The Witcher: Through the Worlds
Chapter 23: Get Junior
Narrator: On the trail of Ciri in Novigrad, Dominik and Geralt learned that the young woman and I, the bard Dandelion had been reunited. After following the trail and meeting up with their old friend Zoltan Chivay. They discovered that Ciri and I had run afoul of Novigrad's underground bosses. They knew now that in order to find Ciri, they would first need to find their dear old friend. The start of their journey led them to one of the most dangerous places in Novigrad, the bathhouse of one Sigi Reuven.
Their third day in Novigrad brought back the rain. He sloshed through the wet stones behind Geralt as they maneuvered their way through the streets again, trying to not draw so much attention to themselves. The night before Priscilla had arranged for them to have rooms in the Kingfisher, an easy task for the young woman. He managed to drink his fill and eat till his stomach was full and the next morning he awoke from a rare dreamless sleep feeling rejuvenated. Tightening the strap on his sword, he followed closely behind Geralt as they finally managed to make it down a set of winding spiral steps, and he saw the gilded doors of the bathhouse down below.
He remembered back to Cintra and the bathhouses they had their, and how his sister and he would often visit, the owner being a close friend of their mother. As much as he wished however to have the luxury of time to sit and have a warm bath, he knew there was much more important things for them to be doing. Time was of the essence, with every minute passed, Dandelion and in turn Ciri got further and further away. He looked up to Geralt who pulled down the hood of his cloak as they neared the entrance. The warnings of both Zoltan and Priscilla rang through his head about the dangers of Sigi Reuven and made sure to adjust his armor. He had a bad history with crime bosses, and he knew Geralt did as well.
"This is the place it seems… fancy," He muttered to Geralt, looking at the gilded bronze door.
Geralt nodded carefully, before going and trying to open the door, only to find it locked. Narrowing his eyes, the older Witcher proceeded to bang with his fist, "Anybody there!? Open up!"
He narrowed his eyes; it was odd that a bathhouse wasn't open in the early mornings if a rainy day. It would more then likely be a lucrative day for business. However, Geralt had to bang even harder on the door before he got any response. Finally, a nasally voice rang through the other side of the door, making Geralt take a few steps back.
"What is all the fuss!? The bathhouse is closed," The voice hissed, muffled by the bronze door.
He walked up closer to Geralt as the older Witcher looked towards the door with his arms crossed, "We're here to see the owner, I know he's here."
The voice behind the door laughed heartily, "Well you will have to come back later because he is dreadfully busy!"
Dominik himself was about to speak up or try to blast the door down with a sign, but Geralt spoke up louder, "Tell him Geralt of Rivia wants to talk to him."
A loud scoff could be heard from behind the door, "I cannot promise that Mr. Reuven will have time to see you!"
"He will, now go tell him what I said," Geralt said, his voice growing lower, more intimidating.
"Bahaha," The voice laughed, "Very well, please wait one moment."
He could hear the small pattering of footsteps receding from the door. Geralt leaned up against the wall with a sigh, and he narrowed his eyes at the older Witcher. He remembered the hard look of thought that Geralt had when the man Sigi Reuven's name was mentioned the night before. He crossed his arms and leaned against one of the pillars, meeting Geralt's eyes.
"What makes you think dropping your name will make him want to meet with you," He asked his adoptive father.
Geralt looked over at him with his yellow Witcher eyes, "If the man's who I think he is… he'll definitely want to see me."
"You know him?"
"I'm the reason he's crippled," Geralt said as if it were no big deal.
He scoffed but somehow, he didn't feel surprised. Geralt had the fortune, or if you asked the Witcher himself, the misfortune of meeting many influential people in his life. Kings, queens, sorceresses, dragons and plenty of other notable people have gotten to meet the White Wolf. He also knew that a great many of those people were not very happy with him.
"And you think that he's going to give us information on Dandelion," He asked with his arms still crossed.
Geralt shrugged, "Don't know, but we'll figure something out, we always do. If I know him, he'll try to get something from us, so just be careful what you say around him. Keep tight lipped with information."
Sighing he looked down at his wet, muddy boots, before meeting Geralt's eyes with a nod. The older Witcher looked at him satisfied, as a roar of thunder could be heard overhead.
"So, what do you think you'll do in your spare time here," Geralt asked him, looking over to him again, his back leaned against the wall of the underground bathhouse.
He had wondered that since he got into Novigrad. Like in Velen he assumed that every now and then he'd have some extra time while they waited for something, or someone. He knew for a fact that he wanted to go and find Faram and see if the Witcher was willing to teach him Bear School tactics. Mastering, or at least becoming adept in two different styles of Witcher combat would severally improve his chances and combat ability. Something else he knew, was that he wanted to ask Faram if he had heard from or seen the Witcher George of Toussaint recently. The School of the Griffin Witcher was a good man, at least that was what he gathered from the few days they spent together. He was friendly and drank with Faram and he before they slew the Bruxa and her thralls. After the battle had been over, the contract complete, the Witcher set back out on the path on his own however, instead of traveling with them both.
