WELCOME TO THE FREE CITIES!

[abraxasmods]

WELCOME TO THE FREE CITIES!

Welcome to The Free Cities! The portal exits outside the capital city of Cadens. The first impression of the city is its sheer size. It sprawls out across the landscape like a great hulking beast at rest. The wall that encircles it barely contains it, the buildings of Cadens practically bulging against its restraint.

The air here seems thicker somehow, tinged with a scent that’s acrid and smoky. Smog hangs high over the city, belched out by smokestacks that tower over the industrial district. The desert stretches out behind it, dotted with towers and dust clouds that disappear into the horizon. Multiple gates lead inside and each is staffed by soldiers in unfamiliar uniforms that wave a steady stream of people through without appearing to pay much attention. People are coming and going almost all of the time, to and from the outposts and areas of activity around the city proper. It’s difficult to tell just what’s out there beyond the impression of tall metal structures and a great deal of labor. Wagons carrying travelers to Libertas and Aquila roll out from the Travel Post outside the city wall.

Anyone who can sense magic will notice a much lower concentration here. No one will be stopped or questioned at the gate, even if the soldiers seem to take note of the fugitives from Thorne.

The activity and sheer number of citizens can be overwhelming. It’s crowded and loud and feels constantly in motion with everyone talking and yelling over each other. It’s easy to get swept up in the ever-moving throng or find oneself ducking into the mouth of a narrow alley just to breathe.

Anyone who’s willing to make their way to the northern part of the city and Portham Hall will find Prime Minister Marlo Reiner available to receive them.

Comments

[productid4]

[Louis is always observing, especially when it comes to carnivores. And this man definitely reads as a carnivore to him--no fangs, but carrying himself with the gait of someone who's been stronger than others long enough for it to seep into his being. It's the same kind of gait that any large carnivore back home would have, no matter how comfortable or uncomfortable they were with their own strength. The knowledge that you can protect yourself comes with a lot of inherent confidence.

The fact that Geralt sits so his back faces a wall doesn't escape Louis' notice, but he can hardly blame the not-human. Louis would do the same if he were coming to a stranger's house.]

What do you mean, I may need concentration? On what?

[Considering he's injured and his poorly fitted temporary prosthetic has been irritating his leg all day, he holds himself with a lot of poise.]

[gynvael]

[ On what is not the question Geralt expected, though perhaps he should've. Geralt pauses, studying Louis. He doesn't seem a man prone towards a lack of focus. Might not be that difficult for him to pick up on it.

Still, Geralt learned from a young age. Frankly, he hasn't any concept of how hard it is for someone to attempt for the first time, without practice or experience. So far, he's noticed a few have entered the Horizon who he wouldn't expect to -- even Jaskier's made it in -- which suggests it isn't that hard. Maybe the natural connection they already have helps. ]

How skilled are deer at meditation?

[productid4]

Meditation? [He arches a brow.] Depends on the deer. I can't say I've ever tried it myself, but I'm confident in my ability to learn.

[Louis is confident in his ability to learn anything if he wants it enough. It wouldn't be the first time an essential skill presented itself that he'd never even touched before, and he just fought tooth and nail to gain it. He's had to do it with reading, writing, even just speaking or walking.

Not all deer can say that. In fact, most can't. Most people can't say that. But he can.]

[gynvael]

You'll need it to return the next time.

[ That part, Louis is on his own for. It's less learning, more doing, because the only wisdom about the process Geralt can impart is stop thinking about so fucking much. Which seems to have helped Alucard, mildly, so who knows. Maybe it is worth something.

He appears to be done taking questions, in any case. His eyes fall shut. Entering takes not long for him; there's a thread, a path, one he still isn't entirely sure what it means. It leads him in. He lands where he always does: at the front of his domain, the snow crunching beneath his boots. His appearance is virtually unchanged, save for the silver wolf head medallion that now hangs around his neck.

Being here has never felt comfortable. It's a necessity, not a place to relax. He plans on leaving as soon as Louis is in -- who he looks for now, waiting patiently for the deer to appear. Time to find out if this even works as intended. ]

[productid4]

[It takes a moment for Louis to touch Geralt, to actually dive into the strange world that offers so much opportunity--but he does it.

And then it's like plunging into deep, dark water.

What comes out in the Horizon doesn't have a distinct form at first. It's like smoke, trying to pull itself together into something. First it's death with antlers, it's head a fanged deer skull. Then that image melts away again, replaced by a small faun with terribly wide eyes and a knife clutched in its hands, all the different venison cuts marked in dotted lines across his skin.

And then that image melts away too, the smoke coming together and finally relaxing into form. It settles into the flickering image of a deer in silhouetted watercolor, only his eyes distinct. He has two legs, his right leg somehow glowing with hints of bluish gray mixed up in the purples of his image.

