Valley of Plenty 1.1
Alamut Castle, Iran, Earth Bet a ruin to the peoples of the country but to a group of Witchers that exiled themselves from the Continent it was home and a new chance to seek new opportunities, and a new life, the Witcher School of the Eagle. With the aftermath of the event known as the Conjunction, worlds became connected and magic became weak, the Wild Hunt came but was thwarted by the efforts of the White Wolf and his daughter.
Before worlds could disconnect however some intrepid Witchers decided to discover a world known only as Earth Bet, with some altercation and mediation created by their contact with the ruling body of Earth Bet known as the Protectorate, a portal was created in Kaer Morhen and a council of Witcher Schools was created, the Council of the Schools, whose purpose is to make sure that all of the Witcher Schools that survived can coordinate, communicate, and make decisions together for the benefit of all.
It was a way for the schools to ensure that should the Wild Hunt return all of them will be ready.
The School of the Eagle started when a Witcher called Essen of Owl hills witnessed his friends slaughtered after a retaliatory attack of Vampires who entranced the villagers they were supposed to save, in a rage he slaughtered the village in retaliation, his return to Kaer Morhen was welcomed with a fierce word which turned into a fierce argument with Vessimir who had him dragged to the dungeons of the castle, but as much as Essen had friends that were slaughtered, he still has friends that were still alive and found sympathy with his grief in a dead of night those friends of his helped him escape prison and together they stole some of the mutagenic herbs and potions, then used the portal to Earth Bet.
Essen and his followers travels to Earth Bet led them to the ruins of Alamut Castle and it was there him and his followers decided to make their home and in a few years Essen did not use his name anymore, he is now Hassan in honor of the true owner of the Alamut Castle.
"You are doing it wrong!" Kassim shouts at the trainees, "you don't use your wrist when you block, you use your wrist when you parry, when you block you use your arm!"
"Again!" swords clash as the trainees once more initiated the fight.
Hassan took a deep breath, despite some adjustments and changes to their fighting style it was still reminiscent of the School of the Wolf that they splintered on, the last Council of Schools often referred to them as Vessimir's spoiled brats, but they were still welcome to the council although Hassan never attended them leaving it only to Khalid to attend the whole affair, he would often hear that the old Wolf would always stand with them.
Maybe as a way to try and reach me, so that we could come into terms of what happened then, Hassan thought of the old Wolf's motives for having to stand with them, he remembers the heated argument he had with the man, how it ended, how it brought them here, I never regretted it except I never get the chance to say I am sorry, Hassan sadly shook his head as he watched on from the walls of the castle reminding himself that the problems of the past shouldn't weigh with how he has to handle the problems of the present.
They were missing, Khalid and Gregory are missing for two years now, two years had now passed and there was a lingering feeling in Hassan that the two had died somewhere in America, his two choice of heirs as Master of Alamut Castle and the School of the Eagle gone like the friends that left with him to this world, the sound of a motor was heard outside the castle followed by a clip clop of hooves.
"Master Hassan!" Esme greets to him as she dismounted her motorcycle, followed by Jan who dismounted his horse.
"Any news Esme?" Hassan asked, of Khalid and Gregory, the girl's cat-like eyes turned sad as she shook her head.
"I am sorry master, I talked with Khalid and Gregory's friends, the Circle of Steel, but we never found any traces of them" Hassan could only breath a sigh as he closed his eyes.
"It has been two years master, they are dead" Bahman said as he went down the ramparts of the castle.
"We cannot let go of our friends Bahman, it is the first code of our school 'no one is left behind, no one is to be abandoned'" Jan said as he fed his horse a carrot.
Bahman snorts but can agree with the young man's words. Jan didn't earn his silver medallion through the usual trials done by Witchers in the Continent, he is a Fida'i, he had taken a School contract to kill leaders of the Iranian-CUI coalition forces that wants to push them out of the Alamut castle, the Fida'i was a desperate measure and only used when things are desperate, only the youngest and most willing were often tasked with such and Jan then was the youngest of the ten students of Hassan.
"I envy you, you know" Hassan once heard Gregory talked with Jan as he helped the boy prepares himself for the contract, "you will take the fight to the enemies for the defense of the castle, Master Hassan and Khalid thinks that I am too old to take such contracts despite my willingness to fight"
"You have earned your break Esme, Bahman take her to the-" before Hassan could dismiss them, Farouk was running towards them.
"Iranian-CUI forces! They are attacking us!" the trainees began to stop their training as a bombardment of artillery came and the loud sounds of Helicopter choppers can be heard coming for the castle.
"Kassim get the trainees to prepare for battle, Dean, Jared, Bahman, Farouk, Esme with me!" Hassan drew his steel sword followed by him taking out a syringe which he quickly punched through his abdomen, unlike the Witcher schools in the Continent, the School of the Eagle were not shy to take the conveniences of Earth Bet, instead of having to drink a vial before a battle, Hassan's student use syringes for potions to take full effect.
