Digging too deep

Lalcaero "W-who are you? Who sent you?"

Ciaran shakes her head and doesn't answer, instead walking him over to a chair and sitting him down, continuing to remain behind him. "I will ask some questions, and your survival depends on how truthful you are... If I find you're a liar I will butcher you, your maid, aswell as anyone else who lives within this estate... Do you understand?" she says simply, as if she'd not just threatened to erase this man and everything he cherishes.

Lalcaero quickly nods, "Y-yes... I-I understand..." he says, defeated.

Ciaran "What is Nilfgaards relationship with the Vampires?"

Lalcaero "I-I don't kn-" *CRACK* he slowly looks behind him and spots that the back of the wooden chair has been utterly destroyed, leaving only splintered remains... Ciaran dusts off her hands and looks him in the eyes, "Continue."

Lalcaero starts profusely sweating at this, "I... F-from what m-my colleagues have s-said, it appears that t-the Vampires d-don't want the Empires t-territory..."

Ciaran nods, "And the agreement between Nilgaard and the Vampires?"

Lalcaero "I-I think t-the Emperor has a-allied with them... I receive reports of people who're required to give blood..." he intends to end his answer there but feels his mouth go dry when Ciaran glares at him... "T-The Emperor has started c-creating a s-strong military force... I-if we are allied with the V-vampires then the target m-must be in the nor-"

Ciaran "-Ichor..." she mutters, frowning, she's objected before when Reima refused to just annihilate Nilfgaard... Saying that the problem had been Emhyr Var Emreis and that he'd been dealt with. Clearly that wasn't the case if an invasion force was heading north. "Where is this force currently?"

Lalcaero "F-from what I know, it should have r-reached the south of A-Aedirn by now..."

Ciaran frowns, that's a problem, if Margarita isn't able to create a portal near Kaer Morhen she'd likely miss the battle... She probably wouldn't even be needed, but she refused to leave it to chance as the invasion force would likely have the aid of the Vampires.

Nodding to herself Ciaran decides to end it here, "One last question... Do you like my emereald eyes?" she asks gently.

...

Lalcaero "Ah... Lady, you're eyes are go-"

*CRACK!*

Ciaran brutally snaps his neck, not willing to leave a witness alive, much less a nobility of the Empire that was about to try and invade her home. "Wrong answer." she states, disappearing out of the window.

It isn't until morning that someone notices the Earls corpse, church bells ring to awaken the guards who immediately start scouring the city for the killer, even if they have no idea who committed the crime.

The mages attempt to Divine who's responsible, but find that "They" don't exist, or shouldn't. Leaving them confused and without answers.

Back in the cave the church bells could be heard, everyone was already awake and Margarita looked much better than she had yesterday.

Ciaran "Are you able to create a portal yet?" she asks with a hard look.

Margarita slowly nods, "I am... Any idea where we should go?"

Etredi "Somewhere I can get my leg fixed!" she says loudly, gesturing at her bloody bandaged wounds.

Dythi nods, "Etredi needs medical attention, who knows if her wound'll get infected."

Ciaran nods, "Margarita, can you transport us to Kaer Morhen?"

The sorceress shakes her head, "Unfortunately, I've never been there... We'd likely end up inside a mountain if I tried."

Ciaran frowns, "Then, Ard Carraigh?"

Margarita nods, "I can do that, but will there be any help there? You said it'd been destroyed didn't you?"

Ciaran "I need to reach Ichor immediately to relay some news, they will be able to treat Etredi there."

Tildanird "It'll take a week to get there on foot from Ard Carraigh, do you think Etredi will last that long?" he says.

Ciaran sighs, "She'll have to, we aren't going anywhere else." she states.

...

The group give eachother reluctant looks, sure the place Ciaran wanted to take them was apparently safe and had medical supplies, but they weren't sure Etredi would last the journey... That, and it was obvious she had another motive for wanting to go there.

Dythi "We don't really have anywhere else to go, do we..." he mutters.

Margarita nods, "Let me prepare myself, I'm still a bit drained from yesterday, but it should be alright." she says, closing her eyes and beginning to chant in Elder Speech.

Tildanird looks at Ciaran "I don't know if we can trust you, but I believe you won't let Etredi just die like this..." he says with a conflicted look.

Ciaran doesn't answer and just looks towards Margarita as the portal open, stepping in before everyone else.

Elsewhere :

Within a buried shrine that'd previously been liberally flowing with blood, a tall stone monolith sits patiently, red runes pulsing on the surface as red light dimly shines from cracks in the surface of it...

*Pak! Pak! Pak! Pak!*

The sound of someone digging with a pickaxe reverberates above the ancient object, the red lights pulse as if they were anxious to be reached soon...

"Boss, where do you think this leads?" one of the peasants mining asks.

The leader shrugs, "Dunno, that there God didnd't say nuthink after he killed dem Vampeers and saved us... If I had to bet, I'd say gold!" he says with a grin, "Now gitcha back minin' we got work ta do!"

"Y-yes boss." they say, continuing to chip away at the stone rubble, men behind him constructing wood reinforcements so the tunnel doesn't collapse atop them and dwarves scooping the loose stone and soil into a bag before transporting it outside.

"I hope we reach the end soon, my back can't take much more of this."