The black wolf

On paths unknown

The narrow riding path was well used and rather visible, he was half asleep in the saddle or he would have been, if Jaskier had been able to keep his gob shut for a few seconds. The bard was very enthusiastically describing the “charms” of the last bar maid he managed to talk into his bed and Geralt was rolling his eyes. He wanted peace and quiet, a chance to rest. He had been sent off to some village as far away from anywhere as you could possibly come and there he had to fight not one but two bruxas in one night. He had been paid well but what the hell, the gods certainly hated him since he had met the bard on the inn after the job. Jaskier was exactly what he didn’t want just there and then and his small hints had been all but ignored. It seemed as if the concept of silence was one Jaskier simply didn’t have the mental capacity to understand.

The bard rode a small roan gelding which moved with just as much speed as a lame snail and if it hadn’t been that these were dangerous woods he would have spurred Roach and gotten out of there. But he couldn’t just leave the bard, he would get into trouble faster than you can say fuck. So now they were riding along, heading for the next real village and it was a trip which would take at least a whole day. The temperature had dropped the whole day and there were grey clouds gathering, he was rather convinced that it would snow soon, or something even worse and he was glad he had brought good clothes. Jaskier on the other hand wasn’t well dressed at all and he carried just his lute and a small knife. But as he said, he didn’t need to fear anything, he was riding with the white wolf.

They were heading down a rather steep embankment towards a small river when Geralt suddenly felt a cold chill running down his spine, he sensed some sort of magic and he grasped the reins, stopped Roach. The mare snorted and he threw a gaze at the surroundings, just forest, dead leaves, dead branches, nothing which did move. He turned back and now there was something straight ahead of them on the bank, it hadn’t been there just three seconds before. It was a wolf, a pitch black she wolf with yellow eyes and she was massive, the largest he had ever seen. The feeling of magic got stronger, in fact almost painfully strong. He grasped for his swords and Jaskier gasped, the wolf made a sound, it sounded a bit like laughter and there was most definitely a smirk on its face. Then everything turned in front of his eyes, the world spun and went dark and he heard Jaskier scream and the horses whinnied. It felt like falling, and it was very cold and he held onto the hilt of the sword as if it was a life line.

He opened his eyes, he still sat on Roach with Jaskier right behind him, and he had the sword in his hand. They were still in the woods, only that it wasn’t the forest they had ridden through. There was no riding path, no signs of humans at all and the air was cool and rather crisp. The wolf was there still, she cocked her head and there was intelligence in those golden eyes, and something akin to perhaps a challenge. It turned around and trotted off, relaxed and self assure, turned to look at them one last time and was gone in the undergrowth and Geralt was feeling utterly confused. What had just happened? Jaskier was panting. “Geralt, what the actual fuck did just happen?”

He grunted and took one more look at their surroundings, they had changed completely. They were no longer on an embankment but on the side of a hill and he didn’t recognize anything there. Had that wolf sent them somewhere unknown? “I have no idea Jaskier so do not fucking ask”

He tried to stay calm, to analyse the situation. The beast hadn’t felt evil, but it had been powerful, immensely so. Was it some sorceress in animal shape? He did pet Roach on her neck, tried to think. There were a lot of smells there, all natural and he raised his head and tried to sniff the wind. No signs of humans at all. Wherever they had ended up, they were far from any farms or villages. The wood was mixed, many different species of trees and it was rather open, they weren’t all the way north then. The trees hid the view, he couldn’t see the landscape around them so he made Roach walk again, downhill. Sooner or later they had to find somewhere open so he could try to determine where the heck they were.

Jaskier looked scared and Geralt wished that he could have said something to soothe his fears but he had nothing to say. He checked his saddle bags, some extra clothes, a small jug of wine, his potions and then his weapons. That was what they had. Jaskier bit his lower lip, the gelding he rode was acting up, still spooked by the sudden teleportation. “What are we to do?”

Geralt made a grimace. “We are to try and find out where we are and then find a village, or a farm at least. We are not equipped for trekking through the wilderness, or at least, you aren’t.”

Jaskier pouted. “Am I hearing concern for my wellbeing? I am flattered”

Geralt didn’t answer, the bard could interpret it any way he wanted, but the witcher was worried. The air was strange, the place felt completely alien somehow. He kept the mare moving and used his eyes for all it was worth. It was getting dark fast, he was heading south if the direction of the sunset was the same here as where they had been but he saw nothing which did indicate that people had been there. He had no idea of what dangers this place held, if he and Jaskier would be safe come the night. He kept moving forth and for once Jaskier held his mouth shut, the idea of having to spend the entire night in the forest seemed to throttle even his annoying optimism.

They found a small cave by a river, it was just big enough to provide cover for them and the two horses and Geralt made a small fire. He didn’t need the warmth but Jaskier did. They had no food, not even scraps and he knew that the bard would starve rather fast. He was used to inns and proper cuisine, not raw meat and roots. If Geralt had been alone he would have been way more relaxed but now he felt responsible for the bard and that ate at him. Jaskier rolled himself into his cloak and fell asleep, whimpering and shivering. Geralt stayed awake, the forest made its own sounds and they were all natural, all to expect. Noting out of the ordinary except from the fact that they hadn’t chosen to be there in the first place.

The next morning came with sour winds but clear skies and Geralt knew that this was their chance at finding out where they were. As they broke camp he set course uphill and after a few miles he reached the top of a hill. Jaskier had barely said a word the entire morning and he was obviously not feeling very happy at all. The hill had an open area where a fire once had cleared away the trees and it gave him a chance at seeing the landscape. His heart sank, there were no signs of anything there, except forest. Rolling hills with some open areas, rivers and in the distance something which had to be lakes. There weren’t a single settlement to be seen anywhere. He cursed and made a grimace, where the heck were they? He had never heard of such a landscape. Far away beyond the forests he could spot some mountains and behind them were just more forest and more hills. Was this some realm without humans at all? Jaskier was pale. “Where are we? Is this the continent at all?”

Geralt sighed. “I am not sure, it could be that we have travelled…in time maybe?”

Jaskier frowned. “Do you mean like to before the conjunction?”

The witcher shrugged. “I don’t know damn it, and I am being honest with you. I feel no signs of people here at all”

Jaskier blinked, his expression was one of shock. “But…how are we to make it, alone?!”

Geralt tried to smile. “Listen, we travel south, towards the lake you see there. If there are people here I bet they live by the waters”

Jaskier pulled his cloak closer to his shoulders. “You think so?”

The voice was thin and Geralt felt something akin to pity. Jaskier was dependent on people, it was his personality after all. Geralt had no problem handling being alone but for how long? He too looked forward to meeting his surviving brethren over the winter and sharing stories and just being safe and comfortable. The idea of never seeing anybody again, except Jaskier wasn’t exactly pleasant.

