MLTO C3, P7

This is the seventh Part of "MLIV:TO" 's third Chapter.
It was released on 06.01.2023.
== Plot ==
Now that Geralt and Aurelia are away from their families and the dangers that were trying to corrupt their minds, they have a new perspective to look at. With fresh pairs of eyes, they look upon the world that was bestowed to them and search for another way to prove themselves, but only as the powerful duo that they are.
On their little adventure, they cannot help but notice all of the damage that has been done. Even though they managed to avenge the fallen monks and repel Shura and the humanoid invaders, the damage that the fiends did to the rest of the countryside after their humiliating defeat is still considerable.
Can the wounds caused by them be healed? Or will they last forevermore?
== Story ==
Geralt and Aurelia walk through a small forest, admiring is beauty and wondering how it avoided most of the carnage that the warriors of Shura caused recently.
"You know what, Geralt?"- Aurelia says- "Now that I managed to spend some time with you, I managed to remember some of the memories that I had as a child. They were always so... vivid. So pleasant to remember. But the scars that Alais Keymoira inflicted upon me, they made me forget what I used to be. What a cheerful child I was."
She looks up.
"I never imagined the sky to be so bright, though."- She adds- "In the time I spent in Brigantia, I never saw the sun that much, since my mistress always ordered me to stay inside. But... I guess that there wasn't that much sun to be seen, anyway. That place was a pretty shady city, and I never felt any joy, any hope."
Geralt smiles.
"Well, you are with me now."- He says- "I promised your father to guard you. And I always will, no matter if it is from our enemies or from your own hatred."
Aurelia nods.
"I know, Geralt. I know it very well."- She says- "When I was feeling most desperate, the first person who unlocked the hope in my heart was you. You were the one who gave me the confidence to be the cheerful, talkative Aurelia that I always was. And I... I can't thank you enough."
Geralt nods.
"Of course, Aurelia."- He says- "I am glad that you think this way."
He turns away for a few seconds.
"Why did she come to respect me so much? What did I do to deserve this?"- He asks himself- "When I rescued her from that place, I was just doing an act of kindness that I would have gladly done for anyone else. And yet, she thinks that I am some kind of a grand hero. A special one, on top of that. What does she see that I am too blind to notice?"
Aurelia raises her eyebrow.
"Umm, Geralt?"- She asks- "You're not being shy again, are you?"
Geralt sighs.
"Aurelia... "- He mutters- "I... "
He looks down and sighs.
"No. Please forget it."- He says- "I was just... thinking to myself."
Aurelia approaches Geralt and gives him a hug.
"Well, you will never be alone in your thoughts."- She says- "I won't let the shadows make you doubt yourself! We'll always be a team!"
Geralt looks away again.
"Hmm. That statement was a little bit creepy."- He says to himself- "But... it was rather adorable, too. I like her enthusiasm."
He looks up.
"Wait."- He says to himself- "Is it just me, or I am starting to... fall for her?"
He looks down and closes his eyes.
"No, Geralt. Focus your energy and control yourself, you weak little kitten!"- He scolds himself- "This is not the right time to get interested in a girl, no matter how nice and helpful she is to you!"
He shakes his head.
"Kai advised me to stay away from powers that I cannot understand, so I will."- He adds- "Besides, I do not know her that well yet. We still have many adventures to embark on."
Aurelia looks at him.
"Umm, Geralt?"
Geralt looks up.
"Yes, yes. I am alright."- He says- "Perhaps we should get going."
Aurelia nods.
"Well, yet. I was just thinking the same thing."- She says- "But I... wanted to tell you something before we go."
Geralt looks at her.
"You have something new to say, partner?"- He says and smiles- "Well, you are always full of surprises. What is it this time?"
Aurelia sits down on a fallen trunk and sighs.
"As you may already know, I'm a part of the Moonglow family- the true masters of the legendary lands of Silverdale. My father is the governor of this region and my mother, well, she was just a completely normal person. But that is what she wanted the rest of the people to believe. Me and our family were the only ones who knew that she had something special within her, some kind of an extraterrestrial force that regular people were unable to notice. And the revelation, my dear friend, is that my mother is from another world. Another place, inhabited by humans. She grew up in a place of hatred and mischief and learned how to survive on her own. Then, she met dad and they had me and my sister. Alongside our older brother, we lived completely normal lives as a high-class family... until poor, little me was taken away from the people who loved me the most."- She says- "Even though I was forced to work somewhere else, the powers that I inherited from my parents were still inside of me. I was capable of soothing the souls of others. Whenever a slave was injured in some kind of an accident, I was always there to heal them, despite my mistress's protests. I loved to help people back then and I still do now. My role as a healer was rightfully restored, and now, I can carry on the legacy that mom and dad forged with their own hands."
