MLTO C3, P12

This is the twelveth Part of "MLIV:TO" 's third Chapter.
It was released on 18.01.2023.
== Plot ==
Now redeemed and esteemed, the young hero known as Geralt Kaos is ready to fight evil. Once again, he shall penetrate the forces of darkness and find a light in the smallest of things, showing his allies that he is no longer afraid of what is meant to happen.
In his way toward true redemption, he sees the face of Calus the Centaur and his companions- the ones who tried to humiliate him in front of the entire world. To proceed toward the end of his quest, our hero must defeat them and prove to everyone that no crime remains unanswered.
How will this fateful encounter end?
== Story ==
Geralt and Calus keep staring at each other. Both of them hold grudges against each other, but neither of them dares to strike when the other one is not ready. Thus, they simply stand there, as if waiting for something to happen.
Finally, Calus shakes his head and sighs.
"You know, I never thought that you would be my last opponent."- He says to Geralt- "All this time, I've been fighting a lot of enemies. I've caused a lot of mischief. No hero ever dared to stand in my way, because they were too afraid of the consequences. And yet, even as I made fun of you, you still dared to stand your ground, just because you're some kind of unbreakable spirit."
He stares at him.
"Tell me, kid."- He says- "Why are you like this?"
Geralt places his hand on his heart.
"When a young soul becomes a hero, he makes a promise. Not just to the entire world, but to himself, as well. Whenever there is danger present in this world, there must be a guiding light that will ward the shadows away. And that light must be unbreakable. Unsnuffable. Undefeatable."- He says- "When you insulted me back then, I felt broken. I admit it. But. as time passed, you only managed to make me stronger than I was before. My heart's fire was never extinguished by you. It only managed to stay down for a while, and then, it emerged from the ashes- just like the sacred Phoenix."
Calus raises his eyebrow.
"You think that you're some kind of a mythological creature?"- He says and chuckles- "Please. You're the same as everyone else. You can't even break free from the past that you were forced to experience, let alone change the future."
Geralt shakes his head.
"It is true. I have always been chained to the past and I shall remain this way until my purpose in this world is completely revealed."- He says- "But I have one thing that villains like you shall never possess."
Calus raises his eyebrow again.
"And that is?"
Geralt stares at him.
"Well, you seem to be quite a wise one."- He says- "Why don't you figure it out yourself?"
Calus is taken aback. To be told to do something by himself is a great insult for him. However, he decides to prove Geralt wrong by showing him that he's just as independent as the rest of his kind.
"Take a look around, my friend."- Geralt says to him- "Look at my allies, then look at yours. See what you are missing."
Calus does what he is told, only to realize that there is one flaw in his ways that he never managed to notice.
"The thing that you are missing... is trust."- Geralt adds- "You may have all of those powerful creatures standing by your side, but you only lead them with the help of the fear within their hearts, not the trust that they put in you. You never dare to see what they are and you never wish to understand their problems better. For all that it is worth, I think that you are one of the worst leaders out there. Your powers may be immense, but when you don't have anyone to truly appreciate you, then you are nothing more than a worthless peon who is basking in the darkness of a greater entity."
Calus glares at him.
"It's true! But... but it wasn't always like this, you know?!"- He yells- "Do you even know about my story?"
Geralt shrugs.
"I only know what the dryads told me earlier."- He says- "You are an invader and destroyer, but you might have some sort of a secret that was never revealed until now. So, speak up. Everyone wants to hear it."
Calus looks down.
"It all started when I was born in the forests near that human region you call 'Silverdale'. I began my life as a regular creature of the forests, loved and respected. I had a mom and dad that meant the world to me. I was happy with what I was and I didn't want to change... until the murderers of your race arrived at our forest. Apparently, my people had ruined the balance of the forest with their ominous practices and the humans wanted us to stop. They warned us about the consequences that would unfold, but the rest of the centaurs did not listen. Even our elders were not concerned. So, those barbarians drew their weapons and slew them all in front of us. All of the children were forced to flee and seek their fortunes elsewhere. I became a wanderer in the world, a worthless outcast whose sole purpose was to wander and keep wandering."