They rode on, the landscape was beautiful and he soon noticed that the wildlife was familiar but completely without fear. Deer came all the way up to them to sniff the horses and he saw both foxes and a bear in the distance. Hawks and other birds were soaring way up there and he knew that this was a place where nature hadn’t been disturbed. Could this be some world the conjunction hadn’t touched? He was rather sure that they weren’t in their own world anymore, he just felt it. Nowhere he had ever heard off had wilderness this large and if they were on some unknown unexplored island or something it was way too large not to have been discovered by the sea faring nations like Skellige. He stopped when the sun was at its zenith, killed some large grouse like birds with some rocks and made a fire. Jaskier was very hungry and ate like a pig, he could barely wait until the meat was cooked. Geralt could just hope that they would find people soon, or else their future looked bleak.

That night they slept close, it was very cold and the bonfire wasn’t enough to keep Jaskier warm. The bard still trembled and Geralt got a new worry, he wouldn’t get sick very easily, but Jaskier could. He had given the bard his extra clothes and his cloak but that just wasn’t enough, the winds there were biting to the bone. They rode on, Jaskier seemed to have given up, he barely spoke a word and normally Geralt would be glad but now he wasn’t. He needed Jaskier to keep their hopes up. He found some edible roots, he found nuts and some wild apples which were sour as fuck but still edible. The winter was clearly coming there too and he was getting scared.

Then Jaskier’s gelding slipped and fell and when the animal got back up it was limping badly. It couldn’t be ridden anymore and Jaskier had to sit behind Geralt on Roach. But the mare couldn’t move as fast as before carrying two men and their speed was limited. The gelding was limping more and more and after a couple of days Geralt did the merciful thing and killed it, the leg was probably broken anyhow and letting it suffer was out of the question. Now they had only one horse and Geralt started walking, leading Roach behind him. Jaskier too walked most of the time and he was not even complaining.

Geralt saw that they both looked terrible now, they did smell so bad any animal for miles could track them and Geralt was more and more nervous. There didn’t seem to be any intelligent species there at all, not even monsters. This was some realm untouched by human hands or was it? They had been travelling for more than a week and a half when Jaskier started to cough. He had after all been given all of Geralt’s spare clothes and his cloak too but it was very chilly and the bard had developed a nasty cold. He was sniffing and sneezing and Geralt ordered the bard to ride the mare, he had to save his strength.

Geralt wasn’t a man who prayed, but now he did. Snow had started to fall, and Jaskier was running a nasty fever, he was shivering and sometimes he was rather confused and out of it. The cough was getting worse and Geralt knew that the man had pneumonia. It would kill him if they didn’t find shelter and medicine soon. Geralt hunted and got them food but it wasn’t enough and Roach was getting skinny and weak too. There weren’t much grass to find when they stopped and he was getting afraid that he would be left there all alone in the end. The idea was unbearable. At night he held the bard close to share the warmth and Jaskier was constantly wheezing and gasping for air. Still they saw no signs of people anywhere, the woods were undisturbed, pristine and virginal.

He tied Jaskier to the saddle, it felt like the worst betrayal to make the mare carry anyone but he had no other choice. And he kept walking, kept hoping and kept trying to keep them all alive. Jaskier had some moments of clarity, he would ask Geralt to simply leave him with his knife, to seek safety alone. The witcher could survive there, but Geralt knew that it wasn’t so easy. Yes, he could survive but could he live? All alone? Without anyone there? No, he would go mad eventually. Jaskier was in a daze most of the time but one morning as they went over a steep little hill the bard groaned and pointed towards the horizon. “Geralt, smoke!”

The witcher raised his head and stared, with hope and fear. Fear that this was some trick, some illusion, just a natural forest fire. It was a column of smoke, hanging heavy and black over a hill quite a distance from them. He felt his heart hammering, the black smoke…it wasn’t natural. Normally this meant that something was burning which shouldn’t burn at all, he had seen that before. Jaskier moaned. “Maybe…”

Geralt felt frantic, a burning village, that still meant people or something akin to people and that could mean danger but also salvation. He had to take the chance. He grasped the reins and prayed that the mare still had the strength to carry Jaskier for yet a couple of days. It would be needed to get to the place with the smoke, he saw that clearly.

For the next two days he ran, he pulled the horse behind him and Jaskier was unconscious most of the time. When they stopped he would give the bard some of his own potions, just to slow the impending doom, Jaskier was barely breathing now and burning hot. He gave Roach too some potions, to strengthen her. It wasn’t enough and he was such a beast for pushing the mare this way but there was no way out of this, they had to reach that place soon, or Jaskier would die. He couldn’t bear the thought of losing the bard, he realized now how much he actually did care for the man, although they were complete opposites. The terrain was awful in places, rocky and treacherous and yet he managed to keep going, and so did Roach. The potions seemed to have a very strong effect on horses.

The smoke disappeared after a day, but he had noticed where it came from and held the direction well, if there were people there he hoped they were friendly. It took him two and a half day to reach the source of the smoke and by then he had seen that there were humans in the area. The game was afraid of him, there were trees cut down, he saw some fences and paths and it was clear that some farm or village was close by. He slowed down when he felt the smell, the acrid stench of smoke mixed with something he yet couldn’t identify but it was nasty and musky and very intense. The snow was disturbed by feet, or feet? It looked like someone had driven a zoo through the snow, paws, claws and every other possible combination of feet could be seen and he had no idea of what this was supposed to mean. The smell also carried something else, burned flesh, singed hair and he felt his heart drop. He already knew that what he would see would be bad.

He walked forth carefully, sword drawn, Roach followed him out of old habit even though she could barely walk anymore. It had been a village, not very large but probably the homes of several families. The buildings were burned down to the ground, only black ash and singed remains of logs remained. The footprints were everywhere, and so were huge specks of blood. But no bodies, not a single body and as he used his eyes he did see something which rekindled his hope. It was a heap of scorched bones, and they weren’t human. The skulls and bones were grotesque and didn’t look like anything he had ever seen, and around the heap were hoof prints, of huge horses, shod horses.