Aurelia looks at Geralt.
"So tell me, Geralt."- She says to him- "Do you still trust me, even after you... finally learned the truth about what I am?"
Geralt smiles and leans forward. He takes Aurelia's hands in his and watches as she blushes a little bit.
"Aurelia, you are the most interesting human being I have ever met. To be the child of such gifted parents is no easy feat, but your selflessness is what truly shines the most."- He says- "It does not matter what others will say about you, because I can see the truth inside of that beautiful heart of yours. You are a good person and you will always be. And that is why you will always have a place in my group."
Aurelia's eyes fill with tears. She leans back, too shy to express her true feelings toward him.
"When you found me for the first time, I was a truly broken girl. I liked to help people, but I never came to see the passion that I had inside of my heart. And you, you were the only one who truly understood me back then."- She says- "But I was too shy, too lost in my own thoughts to notice you. I played a game that you were unable to understand and I... I've always felt really sorry about it. I really did."
She looks at Geralt.
"Can you ever forgive me, Geralt?"- She asks him- "Can you forgive this ignorant little girl that was too lost in her own world to notice anyone else?"
Geralt smiles.
"Of course I forgive you, Aurelia. You never did anything wrong to begin with."- He says to her- "There are many people in this world who are just like you- secluded, insecure, their minds clouded by distant desires. But it is the job of heroes like me to fix you, to make you realize that you have a place in this world. To help you see just how loved you are."
He looks up.
"Truth be told, I have always felt the same way like you."- He admits- "When I met you for the first time, I felt a spark of pure happiness. It is as if I reunited with a person whose presence I have cherished for a long time, yet I never came to see how valuable she truly was to me. And I... I formed a bond that I had lost a long time ago. A source of passion that kept me afloat."
He smiles.
"And it is all thanks to you, dear Aurelia."
Aurelia blushes again.
"Aww, that's so sweet of you!"- She exclaims- "Maybe we should go out for a while sometime! You know, like the true friends that we are! I'm sure that will help us strengthen our special bond even further!"
Geralt smiles.
"I am looking forward to knowing you better, Aurelia."
Aurelia smiles back.
"Me too, Geralt."
Geralt stands up.
"Anyway, I think that we should be going."- He says- "I do not want to waste what little daylight we've got left."
Aurelia salutes him.
"Lead the way, sir!"
The duo leaves the forest and comes across a grassy wasteland. From their vantage point, it seems to be very peaceful. There are no sounds of monsters anywhere nearby and the only threat to them are the large blades of grass that have sprouted ahead.
"Ahh, the sound of distant grasshoppers."- Aurelia says- "That's so... romantic."
Geralt nods.
"And inspiring."- He adds- "A poet can write so many chapters about this peaceful place."
Aurelia looks at him.
"Should we walk further, though?"- She asks- "I don't think that there's any kind of danger, but I don't want to get my boots dirty. We've already gone too far."
Geralt sighs.
"This is the special think about being a travelling hero, Aurelia. Every little speckle of mud on your boots is a sign of the lands that you have conquered with your own feet and your own mind."- He says- "My grandpa once taught me that little things like those make us heroes special in the eyes of others. You cannot be like everyone else if you want to be one of the greatest. That is what I was told."
Aurelia raises her eyebrow.
"But I'm a girl!"- She exclaims- "We girls value our belongings!"
Geralt smiles serenely.
"Do you want me to... carry you on my shoulders, then?"
Aurelia thinks about this for a few seconds. Such an opportunity is hard to acquire and she is eager to take it for herself. However, she soon takes another look at Geralt and sees just how tired he is. Hoisting her on his shoulders will be quite an arduous task for him and he might even fall asleep on the way. So, she decides to politely decline the offer, citing that Geralt's well-being is more important to her than her own desires.
"A little bit of mud won't scare Aurelia Moonglow!"- She exclaims- "Let's get rolling!"
Geralt smiles.
"I see that you are starting to feel sympathetic toward others."- He says- "That is wonderful. Keep it up."