He hoped that he would teach him tactics from the Griffin School as well.
"Well, I wanna go see Faram, maybe start learning some Bear School tactics, then maybe I can find the other one I mentioned to you, George, School of the Griffin," He said to Geralt, as the thunder outside the bathhouse overhand continued to boom.
Geralt nodded in understanding, "Gotta admit if you do manage to learn their tactics, it'll give you a serious edge."
"Gotta give myself some kind of advantage," he said with a shrug, a small smile on his face.
Smiling, Geralt met his eyes, "You'll get it done, you'll be ready I know it. Got some more things I still wanna show you. Think this George will still show you his tactics?"
He gave him an uneasy smile, "Don't know, but I got to at least try. What… what do you think Ciri could possibly need to break into a vault for? Almost got them killed apparently."
Geralt sighed and stood up from the wall, taking a step closer to him, meeting his eyes, "You're right, doesn't sound Ciri or Dandelion…. Maybe they were doing it for someone else?"
"That would make a lot more sense," he started, looking down at the swallow dangling from his neck, "Question is who though? Priscilla said this Whoreson Junior chased Dandelion over Temple Isle trying to kill him. If Ciri was with him, means he tried to kill her too… this Whoreson will pay."
He felt an anger boiling up inside him. For years he had dreamed of killing the people responsible for trying to kidnap Ciri, forcing them to be apart. Vilgefortz was the first name he added to his list, back when Geralt first told him he tried to capture Ciri. More names had been added since, Leo Bonhart was added and then he learned Ciri killed him. The Emperor of Nilfgaard moved up even higher when he learned the man burned Cintra to the ground to find Ciri. The three Crones were added in Velen, and now this Whoreson Junior was on the list for him as well. He could actually reach this man now, and once he reached him, he would get the information about Ciri he needed, then he would be able to finally make someone who tried to hurt her pay.
Geralt nodded in agreement and smiled over at him, "I'll be right there with you. You've been doing good you know. Good at keeping your emotions in check, not acting rash, it'll help us get to Ciri faster."
He felt himself scoff. Geralt was right, he had been getting better at keeping his tongue, not that it was easy. With the Emperor and the Crones, he had almost gotten himself killed by letting his emotions overtake him. With the Baron it had gotten better, and he hoped he wouldn't mess things up by overreacting to situations. However, he knew that when it came to Ciri he was willing to do almost anything, go to any length.
"Thanks Geralt… it hasn't been easy," He said with honesty, meeting the man's Witcher eyes.
Geralt looked like he was about to say something, but the door's lock clicked next to them. The two of them both turned around and the door swung open forward. A small, fat and bald man stood there looking at them. He clearly didn't seem happy, his bulging double chin stuck so far up into the air he was almost looking at the ceiling. He was wearing a blue shirt and trousers, and he sneered at them both.
"Sigi Reuven, cordially invites you to join them in the bathhouse, this way please," The man said in his nasally voice.
He felt himself smirk, as Geralt gestured for him to follow. The warmth of the bathhouse hit his bones as soon as he stepped through the door. It seemed to be an elegant institution, he felt the cold stone beneath his boots, and when he looked down, he could see how clean it was. He could smell the fragrant soaps and smells coming from deeper inside and could hear the chattering of men and women. On a normal occasion he would have enjoyed going to a bathhouse of the type, relaxing in a pool with Geralt or other friends and family.
However now he knew the area he was entering was potentially more dangerous than anywhere he'd been. The man, or men he was going to meet could all have him killed with one word. It wasn't going to be a normal trip to the bathhouse.
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"I want you to keep calm and let me do the talking, got it," Geralt instructed him precisely, as they followed the fat man, Happen, through the bath house.
He felt so exposed without his armor on. All he had was a white towel wrapped around his waist, his exposed chest dripping with sweat from the bathhouse steam. He looked and saw the fresh new scars that ran across his body from his more recent fights were healing nicely. The one that stood out however, along with the long diagonal one that ran from his shoulder to hip, was the one that had been left from Nithral's axe. It ran horizontally across the bottom on his abdomen, and he could almost feel the axe racking against him as he looked down at it. His brown hair stuck out at all angles from the steam, and he could feel the bits of sweat going down his face into his scruffy beard. The towel hung loosely around his waist, and his hands twitched, trying to reach for weapons that weren't there.
Multiple pools were in alcoves to the left and right, while one large pool ran down the middle of the bathhouse. The main room that Happen seemed to be leading them too was in the back, closed off by the largest door in the building. He moved his shoulders, trying to let the steam calm his muscles, but the apprehension building up inside him was making it impossible. Sighing he ran a hand through his wet brown hair, slicking it back. He looked back over at Geralt and realized the two were in terms of build. His muscles and abdomen obviously weren't as large as Geralt's, but they were just as defined from his years of training and fighting monsters on the road. Take away the silver hair, and the yellow eyes Geralt truly may have been able to pass for his father.
