Chapter 348: Chapter 348 - Enemies in the Shadows.
[Chapter Size: 2000 Words.]
Third Person POV
North.
...
...
"You’re still a bit shaken from our fight... Relax, no harm came to you," Madara said, approaching Ciri.
They were in a corner with a waterfall somewhere, stopping to rest after the test, while Ciri needed to sleep a bit. Madara sat beside her shirtless after taking a bath, while Ciri looked at her own reflection in the water, thoughtful.
Perhaps it was Aren occupying her mind, perhaps the fight or the future, Madara did not read her mind.
"I destroyed the entire forest..." she murmured, almost inaudible.
"Yes..." he nodded.
"I could have killed you."
"You would hardly manage that." He replied in a mocking tone.
"This power... is the power of my blood."
"Certainly."
"What am I capable of doing, all that??"
"When you surrender to it, that is your potential — and I think it’s still only a part of it. However, you spit it out uncontrollably and waste it, and only with that controlled power, which you used before, you would become so strong that no one could pose any danger to you anymore. You could even dominate an entire continent, if you wanted... and if I wasn’t there to stop you, of course." Madara joked with her.
She couldn’t help but show a small involuntary smile at the joke.
"Do you think I can control this? I saw... I managed to see, Madara. It’s too much power..." she said carefully.
"Yes. It’s more than any other living being could handle. You would be stronger than Gaunter. Even I recognize that getting close to you is difficult. My luck is that there is a Hiraishin mark on your body, and even if you try to see a future, you are incapable of escaping my teleport. Because wherever you teleport, I will go the same way right to your side." Madara said, pausing.
"But still, it’s your power, Ciri. And you’ve already learned to see through the eyes. We’ll have to lose control a few times so that you can finally start to truly feel it. With time — and with my help — you will become stronger." Madara continued, able to give her instructions through the Sharingan and withstand all her power. That way, she would have a chance to master it.
"Alright..." she sighed, recognizing that it was useless to stay there standing still, lamenting and fearing her own power. "You’re with me, so... I believe. If you believe in me, then I must believe too." She replied in the end, with a small smile.
Madara nodded. "Very well. Let’s get ready. We have to go to Aretuza."
Ciri agreed, and they teleported, going directly to the academy after changing clothes.
As soon as they arrived, they immediately saw the three sorceresses turning their faces toward them while they were in a small room.
"You finally arrived. We have been waiting for you for the last few hours." Tissaia said, standing up, while Yennefer approached Ciri.
"How are you?" she asked, and Triss also approached.
"I’m fine. Aren will be fine. Madara said we will visit him as soon as we can." she replied.
"Don’t worry. We will help you... and also take care of him." Triss said.
Madara looked at Tissaia. "How are things? The meeting will take place tomorrow, right?"
"Yes. We are still organizing everything. The girls are helping." Tissaia replied, as she sat down.
"Just be careful. There are some sorceresses and sorcerers here in Aretuza... some are keeping an eye on Isabella." Tissaia said.
"I see..." Madara said, thinking a bit about the girl he had sponsored in her studies and healed a year ago. Since then, she had been standing out greatly, even leaving her peers behind and advancing through the classes. The teachers were already saying that she was more than prepared.
Obviously, Madara had shared the knowledge of all the mages whose minds he had entered over the past years. He passed everything to the girl, just as he did with Ciri — but only a small fraction, about 5%. Ciri, on the other hand, received around 50% of the knowledge, due to having a stronger mind than Isabella, thanks to her blood.
Even so, those 5% made her extremely remarkable. Five percent of Vilgefortz’s knowledge and that of all the other notable sorcerers was still something extremely valuable. This gave the girl a magical understanding that had no equal among the students or young sorceresses.
"Anyway, you can call her for me." Madara requested. "No problem. She can come here and see Ciri as well." He added, as Tissaia nodded.
"Alright." She said and picked up a small flower, murmured a few ancient elven words, and the flower flew out through the window.
"Let me ask you something as well, Tissaia..." Madara said, now in a serious tone. "Is there anything I should know about tomorrow? Something more suspicious?"
She seemed thoughtful. "Well... aside from all those mages and sorcerers who will be there, wanting to kill you, use you, gain your favor or something like that... nothing seems unusual." She replied, though she still seemed to be reflecting.
"I want you to keep an eye on this. Ciri had some visions. They are nothing concrete, but it seems that here she managed to glimpse a future... chaotic. And I believe that will happen tomorrow."
Upon hearing this, Tissaia couldn’t help but raise her eyebrows, her face filled with horror.
"You can’t be serious..." she murmured.
Madara sighed. It was clear that she wouldn’t be able to imagine something like that happening during the gathering of sorcerers. In the original line of events, that event would end in a massacre. Tissaia, unable to bear seeing Northern sorcerers and Nilfgaard’s allies destroying each other, would end up taking her own life after witnessing the carnage — bodies of colleagues and acquaintances scattered until dawn.
At that moment, the very flower that Tissaia had launched earlier floated before a young woman in a robe.