He clenches his fists.
"Eventually, me and my comrades came back into our ancestral home. We saw how it was destroyed, burned to the ground by your kind. An act of terror was committed against us, and it was truly unforgivable."- He continues- "All of us were angered by the crime. So, when you came back to finish us off, we fought back. Our strength had increased and our spirit had become unbreakable. Those barbarians didn't stand a chance and were slain very quickly. Their blood was spilled on the same ground where they spilled the blood of my kind decades ago. And that's when the true revolution began."
He looks up,
"For many ages, we travelled around the forests, convincing members of our own kind to stand against the laws of Nature and Humankind. In a very short time, we managed to gather a sizable force. We took over several human towns, and they were too scared of us to be able to fight back."- He says- "And yet, we still had no wise leader to help us see our true purpose. The changes that we made in this world. It was all a mystery to us, until Redmark and his people arrived. They were impressed with what we had done and allowed us to do what we want, even though we were never allowed to join them, as we were 'too wild and unpredictable'. One of the emperor's closest advisors, however, took a pity on us. An alien being who's much wiser than the rest of the races on this planet, and has the power and influence to dominate everyone, but never dared to do so. The Firestarter helped us get back on our feet, and with his guidance, we were able to truly strike back against our common enemies."
Geralt shakes his head.
"I understand that your kind was wronged during that fateful day. Whoever did this to you should be ashamed of themselves. Starting a conflict with a race that might be older than us is truly unacceptable."- He says- "Even though they were the ones who started everything, you should have responded with understanding. The humans were just afraid of what would happen if they let you roam free and were forced to do that deed, for the safety of everyone else. But... if my words have ever meant anything to you, then I am sorry that you had to experience this."
Calus sighs.
"I guess that you're better than everyone else. A little bit."- He says- "Still, you're our enemy and this fight cannot be avoided. If you think that you're not worthy enough to fight us, then just go home and complain to your mama. I'm sure that you're better at that."
Geralt shakes his head.
"I appreciate your offer, but I am no fool. I have come here to achieve victory and peace for my kind, and your words will not break me."- He says- "Me and my allies shall stand our ground against you. We will stop you from destroying everything, and you have no right to speak against those who are only trying to keep the world safe from villains like you."
Calus clenches his fists.
"Then I won't say anything. I've already talked about what you wanted to know, so it'll be pointless to say more than I already have."- He says- "This fight's a perfect excuse for me to use my new powers. I've been wanting to test them out for quite a while."
Geralt nods.
"This is perfect."- He says- "I have always wanted to face a worthy adversary on the battlefield."
He draws his weapons.
"Now show me what you've got."
Calus nods.
"I'm ready to take you all down."
Calus and his centaurs charge. Geralt and his allies meet their charge with one of their own.
"Today, we shall fight the fire with our very own fire."- Geralt says- "Prepare for battle, everyone!"
Aurelia shakes her head.
"This is going to be ugly."- She says- "Just like their leader."
Calus glares at her.
"Hey!"- He exclaims- "I heard you!"
Jett shakes his head.
"There's no time left to make sarcastic comments."- He says- "Fight on!"
The two groups engage in a very vicious battle. Despite the difference between the units that they have, both of them are evenly matched. It is completely unclear which one is going to emerge as the victor.
Donovan commands his mages to form a formation that will protect Geralt and his allies from the centaurs' attacks. Whiel the creatures use their magic to break through this defense, the mages create a powerful barrier of fire. The heat emanating from it disorients the creatures and its immense power pushes them back, making it impossible for them to get through.
"Use your spears, comrades!"- Calus yells- "Don't let them escape!"
The centaurs draw their spears. Much to the humans' surprise, they attempt to stab their way through the impenetrable barrier, in the hopes of causing some damage.
Like a pile of glass left in the searing sun, the barrier breaks easily under the weight of those powerful attackers. The spears manage to reach some of the combatants, stabbing and killing them in the process, leaving our heroes vulnerable once again.
"Looks like they know about our weakness way too well. That's not good at all."- Donovan says- "But our aid did help you out, right? Are you feeling better now?"
Geralt nods.