Behind the village were some fields and someone had dug there recently, he could smell the freshly turned soil and realized that somebody had buried the dead people, and done so with respect. The dead monsters had been killed by someone who had tried to help but arrived too late. A wide track did lead away from the ruins, the riders had been many and he gasped and knew that these people had to be there ahead of him somewhere. With that many horses they needed stables, and food and it could perhaps be a castle or fortress somewhere there. He tried to smile at Jaskier. “Don’t worry my friend, there are people here, I am sure I can get us help”

The bard didn’t answer, he was too far gone to say anything anymore. The mare seemed to have gotten some extra energy now, the scent of other horses had awakened her sort of. Geralt ran, he was no longer in his full strength but had to push forth still. The days with less than ideal food and constant worry had worn him down. He ran pulling the mare behind him, ran until he felt the taste of blood in his mouth and knew that he hadn’t pushed himself so hard since he was a lad, being trained by Vesemir. There was a road there, not much used but the snow was compacted and allowed him to really run. It had to lead somewhere…

He ran all night, it was getting a bit lighter along the horizon when he saw distant lights, it had to be a farm or at least some buildings and he stopped, listened. The forest was quiet there, too quiet. His instincts told of danger and he stared at the lights, no, it couldn’t be true. Nothing should stop him now, hinder him from saving his friend. He pulled his sword and Roach whinnied, a loud terrified sound. The smell came on the wind, musky and nasty, it made his blood turn cold as ice. There was growling, and hissing and he saw movement in the darkness, everywhere. Whatever it was, it was obviously enjoying scaring its prey witless before it attacked. He saw eyes, everywhere, high low and moving about, red and yellow and some were extremely odd. As if the beings had more than two.

Jaskier moaned and Geralt felt guilty, this was all his fault. Whatever that black wolf had been, it had probably nothing to do with the bard, it was he it had been after, the witcher. Jaskier was collateral damage. He swallowed, some of the shapes moving in the darkness were huge, and he was weak, not at all what he used to be. He made a split second decision, they stood by a tree and he grasped Jaskier and threw the man up among the branches. The beasts were probably capable of climbing but Geralt wouldn’t sell himself cheap, he would fight until his very last drop of blood was spilled. If the gods were merciful they would let Jaskier die from the fever before the beast could kill him. It felt bitter though, that this would be his end, and that his death would lead also to the end of his friend. He could have died a thousand times if it could have saved Jaskier.

He smacked Roach over her rump but the mare just sighed and fell to her knees, too exhausted to even run. He ought to end it for her, before the monsters got to her but he didn’t have time for suddenly something hairy and immense came screeching towards him and he had to move. The thing was covered with matted fur and had a round head with a wide maw and several rows of teeth. He made a roar to give himself some courage and let his training take over. He cut off the snarling head and another monster was behind it, some slick ghastly abomination with a head like a shark and several tentacles trying to grasp him. He fought, cut and sliced, jumped and ran and they never stopped coming, more and more came rushing, he was fighting with his back to the tree and the fallen horse and it became a blur, a vision of death and blood.

He was soon covered with black goo from the beasts and he was bleeding from many cuts and wounds, still he managed to keep them away from the tree. He gave his all, the gods damn it all but he wouldn’t stop now, not until he was dead. Despair was clawing at his heart but he refused to give inn, refused to give up even though it was hopeless. There were too many, even someone like him has limits and his were reached and overstepped already.

He fell to his knees and some beast with the body of a buffalo and the head of an alligator came snarling towards him, he didn’t even have the strength to raise his blade anymore. He was empty, wasted. There was nothing left in him, he was broken. The beast was going inn for the kill but something came flying through the air, hit it with a heavy thud and sent it flying like a ragdoll. Geralt watched as if in a dream, a massive pitch black destrier was pulled to a stop in front of him, the animal wore plate armour and had jumped over him and hit the beast with its wide chest. On the back of the massive black horse sat a rider also wearing armour and he wielded a long slender sword and swung it with undeniable elegance and skill.

From the other direction other riders came forth, in full gallop on horses much larger than any other horse he had ever seen. An armoured figure on a long legged silvery stallion swung a pole blade with a sort of fierce fury he could recognize, but it was efficient, cold, methodical. There were many there all of a sudden and they slaughtered the beasts, cooperating. The horses fought just like their riders, kicking and biting and using their armour as protection against claws and teeth. A massive brown horse with no armour were kicking its way through the crowd, forelegs hammering like war maces and the rider swung two blades. Geralt was stunned, some of the beasts were rather small, they looked like balls of fur with just a massive maw and nothing else and some of the others looked almost like normal animals but just almost. Something was wrong with all of them. The rider on the black stallion jumped down from the enormous steed and stood in front of him, the man said something but Geralt didn’t understand a single syllable. The man tried again, obviously in some other language but Geralt could only shake his head. He pointed at the tree. “Please…my friend, he needs help”

The man waved his hand and shouted something. Someone came running, with a speed which was unnatural and a slender woman kneeled in front of Geralt. He had to gasp, she had pointy ears, it was an elf but she wasn’t like the elves he was used to. This being was ancient in herself and he sensed that she had magic in abundance. The man said something which sounded worried and the woman nodded. She smiled at Geralt, her hair was thick and silvery white and she had shimmering blue green eyes which reminded him of some sorceresses he had met. She was lovely, no, stunningly beautiful but he saw the blades she carried, no sorceress but a warrior. She said something soft sounding and laid her hand on his forearm, very gently. Geralt jerked, a chill went through him and he felt dizzy for a few seconds. She tilted her head. “Do you understand me now?”

Geralt gaped, he had to nod. Then he became frantic. “Please, my friend, he is in the tree, he is sick, help him”

The man from the black horse took off his helmet, he was a human but Geralt could sense something strange about him, some sort of aura which wasn’t human at all. “Rhylja, get up there”

Another woman came forth, she wore leather armour and had her hair tied into a tight braid, she rushed up the tree like a squirrel and before long Jaskier was hauled down gently. The elf with the frost white hair laid a hand on him, she made a grimace. “He is almost gone, the body ravaged by fever. We have to get him back to the farm now!”

The beasts were chased off, the sunlight had started to get bright and it was obvious that they didn’t like it for they fled instead of fighting. The knight tilted his head, there were heaps of dead beasts there, Geralt didn’t realize he had killed that many of them. “You fought like a small army, but you are not of this realm now are you? I can sense something very alien about you”

The voice was deep but calm, the voice of someone you listen to and obey. Geralt tried to gather his strength and dignity but it was in vain, he was so very tired. The elf grunted. “Raigh, he is wounded, and extremely tired. Ask questions later”

The knight had to be Raigh, he nodded. “Very well, gather his belongings. We ride back and we ride hard”

Geralt saw that Roach was alive still, the mare was trembling. “My horse…”

The knight made a grimace. “That mare is almost dead, but we have people who are experts when it comes to horses.”

He snapped his fingers and a man who looked like a farmer’s assistant came forth, bowing in respect. “The beasts are gone now, until sunset again. Bring this mare to us when she is capable of walking again”

The man just nodded and the white haired elf walked over and placed her hand on Roach, the mare grunted and fought her way back up onto her legs. It seemed as if the elf gave her some extra strength.

