Palace in the Lake

Chapter 207

"What about that alchemist's request?"

"I completed it for you. You owe him nothing now." Roy smiled. "Berengar, it's an interesting request. Why'd you refuse?"

"You think it's interesting?" Berengar looked up at him weirdly. He had a blank look in his eyes, as if he remembered something horrifying. "You got guts, kid. If I were you, I would never let any sorcerer turn me into a furry creature. It's disgusting. But I owe you one for handling this for me, so…" Berengar slicked his greasy hair back. "I'll finish this job for half the price."

"That request is a different thing. You've worked really hard, and you deserve this. Besides, we agreed on the price, and Letho won't let you cut the price." Roy handed the note to him, pretending to be generous. However, when he turned around, he winced, as if refusing the offer had hurt him. "We'll be counting on you then. Two pairs left."

"Well, thanks for the crowns then. I can drink all I want now." Berengar tucked the note away and yawned. "Now that my debt is cleared, I don't have to be on the run anymore. Time to get some sleep. I'll continue tomorrow."

Berengar flicked water off his hand and stood up. He was hunched over from all the exhaustion, and he went past the witchers, trudging into the night outside.

"Remember what I said!" Roy shouted after him. "You have enough money to go back!"

Berengar paused for a moment, and his face fell. "Don't say a word about Kaer Morhen." He went away even faster after that.

Letho held the swords tightly, staring at Berengar. "Why'd you want him to go back, kid?"

Roy stretched his arms. "There's only four witchers left in the Wolf School. I thought it'd be great if we can convince one of their members to return."

"Forget it. We haven't received any news from Geralt yet. You don't even know if we can go to Kaer Morhen." Letho shook his head. "And Berengar has left his school for many years. He's used to working alone. It won't be easy convincing him."

"He's considering it. I can feel it, but it'll take more than that for him to return." Roy remembered the conspiracy against Vivienne, and he changed the topic. "But first, I'm going to see the Lady of the Lake. Are you coming?"

***

The moon draped the land in a silvery blanket, and ripples spread across Lake Vizima. White foamy waves suddenly appeared on the lake's surface, and a strange creature leapt onto the slimy land at the lakeside. Its scales gleamed under the moonlight, and its limbs were thrashing.

The creature had a fish's head, and its gigantic eyes were rolling around, as if trying to see something. The creature seemed to be an old one. There was a long pair of white whiskers growing out of the sides of its lips. A piece of tattered cloth hung around its neck, covering its back like some sort of cape, and it had webbed hands and feet.

The creature rushed to a boulder covered in shells and shouted gibberish at it. It hissed to the air, and a pair of witchers came out from behind the boulder. "We meet again, friend." The young witcher went up to the creature and extended his hand. This creature was Kiko, the sage of the vodyanoi whom Roy took to Vivienne.

Kiko's whiskers were shivering in excitement. He held the witcher's hand and coated his palm with a slimy substance.

"I know. Reunions should be celebrated, and I'm really happy too." Roy beamed at him. The vodyanoi might look funny with the fish head, but he was a genuine and honest creature. "How are you doing?"

'The fallen are vanquished. The goddess has returned. We just welcomed the twentieth member of our tribe. It's an adorable little vodyanoi.'

"Good to hear. Kiko, my friend, the Lady of the Lake did not respond to my summon earlier. Do you know what happened?"

Kiko spoke gibberish again and looked at Letho cautiously. He asked a question in a language only Roy understood.

"Don't worry. He's been through a lot with me, and he respects the goddess too. I wish to take him with me this time. May I?"

Kiko tilted his head and fell into silence, as if he was conversing with some invisible entity. A moment later, he looked back up and nodded, then he extended his hand toward the lake.

Roy asked Letho to follow him, and he unsheathed Aerondight. The blade reflected the moon's light and shone like the sun. He swung the sword, and the Lady of the Lake's blessing covered him. He stood on the surface of the lake and strolled to the center of the lake with Kiko by his side.

"You want me to swim all the way there, kid?"

"Night swims are great for the body. You might want to consider that."

Letho gave him a murderous glare, but Roy ignored him and had a little hushed conversation with Kiko. The vodyanoi pointed at Letho with his pudgy finger, and a green light brushed his head. An invisible force appeared under him, and Letho could stand on water.

The lake breeze brushed against their cheeks, and the witchers could smell the scent of fish within it. They looked down and saw schools of fish swimming in the lake. The occasional black fish would poke on the soles of their shoes, but it would dart back to the depths of the lake as Roy walked on.

Ripples spread out from underneath their feet as they walked. Eventually, they came to an area where the lake's surface was so calm it resembled a mirror. The moon was reflected perfectly, and when the witchers went past that area, it felt like they were walking on the moon itself. It was a magical experience for Roy.

Eventually, Roy saw a dreamy blue light appearing not far ahead of him. It was not the lights in Vizima, nor was it the moonlight either. The blue light came from a palace in the heart of the lake.

Calling it a palace was an understatement, though. It was not gigantic or resplendent. Eight multicolored pillars surrounded the palace, and seaweed and shellfish hung from them. Water kept dripping from them, as if they just surfaced from under the river.

The witchers stopped in awe before the palace. It was not here the last time they were in Vizima, and they did not see it during the day.

Kiko explained the palace's appearance to them. He said it used to be a sunken palace hidden in the depths of the lake and surrounded by Dagon's evil waters. After Dagon was vanquished, Vivienne took back control of the palace and would summon it to the surface every night. There was actually an ancient empire sleeping under the lake. It was home to the vodyanoi since ages ago, and Vivienne stayed there most of the time.

"An underwater ruin?" Roy stepped onto the stone stairs, curious to know more about the ruin. The stairs were already chipped away severely, and it led down to the bottom of the lake.

Kiko stopped in front of the final flight of stairs that would lead them to the palace. He raised his head and stood aside solemnly, as if he were a servant to nobility. He beckoned the witchers to enter, and they did. What they saw was a throne made out of colorful corals, and a big pearl hovered over it, radiating a dreamy blue light that illuminated that palace.

A lady was lying on the throne languidly. She held the throne's armrest, her gigantic fish tail swaying around, its scales glimmering under the pearl. Her upper body was leaning on the other side of the throne, and she held her chin with one hand. Her green, luscious hair covered half her face and all of her beautiful body, revealing nothing but her childlike face and rosy lips.

She blinked at Roy. "Roy, the knight of Vizima. Finally here to see me, are you?" The lady's voice filled the throne room. Contrary to her figure, she had the voice of a child, though there was also a kind of alluring charm to it.

Roy held his pendant down. It was vibrating like crazy. He managed to quash all the horny thoughts thanks to his extraordinary will, and he gave Letho a look that told him to keep his eyes down.

Vivienne had changed a lot compared to the last time Roy saw her. She was even more alluring now, and she had also gained a lot of power. Mana swirled around her, and it was almost palpable.