The Witcher: Through the Worlds
Chapter 18: Return to Crookback Bog
Narrator: After speaking to the Baron, Dominik and Geralt learned that Ciri tired and wounded had indeed taken shelter in his castle. The Baron had helped nurse the young woman back to health, and sent her on her way to Novigrad, where she was looking, she was looking for Dominik, Geralt and Yennefer. Before the two Witcher's could set off for Novigrad however, the Baron asked them for help in saving his wife, a victim of the Crones. Dominik and Geralt agreed, before riding out with the Baron, to save the woman from the beastly sisters.
"Got something for you," Geralt said from atop Roach as they rode.
He looked over and saw Geralt holding out a small vial, with blue frothing liquid. The sun was just starting to set, and in a few more minutes it would surely go down below the mountains, bringing about the darkness. He gently took the vial from atop his own mount, as they rode behind the Baron's men approaching Downwarren. The blue contents of the potion bottle were thick, and he recognized them from his lessons right away.
He shook his head fervently, "Oh no, not a chance. Not a fucking chance."
Geralt narrowed his eyes at him, "Do you want to get killed in the bog?"
"I thought the Witcher's potions would kill me anyway," He said, refusing to uncork the potion.
The older Witcher sighed and shook his, "Cat is less toxic then the others. Besides you're body is trained enough, won't kill you."
He knew this of course, he had drunk a Cat potion before, however it wasn't the fact it could kill him that made his stomach churn.
"Stuff tastes horrible, I'll be able to see just fine," He assured the older Witcher.
Geralt narrowed his eyes, "Stop being a baby. I know you'll be able to see, but the two of us are the only way any of these people survive and you need to be able to see perfectly. So, drink it when we get into the swamp."
"But Geralt I-."
"No buts, drink it," He demanded, ending the subject.
Dom rolled his eyes in annoyance and put the potion in his back pocket. After finally learning all the information they could about Ciri from the Baron, they had set out with him and a group of 8 of his men. Geralt and he had both expressed how they should wait until the morning, and head out then, but the larger man was determined to set out at that moment. Not wanting to waste a moment, leaving his wife with the Crones any longer. Fighting whatever the Crones had in store for them in the dark wasn't very appealing, especially since he didn't have the enhanced eyes of a Witcher.
The ride to Downwarren hadn't taken long, only around an hour with how fast the Baron rode. He and the rest of the men didn't slow down until they all pulled up towards Downwarren. The small little village on the side of the hill, hadn't changed at all in the few days since he'd been there, but the villagers were frantic. All of the Baron's men dismounted their horses, and he watched as the Baron stormed into the town center, shouting that he demanded to talk to the Ealdorman. Geralt held him up behind them, and they both climbed back down off Clop and Roach.
"Make sure you drink the Cat when we go into the swamp," Geralt said, starting to rummage through his saddle bag.
"Yes sir…" he said dryly, making the old Witcher roll his eyes.
Geralt did some more digging in his saddle bag and tossed out two bombs to him. He almost dropped the two explosives but managed to get them in his hands and examine them. A smile came to his face when he recognized them.
"Dragon's dream," he said to the older Witcher with a smirk.
Geralt nodded his head, and pulled out a few more potions and bombs, before closing Roach's saddle bag. The older Witcher turned back to him and nodded, "You remember how it works?"
"Toss it, let it explode, set it on fire, I got it," He said with confidence.
Geralt nodded, attaching a few more bombs to his belt, "Good, if a Fiend shows up, make sure we get everyone away, me and you will deal with it. Drowners, water hags, and rotfiends they can handle, but only we're gonna have a chance against a Fiend."
He knew this to be true so nodded. Fiends were some of the most dangerous creatures a Witcher could come across. It would destroy whole villages, and squads of soldiers. He had killed a few in his years alone, but it was never an easy fight. The relic oil he had to brew was difficult, and one full force blow from the beast would more than likely kill him. The last time he killed a Fiend, was a year and a half ago when he traveled with Faram. Between the two of them, the beast was killed, but it was still a difficult fight. He knew Geralt and he would be more then a match for the beast, but he didn't want to take any chances.
He nodded, before hearing the Baron's loud voice, "Witch Hunters? Hung two you say?"
A laughed escaped from him and he pointed up towards the village center, "Looks like the Baron's making friends already."
Geralt turned and sighed, gesturing for him to follow. The two Witchers made their way into the towns center, and saw the Baron, reaming out the ealdorman. The man with one severed ear looked terrified, and when he looked behind him, he saw why. Hanging from two ropes above one of the houses, were the corpses of two men, brown sacks over their heads. He scoffed, shaking his head in disgust, as he remembered the Baron mentioning Witch Hunters.
The ealdorman shook his head, seemingly terrified of the larger man. The Baron sighed loudly and roared, "Why the devil are there Witch Hunters here to start with? They didn't ride from Novigrad to hang two blobtits did they?"
The balding man, now with one ear shakily shook his head, "I… I don't know m'Lord."
"They say where they were heading," Geralt said, the two of them finally coming up behind the larger man.
The Baron turned and shook his head at the two Witchers, his face now illuminated by moonlight, and the fire of torches.
"Ah good, the two of you are ready! Can't draw any meaning from this rabble's bawlin'. Perhaps they'd talk more after a few lashes," The large man said, turning back to the ealdorman with murderous eyes, "Well spit it out! Where'd they go!?"
The ealdorman seemed to recognize the two Witchers and his eyes went wide, before he backed up in fear, "T-to the v-v-village in the swamp m'Lord. Lass rode with them-askin' after her mother, constant!"
"Fuck," he said, realizing what the man was saying in an instant, he turned to look at Geralt, "Bet any amount of money that's Tamara and her new friends."
Upon hearing his daughters name, the Baron turned his face contorted in worry, "Tamara? Dominik, Geralt we must go there at once."
