FAINA OPENED HER EYES WITH A SMALL GASP.

She tried to stand, but realised her hands were bound behind her back. Her fingers brushed anothers' and she looked to her left and noticed the Witcher bound, just like her. And unfortunately, the bard was with them also.

She was starting to regret her decision to go with him on this hunt.

The white haired woman looked around the room they were in. It was made of stone, most likely they were in a cave. They were alone. Maybe if they could break their restraints, they could leave without encountering anyone.

"Geralt." She hissed quietly, her shoulder nudging his arm, "Wake up, you useless oaf."

When he didn't stir, she sighed. She began to produce heat in her hands, trying to burn the restraints off. The smell of burning filled her nostrils and she smirked.

To her right, the bard began to wake. He let out some shouts of surprise, not recognising where they were,

"Shhh." Faina stopped burning the restraints when he shifted, not wanting to burn him, "We don't want to bring them in here."

Geralt sat up with a start. He began to struggle in his binds and Faina rolled her eyes, "Don't you think we've already tried that?"

"This is the part where we escape." The bard stated,

"This is the part where they kill us." Geralt growled,

"That attitude is not helping, Witcher." Faina hissed at him,

"Who's they?" The bard asked.

Faina gasped as a woman entered and went straight for the bard. She kicked him in the jaw and Faina pressed herself back towards Geralt, avoiding her attack.

The woman growled in Elder and Faina's eyes widened upon seeing her ears. They were in the elven territory.

The elven woman moved on to kick Geralt in the jaw before turning towards her. She gripped her white hair between her fingers before landing a punch to her stomach. Faina grunted in pain before watching her move back to Geralt,

An elven man held the bard's instrument, playing with the strings, "Oi, that's my lute. Give that back, Geralt, do your witchering."

"Shut up!" Geralt growled at him,

"Thaesse aep!" The elf woman yelled at the Witcher,

"My Elder speech is rough. I only got a part of that." The bard stated,

"She's telling you to shut up." Faina groaned, before the woman landed another kick to her chest,

"Do you want to die right now?" She growled in common tongue,

"As opposed to later?" Geralt questioned,

"No, please, not the lute-" The bard got interrupted by the elf kicking him in the ribs,

"Leave off, he's just a bard!" Geralt yelled,

"You are not helping." Faina growled at the white haired man next to her,

They both received a punch to the jaw, "You don't deserve the air you breathe." She landed another hit to Geralt, "Everything you touch, you destroy!"

The other elf broke the lute and the bard gasped. The elven woman gripped the back of Geralt's head before kneeing him in the face,

"N'te va!" Faina yelled and the woman paused before walking slowly over to face her,

"You dare to order us, beag dh'oine?" She growled, lowering her face to look at her,

"Essea neén ess dh'oine." Faina glared,

"Wait, you speak Elder?" The bard questioned,

The woman gripped her hair and pulled it back to stare into her eyes. She paused, "Feainnewedd." She whispered,

"You hide in your golden palaces. You beat a bound man, too scared to even look him in the eyes!" The bard yelled at the elves,

"Do you like my palace?" The woman asked, walking around and crouching next to Geralt, lifting his chin to look her in the eyes, "Hmm? Doesn't live up to the tales you humans tell?"

He head butted her and the elven woman stumbled back and landed on her ass, couching uncontrollably.

The bard laughed, "Yeah, take that, pointy."

Faina watched as she continued to wheeze, "What's wrong?" She asked,

"She's sick." Another elf announced as he walked into the room, the sylvan following,

"Who's this?" The bard asked,

"He's Filavandrel, King of the Elves." The other elf answered,

"Not a king." Filavandrel stated as he checked on the coughing woman, "Not by choice."

"You were stealing from them." Geralt said towards the sylvan,

"I felt for them." Torque defended, "They were forced out of Dol Blathanna."

"Forced out? Not they chose-"

"Do you know anyone that would choose to leave their home? To starve? To have a Sylvan steal for them?" The Elven King hissed at the bard,

Faina watched them, "That's the problem with wars. Only the victors can tell their story."

