New Excerpt

     Zoltan: "Wise words, milady. Wise words indeed. And now your morning repast is ready!"

     She sits down in front of the plate of food prepared to dig in when the door to the outside opens. Zoltan starts to move to intercept whoever has walked in.

     Zoltan: "Here now, you are too young to come into this place, if it is food you want I can load up a plate for you and you can eat it outside."

     Annia: "Please sir, I am not hungry, I need help, someone to help me, please?"

     Zoltan: "There is no one up to help you, why do you not ask some guardsmen?"

     Annia: She rubs a sore place on her hip, "They just kicked me for disturbing them." Tears start to run down her face, please, do you know anyone who would help me?"

     Zoltan is trying to figure out what he is going to do when Iriisii kneels down next to her.

     Iriisii: "Please tell me what the problem is, maybe I can help."

     Zoltan backs off to see how this is going to go.

     Annia: "It is my mother, she sells herbs to make money for us. The Church soldiers came by to collect protection money."

     Zoltan can be heard cursing the church and everything about it under his breath.

     Iriisii: "She did not have enough to pay them did she?"

     Annia: "No ma'am, she did not. So they took her and said she was a heretic, and would burn on the pyre."

     Iriisii sharply turns her head to Zoltan to explain further.

     Zoltan: "The 'Church of the Eternal Flame', a bunch of lowlife, cutthroat, money hungry..."

     Iriisii: "I get the gist of it, but burning people on a pyre?"

     Zoltan: "It started with magic users, mages, then expanded to non-humans. After they ran out of them they began picking out common folk."

     Iriisii: "And the city guard does nothing?"

     Zoltan: "The 'Church' has paid off the city guard, and at least half the City Council. They own at least a quarter of the buildings in Novigrad."

     Annia is nodding her head to what Zoltan is saying.

     Iriisii: "Where are they setting up the pyres?"

     Annai: "In the closest market square from here."

     She points in the general direction of the 'docks' area.

     Annai: "About halfway to the docks. maybe less."

     Zoltan: "More like a third of the way."

     Iriisii: "What is your mother's name, child?"

     Annia: "Maeris, are you going to save her?"

     Iriisii looks at her, tears still crawling down her face.

     Iriisii: "Yes, I am. I think it is time to make an example that this will no longer be tolerated. Annia, will you stay here with Zoltan and finish my breakfast before it gets cold? I will be back soon with your mother. I promise."

     Zoltan: "You can trust her, Annia. She keeps her promises, especially promises made to little girls."

     Annia: "Really, you are not just saying that?"

     Iriisii: "On my honor as a Dragonborn Blade Dancer and Empress of Tamriel, I am not just saying that."

     Iriisii rises up to her feet and turns to the door.

     Iriisii: "Take good care of her, Zoltan. If Geralt comes down you can tell him where I have gone, no one else, clear?"

     Zoltan: "Crystal, Come with me to the dinner bar, there is plenty of food, and I have fresh fruit juice."

     Annia: "She is really an Empress?"

     Zoltan: "Yes, she is, you can believe her."

     Iriisii nods her head to Zoltan and opens the door to walk out. Once outside she spots a lone guardsman walking by. Walking up to him. The guardsman sees how she is armed and armored.

     Guardsman: "Hey, I don't want no trouble."

     Iriisii: "I have no quarrel with you, but am in need of directions to the closest marketplace. The one where the pyres are going to used today."

     The Guardsman gives her directions.

     Guardsman: "You are not planning any trouble are you?"

     Iriisii hands him a few gems, "Just make sure no one comes to aid the Churchmen and there is more where those came from."

     Guardsman: "Never did like those stuck-up 'better than thou' arsewipes, thinking their better than the rest of us. Don't worry, won't be no one coming to help them."

     Iriisii: "You are a good man, guardsman. Here, put this one away where no one will see it."

     Guardsman: "Thank you, ma'am. Have a good day!"

     Iriisii: "Oh, I plan to, I definitely plan to."

     She turns and walks quickly following the directions the guardsman gave her.

     It does not take too long to reach the marketplace, she looks at four stakes placed with captives chained to them. Some of the 'Church' soldiers are placing oil soaked pieces of wood around the feet of the captives. She looks at the chained captives seeing three men and one woman. She walks up to the Soldier watching the woman's pyre being readied for the flames.

     Iriisii: "What has she done to deserve this punishment?"

     Church soldier: "Whats it to ya?"

     Iriisii: "I simply asked a question, now will you answer me?"

     A few of the merchants nearby start moving away to other places to not be associated with what is going to occur.

     Church soldier: "We didnt like how she looked at us, what, you want to join her or something?"

     Iriisii: "No, I want you to let her go."

     Church soldier: "You can gather whats left of her after the pyre does its job, not before."

     Iriisii: "Now."

     Church soldier: "And what are you going to do? Fight me for her?"

     Iriisii: "If you want, but if I win, you take her place on the pyre."

     The merchants left in hearing distance pack up and clear out. The rest are forced to stay put and watch by the other soldiers.

     Church soldier: "Very well, but if I win, you stand next to her on the pyre."

     Iriisii smiles, "Done. Draw your blade."

     They move to the center area and draw their blades. Iriisii drawing only one of her two katanas. Places the tip on the cobblestones, and her two hands, one atop the other covering the top of the hilt, holding it away from her body, looking certain that she can win this. She hears whispering as bets are bring made on how long the fight will last, who will win, who scores first blood. The Church soldier pulls his sword and brandishes it with a few swings before taking a swipe at Iriisii. She judges this one is for show and stands her ground, not moving as the soldier's blade passes by her to the chuckling of the crowd. The bets begin moving in Iriisii's favor as the soldier realizes there is more to this woman warrior than he first thought. Better to stop playing around and finish this.