The duo walk through the grasslands together. Much to ther surprise, there is no mud hidden between the tall blades of grass in their immediate vicinity and they remain untouched by the dirty substance that was just in front of the entrance. Their clothes were spared from the taint of the vile mud.
As they near the end of the trail, however, something strange happens. A blade of grass wraps itself around Aurelia's leg and trips her. As Geralt helps her untangle herself, he gets tangled alongside her. Both their arms and legs are tied up and they are easily restrained.
"Geralt, what's going on?!"- Aurelia yells- "I thought that this place was very peaceful!"
Geralt shakes his head.
"I am not sure what kind of wild magic is hidden beneath the ground, but I know that it does not mean us well."- He says- "But we will not back down so easily. Watch and learn."
Suddenly, Geralt's entire body starts to burn. The blades of grass that managed to entangle him before are easily burned to ashes. A few more blades sprout out to replace their fallen comrades, but they are easily subdued.
Using the rest of the burning energy inside of him, Geralt manages to free Aurelia from her restraints. Then, they escape from the grasslands, leaving the cursed place behind for good.
But that is not the end of the trail. As soon as they stumble out of the first grasslands, they stumble into another one. More blades of grass attempt to subdue them, but Geralt draws his blade and detaches them from their sources.
"I hate to defile the sacred Nature like this, but I have no choice."- He says- "We must use our own weapons to survive this onslaught."
Aurelia draws her weapon, eagerly following Geralt's example.
"We've got this!"
As they make their way toward the end of the trail, they hear a familiar voice coming from nearby.
"People? Actual people?"- It says- "Over here! I-I can't make it out alone!"
Geralt gasps.
"A person in need!"
He runs forward, slashing giant blades of grass with his weapon and he reaches for the voice's source. Soon, he finds out that the one who is in danger is his good friend- Aaron.
"Geralt! It-it's really you! You're back!"- He says- "Umm, mind to help me get out of this predicament? I've really gotten my hands tied up!"
Geralt nods.
"Hold on, Aaron!"- He exclaims- "I have got your back!"
After freeing Aaron from his restraints, the two of them fight their way past the blades of grass that are creeping closer to them. Everything seems to become like some kind of a nightmare about grass monsters, but it seems to be too real for them.
Aurelia wastes no time to cast a light spell to protect her allies. Since the shield is also able to burn their enemies, the blades of grass that approach are easily taken care of as they escape from the grassy nightmare.
"Whew! That was... something else!"- Aaron exclaims- "Thanks, guys! And especially you, Geralt! You saved me for the second time and I appreciate it!"
Geralt smiles.
"I am just doing my work."
Aaron smiles back.
"And my, how well you're doing it!"
He looks at the road ahead of them and sighs.
"Can you believe that such a normal place like this is cursed by some kind of eldritch magic, meant to mess with passing travellers and drag them toward certain doom? Well, I didn't. And that's the price that I paid."- He says- "Note to self. Don't go in dangerous places all alone, even when a huge reward is promised."
Geralt looks at his friend.
"Speaking of being alone, I thought that you were still in the temple with the others."- He says to him- "Why did you go all the way here, even though we told you not to do so?"
Aaron laughs nervously.
"Well, it's a long story. It involves crazy dark magic that we had to dispel while we were in the temple and the humanoids that decided to stay in there. So, um, it's best to keep it short, for the sake of saving daylight."- He says- "When Mr. Akihiro decided to spend the rest of our resources to repair the damage caused by the battle with that Shura thing, I saw that there was no more need for me in there. I got your grandpa's permission to leave the temple behind, as long as I reunited with you as soon as possible. Zachy took charge of my job and I was free to go. But I... I gues that it didn't go very well for me. Too bad, I guess."
Aurelia gasps.
"You left all of your friends behind just like that?!"- She yells- "Are you in your right mind, Aaron?!"
Aaron shakes his head.
"I just wanted to be a part of whatever you're trying to do!"- He exclaims- "You see, I was too bored to stay in that place. I did have a duty, but I was just like the rest of the monks. Nobody really cared about me and I was just... just a regular part of everything."
He looks at the duo.
"But with you, I feel like I have a purpose. I fight for the good of everyone and I like it."- He says- "So, will you let me join you one more time? Please?"
Geralt looks at Aurelia. The two of them have a heated discussion whether they should let Aaron stay by their side or simply escort him back into the temple, on safer grounds than where they are now.