"Such an amount of time might have been insufficient for a regular person, but I managed to regain my strength."- He says- "I am ready to take the fight back to them. As long as you are, too, of course."
Donovan nods.
"Then make those fools see the light."- He says- "We've got you covered."
Geralt draws his weapon and points it at the centaurs.
"With hope and faith comes a greater responsibility. The power of passion that breaks through every barrier of the darkness."- He says- "Allow me to show you what we have learned so far!"
Without the help of anyone else, Geralt charges forward and unleashes a wave of pure magic, shattering the spears of the centaurs in the front like and throwing them back. Then he strikes left and right, easily making his way through the confused centaurs. Some of them attempt to stop him, but his anger is far stronger than their evil.
A while later, he finally manages to reach Calus. And the vile centaur seems to be ready for him. His spear is drawn and something seems to glow in his other hand. He is no fool.
"So, you finally came here."- He says- "What took you so long?"
Geralt looks at him.
"Your warriors."
Calus lets out a dry chuckle.
"Oh. Hah."- He says- "How unfortunate that they weren't able to defeat you."
Geralt raises his eyebrow.
"Well, will you finish what they started?"- He asks- "Or will you end up like your fallen comrades, defeated and forgotten?"
Calus smiles.
"How about we find that out?"
Geralt nods.
"Bring it on, warrior of the woods."
As Geralt prepares to meet Calus's moves, the centaur surprises him by jumping in the air. Due to the fact that the young hero is unprepared for what is coming next, the creature manages to make the first move, landing on all four of his feet and sending out a massive shockwave that shakes Geralt to the core.
Geralt has never seen someone whose sole source of strength is his hatred for someone. He tries to defend himself, but the centaur's spear pierces too far, creating a tear through reality itself that allows him to easily disarm our hero.
Seeing that his ally is in danger, Donovan quickly stabs the centaurs around him and launches a massive fireball, in an attempt to save the young hero. However, Calus manages to send it back to its caster, incinerating the ground around his feet and nearly damaging him in the process.
And yet, Donovan refuses to give up on saving the young boy. He launches another fireball, but the result remains the same. And then, he sends another. And another. His rage rises with each attack that he performs, but the odds are in his enemy's favor all the time.
Calus laughs.
"Is this all that the mighty sovereign of Goznor has got?"- He says, amused- "You might as well be one of the weakest leaders that I've ever faced."
He smiles.
"Nice work on covering that weakling that people call a hero, by the way."- He says- "All that you're doing is just proving my point. He ain't nothing to me."
Infuriated, Donovan decides to make Calus pay. But not for insulting him and his people, but for making fun of the boy that he admires so much. He takes a few steps back and charges, his weapon crackling with incredible power, his body filled with vigor and passion.
"Oh. You want to fight?"- Calus asks- "Sure thing. I'm ready for you."
Calus meets his enemy's charge by furiously stomping his feet, creating a small cloud of dust that severely weakens Donovan. While the young sovereign tries to find his way through this maze of madness, the centaur turns around and strikes him with both of his feet, sending him flying into a tree far away from the battlefield.
"Oh no!"- Aaron exclaims- "Your Majesty!"
Aurelia looks back.
"We must help him out!"- She exclaims- "He won't survive without our help!"
Jett shakes his head.
"Are you out of your mind, girly?"- He asks her- "Geralt needs help more than that king does! We must stand our ground!"
Geralt stands up and looks back at his allies.
"It is okay. I will be fine."- He reassures them- "Give His Majesty the help that he deserves. I can fight this forest traitor alone."
Jett raises his eyebrow,
"Are you sure?"- He asks- "I mean, he does look pretty dangerous! Don't you want our help, in case something goes wrong?"
Geralt shakes his head.
"I assure you that everything will go well. There is no need to worry."- He says- "If you are still willing to listen to my commands, then this is what I want you to do. No matter how dangerous it may be, get him out of there before something hurts him."
Jett sighs.
"As you wish."
He turns back.
"Come on, everyone."- He says- "To the king!"
Aurelia and Aaron nod. They join Jett as he rushes forward, pushing his way through the centaurs to reach Donovan as soon as possible.
