MLTO C2, P10

This is the tenth Part of "MLIV:TO" 's second Chapter.
It was released on 11.11.2022.
== Plot ==
Now that our heroes have the exact location of the slave trader who has been torturing Aurelia Moonglow for more than a single decade, Geralt devises a plan to catch the villain red-handed without alerting the militia stationed in Brigantia.
Meanwhile, Kaiden separates from the team to seek out revenge for a personal vendetta. He comes face to face with the man who betrayed them four years ago and got his beloved twin sister killed. The hand of justice is spreading deep, even in enemy lands. Soon, this man will feel the rage that was withdrawn for so long... and he may take in the worst of it.
== Story ==
As Geralt and his allies prepare to leave, Cyrus stops them.
"Wait."- He says- "Before you go, I wanted to tell you something."
Geralt raises his eyebrow.
"You want to reveal something of importance?"- Geralt says- "Cousin, you are always so full of surprises. What is it this time?"
Cyrus sighs.
"When you came here to ask for my help, I was about to embark on a small journey. To Brigantia, that is."- He says- "That town is a disgusting sight to my eyes. So many outlaws have been running free, unnoticed by the authorities. Worst of all, Emperor Redmark took control of it a while ago, so it is my duty to prevent the flames of vengeance from spreading too far."
Kaiden shakes his head.
"Can you get to the point already?"- He says- "People are dying out there. We don't have all day for chit-chat."
Cyrus sighs.
"I am sorry to say this, but you're the one who doesn't get the point."- He says- "The revelation of the bandit you met is just the beginning of something much worse. The slave trader that you have to take care of, she's the tool of someone much more powerful. She pretends that she operates alone, but this far from it. We need to stay alert."
He looks down at his staff.
"This is the reason why I wanted to join you on this journey."- He says- "To make sure that nothing bad happens to you."
He takes a few steps forward and stares at the town outside.
"The settlement of Beigantia is a treacherous place. I'm sure that you're already aware of that, but you still don't know what they're truly capable of."- He says- "Trust me. I've defeated a lot of them when I was a child. I've uncovered many mysteries caused by them. But this one... I can't do it without someone else's help. And neither can you."
Geralt sighs.
"Alright, Cyrus. We understand."- He responds- "If you wish to aid us, feel free."
He raises his eyebrow.
"But what about Canonia?"- He asks- "You are the region's shaman. Isn't it going to get weaker when you are absent?"
Cyrus sighs.
"In times like those, nothing is quite certain. Everything is calm for now, but it could easily get worse."- He says- "It's true. My people need a spiritual leader. But I'm not sure if it should be me."
Emela looks at him.
"Oh, come on!"- She exclaims- "You've been the shaman for years. Why do you still think you're unworthy?"
Cyrus shakes his head.
"Look."- He says- "Do you want me to join you or not?"
Geralt nods.
"Your offer has been accepted."- He says- "If you think that Canonia is safe for now, I won't object. The beginning or not, I have a feeling that working together shall bring us closer to our ultimate goal."
Cyrus raises his eyebrow.
"Redmark?"
Geralt sighs.
"Even beyond that."- He says- "We are looking for the man who influenced Redmark to perform those heinous crimes."
Cyrus looks at him.
"And you think that he or she actually exists?"
Geralt nods.
"Madmen like him never operate on their own."- He says- "And I shall make sure that the true culprit comes to light."
He turns around.
"So."- He says- "Are you with me?"
Kaiden nods.
"A hundred percent yes."- He responds- "Let's do this."
The five of them put on the mysterious robes that Cyrus left behind in the back cave and leave Canonia. They soon approach a small town controlled by the Empire and confront a patrol consisting solely of Redmark's forces. They introduce themselves as new recruits and ask for directions. Fortunately, the man fail to recognize their true identities, so they confidently give them the directions toward the town of Brigantia- the largest settlement in the regions. Satisfied with their response, our heroes thank them and depart.
A few more encounters with raider squads and awkward conversations later, the five of them reach the town of Brigantia. As expected, no one pays close attention to them and they manage to get away with nothing more than a few looks. This gives them the chance to move closer and meet their contact inside of the city.
The man whom they're supposed to meet is a tall, dark-skinned individual. He has a pair of daggers in his pockets, wicked tools of destruction that are capable of delivering swift, lethal damage to an opponent. It is clear that he is a spy of some sort and that he is allied to the Order, but something tells our heroes that he is more than that. As if he holds a deep grudge against the slave trader that he's supposed to expose. However, there isn't enough evidence to tell whether this is the case or not.
