The chirping of crickets blended with the crackling fire and rushing river as Aiden and Geralt lay side by side next to the fire. Aiden smiled softly as he stared up at the glittering stars and full moon, their sheer beauty was captivating. He felt as if he were drifting, his body satiated and humming with the pleasure Geralt had given and taken. Both Aiden and Geralt were quiet, the Witchers revelling in what they had just experienced together.

Eventually, Aiden spoke, "I'm glad we broke Vesemir's sword,"

Geralt chuckled, the sound left Aiden breathless, "Is that why you're here?"

"Yes, Vesemir thought it apt that I be the one to deliver the mare he lost to Letho." Aiden turned his head to look at Geralt's profile which was bathed in moonlight, giving Geralt an ethereal glow. Aiden allowed his eyes to drift lower and lower; admiring his new lover. The moon and stars were no contest to Geralt.

"I also have a contract for you,"
"Hmm." Geralt opened his eyes and turned his head, his gaze also moving down Aiden's naked form. He frowned when he found that blood was still seeping from Aiden's bruised ribs. "Did I do that as well?"

"No, one of the four that ran surprised me-"

"Your entire rib cage is bruised, Aiden." Geralt frowned deeply, his concern shining in his eyes. Geralt sat up and reached for his saddlebag and pulled a wad of bandages and a vial of swallow from deep within.

Aiden smirked and sat up. "You weren't pulling your punches the night of the mutations. I was lucky only the sword broke,"

"It looks like I did break a few ribs," Geralt's seriousness warmed Aiden. He reached for the bandages but Geralt handed him the swallow instead before using both hands to unravel the cloth. Aiden drank the potion but it did little to stop the seething wound.

"Maybe you did break a few ribs," Aiden muttered as Geralt wrapped his ribs.

"The swallow isn't healing the stab wound... How hard did I hit you?" Geralt asked and Aiden raised a brow before he chuckled.

"You don't remember?" Aiden shuddered as Geralt leaned in close when he started working around his chest.

"I should never have touched that mandrake moonshine." Geralt looked over Aiden, checking that Aiden was all bandaged up before he lay back down. "Not after watching Vesemir lose that round of Gwent,"

"We wouldn't have sparred without the moonshine... Nor would I have kissed you," Aiden said as he lay back.

"I shouldn't have hurt you." Geralt seemed genuinely upset, leaving Aiden feeling torn. Silence descended once more and Aiden took a deep breath.

His mind floated toward the events of that evening, to Geralt's touch and how his hands had marked Aiden's skin. Then he remembered the woman and how she had vomited. The death of the teenage boy suddenly tore at his good mood. A long silence followed, Aiden biting into the side of his cheek and considering their place in a world of monsters and humans.

"We're monsters to the rest of the world," Aiden whispered and the stars swam as his eyes clouded. "I had to kill a boy today, he was no more than sixteen, Geralt,"

"He attacked you,"

"Because everyone else finds us repulsive," Aiden whispered.

"They played with fire and they got burnt," Geralt turned to lie on his side, facing Aiden. "This is who we are now, monster slayers and they were monsters... Well me at least. You still have to undergo the mutations,"

Aiden shrugged and closed his eyes. "Maybe I'll die..." Aiden smiled serenely.

"If I could prevent that-"

"You can't," Aiden snapped quietly and shook his head. He did not want Geralt to finish his sentence, he did not want his fluttering heart to beat any faster or his belly to twist even tighter.

"Goodnight, Geralt,"

There was a painfully long pause before Geralt lay back down, knowing the conversation was over.

"Goodnight, Aiden,"


Year 1231 (Near Blaviken)

A soft cool breeze rustled Aiden's hair as he sat, eyes closed and on his knees, in the middle of an abandoned field just outside of a small village which stood, tiny and quaint, just behind him. Aiden ran his fingers over the oiled steel of his sword and reached into his pocket. He produced a vial of thunderbolt, swallowed it, then he opened his eyes; they'd turned black as the potion moved through his veins.

The long, browned grass caught fire in a perfect, tight circle around Aiden, signalling that the monster had arrived. He stood and tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword, knowing that the fight was about to begin.
The black creature that stepped into the flaming circle emanated red smoke and was illuminated by a crimson light that radiated from nothing natural. Like he had suspected; it was a Hellhound.

Aiden took a deep breath and reached into his pocket, he'd need another thunderbolt for this fight. He downed it and the black veins swelled, streaking down his cheekbones through to his jaw.

The Witcher smiled and the Hellhound growled, the creature gnashing its teeth with each step it took as it advanced on Aiden. The light intensified and three green ethereal shadows began to form not three feet behind the Hellhound. Aiden stepped forward, bringing his sword up before him.