He looked up and Geralt nodded his head towards the man, "You're right, we need to move."
Dominik quickly looked to the Baron, "Tell your men to stay in a tight formation. If we get separated, we'll die. I'll guide from the front, Geralt from the back, do NOT stray away from us until we reach the village, understand?"
"Aye I do…. You raised a natural leader here Geralt," The Baron complimented, looking to the older Witcher.
Geralt chuckled, and looked down at him, "Yeah… seems I did."
He felt himself flustered but was brought out of it when the Baron screamed to his men.
"Alright men gather up! You heard the Witcher, tight formation, anyone strays from the path, you will die. Now let's go, we got a swamp to cross and Crones to hunt down," The Baron shouted, moving to gather all eight of his men.
Geralt looked down at him, beaming with pride, and despite the situation it made him feel much better.
"Good call, one of us at each end. Now," He said, pulling out the Cat potion from his back pocket, "Bottoms up, suns not coming back anytime soon."
He sighed in annoyance and took the vial of blue liquid from his back pocket. Geralt smirked at him as he uncorked it, and reluctantly Dominik followed suit.
"The things I do for people…" he said agitated, as he and Geralt both down the entire vial of potion.
The effects were instantaneous. He felt the potion slide down his throat and started gagging right away after it went down. It felt like his insides were burning for a moment, then his eyes began to burn. He almost keeled over, but Geralt managed to catch him. The insides of his stomach began to burn, and he fought the urge to scream, the taste lingering on his mouth was almost worse.
Finally, when he looked back up, he could see clearer in the night. Geralt standing in front of him was illuminated, a red glow shining around him. The torches in the village helped him see clearer, but he knew he would be able to see clearly now in the dark swamp. The light of the moon wouldn't be enough in the dreary, muddled bog, so despite the after affects, making him drink it was a good call from Geralt.
"You alright," The older Witcher asked him.
He gaged and looked up to see the now perfectly visible older Witcher, "It tastes even worse then I remember somehow…"
Geralt laughed, and he could see his normal yellow eyes darker, "Well better then dying. Come on, let's go Baron's waiting."
"You're right… lets do this," he said carefully, finally regaining his composure.
He turned and saw the Baron lining his men up into a formation as he instructed. He took a few steps forward and drew his blade out from his back. It shimmered and his could see his reflection off the steel. It was odd, not seeing his normally completely green eyes, darkened, laced with black, his pupils going completely dark. Only small specks of the green was left, which made him feel like he wasn't himself. The eyes were something that he always felt linked him to Ciri, so seeing himself without them sent a chill through his body.
It would only be for a little while longer, the potions effects would fade, and his eyes would return to normal. If he didn't save the woman from the crones, the damage could last a lifetime.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
"Dammit lad, you're a demon with a blade as well," The Baron compliment after the drowner fell dead at the edge of his blade.
The group of them had all encountered packs of Drowners and Water Hags. Under the cover of the night, the creatures were swift and hard to see, thankfully with help from the potions they drank, Geralt and Dominik were able to help the men dispatch them, and none had died yet. He knew that they were approaching the village, so was sure to keep his eyes trained on the water around them. The Cat potion as beginning to wear off, so getting to the lit village was crucial.
He turned to the larger man with a laugh, "I'm nothing much believe me… Ciri was always better than I was."
The large man nodded, as they waded through the ankle-deep boggy water. He saw small ripples, but didn't see any drowners, or rotfiends through his eyes. What he told the Baron had been true, despite her saying she believed they were on the same level, he had always believed himself that Ciri was more naturally skilled with a blade then he. He was better at other things, like oils, bombs, and potions, but when it came to sword play, he always felt Ciri outclassed him, though not by too much.
He wondered how much better she had gotten, surely astronomically.
"That lass… never seen anything like her," The larger man said, his feet sloshing through the muddy bog.
The mention of her, made him feel the swallow tremble around his neck. He swore, that whenever he talked about, or had Ciri mentioned he could feel the swallow tremble.
He sighed and kept his eyes forward, "She's special… that's for sure."
"Do you love her, truly love her," The large man suddenly asked.
There, in the bog, covered in drowner guts, blood, a Cat potion running through his body, was the last place he expected his face to flush red. The answer to the question, however, was easy.
"Yes… since the moment I met her, yes," He said assuredly, causing the man to chuckle.
"Ha, after having met you both… I can see why," He said, his tone suddenly shifting, "When you find her lad… make sure you cherish her. Don't… make the same mistakes as me… never let her go."
It was a surprisingly tender thing to hear from the man. He hadn't expected to hear those words. The mistakes the Baron had made, were something he was sure that he would never make in his life. Nothing would ever become more important to him, like the drink had become for the larger man. Finding her was what he had been thinking about for eight years, so he knew that once he did, he wouldn't let her go again. Not for anything in the world.
He shook his head, as he finally saw the torches of the village, "I won't… never again."
The Baron seemed like he was about to say something else, when he heard a loud yell pierce the air of the swamp.
"Stand firm! Banish these beasts in the name of the Eternal Fire!"
His eyes shot to the village, and he could now hear the clashes of steel. Roars of multiple drowners, and other monsters could be heard. After looking closer he saw men running, dodging, parrying with blades and the sounds of a battle. It seemed that the Witch Hunters had gotten to the village just before they did, and the Crones had started sending their beasts.
He turned back to see Geralt at the back of the group of soldiers, he waved forward, gesturing towards the older Witcher.
"Geralt! We need to move," he said before turning to the Baron, "Come on, to the village now!"
He heard the Baron shout commands, and he took off in a run towards the lights of the village. The Cat potion had began to wear off, but thankfully his path was illuminated by the torches of the houses, and the full moon. He leveled his blade as he entered the village of Crookback Bog, and finally took in the seen. A group of about 7 Witch Hunters had been spread out amongst the houses, fighting multiple monsters. The formation that they once seemed to have was broken, and soon they would be overwhelmed. One of the stood out in particular, the only woman amongst them.