"We're coming, Your Majesty!"
Calus stares at the heroes as they go and laughs.
"It seems like your pride has clouded your mind. Those people wanted to help you, but you shunned them and sent them far away from here."- He says to Geralt- "What kind of a leader are you, anyway?"
Geralt turns around.
"A wise, caring and careful one."
Calus nods.
"But is that what you think?"
Geralt shakes his head.
"Not at all."- He says- "I never dare to judge myself, no matter how righteous my actions turn out to be. I always allow others to do it, because their opinions let me know whether I am actually doing well or not."
Calus smiles.
"Then you're quite interesting."- He says- "It's a shame that I'll have to take you out."
As Geralt prepares to cast a spell, the centaur counters it by pulling out a small orb and shattering it on the ground. The result of this unpredictable move is a group of wild, hungry goblins, some of which are struck by Geralt's attack.
"What in the world?"
Calus laughs.
"You thought that I didn't have any tricks up my sleeve? How naive of you!"- He says and looks down at the shards of the orb- "That Shura kid was not one of the strongest fighters we've ever met, but he surely had a few good things in mind. His magic was truly helpful for all of us."
Geralt raises his eyebrow.
"You know about Shura?"
Calus nods.
"Why yes. The mighty tyrant who brought an entire temple's worth of monks to their knees is known by us- the centaurs. We even allowed him to pass through our lands to reach you."- He says- "It's a shame that he's not here with us anymore. He despised honorable people like you and he would've loved to watch you suffer."
Geralt shakes his head.
"Shura was a vile imitation of the thoughts inside of the human brain. He was a force of evil that cannot be described with words."- He retorts- "The world has been plagued by villains like him for centuries, but he was the worst of them all. His disappearance from our homeland was one of the happiest things that has ever happened to us. And nobody can tell us otherwise."
Calus smiles.
"Then you're as much of a fool as that master of yours."
Geralt glares at him.
"What has Master Akihiro ever done to you?"
Calus sighs.
"He's just an obstacle in our way."- He says- "A very annoying one."
Geralt draws his weapon again.
"Well, I think that I will be an even bigger annoyance for you."- He says- "Prepare yourself, fiend of the forest. With or without the help of that dreaded Shura, you are going down."
Geralt rushes forward, his heart filled with passion. His moves are becoming harder and harder for Calus to analyze, but the centaur does not seem to be afraid. Instead of attacking him back, however, he drops his spear and stands still for a few seconds, as if waiting for him to make the first move.
"What is wrong with him?"- Geralt says to himself as he continues to make his move- "Is he... surrendering?"
Contrary to his beliefs, Calus has not given up at all. He has just been waiting for the right moment to strike, and Geralt's sudden moment of weakness has opened a whole box of opportunities for him.
Once Geralt is close enough, he realizes that something is truly amiss. By the time he finally figures it out, it is too late.
Now that his plan is finally working, Calus rushes forward. He presses the palm of his hand against Geralt's heart and watches as his expression suddenly changes, from worried to pained.
"Argh!"- He exclaims- "What are you doing?!"
Calus laughs.
"I'm just turning up the heat a little bit!"- He responds- "And by a little bit, I mean a lot!"
Suddenly, the palm of Calus's hand starts to glow red. Fiery energy emanates from it and burns its way through Geralt's skin. A sensation like no other, felt like the stings of a thousand fire wasps, courses through the young hero's body as he starts to scream in pain.
"How does it feel, Geralt?"- Calus asks him- "Can you feel the rage of my people within your soul? Can you see how much we've suffered because of people like you?!"
Geralt shakes his head.
"I must... resist... the rage... "- He mutters- "You will not... break me... "
And then, he lets out another loud scream. The effort of resisting this tremendously powerful fire spell is taking quite a toll on him, but his spirit is still far from giving up.
The fire magic continues to burn Geralt's skin. Slowly but surely, it reaches its way into his inner sactum, immolating every part of his body on its way. Despite the hero's best efforts, it does not take long for him to fall on his knees.