He gave the older Witcher a nod and Happen gestured for them that they were able to enter the master bath. Following closely behind Geralt, he entered. He saw three men in the baths at the moment, the first that stood out was a particularly loud dwarf, with a long black beard and tattoos running all down his body, who didn't seem particularly happy. Another, more calmer looking man was leaning back in the tub, a bald head and several necklaces around his neck. When Geralt and he both entered the room, he was the first one to notice them both.
"Sigi, your guests," He said, gesturing his head towards them.
He could see the realization and the bitterness building up in the man's eyes as he looked at Geralt. It had to be the man they had come to see, Sigi Reuven. Zoltan's description of the man had been perfect, tall, fat, and had the eyes of a dangerous man. He looked like he was calculating every possibility that could happen for him to kill them both but get the most out of them he could.
"And why the fuck you let these two in here," The dwarf asked from the right of him.
He could feel the tension rise when Reuven stared over at them both, his arms crossed, "Because I want to talk to the one, this is Geralt of Rivia," He said, gesturing to Geralt, before turning his beady eyes on him, "And you, no idea who the fuck you are. Don't know why Happen would let you in here… but I'll talk to him about that later."
"Dominik of Cintra," He said, spitting out his own name, trying to keep cool.
"He's with me, you get me, you get the both of us, not up for debate," Geralt said crossing his arms towards the man.
For a moment he seemed to think that Geralt crossed the line with his words, and they were going to have to fight their way out of the bathhouse naked. However, Reuven scratched his large chin and looked at him one more time.
"Heard rumors you took in a young boy, traveled with one for a while. Guessing this is him," The fat man asked.
Geralt nodded and answered for him, "Yeah, and we got important business. Need to talk to you."
The dwarf next to them scoffed, and stepped in front of them, his massive arms crossed, "I'm always out of the fuckin loop. I'll ask again, who, the fuck are you?"
"We're Witchers," Dominik finally spoke up, meeting the dwarfs eyes, not wanting to show any kinds of weakness.
The muscly dwarf laughed, turning over to Reuven, "HA, problems with your plumbing Reuven?"
He felt his eyes roll as he looked back over to the fatter man. Reuven shook his head, keeping his eyes trained on Geralt and he.
"No, got it all under control. Geralt's a friend from the old days," He started looking over to him now, "Wanted to talk to him, and apparently his little protégé as well."
He saw Geralt about to say something first, but he shot his hand out to grab the older Witchers shoulder when he heard it. The door outside had been bust open, and men in armor with weapons were pouring into the bathhouse. He could hear their footsteps and the clanking of their armor.
"Wait, you hear that," he said looking up to Geralt.
Geralt's head quickly turned around to the door, "Yeah I did. Intruders, someone's broken into the bathhouse, several armed men."
He turned around with Geralt, trying to reach for a blade that wasn't there, and cursed when he remembered it wasn't. The dwarf below them laughed and looked at them with annoyance.
"The fuck you on about? We got some ploughing fortune tellers here," The dwarf said with a shake of his head.
"If that's the case I'll send you my bill," He said looking down at the dwarf.
He could see the red flare up in the dwarfs face, he looked like he was angrily about to respond, when a loud woman's scream could be heard from the outside. Just outside their door, he could see a man in a clown mask, wearing nothing but a breastplate, backhand a woman to the ground and turn, pointing towards the room that they were in. He cursed, and so did the dwarf next to him, finally realizing the problem.
"Blood fucking hell, I knew it, Whoreson's men," He spat out, turning back to Reuven.
"Do you have any weapons tucked away," The shorter fat man asked Reuven.
Geralt and he both turned back as the larger man climbed out of the tub and gestured for them to follow. They made their way around the back of the large tub, and Reuven gestured towards the table that lay there.
"Just a few, arm up gents," He said, picking up a large axe from the table of weapons.
Another axe, a blackjack and two swords lay on the table. Quickly he reached down for the sword, wrapping his hand around the grip and twirling it in his hands a few times to get a feel. It was shorter but had a little bit more weight to it than his normal blade, but it would certainly do for the moment. Geralt reached for the blackjack and joined up next to him.
He was about to suggest a course of action when the door burst open. Two men in the clown outfits burst in, one larger carrying a longsword, and the other that came charging wildly with a blackjack towards him. He was closest to the door, so he was the man's target. His attacker swung the club downwards towards his head, but he spun just in time, bringing his blade up with as much strength as he could muster, cutting off the man's arm. The attacker wailed, only for Geralt to knock him to the ground with his blackjack.
The big one came charging next before he could react, he parried aside a strike that came for his left, before slicing down across the larger man's abdomen below his armor. He transitioned his strike into a spin, leaping upwards, and coming back down with one strike to the man's neck to end him. He landed back on his feet, the blood mixing into the wet stones below him. He adjusted the towel around his waist, surprised it somehow didn't come undone.
"Well, well, well seems like you trained him well Geralt," He heard Reuven say in a sarcastic tone.
He turned back in time to see the shit eating grin on the man's face. Geralt quickly shook his head at him, before the dwarf man laughed and walked forward past him.