"You're with the loyalists, huh. That's good."- He says and leans close to them- "I can get you close to the dreaded one. She's a wily fool, but she's not smart enough to tell the difference between a full-blooded loyalist and a traitor who's lookin' for glory."
He hands them a letter, filled with some kind of magical writiing.
"Take this to her and she'll let you in."- He says to them- "Just be careful. A single wrong step could expose you to the militia here. And then, I won't be able to save ya from them. Is that clear?"
Geralt nods.
"Get in. Work in secret with the enemy. Expose her to the outside world without getting exposed ourselves."- He says- "You got it."
The man nods and leaves them alone, to keep their true identities secret. As he does, our heroes notice that Kaiden is eavesdropping on two bandits, standing behind a corner as they talk, unaware of his presence.
"D'you ever hear of that, man?"- One of them says- "Maxwell's gone mad! He thinks the Kaos family are trying to find 'im! What kinda madness is this?"
The other bandit raises his eyebrow.
"You mean Maxwell Norwood, our belevolent and notorious leader?"- He asks- "Oh, don't worry about him. He's always paranoid about something, doesn't matter if it's true or not. Just keep workin' for him and I'm sure that we'll be fine."
The first bandit nods.
"We're talkin' about the man who exposed the Kaos family to the general public, buddy! The one who led Redmark on their trail and got most of 'em killed."- He says- "What if his madness's actually justified? What if we have to deal with the enraged family?"
The second one sighs.
"They're just a bunch of kids, man."- He responds- "Even if they made it this far, I'm sure that they're not strong enough to handle the militia. So stop talking and start working."
The first bandit sighs.
"Yeah, man."- He says- "Whatever you say."
As the two bandits leave, Kaiden turns around. Determination burns bright in his bright blue eyes, setting the calm ocean within them on fire and causing him to revert back to his brave, reckless self.
"Hey, team."- He says- "Sorry, but I've got to go."
Geralt raises his eyebrow.
"Go?"- He whispers- "But Kai! We are in an enemy city! Anywhere we go, we are in danger of being discovered! You must stick around with us, at least for the moment!"
Kaiden sighs and takes a step back.
"I've got a mission in mind. A really dangerous one."- He responds- "Don't worry. No matter what happens next, you'll be safe from the aftermath."
Having said that, Kaiden turns around and leaves quickly.
"Kai!"- Geralt whispers- "Come back!"
Emela places her hand on Geralt's shoulder and sighs.
"Leave him be."- She says- "He's made his choice. Now it's time for us to make ours."
Geralt sighs.
"Alright. I will come along, like a good soldier in the army."- He says- "But don't think that I actually like this, because I don't."
Cyrus shakes his head.
"We'll find a way to bail him out."- He says- "Just try to act normal. They won't know what hit them, from both sides."
The four of them step into the mansion where the slave trader is supposed to be. As they go further inside, they meet a short, friendly-looking elven man. When he sees them. he smiles and nods.
"Welcome, honored visitors. We've been expecting you."- He says- "Mrs. Keymoira is beyond the hall just ahead. I shall lead you to her."
With that, the man walks forward, beckoning our heroes to follow. Seeing that they don't have another choice, they decide to do so, in the hopes that their disguise shall remain intact for the time being.
As they step into the largest room of the mansion, they see another elven person, sitting on a large desk. There are many papers on her desk, possibly supplication forms and slave contracts, all of them several years old. When they enter the room, she is writing something, possibly to condemn the life of yet another unfortunate individual. Thus, she is unable to see them immediately.
The assistant clears his throat, getting her attention, albeit only for a few brief moments.
"What is it, Arian? I'm busy."- She says- "Mind your business and do something else."
Arian smiles.
"But mistress, we have guests!"- He exclaims- "You don't want to send them away, do you?"
The woman raises her eyebrow.
"Guests, huh?"- She asks- "This better be worth my time."
As she stands up, she takes a good look at the heroes behind him. Realizing who they are, she smiles and nods.
"Ah! The honored visitors!"- She exclaims- "I guess that you've come here to take on my offer!"
Geralt smiles.
"Yes, Mrs. Keymoira. We have arrived."- He says- "We are, as always, very enthusiastic about working with you and bringing more souls into your domain."
Alais Keymoira claps her hands excitedly.
"And you're always ready to help! That's splendid!"- She says- "Well, does this offer catch your eye? Perhaps both of our parties will be able to profit from it."
