FIFTEEN | YENNEFER OF VENGERBERG

The three rushed into town on horseback, Jaskier barely clinging onto consciousness as he rode behind Geralt on Roach. As soon as they made it into the village, Geralt shouted "is there a Doctor here?!"

"Yes, yes. Chireadan, the elf healer." A local villager informed Geralt, pointing him toward a particular tent. Geralt hopped off his horse, swooping Jaskier up into his arms and bolted for the healer's tent.

Caira followed quickly at his heels until they made it inside the tent and sat a sickly Jaskier down inside. Jaskier tried to withhold his autonomous blood vomiting as Geralt rapidly explained to the elf healer what had happened. "A djinn in a bottle? It's like a fairy tale." The healer analyzed Jaskier's state.

"Without the happy ending. Can you help him?" Geralt grumbled.

The healer grabbed Jaskier's face as he struggled to breathe with the blood flooding his mouth. "Oh, dear."

"What?" Both Geralt and Caira spoke in unison, worried about Jaskier.

"I assure you I have received the best medical education right here in Rinde, but...these injuries are of a magical nature. I can help wit the pain, but it's a bit like—" the healer began to explain.

"Putting salve on a tumor?" Geralt finished his comparison, pressing his lips into a thin line.

"Give him everything you can, anyway." Caira demanded as she clutched her breast.

"His throat was attacked. If the spell's action isn't halted as soon as possible, that damage might be irreversible." The healer spoke as he hurried over to mix some potions together to create a temporary relief for the bard.

Jaskier wheezed in panic, then proceeded to vomit blood once again. "And the longer he goes untreated, the more likely it is to spread. He could die." The healer spoke with as little sensitivity as possible.

"Fuck! Geralt." Jaskier's eyes were wide and pleading as he looked up to his old friend.

"Uh..yeah, we won't let that happen." Geralt's brows furrowed inquisitively as he rested a comforting hand on Jaskier's shoulder.

The elf returned with the concoction and made Jaskier drink it up. "The medicine should buy him a few hours, but he needs a magical remedy. You'll have to take him to another town." The healer informed them.

"There's isn't a mage here?" Geralt seemed taken aback by such absurdity. There wasn't a mage in Rinde? That simply was not possible.

The elf seemed to grow awkward at his inquiry. "The mayor says they are dangerous." He averted his eyes.

Caira lifted her chin, and rested her hand on the dagger strapped to her belt. "What aren't you saying?" Geralt asked the question that was on her mind, too.

She narrowed her eyes down at the healer. The healer hesitated to reply. She pulled out her dagger and pointed it at his throat. "Spit it out, now." She smiled sweetly.

"There is one mage. I—was tasked with bringing this mage to justice. But I was unable to penetrate certain defenses. The mayor himself had made the catch and had imprisoned the mage in his house." The healer confessed.

"That wasn't so fucking hard, was it?" Geralt scoffed at his difficulty.

Caira withdrew her dagger, and the healer took a dangerous step closer to her. "Careful. The mage is powerful and malicious. And quite cunning." The healer spoke to Caira, his eyes boring into hers.

Geralt eyed him up and down, placing the back of his hand on his chest and nudging him away from her. "I'll go find him." Geralt curtly nodded at the healer, grabbing Jaskier and pulling him out of the tent. Caira followed the two out.

* * *

By nightfall, the three made it to the mayor's home. They entered the home by force, having to knock out a single gatekeeper at the entrance. Then, proceeded to trek within the massive home. They entered the kitchen and laid Jaskier on the table, upon arrival, they peered upon a horrifying scene. An old man, naked with a pot in his hand. It was the mayor. "Welcome to my home." He greeted, in almost a euphoric way. As if he had been entranced or drugged.

Geralt, Jaskier and Caira looked upon him in disgust. Geralt raised his brows at him. "You're the Mayor of Rinde? Not exactly what I was expecting." He scowled.

Jaskier attempted to gurgle out some words. "Sorry, he's in a bad way. Is there a mage that lives here?" Geralt quickly got to the point.

The mayor's attention turned away from the three and he gasped quietly. "Ah! The apple juice!" He exclaimed. "She wants some. And she always gets what she wants." He seemed to be zoned out as he spoke.