Geralt saw that another man grasped Jaskier and placed him in front of him in the saddle, he spurred the horse and was gone in a flash. The rider on the silvery horse came forth, the animal was covered with black blood and was rolling its eyes, it looked as if it wanted to fight more. It was a woman and she took her helmet off, she had the most intense ice blue eyes Geralt had ever seen, they didn’t look natural at all and he got a strong suspicion that she was something akin to himself, someone transformed into more than a human being. She looked at the dead monsters and her eyes were narrow. “You did this?”

Geralt had to nod, his throat was dry. She was a beauty too, but a beauty similar to that of a well forged blade, lethal and balanced, steel hard and cold. She pressed her lips together. “We have to get back, but how did you get here? Did you follow us?”

Geralt felt dizzy still and her voice was as if wrapped in cotton, oddly distorted. The elf hissed. “Akisha, he is passing out, questions later the goddess damn it”

Geralt felt how the world spun yet again and then someone grasped onto him and everything went black, he didn’t try to fight it, he was safe.

The light which reached his eyes was soft, and he was warm, or at least warmer than before. He didn’t feel too good though, even his mutated abilities for healing were struggling for some reason. He opened his eyes, he was in a farm house, it was made from notched wood and the room wasn’t very large. He lay on a sort of bed, it was very makeshift and probably made in a hurry, the straw underneath him was soft though and clean, he had slept in way worse places. Someone had placed a horse blanket over him and he grunted and tried to sit up but felt that his entire body ached like he had fought for days upon end. There was a woman there, with her back to him, sitting by a small hearth. She turned around and smiled. “Ah, awake at last, we were getting worried”

She got up and walked over to a door, shouted something. She sent him a friendly grin and he noticed that she was an ordinary person, probably the lady of the house if one could use that title. The door opened and the man whose name was Raigh entered, with the woman named Akisha, the elf and some others. Geralt had to stare, one of the men who entered the room could have been his brother, almost. He was just taller, more slender and way better looking, beside, the skin was rather dark and it was the white hair and the golden eyes which did resemble the witcher’s. But this guy had a very long thick braid and the eyes were like those of a raptor, an eagle or great owl. The room suddenly felt crowded, there were two more elves, a male with black hair and black eyes who made Geralt feel oddly uncomfortable, as if he was a threat. He was accompanied by a woman with hair like flames and eyes like glowing embers, unbelievably beautiful and also extremely powerful. The air around her was shimmering, this was no sorceress but something way beyond even that.

The tall black haired man sat down, the others found places to sit too and Geralt suddenly felt like some odd animal on display. But there were no hostility to be felt from these people, no disgust and no anger, just plain curiosity. Raigh didn’t wear armour now, Geralt saw that the man was extremely fit, the movements were like that of a huge feline, they all seemed to share this odd un-describable trait. “You are an enigma my friend. Those monsters got you good, you ought to be dead but you are still here”

Geralt swallowed hard. “I am…different”

He frowned. “Wait a minute, are they poisonous?!”

Raigh nodded and the black haired woman made a grimace. “Some of them are yes, the little ones with the long legs and the long claws? At least three of them stung you pretty bad, you got enough poison in your system to kill five horses.”

Geralt blinked, what was he to say really? He had to come clean about what he was, it was no way around it. “I am changed, mutated, to survive fighting monsters”

Raigh had the most incredible sharp green eyes he had ever seen, it was as if they all there were enhanced somehow, and in a different manner than him. “We can see that yes, by man or by deities?”

Geralt looked down, his back was aching and his mouth was bone dry. “By…others like me. We are…were needed where I come from. Lots of beasts”

The silvery haired elven girl walked over the hearth and brought a cup, she poured something into it from a flask and handed it over to him. “Here, drink. But slowly!!”

He took the cup, the scent was fruity and fresh and he took a careful sip, not sure of what it was. He found that whatever it was it had a kick like a mule and a burn like that of a dragon and yet it left a pleasant taste in the mouth. He gasped and shook his head, by every deity…Raigh sent him a wry grin. “Frostbird ought to warn you first, that liquor has a definite punch. “

Geralt had to take a deep breath, he had never encountered anything like that before. “I say, but enough of that, what about my friend, and my horse?”

The silver haired elf sent him a soothing smile. “Oh your friend will survive, he was in a very bad state though, it was almost too late. The mare is in our stable and she is being taken care off by our horse expert. He hasn’t left her for more than half an hour I think over the last day”

Geralt blinked. “Ah…for how long was I out?!”

Raigh looked sympathetic. “Twenty four hours, whatever was done to you, it saved you for sure. But do explain how you got here? “

Geralt didn’t like the feeling of being crowded inn, but these people were friendly and maybe they were the equivalent of witchers? He had no idea of what this world was like. “I was riding along with Jaskier, I had finished a job in a village and we were heading for a larger one. Suddenly there was this huge black wolf in the path ahead of us and I think we fell and …I tried to find people for over a week but saw naught, until I saw a column of smoke”

Akisha suddenly looked tense. “You said your kin are made to hunt monsters right?”

Geralt nodded and she made a grimace. “What you saw was our goddess, she shows herself as a black wolf. Just when did this happen?”

Geralt closed his eyes. “About two weeks ago? I didn’t count the days but I think that is rather correct?”

They looked at each other and Raigh cussed, the witcher realized that these people had some of the same devil may care attitude as some witchers did. And a foul language to boot for the words were such that it would have made a street worker blush. “That was when we arrived here, damn it, she never does anything without a reason”

Akisha frowned. “Describe the beasts you have been trained to fight, can you use any form of magic?”

Geralt took another sip from the cup, this time he was prepared and didn’t have to cough. “Alright, but it may be a long tale”

Raigh shrugged. “Fine by us, it is early still, many hours until sunset. Go ahead”

Geralt wasn’t a story teller, he preferred to keep his mouth shut but these people sat there and truly listened and they seemed to understand in a way others didn’t. When he was done Raigh looked at Akisha, she was playing with a small throwing knife, obviously in deep thought. “The goddess brought you here for a reason Geralt, she needs you. She hates monsters, beasts created by unnatural magic, wants them gone.”

Raigh crossed his legs and leaned back. “We are also monster hunters, and more than that. We are the fists of the goddess, her warriors, her justice and to some we are both jury, judge and executioner.”