As the heroes get close to her desk, Alais shows them a large contract. It lists the names of twelve soon-to-be slaves, generously granted to her by Emperor Redmark himself. Geralt is disgusted by this sudden act of belligerence, but he decides to keep his anger to himself.
In addition to that, it says that a caravan filled with all twelve of them shall arrive at Brigantia in one week.
"The contract says that the fools shall arrive in one week. It's been exactly that much and the militia told me that they're arriving in a few hours."- She says- "I want you to join them as they extract the useful components from it. Make sure that none of them try to rebel against us."
Geralt raises his eyebrow.
"And what will happen if they do?"- He says, curious.
Alais smiles.
"Then we shall make an example out of them."- She says- "In the bloody way."
Geralt gasps.
"Mrs. Keymoira, isn't that too simple and straightforward?"- He asks- "I know that it's not our place to ask, but isn't it better if we discipline them instead?"
Alais glares at Geralt.
"Don't you see who's the boss here?"- She asks him- "Just do your job. Get your payment. And then, get out of my sight. I don't want to be lectured by the likes of you."
Emela and Cyrus stare at each other for a few long moments. They clearly expected that Alais would be a cruel woman, but this sudden act of pure evil definitely erased any kind of curiosities which they might have shown until now.
"Does this surprise you?"- Emela whispers to Cyrus.
Cyrus sighs.
"Not at all."- He responds- "She's a faulty element. The faultiest of them all. We'll deal with her, in due time. We just need to gain her trust."
Alais nods.
"Before you go, though."- She says- "I want to test you."
Geralt raises her eyebrow.
"Test us for what?"- He asks- "We're completely loyal servants of Redmark! We would never betray you!"
Alais sighs.
"That's what I do with all of those who work for me."- She says- "Don't think you're any better than them."
She hands Geralt a letter, signed with her seal.
"Take this letter to a man who lives at the northern side of town. Maxwell Norwood is his name."- She says- "Tell him that Alais Keymoira needs his help to spy on the Kaos family again. I want to make sure that none of them interfere with my personal affairs. Got it?"
Geralt nods, even though he is quite surprised that the elven woman is trying to expose them."
"You can count on us, Mrs. Keymoira."- He says- "The Kaos family shall pay. And we'll make sure of that."
Alais smiles.
"Excellent!"- She exclaims- "Once you're done, I shall make sure to fill you in for the next mission. Don't be late, please."
Geralt nods.
"We shall be on our way."
The three of them leave immediately, going out on the streets of Brigantia once again.
"Can you believe it?"- Aaron says- "This woman's a servant of Redmark! She's working with that person to undermine the Kaos- your family!"
He turns to Geralt.
"Can't we just go in there and get this over with?"
Geralt sighs.
"I would like to do this. I really do."- He says- "However, I am sure that you heard what that man said earlier. Even the slightest mistake could blow our cover away and I'm not sure if we could actually recover from that."
Aaron looks at him.
"Then what's the plan?"
Geralt looks around.
"We shall get on with what we had in mind until now. Help this woman with whatever she asks of us. Send the message. Free the beasts from their cages."- He says- "And then, when she least expects it, we shall make sure that she is surrounded. That she won't run anywhere when we arrive to take care of her."
Emela raises her eyebrow.
"It sounds like you've already planned this all out."- She says- "Perhaps you really are like Adam."
Geralt nods and points at a map that he stole from Alais's office while she wasn't looking. It depicts the tunnels below the elven woman's mansion and the rooms that they lead to. He circles around the paths that lead directly into her room and the ones that end near the entrance.
"Do you see the pattern that this is trying to imply? This means that we have more than one choice in this matter."- He says- "Since a frontal assault shall be very unlikely, I notified His Majesty to channel his warriors into the northern tunnels. They shall be waiting for our orders and will carry them out without alerting the slave trader or any of her allies. This way, we shall eliminate all of the silent threats and make sure that we won't have to expect any sort of surprises from those under her command."
Emela raises her eyebrow.
"And how are you planning to call them in?"- She asks- "With magic? Lots of yelling?"
Geralt pulls out a small walkie talkie from his pocket and smiles.
"With modern technology, of course."- He responds- "Have you ever doubted my ways?"
Emela sighs.
"I never doubted your father's ways, so it's the same for you."- She says- "You're the leader, child. If this is the best course of action in your mind, then we'll get on with it."
Geralt smiles.
"I knew that you would agree with me, Miss Emela."- He says- "But your trust in modern technology is kind of wavering. Is this a bad sign?"
Emela sighs.
