Hey, look at that. Turns out I'm still alive.
— Asa the wizard
The cruelty that man hath sown.
As the witcher stepped inside the main house he immediately noticed two things; firstly, that the house was extremely well furnished, with rather expensive fur chairs a hard-wood table and several stuffed animal heads, all situated around a roaring fire.
The second thing he noticed was the smell. Hard alcohol. And not the good kind.
He knew immediately he'd entered into the siting-room. And it appeared the dining room was on the other side of the wall furthest the door. He knew this because of a strange feature of the houses fireplace, you could see through to the other side. And through the high flames, he could just make out a dining table.
Suddenly someone called out "that you Eirnell? Be a friend and Grab some hooch on your way in, the good stuff."
The witcher, not wanting to shout his presence to the world. Did not respond. He simply walked over to the dining room door frame, and leaned into it, crossing his arms.
"And who the blazes are you?" asked a short, pale, rather large man, with a manicured broom-like mustache. He was clearly rather distressed.
"My name is Cedric Blackwall, I'm a witcher of the cat scho—"
"yes, yes, let's skip the formalities, shall we" the man interrupted. Clearly he was relieved to see the witcher meant no harm, the witcher took note of this.
"Seeing as you've interrupted my dinner —he emphasized acidly—, I would like to get this business out of the way as soon as possible" he finished with a note of impatience.
'Seems to me you could stand to have dinner interrupted' thought the witcher, as he took note of the man's rather unhealthily wide physique. But he kept such thoughts to himself.
"Very well, then what am I to call you?" he said with practiced patience. Not letting his minor annoyance show in his tone.
"You may call me count Onceld" he said. With no small amount of pomp.
"So you're the count? I must say I've heard quite a bit about you" the witcher said, attempting to play to the man's pride.
"Oh I see, No doubt most of it is peasant drivel" said the count with a scoff, his pride showing nearly as much as his swollen belly.
"Perhaps" said the witcher in admittance. he had to be careful, pride could easily turn to anger.
"But that isn't what I came to talk about."
"Indeed" said the count. What is it then, witcher, that you wished to discuss?"
"I've slain the monster, and am here about the notice" said the witcher in a monotone, not once breaking eye-contact.
"Oh very good, very good" said the count in a dismissive tone,his attention returningto his rather large dinner. But the witcher felt that something was off, his demeanor was almost nervous.
"Well, before we talk to much over that unsavory business. Won't you join me for dinner?" Asked the count, as he motioned to the seat opposite him In a manner Nearly the opposite of his previous down-to-business stance. 'He's avoiding the subject. Why?' thought the witcher. As he sat down.
"No. many thanks but I can't stay long. However I will sit and talk" He said, as he dropped the large sack he was carrying to the ground.
"The pleasure is mine. Interesting company is rare in these parts" said the count.
"Well I'm afraid I must disappoint. For interesting company I am not" said the witcher, because, though some might find them interesting, most witcher storys would make a man such as this sick to his stomach
"Oh I'm sure that's not true. Come now surely you've had some interesting experiences on the path!" Said the count. It was obvious the man was stalling, trying to delay the witcher. But why?
"Hmm, so be it" the witcher said. If this man wanted a story than by melitele he'd get one!
"Once upon a time, there was a witcher of no particular renown" the witcher began, and though the count looked incredulous he didn't interrupt. "This witcher was minding his own business, riding along a main road, when suddenly he was ambushed by a group of bandits. The bandits had made a grave mistake, for, the witcher was in a hurry and this inconvenienced him. The witcher cut them down to a man, all except one. That one he drug of to use as bait for a monster that used to prowl this very area. The end" the witcher finished, in a completely nonchalant tone. He hoped the count would get the message.
"That's all? Surely you've had more exciting encounters than that" said the count, with a tone of disappointment. The witcher's hopes had been in vain.
"You'll forgive me if I'm blunt, not much etiquette practice you see, but every minute I spend here is a minute not spent making coin to survive the long hard winter that's coming. So if you don't mind please hand over my reward and I'll be off" said the witcher, letting his annoyance show in full.
The count appeared rather flustered by the witcher's sudden outburst. When his reply come it was both angry and disorganized. "Well... How can you even prove the monster is dead?"
The witcher was done wasting time. He simply lifted up the sack he'd been carrying, and forcefully swung it up onto the table, it landed with a heavy thud right in front of the count. Who then slowly and fearfully began to undo the drawstrings, but what he saw when he opened it caused him to gasp and recoil.
From the bag slumped the head of the katakan. An eternal scowl plastered across its face. when the count recoiled, the head rolled out of the bag and fell to the floor, were it landed with a sickening thud and began bleeding into the carpet.
The count made no move to pick it up.
"I... Witcher,—the count then shot up from his seat— I have no intention to pay you. Leave my house now or I'll call the guards!" He said. His voice rising in anger.
The witcher ignored his threats and remained seated. But the expression on his face was enough to turn the counts anger to fear. "And here I was thinking you might be smarter than my usual employer" the witcher said. Acid dripping from his words.
"And I thought you'd be smart enough to heed my warning" said the count. Seeming to think that, as the witcher was still seated, he was in no danger, how wrong he was. Just as he was about to call the guards the witcher interrupted "seems we were both mistaken."
The witcher flipped the dinning table to the side, grabbing a heavy glass while doing so. Just as the count was about to cry out the witcher threw the glass at the count, it hit him center face breaking with a satisfying smash, the count fell to the floor too stunned by the impact to speak, much less move, blood streaming from his no-doubt broken nose.
At the same time a man called out from the hallway "OY what's the ruckus" just as he started to open the door leading to the dining room.
The witcher side kicked the door closed, causing it to collide with the man's face, and he to subsequently fall backwards into the hall, from the sound of it.
The witcher quickly toppled a display cabinet in front of the door, effectively denying entry. He then got to work on the second entrance to the dinning room, jamming the table in front of it. This all took place in less than five seconds.
The count was starting to rouse, so the witcher decided to deal with that problem before it took place. The witcher efficiently drove his elbow into the count's temple, this time rendering him completely unconscious.
With both entrances blocked and any threat the count may have posed effectively nullified, the witcher started pocketing anything of significant value, beginning with the count's coin-purse, jewelry, and decorative dagger, and going so far as to take a gilded silverware set.
By this time, guards were already attempting to gain entry to the dinning room, shouting threats and attempting to bargain in equal measure. All in vain. For the witcher was soon to make his escape.
But the how is the most important question when it comes to escape, and this very question is that which plagues the witcher.
The witcher has two options:
Exit through the window.
Or
Unblock the door and fight his way out.
You decide. Tell me in the reviews which action he should take.
— Asa the wizard