Despite having no distinct symbol on him, he radiates Death arcana.]

Oh.

[That's all he says at first, looking at Geralt without any recognition, but without any alarm or malice either.]

Are you a wolf?

[It's asked almost impassively. For someone who just appeared without any memories, he seems pretty at ease.]

[gynvael]

[ His first time here, he’d awoken with no knowledge of anything, no sense of what might be wrong. Now he understands; now he feels it, the strangeness of watching another materialize before him. Absent of who they are.

He eyes Louis. That’s. Unexpected. All the colour. It says something, probably, something Geralt might piece together another time when he has a mind to.

He blinks. ] I’m missing some pieces if I were.

[ A distinct lack of a tall for one. He glances across the Horizon. Hm. Seems about right—memories gone, no other ill effects. If Louis meets others, he imagines they’ll help him out. Geralt, for his part, had promised he’d keep an eye on the deer’s corporeal form. Once Louis is off, he’s going back. ]

Do as you like here. You should have no trouble making your way.

[productid4]

Yes, I suppose. But it seems strange to wear the face of a beast you aren't.

[He glances away. Rather than being disoriented or frightened by his complete lack of context, he seems... curious more than anything.]

You're right. I don't think I will have trouble.

[He takes a few steps away, picking a direction and going to it, but pauses just long enough to turn around and cock his head at the person.]

I feel like I should thank you for something. So thank you, if my intuition is right.

[gynvael]

[ Geralt appears to contemplate that remark for a moment. Disconcerting, a bit, that the deer is so calm all the while he looks as if he’s been rolled across a paint palette. ]

It’s only what they call me.

[ No further clarification comes beyond that. Geralt simply nods at the thank you—watches the strange multicoloured deer wander off. He does hope, in all honesty, that Louis will find the Horizon a more pleasant experience than he had.

When he returns—really returns, to the room in the city—he checks the windows and doors, once. Then he waits. Geralt said until sundown, so he’s making good on that. He finds a seat where he can keep an eye on entrance. Every so often, his attention returns to Louis, curious if he’ll return all on his own or if Geralt will need to shake him out of it before he loses two full weeks like they had. ]

[productid4]

[The deer stays asleep(?) for a long time. His eyes dart under his lids, indicating he's very much active, even if he's not present. In the Horizon, he explores, and he creates his own world, and he is utterly at peace being only himself without history.

The smell of blood fades now that Louis isn't walking on his temporary prosthetic. He hadn't thought to hide his foot before going under, so it glints in the light. It's polished wood and metal that may look familiar from Thorne's style of engineering, a temporary stopgap and apology for taking his actual prosthetic away in transit from home to here.

Occasionally, his ears twitch, flapping from side to side. Without the imperious, stern expression he usually wears, he looks young. Young enough to still be in school, even, though it can be hard to tell what's just his face and what is a reliable tell of his age. The flapping ears could almost be described as cute by someone who didn't mind their head being bitten off.

As the sun sets, Louis still hasn't woken up, and he shows no signs that he will.]

[gynvael]

[ If there's something to eat and drink around the home, it's entirely possible that Louis may or may not find afterwards one or two items missing: nothing major—some bread or fruit—but consider it a tip, given he's not doing this for a hell of a lot of pay in the first place and he's sitting around for several hours.

Dull work, keeping watch, but he's used to it. At least nothing's likely to spring up and try to eat him in here.

The sun sinks. He gives it another hour or so, just to see if Louis will come out of it on his own. But the deer's heart is still steady, his breathing unchanged. Geralt reaches out, giving Louis first a tap, and—if there's still no sign of stirring—a shake of the shoulder. ]

[productid4]

[There isn't much around the house--mainly vegetable juice, water, bread, and raw fruits and vegetables. It'd be easy to wonder if Louis is a vegan. Maybe he is. Maybe deer are vegans.

He is sleeping like the dead, right up until the tap. Deer are prey animals, and no amount of exhaustion will ever make Louis unresponsive if a potential predator touches him in his sleep. Louis is up like a shot, grabbing Geralt's wrist instinctively to push it away, his heartbeat racing and his nostrils flared.

There's a flash of recognition in Louis' eyes, his grip releasing as he remembers where he is (which is probably a good thing, because even when he's panicked, his grip is pretty weak).] I'm... awake.

[And disoriented. But before he gets his bearings, there's a low growling noise. His head snaps to look at the source, and where there once was empty space, there's now a semi-transparent lion and a wolf sitting on either side of his door. The lion's tail whips back and forth, his eyes square on Geralt. The wolf is on his feet, hackles up and lips curled back to reveal a snarl.

Both of them look strange. The lion has a pair of square glasses perched on its nose, somehow staying perfectly in place, and a trail of Japanese characters down his front leg and his stomach. The wolf is almost the size of the lion, much bigger than a wolf should be, and he has three scratch marks scarring one brow.