Tamara swung her blade with great precision towards a drowner, lopping its head off.
He ran to reach her, knowing that her safety now would be the Baron's number one priority. The Cat potion had fully worn off now, but between the torches on the houses, and the ones soldiers carried, he was able to see now as he took off towards the center of the village where the girl was.
A drowner came rushing towards him, he slid under its claw, and sliced through its bottom legs as he did, before coming back up and stabbing his blade into its back. He heard a loud sucking sound and turned just as a Water Hag shot out its tongue for him. He spun to the left and came around, lopping its tongue in half, causing it to wail and fall back, right into Geralt's blade, the Witcher just have gotten into the village with the Barons soldiers.
"Witchers!? What are you doing here," A voice shouted to them both.
He recognized the head Witch Hunter, the one they had met in Oxenfurt, slashing through a rotfiend.
"Tell you later," Geralt shouted to him, spinning around and lopping off a drowners head.
Dominik turned his focus back to Tamara, and saw the girl being overwhelmed in the village center, a large group of drowners cornering her. He took off in a run, ducking under a claw, and ending one monster, just before he got to her location. It was the stump where only a few days earlier, Geralt and he placed the severed ear to summon the Crones.
One drowner was about to slash at the girl from behind. He yanked the silver dagger out of his belt and tossed it, hitting his mark and impaling the beast in the head. The girls head shot around, and her eyes widened when she saw him. She seemed about to say something, but he had to leap into action again. He kept charging forward and lopped off the hand of another drowner that was about to strike at her. He reached down, quickly grabbing his silver dagger, just in time to spin back around and stab it into the throat of a rotfiend about to spit at him. He shot out his hand and blasted the beast back with Aard just as its head exploded.
To the right of Tamara and he, he saw another large group beginning to charge. He reached down, grabbing the new Dragon's Dream bomb off his belt, he ignited the fuse and tossed it. It exploded, stopping the drowners momentarily, before he shot his hands forward again and a wall of flames raced towards the beasts, as soon as it hit the smoke where the bomb had landed, it exploded in a blast of fire, sending every drowner flying, fried to a crisp.
He heard one last roar behind him, and whirled around, just before he could raise his own sword, one jabbed through the beasts skull, and it fell, revealing the owner of the blade to be Tamara.
He nodded in appreciation to the girl, as he looked around, the last of the drowners, and other monsters finally being slain. Soldiers of the Baron, and the Witch Hunters all seemed to stop after this, staring, daring each other to make another move.
Finally, Tamara found her voice, "Dominik… what are you doing here," She said, her voice sounding slightly nervous.
He laughed, and turned around to meet the girls eyes, sheathing his blade to his back, "Thought I was here to save you, but seems you got nothing to fear. You're no slouch with a blade, thanks for the save."
The girl stuttered for a moment, as Geralt came up next to him, new blood stains adorning his armor.
"I have no fear, for the Eternal Fire protects me," Tamara said, her eyes meeting the two Witchers.
Geralt chuckled and crossed his arms, "Won't have to protect you from either of us."
Tamara tried to say something else, but the Baron, who finally seemed to realize she was there came up from behind them, his arms stretched out wide.
"Tamara, dear daughter! You return after all… come, don't deny me this embrace," The man said pleadingly.
He saw the young woman look over to him, meeting his eyes for a moment, before turning back to her father.
"I'm sorry, but this isn't a return. I've come for mother. Unlike you, I'll not see her rot here in this swamp," She said in a controlled voice.
He wondered if the girl was about to say something else but remembered what he had said to her about family. It was his hope that the words he said to her had some impact.
The Baron however scoffed, "Why the hell do you think I'm here? To take her home!"
If the girl had been trying to control herself, it broke at that moment, "Oh you'll do no such thing. You'll not lay a finger on her. Never. I'll not let you!"
Geralt and he watched as the Baron took in a deep sigh, meeting his daughters eyes, "You have a right to be cross…. I've not been the best husband, the best father, I know. But I've changed, ask anyone," He said, turning to the two Witchers, "Dom, Geralt tell her!"
Both sets of their eyes turned to Geralt and he, and he sighed looking up to the older Witcher. Geralt however, looked over to Tamara.
"Your father, he truly wants to find your mother. That's why he's here," He explained to the younger woman.
"He's right, like I told you before, he does care," Dominik added after Geralt had finished.
Tamara scoffed and looked back over to her father, "You pay them much to be your yes-men?"
He was about to follow up but was cut off when the head Witch Hunter came over, "Verily I saw unto you that ire and vehemence can lead, to naught but one's downfall!"
"Oh jeez…" He muttered as the larger man walked between Tamara and her father.
"Who the bloody hell is this," The Baron asked sharply.
The Witch Hunter scoffed, "And who are you to ask so crudely?"
Quickly, before the situation could escalate further, he stepped between the two men. He looked at them both, the cold breeze of the nighttime running through his hair. It was only a matter of time before the Crones sent more monsters, and with-it being nighttime, the selection they could choose from was large.
"We can solve this matter later, we're all here for a reason. Lets get it done with, before more monsters show up," He said to the two men.
The Baron met his eyes and nodded before stepping back. The Witch Hunter met his eyes as well, before nodded and looking between Geralt and he.
"The Witcher is correct. Back to the matter at hand, I assume you two are willing to help us," He asked Geralt and Dominik.
He nodded along with Geralt, and the white haired Witcher nodded with his arms crossed, "We wouldn't be here if we weren't willing."
The head Witch Hunter nodded, "I've lost five men already, and have little notion of what to expect in this cursed place."
He felt the wind in the cold night begin to pick up. It chilled his bones, as he examined the empty, quiet village. The Crones didn't know it was them there yet, so they had to move swiftly. The eerie sounds of the night were piercing his ears, and he could almost hear whispers begin to go through his head.
