The Power of Love

Approximately six months after arriving…

Since that first night, Triss had been staying in my room, but… while there had been a lot of making out each night, we'd barely done anything else. Maybe a little under the dress action regarding feeling up her rather full but still perky breasts, which always made her laugh, and perhaps a little grinding, like we were a pair of frisky teenagers, but we seemed to be taking our time before finally just getting naked and giving into temptation.

Thing is, I didn't mind a bit. Some women were just worth waiting for. I would have waited for Aela, but she was the first to give in, rather quickly to my amusement. With Serana, it had taken months before we were intimate, but once I had learned the reasons why, I would have waited years. Hell, I would have just not been worried and been her friend regardless. But she eventually wanted to feel real intimacy, simply so she could forget what she'd been put through.

I was in the middle of some repair work one morning, as although I trained with the witchers, I probably spent more time assisting Vesemir keep the old fort habitable, when Triss approached me, wondering if I'd like to go for another walk. I glanced at the old man, who practically told me to go unless I was utterly stupid, so after washing my hands and changing my shirt, I joined her downstairs. I offered to carry the basket, as it seemed heavier than last time, and we walked hand in hand along the same path, only the colours on display slightly different.

Being early afternoon by the time we arrived, Triss suggested a dip in the water before we ate. The fact she suggested it then immediately started to undress was a sign that was exactly the reason we'd walked here. Her dress, shoes and everything else was off before she stood in front of me in just her underwear. Like her hair, it was red and it looked spectacular on her body, particularly in comparison to her rather pale skin.

"Well, I already love that look in your eyes, Ragnar," she said, bending he arms back to remove her bra.

Absolutely perfect breasts. I'd seen quite a few in my life, not to sound completely arrogant, but there were some that were flawless. Triss was something else entirely. Removing her panties as well, I approved on the small patch of hair above her pussy. Bald was nice but I didn't mind a little trimmed fur. Turning and giggling, she skipped towards the water, crying out when she dipped a foot in, as I knew it was going to be rather cold, before she slid underneath, disappearing for a few seconds before her head appeared above the surface. "Are you going to join me or not?"

I stripped so fast, I fell over in my haste before I joined her in the water. Being a Nord from Skyrim, I was used to cold weather and colder water, so it made Triss look at me, mouth slightly agape, as I happily swam around as she was quite obviously not as comfortable. So I eventually stood by her, as my feet could touch the bottom, as she hugged me.

"You're so warm!" she exclaimed, "How is that possible?"

"I'm built for the cold."

She jumped a little and I felt her legs wrap around me, joining the arms already wrapped around the back of my neck. "I'll admit it's a reason I like sleeping with you every night. You're like a natural source of warmth."

"There are other ways I could warm you up, Triss."

She removed one hand from around my neck, resting it on my chest. "I just wanted to wait a little bit. Not because I worried you'd think I was… easy or something…"

"I don't think that about any woman I've been with. If we sleep together the first night, that just means we had an immediate spark. But I also don't mind waiting, because although we had the spark, we've spent time getting…"

She shut me up by kissing me. One hell of a kiss that told me everything that she wanted from me that afternoon and beyond. She was light so carrying her back to the blanket I'd unwrapped and laid down wasn't particularly difficult, and once she was laying on her back, I sat back on my knees and drank her in. She did the same thing and it was the first time she got a proper look at my cock. I'd worn trousers every time we'd gone to sleep before.

"Damn," she whispered, "I mean, I feel it prod me every morning…"

"I won't lie. I've heard compliments before."

She met my eyes with a smirk. "Do you have talent with anything else, I wonder?"

"Oh, I take it you want something else first, Miss Merigold?"

She sat up and kissed me again before leaning back just enough to meet my eyes. "It's been… too long, Ragnar," she whispered, "Since I felt the touch of a man so intimately."

"Must be a lot of pathetic men around."

That made her grin. "Just waiting for the right one to be introduced to me."

