as it snapped me out of my trance.
"What the? Who are you?" I asked quickly to the short black haired man with ethnic features a bit similar to Musashi's.
"I am the owner of this place and the maker of that sword, Muramasa is my name and I shall be the greatest blade smith this world has ever seen." He answered with supreme confidence in himself as he grinned at me.
"It's nice to see you Mura-chan! How have you been lately?" Serafall energetically said as she came near us.
"Oh, Serafall-sama! An honor to have you here as always. To answer your question, I have been great my lady. Close to another breakthrough even! I just felt one of my swords calling out to someone and decided to come check since it is rather rare." The man answered with a lot of respect towards Serafall.
"That's wonderful Ciri-chan! Let's get that one then." She then immediately said without any care.
"Isn't that expensive?" I worriedly asked.
I just met her and she's just going to give me a weapon like that? It felt like I was taking advantage of her somehow.
"Don't you worry little lady, Lord Azaroth is my lord and patron. He receives a few of my works as tribute every year, with this sword actually being one of them if it hadn't been sold before the date. It was made with some of his blood as test to see the effects it would have in a blade after all." He explained as my eyes widened at the reveal.
"What effect did his blood have in a sword?" I curiously asked as I was starting to really believe he was like me but with a stronger power.
I could feel my own blood calling out to that sword.
"Beyond the standard stuff like edge retention, self-cleaning, some self-restorative abilities and enhanced durability, that sword became able to cut space itself and the materials used in it allowed the wielder of said blade to receive a blessing of the wind as they became faster and more graceful while wielding it. And in your case little lady, it might even give you some unexpected benefits." Muramasa answered with an excited grin on his face as he picked up the sword and handed it to me.
I looked at both him and Serafall uncertainly, but seeing looks of encouragements from both, I grasped the handle.
*Thump swoosh*
As soon as I took the blade in hand my entire body felt like it was celebrating and wind gathered around carrying songs as the blade glowed brightly.
"Haha! Such a connection! I can't wait to see how far you'll go with that sword little lady!" Muramasa ecstatically exclaimed.
"How wonderful. Does it have a name?" Serafall asked the blade smith.
"Swallow, for the bird, the tale it was inspired from and its ability to swallow anything if wielded right." The man answered as the show died down.
"Does it have a sheath?" I asked as a wide smile was on my face from how great I felt right now.
'My sword! This is my sword!' I continually thought as I couldn't tear my eyes away from it.
"One moment." Muramasa answered as he went out back, coming back with a clearly enchanted leather sheath which matched the swords handle. "This sheath is bound to the blade and to you once you place it in here. It will always find its way to you and the blade to it should either or both be lost."
"Thank you." I almost whispered out as I placed Swallow into its sheath and the two let out another glow before I felt a connection.
"Like I said, no problem. I love when people find a sword they are destined for." Muramasa replied with a wave of his hand. "But now that the show is done, I am going to head back to work. Nice meeting you little girl and good to see you're still the same Serafall-sama."
"Hope to see you at the annual celebration Mura-chan!" Was Serafall's reply as she waved the man goodbye. "Let's go get some food Ciri-chan."
I barely registered the rest of our time in the city as i carried my new sword.
Even the food couldn't break me out of it.
I only snapped out of it when someone took my sword away from me, which made me instantly angry, "Hey give that back!" I yelled out until I saw Lith standing right in front of me with an amused smile.
Seeing him so close was kind of intimidating since he was a lot taller and had a lot of muscles of his body. I also noticed I wasn't outside anymore and in some kind of office.
"I will give this back, but it's time for training so pay attention." He responded as he gave me back Swallow. "But to think you would get this little side project, how interesting fate can be at times."
"You believe in fate?" I questioned out of surprise since he can apparently see multiple futures, so shouldn't he be able to change things.
"In some sense yes. But I see it more as the things which technically have an incredibly small chance of happening, but happens anyway. The things which are most likely to happen and happen are more like cause and effect if one looks with a broad enough gaze." He answered which I half got. "Not really important for now. Follow me."
He then opened a portal and we ended up inside a kind of arena.