"No time to lose. Crones could return at any minute," Geralt warned the group of them.
He was about to say something himself when the whispering he heard got louder. It wasn't just in his head anymore, his head shot around, trying to find its source. All he saw was the men around him, the tension palpable.
"One you once loved…" He heard, causing his hand to go to his blade, and turn around.
He saw nothing except Witch Hunters and soldiers around him. His attention was turned back to the conversation when he heard Tamara speak up again.
"Hah, and how do you know they're not here already," The girl asked the older Witcher.
The whispering kept growing, but he turned to Geralt who scanned the village, "Because we're still alive…"
"Search the village," the commanding Witch Hunter yelled to his men.
"A single choice you shall make, to decide their fate…" the whispers rang through his head again.
Finally, he cracked, and drew out his blade, turning around, trying to locate the source of the whispering. All the men, the Baron's and the Witch Hunters went about tearing apart the village. All the houses doors were smashed open, men yelling, looking for any sign of Anna. However, for the first time, he wasn't focused on that objective. The whispering in his ears grew louder, it sounded like a females voice, multiple voices, all converging into his head.
"The choice you make, the fate of your family, preserve or raze," it whispered again, louder this time into his mind.
He whirled around and finally saw Geralt looking at him, "Dom, what is it, what's wrong?"
"One you once loved has returned, a single choice you will make shall decide their fate. The choice you make, the fate of your family, preserve or raze," The voice screeched into his ears, making him groan and grab his ears.
He turned back to Geralt, his eyes wide, "Geralt do you hear that!?"
"Hear what, what's wrong," The older Witcher asked, as the whispering finally started to die.
"That damn…whispering, it won't stop," He said, his head finally coming up to meet Geralt's eyes.
Geralt looked at him with concern, "Dom… I don't hear any whispering. It's probably the Crones messing with you."
The idea made a chill run through his bones. The words that he heard were etching themselves into his mind. One you once loved has returned, a single choice you make shall decide their fate. The choice you make, the fate of your family, preserve or raze. Was it some type of prediction? He had heard of witches predicting things before, and other ways to tell the future. Geralt had told him often, that he once received a prediction from a mage he once met. The female mage had told him, 'the boy and the girl in the woods shall be with you always', and eventually those words led him to go and find Dominik and Ciri.
For a moment he ran the words through his head again. One he once loved who had returned, it had to be referring to Ciri, it was almost impossible to apply it to anyone else. What single choice would he make, and how would it be to decide her fate? The final line made him shiver, the fate of his family to preserve or raise.
"One you once loved has returned, a single choice you make shall decide their fate. The choice you make, the fate of your family, to preserve or raise…" he said, meeting Geralt's eyes.
The white haired Witchers eyes widened, and he spoke slowly, "Dominik… that… that sounds like a prophecy, a prediction from the Crones. Remember what they said to us before we left?"
He let out a shaky breath, and saw his hands shake, "What… what does it mean?"
Geralt shook his head, "Don't know, but you need to-."
"We found her, over here," One of the Witch Hunters yelled, and the two Witchers turned.
They both turned to see Tamara, leading the older woman away from the house they had gone too, with the Crones tapestry. The words spoken to him had suddenly seemed less important, Geralt turned and met his eyes.
"We'll talk about it later, come on," He said quickly.
He followed Geralt over to where some of the men were leading the older woman towards the center of the village. Anna was worse for ware then the last time she had seen her. Her stringy, grey hair was mangled, bits of dirt, sticks and more mess inside of it. The wrinkles across her face had deepened. The green and orange dress she was wearing, had bits ripped out, her bare feet were marred with dirt, and coal. He remembered how angry he was with the older woman, and now he felt ashamed of it. The poor woman looked as if she was terrified. The Baron, along with Tamara and her commander all surrounded the woman.
She looked down, towards the ground, as an eerie silence began to engulf the village like a blanket. He could see mist start to whirl around them, as if the Crones were trying to turn the circle of huts into an arena for them all to do battle. He felt his fingers begin to twitch, as the poor woman stuttered, her eyes not leaving the ground.
"But I pleaded… I begged," The poor woman wailed, her head shaking as she looked at the ground.
Tamara took a shaky step forward, "Mother, it's me. Don't you recognize me?"
The terrified, frail old woman shook her head, turning around, as if trying to find something on the ground. Tamara's face fell, as she turned to Geralt and he, "What's happened to her?"
He sighed, and met the young girls eyes, "This is the Crones doing. Your mother made a pact with them, and in exchange she serves them… and they took her mind."
"I said I'll do it all! Give it here, I'll scrub it again, scrub it clean," Anna wailed again, whirling around and holding her hands out to Tamara.
"Mother…" The poor girl said desperately.
The fog around the village had become thick, and the men restless. Even in the night, only lit by the torches, you could see the thick white mist beginning to slowly engulf them all. He took a step away from the others, towards the fog, and his hand slowly went for his blade. A blood curdling roar finally ripped through the night sky like a knife cutting through a sheet of cloth. It was a type of roar he had heard before, the men all reached for their blades and shields.
He slowly drew his own sword, and turned back to Geralt, who's silver was out in a flash, "Geralt, it's coming!"
The older Witcher nodded and turned around to the Baron, and Tamara, "Something's coming, get ready. Get her somewhere safe, it's after her," He said pointing to Anna.
The older Witcher ran to join him, coming up next to him and twirling his silver. Geralt reached down to his belt and uncorked a potion, swallowing it in one go, before he winced, the veins on his neck beginning to pulsate.
"Swallow? Black Blood? Thunderbolt," He asked the older Witcher, raising his blade to level it towards the fog.
Geralt did the same with his silver, getting back to back with him. He coughed for a moment, as the two of them watch the fog carefully.
"Swallow… one of the most useful Witcher potions out there," He said, his silver aimed towards the fog.
