.II. Thrill of the Hunt.
'He's a witcher, of course he could slay the trolls.', said a villager.
'Still what did he do so special that he killed the damn rock fuckers...', uttered another villager, seated at the same table.
'Hmm...', murmured the first villager to speak. 'Why don't you ask him ?', he added.
'Nah.', the other villager scoffed. 'Doesn't feel that important, rather finish my beer.'.
The villager chuckled. 'Well said !', then both drank from their tankards.
It was midday, Gerd had finished his contract, and got his reward. Set to buy the necessary supplies for his journey back home, to the Skellige Isles. After his long time on the path, he was eager to get back at the fortress of the school of the bear on Ard Skellig.
And a few hours later he resumed his journey, leaving the village of Guryuh.
After a few miles he stopped near some woods, two and a half miles from the shores of the Pontar. Where he made a fire and gave his horse some hay and water.
Since his departure from the village, a couple of black clouds gathered from southwest. Though besides the wind and a few drops of water, it seamed that the storm tired out before it reached those hills on this shore of the Pontar.
While the witcher ate, he remembered a few more things that took place during his journey to Zerrikania. Especially when he travelled to the village called Jorg, where Galodo Frock fled.
During the time he fought Galodo's men, the snow storm seemed to take a turn north and calmed down, so the witcher found Galodo's horse tracks and followed them to the village of Jorg. Where he thought he would find Galodo and end the contract, few thoughts he had that Galodo Frock would take him through Zerrikania's hot plains of dust and sand. He just had no idea.
At this point, Gerd was near the village of Jorg, it took more than he thought to reach the village, it was almost dawn.
When he arrived, he was awaited at the Jorg's gate by Galodo's gang, which it seemed the witcher had to defeat.
'You !', screamed one of the men. 'We've been waiting for you. Now, it is time that you pay !'.
'Let's kill him !', shouted another, running toward the witcher.
'Alright. Bring me his head !', spoke a man that walked back a few steps and watched as the rest charged towards Gerd.
The witcher used his crossbow and shot the one who charged first in the leg, drew his sword and cut the head of the man. Afterwards, he waited until the others came closer and casted a sign of wind that pushed them a couple of meters away. Then he ran towards them swinging his steel sword and cutting through those that fell down or got stunned by the spell. While the others either fled to the village in fear or stayed to face the witcher.
Those who remained were many in numbers. Gerd killed six or seven of them and around three stepped back for a while letting those confident enough to fight the monster slayer.
After a few looks at his foes the witcher took a bomb from his belt and threw it among those dumb enough to fight him, then casted the sign of Igni. The bomb which he thrown, contained a gas that was very flammable and blew up in a storm of fire, burning half of them. While the others stepped away from the witcher, four and a half in numbers, for one was a dwarf. As he began to get closer to Gerd, the bandit struck, soon after the others followed. The witcher deflected one sword and rolled forward and took on another, clashed his sword with all at least two times. He countered a bandit's strike, cutting through the steel plated armor above his right hip, deep enough that he may have sliced the poor's man liver. Causing an open wound which the witcher planned to exploit by also delivering a strong right punch to the injury caused by his blade. Then drove his sword through the bandit's chest. Soon after, the others had shared the same fate, all falling to the blade and the skilled swordsmanship of the witcher. At last, one remained, he was alone against the witcher, he was also sure that he may end like the others.
The battle was fierce for the mercenary, now left kneeling in front of the witcher. He was at his last powers, barely breathing, grasping for air, with his left hand bleeding from the strong strikes the witcher gave. That he managed to take on, and still survive.
The sun had risen several minutes ago, when he and few of his comrades were still standing. Now they were laying down and some gave their last breath, some in more pieces than before, while the witcher was still standing. Tireless. Ruthless, like no blade ever touched him. Positioned with his back towards the sun, the bandit could see only a black figure of death, which in the next moments will inevitably send him to his ultimate demise. To a painful and merciless death by the sword soaked in the blood of what, a few moments ago, were once his mates. Though at his end, with his last resources, he got up, with his head pointed down, eyes barely open, covered in dirt and dried blood. He raised from the ground, but then in a blink of his barely opened eyes he found himself shot in the left shoulder by the witcher, and fell down on his back. Watching the grim black figure of the witcher Gerd approaching. Walking towards him with his sword in his left hand, looking at the village.