"What are we going to do here?" I asked as I looked at the impressive set up.
"Test out your limits with both [Space] and [Time]. This is the most durable place I know as it can withstand even my training." He answered.
"Alright. What's first?" I asked as we began my first training.
We started with me showing him what I could actually do on purpose, which was basically only what he called blink teleportation.
Lith explained that this was one of the most basic applications of our power as it allows us to shorten a distance we want to get to.
He also immediately told me that I was doing things wrong because I was following the methods of people who have to try to learn about [Space] and [Time], having to strictly control it or be destroyed by it, while also having very limited views and understanding on magic.
The reason this was actually stopping me from mastering my powers was because I don't need to learn about my powers, I already know them but needed to know how to listen to them.
People like us have this ability in our blood, we instinctively know how to use it, so we don't need to harshly control it but first let it go consciously and then understand how it works.
We don't need hundreds of calculations nor to spend countless hours pouring over tomes. We only needed to listen to what is already there and understand it.
We would feel what we can and cannot do instinctively at our current power level and understanding.
It might require a some studying or reading to get some ideas on how to use our power, Lith shamelessly admitted that his strength did come from things he discovered about [Space/Time] that most people never realized while studying it.
And by the end of our first training session, which even made me forget about Swallow for the few hours it lasted, I felt like it all made some much more sense to me than anything Yen or Triss ever tried to teach me about my powers.
I even felt like I had gotten a much better grasp on it after I did let everything loose for the first time and Lith helped me understand it.
I went to bed that night hugging Swallow and probably having the best sleep I had in a long time.
The next day I found out that they were serious about making sure I ate properly to recover from some mild malnutrition as they put it, which also involved some potions which surprisingly tasted great. Made me wonder why Witcher potions are so nasty as I remembered the taste of White Gull.
I also had to learn about the rules of this Underworld and some stuff about the world I was in, which was pretty interesting since it wasn't like all of those boring history lessons Vesemir put me through. Gods, angels, devils, monsters of all kinds, epic tales of heroes and battles between factions and pantheons. It was pretty awesome to hear all of it and Scáthach was a great teacher, especially when she used magic to show me what she was talking about.
Learning that she was over a thousand years old was really surprising too, but it made some of her lessons really gripping when she talked about some of the things she had witnessed and done.
Unfortunately I wasn't allowed to train physically yet, which made me a bit upset since I really wanted to swing Swallow.
I then had a chat with Ihuarraquax to find out how he was doing after those lessons.
He told me about this great feed they had and this magical water which tasted fantastic. But what really struck him was when he met Lith's unicorn Sigil.
Apparently Sigil wasn't like Ihuarraquax, not possessing the ability to travel between worlds, yet anyway, but he was extremely powerful and could use magic in a way that no unicorns had ever done. He had learnt that he had even participated in some battles a hundred years ago as Lith's familiar and mount, trampling over hundreds in his charges.
It was a weird way to learn Lith himself was over one hundred like Vesemir, but then I remembered Scáthach being over a thousand and that she said devils could live for ten thousand years, while more powerful ones could live much longer. That made me wonder if I should consider Lith young or old.
Those thoughts went away as my lesson with Lith started up again.
He began teaching me how to use [Space] outside of my body and on other things and how to slow things down a bit.
He found out that I'm not exactly great at learning by repetition or through words really quickly as I grew frustrated when I kept failing, so Lith decided to switch things up.
We then started playing a game he called dodgeball, where we could use our powers to block or power up our throws. He gave me a handicap saying he wouldn't use anything but his perception for now and basically egged me into wanting to get him in his smug face as he teased me.
It was only after I used my powers to teleport a ball at him did I realize what he was doing, but I then started to get a feel for my powers and the game got pretty fun.
We couldn't play for too long or he would apparently get scolded by his wife for making me to do too much exercise, which kinda made me laugh. I guess wives and husbands are the same everywhere.
Over time I kinda got used to this place and it started to feel nice to be here. Feeling safe since the Wild Hunt couldn't get me and anyone who knew about or wanted the Elder Blood was worlds away and everyone around me could probably turn them all to pulp by looking at them intensely.