He was about to say something else when the roar got closer. The ground around them started to rumble, and his head shot around to his left. The beast had finally charged, the Fiend. It was as large as one of the village huts, its horns shooting out from the sides, longer then three of his blades. It roared as it charged, and he and Geralt only had moments to roll out of the way as it smashed into a group of soldiers in the center, sending men and Witch Hunters scattering.
"EVERYBODY STAY BACK, LET GERALT AND I HANDLE IT," He yelled, rushing towards the monster, just as it made a swipe towards the Baron.
The large man grabbed his wife by the waist and moved just in time. He rushed forward, slicing along the back of the beasts leg, causing it to roar again, as he rolled out in front of it. For a moment, he was in front of the beast by himself. Its black eyes were trained on him, and it reared back its head, and let out and bone shattering roar right in front of him. The force was so much that he almost stumbled backwards, but in the end, he managed to hold his ground. He twirled his blade into a reverse grip and reached for the bomb on his belt.
"Come on you ugly bastard…." He whispered under his breath, igniting the fuse on the Dragons Dream.
It smashed one of its massive fists into the ground, and he rolled to the left, tossing the bomb and it exploded in the beasts face. It seemed at the moment to only annoy the massive beast, but soon the gas exploded in a large orange fire, as Geralt shot a blast from his hands that ignited the smoke, sending the monster reeling back.
"HEHEHEHEHE, well struck young wolf, and you white-haired one!" he heard echo through the village, the voice of one of the Crones.
"ONE YOU ONCE LOVED HAD RETURNED, A SINGLE CHOICE YOU MAKE SHALL DEICDE THEIR FATE, THE CHOICE YOUR MAKE, YOURE FAMILY TO PRESERVE OR RAISE!"
The voice had momentarily distracted Geralt and he, and the distraction only stopped when he heard the screams of dying men. Not listening to their orders, a few of the Baron's men and the Witch Hunters had charged. The Fiend, its face now scarred with black soot, roared again smashing the ground with its massive horns, sending the men flying, while one Witch Hunter was crushed, impaled by the massive bone. He was about to charge again when more roars were heard. All around them, drowners and other necrophages all emerged from the mist, charging for them.
Geralt shot him a nod, and he knew what the older Witcher was trying to say. The two of them had to focus on the Fiend, before it killed them all.
He looked up again at the enormous roaring monster and charged. The beast had been sent by the Crones, and he wasn't going to let their evil take anymore lives. The two Witchers charged, and the Fiend's black eyes trained on them again, the glowing red spot between his horns glowing. When it saw the two Witchers, it kicked back its leg and charged again with great speed.
Geralt and he both rolled to one direction to avoid the attack. He jumped back up, whirling around and slashing across the back of the beasts legs with his blade, just as it swung for Geralt. It wailed in pain before it could make contact and Geralt took the opportunity to lash out, striking across the beast chest, before leaping up, and trying to strike at the glowing red between its two horns.
Geralt was the greatest Witcher to ever live, but just before he could, the Fiend whirled around and smashed him across the stomach with his horn, sending the Witcher backwards, smashing him into the door of one of the huts. He charged around, and shot his hand forward, a wall of flames erupted as the Igni sing roared to life. It struck the beasts open wound from Geralt's sword, and it cried out, thrashing about wildly, and while it did, its arm caught him and sent him flying backwards.
He felt the impact on his chest, and cough straight away, twirling back up to his knees, trying to find the beast again. It roared and it gave away its position. It had made to the center of the village, and Tamara, the brave girl that she was, tried to step up to the beast. He saw Geralt get back up from the hut he had been smashed into but was accosted when a group of drowners surrounded him. He was cutting through the beasts quickly, but not quick enough to make it to Tamara.
The girl went for a swing of her blade, but the Fiend knocked her back, and lunged, gripping the girl up in her massive claws.
"TAMRA," He heard the Baron yell, leaving his wife momentarily, his blade drawn.
The girl screamed, as the Fiend roared loudly again, causing all the fighting men to stumble. He sucked in a breath and charged again. His sword twirling in a reverse grip, he leaped up towards the Fiend, firing his hand forward, the Aard sign, more powerful then any he had produced so far, smashed into the Fiend's hand, the force so strong it dropped Tamara to the ground as she screamed. The girl lay on the ground, bruised and battered, as the Fiend recoiled, it went to bring its fist down on the girl, surely crushing her. He got to her just in time, sliding forward and stabbing his blade into the ground, shield her with his own body, as the yellow shield of the Quen sign erupted, just before its fist could smash into them.
As the Fiend contacted his shield, it exploded, sending the monster tumbling back. Tamara looked up at him, but he didn't give her a chance to say anything.
"GO," He shouted, getting up and turning back towards the Fiend.
Just as he turned the humongous beast slammed its fist into the ground and slid it powerfully along the ground in a sweeping motion. He put all his power into his legs, he leaped up, just narrowly avoiding the attack. The beast roared again and smashed his fist a second time. He side-stepped just in time, and stabbed his blade downwards, into the Fiends hand, so deep, he couldn't remove it. With his hand still on his sword grip the Fiend yanked his hand back upwards, quickly he grabbed onto his sword hilt with both hands as he was lifted into the air.
Upon seeing that he was attached to it, The flung his hand backwards, and he was forced to let go. He soared upwards, his arms flailing, but he managed to reach down and yank his silver dagger from his belt. He came downwards and stabbed the silver hilt deep into the Fiends back as he grabbed onto the hair hanging from its neck for support!
The Fiend was not happy, and when the dagger entered its back it shot upwards to its full height, overtaking that of the tallest building in the village. He would have been flung off if Geralt hadn't intervened. The older Witcher yelled, and leaped, slashing his blade across the beast stomach again, before spinning and cutting across its leg. The roar almost made his ears bleed this time, but he fought through the pain, pulling himself upwards, onto his feet, atop the monsters head.