Running hands down her back, feeling the occasional scar of her own, I pulled her close as we resumed kissing. Though we'd done a lot of kissing before, we'd always been dressed, mostly anyway. This time, there was nothing to stop us being intimate, and I knew it was what we'd both wanted since that first night together.

Lying her back, I could have teased her, but I think we'd teased each other enough. A gentle fondle made her gasp and told me what I wanted to know, and so although I could have given her body attention, she gave me the eyes that told me what she wanted. Lowering my mouth as she slowly spread her legs, that first taste was… exquisite. Like savouring a fine wine. A strange comparison, sure, but I knew from that first moment that I'd happily do it the rest of my life.

"Yes," she breathed as, in addition to my tongue, I slid a couple of fingers inside, searching for that spot I knew every woman had. She shuddered when I did that. "Ragnar," she breathed, feeling her fingers run through my hair, looking up to see her looking down at me. The smile on her face was breath-taking, but the shimmer in her eyes suggested it was a big moment for her. Hell, it almost got to me for a moment.

Then I watched her head roll back as she cried out, feeling her squeeze my fingers, her back arch slightly as there was no doubt she was enjoying quite the orgasm. Normally I'd just keep going, but when heard her whisper that she needed me to stop, I did so straight away, removing my fingers and slowly kissing up her bodies, watching her shake slightly whenever my lips pressed against her skin. When her eyes opened and met mine, I was dragged down for one hell of a kiss.

Sliding inside her barely a few seconds later, it's safe to say that the best way to describe our first time was making love. I loved every second, the feeling of being inside her, the way her body reacted to whatever I did, the way her fingers dug into my back as she whimpered quietly.

"Cum in me," she breathed.

I was planning on doing that either way, but hearing a woman say that was just… erotic was the word I would use. "I wasn't planning on doing anything else, Miss Merigold," I whispered back.

"We're doing this the rest of the day. I don't really want to move," she said with a giggle.

"But I love watching a woman ride me," I replied, stopping for a moment, buried inside her.

"Oh, I was definitely going to do that, Ragnar. I want you to watch me ride you."

"Though I wear a Talos medallion, I'm definitely going to thank Dibella tonight."

"Who's Dibella?"

"She is the Goddess of Beauty, Love and Affection. Others just call her the Lady of Love."

"Might have to become a worshipper myself," she said, before kissing me, "Keep going, Ragnar. I love this feeling already. Going to want it all the time…"

"I hope so."

I didn't last much longer. It amused Triss in the fact I was ever so excited, but having not made love since arriving, it wasn't a real surprise. As I rested on forearms, she just wrapped me up in her arms and legs, feeling her soft kisses on my face. "I'll take that as a compliment," she whispered.

"I usually…"

"I don't care, Ragnar," she whispered, "I loved every second so far." I lifted my head to look at her face. The smile was… so utterly genuine, I had to lean down and kiss her, and within a few seconds, I was gently pumping into her again, much to her amusement. "Knew that would work," she added with a giggle.

She was riding me a little later, and I could compare it to only one or two lovers I'd had previously. And I just had to sit up and finally give those breasts of her some attention. She loved it, so much that, thanks to the attention of my mouth on her breasts, and the way she was riding me, she enjoyed another orgasm. Even better than the first one, I think, and good enough that she stopped and hugged me tightly. When finally leaned back, I had to raise a hand to gently wipe at her cheek. "Sorry," she murmured.

"I might not cry often, but trust me, I feel it often enough. I usually bury everything down when dealing with the worst life will throw at me, and then at moments like this, I can't stop it bursting out at times. Not tears, but all the feelings I have."

"What feelings do you have for me?" she asked quietly, and I could hear the nerves.

"They're intense already, Triss."

It made her smile again. "Me too," she said, and her next kiss just added to what she already felt for me. Laying back down, she came with me as she started to ride me again, my fingers running down her back before resting my hands on her pert little butt. "Want to cum again," she said.

"Just use me for as long as you want," I said with a chuckle.

"Might take you up on that one day."

