Hen nodded solemnly, his expression unyielding. "Rest assured. Tissaia and I will replicate the exact dialogue and kinetic vectors of the illusions with such meticulous precision that it will utterly baffle standard infantry and seasoned sorcerers alike."
"As for the primordial entity... the entire tactical deployment hinges on whether this 'minor distraction' succeeds in drawing its focus."
Tissaia offered a crisp, minimal nod, signaling her complete comprehension of the parameters.
With his strategic briefing finalized, Karl offered no further commentary. Under the collective observation of the assembly, he remained stationary as his silhouette abruptly became fluid and translucent.
This was entirely distinct from conventional magical invisibility. It appeared as though the ambient light itself was actively bending around his frame, absorbing his presence and systematically erasing him from the environment.
Within the span of a single respiration, he dissolved completely from their visual fields, leaving behind an absolute void. Had one not witnessed the physical transition with their own eyes, it would have been impossible to deduce that an individual had ever occupied that space.
A microsecond later, a short distance from the coordinates where Karl had vanished, a dense cluster of brilliant, golden sparks erupted in the air.
The sparks traced a rapid, circular vector through the void, weaving a stable perimeter that crystallized into a dimensional gateway. Through the shimmering surface of the portal, the misty, heavily forested shoreline of Lake Vizima became visible.
Geralt, Triss, and the vanguard prepared to cross the threshold in sequence to establish their designated rally point.
Suddenly, a piercing, earth-shattering roar reverberated from the distant horizon.
"Aeee-nnngh!"
The sound accelerated toward them with terrifying velocity.
The formation halted instantly, their eyes snapping upward toward the source of the acoustic shockwave. At the absolute edge of the celestial vault, a colossal entity was beating its massive wings, generating a localized gale.
Despite its staggering mass, the creature moved with a predatory velocity that defied its sheer scale, its hide reflecting a blinding, molten brilliance beneath the sun—resembling a localized mountain range cruising through the upper atmosphere.
"A Golden Dragon?!" someone yelled in sheer disbelief.
Aside from a select few who maintained their strategic composure—Hen, Triss, Keira, and Yennefer remaining relatively unbothered—the rest of the sorceresses exhibited varying degrees of alarm and tactical readiness.
The moment Margarita deciphered the precise morphology of the Golden Dragon, her eyes narrowed sharply, the lazy, amused demeanor instantly evaporating from her face. Driven by pure combat reflex, she raised her right hand, her pale, slender fingers instantly crackling with dense, blinding arcs of silver lightning. She shifted into an active engagement stance, prepared to unleash a high-yield storm hex at a moment's notice.
Tissaia's reaction speed comfortably outstripped the rest, yet she refrained from assuming an aggressive posture. Instead, her eyes darted toward Hen.
Noticing that Hen remained completely unfazed, a faint smile gracing his features that seemed to communicate, 'Ah, so he actually decided to show up,' Tissaia instantly deduced that this golden entity was an ally.
Concurrently, the tip of Mousesack's oaken staff began radiating a soft, vibrant emerald luminescence. This was no destructive arc, but rather the soothing, resonant frequency of natural communion and primal binding. As a druid, his immediate impulse was to establish an empathetic link with this pinnacle of natural creation, de-escalating the encounter rather than deploying lethal force.
Just as the volatile atmosphere reached its absolute boiling point, a dry cough echoed from Karl's invisible position.
"Stand down, everyone. That is Villentretenmerth—though you may address him as Borch."
"He is a companion of mine, and he happens to be... our primary aerial reinforcement for this campaign."
The moment the declaration left Karl's lips, the silver arcs dancing across Margarita's fingertips vanished into nothingness. She blinked in mild astonishment, her head pivoting toward the source of Karl's disembodied voice. Looking back up at the golden leviathan descending from the clouds, a wave of profound realization washed over her features.
Villentretenmerth? Borch? A true dragon... acting as Karl's vanguard?
Mousesack let out a controlled sigh of relief, the emerald glow atop his staff softening back into dormancy.
Geralt and Yennefer exchanged a swift, knowing look. Both had long suspected that the eccentric traveler named "Borch" and his Zerrikanian bodyguards, Tea and Vea, carried an underlying anomaly. The fact that the sisters were fiercely protective of a golden dragon painted an entirely coherent picture now. Borch was simply the mortal avatar of Villentretenmerth.
With another deafening roar, the shadow of the colossal beast blanketed a massive portion of the courtyard. The localized atmospheric displacement from his wings slammed into the earth, whipping their heavy cloaks violently and sending a dense cloud of dust billowing across the stones.
Borch shed his kinetic momentum, correcting his descent vector before landing with a massive, resonant thud upon the open ground. His massive, molten-gold reptilian eyes scanned the assembly, projecting a dignified, ancient intellect. Finally, his gaze locked directly onto the distortion where Karl was concealing his form.
"Karl. You summoned Geralt, Yennefer, and the rest of the circle."
"If you intended to march into a theater of this magnitude, why did you omit me from the summons? You explicitly detailed the parameters to me previously," Borch's voice boomed through the air, carrying a heavy undertone of fraternal reproach and frustration.
His massive head lowered slightly, his draconic pupils tracking the distortion to pinpoint Karl's exact coordinates. "Did you deem my strength insufficient for this deployment? Or is it... that you do not truly count me among your brothers?"
Confronted by Borch's interrogation, Karl deactivated a section of his active forcefield, allowing his distinct, shimmering outline to become visible to the dragon.
He offered a warm, entirely genuine smile. "Borch, Saesenthessis was born only recently. This is the critical window where she requires your presence and paternal guidance."
"While Myrgtabrakke is capable of ensuring her security, her presence can never substitute for your own."
"Engaging a primordial entity carries an absolute threshold of risk. I had no desire to force a choice between your familial duties and our bond."
Hearing Karl's rationale, the rigid posture of the golden dragon visibly softened. The frustration burning within his massive eyes dissolved, replaced by a profound wave of warmth and an even fiercer determination.
The logic was undeniable—Karl hadn't forgotten him, nor had he miscalculated his combat value. On the contrary, it was precisely because of Borch's status as a new father and the extreme lethality of the operation that Karl had deliberately withheld the invitation. This level of meticulous care for a friend's well-being resonated deeper with Borch than any formal call to arms ever could. It proved that Karl viewed him as a true equal, not an asset to be deployed and expended at whim.
Following a brief silence, Borch's voice resonated once more—low, solemn, and ironclad.
"Saesenthessis remains under Myrgtabrakke's vigilance. She is a resilient hatchling; she will understand."
"But when a brother stands before the precipice of an existential hazard, I cannot simply hide in my lair and feign ignorance."
"Now that I have taken the field, I have no intention of retreating. Detail my operational objectives."
Within the distortion, Karl's silhouette nodded in approval. "Then we march as one. My mentor, Hen, will provide you with the comprehensive breakdown of the enemy vectors and our tactical synchronization."
Without further delay, the golden sparks defining the perimeter of the portal expanded violently, throwing the gateway wide open.