"And so, the mighty hero of Silverdale has fallen."- Calus says- "Now it's time for me to finish what I start-- "
Suddenly, a large rock flies forward and hits Calus in the head. Just as he starts to wonder where it came from, another rock hits him in the shoulder.
"What is this mockery?"- He yells- "What's going on?!"
Somewhere from the shadows, he can hear Jett's chuckle.
"It's the embodiment of your spirit!"- He exclaims- "And you've been a very, very bad boy!"
Calus shakes his head.
"Stop messing around with me!"- He yells- "Show yourself! Or yourselves, if I'm led to believe!"
Jett sighs.
"Be careful what you wish for, villain."- He says- "Sometimes, fate can have some unexpected twists and turns."
Suddenly, someone appears behind Calus. When he turns around, he sees Aaron, pointing his weapon at him and smiling.
"They say that you should not play with fire."- He says- "But the winds of time are far more perilous."
With that, he takes a step forward and unleashes a powerful gust of wind, sending Calus into the air. Terrified by this sudden anomaly, the centaur starts screaming.
"Let me down, you fool!"- He exclaims- "I can't stand being up here!"
Aaron nods.
"Your wish... has been granted!"
Having said that, he stops his wind spell, watching as Calus falls to the ground, breaking some of his bones in the process.
And yet, the centaur's fire hasn't been extinguished just yet. He rises to his feet, despite the fact that he is severely injured. When the heroes try to finish him off, he responds by sending them all back with the magic of his spear.
"You won't take my life away!"- He yells- "I'm too strong for you, fools!"
Geralt shakes his head.
"You have gone too far."- He says- "We will stop you. Rest assured of that."
The centaur's barrier starts to become much stronger. If our heroes want to cut their way through it, they must do it now, as it might become impossible very soon.
To Geralt, seeing the barrier between and his enemy is like walking through the vicious winds in the cold mountain to the north of the temple where he and Aurelia trained. His master taught him that even the wildest of winds can be taken care of and that even the worst of anomalies can be banished back where they belong. This part of the training allowed him to see the resolve in his own heart and use it as a source of inner strength, a power that will become the cutting edge that will turn the tables in his favor.
Determined and unafraid, the young hero makes his way through the barrier without even a sliver of fear inside of his heart. This surprises both his enemy and his allies and they watch, shocked, as he succeeds in making his move.
"Impossible!"- Calus exclaims- "You should've been stopped! You can't do anything!"
Geralt shakes his head.
"No, Calus. You are wrong."- He says- "Anything is possible, as long as you believe that you can do it."
Calus's eyes widen as he finally realizes that he is completely doomed.
"No! You can't do this to me!"- He yells- "Stop right there! And I won't take 'no' for an answer!"
He tries to strengthen the barrier, but to no avail. Geralt is just too strong for him.
"You won't defeat me!"
Geralt sighs.
"I am truly sorry, Calus, but you were the one who brought this upon yourself."- He says- "Now accept your judgement and perish, like the rest of your mindless kind."
Calus tries to take a few steps back. He tries to escape, but Geralt is faster than him,
"No! Stop it!"- He yells- "No!"
Suddenly, Geralt's sword cuts its way through Calus's chest. The vile centaur falls to his four knees, helpless and deceived.
"Why does this happen to me?"- He asks- "My friends... my companions... "
Jett sighs.
"We had to kill the most bloodthirsty and heartless ones, but the rest of them were spared."- He says- "Maybe they will see the wisdom that you failed to see with your own eyes."
Calus shakes his head.
"My allies... have betrayed me?"- He says- "They... ran away without my permission?"
He looks up and starts to laugh.
"There's no point in staying here anymore!"- He exclaims- "I'm free to go wherever I want! I can burn down every village that I want, and nobody will tell me a single thing!"
Then, much to our heroes' surprise, he leaps to his feet, turns around and starts to run away.
"Stop him!"- Geralt yells- "He is too dangerous to be left alive!"
Aaron and Jett start to run after the centaur, but he is far too fast for them. While they try to catch their breath, he gains a brief advantage, running away from them as fast as he can.
"Well done, everyone."- Geralt says to his allies and sighs- "Now, allow me to finish him off."