She enjoyed two more before I came again, and after that, we agreed to stop for the time being. Sitting together to eat and drink, not bothering to dress, we chatted about our lives, making sure there was plenty of laughter as I shared some of my mis-adventures back on Skyrim. She was amazed at some of the things I'd been up to, particularly my battles against dragons, fairly sure she was holding her breath in anticipation, despite the fact I'd clearly survived as I was sitting next to her.

After a quick wash in the water, we dressed and walked back to Kaer Morhen. Even Ciri could figure out why we'd been gone all day and what we'd likely been doing. Triss didn't exactly tell the young girl what we were doing, simply stating we had enjoyed a fun afternoon together.

It was certainly the best day of my life on this new world so far.

*****

Present day…

I woke up alone. No sign of Keira, but I wasn't worried at the portal was open, so I figured she'd simply woken before me. I dressed and headed through to find she was busy making breakfast. Cuddling her from behind, nuzzling into her neck, it made her giggle as she asked me to take a seat. I was certainly feeling ravenous, particularly after the energy expended the previous evening,

She walked over the table a few minutes later with what looked like bacon and eggs. Smelled delicious, and I polished my plate off in a matter of a couple of minutes. Keira picked at her food and I could see she had something on her mind, no doubt about the favour she had to ask me.

"What's on your mind, Keira?"

"I know I asked a favour of you, Ragnar, but I'm worried it's…" She paused and met my eyes. "I'm aware of all your talents but you're not a witcher. You don't know about all the monsters one can possibly meet. And the favour I ask might be…"

"I'm not worried about what you're going to ask. If it's something I don't know how to solve, I'll just contact Geralt. So, let's make this simple. Where am I going?"

"A place called Fyke Isle. It's south of here. I own a little boat that's moored on the shore, so at least you can get there without needing to swim."

"Okay, Fyke Isle. I'll consult the map and figure out. What am I doing on Fyke Isle?"

"Lifting a curse."

"Slightly outside my realm of understanding, but when there's a will, there's a way."

She rushed out of the room, returning a few seconds later with the lamp we had taken. "This will help you. It will highlight and spirits that might inhabit the island. With any lucky, they will be friendly rather than dangerous, and hopefully you can build a rapport with them."

"Seriously?" I asked, unable to hide a tone of not being convinced by the idea.

"You don't need be a witcher to speak with spirits and ghosts. And this lamp will highlight any that you may come across. Most are simply echoes of the past and you won't be able to interact with them. But there are those that will communicate with you. I've already managed to do so this morning."

"So that's why I woke up alone."

She smiled before leaning across, giving me a brief kiss. "I thought I wore you out last night."

"We could always enjoy an encore once you finish telling me what you need."

She leaned back. "Once you're back from Fyke Isle, Ragnar."

"Ah, you would like this done immediately?" She reached across and grabbed my hand. "I figured it was important, Keira. It's fine. Anything else I need to know? Why is it haunted or cursed, for example?"

"There's a tower on the island and it's reported that is where Vserad, the lord of these lands, took refuge when Nilfgaard invaded. That's all well and good, but due to the war, the peasants were left to fend for themselves, so apparently a group of them sailed to the isle to beg for food. It turned nasty and into a massacre."

"Massacre? Why?"

"From what I've been told, Vserad had them poisoned. I knew a mage that lived there once. He failed to survive the carnage as well."

"Sorry to hear."

"So am I."

I gave it some thought then realised something. "He was the lord of these lands? Hang on, was he based at Crow's Perch?"

"Yes. The baron who runs it now, I don't know his name, is not the same man, but I do know many call him the 'Bloody Baron'."

"Hmmm. Hope Geralt lets me know how his first meeting goes. Anyway, Fyke Isle. Curse. Why don't you come with?"

She was still holding my hand, so gave it a squeeze. "I'm a sorceress, Ragnar. Approaching such magic… I tried the once and I thought my head was going to burst. But this curse needs lifting. The villagers, you see. They've asked more than once. I think they knew some of those who probably died. And if I don't help them…" She shuddered. "The witch hunters don't just pursue those in Novigrad, Ragnar."

"They're working this far south?"