The man with the white hair and the golden eyes made a wry grimace. “What Raigh is trying to say is that you probably know something we don’t. Some of the group have fought these beasts before but something has changed since then”

Geralt got a bit curious, he sat up and made a grimace, he was stinking worse than a bog filled with rotten carcasses in the mid summer heat. Frostbird chuckled. “Yes, you do not smell of roses but when we are done talking there will be a hot bath waiting for you, and some real food too”

That idea sounded like a glimpse of heaven. Raigh looked intense. “Listen, many years ago we encountered hordes of beasts outside of the city we live inn, the situation was almost exactly the same as now. But back then they were brought here by a cult wanting to take over the world. There is no such thing now and the monsters seem to come from everywhere and nowhere, we have not been able to track them at all.”

Geralt tried to think. “They have been brought inn through portals?”

Frostbird nodded. “Yes, random ones we think. I can sense them but only for a few seconds, not long enough to locate them. Somebody is behind this, but why and how?”

Raigh grunted and his face was grim. “The beasts have changed too, they are more ferocious, way more intelligent and more intent on killing. The only thing which keeps them away is fire and sunlight really.”

Geralt frowned. “When you fought them the last time, were they less dangerous?”

Akisha nodded. “They were not meant to kill everybody, but to chase off the population, make them all seek refuge in the cities where the cult could suck up all their wealth and exploit them. Oh they did kill but never more than a few people, just to create fear. Now on the other hand they seem unstoppable.”

Geralt was truly curious. “Right, they are many?”

Raigh sent him a wry grin. “You saw that didn’t you? But jokes aside, thousands upon thousands and we are in fact besieged here. This farmstead can be defended, it has walls strong enough to keep them away but there is no other such place for miles. We had to stay when we arrived, to save the people living here.”

Akisha stared at the witcher and those odd eyes were colder than steel. “It is our duty, to be the sword which defends the defenceless, to be the force which brings justice to those who cannot grasp it for themselves. We are the blades of destiny, her chosen ones, it is an honour but one which comes with a bitter prize at times”

Geralt didn’t doubt her words at all. The elven woman with the flame like hair got up and walked over, she had the grace of a queen and she sat down and smiled, there was nothing broken about her, nothing of the shame and fear he often had seen in the elves of his homeland. They were different from those poor souls, very different indeed. Here there was power, power a human never could have any hope to stand up to. “I have helped with the defences here, for many nights now. The goddess cannot do anything directly, it would break the world if a deity were to ascend into it in person with its full power intact. But we do her bidding and she helps us whenever she can. So you are most definitely here to help us, we just need to find out how”

Geralt just grunted and Frostbird tilted her head. She was very charming but he sensed strength in her, and an unbreakable will. “Relax Elywen, no point in pushing it. He needs to rest some more and get some food into him. He is skinny as an old dog, and rather weak”

Geralt frowned and felt his own chest discretely underneath the blanket, damnation, she was right. He had lost a lot of body mass and could feel each rib clearly. The long march had taken its toll of him, and a heavy one too. The tall elven male with the black hair walked over, laid a hand on Elywen’s shoulder, he smiled and Geralt could see that he had a scar along his right cheekbone, it entered his hairline just above the ear and a thin lock of hair had grown white where it continued. The black eyes were terrifying, like his own when he used the potions. “I am Hawk, Elywen’s mate.“

Geralt had to look twice, that couple was like darkness and light combined, striking contrasts and in spite of that he sensed deep love and trust between them. The elf looked at him with narrow eyes. “I will help you get to our bath, Elywen has warmed some water”

Geralt felt confused. “Are you a fire sorceress? Fire magic is very dangerous”

Elywen shook her head and chuckled. “No my friend, I am a dragon”

Geralt just gaped and the elf helped him sit up. Someone had stolen his strength, he felt weak as a new born and realized how close it really had come to his end. It was not a good thought. Hawk supported him and did it rather discretely too, Geralt was grateful, he didn’t want everybody to see just how wobbly his legs were. The room outside of the one he had been inn was larger and he let out a small yelp when he saw Jaskier, the man was wrapped in blankets and sat in a sort of large chair in front of a roaring hearth, he was pale and breathing in a rather nasty rhythm but he was there, and he was alive. He saw Geralt and made a groan. Hawk seemed to understand for he helped Geralt walk over to the bard. Jaskier coughed and he was obviously very sick still, but no longer dying. “Geralt, I would like to….cough…say you look like shit….but I would…insult shit if I did!”

Geralt had to grin, Jaskier was the same old, it felt oddly good knowing his friend was alive. “And you look like a half drowned sewer rat so shut your gob”

Jaskier coughed violently and the woman who had watched over Geralt handed over a tankard of something warm, forced the bard to drink a little. “Gods Geralt, that was too close for comfort”

Geralt felt that he ought to say something deep and wise but all he could say was “Fucking right”

Jaskier tried to grin, “But these people are awesome, I haven’t been this spoiled since like…forever!”

The woman smiled and straightened the blankets covering the bard. “It was a close call but by the grace of the goddess he was saved. It did take a lot out of Rheynek to get the worst of the pneumonia out of him but your friend is stronger than he looks”

Geralt frowned. “Rheynek?”

Hawk grunted. “The tall guy who looks a wee bit like you, he has some healing abilities”

Geralt felt a surge of sheer gratitude. “Then I must thank him properly”

Hawk nodded. “I am sure he will appreciate it but come now, the water won’t stay warm forever”

He helped the witcher exit the room and they entered a small yard. Geralt had to stop and stare, there were people everywhere! Some wagons were pushed into a corner and held what had to be several families and there were kids running around with chickens, some goats and some dogs. The farm was overcrowded to say the least. Geralt saw that it was a rather large farm with many buildings, the outer ones were placed so they formed a sort of wall, with a mason wall in the gaps between them. The walls were solid but not that tall and Hawk saw that he was evaluating the defences and smiled. “You see it too right?”

Geralt just nodded. “Fuck”

Hawk chuckled, the elf was not that terrifying up close, he was in fact very pretty but it was an odd beauty. “Yeah, I couldn’t have said it better myself. It is not a good place to be under siege at all, way too much dry wood and too many people in one place. And the walls are too low.”

They entered a smaller building and heat met them like a blast from a furnace. It was a bath house and it had several huge wooden tubs, towels were hung everywhere and a couple of elderly women were busy washing clothes in a corner. Geralt noticed that some younger women were busy in a small room next to the baths, they were obviously fixing clothes which had been torn. Hawk made a gesture. “We all bathe here each day, it has to be done. After the battles we are drenched with that goddamn blood and the monsters bleed a lot. And if it stays on the skin it can cause a nasty rash.”

Geralt was dizzy and weak and he still felt slightly unwell. He had used all of his potions and he could just trust that his healing abilities would restore him soon. “They sound like a true menace”

Hawk helped him get over to a tub and Geralt started to pull his shirt off. He wore only that now and his pants and boots and he made a grimace. There was grime everywhere and Hawk helped him pull the boots off. They hadn’t been removed for many days so they were pretty stuck. “They are a horror, I have fought orcs which were both more friendly and way easier to kill”

Geralt raised an eyebrow. “Orcs?”