Geralt draws his weapon and runs after Calus, in an attempt to catch up with him. Even though the centaur runs very fast, so does Geralt. Their speed is matched, but Calus's determination is far too strong.
Just when Geralt starts to think that this chase is going to be futile, a lone figure appears from the shadows. Calus stops for a second, shocked to see that he has been ambushed. 
This gives a brief opportunity to both Geralt and the other person to strike. They rush forward and stab him in the same spot twice- the head. Calus is killed immediately and his lifeless corpse falls on the ground below, never to awaken again.
Geralt looks up and tries to thank the person who helped him out.
"There's no need to thank me, my dear Geralt."- He hears a familiar female voice- "I'm just helping out the one who helped me."
Geralt raises his eyebrow.
"Aurelia?"- He says- "Is that you?"
Aurelia takes a few steps forward and shakes her head.
"Argh! I knew that this was too predictable!"- She exclaims- "I should've used another voice!"
Geralt smiles, leans forward and hugs her.
"I am glad that it was you."- He says- "You saved my life once again. I truly appreciate it."
Aurelia hugs him back.
"You're one of the dearest things in my life."- She mutters- "I would never abandon you."
Geralt raises his eyebrow.
"Hmm?"- He asks- "What did you say?"
Aurelia's eyes widen.
"Umm, nothing!"- She exclaims- "I was just... thinking about how beautiful the day is today! Yes, that's it!"
Geralt smiles.
"Well, it is quite beautiful."- He says- "Just like you."
Aurelia blushes immediately. She wasn't expecting him to retort in such an innocent, lovable way.
"T-thank you."
Geralt smiles.
"You are welccome!"
The two of them look back at the dead centaur as the rest of their allies join them.
"Well, it looks like this is the end of this one."- Aaron says and sighs- "And yet, I've got the feeling that this problem is far from over. The centaurs that we spared might have gotten the right idea, but we still have to convince the others to let go of their ways. And there's still a lot of them left."
Although Jett seems to be calm and composed, closer inspection reveals that he is shivering for some reason. A little bit.
"Even in death, this creature is truly terrifying."- He says- "The fact that he's gone does not put me at ease. His spirit now lingers in the sky, continuing to mock us."
Aaron raises his eyebrow.
"So, you believe that the centaur is still out there?"- He asks- "That's crazy! Nobody can come back here once their soul leaves our realm!"
Jett sighs.
"I'd like to believe that. I really do."- He says- "But I know that the memory of him will remain. We won't get rid of him that easily."
Geralt shakes his head.
"Then we shall continue to think about our positive memories, in the hopes of banishing what Calus once was."- He says- "Even though that task might be a little hard in the beginning, I assure you that we shall succeed. Those creatures shall never corrupt our thoughts and I shall make sure of that."
Jett nods.
"I... feel a little bit better. Thank you."- He says- "But we came for something else, right? There's something that we want, something truly important?"
Geralt nods.
"You are right."- He says and leans down- "Check his pockets, everyone. There must be something in there."
Our heroes prepare to search the recently deceased centaur, hoping to find something that will give them some sort of a hint. Of course, the creature managed to hide any crucial information deep inside, making their search quite difficult.
While checking out the creature's right pocket, Geralt stumbles upon a small piece of paper. He reads it for a while, prompting Aurelia to approach him and take a look herself.
"What is it, Geralt?"- She asks- "What are you looking at?"
Geralt sighs.
"I am not quite sure."- He says- "It seems like some sort of a report. I am trying to decipher it."
Aurelia smiles.
"Well, good luck!"
After a bit of time spent reading the letter, Geralt's eyes widen a little bit. His eyes fill with tears as he unsuccessfully tries to hide his true feelings.
Finally, he looks down and allows the tears to fall down.
"All this time, I have been living in a lie."- He mutters- "I did not know that... this was real. I believed that it might be true, but I was also very... worried."
Aurelia raises her eyebrow.
"What is wrong, Geralt?"- She asks- "What did you find?"
Geralt looks up, his eyes still filled with tears.
"It is true, Aurelia!"- He exclaims- "My father... he is alive!"