"Velen is without the rule of law. Nilfgraad stay further south, Radovid is over the river. The only law that applies is either that of some despot, like the Bloody Baron, or those who have power and influence. And all it will take is a few villagers to cry 'witch' for a few of those bastards to come searching for me."

"I think you've kept the red hair to make me more agreeable too."

That made her smile. "I actually like it, Ragnar. And, yes, I will use whatever I can to get the help I need. I won't say it's a matter of life and death, but while it's covering my own arse, are you not intrigued as to why there is a curse? And lifting it is a good thing regardless."

"I'll admit to interest. I've dealt with more than one curse back on Skyrim."

She squeezed my hand again, one of those genuine, heart-warming smiles appearing. "Thank you, Ragnar," she said softly.

Dressing in my armour before picking up my weapons, Keira handed me a few things in a small bag she thought I might need. Before mounting my horse, she grabbed and dragged me in for a kiss, rather hot and heavy, eventually walking her back to her door, pressing her against it and eventually earning the sort of whimper I always liked to hear.

Without a word, I broke the kiss and mounted my horse, glancing to see Keira looking at me with colour in her cheek. She waved me off as I dug my heels into my horse and headed off. The ride south took a couple of hours, following the directions Keira had given me. Approaching the shore of Lake Wyndamer, I followed it until I found a boat moored on a small dock. Dismounting, I tied my horse to a tree and approached the boat, checking it was seaworthy before stepping on board, undoing the rope before grabbing the oars and beginning to row across. No point using the sail for such a small journey.

Fyke Isle was almost directly in the middle of the lake, the tower appeared to be in the middle of the isle. It didn't take too long to cross, as there was little wind and the water was calm. It was good exercise, to be honest, so that by the time I stepped off on the other side, it had been like a good warm up before I started some exercise.

I had to deal with a few monsters. I didn't have silver, but digging through Keira's bag of goodies, I did find little jars of oil, all labelled up for me. I'd learned from Vesemir how to make oils for the most basic of monster I'd run into, but it was nice to always be prepared. Drowners were rather easy, even for someone like me, particularly when I used my Thu'um. Rotfiends were something else entirely. Quicker than drowners, and they blew up when their health ran low. It wasn't the blood; it was the smell. Enough to make even the strongest man gag at the stench.

The tower appeared to have been well barricaded once upon a time, though most of the wooden structure had long since collapsed or fallen into disrepair. There was a calm air about the place, but also that sense that crawled up my back that told me things were not as they seemed. Remembering Keira's magic lamp, I pulled that out of my small bag. It lit itself up automatically, and after wandering around for a few minutes, found some sort of magic source that showed some spirts, or maybe they were ghosts.

As for the tower, it was full of rats and ghosts. I ignored the rats, as they didn't appear to be a bother, but I did listen to any ghosts that I passed, thanks to the magic lamp. It didn't make for pleasant listening most of the time. The lord had been butchered as soon as the peasants had broken in. If they'd just done that, I would have understood. I'd known plenty of rulers who were cruel and deserved punishment for how they acted. But when they spoke of going after his family, that's when I knew things had gotten out of hand.

The higher I climbed, the eerier it was. Again, that creepy feeling that had me unsheathing my weapon and turning at the sound of any noise. Didn't help with all the rats crawling around, but they were not bothering me. Quite frankly, I was already thinking they should just come and tear the tower down.

Finding a fresh body wasn't something I expected. Shining the lamp near it suggested there was something else in the tower. What it was, I didn't have a clue, but it was clearly responsible for the death of the man. Checking the wounds, I could tell the difference between someone killed by a blade, whether a sword, axe or hatchet, or the wounds left by something or someone else.

Keira was occasionally in my ear through the xenovox but she could hear the slight nerves in my tone, so generally left me alone to investigate. Making it to what I thought was the top, I eventually found a secret door that led me up to the laboratory of the mage that had been living in the tower… and also the lonely ghost, the daughter of the lord, Annabelle.