Filavandrel stared her for a moment. The elven woman looked up at him, "She has fire in her blood." She whispered to him in Elder,

Faina knew what is was like to be forced from your home. It had happened to her, hundreds of years ago.

The elves were lucky that they had stayed together. Many centuries later, and Faina was still searching for her kin.

"Toruviel, no one was supposed to get hurt." Torque told the woman,

"What's a few humans in the ground when countless elves have died?" She hissed at the sylvan,

"Two humans." Geralt corrected her and Toruviel smirked at him,

Faina widened her eyes, silently begging her not to reveal her secret,

"You can let them go." Geralt insisted,

"Then Posada will learn that we've been stealing. The humans will attack." Filavandrel approached them, "Many will die... on both sides."

"The lesser evil." Geralt stated, "No matter what you choose, you'll come out bloody and hating yourself. Trust me."

"That's the problem." The Elven King crouched down to meet the Witcher's height, "I can't. This is necessary."

"I understand. As long as you understand that it won't be long before you follow me in death." He replied,

"Yes, because they pushed us from viable soil. Even chaos is polluted. Synthetically enhanced so humans can make magic."

"Chaos is the same as it has always been." Geralt insisted, "Humans just adapted better."

"You say adapt, I say destroy." Filavandrel responded,

"You are choosing to starve. You're cutting off your ear to spite your face." Geralt hissed,

"You think this is about pride?" The king stood, "My elders worked with humans and got robbed of all they had. And when they fought back, they were slaughtered. The Great Cleansing, humans call it. I called it digging a mass grave for everyone I loved. And now the humans proudly watch these fields grow, our babies fertiliser for their grain. I don't want to bury anyone else."

Faina's heart cried for them. She remembered being a child, her parents hiding her away from the chaos outside. From the slaughtering.

Humans have taken everything from her. All for their selfish desires.

And now she walks amongst them, pretending to be one of their own.

" I was once Filavandrel of the Silver Towers. Now I'm Filavandrel of the Edge of the World. If I bring my people down from these mountains it would mean bowing to human sovereignty. They'll make slaves of us. Pariahs of half-blood children."

"Then go somewhere else." Faina whispered and they turned to look at her, "Rebuild. Get strong once again. Show the humans that you are what they fear you to be."

The King looked back over at Geralt, "Do you agree, Witcher?"

The Witcher sighed, "I have learned to live with them. So that I may live."

Toruviel stood, "Please, my King. There are others. A new generation. Evellien who wish to fight." She growled, "Let us take back what's ours. Starting now."

The King took out his sword and the sylvan grabbed his arm, "Wait!"

"Torque, stand aside!" Filavandrel ordered,

"The Witcher could've killed me. But he didn't. He's different. Like us." Torque stated and the king pushed him aside,

Faina broke from her binds and stood before Geralt, "What will killing him bring?"

Filavandrel grabbed her and pinned her to the stone wall behind them. She wrapped her fingers around his wrist, preparing to burn him when he whispered, "I'm sorry, Feainnewedd."

He pulled away and she watched as he turned back to the Witcher, "If you must kill me... I am ready. But the sylvan's right... don't call me human."

Geralt raised his chin, prepared for the sword to slit his throat. Toruviel held Faina back, and they all watched.

"Squaess, Filavandrel." Faina whispered.

The Elven king swung his sword, but it did not pierce the Witcher's skin. He cut the binds wrapped around their wrists.

Faina let out a sigh of relief. He was letting them go.

The bard and the Witcher left, the bard quite happy with a new lute gifted from the king himself. Before Faina could leave, the kind grabbed her arm,

"Why are you traveling with a Witcher?" He asked,

She gave him a soft smile, "I am repaying a debt." She played with the hem of her tunic nervously, "King Filavandrel, have you seen any dragonkin in the mountains?"

He shook his head, "I'm sorry, Feainnewedd. It has been many centuries since I have seen a child of the sun." He stared at her, "You wish to rebuild, too."

"I just wish I'm not the last one."