Hawk tilted his head. “You don’t have those where you are from?”

Geralt shook his head. “No? What are they?”

Hawk made a grimace. “Huge nasty creatures, intelligent but extremely malevolent and hard to kill, they attack in packs and I would not hesitate to describe them as evil incarnate.”

Geralt nodded. “Right”

He stared at the tub, it was very large and the water was warm, he could feel it from afar. He got the pants off, normally he wasn’t shy at all but he realized how reduced he was. He felt like a kid again, barely able to move. Hawk put a hand on his shoulder, very gently. “You gave your all to save your friend, do not worry. You will regain your strength.”

Geralt could only nod and managed to get into the tub without falling, he sat down with a hiss, the water was really hot, almost too much so but as he got used to it the heat became pleasant. Hawk found some pieces of soap and a sort of sponge. “Here, use this, get all that blood off of you.”

He did also find a brush. “Here, your hair is atrocious.”

Geralt closed his eyes, the warm water was like a blessing. But he couldn’t relax, not completely. “Are you a large group?”

Hawk sat down on a bench and tilted his head with a wry grin. “You haven’t met everybody yet, but we aren’t that many. We have brought some apprentices though and others capable of fighting. Just four of us are weaponsmasters, and Akisha is the leader of us all, the head of the priestesses and the leader of the weaponsmasters too.”

Geralt scrubbed himself, it felt as if the water washed away the pain and the feeling of fatigue. “Do explain that to me please?”

Hawk crossed his legs and started to tell the witcher of the history of the weaponsmasters and Geralt realized that these people were rather like Witchers, just with a larger job than himself. They didn’t just hunt monsters, they also hunted evil doers and criminals of every kind. If the person was really bad they would come for him. Geralt remained in the tub for quite a while, he washed his hair and scrubbed even his feet and when he was done he felt way better. He got some clean clothes on, one of the men of the group were apparently of his size. Hawk got up. “We sent some of our own out a few days ago, to look for a better place to stay and some clues as to where the goddamn beasts come from. We expect them back soon”

Geralt got the clothes on, he felt like a new man right away. “Is that safe?”

Hawk shrugged. “They are skilled, and know where to seek refuge. But we are too many people here and the beasts are attracted to crowds.”

Geralt looked at the windows, they were darkening. He frowned. “The beasts will return tonight?”

Hawk nodded sternly. “They always do, and we fight every night so we try to rest during the day.”

He gave the witcher a new set of boots, they were a bit large but not too bad. “You will soon see for yourself”

Geralt almost growled. “Fuck, I cannot fight yet”

The elf stared at him. “No, if you try Akisha will skin your behind, believe me. But you can watch, and give us an experts opinion, you may see things we don’t”

Geralt sighed. “They are ugly and stink and fight dirty. I didn’t have that much time to really admire them”

Hawk grinned, the elf had some charm after all, when he smiled he was rather likeable. “Well said, but you’ll see more soon.”

He helped the witcher get out of the bathhouse and Geralt noticed that a few of the women there stared at them both. Hawk lowered his voice. “Be aware of the girl with the red hair and the generous bust, she is like a tick!”

Geralt frowned. “Really?”

Hawk nodded. “She’s tried to get into the bed of almost all of us, even the ones who have mates, I guess there aren’t that many single men around here and she is…desperate”

Geralt felt a need to shake his head, back home that was never a problem, if he wanted some he would have to pay. “I am not interested!”

Hawk sent him a swift glance. “Ah, your friend, are you two…you know? Or are you just friends?”

Geralt felt himself blush, why he had no idea. “Friends, just that, At least from my point of view”

The elf nodded. “Not that it is any of my business, some do not accept that sort of thing but we don’t care, the goddess would never judge anybody by who they love”

Geralt had to stare at the elf. “Then this world is better than my own, people fear anything which aren’t just like them”

Hawk helped him cross the yard. “I bet you have faced some prejudice then?”

Geralt sighed. “You have no idea!”

He noticed that there was a stable there, and it was huge. Hawk grinned. “Wanna check on your horse?”

Geralt felt eager, he still had a feeling of guilt for having pushed the mare that hard. “Yes”

Hawk helped him over, discretely with a grasp on his arm. The hand felt as if the elf was capable of crushing steel, Geralt had never felt such strength in anyone, or anything. The stable was very well maintained and he stopped and stared. He had seen that massive black stallion and the silvery grey one, also the huge brown one but there were other horses there which also caught his eye. A tall dun mare was chewing at some hay in a corner and another mare, a gorgeous palomino had the stall next to it. Hawk went over to the brown one and petted it, the horse was so tall the ears touched the roof. “This is my steed, Trollcrusher.”

Geralt remembered how that horse had been kicking and trampling its way through the monsters and had no doubt that the name was well earned. “They are massive!”

Hawk smiled. “We breed for large destriers, but our steeds are all special. Gifts of the goddess”

He pointed at the black one. “That is Raigh’s Nightblade, the silvery one is Akisha’s. His name is Steelhawk. The dun mare is Rheynek’s Starwind and the palomino belongs to Elywen, her name is Icerose.”

A smaller man with a shaven face and a rather short braid came sprinting, he smelled of horse and smiled from one ear to the next. “Ah, you are the owner of that lovely red mare? Follow me, I am Dern by the way”

Hawk grinned. “He has forgotten more about horses than most can hope to learn in a lifetime”

The man had the energy of a squirrel and he felt a bit odd, nobody there had reacted to his eyes and general looks. It was…strange. He found that he liked it, here it was as if he was an ordinary man, nothing out of the ordinary and absolutely not some mutant people usually wanted gone. There was an extra room there with some huge boxes and the man stopped in front of the first one. “This farm used to breed draft horses, that’s why the stable is so large.”

Geralt stared into the box, Roach was laying down but she was just resting and she was covered with a thick blanket and had been groomed. Dern came carrying a bucket of water. “She was in a bad state, but I will get her back on her legs, it won’t be a fast process though. She is very skinny and has spent her strength.”

Geralt swallowed hard. “I wouldn’t have pushed her that hard if it hadn’t been..,”

Dern nodded. “I know lad, I know. Don’t blame ya, I would have done the same. But rest assured that she is in capable hands now”

Geralt felt relieved and Hawk patted him on his back. “I bet you are hungry? It is time for some food before the shit hits the fan once more”

Geralt couldn’t have agreed more and they entered a rather large hall. He was still wobbly and needed Hawk to support him, or else he would have tumbled he was sure. The room smelled of food and he saw that the others were there already, some locals were running around with bowls and tankards and Akisha waved her hand at him. “Come friend, be seated. We have stew, and stew. Well, all we have is stew at this point but it is good stew. Decent at least. I have had way worse”

Geralt sat down, he stared at the bowl a young man placed in front of him, it did smell tempting and he got a spoon and tried to control himself. Akisha smiled. “When we return home I will make sure that the king do compensate these people, they have used all their stored food and need more for the winter, badly”

Geralt looked at the woman with a bit of shock. “The king answers to you?”