I'd never conversed with a ghost before. I did feel a little out of my depth, figuring Geralt or another witcher could possibly connect with the ghost better than I could. So I kept my questions simple, my mind open, but also knew that the ghost would possible ask if not plead for something that just wouldn't sit right. There was a curse on the island, after all. The fresh body downstairs lingered in my mind.

Annabelle confirmed the story of what happened that day. The peasants arriving. The death of her family members. The mage was also killed. But she had been given a potion to drink. Thinking it would have been something to kill her, instead it was a paralysing poison. She woke later, she wasn't sure how much longer, to realise she was still paralysed, and the tower was now infested with rats. Her end was… horrific. I felt nothing but sorrow for her.

But she was also a vessel of hate and, thinking back to my times on the road with Geralt, I could figure out she was the source of the curse. There was no missing the hatred she felt for those who had attacked the tower, but there was also hatred for a single person.

Graham, her former lover.

What sent a slight shiver up and down my spine was what she could tell me about the mage. Kept himself locked up in his laboratory all the time, experimenting on all sorts of things, including something called the Catriona. As she continued to speak, I took a look around and was horrified by the act I found human bodies having been used in experiments. The fact he was also looking into plague research left me wondering just what he'd been trying to do, and I was immediately wondering if Keira was interested in more than just lifting the curse.

When it came to breaking the curse, it was easy enough to figure out. Hate had caused the curse so love would break it. Graham was still alive, according to Annabelle, so all I needed to do was find him, bring him to the tower, then it would hopefully break it.

But through it all, something just didn't sit right with the ghost. She contradicted her story too often. And when she asked me to take her bones to Graham, I refused without hesitation. I'd read enough stories that just bones themselves could unleash all sorts of horrors, and considering they were the bones of a dead girl at the centre of a curse, I just wasn't that stupid, even though I felt pity for the poor girl.

She didn't like that, of course, and that's when she turned into some sort of wraith. "Oh fuck!" I exclaimed. Strangely, she didn't attack me, instead rushing past me to the door. Taking one last look around, I swore again before chasing after the wraith, bounding down the stairs to eventually catch up with it outside.

By Ysmir, it was perhaps one of the most horrific things I'd seen. No ordinary wraith. I'd seen plenty of those on my travels either alone or with Geralt and others. The wraith immediately went on the attack. I didn't have silver, and had no real way of fighting it. No time to check my bag. The only thing I could use was my Thu'um. But I had no idea what would work against a wraith like this.

YOL – TOOR – SHUL

Fire usually works, and it certainly worked a charm against the wraith, but before it disappeared, it claimed it could not be killed, at least not through ordinary means. That meant I'd definitely have to lift the curse.

I knew I'd need Geralt, or at least his advice. Taking out the xenovox, I hoped he could hear me. "Geralt? You hear me?"

"Aye, I hear you, Ragnar. What's the problem?" I explained everything I'd discovered so far, and described the wraith I'd just fought as well. "Sounds like a plague maiden, Ragnar, otherwise known as pesta. You said there was a curse?"

"Aye. The ghost, Annabelle, she spoke of love for this Graham, but it's manifested itself into deep hatred. Definitely the source of the curse. She did ask me to take the bones, but I refused. I'm just wondering what I should do next? Get Graham and bring him here?"

"Good decision regarding the bones. Now that you know it's a plague maiden, if you'd done what she asked, she would have escaped and caused god only knows how much destruction. She's definitely the centre of this curse, and from what you've told me, I would see if you can locate this Graham. Is he still alive?"

"Aye. Annabelle said she'd know if he was dead."

"That tells me they are linked by the curse somehow. Keira, are you listening?"

"I am, Geralt."

"Do you know anything about all of this? Do you know who this Graham is?"

"I've heard the name. From what I've learned, man of the peasants who attacked the tower were from the village of Oreton. It's on the northern shore of the lake opposite Fyke Isle, Ragnar. He should still be there."

"Okay, I'll head there and see if I can find him. Keira, I'll break this curse before returning."

"Okay. Good luck, Ragnar."

"Geralt, how goes your progress?"