Soon, Gerd was next to him. The witcher grabbed his sword with both hands, piercing the bandit's torso right were the heart was. Then he continued walking towards the village, where Gerd decided to find the one that ordered the men he killed to attack.
The village of Jorg, was located in a some sort of a canyon or a pass, with at least seven or eight families living in it. It was on Yaruga's northern shore, near its source. The entrance of the village was a wooden gate, beyond which you could see a tower. The village itself was a small one, with several small huts starting from the gate and an Inn at the center. Near which stood a quartermaster shop, selling from food to certain tools, even swords and armor. Then a big house and towards the other side, to the eastern gate a few more small peasant huts and then the eastern gate itself. All the villagers had a small garden near their hut, were they grew crops, they also were known to grow animals like pigs, sheep and cows. As said, a simple and small village, known before to mine for coal and iron in the region.
The Inn itself was owned by Galodo, but ran by his wife, Lona, and her brother, Jakko. Who, was the one that ordered Galodo's men to kill the witcher. He and his sister Lona, were twins, around twenty-six summers old.
Lona was a beautiful and smart woman, blonde hair and blue eyes, she was almost twenty years younger then her husband, Galodo. Who was in his late forties. Even so, they had two children. A boy and a girl, both around five, six years old. They lived in a big house near the Inn, with Lona's brother, Jakko, and their mother, Merena.
Jakko, was as his sister fair haired with blue eyes, with a scar on his left cheek and wore a small beard. As his father, he wasn't very tall, a few inches taller then a woman, but well build, with a wide back and bulky arms. He seemed to know how to handle himself.
However, when Gerd entered the village he could only find Jakko, trying to run as his brother in law did. But, due the unfortunate meeting with the witcher he couldn't reach the same destination as Galodo, who send his children and perhaps his wife and her mother away. And fled beyond the Blue Mountains.
The witcher found Jakko in the stables, preparing his horse...
'Funny, to find you still here...', said Gerd near the stable door.
Jakko stood next to his horse with the harness in his hands, frozen like.
'What ? Thought that your men would've killed me by now ?', continued the witcher, while Jakko still didn't move a muscle. Stood still, alike a wooden pole. 'Not much of a talker, are you ?', said Gerd as he walked closer to him. 'You must know something, don't you ? Care to share it with me ?', kept asking the witcher, now standing behind Jakko.
At that moment, Jakko in his mind saw an opportunity to escape the witcher. He threw the harness towards the witcher, and jumped on the back of his horse. But, Gerd used his Aard spell and knocked him off the horse.
'Huh. Good idea, but a dumb one.', said the witcher while walking slowly towards Jakko, who seemed to be injured by the fall. 'Now, are we gonna talk ? Or you have another dumb idea ?'.
Jakko seemed to be injured, though when Gerd got closer to him, he jumped at him with a hunting knife in his hand. Gerd grabbed him by the hand and broke his elbow, then, as he fell on his knees Gerd kicked him in the chest slamming him against the stable wall.
Jakko, had his hand broken and at least a few ribs from the kick Gerd delivered him. And he was also breathing heavily, coughing and grasping for air, having a pierced lung as well.
'Look...', began Gerd. 'You're pretty dead now, barely breathing, broken ribs, and a pierced lung...', paused the witcher while looking at Jakko who 'rested' with is back on the wall and face pointing down while barely breathing, holding his visibly broken arm.
'Tell me where he went ?', asked the witcher. Noticing that no answer came from the man, he made a sign, Axii, and asked again. 'Tell me where he went ?', and then the man began to speak.
'He went- past the mountains. Heading towards the deser-'.
Gerd, didn't even listened to what else Jakko had to say, as he heard that Galodo was once again ahead of him. Planning to cross the mountains east, towards the desert of Korath.
He quickly got on his horse and hurried towards the pass...