"The Unforgiven" by Joseph Sattarelle

The wind was howling with cruel intentions. The sun was setting over this shattered land, shattered by war and famine. It started to rain with light sprinkles. The wind howled stronger to the point an old carriage was knocked over. The sun turned red, and the rain turned more deadly. A new smell was formed in the air, fresh smell of a corpse. Corpses.

A campfire was extinquished by the weather, and the smell grew worse. Slashing, cutting, fighting. Something killed these people, or someone. The sound of fighting and snarling was heard nearby. A moment of silence incurred, then a head was thrown by the fire. It was no human, that was obvious. Judging by the fur and shape of the head, it was a werewolf, young.

Footsteps went deep into the soil, then stopped. The sword was covered in blood, monster blood. It was Geralt's doing, he was enraged. The second sword on his back was also covered in blood, but it was human blood. The campers were clearly not killed by the werewolf. Geralt cursed as he walked away from the site to notice a fire nearby. Luckily, Geralt knew where it was coming from, and thats where he was going.

The fire came from a small villiage in the middle of a gods-forsaken swamp. There was anything but luxury in Crookbag Bog. Chanting was heard from the burnt down house, an incantation. The words were unclear, but this village was definetly inhabited by something.

The smell of decaying body marrow came from the ranshacked house. It was damaged by fire and didn't look like an accident. As Geralt walked closer to the house, the chanting grew louder. It was an ancient language, translated to saying "Dear sisters, I will make sure you will live, again." Geralt was right in the doorway of the house as he redrew his silver sword, for this was a monster like no other he has fought.

Geralt saw the figure on its knees at an altar with burnt candles all around it. The figure must've known Geralt was there for it stood up, and turned around. The figure was revealed to be a short, scabby, woman looking creature. The creature was replaced with a swarm of crows as soon as she saw Geralt. He turned around to see the creature again who teleported outside. The creature was in better lighting now as Geralt saw she was surrounded by insects and had really terrible facial feautures. Geralt didn't move as he gripped his sword tighter, and niether did the creature.

After a long moment of silence, the creature's mouth opened to speak. "I have been expecting you, White Wolf." Geralt didn't look suprised considering the creature was capable of powerful magic. The mark on Geralt's face briefly shined with a bright red color. His sword started to shake as did his left arm. Though his face didn't change, nor his eyes. Both looked the same with murderous intentions.

"I'm here to kill you" Geralt said as the creature started to walk towards him. Geralt had a personal matter with this creature. His adopted daughter, Ciri, had a medallion which belonged to Vesimir, Geralt and Ciri's mentor who had recently died. Ciri killed this Crone's sisters, but the one that lived had stolen the medallion. The creature looked at Geralt with disgust, and laughed in a menaical way.

"Do you think that will change your daughter's fate?" Geralt's eyes opened with shock. "Did you think I wouldn't here of her death? How you got her killed?" Geralt's eyes closed as his brain brought back the painful memories that have haunted him for the past month.

He remembered killing Eredin, King of the Wild Hunt, who had tormented Geralt and Ciri for years. The death of Eredin fealt so good for Geralt, but later Ciri wanted to enter a tower that contained the hell Eredin wanted to unleash on this world for a prophecy. Geralt forbade Ciri from entering, but she went in anyway. The last words Geralt could remember her saying was "I'm sorry." The power was destroyed, but Ciri never came back. After this transpired, Geralt went through a heavy regret phase. His mind was clouded with guilt, and didn't know whether to kill himself, or die fighting. Before he could decide, he had unfinished business with the Crone.

Geralt's eyes opened and his eyes were bloodshot red. The Crone taunted Geralt by saying "Despair devours you like maggots devour a corpse. I can sense you have no reason to live anymore, so you decide to die here. How does it feel, witcher, to know all you've done for that girl was all in vain and she ended up dead because of you? You couldn't ever do one thing right with her and you still think yourself a father to her. Your wrong. You killed her."

After listening to this, Geralt couldn't hold the rage in anymore. His mind was full with nothing but rage, and was ready to show the creature just how much was built up. Just as the creature was about to say something else, Geralt interrupted it by saying "Enough." The Crone waited to hear what Geralt had to say. "I didn't come here to hear about what could've been, or what I could've done to save her. I am here for one reason: to kill you." The Crone looked as if it knew something Geralt didn't. She was right.