"Enough talkin. Haha first ever fight with my prick out," He yelled before bolting out the door of the bath they were in.
Dominik shook his head, before Geralt ran forward, gesturing for him to join. He did, running out the door of the bathhouse and into the main room. Blood could be seen flowing down the floor, seeping into the pools, as many patrons were either dead or unconscious. The dwarf with the black beard, swung his axe into one of Whoreson's men, laughing the entire time as the man he hit bled to death. Reuven and the second man ran into the fray, moving with great skill to fight the attackers. He stood next to Geralt, as more poured into the building.
He heard a yell from his right, a man in a clown mask and towel around his waist swung wildly from the left side. He parried the strike to the left, spun around him and sliced through his stomach, and the spin brought him right to face the next man charging. He parried two quick strikes, before the man went for a thrust. He grabbed the man's arm, using his strength to hold in it place, before spinning around and running the blade across his throat. More blood spewed onto the ground as he turned to see Geralt. The older Witcher parried one blow to the side with his blackjack, before spinning and smashing the weapon into the back of a man's head.
There wasn't time to admire the older Witchers handiwork, before he heard more footsteps behind him. One last clown came charging, he parried away quick thrusts, before spinning around to the man's back going for another strike. The man was quicker however and whirled around to parry away his blow. The sword he was using, it wasn't balanced perfectly for him like his usual blade, so the next parry he threw the weapon was knocked from his hands. His attacker saw the golden opportunity and began to charge wildly. He sidestepped and dodged backwards. Finally when the man thrust forward with a stab, he grabbed his arm slamming his elbow downwards into his attackers forearm. The force made the man drop his own blade, and Dominik quickly reached downwards, scooping the weapon up and jabbing it through the man's stomach, killing him and ending his fight.
He saw the attackers lying dead at his feet, with a heavy breath he wiped the sweat from his forehead. Geralt came up behind him, a bloody blackjack still in his hands. The older Witcher nodded at him with a small smile.
"Not bad, gotta admit your footwork is starting to get even better," He said as a joke.
He scoffed but managed a smile. A running joke when they were younger was that Ciri always had better footwork then he. It was natural, due to her being lighter and nimbler, however it had still become a joke amongst them all that Dominik needed to improve his footwork.
He smiled up at him, "Thanks…. These clown guys, Whoreson's men the dwarf said. Fought some of them earlier. Junior must have attacked his colleagues."
Geralt nodded and looked around, as bathhouse workers were beginning to drag away bodies. The blood was seeping into the pools as they all began to slowly drain, before being filled with new fresh water. He readjusted the towel around his waist, the sweat dripping down his chest. His hair was awash yet again, as he began to try and put the pieces of another puzzle together. Whoreson Junior, Dandelion, Ciri, Sigi Reuven, it all fit together somehow, a path that would lead them to Dandelion and Ciri.
His thinking was interrupted by footsteps, "Sorry gents, my security seems to have failed. I can assure you I'll get to the bottom of the how, who and why."
Geralt and he turned around to see the three men all still dressed in towels coming back towards them. They gathered around them both, as the dwarf angrily swore.
"It was Whoreson's scum, that's the how and why right there," He shouted angrily, kicking the head of one of the dead attackers.
The shorter man scoffed, "Please Cleaver, not this again. Especially not in front of our guests."
"Who came right in here a mere moments before they attacked. A fucking coincidence ain't it," Cleaver spat, looking over at the two of them.
He felt his annoyance rise as he looked down at the dwarf, "In case you didn't notice, they were trying to kill us too."
"We're looking for Whoreson Junior, was hoping you fine gentlemen could help us find him," Geralt asked the three men sarcastically.
Reuven looked and met both their eyes, "Interesting…"
Cleaver laughed from below them, "HA, and what do you two want with him?"
Again he felt his anger begin to boil up, he shot a look down at the dwarf, "He's going to help us find someone. Someone very important to me."
The dwarf laughed, crossing his arms and looking at his two colleagues, "Whoreson's never helped a soul in his ploughin life. And if it happens to be a wench your looking for and Whoreson got her, best be prepared to received damaged goods."
His hands curled into fists, so hard that skin began to rip on his palms, "If that's the case… it won't end well for him. We'll ask nicely at first."
He crossed his arms and Reuven shot an annoyed look down at Cleaver, "Ha, see that Cleaver? Maybe if you had tried asking nicely, instead of calling Whoreson an 'Uncle fucker', he may have shown up today."
Cleaver shook his head, spitting out onto the ground, "Gentlemen, you are out of your fucking minds. Whoreson's out to get us, and he'll succeed eventually! We need to kill him first! So by all means you sit here, fart and watch the bubbles rise in your baths. Meanwhile I'm sending my men out to find Whoreson, flush him out!"
The dwarf spit one more time on the bodies of the attackers, before turning and storming out of the bathhouse. He sighed in relief, the dwarf was beginning to get on his nerves. However, he also realized that it was imperative that Geralt and he find Whoreson before Cleaver did. If the dwarf got to him first, there was no chance Geralt or he would get the chance to talk to him. After he heard the door slam, Geralt and he finally turned back to the last two.