I got to know everyone in Lith's peerage, then I learnt what that really was and started a few talks as that sounded like slavery to me. Took a while to understand that Lith actually modified the 'evil pieces' so they could technically leave at any time as a sign of trust. That was a bit embarrassing.
After two weeks of being here I felt better than I had in a long time, which made their point regarding the meal plan, potions and restricting my exercise. But now I could finally start training with Swallow.
That was when I discovered just how skilled Musashi and Scáthach were.
These two completely blew any fighter I had ever seen out of the water. Even Geralt wouldn't be able to come close to these two women in combat.
Scáthach could teach me so well I actually felt like I was improving massively every lesson as she not only hammered her teachings into me, she also let me prove I learnt it by facing these training golems Lith had made with Da Vinci. It was so much better than just beating those training dummies in Kaer Morhen or being played with by everyone there. I could actually fight these things and they put pressure on you.
And while being with Musashi, I found out that Lith recruited her because he saw her as possibly the greatest sword user to ever live, and talking to her or learning something from her convinced me of that as just her hints sometimes caused me to realize something important about using a sword. Although she wasn't nearly as good a teacher as Scáthach or even Lith, she was extremely dedicated and knew how to fight with a sword better than anyone.
Outside lessons, Jeanne sometimes brought me outside the city to explore, saying that it could be a bit stifling to always be in the castle or city and that she would take me with her for some 'fresh air'.
I realized that it was mostly for me, since we were apparently similar in some ways, wanting to be able to just go wherever sometimes because we had been caged before.
Jeanne became a friend as we talked more and found ourselves liking a lot of the same things.
She got me into coffee, showed me some breathtaking sights, we went out for rides on some Wyverns they were able to domesticate here, and shared stories about the things she had seen and done over her century with Lith.
In return I told her about my life as a princess, a runaway, meeting Geralt, trying to learn how to use my powers, meeting Triss and Yen, my time in Kaer Morhen, even my time among the Aen Elle and my travels through different worlds.
She then teased me for my attraction to older men as she found my past infatuations for them rather funny for someone like me. Which I teased back about her not being much better since she confessed to liking Lith and feeling hopeful now that he had apparently accepted a second lover with Serafall's permission shortly before my own arrival.
She was one of the two guests he said had to leave to fulfill their owns goals and promises.
I also spent some time with Mana, who surprisingly came from the same country as Musashi.
She kind of reminded me a Geralt a bit, mostly due to her quiet and taciturn nature, but then I found out how good she was in music and how many orphans she actually took care of, on top of doing missions all over the Underworld and the 'Human World'. She had great advice for things like survival, hunting and marksmanship, so I spent some time with her in the Wild learning first hand.
It sucked that I couldn't learn anything she really knew about plants that I couldn't confirm were available in my own world as she didn't want to give me tips and tricks which could kill me due to them not applying over there.
Then came meeting Da Vinci, who was like Serafall but a lot more curious.
Her workshop was something Sorcerers/Sorceresses would kill to even glimpse at. If Yen knew about the things in this place she might actually beg, well if she couldn't manipulate her way into this place through Lith or Da Vinci, which I don't really see happening no matter how friendly they are due to them being way too smart to not know the value of this place and being capable of seeing through people.
Da Vinci was rather curious about the link between Lith's bloodline and my own, especially after I got Swallow. Something I can admit to being curious about myself since I had never met anyone else like me before. Which is why I actually allowed her to see if anything was there.
What she found out, from what I could understand anyway, was that there was a type of resonance between our blood, as mine instinctively wanted the two to join so it could become stronger. Da Vinci also said that our bloods had their differences as mine had a better balance between [Space] and [Time], while Lith had a much heavier [Space] compared to his [Time] even if it was getting more balanced as he developed the two more. She also found that his connection to the two were much purer than my own since he developed his from scratch and is much stronger.
Beside this, the rest of my time with Da Vinci was usually spent answering questions about my world in things like history, geography, biology, magic and alchemy. I wasn't the most studious person so I had troubles answering, but Da Vinci was simply thankful to learn more things and some gain ideas from some of what I said.
