The Wolf and the Swallow [for rrichmon]

[Aeternam]

"Vesemir's death tore a gaping hole in Ciri's heart and left only a burning drive for revenge to fill it. This drive burned all the higher when she learned from Avallac'h that Imlerith, the general of the Hunt who murdered Vesemir, would be attending the Crones' sabbath on Bald Mountain. Ciri smelled blood and decided at once to travel to No Man's Land and kill Imlerith. Geralt, that calculating, practical-minded witcher, as usual caved immediately to his adopted daughter's wishes and agreed to accompany her on this expedition. The pair thus slipped out of Kaer Morhen in the cool light of morning and galloped of to find vengeance." — Dandelion.

After going through a lot of trouble to get through the goddamn gate - first having to dive into a lake with drowners to find a coin, then fighting a fiend, and finally having to fight and slay the gatekeeper, who recognized the coin as a death sentence -, Geralt was not in a good mood. He and Ciri were there after the Crones and Imlerith in order to get vegeance for Vesemir's death. Of course the girl's thoughts were to fight Imlerith herself, but Geralt would never allow such a thing to happen.

Unexpectedly, their decision of who was going to fight who came through a rock-paper-scissors match that Geralt won. "No buts." He had told her when she tried to argue with him, and soon they were going at different directions. As he climbed the Bald Mountain, Geralt prayed to all the gods he knew that Ciri would be fine, and specially, that she wouldn't do anything stupidly dangerous - well, more dangerous than what they were doing at the moment, anyway.

Meanwhile, under the mountain the three Crones, also called the Ladies of the Woods, were having a pretty good time together and a good meal. Which means they were actually cooking sacrificed human children and feeding on their blood. Alone there, the three of them took the forms of three beautiful naked women, not a thing similar to their true appearance. "How was he?" The one stirring the cauldron asked, while the other held a child's head. "He lived a life of love, and knew no bitterness" Was her answer, one that got the other smiling. While their appearances did not resemble their owners, the way they acted was just as sickening.

[rrichmon]

The ashen haired Ciri traveled through a cave hearing the voices of the crones and following them until she reached a ledge that overlooked what appeared to be a shallow pool of blood and water in it the three naked crones mixing their supper.

Ciri drop down splashing into the warm liquid gaining the attention of the crones. As she stared at them in disgust.

[Aeternam]

The Crones' heads instantly turned around to gaze at the source of the splash. They were surprised, but not disappointed, to see Ciri standing right there in front of them - the Child of the Elder Blood. The one stirring the cauldron was the first to step forward, followed by her sisters as the child's head held by another of them was dropped and reduced to ashes as it hit the ground.

Smoke covered all of them, and a second later the Crones were women no more, but three monstrous beings. "Welcome, Child of the Elder Blood" Said Whispess, the one whose face was covered in a red mask "We knew you would return" This tame it was Weavess who spoke. "Your taste lingers on our tongues" Brewess, the bigger of them completed with a sick voice tone.

[rrichmon]

Ciri looks at them disgusted standing up straight listening to the crones talk. she decides to respond with a simple: "You've talked long enough" she states as she unsheathes her sword and begins her assault.

She scans the three carefully pondering what she would want to do. She attacked the heavyset crone first.

[Aeternam]

Brewess moved surprisingly quick despite her big size. She stepped back and moved her large arms in a double backslap which for sure could send the girl flying if she was hit. Meanwhile, Whispess and Weavess both disappeared - the first swallowed by the ground, the second became crows.

A second later, Weavess appeared behind Ciri and aimed for her back at the same time as Brewess tried to hit her front. Whispess appeared a few meters away from them; rather than helping her sisters engage the girl in direct combat, Whispess picked up a limb of one of their victims from the ground and threw it at Ciri.

[rrichmon]

Ciri had already gone a bit over her head all three of them at once was going to be incredibly difficult. She dodged back from the backslap Brewess threw but was unaware of Weavess position and was struck by the Monster she winced at the bit of pain

Ciri could not be distracted long as she dodged the flying body part thrown by Whispress.

Ciri had to rethink her strategy, she thought attacking Brewess would be easiest to strike given her large body, but perhaps it was best to eliminate range attack first. she nodded as she checked the three crones again laughing at her.

Gripping her sword tightly she pulled back and prepared a charge focusing her eyes on Whispress.

[Aeternam]

The Crones noticed as the girl took distance, but did nothing. Weavess moved slowly, circling Ciri's body with careful steps. She was ready to teleport whenever she'd need to. Meanwhile, Brewess noticed her eyes focused on Whispess and quickly moved between them. Whispess's body once again disappeared into the ground.

Weavess was the first one to attack; she bolted forward and tried to reach for Ciri's neck with a swing from her hands. At the same time, Whispess jumped from the ground just beneath Ciri's body and tried to grab her ankles. Brewess walked towards them, but didn't attack; instead, she waited for Ciri's reaction, ready to stop her.

[rrichmon]

Ciri swung her blade toward her ankle striking the hand of Whispress freeing her from her grasp and then dashes toward Brewress attempting to strike straight toward her stomach. "Just die" she cried out

[Aeternam]

As she did that, Weavess got into her path and used magic to deflect Ciri's blow. Whispess screamed in pain when her hand was cut off, and Brewess seemed pissed off even though her face was not visible: "Punished - she must be punished!" shouted the enormous Crone, and tried to punch her in the face through the opening created by Weavess.

[rrichmon]

Ciri distracted from Weavress' deflection cannot react fast enough to the punch that popped through the crows. she eats the strike and falls back first into the pool of blood.

Ciri forces herself to her knees looking up to only see the brewess. She panics frantically searching for the other two.