Raigh chuckled. “Friend, if a weaponsmaster asks for something nobody, not even a king, has the authority to say no. if he tried people would simply stop obeying him for that would be a sign that he is too arrogant and way too fond of power.”

Geralt realized that these people had immense influence, way more than a sorcerer or sorceress. It had to be a completely different system of checks and balances when it came to the political reality of this realm. Akisha nodded at him. “Eat, the sun sets soon, we don’t have much time.”

The witcher ate, slowly. He didn’t want t take any risks since he hadn’t eaten proper food for two weeks, and even one like him could suffer from an upset stomach. The others there ate a lot but they didn’t really drink much, he could smell that even the weak ale had some punch to it and he understood why it was a bad idea to enter a battle, drunk! When he was finished most had already left the room to prepare and the atmosphere there was a bit sombre. The locals entered now and the kids were gathered by the hearth. Two men were placed by the door, they both wore swords and he realized that these two were the last line of defence if the beasts made it through the gates.

The yard was cleared of people and the horses had been saddled and brought forth. Geralt was given a thick cloak and a local man took him to a sort of platform near the gate, he could stand there and watch and it gave him a nice view of the area around the farm or at least the front and sides of it. The forest was darkening and he could hear something in the distance, some sort of howling which didn’t come from a wolf. The area around the farm was covered with stacks of straw and wood, not large but he realized that these were replaced each day. Elywen came forth and he saw that there was a similar platform on the other side of the gate, she placed herself there and her eyes were glowing faintly in the growing darkness.

She smiled at him but he sensed that she was nervous, but she had claimed to be a dragon? Couldn’t she have burned the whole pack then? She must have sensed his thoughts for she turned towards him. “I could take dragon shape but I cannot keep it for very long, it is not in my nature. I could burn them but new would come and then I would be weak for days and unable to do much. This is better, it doesn’t drain me that much,”

Geralt sort of understood, it was the least of two evils, the best solution. The warriors mounted their horses and he saw that Frostbird rode a very long legged red mare which did resemble Roach in shape, it was just taller. The animal seemed like it had a bad temper and she struggled with it. The blond woman named Rhylja rode a lovely black stallion with white mane and tail and blue eyes, the animal didn’t seem natural and Geralt had a feeling that it was changed too somehow. It wasn’t as tall as the destriers but looked very fast. The other warriors rode good horses too, expensive well trained animals which lined up and Geralt was a bit puzzled. The gates couldn’t be opened? But there was a sort of ramp pushed inn in front of it and he realized that they simply jumped the gate, it was risky but he had no doubt that these warriors knew the art of jumping over a gate on horseback to the T.

Someone gave a shout and Elywen closed her eyes, she was glowing slightly. The fields in front of the farmstead were alive, he saw movement everywhere and he gasped when he realized how many they were. There were beasts everywhere and they were moving forth at a staggering rate. Raigh were roaring orders, the warriors seemed to be well prepared and they didn’t even flinch when the sound of roars and guttural grunts reached the farm. Elywen threw her head back, she screamed, a sort of high pitched yell no human throat could hope to imitate. The heaps of straw burst into flames and the area was suddenly well lit. The beasts did slow down, hesitated. Geralt saw that Hawk had jumped up on the wall too, he carried a quiver of long shafted arrows and a bow which made the witcher stare. It was impressive and probably made from bone and sinew as well as metal and wood, it would take an immense strength to pull it and yet the elf didn’t seem to put any effort into it at all. He fired an arrow and the distance should have been way too long but the arrow hit a huge beast and it fell immediately.

Hawk lifted an arrow and Geralt saw that the arrow head was glowing slightly, in an odd greenish hue. The arrow heads had to be magical somehow. Raigh let out a shout and the massive black horse ran forth, hit the ramp and jumped the gate as if it was just a bump in the road, the silvery horse was right behind it and they spread out. Everybody rode, every horse cleared the gate easily and landed well and they seemed to know exactly what to do. Elywen sent off some fireballs which exploded among the beasts and she was panting as she did it. Hawk jumped from the wall and onto his horse and the brown stallion jumped the gate too. Raigh were giving orders, he sent the riders to where they were needed most and Geralt saw that Akisha pulled her sword, that too glowed slightly and he saw that Rheynek too had a blade like that. Hawk was firing from horseback, rode around the farm in wide turns and fired at the largest of the beasts, they all fell. One nick from one of those arrows seemed to be enough to bring down even the most fierce of beasts.

Geralt tried to focus, he was there for some reason, he’d better find it soon. He stared at the beasts, they were a nightmare, a mix of species or so it seemed and he had a strong feeling that these were all created by magic. No natural evolution would come up with something like that. He saw that a monster with the head of a pike but body of a bear raced towards Hawk but the brown stallion spun around and kicked and the beast was thrown several meters backwards. Rhylja was there right away, she used a spear with a very long blade and pierced it, Geralt had to look twice, suddenly she had tiger stripes all over or so it seemed and her teeth were bared in a feral snarl. So, she wasn’t exactly your average person either.

The fighters kept the monsters at bay and Geralt concentrated on what he saw. The beasts were chaos, he saw that clearly. There was no leaders, no control. It was each beast for itself and they all wanted to get inside the walls. Elywen torched those who got too close and he saw that the glow around her waned and grew all the time. It made him realize that she absorbed something from those she killed, their life force maybe? But it did also drain her and she was getting more and more pale.

The night wore on, more and more beasts arrived and more and more were slain. The defenders seemed to be able to fight for days upon end and they never hesitated. Geralt was both impressed and a bit shocked by what he saw, this was no fight where chivalry and rules are to be followed, it was raw and terrible and just brutal and the riders cooperated very well. The beasts were not very intelligent, they could be tricked and the riders used their bloodthirst against them rather often. The sun started to rise again, the night had lasted a long time but it felt like a swift moment now. The beasts retreated and the riders chased off some, then they gathered in front of the gate. Some of the locals opened the gate swiftly and everybody rode back inside, the gates were slammed shut. The local men put harnesses on three huge draft horses and attached chains to them, they too were let out and men followed them. They started dragging the carcasses off to some point behind the farm, other men gathered firewood and straw into new heaps.