It does not take long for them to decide.
"Aaron, we cannot be angry at you for what you did. You were concerned about our well-being and you considered our friendship to be above the duties that you were forced to take care of. Your adventurous spirit, wild like the very wind itself, showed me just how much of a free soul you are. But you are also a law-abiding warrior with faith in the ways of the world, and that is what we truly respect."- He says- "Even though you shirked from your own duties, it was for the Greater Good. And that is what makes us want to take you back."
Aaron looks at them hopefully.
"Really?"- He asks- "So, this means... "
Geralt smiles.
"You were truly an invaluable asset back in the temple. We both saw how the humanoids trembled when they fought you at your worst. And we will be glad to make them see it again."- He says- "Aaron, my friend. We need you by our side. So, will you join us?"
Aaron grins.
"You don't need to say it twice!"- He exclaims- "Because I do! Of course, I do!"
Geralt smiles.
"Splendid."- He says- "Now that there are three of us, I am sure that we can make our way toward the next destination much quicker."
The trio make their way through the last of the grasslands and into a small, beautiful forest. There, they rest for a while, but they are attacked by a huge wolf. Aurelia is about to murder it in cold blood, but Geralt stops her when he sees a faint trace of intelligence in the creature's eyes. It is revealed that the creature is, in fact, a young dryad, who had just learned to transform into her beast form. Apparently, some kind of a mishap happened and the creature attacked the heroes by mistake.
After thanking the heroes for sparing her, the dryad told them about a certain problem that has been plaguing the forests for quite a while. Judging from what she said to them, the heroes figure out that there is some kind of mysterious force that is convincing all of the sentient forms of wildlife to go against the rules of Nature itself and defile it. One of the strongest and most corrupted races of them are the Centaurs, a neutral and peaceful race of half-humans that prefers to stay away from society. What made them go against their own principles is still very much a mystery. And yet, it is clear that they have some sort of a leader somewhere. Some kind of a powerful chief that serves as the lead subordinate of the mysterious force and enforces its will, corrupting the forests- the lands that he once respected so much- and taking all of the bounty within for himself, just like a true tyrant.
At the end of the story, the dryad blesses the heroes with a power that she calls "the vision of the forest". Now, they are able to see how much the woodlands have suffered because of the villains that ruined them and understand how they truly feel. Satisfied that they will be able to make some sort of a difference, they depart, leaving the young dryad to regain her bearings and lead the forces of the forest to fight back the incoming rebels.
On their way to the next major forest, Geralt and his allies stumble upon a sizable group of humanoids, seemingly escapees from some kind of a dangerous place.
"From the looks it, those fiends seem to be survivors of the battle between Shura and the monks."- Geralt says- "They must have escaped before our allies hunted them down."
Aaron looks around.
"Well, I think that I saw a group of them running out of the temple, at the time when they realized that they were doomed. I tried to shoot them down, but they were just too fast."- He says- "So, I guess that some of the fault for their escape should go to me."
Geralt sighs.
"We are not blaming anyone, Aaron. And we never will."- He says- "It was a mistake that we shall fix. Together."
Aurelia raises her eyebrow.
"Does this mean that there's more of them out there?"- She asks- "Should we, umm, be afraid?"
Geralt looks at her.
"They are not the worst of them, so we should be fine."- He says- "It will take little more than a few minutes to take them down."
He analyzes their movement for a while.
"But... something is telling me that they are not acting on their own. Some kind of a smarter being is commanding them."- He says and draws his weapon- "Keep an eye out for whatever is out there. I am sure that there will be a trap, but I am confident that we shall get past it."
Aurelia and Aaron salute him.
"You got it, buddy!"- Aaron exclaims- "Let's fight them, in the name of those monks!"
And so, the trio lunges at the confused group of humanoids. Apparently, their appearance startled them and they are unable to defend themselves. As Geralt predicted earlier, it does not take them a long time to do what is meant to happen.
As they clean their weapons and prepare to embark on another perilous journey, however, they are ambushed by a smaller group of humanoids and subdued. While trying to free themselves, they come across their leader- an actual human being.
"Well met, heroes. I am Jett Norwood- leader of this little gang of creatures."- He says- "They listen to my commands and execute them without any questions."
He looks at them suspiciously.
"And now, you'd better answer my questions."- He says- "Or you're going to feel my wrath."