"Dom's right, we're looking for Whoreson, need to find him, preferably before Cleaver does. We'd be thankful for any leads," He said in a calm tone, trying to dispel the tension.
The shorter man turned towards Reuven, "Sigi?"
The large fat man stroked his chin before nodding, "Aye worth a try. Besides, I know Geralt's got a knack for finding people," he said before turning his gaze on Dominik, "And I guess we'll find out how good his boy is."
His annoyance flared up again, but he managed to keep his composure. The other man nodded, "Alright then, I'll leave it to you. I'll be seeing you Sigi."
"Aye," Reuven began, "I'll… contact you again tomorrow Francis and we can continue our talk."
Francis continued out of the bathhouse like Cleaver, although much more quietly. Finally, it was just the three of them, Reuven, Geralt and he. He got a bad feeling looking at the man and remembered Geralt's warning from before they entered the bathhouse. The man would more than likely try to get something from them in return for any information he granted them.
The large man gestured for them both to follow, "Come, let's get dressed then we can talk more."
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"Right mess that was…. Never thought I'd be glad to find the man responsible for me taking frequent baths," The fat man said bitterly gesturing towards Geralt.
He readjusted the straps on his armor and tightened his gauntlets. It felt good to have his sword around his back again, and his boots over his feet. The exposed feeling he had was now gone, but he kept his hand at the ready, as he saw the tension passing between Geralt and Reuven. Geralt smirked and gestured towards the man's leg.
"If it makes you any cleaner, I'd say it was worth breaking your ankle," Geralt said with just as much sarcasm.
Reuven scoffed and crossed his arms, leaning back against his desk, "Didn't heal properly can you believe it? Have to soak it in hot water at least three times a day…. Even then sometimes the pain howls like the bells of bloody Beauclair at dawn."
"Sorry to hear that," Geralt said quickly, and he couldn't tell if his adoptive father was joking or not.
Reuven however scoffed, making a dramatic gesture with his arms, "Oh wow you're sorry!? Well, all is forgiven then, let's just forget about it all! Now, mind showing some more added compassion. It could lead to a miraculous recovery."
He scoffed, feeling his anger finally boil over, "We really don't have time for your sarcasm, we're here on important business."
The fat man's eyes turned to him, and he could see the fire build up in them. He scoffed, turning back from his eyes to Geralt's, "The boy inherit your snark Witcher? The innate ability you have to piss people off?"
"Inherited a lot of things from Geralt, that's definitely one of them," He answered for the older Witcher, meeting the fat man's eyes.
Before the man could respond Geralt spoke up, thankfully so, "Look Reuven…. No Dijkstra. Not in the mood for your codenames, passwords and other bullshit. He's right we're here on important business. If you wanna listen, listen, if not, spare us your wit and throw us out now."
Dijkstra sneered and looked between the two of them again, before shrugging his shoulders, "Ahhh what the hell, go on and talk."
He breathed a sigh of relief, looking over to Geralt who kept his eyes locked with the larger man.
"You think Cleaver will find Whoreson," Geralt asked the larger man.
"Yeah… wanna find him before that crazy dwarf does," Dominik added quickly afterwards.
"He might," Dijkstra said with a shrug, "He might not, but he'll burn half the city down trying. My advice? Go find him yourselves. Be discreet, no going and swinging your steel cock about."
The idea of working with the dwarf had never crossed his mind. Anyone who nicknamed himself 'Cleaver' wasn't exactly someone he wanted to work with. However, Dijkstra didn't seem like a man that he would work with at first either. A lesson he had learned in the years growing up, was that sometimes you needed to either work for, or with people you weren't fond of. It was part of life, and sometimes you needed to weigh the risk and reward. The reward for sucking it up and working with Dijkstra was saving Dandelion in the end and figuring out what happened to Ciri. For those rewards he would work with almost anyone.
He gave a curt nod to the fatter man, "Thanks… any advice for us to find Whoreson before Cleaver does?"
Geralt spoke up quickly after he was finished, "He's gotta be collecting income in the city somehow. He may be in hiding himself, but he couldn't afford to cut himself off."
A look of realization came to Dijkstra's face, "Ahhh yes. Gambling- that's Junior's biggest earner. Own's the largest casino in town…. Then of course you got his arena in the city's bowels. Betting scheme there generates near as much as the casino. They're always looking for hired muscle. Finally, may not be the best of the three but you can always check his house. Wouldn't be stupid enough to be there himself, but you may find a clue or two."
Again he sighed in relief, he was already going through the possibilities in his head. Find Whoreson, and he'd find out what happened to Ciri and Dandelion. He looked up to meet Dijkstra's eyes, "Okay, that's a place to start, casino and the arena, where can we find them?"
"Casino is near the Temple Watch towers…. Whoreson's got naught to do with the casino officially, so careful what you say, try not to arouse suspicion," The fatter man started, keeping his beady eyes trained on Dominik, "Arena is in the sewers beneath Gildorf, gonna have to enter through the bits. Junior loves a good fight wager he'd jump at the chance to see two Witchers in action."