"As a master of magic, I've never admired any of that scientific mumbo-jumbo. It contradicts with everything that I've done and I don't approve of it."- She says- "However, such technology has been quite helpful in the past few decades. I can't deny that. So, I'll simply swallow my uncertainty for the moment and try to respect it. For now."
Geralt smiles.
"In that case, I thank you for choosing the path of the smart one."- He says- "Your presence shall be very invigorating for all of us."
Emela blushes rolls her eyes.
"Umm... I'm getting a little nervous."- She mutters- "Can we just... get on with this task? Already?"
Geralt nods.
"That is exactly what the rest of us were planning to do."- He says- "Come on, team. Let's meet this strange man and get one step closer to unraveling the truth about that culprit."
Pretending that they are a small group of bandits, our heroes step further into the heart of the town of Brigantia. They ask the other bandits for directions and receive what they are looking for. Soon, they reach an equally large mansion, made of polished marble.
The entrance to it is protected by two large, mean-looking guards. They draw their weapons when the heroes get close, so Geralt pulls out the letter than Alais gave him in order to pacify them. Or try to do so, at the very least.
One of the guards leans forward and snatches the letter from Geralt's hands. He reads it and looks at him, unsure whether to trust him or not. Finally, he shrugs and decides that it's not worth the trouble. He hands him the letter back and steps aside, allowing the four of them to go inside.
As the heroes step into the mansion, they see just how opulent it is. In the face of the misery just outside, this place is looking like a paradise on Earth. Clean floors. Gorgeous furniture. Guards that stand still like statues, protecting the place from intruders. It is clear that the feeling of safety that they are experiencing is more than just a simple mirage.
"Well, this is awesome!"- Emela exclaims- "I never thought that I would ever visit a place like this!"
Cyrus looks at her and smiles.
"So, you admit that this is even better than Mr. Donovan's castle?"
Emela looks at him and sighs.
"Donnie doesn't always go for beauty."- She responds- "He's an honest man and he prefers to do good things for others rather than try to impress them with what they'll never have themselves."
She looks around.
"And whoever lives here's clearly lost his own mind."
Cyrus sighs.
"I have to admit. There have been a lot of things that I didn't agree with. I've always tried to argue with you, to prove a point that I haven't been quite sure of either."- He says- "But this place? It's such a ghastly sight. It was interpreted to be the place of an angel, but I'm sure that a literal demon is claiming it for himself. It goes against everything that I've been fighting for since I became the Shaman. All of the attempts to keep the equality alive. All of the work to prove that Nature should not be disturbed. Seeing all of this opulence truly sickens me."
He clenches his fists.
"Someday, I'll come back here and tear this whole place to bits."- He says, quietly and angrily- "And then, I shall build statues of those who managed to end the live of the man in charge, entirely made of the materials that he used to build this horrible place."
Emela raises her eyebrow.
"You're being too overenthusiastic, dear."- She says to him- "Calm down. Pretending that you can actually do something about it won't get you anywhere."
Cyrus sighs.
"Oh, you'll see."- He says- "Someday, Nature shall thrive in Brigantia again. Even if I have to tear down Man's worst creations with my own hands... "
Geralt sighs.
"I understand your anger, cousin. This place is something that I hoped to avoid myself."- He says to him- "But we must stay calm and collected, unless we want to be noticed by our enemies. So, restrain your fury and try to act normal. It is for the best."
Cyrus looks down.
"As you wish, Geralt."
The four of them step into the main room, where a man in his fifties is waiting for visitors. He is trimming his large moustance, bearing it as if it were some sort of trophy. It is clear that he takes pride in his good looks, despite the fact that he is not quite... normal.
"Ah, yes. Visitors."- He says and turns around- "I'm glad that you came. I've been eager to hear-- "
And then, he stops and stands still. He clearly recognizes the face of Geralt. However, he knows better than to call the guards, knowing that it could clearly cost him his own life.
"Umm, hello there... Mister Norwood."- Geralt says and salutes him- "We have arrived here on behalf of Mrs. Keymoira- local slave trader and a good friend of yours, if I may speculate. We bear a special message for you and instructions of what should be done next. Are you ready to receive them?"
Maxwell regains his composure and nods. Even though he clearly hates the Kaos family, he is willing to tolerate Geralt's presence. For now.
"Why, yes. I am."- He says- "Forgive me for acting like this. I've been quite stressed out lately and my work's been taking quite a toll on me."
He chuckles nervously.
"I'm not quite what I used to be, you see."- He adds- "But I'm doing my best."
Geralt nods.