"I'm near Crow's Perch now. Heard plenty of stories about this baron. I'm not sure how co-operative he is going to be but we'll see how things go."

"Keep me informed."

"Will do. See you later, Ragnar."

Walking back to my boat, I had to row it across the stretch of water. Weather had closed in, the water was choppy, and the journey took far longer than I would have liked. By the time I made it across to what I thought was Oreton, it was dark and I knew I wouldn't be returning to the island until the next morning. Despite the weather, there were still fishermen working to bring in their catch. Asking after Graham, I was pointed down the shore towards an isolated homestead, told he lived there alone, and had little to do with anyone else after what happened.

Knocking on the door a few minutes later, I heard a voice telling me to piss off. That just made me bang louder. "I'm here about Fyke Isle, Graham," I shouted over the howling wind, "Let me in. It's fucking awful out here."

The door opened, revealing the face of a man still in the stages of grief. There were smells that immediately floated out which I ignored as he gestured for me to enter. He was eating dinner, so I took a seat opposite him at the table. He was polite enough to offer me a plate, thanking him as I'd barely eaten all day. "What do you want?" he asked.

"I'm here about Fyke Isle, Graham."

He eyed me suspiciously. "How do you know my name, stranger?"

"As I said, I'm here about Fyke Isle. I've just been there. Spoke to Annabelle."

Shaking his head, he said quietly, "Impossible. Annabelle is dead, stranger. She drank poison. I couldn't save her."

I sighed and explained what I could, leaving out some of the gorier details he simply didn't need to know. When I let him know about the curse that infected the isle, his eyes widened in fear. "Curse?"

"Aye. You know anything about that?"

"I know I cursed everyone when I left because of what they did to Annabelle."

Nodding in understanding, I asked, "Do you still love her?"

He wiped his mouth and stood up, gesturing for me to follow. He led me to a small shrine. There was a simple picture with flowers and the scent of incense burning. "Never forgotten her, stranger."

"Ragnar," I said, offering my hand, which he took and shook.

"I've felt responsible for it every day, Ragnar. I was the luckiest man. The noble's daughter in love with some… simpleton like me. But we talked and talked and had such hopes and dreams. She was willing to give it all up just to be with me. Her, the most beautiful girl in the land, ready to be the wife of some simple fisherman."

"The power of love right there, Graham."

He turned to meet my eyes. "Tell me what I need to do, Ragnar."

"Tomorrow morning, we go to Fyke Isle. Annabelle needs to forgive you to break the curse. Once that is done, the isle will be cleansed."

"I don't have a spare bed so…"

"I can take the floor. I've certainly slept on worse. I have a roof over my head considering the weather outside."

He clearly wasn't going to be much for conversation, so I found a corner I could lie in and simply went to sleep. He woke me the next morning with a soft kick to the boot. Looking at his face, it was obvious he hadn't slept much the night before. In fact, I think he barely slept at all nowadays. He appeared to be exhausted.

Offering me a piece of bread to chew on, we wasted no time departing. It was a grey, overcast day as we stepped onto his boat, letting him take the control. There was enough wind for the sail to billow, but he still used the oars to add additional speed and direction.

We docked close to the tower. The confidence Graham had the night before disappeared as soon as we approached the tower. I couldn't really blame him, so stopped to give him a pep talk before carrying on. Walking through the door, I was immediately set upon by two wraiths. That's when Graham learned I carried a secret of my own as I unleashed the full power of my Thu'um.

"I thought you were a witcher," he murmured.

"No. My friend is. I'm something else entirely."

"Obviously."

Graham felt a great sense of unease as we climbed the tower. Couldn't blame him again considering the last time he'd been here, the lord and his family had been slaughtered, and he'd lost the love of his life. Even I could admit the place was just eerie, but knowing what had happened, and the fact there was a curse very much infecting the tower, it was little wonder the place made my skin crawl.

Walking into the laboratory, the plague maiden was waiting for us again. Since she didn't attack me this time, I got a good look at her. Half her face was missing. An enormous tongue hung out of what remained of her mouth. Her clothing was old and ruined. There was a slight smell of rot and decay. Graham stepped into the room and looked at the plague maiden. If he felt any sense of horror, he kept it well hidden.