She looked curiously... until her eyes widened upon seeing everyone in the room.
On one side, she saw Madara and Tissaia talking. On the other, she saw Ciri and the two sorceresses she had met in Kaer Morhen. Triss she still saw from time to time, but Yennefer was something rare. Ciri only through the mirror; it had been years since Isabella had seen her in person.
"You..." she said, approaching with a small smile that soon widened.
Nothing remained of that hunchbacked girl, who walked crooked and downcast. Now, it was clear that she had developed many social skills.
She first approached Madara. "Lord Madara..." she said, bowing slightly upon seeing him.
"Isabella. I hope everything is well with you." Madara said in a calm tone.
She gave him a wide smile. "I am great, and it’s thanks to you. Thank you for everything... even though I have already thanked you, I still owe you much more." she said, sincerely. It was evident that she was truly happy.
There could still be traumas in her — something that, for Madara, would not be surprising. After all, she lived her entire life being hurt by others. Her own parents rejected her as if she were a plague, the town insulted her, and her brother tried to abandon her in the middle of the forest... before he himself was devoured by a werewolf.
She only survived because Madara intervened. He killed the werewolf, saved her... and then gave her a chance to change everything.
Isabella turned to Tissaia, although her eyes constantly returned to Madara, filled with admiration.
She learned about the events at the meeting of the kings about four moons ago. Everyone talked about how Madara made the kings back down before him. He did not just intimidate — he imposed himself. He accused one of them and challenged all the others to start a war against him.
No king of the North dared to face him.
Even without lands — being technically just a lord, albeit married to a princess heir of Cintra — he was more feared than any kingdom or organization in that world.
Her friends, and even other sorceresses older than her at the academy, constantly talked about him. None of them had seen him in person... but Isabella had.
She needed to keep this a secret, even though, sometimes, she felt like shouting that she knew him personally — that he was her benefactor.
While other sorceresses tried to envision a future where they would serve in Cintra alongside such a powerful man and a legendary queen... Isabella remained silent.
She could not reveal her connection with Madara. Even so, that did not stop nobles — even a prince — from seeking her out. After analyzing her performance and potential, they sought her loyalty.
Isabella refused them all.
How could she accept? Madara was not just powerful... he saved her. He invested a fortune in her studies, healed her personally, and gave her knowledge — tools to stop being someone despised and become someone admired, even by her teachers.
She owed him more than her own life.
And, because of that, she decided... to dedicate her life to Madara.
And it was at that moment that she moved to greet Triss and Ciri, on the other side, while Yennefer opened a smile, watching.
"Ah, you’re here. Did you know that Isabella is the best student in the academy?" Triss said to Yennefer.
"How wonderful... it seems that little girl was blessed..." Yennefer commented in a nostalgic tone.
"Indeed!" Triss said, with a slight smile, even though she already knew much about Isabella’s changes.
The young woman approached, and Isabella hugged Ciri before she could properly greet Yennefer.
"Look at you... you are so beautiful!" Ciri said, her eyes shining.
They had been talking throughout the months and years of pregnancy that Ciri spent at the temple, before Aren was born. Obviously, Isabella knew about the baby — there was no way to hide it. They always communicated through a mirror that Madara had given them, functioning as a communicator, reflecting one’s image to the other.
But Madara did not leave that without supervision.
He had already placed several magical barriers in Isabella’s mind. She was incapable of speaking about the baby to anyone else, using a technique similar to the one used by Danzou’s Root.
"How are you? How is your son?" she asked carefully.
Ciri opened a huge smile as she began to talk about Aren, although she also showed a certain sadness when mentioning the situation.
Meanwhile, Madara ended up leaving with Tissaia. He wanted to take a look at the castle’s defenses, and the two ended up finding some interesting things — small flaws.
Madara immediately realized that something was wrong with those responsible for the barriers.
"What are you doing?" Tissaia growled upon seeing Madara stop in front of her, preventing her from moving forward.
"There’s no point in going after these people now, Tissaia." Madara said in a serious tone.
"Why? We can stop whatever is happening!" she replied.
"It’s better to let this happen... at least at the beginning. We need to see who is conspiring. I bet those we are seeing are just pawns. We need to investigate who is really behind this, and not simply try to capture small subordinates infiltrated into your defense team."
Tissaia tried to argue. There were people there whom she had known for decades — people she herself had taught. People she trusted, and whom she never imagined would betray her trust.
But they were there... subtly sabotaging the barriers.
That was exactly why Madara did not want her to act hastily.
"We need to know who the enemy is and what they plan to do. We will deal with these small ones later. You need to remain cold. Because, if they don’t kill each other here today, even if we stop it now, at some point it will happen — and you won’t even know who caused all of this." Madara said.
Tissaia fell silent for a moment, thoughtful.
"Even so... I can’t let this happen." she murmured.
"Don’t worry. We will find out what is going on." Madara said firmly beside her. She ended up nodding, even though she was still uneasy.
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