"We are sure that you are doing well, sir."- He says- "Since I assume that you are eager to take the information from our hands, I shall give it to you. Perhaps our mutual deal shall earn us a good reward once it is all over."
As Geralt speaks with Maxwell, the rest of his allies look around. They suspect that somebody is stalking them, or maybe simply lurking in the shadows. His blue eyes are clearly visible in the dark and it is quite unnerving.
After staring at the person in the shadows for a few second, they come to the realization that he is staring at Maxwell himself. It seems like the rich one has earned himself a powerful enemy and is being constantly stalked by him. Whether this is related to the burning fury of a certain youth remains unknown.
"And this is why we came in contact with you."- Geralt finishes- "The Kaos family is full of powerful and mysterious individuals. If the things that happened long ago repeat themselves, we could be in real trouble."
Even though Maxwell clearly recognized Geralt before, it seems as if he thinks that the young hero has switched sides. He is fooled by his words and decides to get along with them.
"In that case, I accept."- He says- "Causing pain to the Kaos family's been my specialty for years. Have you ever heard of the Great Assault of Redmark? I was the one who made it happen."
Even though Geralt's soul is filled with rage, he is still able to control it. He nods as Maxwell continues to share his heinous deeds with him.
"I understand."- He says- "It must have been quite a day for all of you."
Maxwell smiles.
"It was, my boy."- He responds- "And soon, we shall hunt down the rest of them. Make sure that they don't interfere with the master."
Geralt raises his eyebrow.
"You are talking about Master Redmark, right?"
Maxwell smiles.
"No."- He says- "The real master is far worse than him."
Geralt stares at Maxwell.
"You mean that there is someone more powerful than our master?"
Maxwell nods.
"The true mastermind is hidden from plain sight. The sun is too bright for him now."- He says- "Someday, he shall come down to our troubled lands. And all of us shall answer to him."
Geralt is clearly worried, but takes great pains not to show it.
"That is... very interesting."- He says- "Can we go now?"
Maxwell looks up and nods.
"Yeah. Alright."- He says- "Sorry for rambling about all of this stuff. It's all just an old man's dream, and I got way too many of them."
Geralt nods.
"Very well, sir."- He says and takes a few steps back- "We shall be on our way."
Maxwell watches as they go.
"Safe journey, children."- He says- "May Redmark's grace rain down upon you."
Having said that, he sits back on his desk, waiting for someone else to come in.
As the heroes finally return to Alais, they notice that she is gone. Nobody is sitting on the desk and most of the papers are gone. Only Arian- her personal assistant, remains in the barely lit room.
"So, you came back."- He says and smiles- "Did you manage to make the delivery? What is Mr. Norwood's response?"
Geralt pulls out a small letter and hands it to him.
"Mr. Norwood accepts your offer. He is eager to provide support in the upcoming battle and shall make sure that his people stop any members of the Kaos family from interfering."- He says- "But we thought that we had to deliver this message to Mrs. Keymoira herself. Where did she go?"
Arian notices Geralt's curiosity and smiles nervously.
"You want to see the mistress herself?"- He asks- "Ahh. I am afraid that she has a little bit of... work. To do. Which is why she left me here, to take care of her other... affairs."
Emela leans close to Geralt.
"It seems like our friend's acting a little bit suspicious."- She whispers to him- "Do you think that we should trust him?"
Geralt sighs.
"We have to get along, for now."- He whispers back- "Until we could discover where she went, we can't just make any accusations. We could become the prime targets of their anger and that is what I am hoping to avoid."
He turns to Arian and nods.
"In that case, you can have the letter instead."- He says- "Our job here is done."
As Arian takes the letter, Geralt stares at him.
"But we expect the reward that we were offered."- He adds- "As well as a certain... compensation for our troubles."
Arian gasps.
"Oh! Of course!"- He exclaims- "I nearly forgot about that!"
Now that he was reminded of what he's supposed to do, he hands a large sack of gold to Geralt and his allies.
"Five hundred gold coins for all of the hard work that you did in the name of the crown."- He says- "Three hundred for recovering pieces of valuable information for us, as well as two hundred for... special reasons."
Geralt raises his eyebrow.
"Special... reasons?"
Arian smiles.
"Anyway, I'm sure that the mistress would like you to welcome the new slaves into their home. Their eternal home."- He adds- "If you make sure that none of them escape, I shall make sure that your next reward is doubled. Does that sound good?"
Geralt nods.