It was fun and rather exhilarating to test some of her inventions with her, especially the flying ones. The wind in my hair, the feeling of gliding, and that rush when you dive and pull up was great. Making things explode was fun too when we tested her magic canons.
So time passed for me here as it started to become akin to a second home, or maybe more of a magical oasis as I could freely enjoy being myself and actually learning how to use my abilities in peace and safety. All while surrounded by people who I came to see as friends.
I felt my growth by the day as I found something to enjoy nearly everyday here. Feeling like the devils and races I had met were more human than the humans of my world.
-Enkidu's POV
I have observed this man who wishes to have me by his side.
I gaze upon his capital city, a place so different from Uruk of the past.
Not hampered by the trials and tribulations of gods or men, not needing the oppression of their own ruler to reach their true potential, it was a city of hope as so many passionate souls resided their.
It was so different from what I had learnt from observing Gil all those years and standing by his side.
But I also knew that to truly see the value of a kingdom, I had to look at the lowliest of villages.
What surprised me wasn't just that these small villages weren't being ignored or oppressed, but that they were being guided to not only prosper, but also to thrive in and with their environment.
I observed the lumberjacks carefully choose the trees they cut and plant new ones to replace it in the future. Practicing selective deforestation as they called it to make sure the forests would continue thriving.
Keeping careful control and monitoring of any animal population was deemed important to make sure everyone would always have enough to eat and that the balance of nature was maintained for even the beasts.
Fishing focused villages were made sure to not over fish and to give back to nature such as feeding the fish or protecting breeding and spawning areas.
Even mining villages made sure to use special magic and alchemy formulas to ensure the earth could create or replenish itself as they practiced a method to give back the untaken earth.
It was fascinating to see beings taking from nature but also trying to give back what they could in exchange.
These villages did not suffer from starvation, poverty, oppression and bandits like many in the past. Finding support and protection from the institutions put in place by their Lord and his laws.
In the few times I had used his gift to enter towns, I have found near reverence when they confirmed the legitimacy of it and welcomed me with celebrations in a effort to somehow show their thanks.
I listened to their stories, of their experiences, finding respect and loyalty, while pride was found when they looked at themselves not as lowly villagers, but the proclaimed backbone of these lands.
Having seen the very top and bottom, I then began my journey anew as I now searched to understand more about this lord though his soldiers.
_______________________________________
So a Ciri chapter cause I felt like it and then ran with it.
I wanted Ciri to actually find a place she could feel safe in and not have to worry about everyone there getting killed by the Wild Hunt.
I thought she would do great as a friend of Jeanne for being kindred spirits in enjoying freedom and having a bit of a tempter and fool mouths.
Scáthach and Musashi can be sort of mentor/idol figures as powerful female warriors.
Da Vinci can be more of a thrill source as she tests the crazy hit she invents.
And Mana could basically continue her Survivalist section of Witcher training.
Lith and Serafall would end up in the elder brother/sister category due to Ciri already seeing Yen and Geralt as her parent figures and because they act and look younger than the two. Serafall being there for more of a emotional and feminine issues, while Lith guides her as a person and fellow space-time user.
I also felt like introducing Ciri to proper clothing, magical/modern products and to give her a kickass sword which is pretty much her Zireael, but better.
I also used her to talk more about Lith's capital, but I feel like I've done that a bit too much since it hasn't been long since Scáthach did it too.
So to fix that, I brought in Enkidu who is basically going to serve as a bit of a tour guide while he goes around Azaroth lands to judge if Lith is worthy of wielding him.
This time was the village level places that I had said focus on agriculture, lumber, mining or fishing to sustain themselves.
Thought it would be an interesting way to kill two birds with one stone.
Enjoy.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Alexander_the_grey
Alexander_the_grey Hello hello~
Here we go with Ciri.
She will be a peerage member in the future, but not yet. Only after she finishes Witcher 3 Events.
Meanwhile I’m thinking of making Enkidu appear at the end of a few chapters like that to say what he’s doing and show off Lith’s lands. It won’t be really long or detailed, closer to like an omake if anything.
Hope you guys enjoy.
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