Red eyes met black, the land between them becoming no man's land for just a second. Hellhounds were intelligent creatures and it knew it would have to go through Aiden before it could continue terrorising the village.

"Come on fucker-" Aiden hissed and ran forward. He attacked when he was a few feet from the hound, but just as his sword was about to land against the Hellhound's chest, it was met by the shoulder of one of the green Berghests that the Hellhound summoned.

The creature yelped and squealed but his blade hardly drew blood. Surprised, Aiden leapt backwards and twisted his body, barely avoiding the creature's four-inch nails as it turned around on him and took a swipe at his belly.

The Witcher veered off to the side, putting some distance between himself and the monsters before he straightened up and drew his silver blade, dropping his steel sword. He had no time to oil the silver sword, not having expected the Hellhound to summon Barghests.

It was his own fault for not paying enough attention to Vesemir's lectures on monsters and he hoped this mistake wouldn't cost him his life. He had to find Geralt.

The first Barghest to his left charged him, and Aiden twirled his sword. The Barghest bit down on the horizontal blade but Aiden twisted his sword and stepped forward, gliding the blade into the dog's maw and through the back of its head.

The creature fell but the next Barghest loped forward and began to run at Aiden from behind. Hearing the footfalls, Aiden spun around and tried to block the attack with his sword but its deadly claws had already landed against his ribs. The creature tore at his armour and Aiden launched himself backwards in an attempt to free himself but the dog fell downwards, tearing vertical gashes through his armour.

Leather tore away, exposing his shredded skin to the stifling inferno that was now radiating from the surrounding fire which was spreading rapidly with the evening wind.

He hissed and the Barghest tried to lunge at him again, it's maw lolling open as it growled, but Aiden was ready this time and he pivoted to the side, slashing from shoulder to flank, drawing a long line of green blood in monster flesh. The whine that sounded from the creature's throat hurt his ears but he smiled grimly; he just had two more to kill now.

Before he could hone in on the other Berghests, the Hellhound jumped out of the fiery blaze to Aiden's right, catching him unawares. He jerked his arm up to keep the hound's canines from sinking into his jugular, but this meant that its teeth sank into his arm, down to the bone. Aiden grunted, his boots sliding back in the dry grass as he struggled to cope with the pain and keep the hound from knocking him off his feet.

Steeling himself, he spun around, the hound's jaws tearing into muscle but the momentum threw the creature off. He groaned in pain, but the next Barghest was charging him. Aiden lifted his sword with his uninjured arm and threw it, hard. The blade found its mark square in the eye of the creature and Aiden breathed a sigh of relief.

The fire was burning hot, and his arm was bleeding furiously. Aiden grimaced, turning to see that the Hellhound had begun to glow brighter as it started summoning more Berghests from the pits of hell.

Knowing that he was almost out of time, he grit his teeth and thrust his arm back into the circle of fire, cauterising the wound and stopping the bleeding. The pain caused him to faltered and stumble forward away from the fire, his hands gripping his knees tightly as he took a second to gather himself. The fire had spread and the town was beginning to burn. He had bigger problems however, more Berghests would kill him.

"Fucking hell," He grunted, flexing and curling the fingers on the arm that had been torn to bits. Happy that nerves hadn't been severed, he took a deep breath and looked around for his steel sword. He spotted it not far from where he stood.

Aiden strode towards his sword, snatching it up with his uninjured arm. The Hellhound was almost finished its summon spell and he forced himself to focus through the pain and fatigue.

He charged, coming nearly nose to nose with the Hellhound before he bore downward heavily and slid underneath the beast, slicing it from sternum to groin. The hound let out an ear-shattering howl as it dissipated into dust above his head.

Aiden gasped in relief, his eyes closing as he swallowed down the bile in his throat. His breathing was still laboured when he opened his eyes again and it took a few moments before he came back to his senses.

Now he could hear screams... Screams and shouts. Slowly, he got back onto his feet and saw that the village burned brightly. With the Hellhound gone, the source of the fire had been extinguished but the wooden huts and buildings had already caught aflame.

Aiden did nothing except pick up both his swords and sheath them on his back. A small figure with a red hair tie in her blond locks caught his eye. The girl was slowly being cornered by the fire in what looked like what was left of the side of the stable.

He eyed the little girl, debating if he should help when a man ran up him, covered in soot and light burns, carrying a pail of water. Aiden groaned. "Witcher! If you want help finding your friend-"

"Help save the town, I know-" Aiden sighed and pulled two vials of swallow from his breast pocket. He drank the contents of them both then broke out into a run, going to save the little girl who needed rescuing in the stable.