"As long as we work for the good of our mighty and belevolent Emperor, we are content to keep on helping others out."- He says- "And it seems like what you're doing is good and just. Thus, we shall do our best."
Arian smiles.
"Splendid!"- He exclaims- "In that case, we shall await your return!"
Emela raises her eyebrow.
"We... ?"
Geralt nods.
"Of course."- He responds- "Farewell, for now."
As the four of them leave the room, they hear the clearly audible sound of papers being torn up. Apparently, someone is being mad about something, and is taking it all on them instead of someone else.
"Well, that was... anticlimactic."- Aaron says- "But we survived our second encounter. That's good, right?"
Geralt sighs.
"I suspect that those people are aware of what is going on. They are toying around with us, pretending that we are working for them."- He says- "This is all part of some kind of ingenious plan to eliminate us from the picture. And if we don't figure out this mystery soon... we might become the next victims of it."
Emela nods.
"I agree with Geralt. Such a mission is far too dangerous to simply get along with."- She says- "We need to find the girl and make sure that nobody tries to harm her in our absence."
Suddenly, a young maiden walks outside. She sits on a nearby bench and looks down at a small, silver amulet on her neck.
"Well, I think that we found what we're looking for."- Cyrus says- "The damsel in distress. In all of her beauty."
Geralt nods.
"We have some time left before the rest of the slaves arrive."- He says- "Let's talk to her."
As the four of them approach the young girl, she looks up. Her face is emotionless, although her eyes betray a worrying amount of fear.
"Umm, h-hello there."- She says- "Is there something that you w-want?"
Geralt takes a step forward.
"Greetings, beautiful maiden. We are a group of vigilantes who are looking for something."- She says- "Can you help us out?"
The girl looks down.
"I am not supposed to talk to strangers."- She says- "My mistress will get angry at me."
Geralt smiles.
"It is alright. We are good people."- He reassures her- "We just want to know more about the slaves that your mistress is bringing in."
The girl tilts her head up. She seems to be quite surprised by this revelation.
"My mistress is... bringing more of them?"- She says and sighs- "I guess that they got themselves in trouble, too. Poor souls."
Geralt can clearly see that the girl means well. However, an aura of malevolence is watching over her, like a black cloud that is about to pour rain down upon her unsuspecting head. It is almost as if her actions are caused by something else, something sinister that has taken control of her.
But that can't be true, right? There are no puppeteers in this world. Magic is only used for the good of everyone. There's no chance that someone would dare to use mind control to make someone else loyal to them.
And yet, Geralt sees that he won't get anything useful from the girl. He sighs, bids her farewell and turns away, leaving her alone just as she starts to stare at them.
"Aurelia Moonglow, right?"- Emela says and shakes her head- "She's not quite what she used to be."
Geralt raises his eyebrow.
"What do you mean?"
Emela sighs.
"When I saw her for the first time, she was always so cheerful. So energetic."- She says- "I guess that dark magic erases every fragment of kindness within one's soul. She's just another peon of the evil one now."
Geralt nods.
"In that case, this makes our mission more difficult than it already is."- He says- "Is there any other way to break the control on her mind?"
Emela looks down.
"I fear that there is no other choice."- She says- "If we don't find that dreaded slave trader soon, she may... may... "
She sighs.
"No. We must be strong. We must endure."- She says- "This is just another part of life. Even if we fail, this doesn't mean that we have to stop doing good for this world."
Geralt raises his eyebrow.
"Miss Emela?"
Emela shakes her head.
"Stay strong, Emela."- She mutters- "This is the kind of evil that Adam warned you to avoid. Don't fall victim of it."
Geralt looks at her.
"Miss Emela, you are scaring me."
Emela continues to mutter to herself... until she hears the sound of an approaching caravan.
"Hey, check it out!"- She exclaims and looks up- "It's here!"
Geralt sighs.
"It looks like the caravan in question has reached its destination."- He says- "Now, it is up to us to protect its precious contents. From anyone."
Aaron shakes his head.
"Let's hope that we can drag those poor souls out once it's all over."
Two guards emerge from the caravan. They yell at someone in the back and soon, twelve prisoners join them.
"Come on, you lazy fools!"- One of them yells- "We don't have all day."
Geralt sighs.
"The fate of those poor souls is now in our hands."- He says to himself- "I truly hope that we could save them, but I am not optimistic. There are far too many guards to fight and the distance between us and the nearest friendly settlement is far too long."
He stares at the caravan as the guards approach them.
"Forgive us for what we have to do, my friends."- He continues- "I promise that we shall bring peace to those cursed lands. Somehow."