He yanked his silver dagger and stood atop the beasts head. From below he could see Geralt, his silver ready to strike again, along with the rest of the Baron's men and Witch Hunters, looking up in awe. He felt his heart begin to beat at an alarmingly fast breath, as he sucked in one more breath and bit the bottom of his lip. The Fiend wailed, blood seeping from all its wounds, not even bothering to shake him away anymore.
"This ones for Ciri you old hags… you're next…" he said to the Crones beast, before with all his strength jamming the dagger into the beasts head, right in the red glowing spot between its horns.
The beast gave one final huge wail, that made all the men take steps back, before he leaped down from its head. He spun himself around in mid-air and fired his hand forward, blasting the monster onto its back with the Aard sign.
With no weapon in hand, he managed to land on his feet with a thud, and shakily stood up to his feet, as the beast slammed onto its back, his dagger sticking out of its forehead, his blade sticking out of its hand. With the last bit of remaining strength, he could muster, he shakily walked to the beast hand, and yanked out his blade, before falling to one knee, only said blade to help steady him.
He sucked in breaths as fast as he could, feeling as if all his strength had deflated. Footsteps pierced his ears, as he heard Geralt's voice, the older Witcher helping him up from the ground.
"You alright," He asked him, his voice full of concern.
He took in a deep breath, and managed to stand to his feet, "Did… did I get him?"
Geralt scoffed, and clamped a hand on his shoulder, "Yeah… you got him, got him good. How do you feel?"
After sucking in another few deep breaths, and feeling his limbs begin to move again, he had to admit, he felt better then he normally did after a fight. For the first time, he fired off multiple signs during the fight, and didn't feel like he couldn't move afterwards. The signs he casted had been strong, stronger then normal. He felt a sense of pride wash over him. He had killed Fiends by himself before, however, this one felt particularly good.
"I…I actually feel pretty good," He said a small laugh escaping him.
Geralt smiled back at him, his eyes beaming with pride, "It seems those late-night training sessions are beginning to pay off. Good job, that wasn't a normal Fiend, a lot bigger, even more aggressive."
"Dominik," He heard a voice saying his name, he looked up to see the Baron approaching the, "You… you saved Tamara. You saved my daughter's life."
He let out one more sigh, before meeting the mans eyes and shaking his head, "It's no problem. I'm a Witcher, I help people, it's what I was trained for."
The Baron nodded slowly and held out his large gauntleted hand for the two of them. Dominik slowly reached out, and the Baron shook both he and Geralt's hands with vigor, looking up to meet their eyes.
"The both of you… I will be forever grateful for what you've done. Should you ever need my aid, with anything, you'd simply need to say the word," He swore, the sincerity dripping from his words.
He felt his chest begin to swell up, and he smiled back at the man, shaking his head, "Thank you… again. You helped lead me back on the path to Ciri… and for that I'll also be eternally grateful."
The man nodded to them, a grim smile on his face, "Now… what the bloody hell was that thing you just took down?"
"Looked a Fiend to me," The head Witch Hunter said, coming up next to the three of them.
Geralt nodded to confirm what the man said, "Yeah. Crones've sense us. They know we're here. Sent the beast for Anna."
"Those damned witches! When will it end, are they not satisfied" He heard Tamara scream. He turned and saw the girl standing over her mother, the old woman digging through the ground, "Enough, I'm taking her away," The girl stated full of certainty.
He turned to see the scene unfold, as the Baron walked up to his family, shaking his head, "She's my wife. She'll return home with me. You're welcome to come with us if you wish."
Geralt and he both walked up next to them, as Tamara shoved away her fathers hands, "Don't touch her! We leave this cursed place now!"
The Baron shook his head, and took the words out of Dom's mouth, "She's sick, weakened…. Where would you take her like this? Oxenfurt? It would mean her death!"
He knew the man had a point. If the woman had been taken to Oxenfurt, Radovid, or other Witch Hunters would easily hang her, accusing her of magic that befuddled her mind. However, Tamara was not ready to leave.
"I know how to take care of my own mother," She said indignantly.
The commanding Witch Hunter shook his head, coming between the two, "She's not a rag doll to be ripped from hand to hand! Let her decide!"
"Pie! Pie for dinner! Mud pie," The older woman yelled from the ground, stacking mounds of dirt atop each other.
Geralt shook his head at the man's words, "She's incapable of deciding anything for herself right now."
Tamara's eyes turned to the two of them. In the girls green eyes, he could see something that he knew so well. Desperation.
She met his green eyes with hers, and begged, "Dominik… it's a dark spell, it has to be. Please, help her, I beg you both."
He looked and met Geralt's eyes. The two of them both knew that it was no dark spell that had befuddled Anna's mind. Between all the horrors she had faced, and the magic of the Crones, the poor woman's mind was going to be muddled for a long time. There was no cure they even two Witchers could give.
He sighed, the smile gone from his face, "Before we do anything, we need to get her, and everyone else out of here. That Fiend was only the beginning, the Crones know we're here now. It's only a matter of time before they send something worse than a Fiend."
It was without a doubt true. The Crones knew they were there, they were going to surely send another monster soon. Very few monsters were going to be worst then a Fiend, Shalemaars, Leshens, types of vampires, he didn't want to think what the beastly sisters would think of next. Tamara, however, was not taking his advice.
"I'll not go anywhere until you tell me you can help her, break the spell," She said to them desperately.
He turned to Geralt, and thankfully the older Witcher decided to be the on to deliver the news.
"This is no dark spell I'm afraid," The older Witcher said, making all three of the Baron, Tamara, and the head Witch Hunter look at him, "She's been through a lot. Lost a child, was carried off by a fiend, lived in the Crones' village taking care of children who're now gone… it's left its mark, as it would on anyone."