Right away after hearing the words he turned to Geralt, "Sounds promising, a good enough lead."
The older Witcher nodded to him, and then turned back to Dijkstra, "Thanks for your help Dijkstra, wanted to ask something else too…. Dandelion's missing, we're looking for him too. Any idea what might have happened to him?"
The laughed that came from Dijkstra made his guts turn in his stomach. He narrowed his eyes at the fat man, as he finally managed to stop laughing and look back at the two Witchers.
"Well I assume he's met the same fate as all those who step on Whoreson's toes. He's surrounded by splendid virgins, who ply him with sparkling wine and fancy pastries," The fat man said sarcastically, before rolling his eyes at Geralt, "Come now Geralt, the fuck you think happened to him? I reckon he's at the bottom of the Pontar, tied to the bottom by the strings of his mandolin."
His fingers twitched at his sides. A flicker of irritation ran through his head, he tried to keep it to himself, but he sneered at the man before he could control himself.
"I don't find the idea funny. We're looking for our friend and he may be in danger, I'd appreciate it if you spared us your sarcasm," He spat out at the man.
A silent tension came over the office. The stacks of bookshelves gave the room a musty odor of dust. He could see Geralt next to him, his arms still crossed, but the older Witchers fingers were at the ready to go to his steel blade if necessary. He didn't regret saying what he did, but it may not have been the best thing to say in the moment. Dijkstra snarled at him, and he could see just how dangerous the man was again.
"Well, well, well, look at the young Witcher being a pillar of moral integrity. Certainly didn't learn that from Geralt…. I'd recommend you watch your tongue, before it comes out of your mouth," The man said to him in a slow drawl, spitting out every last word.
He could sense the anger in the man's words. It probably wasn't smart of him to make an enemy of the man, but his anger had gotten the better of him. Geralt moved up between the two of them and met Dijkstra's eyes again.
"Relax Dijkstra, come on you have to know something," The older Witcher reasoned, "Maybe we can cut a deal. Got any work for us? Monster trouble, anything like that?"
He was about to protest Geralt's idea, but Dijkstra smirked and stroked his chin at the prospect. The crime lord finally looked and met Geralt's eyes, "Aye, I think I have something… and if you help…. I might even be more inclined to ask after Dandelion, figure out his whereabouts."
A scoff came from his mouth, the proposition came as no surprise to him. He had met men like Dijkstra in his travels before, crime bosses who hired him to take care of a monster that was disturbing their shipments. Or, some even attempted to hire him to attack a rival faction, and much to their disappointment he never took them. Many times during the years, he learned that the true evil wasn't always the monster that he was hunting. There had been a time that a man from a village hired him to clear a cave. He claimed that he needed the cave to set up a trading hub for the village and had sent men to clear it before. All the men had been killed, and the one who survived claimed a demon lived there.
It turned out the cave was inhabited by a succubus, a docile one at that. It tried to sleep with him at first, but after that he learned that she never had any intention of hurting folks. The men that had been sent tried to kill her, and she was simply defending herself. He tried to argue with the creature it was no excuse for murder. He was ready to try and kill the succubus, but she showed him what some of the men had left behind. He deduced along with the succubus that the men were carrying equipment and ingredients to make fisstech. After going to leave the cave, he found the man who hired him with several armed henchmen. He asked if the creature had been dealt with, when Dominik told the man no, and that he knew what he was planning, his previous employer laughed, saying no loose ends.
He had fought and killed the man and his men, with some help from the succubus. It was a lesson he learnt that day, that sometimes men were the true monsters of the world. However, he also remembered the lesson he was taught long ago. Sometimes you had to make agreements with the people you disliked, even if it was hard. And the situation with Dijkstra then fit that description.
Geralt sighed and looked at the man, "Alright… we'll help you out. What is it you need anyway?"
Dijkstra smirked and finally moved up from his desk and towards the door to the office. He gestured for the two Witchers to follow.
"I'd rather show you. Picture's worth a thousand words and all that tripe," he started, before meeting both of their eyes, "Ah, and just a reminder. Breathe a word of this to anyone, and you'll find a razor between your ribs in a dark alley."
He wanted to make a snarky comment himself, but Geralt spoke up first, "Figured as much. We'll be right there… wanna talk to him first."
"Hurry it up, don't like to be kept waiting," Dijkstra muttered, walking out of the office, closing the door behind him.
It surprised him for a moment that Dijkstra left them alone in his study. However, he knew more than likely the man was too smart to leave them in there if valuable information was in the room. Finally he let out a sigh of relief, leaning against the same desk Dijkstra had just been at. He rolled his eyes as he looked up to Geralt, trying to keep his voice down.
"Some friends you make Geralt…. Don't really trust that guy," He said meeting his adoptive fathers yellow eyes.