"I don't understand. Does he want me to get him the apple juice?" Geralt asked Caira. She shrugged.

The mayor took a seat in the kitchen and instantly dozed off in that position. Caira grabbed the jug of apple juice that the mayor had pointed to and trudged along, hoping to find the damned mage. Geralt followed as dragged Jaskier along. Caira curiously followed the shallow fog that flooded the house right outside the kitchen and found a room full of dozens of people from the town, having an orgy. Caira's mouth fell agape. She stared wide eyed and looked up at a single woman—the only one not participating—sitting on an engraved chair with a lace mask sitting over her purple orbs.

The people of the village were moaning and moving in a single, harmonious motion. Geralt frowned and walked past them, dropping Jaskier in a seat amongst the euphoric peoples. Caira walked forward, holding out the jug of apple juice. The woman cocked her head at the two figures approaching her, her eyes analyzing their every muscle and outfit. She quickly took notice of their matching medallions, a witcher emblem—likely given as a gift to the girl. The witcher seemed stiff as he stood amongst the sexual activities while the girl merely seemed surprised. She was comfortable, but mostly curious as to why all this was happening.

"Juice?" Caira cracked a small smile as she held out the jug for the purple eyed woman.

"Mm." She hummed, drumming her thumbs in her lap. "You two are immune." She noted that they were being enticed by her magic.

"You must be the mage." Geralt spoke flatly.

"Yennefer of Vengerberg." She introduced.

"We need your help."

"We?" She asked for clarification as the two seemed perfectly healthy. Geralt turned to gesture toward Jaskier who was incapacitated and unable to speak.

"Your heartbeat, it's extraordinarily slow." Yennefer spoke to Geralt. Then she snapped her head to Caira. "And yours, unimaginably fast."

"You're a mutant." She guessed Geralt, correctly.

"A Witcher. Geralt of Rivia." He confirmed her suspicions.

"And you're...?" She tried to pinpoint why Caira's heartbeat was so quick.

"Nervous, because our friend is going to die if can't help us. It's been a long day." Caira sighed, taking deep breaths to calm her nerves.

"Your name?" She was intrigued by the girl.

Caira bit the inside of her cheek, wondering whether to continue hiding that she was a princess or not. She looked over at Geralt for assurance, and he sent her a look that told her to flaunt her title. "Princess Caira of Astoria. Formerly."

"And presently?"

"Caira of nowhere." She responded quickly, hoping to get going on healing Jaskier, but she seemed to be in no rush.

"The famous White Wolf, frolicking about with the notorious rogue princess? The princess that ran away from home because she chose a sword over a silk dress." Yennefer clicked her tongue at Caira.

"I thought you'd be uglier." Yennefer admitted to Caira. She walked up to Caira and traced her finger along her jaw. "It's so unfair, to be born with so much beauty and possess so much strength—for a human, of course."

"Please, help my friend. Then, I can satisfy your every curiosity." Caira sighed, pointing to her friend who was still struggling to breathe. She took a step away from Yennefer, removing her finger from her face.

Yennefer seemed shocked by her curt manners. She smirked. "As long as he can join, too." She teased.

Caira felt heat rush to her cheeks. She was certainly intrigued by Yennefer, even without the use of her magic. "It was a djinn." Geralt spoke up, finally explaining the urgency to Yennefer.

"A djinn?"

"Whatever's wrong with him, it's spreading. Fix it, and I'll pay you. Whatever the price." Geralt handed her the bag with the broken vase that the djinn once remained in.

"You'll have to do better than juice." She spoke, trying to lighten the suddenly dark mood. Yennefer finally understood why Caira had been pressing for her help so much. And she needed to act fast, especially if she planned on accomplishing her own plans for the djinn.

Yen turned to the crowd of villagers who were still all having intercourse with one another, then shouted "Ragamuffin!" to break the spell they were bound to. The people instantly broke out of their activities and looked around to see what they were doing. Humility bestowed upon them and they covered their parts and scurried away. Faint gasps of disturbed peoples could be heard as they snapped back to reality.