The creature's round, troll-like finger pointed to a swamp near the road where Geralt had come through. There were several creatures congregating in the leechy waters. Drowners, grave hags, and ghouls all forming together in the way where they were going to make a ambush. The creature grinned as it began to say "Did you really think you would have it easy, witcher? Those "monsters" as you call them are looking to tear you apart. You've accepted coin to kill them and others for how long now? Though I will give you a choice: you can leave, or die a very painful death. Do you want to feel death tearing your body to pieces, or death granting you a more well deserved death." After closing his eyes again, they opened and he said "Niether. I don't feel anything anymore. But I do feel like ripping your head off and killing anything that gets in my way that keeps me from unleashing your fate."

The Crone simply sighed and said "Very well. Come at me, Wolf." Geralt yelled as he lunged towards the Crone, but she teleported again in a way to mock Geralt. She snapped her fingers and some of the monsters congregating in the swamp appeared before Geralt. It was just ghouls, nothing seriously dangerous for Geralt who had killed so many ghouls he lost count a while ago. He cut them up easily as he advanced his position towards the Crone. The ugly overaged creature cast a spell that knocked Geralt back on his side. As he reached for his sword on the ground, drowners blocked him. He had no weapon, but he had something. Geralt aligned his fingers to form the Aard Sign which caused the monsters to be knocked of their feet. Geralt rolled towards his sword and killed the drowners while they were grounded.

Geralt looked around as a grave hag was right behind him. But he heard it, and quickly did a reverse piourette which slashed through its chest. Then the blade cut throught the neck of the grave hag as its head fell to the ground. Geralt gained his balance and heard sloppy footsteps running towards him. Then the Crone appeared before him, but Geralt didn't attack. He knew this was some kind of trap to kill the wrong Crone. A voice came from the air, it said "Well played witcher. But can you figure out which one is me?" Four more images of the Crone appeared before Geralt. He looked over them carefully, but in a loud voice, he said "It's niether of them! I know your close." The Crone's voice was heard again as an echo was said "Very good, but I'm closer than you think."

Suddenly, the Crone appeared right behind Geralt. But Geralt quickly dodged the claws and sliced the Crone's chest. The Crone was strucken of her feet and crawled away. As she got up, Geralt stuck his silver sword in the dirt facing up. The Crone was running now, and Geralt knew he couldn't chase her. So he reached for his steel sword with both hands, and threw it. The sword went through the Crone's chest and she fell to the ground. Blood came out of the wound and her body burned. Geralt walked towards her twisted, contrasted body and held his sword down. The Crone's head flew off her body, and blood splattered from the neck wound. The job was halfway done.

Geralt ran towards the ranshacked house with his sword still in his hand. The house was small and everything was burned. But he was looking for something very specific. He rummaged through the shrine and smashed the boxes, bottles, and threw the candles outside. Finally a wide wooden box lay on the floor underneath the burnt roof which lay in the house. Geralt smashed the box, and there it was. Ciri's wolf medallion which originally belonged to Vesimir. Geralt dropped his sword and sat down next to the medallion. He picked it up and looked at it with pain, and sorrow. It brought back terrible pain in Geralt's body and mind, almost like he was going to explode.

More monsters appeared outside, waiting for Geralt to reveal himself. He looked at them all outside: drowners, hags, ghouls, foglets; all waiting for Geralt. He looked back at the medallion and whispered "Lets face them together, Ciri. One last time." Geralt felt awful and wanted to pay for what he had done to Ciri, making her feel not strong enough to overcome the enemy and die. But at the same time, Geralt felt stronger, like Ciri was there with him. This was it, Geralt's final battle.

Geralt got up to his feet and picked up his sword. He wiped the blood from his face and walked outside. The monsters noticed him and all growled. Geralt held his ground and said "Well? Come at me you filthy sons of bitches." The monsters must've understood him, because they all came towards him. He sliced through the ghouls and drowners , but was clawed by a foglet and water hag.

He fell to his knees, breathing heavily. His heart was pumping extremely fast and his mark was bright red. Geralt knew his death was near, but spat in the face of dying without a fight. So he jumped to his feet and stabbed the water hag and beheaded the foglet. But when he turned around, another foglet clawed him in the ribs. Blood came out, but not death. Geralt kept fighting, and fighting but was later surrounded.

Geralt had two ghouls claw him in on both sides and a foglet claw him beneath his throat. Just when the killing blow was about to be delivered to Geralt, a bang was heard. It was so loud, it scattered most of the monsters. Another bang was heard which scattered the rest of them. Geralt fell to the ground bleeding heavily. Nothing is going to save him, he knew this. He rolled on his back and took out Ciri's medallion. He looked at it and smiled with actual happiness. For the first time in a long time, Geralt was finally happy and at rest.

A figure ran towards Geralt as he called to him. Geralt couldn't recognize his voice for he was finished. As he closed his eyes, the last words he said were "I'm coming Ciri."