He comes back around with a low swing, extending his body forward to cut her legs. She takes her katana and drives it upward as she leaps up and lands on the 'Church soldier's blade, trapping it against the cobblestones while she stops her own swing right at his neck. He feels a tingle as the demon within the blade reaches out to touch his soul in anticipation of claiming it.

     Iriisii: "You are not even close to being an effort for me to defeat. So what about two of you? And lets up the stakes, if I win both of you trade places with two of those waiting for the pyre to burn."

     Church soldier: "And if we win, we have our way with you first then you burn on the pyre."

     Iriisii: "Very well, but only because you will not win."

     The Church soldiers come at her from each side. Iriisii thinks, 'Typical, no inventiveness', as she strikes one downswing then the other before rolling out from between them, swatting the flat of her blade across the buttocks of one then swings to the other side to get the other one. The chuckling and snickering becomes full out laughing.

     Iriisii looks to the remaining two soldiers she faces with the other two still behind her.

     Iriisii: "All right, how about all four of you, surely four Church soldiers can handle one single woman warrior, or can you?"

     By now the shame has grown such that it overwhelms the soldiers, even as the audience has tripled in size, from passersby, thieves guild members, beggars guild, dock workers, whores, even some passing guardsmen informed about not interfering in the goings on. The betting is fast and furious as the four they and coordinate their attack only to find she is not there. She makes a running leap and lands on the shoulders of one of the soldiers, slipping down until her legs are locked around his head she swings out at the other three soldiers. Parrying their strikes until she can land the flat of her blade across the top of the head of one then another, knocking them unconscious. When only the one she is riding is left on his feet she takes the pommel of the hilt and slams it into the top of his head, sending him to the cobblestones.

     She then sheathes her blade, going to one she hoists him to her shoulders and goes to one of the pyres. She then proceeds to release the victim and then chains the soldier up in his place. She does this with the remaining two male victims. Finally taking the last to the woman victim.

     Iriisii: "Are you Maeris?"

     Maeris: "How did you...Annia! Is she all right!?"

     Iriisii: "Yes, she is just fine, I have friends watching over her to make certain she is safe."

     Maeris: "I do not know how I could ever thank you."

     Iriisii: "We will discuss that later, right now wait for just a few minutes, then I will take you to her."

     Iriisii finishes chaining the last soldier to the pyre. She takes the bucket of oil at each pyre and pours it all over the head and body of each soldier waking them up. As they realize their situation they begin shouting for help and when none comes start wondering what their fate is to be. She then turns to address the crowd.

     Iriisii: "You have allowed yourselves to be controlled by this trash. First it was the mages, then the non-humans, then when all of them were either killed or driven out, they had no one else to victimize but you. It must stop, here, now, before they destroy this city. Do you really want that with Nilfgaard nearly at your doorsteps? You could have done what I have just done, all you needed was for one or two to start and the rest to join in. But I will still give you a chance to take a hand in this. I give their fates to you. You can either let them free, free to continue this abuse of all of you, or you can light the pyres and give them a taste of what they have been subjecting all of you to. I wash my hands of this, it is now in your hands."

     Iriisii goes to Maeris, "Come with me, let us see to your daughter. She is very brave and loves you greatly."

     They are a good distance when the smoke from the pyres rising into the air is noticed, along with the screams of the four soldiers.

     Maeris: "Why did you do what you did with them?

     Iriisii: "To make a point, wake up the people, take revenge for those who died on the pyre, take your pick or make up a reason of your own. Sometimes you have to fight fire with fire, evil with evil. It does not make you like they are as some like to say and point their finger. It is why you do so that determines that. I took no enjoyment from it as I am sure they would have and have in the past."

     Maeris: "Yes, you are quite right about that. They were looking for any excuse to find people to burn."

     Iriisii: "So what happens when they run out of people to burn, will they just stop and go their separate ways?"

     Maeris: "No, I do not see that happening."

     Iriisii: "So the only way to stop them is to do what I did. Show them not to be the power that they claim to be. Show that they can be beaten. Now you have to step up and keep going forward, do not let them regroup, keep the pressure on them. Attack from the shadows, from the darkened windows, when you have numbers to overwhelm them. This is not a fight of rules or expectations, this is for survival. You do what you must to win, and when you have won, you make certain not to follow in the footsteps of those who oppressed you. Do not become what you fought against, for then they have won."

     Maeris: "I understand, I just do not know where to begin."

     Iriisii: "For now, keep your head down and out of trouble as best you can. Wait and watch for your opportunity, it will come, then rise up and take back your city. We are here."

     Maeris: "Here? But this is..."

     Iriisii: "Not any more. The new owner is changing what it once was, changing its future from what it once was to something with a more cultured future. A place where one can be proud to say this is mine, that I am a part of it. It will take some time yet, but it will happen. Besides, I doubt the 'Church' will come here looking for you and your daughter."

     Maeris laughs, "That is certainly true. Thank you so much, I had no idea how Annia would survive if I was gone?"

     Iriisii smiles: "And so the gods brought her to me, to help the both of you."

     Maeris: "So are there in truth gods to watch over us here?"

     Iriisii: "Soon there will be, soon. And then things will change here."