Akisha got off her horse and Geralt walked towards her, he noticed that her sword was glowing still. She saw where he was looking and grinned swiftly. “Elthear does glow yes, it is a gift from the goddess.”

Geralt frowned. “What does that mean?”

She shrugged. “The one who tears all, Rheynek has a similar sword, Nadharn, the wolf’s fang”

Geralt tilted his head. “We use swords of silver against monsters?”

Akisha nodded. “I saw that sword of yours yes, lovely weapon but useless against those monsters, no better than a steel one. Silver may be functional against things such as vampires and werewolves but these goddamn beasts are immune to it. Only the goddess own metal is efficient.”

He took a deep breath. “They do die like other animals when cut?”

She smiled. “Yes, but they are hard to kill. Only few of us have weapons made from that special alloy and we only use them in such situation as this one”

The horses were taken away and washed off, the warriors entered the hall again and the locals returned to the yard and the barn. The place was more crowded than a marketplace on market day. Food had been prepared and there was a certain order to it even now, nobody tried to push their way forth in the queue and everybody got their fair share. Raigh was covered with black blood and his teeth were shining white when he smiled. “We got them good this night too but we cannot keep fighting them here forever.”

Elywen was followed by Hawk, she was visibly weakened and he seemed to be concerned. Frostbird looked wild, the eyes were huge and she was trembling still, too much adrenaline, Geralt had seen it before. Geralt sat down slowly, he wasn’t hungry but someone did dump a bowl with some bread and a piece of cheese in front of him anyhow. Rhylja sat down there too, she was covered with goo and there was an insane expression on her face, one of wild fury and fierce glee, he could feel that she enjoyed this and enjoyed it immensely. She took pleasure in killing and it made him a bit apprehensive. She tore into the food like a starving animal and now he couldn’t see the stripes anymore. What was this? He waited until she was done eating, then he gathered his courage and asked. Rhylja shrugged. “The stripes are tattoos, but they only show when I am fighting. I am a Kher-el”

Geralt raised an eyebrow. “What is that?”

She smiled slowly. “An assassin, working for the deities. The weaponsmasters and priestesses deal with the supernatural and the masses. I deal with single people the gods want removed, corrupted souls you may say, those drunk with power and high with sadism.”

Geralt had to stare at her again, she looked like some normal woman now, pretty and very fit alright but there was nothing about her which told of the insane skills she had showed. He knew he would have faced great problems if he was to fight her, she had a speed equal to none he had ever met. “Yes, the hunter’s god whom I serve have given me some extra gifts you may say. I do however hunt monsters too with just as much luck as humans”

Geralt nodded slowly. “I saw that, you all did…well”

Akisha came over, sat down, her eyes narrow. “So, what can you tell me?”

Geralt sighed. “Not much I am sure you haven’t already figured out. “

Akisha sent him a swift glance, there was a light challenge in her eyes. “Alright, out with it anyhow”

He cleared his voice, it was odd but he had spoken more now in just a mere day than he would normally speak in a week or more. “They are not cooperating in any manner, there are no leaders and no sense of pack mentality. They are each on their own”

Akisha nodded. “We have figured that out already, yes, anything more?”

He made a grimace. “Ah, this may be nothing but…”

She sent him a glare and he continued. “They are not natural, no world can have beasts like that, some of them shouldn’t even have been able to live and yet they do. They are magical, or were at least created through magic. I feel that they are almost a parody of some sorts”

Akisha looked a bit stunned. “Oh fuck! Goddamn it! Balls!!”

She got up, her eyes blazing. “We have been wrong the whole time”

Geralt was puzzled. “Ah, what?”

Akisha waved her arms. “Everybody, over here!”

Raigh and the others came and sat down, they looked curious. Akisha pointed at Geralt. “He gave me an answer, one we couldn’t see.”

Raigh frowned and Hawk raised an eyebrow in an approving grimace. “Alright?!”

Geralt saw that they stared at him, he tried to remain calm but it felt unnerving. “They are parodies?!”

Raigh closed his eyes. “Of course, motherfucking…uh, damn it. We have fought them before, we didn’t think that…”

Geralt swallowed. “Listen, I may have given you an answer but I do not understand it?”

Akisha sighed. “The differences between now and then, we believed that it was the same types of beasts, just evolved. It isn’t. They are from somewhere else altogether. But as you said, a parody, a mockery. Or a failed attempt at creating a copy of the monsters from back then”

Geralt frowned. “Do you have sorcerers or sorceresses here?”

Raigh grimaced and his face was rather sinister. “Few, most are harmless but this make me believe that we do have at least one person with such powers here, and that he or she isn’t really capable of using them well.”

Geralt nodded slowly, his thoughts working hard. “That would make sense”

Hawk had been standing there looking like a granite statue the whole time, now he moved again. “But why? Is it yet another attempt at seizing power?”

Geralt shook his head and they stared at him. eyes narrow. “No, this isn’t like that at all”

Akisha pouted. “Why not?”

Geralt made a vague gesture. “Listen, I have some experience with …magical powers out of control, there is no real plan behind this, it is an act of desperation, a spell gone wrong if you like. I don’t think the one behind this wanted something this grand”

Raigh leaned forth. “What makes you say that?”

Geralt sighed, “The randomness, there is no real target now is there? They just attack anything! Whoever is behind it, the person is inexperienced and possibly unaware of their involvement in the first place. Or it is a person so desperate he or she doesn’t give a fuck anymore about who falls victim to whatever it is they conjure up!”

Hawk grunted. “That gives me a bad feeling folks”

Akisha nodded. “You have to be very desperate indeed to do something like that, even if you don’t really mean to”

Geralt shrugged. “If someone has the power and isn’t aware of it the results can be horrific. I attended a party once where a princess levelled a whole throne room, and she hadn’t been trained at all”

Rheynek tilted his head and the strange eyes were distant. “Then the magic in your realm is different from the one in ours but still, I think you are right. I don’t think this was intended, at least not on such a terrible scale”

Geralt felt a bit confused. “How large an area is affected?”

Raigh looked tired. “Many hundred square miles, this is however where the density of beasts is the highest. “

Elywen had been silent and her expression one of deep thought, she bit her lower lip. “I think Geralt was brought here for several reasons, if the one behind this isn’t aware of their involvement we are here to also help that person. I think it may be someone in need of help and desperately so. Geralt can see the situation from several angles, we are blinded by our own routines, our own past.”

Akisha nodded. “Yes, that is true. But now we have to get some food into us, and wash the bloody mess off of us.”

They got up and were heading towards the door when it flew open and one of the men ran inside, he was heaving for air. “Riders, from the east. I think it is the ones you sent out”

Raigh got an expression of relief on his face. “Finally!”