The Witcher: Part XXXVII

Severus Alone

My father is literally Hitler.

I know a lot of people say that their father, too, is literally Hitler. They are misusing the word literally though. That's a mistake I never make.

My mother used to say that Hitler used to be a decent man, so long ago. Apparently he wanted to be an artist. He poured his heart and soul into his art, she told me. And then he applied for art school. It might have been a clerical error, or perhaps he simply wasn't good enough. But my father was rejected.

He was so angry that he burned every last piece of art he had ever done. And in doing that, he also burned his heart and soul.

I walk, alone, through fields of green grass. I am so tired, and so alone.

'Perhaps it was a bad idea to get rid of the rest of my team,' I think. 'No. Those insolent fools were holding me back anyway.'

And then suddenly, a giant green ogre appears before me. It charges at me and knocks me over before I have a chance to hit a blow. I get up and shoot a fireball at it. It screams in pain, and is even more angered. It charges again.

In my tired stupor, I respond too slowly, and I get knocked over again. It punches me in the face and then I see nothing.

Shortly after my birth, my father began to decline. It began with him hatching extremely elaborate plans to get back at the art school. After he saw the destruction of the art school, my father decided he wanted more. So he went into politics.

Slowly, he drifted apart from me and my mother, Eva, as he slowly climbed up the social ladder. Eventually, he was using my mother and I as mere trophies. My mother and I were pawns in my father's political machinations. We were just there to create the pretense that he had some sort of private family life. To prove that he somehow had a soul.

And then one day, one dark day, Adolf Hitler was elected as Supreme Chancellor. And that was the day that my mother and I were no longer needed.

I wake up and see a rather attractive young woman staring down at me. I am lying down in a bed.

"You were beaten quite badly by that ogre," says the young woman. "Most people don't survive."

"I'm not most people," I say. "You might not be able to tell because my skin is so pale... but I'm a witch."

The young woman doesn't seem alarmed at all.

"We don't fear witches or ogres or anything in this town," she says.

"What is this town?" I ask.

"Lethoville," she says. "Named after our mighty ruler Governor Letho. He protects us from the ogres, and in return, we serve him and his needs in any way we can." She rubs a strand of her hair tentatively.

Just then, a giant gong begins to ring through the air.

"Someone is being executed," says the young woman. "You should come and see."

I hobble outside, my leg still somewhat rekt from my encounter with the ogre. In the centre of town, there is a pool of lava. A young man is bound, and is being pushed towards the lava pool.

"Please!" he says. "Don't kill me!"

"I didn't do anything!"

"You said a swear word," said the man who was pushing him into the lava. "That is a crime punishable by death in my town."

"You will now jump into the pool of lava." And the man jumps into the pool of lava and dies.

"Why did he willingly jump into the pool of lava?" I ask the young woman.

"Because when Governor Letho asks you to do something, you will always be compelled to do it no matter how much you don't want to," replies the young woman. "He has absolute power over each and every single one of us."

I stop and think for a moment.

"If he's abusing and killing people like this, he must be stopped," I say.

"He is a good man," says the young woman, obviously brainwashed. "We all give of ourselves for his benefit and pleasure. That is the only right way here in Lethoville."

"Well, I say it's wrong," I say firmly. "And I'm going to stop it."

Shortly after winning his election, my father called me and my mother into his office.

"Now that I am Supreme Chancellor," he began. "I have no further need for a wife and a child."

"Are you letting us go, please let us go!" cries my mother.

"No, Eva," says my father. "I can't let you go because you have the potential to interfere with my plans."

"I'm going to kill you."

And then I saw him kill her.

And then he turned to me.

"Now, young Severus, you will die," said my father.

"Please, I think I can help you!" I said. "I will work for you! I will be an asset!"

My father stared at me for a moment.

"Very well," he said. "But if you ever fail me, I will not hesitate to end your life."

I hobble up to Letho.

"I think what you're doing is wrong," I say to his face. "You're a terrible governor."

"You're Hitler's kid, aren't you," says Letho. "I should like to chat with you for a bit."

"Let us converse in my office."

We walk to Letho's giant house and we sit in his office. The carpet and walls are red like blood.

"Now, Severus Hitler..." says Letho. "I heard you were dead."

"Obviously, I am not," I say.

"Oh, Severus," sighs Letho. "You accuse me of being a terrible person. If you just knew a little bit about the history of this town..."

"What?" I say impatiently.

"I am a hero," says Letho. "My father was an evil mayor. I killed him and took control of the town."

"You kill and abuse people," I say. "You have been corrupted by the power."

"And you aren't evil?" says Letho to me. "Last I heard, you were all MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! and stuff."

"I've changed," I say. "I seek what's best for everyone. And what's best for this town is your demise."

I prepare to shoot a fatal lightning bolt into his head.

"You will not attack me," he says. And I am compelled not to attack him.

Letho points to a badge he's wearing.

"This badge is made of death metal, the same material the Sword of Death is made out of," he says. "I can control the actions of anyone within a 300 metre radius. You cannot do anything against someone who can control all of your actions."

Letho controls my conscience. He controls my unconscious mind. There is nothing I can do to fight him.

If I had my team, I might have had a chance.

But I am alone.

And then suddenly, I have an idea.

I shoot a lightning bolt at the wall, startling Letho, even though I'm not directly harming him. In that moment, I grab his death metal badge, and run out of his house. I throw the badge into the lava pit.

"What have you done?" yells Letho. "How did you do that?"

"The only thing you told me was not to attack you," I say. Then I shrug.

And then all of the townsfolk walk out of their houses. Their brainwashing is broken. They realise that Letho has been mistreating them, and they chase him out of town.

"You and me are no different, Severus!" shouts Letho as he runs away. "One day, when you have power, you will be just like me!"

I shrug again and exit the town. I feel good that I actually did something good today instead of evil.

After walking away from the town for a few minutes, I encounter an army of muscled soldiers.

They attack me.

And I am overwhelmed.

TO BE CONTINUED

IN

THE WITCHER: PART XXXVIII

THE WHITE WOLF