Chapter 10: Nightmares.
Authors note: So, this chapter wasn't supposed to be written but I thought it had to be covered, my apologies for it being a bit short.
Marden collapsed on to the floor as his shackles where removed from the cage above, the dimeritium clamps however remained on.
Kicking a small plate of bread and cheese next to the bed, the henchdwarves once again retreated up the tunnel, leaving the bucket of fresh water by the cell door.
Rolling to his hands and knees Marden crawled over to his bedroll, bringing his knees to his chest he starred through the bars of his cell.
"MARDEN!"
Fire erupted in his vision as the cape blew up in his mind, Amrynn's scream disappeared into the night.
Staring at the bread that was growing stale in the cold air, Marden spotted something out of the corner of his eye, stood against the side of his cell, her blonde hair shimmered in the dim light, her face and body had been battered and bruised just as he had found her. Turning on his side in an effort to stand, her form shifted into a wraith and flew towards him.
"YOU TOOK TOO LONG"
Throwing the sheet up over his face Marden turned towards the wall feeling the form of someone next to him he opened his eyes.
Blowing the cloud of smoke from his pipe Vetek stared at the young witcher, pulling in another draw of the mint tobacco before blowing it into Marden face
"Well I told you that you'd die on the path, what a disappointing end" pulling on the pipe once more "You sweat that crap out of your system, because if I come back and it's still here "turning to look at Marden his eyes now crackling with lighting "you'll never see the path again".
Throwing the sheet off him and screaming into the blackness, Marden crawled to the bucket the henchdwarves left out, throwing up the black bile he collapsed back into the cage. More unrest followed, Marden drifted in and out of awareness unsure if what he was seeing where illusions or real. Casimir and Inga had retreated from there normal visiting, Cleaver said it had to be painful and he was not wrong.
Hearing the slam of the door and the lock of the bolt, Marden didn't move from facing the wall. Another slam, followed by another and another each slam growing louder in intensity. Turning towards the cell door Marden saw the unmistakable hulking mass of the bear witcher.
Halvar face was gaunt and pale, places where muscle and flesh were supposed to be were covered in maggots and flies as his reanimated corpse banged his hammer against the door of the cell.
The crack the Halvar neck made as it straightened up to look at the form across from him, sent a sickening shiver down Mardens spine.
The veins in Marden's head and neck strained as his face grew red from the screaming pushing himself away from the apparition, refusing to believe his, Halvar stepped forward dragging his hammer.
"Did you miss me brother, the Dhu Coram, right? Brother's in arms right!" picking up the pace and his hammer Halvar charged towards Marden, covering his face Halvar's hammer disappeared into sand.
Clenching his jaw Marden grabbed his chest pulling away his blood covered hand and feeling the blood pour from his scars, Marden rolled onto his side looking over the scars on his body as they erupted with blood as if freshly formed.
Scrambling to his feet while his legs still worked he screamed into the darkness, turning to the cell door, Marden saw the faint outline of a shapeless figure.
Marden was clasping his silver sword prepared for what was to jump out of the shadows, the deep cuts across his chest bled heavily the swallow potion was working but not fast enough, seeing the figure dart from his peripheral vision, Marden felt the emptiness in his hand after his body was forced to the ground and his silver sword flew into the darkness. Rolling to his feet and Instinctively switching to his blades on his waist.
"Is that how we are playing? Alright come the fuck on!"
Bearing her teeth, the Bruxa charged for the armed witcher. Knocking him back hard into the mast of the ship, Marden was surrounded by the crew of drowners. Placing its long dead finger on the witchers neck Marden felt its nail drag across the side of it, frozen in place he could only watch as his lifeless body plunged into the icy water.
Bolting up right from his bed Marden inhaled deeply and could feel the sweat pouring from him, reaching his hand to his neck Marden felt for the scar, nothing was there. Crawling over to the bucket of water Marden saw his reflection staring back at him the matts of stuck hair, his stubbly beard and his deep amber cat like eyes were even more pronounced with the dark circles forming around them.
Dunking his head into the freezing water, pushing his hair out of his face Marden let the water settle blinking at his reflection he noticed a change, his amber eyes burned a deep yellow as the water boiled into blood.
Bursting through the water's surface, Marden's reflection grasped its hands around his own neck, fighting the grip weakly as the reflection pulled itself closer to him.
"Look at you, you're weak, just like your father, just like your mother, just like all the witchers from the school of the viper that lay dead. You have no future no purpose you are nothing!".
Choking back his reply Marden eyes rolled back into his head.
"Such a pity"
"I'm telling you that's how it happened"
"Oh yeh, and I a fought a golden dragon in a cloud city"
"What have I told you about smoking that halfling crap"
"Letho, I bet you the fortune of Kovir that story is a lie"
"Believe what you want Kolgrim, I'm telling you how it happened"
Letho and Kolgrim where arguing over the details of a certain story, not much mattered however after Vetek and Ivar rolled out their home brew. Serrit and Auckes were sat in front of the fire deep into their fifth round of gwent, whilst the other viper witchers where playing ever other assortment of knife games known to man, a favourite past time of the school. Marden was sat opposite the Dwarven blacksmith Orba and engaged in an arm wrestle.
"Ye getting tired laddie?"
"Not on your life old man"
Slamming down the barrels of their home brew, both witcher and dwarf lost interest. A louder slam hit the table, then another.
Waking to find himself in the cold dark, on his bed, Cleavers henchdwarves where moving the effects into position for the annual prize fighting tournament. Benches where stacked and ready to be placed in the correct position while and the straw was being thatched together for seating, and flooring.
Not caring a wit for the witcher nursing a fisstech recovery.
Being awake Marden busied himself with eating the stale bread and cheese that had once again been dropped by his bed, this time accompanied by a warm mug of grape juice and fresh water.
Finishing his meal, Marden sat his back against the wall as his thoughts drifted off into his illusions he had experienced. Idly watching the dwarves work he sipped down the warm grape juice before laying back on the bed, Marden closed his eyes more rest was needed.