Another thing to also mention was what the School of the Eagle became famous in the other Witcher schools, a potion known only as the Cocktail, well known because it is Swallow, Tawny Owl, Cat, Blizzard, Thunderbolt, and Shrike combined. Hassan and his students, sons and daughter, took positions in a circle as the battle was about to begin
Iranian assault squads began to rappel down the helicopter, AK-47s at the ready as Hassan and the others charge, guns began to roar but it was ineffective and the Iranian soldiers began to be felled by Witcher swords, Hassan used an Aard to make way for a group of soldiers blocking his way.
"Quickly to the high ground!" Hassan orders as they took the elevated route to the keep, Jan cast Quen to block the way they came through.
"Master we will hold them off, make sure that the CUI capes wont reach the laboratory!" Bahman cries out as him and the others once more charged towards the Iranian forces.
"Fuck!" the laboratory, the CUI always wanted the Witcher mutagens in the laboratory that he and the original members of the school had built underneath the Alamut castle, they wanted to try and experiment with the mutagens to create a cape and a mutant, and the methods and the results of those experiments were horrifying even by Witcher standards that the Council of the Schools had made sure that the School of the Eagle had all the help they can get to make sure that their mutagens will not get to the wrong hands.
"Kassim!" he calls out as the rest of the trainees led by Mentor Kassim saw him with swords at the ready.
"Master Hassan!"
"I want you and the rest of the trainees to assist with the defense!" his eyes then turns to two Witcher adepts, Leila and Dmitri "you two with me! We are going to the laboratory!"
Uthman and Abbas was waiting inside the keep for them "Master" they both bowed as they followed Hassan to the inner sanctum.
"Has any of you taken the Cocktail?" Hassan asked as the four of his companions nods "good" he simply states as they finally reached the entrance of the laboratory, it was still safe, it was still secure, Hassan breathed a sigh of relief until an explosion destroyed the roof of the keep.
The Yàngban, Hassan growls as the capes began to surge in. Igni a blast of fire knock over a cape as Hassan quickly decapitated another, Uthman and Abbas cast Quen to make a defensive circle and lessen the impact of cutting lasers shot by another cape, Leila and Dmitri cast an Aard and knocked out a couple of Iranian forces that assisted the CUI capes.
Hassan pulled a half-sword style and made a mordhau to an Iranian soldier before quickly switching to the proper stance to parry a blow from a CUI cape, three clinks of a pin made Hassan's eyes widened as he saw three grenades.
"Spread out!" an explosion blasted them all away.
"Fuck!" Hassan grunts as he tried to stand up, "damn it!" his legs was busted he lifted his sword with difficulty and then limped, his students tried to stand up but all of them could only use their swords to be able to stand.
"So this is the famous Witcher tenacity" a voice said as Hassan turns to the source, it was the CUI leader "why do you always resist? We could have worked together, your mutagens and the shards we could create a new world"
"A new world in your own image is not a world I would want to see" Hassan spat as he lifts his sword with his two hands, "I'd rather die than let the rest suffer from what you envision" with a cry Hassan charged while the CUI leader just shakes his head.
"You fool" a CUI cape blocked Hassan's way and with fist to his gut Hassan felt only pain and his last thoughts were wonderings as to where his children are.
The rest of the Iranian military are retreating "they're retreating!" Dean remarks as everyone began to relax but not Esme and Jan.
"We have to get to the keep" Esme tells the rest of the group as she ran with Jan following her, the rest of the trainees led by Kassim were slaughtering the rest of the stragglers.
They entered the keep and only heard the sound of an helicopter leaving the place, their eyes widened at the sight of a blasted hole in their roof and four of their colleagues looking down Hassan with tears in their eyes.
"Master!" both Esme and Jan called out as they approach him.
There was a hole in his chest like someone punched through him, the Cocktail had began to close it in but everyone knows that the man is losing so much blood that he will die, "we should have fought to the death with him" Uthman said crying, trying to bite his tears, "they took the mutagens while those bastards beat us!"
"Esme...daughter...child" the weakened voice of Hassan calls her as she looks down and then quickly kneeled to him along with Jan.
"Master please do not waste your breath, we will help you-" the old Witcher shook his head.
"Promise me...Esme...you...you...will find...Khalid...and...and...Gregory..." Esme nods her head as he smiles at her "...do...do not let...the...the CUI...use the...mutagens, the...mutagens Esme...promise me..." Esme holds the dying man's hand.
"I promise Master...Father..." Esme assures him, Hassan smiles as he closes his eyes.
Esme embraced Jan as she cried on his shoulders, her father, her teacher, her master was dead, the rest of the School of the Eagle entered the keep then saw the saddened state of everyone.
"Hassan is dead"
The founder and master of the School of the Eagle is dead, the inhabitants of the Alamut Castle began to bury their dead, fifteen of the trainees died, sixteen if they include the master, the bodies of the enemy were buried to the earth, let the worms feast on them whereas the bodies of their dead were to be burned. Fifteen bodies were laid side by side, at the top of the pyre was Hassan himself.
"The CUI called him the Elder from the mountain, they along with the Iranians feared to speak his name...but..." Bahman choked on tears as he struggled to find words, death was something to be expected of a Witcher, but Hassan has always stated that grief, rage, sadness, and love are what makes a Witcher human they should always accept it along with the possibility of death or else they would be nothing more than the same monsters they hunt.