"You have not forgotten me. You have returned to me," Annabelle stated.

He glanced at me. "Is that… is that…"

"Don't you recognize me? It's me, Anabelle, the one you abandoned, remember?"

He took a faltering step forward, then took a deep breath, his next couple more confident. "Anabelle, I was sure ye were dead. If I'd known otherwise, I'd a never have left ye! I'd do anything for ye, I would. Ye know that well. Believe me, I beg ye."

"Prove it. Kiss me."

I wasn't stupid. I knew that a simple kiss was going to break the spell, but the consequences could be… Graham glanced back and met my eyes. I think he knew as well. We exchanged a simple nod. He knew the price was going to be worth it.

I was going to look away, but I'll admit curiosity, watching as Graham stepped towards the plague maiden. Lifting a hand to her face, he gently caressed it before leaning forward to kiss her. Just before their mouths met, the plague maiden flashed away to replaced by Annabelle. No wonder he'd fallen in love with her. As the kiss deepened, hugging each other tightly, it was obvious what the outcome would be…

Graham collapsed to the floor, obviously dead. Annabelle lowered herself slowly to the ground and caressed his face in return. "At last," she whispered, before she looked up at me and smiled, her beauty radiating around the room. No wonder he'd loved her.

"Thank you," she said, before she slowly disappeared in what seemed a cloud of black smoke.

I didn't want to leave Graham there. His last act of life had been heroic, gently picking him up and carrying him downstairs. I found plenty of wood to burn, lying his body on the makeshift pyre, covering his body in a little of the oil I had, before using a spell to light it all. I stood back and lowered my head in respect. He no doubt knew the cost once he agreed to come with me. But knowing there was an afterlife, having experienced it personally, I could only smile at the thought they were together once again, and now forever.

Once his body was little more than ash, I had to take a seat, simply to catch my breath. I may have been a brute of a warrior, but even the hardest of hearts could appreciate a love story, but like so many it seemed, it had ended in triumph but also tragedy. Taking out the xenovox, I asked, "Keira?"

"Ragnar? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Fyke Isle is cleansed of its curse."

"You sound strange. Sure you're okay?"

I cleared my throat. "Aye, I'm okay. Just reminded of one or two things. Graham is dead, but I think he knew that would be the price the moment I told him about Annabelle. Brave man. Braver than many I've ever met. But at least it means Annabelle is now also at peace."

"True loves power. Come home, Ragnar. There's nothing else for you there."

"I'll be back there soon."

I took a final moment to look upon the tower, now at peace. Part of me wanted to just burn it all to the ground, but I figured that wasn't my decision. Walking away, I found Keira's boat and rowed that in the direction of where she had originally left it moored, arriving back at her house in the early afternoon. I must have had a look on my face once she saw me, as the first thing she did was hug me. "It was a happy ending, sort of," I muttered.

"Thank you for doing that," she whispered in return.

Mentioning I was hungry, I was sat down and a plate of food placed in front of me within a couple of minutes, Keira sitting across from me as I mentioned some of the things I'd found, particularly the laboratory and the experiments Alexander had been up to. She expressed no surprise, admitting she knew about him and his research, though admitted to being slightly horrified when I mentioned the human test subjects.

"Rest here tonight, Ragnar. We'll focus on what do next in the morning."

What I wanted after all of that was a wash, so the invite to back to the glade was gratefully accepted. Once in the hot water, she sat behind me and I felt soft hands soon all over my body as I was cleaned in all the important parts. Having yourself washed in that sort of manner is always very sensual, and it would perhaps come as no surprise that I ended up sat back with Keira on my lap, cock buried inside her as she rode herself slowly. The look in her eyes was certainly one of appreciation, not just for the sex, but for the favours I'd done for her so far.

She had kept the red hair for the time being as well. I guess she perhaps had one or two more favours to ask before I would finally head off to help Geralt.