Geralt chuckled lightly and looked back at him, "Smart thing to do, not trusting him. Dijkstra used to be the head of Redanian intelligence. Slippery bastard, only cares about himself really, but… could be the best chance we have of finding Dandelion."
Sighing he looked at the swallow dangling behind his wolf medallion, "Sometimes you gotta work with people you don't like… so, what do you think we should do now? What do you think Dijkstra has planned for us?"
Geralt scratched his white beard and looked towards the door first, and then back to him, "I think it's time that we split up. Got two sets of leads. I'll go with Dijkstra, see what he wants… didn't seem to like you that much."
"I won't lose much sleep over it," He muttered, making Geralt smirk.
"You go check out those leads on Whoreson. Don't bother with the house, probably the first place Cleaver went. Do go check out the casino and arena," Geralt instructed to him carefully, "Probably best to find someone, maybe Triss or Zoltan, who knows Novigrad, can help you find it easier."
A smile came to his face. He was anxious to get on another quest, everyone he completed took him closer to his goal. Finding Whoreson was the main priority, and when he heard Geralt's idea of finding someone who knew Novigrad better then he a broad smile came to his face. He adjusted the strap of his sword, standing up off the table with a smile.
"That sounds like a great idea… got just the one in mind," He said smiling up at his adoptive father.
His smiled seemed to be infectious because one crossed Geralt's face as well.
"Good, check those leads, figure out what you can then meet me back at the Rosemary and Thyme after you're done. Where you gonna headfirst," The white-haired Witcher asked him.
He sighed with another smile on his face, "The Golden Sturgeon…."
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
After leaving the bathhouse to his delight the rain had stopped. The sun was above the harbor of Novigrad, as he approached the Golden Sturgeon. The harbor was full of people, all carrying nets filled with fish towards the market. After the ordeal in the bathhouse, the steam had actually began to relax his muscles even more, he felt loose and ready for anything else to come. He knew that it would be dangerous searching all of Whoreson's businesses, which is a reason why he was heading to the Sturgeon. He would need backup, and someone who knew their way around Novigrad better than he.
Geralt had gone with Dijkstra, he was able to leave with no problem, despite the fat man staring daggers at him as he left. He took in the salty sea air that was blowing in from the ocean, calming his stomach and nerves. During his years alone, he had contemplated going to Skellige many times. Ciri had close family and friends there. She spent many years in the isles, learning from her 'Uncle Ermion' she called him, and playing with Hjalmar an Craite, and his family. It was his idea many times that perhaps the druid could help him find her, or the an Craite's had seen her.
However, something always stood in his way of going to the isles. He had rarely enough coin to hire a ship, and even when he did even fewer captains were willing to sail there. To the day he still had never been to the Skellige Isles. It excited him when he learned that one of the leads would bring him to Skellige. Ciri would often tell him amazing stories about the isles, the beautiful sights, the crystal oceans, the way the lakes would freeze perfectly for ice skating in the winters. She always promised that one day the two of them would go there, and she'd show him all the places she had been.
His first time to the isles wouldn't be with Ciri, but if she wasn't in Novigrad, that had to be the place she was.
He passed by a drunken man on the steps of the Sturgeon and slowly opened the door. The second he opened the door he heard a loud yell. He stepped inside and saw a man being thrown at him. He sidestepped as the man smashed into the door, groaning as he slowly slumped to the ground.
Dom turned his gaze back to the bottom floor of the inn, and saw people yelling, banging tankards on tables as a brawl was taking place right in the center of the tavern.
"Come on you whoresons! If you're gonna take me out at least gimme a challenge," A booming voice yelled from the center of the fray.
He looked where the voice had come from and couldn't help but laugh. Faram of Undviik had one man wrapped in a headlock under his arm, just as he punched away another bouncer who came to pry his arms away. He smirked with amusement, leaning up against the wall as more men foolishly came to try and wrestle the bear school Witcher to the ground. His friend was still wearing his armor from the School of the Bear, a set of armor that looked heavy, but Faram swore was light enough for him so that he could still move freely. A medallion with the head of a bear dangled from his neck, and like any Witcher he carried two swords slung across his back in black sheaths. His black hair was tied up in a tight knot, while his black beard was specked with food, and seemed to be drenched in ale.
It was the same situation he had found his friend in many times again, and he couldn't help but laugh.
"You always did have a great way of making friends," Dominik shouted over the commotion towards his friend.
Faram had a man up by his shirt that had come to attack him, he was ready to punch the man before turning over and spotting Dominik leaning up against the wall. The bear school Witcher laughed throwing the man back to the ground.
"HAHA, Dominik! You know me mate, I've just always been a man of the people," Faram said, before turning around and finding another man charging at him.
His friend grabbed the man's arm as he charged forward, spinning and throwing the man into a table. Dominik laughed as he saw all several men all laying at his friends feet, clutching their stomachs and arms, fresh bruises and cuts all over their faces and bodies. Faram made a dramatic gesture of wiping off his hands as if he had just finished a spot of spring cleaning. His friend then pulled a coin purse from his side, and tossed it towards the bar, landing it right in-front of a terrified innkeeper.