"...but we in Alamut Castle looked to him as our master, our teacher, our father" Esme decided to speak as she lit the pyre, "the CUI and the Iranian military may have struck a blow on us, but they do not know what they had just fought, we will fight and chase them all even to the ends of the Earth" the fire blazes as everyone began to cast their torches to the pyre.
"Where will we go from here?" Bahman had asked after the funeral.
"We can't just chase the bastards around we have to be smart about it" Bahman had a point, charging headlong would only make a monster more fierce in response to a challenge.
"The Council of Schools has to be given notice" Abbas said as he set down a scroll, "I will have to act as proxy of our school as I always do ever since Khalid and Gregory went missing" he said as Uthman also stood with him.
"I will help you with that" Uthman affirms as the rest turns to them.
Bahman sighs "with the CUI taking the mutagens we have to take it back ourselves, I will head to China" Farouk went to his side.
"I will join Bahman"
Esme looks at Jan who nods "me and Jan will go to the US and look for Khalid and Gregory" she said but before she could hear the protests of the others, "it is what I promised Hassan before he died, it was the first thing he asked" she states as Dean stood.
"Esme I understand that you love Hassan as a father but the man is dead let his worries and his troubles die with him" Esme and the rest of the group glared at Dean.
"Hassan loves as all as his children!" she snarls as she quickly pushed Dean on a wall with her hands on his shirt, "the least we could do is fulfill his last wishes" she grunts as she lets go of him when Jan put a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm sorry, we are all in grief its just that...I...watched him die" Dean's eyes softened.
"Forgive me" he said as Esme nods.
Dmitri looks to everyone "me and Jared had decided that we will wreak havoc against the Iranian military, kill their generals and important officials, make sure that despite the death of Hassan, the School of the Eagle still remains strong" everyone agreed with him.
Kassim steps forward "then me and Dean will have to make sure that contracts concerning monster slaying can still be done"
With that said, the next day the Witchers that agreed to make sure that everything was in order after the death of their master do so, going their separate ways.
"Look at what you've done!" a black haired young girl said as their crash resulted in her on the ground, "carry me will you?" she coyly said as he did so.
She took a knife and then pricked her finger with it doing the same to him, she puts her bloodied finger to his pulse the same way as his finger meets hers, "this binds us together" she said smiling, "you'll never be free of me"
"I'm telling you Greg, women can sometimes be the end of men, sometimes all it takes is a smile, a word and you're dead so be careful of them" a man told him as he and the black haired girl went their separate ways.
"Lilac flowers and Berries where we lie..." a red haired teen hums as she plays with his hair, "I wish we could stay like this, but you're a Witcher, you have places to be, beasts to slay, other women to please"
"But I am not all that" he said to her as she laughs at him.
"That's what they all say, now go before I keep you here"
Eyes open and Greg released a gasp of pain, his side has been sewn shut of its wounds "I thought you dead" a man said as Greg's attention turns to him, they are on a forest and it was morning judging from how high the sun is "easy wouldn't want to open that large wound of yours" the man said as he tasted his stew.
"Where am I?"
"Near the hills west of Brockton Bay city" the man answers as he lifts up a spoonful of what he is cooking "you want some?" Greg raises an eyebrow.
"Ah don't worry about it, that ain't that bad, I made sure that the spices are right just as she said it should be" the man said as Greg smiles and then lets the man give him a taste.
He was right though it is quite a stew, right spices and the tomato sauce was just good, "its good" Greg answers as he leans on a log, the man gives Greg a big smile as he stops with his stirring.
"Your stuff by the way" the man said as he stood up then pulled a backpack on the other side of the log, there were two swords, one steel and one silver "you coming to town or out of town?"
I don't know where I am going, Greg thought but still he answers "coming to town, why?" the man shrugs.
"Well its a bit dangerous to go, city's a powder keg ready to blow, even capes such as you should find it...tenuous" as Greg rummaged his backpack then found what he is looking for, a Swallow, without hesitation Greg quickly jammed the syringe to his abdomen.
His wounds began to heal much to the amazement of the one watching him "that's an interesting tinkertech you have there cape"
"I'm not a cape" although I once wish I was Greg said as the man laughs good naturedly.
"Yeah right, you have swords, you have tinkertech syringe that you used to heal yourself and you dress like you're going to a renfaire as a footman" the man states as he looks at Greg "well then tell me good sir what you are if you are not a hero"
Greg snorts at that, the world doesn't need heroes, it needs professionals, he remembers Khalid telling him that an inside joke for Witchers.
"A Witcher"
Author's note: this is a rewrite of the first chapter and yes because of the fact that I find the first chapter bad and someone pointed it out, and I had to apologize since it was more of a one shot craptastic galore that I decided to do the right thing and scrap and rethink the whole thing, but as they say one step backward two steps forward.
Yes, Yes it is still a same premise but I promise I will cut down to the entendres.
Also the scene where Taylor and Greg made a pact of 'undying' love is kind of taken from the Alatriste movie, where the titular character is played by Viggo Morgenstern.
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