"She's also under the Crones service so…. I'm sorry, it's impossible to tell for sure if she'll ever recover," He said slowly, after Geralt had finished.
He had seen cases like this before. Sometimes when he was saving a group of people enthralled by a witch, or vampire, the lasting damage to their mind was too deep. Other times when he tried to cure a werewolf, vampire, and even one time a striga, the people who were cured, could never return to society. They were the worst contracts. The ones where no matter what he did, the help ended up being worthless.
"So… it's helpless? Neither of you can help her. She's to be like this," Tamara asked, the desperation in her voice peaking.
Geralt shook his head, he could see the sadness on the older Witchers face as well, "I'm sorry…" He said to the young woman.
He could see the girls eyes begin to tear, and he wished he had something to help her. To give her some kind of good news, a silver lining. However, all he received was another reason that he would kill the Crones the next time he returned.
The Baron however spoke up, drawing all their attention, "I know a hermit, a very wise old man with a gift for healing. Met him some time past. Lives in the Blue Mountains, I shall take her there," He said, looking to the two Witchers for confirmation.
He shrugged his shoulders and turned to Geralt who nodded at the man, "It might be worth a shot, there are some things even us Witchers don't know."
"I shall go with you," Tamara quickly spoke up after her father.
They all turned to her, but her commander quickly shook his head, "That is impossible sadly."
"Why," The girl asked the man her eyes wide now.
The head Witch Hunter sighed, "I'm sorry girl. You have duties, duties to the Church of the Eternal Fire. Once we finish our work in Velen, we return to Oxenfurt."
The young woman looked at the man aghast, "You said you'd save my mother!"
Her commander nodded his head, "And I kept my word. Your father can care for her now."
It was her turn to scoff again as she turned to her father, "He care? You know him! You know what he did to her!"
He felt himself speaking up before her commander could answer as he took a step forward, "Remember what I told you Tamara. Don't throw your family away like this, don't carry so much resentment inside of you. Your father, he may not be a perfect man, but none of us are. He's made mistakes, but this is how he's trying to make up for them. I trust that he'll do what he says," he said, turning back to the larger man.
The Baron gave him a nod, before turning to his daughter, "Fear not, all shall be well," He said, before kneeling down next to his wife, "I will not touch drink. I will find the hermit. And once she is herself again, we will find you."
The father and daughter both locked eyes, and he could practically see the tension bubbling between the two. Tamara quickly looked over at him, and he nodded to the girl. She took in a shaky breath, before turning back to her father.
"Swear it," She said to the large man.
He nodded to her, "I swear it child."
Very carefully, and without resistance from the older woman, he helped lift Anna to her feet. He would have liked to think the older woman not resisting was a sign, a sign that things would be well. The Baron got the woman to her feet, before turning once more to he and Geralt.
"The two of you, what you've done for me… I shall never forget it. I hope you find your Ciri…. And you Geralt prove a better father then I," he started before looking and meeting his eyes, "And you lad… I hope you prove a better partner in life… then I was to the one I love."
He smiled, feeling his heart flow. The man walked back towards his soldiers with his wife in tow, beginning to bark out orders to them, readying them to leave. The work they had set out to undergo in Velen had finished. Both leads on Ciri had been followed, and now there was only one way to go, to Novigrad. Anna would be in good hands, he had seen many a changed man in his years, and the Baron was one of them. The last few days had taught him many things, one most of all was to cherish the ones you love, because you don't know when they could be ripped away from you, and never take them for granted.
He knew now when he found Ciri, and his family was reunited, nothing would tear them all apart again.
"You did good, I'm proud of you," He heard Geralt say, the older Witchers hand falling onto his shoulder.
The look of pride he saw on Geralt's face when he turned welled him up. He smiled up at the older Witcher, "Thanks Geralt… we… we did a good thing today."
The white-haired Witcher nodded, smiling down at him, "Yeah… we did."
"You saved my life," Tamara said, making him turn to her.
The commanding Witch Hunter had went to rally his men, and the young woman kept her eyes locked with his. He managed to smile at her, and nodded his head, "It's no problem. You were in danger, and I helped. Like I said, I'm a Witcher, it's what I do."
She nodded her head, a grim look still adorned, "Also… thank you for what you said. I… have a chance to have a family, a real family again thanks to you, the both of you."
"Please, just never forget what I said," He said, taking a glance up at Geralt, "I hope that all goes well for you with your new duties. Stay safe, and when they return, keep your family close."
The younger woman nodded, staying locked with his eyes, "I will… thank you again. From what I heard you're looking for the woman you love? The one you told me disappeared years ago?"
He nodded and Tamara's head seemed to peak up more, she stood up straight, and held out her hand, "I wish you the best of luck Dominik of Cintra. Should you ever need my help, or that of my fathers when he returns… you shall have it."
When he shook her hand, he could see the girls face go red. She gave one last nod to Geralt and he, before turning to join her comrades. Despite how he felt about the Church of the Eternal Fire, he wished the girl success. He hoped that he had saved a family that day, reunited one. The night sky around the bog began to chirp with the sounds of bugs and wolves, the dense fog began to lift. The Witch Hunters began to gather up their things, and the Baron already had left with his men.
He sighed in satisfaction and turned to Geralt who smiled at him.
The older Witcher gestured for them to leave, "Come on, our works done here."
He followed Geralt towards the edge of the bog, "I'm glad that we helped him, in the end."
The two Witchers stopped at the edge of the Bog, and Geralt turned to him with a smile, "Yeah… so am I. You did really good Dom, I can see you getting stronger with each fight."
His chest had felt bruised, and he could certainly have done with a nap, but it was an upgrade that he was still able to move. Their journey in Velen, had only ended up being around a week, not very long in the grand scheme of time. However, with all the fighting, training and riding they had done, it felt like much more. With every day he got better, whether it be with his blade, or with his signs. All of it would pay off when they finally found her.