Even with his fur, it's clear that Louis has gone pale.]

I... am awake, right?

[gynvael]

[ The hand around his wrist makes him frown, but Geralt's already pulling out of Louis' grasp as the deer's letting go. He's about ready to collect what he's owed and conclude their business—Geralt is not an impatient man, but he is an efficient one—when they appear. Geralt has not, in fact, ever seen a lion up close; to him, its body almost registers as a gryphon first. A trail of runes he can't read climbs its furred leg.

That's new.

He steps in front of the deer. Where the fuck did they come from? The Horizon? First time he's heard of someone going in and popping out with two companions. Which...is a complication he's admittedly not anticipated. And a bit of a problem. He eyes the door, considering if he should simply grab Louis by the scruff and haul him out of here. He's not eager to fend off a wolf and a (bizarrely distinguished) lion with exactly one dagger and one frightened deer by his side. ]

Friends of yours?

[productid4]

[In the back of Louis' mind, he can't help but marvel at how quick the not-human gets between him and two very angry-looking carnivores. His eyes flick up to the back of Geralt's head, shocked for a moment, before he's composed himself and stands to his feet. He's clearly very good at putting on a brave face and masking fear or pain, because the only hint that he's aggravating his injury is the refreshed scent of blood in the air.]

All of my friends have hands and two legs. [But he does take a moment to frown at the creatures.] ...But they do strike a surprising resemblance to a lion and wolf I knew.

[A lion and wolf he loved.

The lion still has his teeth bared, but as Louis stands up, the wolf sits on his haunches, his snarl turning into a downright puppy-eyed expression. His tail starts wagging so forcefully that it beats the ground.]

Don't you even think of hugging me, [Louis says at the wolf the moment that tail starts wagging, voice stern and a little flustered, like he's had to deal with that before. The wolf, for his part, just wags harder while the lion tries very hard to keep his focus on being threatening towards Geralt.]

[gynvael]

[ At some point, later, Geralt will consider more thoroughly the idea that Louis apparently exists in a world where everyone around him resembles a bipedal animal of some kind. At the moment, he has exactly one concern, and it's whether or not this will become a problem.

Though judging by that wagging tail, perhaps not. He raises an eyebrow. A part of him relaxes. Really? The deer came back with two predators for friends? Stranger things, he supposes.

He sighs. The faintest tension remains in him, at the lion, but Geralt does not otherwise react. If Louis recognizes them, manifested them, then he likely has some control over them. The how and why, he'll...work on that another time. When he hasn't got a fucking lion staring him down. ]

Are we finished? Can I leave you with these illusions of yours or am I to return tomorrow to find a deer shredded to pieces?

[productid4]

Like anyone I associate with would be wasteful enough to leave any shreds but antlers behind. [Louis says it casually, like it's totally normal to talk about the possibility of his friends eating him. Which... it is, for him. He even sounds vaguely offended at the idea of being eaten and not eaten completely.

But he's got all his composure back now. He strides to his cabinets, feigning disinterest in the carnivores that are now looking at him, but they're in view through the corner of his eye.]

Lion, the intimidation tactics aren't necessary. Geralt is an associate of mine.

[The lion's eyes flick to Louis, and the growling stops. His face falls into a more relaxed expression, seeming downright studious with the glasses on, and he pads away from the front door, sitting down besides the table to start licking his paw. Despite his newly languid body language, his eyes remain on Geralt, perfectly focused as he grooms. The wolf sniffs at the lion curiously, but is completely ignored.

Louis meanwhile is doing a pretty good job of acting like he thinks all this is TOTALLY FINE AND NORMAL while he rifles through his cabinets.] I do believe I promised you payment in exchange for your help?

[gynvael]

[ Luckily for Louis, Geralt is a proponent of dry dark commentary, and so he doesn't blink twice at the remark so much as he finds the vague undertone of offense taken curious. Not enough to ask after it, though. Feels like he's rather overstayed his welcome, what with the new...guests.

He eyes them for a moment longer before turning away, leaning back against one of the walls. If they're not aggressive towards him, he sees no reason to keep his defenses up, so. Now there's two of them, both behaving as if this is totally fine and normal. Which, who the fuck knows. Maybe it is. Geralt hasn't encountered precisely this situation, but he sure as hell has seen stranger.

At the mention of payment, his gaze slides towards Louis. ] Mm-hmm.

[ That he did. And Geralt will be collecting, thank you, and then on his way. They both got what they wanted here: Louis his ticket into the Horizon; Geralt with some information out of the test run. He's seen enough, at least, to believe it might be worth bringing Ciri inside, if she wants, rather than leaving her cut off from a portion of the world. ]