"For my tab," Faram said, before turning with a smile, holding his arms out to his friend, "AHAH, good to see you again mate, come on we'll talk more outside."
He heard groans of men but couldn't help but laugh again. Faram came over and the two of them exited the Sturgeon. The bear school Witcher happily trotted down the steps in front of him, his armor clanking as he adjusted his swords. He watched as the mountain of a man took in a deep breath before turning back to him with a smile.
Dominik looked at him with his arms crossed, but a smile on his face, "So, where'd you stick your prick this time to get you into that mess?"
"Inkeeps daughter," Faram said with a smirk, "Quite a lass that one. Inkeep himself didn't take it too well. Kicked me out and set his bouncers on me, worth it though in the end."
He scoffed shaking his head, but keeping the smile on his face, "Well somethings never change…. It's good to see you again Faram."
"Aye, you too mate," The bear school Witcher said with a smile, reaching out and shaking Dom's hand with his own massive gauntleted one.
Other than the Witcher George, Faram had been the only Witcher he ever met in his travels. Despite the dwindling number of Witchers in total, it had surprised him he only ever met the two. However, he knew that there was very few people he'd rather have at his back then Faram of Undviik. The massive mountain of a man was deadly with a blade, and an even better friend.
Faram smiled down at him, "So, how'd things finish up in Velen? Did the that Baron give you the information he had on your woman?"
"He did yeah," Dominik said with a smile, "Turns out well… she's looking for me and Geralt. We also learned that she made her way to Novigrad after leaving his castle so here we are. Geralt's out following a lead now."
The black haired Witcher cursed and shook his head, "Dammit mate. If I had known she was sighted here I would've asked around for ya."
"No need to apologize, we didn't know either," He said quickly to his friend, "We got a few leads now as it is. One we got is that she was on temple isle, with one of our friends. Pissed off Whoreson Junior, so now I'm trying to find the bastard, see what he knows."
Faram scratched his long, bushy black beard and tsked, "Whoreson Junior… biggest cunt in all of Novigrad from what I heard, not smart to piss him off, heard stories about people who've crossed him. Most have ended up in the bottom of the Pontar."
He felt his stomach knot up again as he shook his head, meeting his friends eyes, "Which is why I need to find him. No way Ciri would be taken down by somebody like that. He knows what happened to her, at least on that night, so I'm going to find him."
Faram smirked and nodded, cracking his knuckles, "Aye I hear you mate. So, how can I help? Got a few days before I'm due to sail back to Skellige. Let's see if we can't figure out where your woman's gone."
Another smile came to his face. It felt good to have someone ready to fight with him at a moment's notice. Faram and he had saved each-other's lives plenty of times while they traveled together. He knew that the bear school Witchers word meant a lot and could be trusted down to his last breath.
"Are you sure? If you have any reservations about getting involved, I wouldn't blame you if-."
"Oh come off it mate," Faram interrupted him with a scoff, "I promised I'd help you find your woman. I owe you my life besides… you're my friend. I know you'd do the same for me. So again, where are we headed? How can I help?"
He smiled up at the larger Witcher, a warm feeling crossing through his chest, "Thanks Faram, it means a lot. Well Geralt is out following what we hope will be another lead. We learned that Whoreson owns a casino, and underground arena in town. Needed someone who knew Novigrad better than I did to help me get there, figured we'd pay them a little visit, see if we can't find Whoreson."
Faram nodded but had a playful smile on his face, "I gotcha mate, know exactly where both of them are. Casino's closer, we should head there first just… leave any games of Gwent to me"
"I am NOT that bad," He argued to him quickly.
The bear school Witcher scoffed again, "Dominik mate, you're good at a great many things. Swordplay, potions, bombs, oils, tracking… but Gwent isn't one of them."
His annoyance flared for a moment before rolling his eyes, "Whatever you say… come on, we'd better get moving."
Faram clapped his hands together happily and laughed, "Haha lets! Let's go see if we can't pay Whoreson a little visit."
A/N: And so the search for Whoreson Junior begins. Next chapter we'll get to see Dominik and Faram go and see if they can't find the crime boss, and figure out what happened to Dandelion and Ciri. Are we excited to finally see Faram and Dom in action together again? How do you think they'll handle the situation at the casino and arena? I'm so excited to bring Faram back into the fold, we'll be seeing a lot more of him going forward.
Also this is going to happen a few times in the story, where Dom and Geralt go off to follow different leads before meeting back up. Down the line it will be very useful, where we may see some choices in the game where originally only one option can be chosen, now we have the opportunity to complete them both. I have some great stuff planned for Novigrad, and I can't wait to get to it. Thank you all so much for your continued support, every fav follow and review makes me want to carry on writing more and I am so excited.
So what do we think about Dominik's plan coming up again? How much of an advantage will it be mastering different schools of Witcher combat? What are you looking forward too after Novigrad? What are some questions you still have? Let me know.
Please review and follow to keep up with updates! See you all next time, thank you all so much again for your support it means the world.