He felt himself smile broadly, and look up at Geralt, "Thanks again Geralt…. So Novigrad?"
His adoptive father nodded in agreement, "Novigrad. But first remember what I said. Let's take tomorrow to restock, get our swords and armor repaired. Take care of any business you have left in Velen, then we'll get a good nights rest tomorrow night, and set off for Novigrad first thing in the morning."
Upon hearing that he needed to complete any business he had left in Velen, he remembered the last words that Kiera had spoken to him. It had felt like eternity ago to him, when in reality it was only about four days. The sorceress had something she wanted to ask him, he wondered if it was a contract, or something about Geralt. Either way, she had saved his life multiple times in their journey through the Elven mages hideout, he would have been split in half on the floor by Nithral's axe if not for her.
So, it was time he repaid the favor, and went to go see Kiera Metz.
He nodded up at Geralt, "Got it, armor could really use a repair. Also, Kiera when I left her, asked if I could come and see her. Said she had something for me to do."
Geralt's arms crossed, and he narrowed his eyes, "Don't know if I like that idea. Kiera Metz is a prickly one, only really cares about her image."
He rolled his eyes, "Come on Geralt, not everyone has your skill with sorceresses. Either way, she saved my life, I owe it to her to at least go see what she needs."
The older Witcher sighed and nodded, "Alright, but you get ahold of me if its something you can't handle alone. Also… wanted to talk about those words you heard from the mist."
His skin began to crawl. He had almost forgotten about them, with the fiend attacking and having to save Tamara. The words were slowly becoming etched into his mind. One you once loved has returned, a single choice you make shall decide their fate. The choice you make, the fate of your family, to preserve or raze. One thing you learned about prophecies and predictions in Kaer Morhen, were that they always came true, there was no use in trying to stop them. However, they all had double meanings, ways they could come true. Three lines, three things that were going to come true in his journey. Only one made sense to him.
"Yeah…" He said to Geralt, "One you once loved has returned… only line that makes sense. It has to mean Ciri, only one that can fit. She's one I love that's returned."
The look on Geralt's face made his stomach churn. The older Witcher slowly shook his head, "Don't be so sure, it being Ciri makes sense yeah but it's just so… obvious."
"I've never loved anyone else," He said to the older Witcher.
Geralt shook his head, "No I know that. It could mean more than just romantic love; you know they always have double meanings."
The thought made his brain begin to churn, as he spoke to Geralt again, "Impossible, my mother, father and sister are long dead. Could it mean you and Yen? I thought you both were dead, but you came back?"
Geralt sighed and met his eyes, "Don't know, could be, could not be. We won't know until it comes to pass."
The second and third lines came to his head again, and the hair on his arms began to stand up.
"A single choice you make shall decide their fate… the choice you make, the fate of your family to preserve or raise. Geralt… it's saying that I'm going to make some choice to seal someone's fate… my family, it… it's enough to drive someone crazy," he said, his voice slightly faltering.
Geralt chuckled and smiled, which made him feel slightly better, "Don't worry, whatever choice there is to make, you're one I trust making it. Besides, sometimes prophecies take years to come to pass. I didn't find you and Ciri for years after I heard 'The boy and girl in the woods will be with you always.'."
Hearing him say that made the nerves slightly calm. However, the apprehension must have still been palpable on his face, because Geralt placed a calming hand on his shoulder.
"Let's not focus on it right now. We're close to finding Ciri, let's get our business done tomorrow, and set out for Novigrad," he said, his face reassuring him.
"You… you're right. Let's focus on finding Ciri," He said, mainly to reassure himself.
Finding Ciri had been what he was focused on for years upon years. It had always been something that seemed impossible, yet he kept forging on. He would never give up on the quest, the idea of finding her again. Her trail was right in front of him, where she had gone. She was still thinking about him, remembered him, remembered their time spent together. Every story he heard about her from people who had seen her, it only spurred him on further, not that he needed anymore determination.
With the words however, combined with what he already knew, finding her would only be the start of a larger battle. It wouldn't be the end when he found her, they wouldn't right away ride of into the sunset to hunt monsters together. No, he would find her, and a battle would ensue, a massive battle, one where he would apparently decide her fate, and the fate of his family.
He decided however, to take Geralt's advice. As they whistled for Clop and Roach, the sound piercing the night sky, he was going to focus on one thing.
Ciri had gone to Novigrad, and soon he would as well.
A/N: So, its over folks. The main quests for Velen are done, and soon we will be moving on to Novigrad. Next chapter we'll get to revisit Kiera Metz and see how Dominik fares in the Towerful of Mice quest, one of my personal favorites. After that, in chapter 20 we will officially be heading to the free city of Novigrad, where we'll get to see Triss Merigold, Zoltan, Pricilla and others. That's a major milestone for me, because getting to Novigrad means we're officially a fourth or fifth of the way through the game.
If you break it up, the Witcher 3 is a four or five-part story, Velen, Novigrad, Skellige, The Battle of Kaer Morhen, then the Final Battle. We can scratch off Velen, which means we're almost creeping up.
One you once loved has returned, a single choice you make shall decide their fate, the choice you make, the fate of your family, to preserve or raise.
So, what did you all think of the fights this chapter? The ending of the Bloody Baron and his family? What about the prophecy that Dom received from the Crones? What do YOU think it means, what will happen? What are you looking forward to in Novigrad? Will Dominik sleep with Kiera xD Tell me in a review! Thank you all so much again, see you all next time!
Special shout out to some authors, Anakins Hyper, Kirijo Senpai, BlackWatcher1234 and Thesaiyan21, who have been leaving awesome reviews and even talking to me a PMs for the constant support! And of course thank you to everyone who's followed and favorited! The support means so much to me, and if you guys continue to love what I'm pumping out I'll keep pumping it out, hope to see more reviews and messages in the future, thank you guys so much and see you next time!
