Note: So sorry about a month's delay of writing that chapter! As I am busy doing up Gwendolyn and Eobsmn (which is my own children's book) for that month for camp nano. I said to myself to finish it but never do it. Well, this is more on Regis' psychology which fascinates me a lot as I read him in the books,so here is my attempt on his blood addiction past and some pre-Blood and Wine events. Hope you guys enjoyed it!

Somehow the wind grew calm as Regis swallowed slightly the infusion. That pondering questions. Him denying the crippling fears in his heart. "You wish me to tell you If the human belief in the gods is well founded-"there is the change of a rather pensive Regis to somehow vulnerable as his voice grew weaker as if stifled by the pain."That I do not know. We vampires differ exceedingly from you humans-" That first assault,his friends all bloodied,Milva-weakened by the miscarriage,her mouth bloodied,screaming orders for her father,Cahir,the unlikely Nilfgaardian spy who claimed not to be of that race,racing for Cirilla's affections " As humans understand death-yes-" ,he could recall that painful stab by the mage Vilgrtoz,that crystallization of glass and ice melted on the indestructible body. He could recall Geralt's face full of angst as he witnessed his friend all frozen in the harmful magic . He felt a void,a gripping fear in his heart."Hm. It is rather hard to explain. I feel something very unsettling-" his voice cracked slightly as he recalls Yennefer,all injured, carried by Geralt. An another moment when he broke his vow never to drink blood again to save the necks of his companions those he trusted dearly " something I cannot even name,for I did no reasoning". He could even hear Geralt passing by the castle muttering that he is the incarnation of humanity. It seems somber and if heartbreaking for a witcher,who deemed himself to be emotionless to find a connection with the enemy himself.

"What I had felt was cold and unimaginable fear-" A different force,as Regis recalled a figure clad in black slowly slitting himself,and feeding him quietly "What the hell has happened to you-",Regis blearily looked at Dethaff, as he slowly dabbed him with a cold rag,he tried to mutter words but it got lost,fragments of his life all muddled up like the ice attack from Villgrtoz,that evil and cold laugh. and another memory at the heady aromas of Toussaint,him giggling fervently over the coos of that succubus,giving that raised eyebrow on the beauteous curves of that ravishing creature,to the horror of Geralt and Dandelion,the notorious womanizer as they discovered him in bed with her. He could recall Geralt's bemused expression on their relationship. "Well well you do have your indulgences,living to your expectations Regis aren't you-" Dandelion's eyes widened in horror to see such a creature,seems that Regis is perhaps detached on the horror of their relationship,she was indeed beautiful (in his mind of course),but for Dandelion,he could see his head stuck in between her hairy legs "By Melitele!-" as he cowered over Geralt on that ghastly sight of Regis lying nearing that creature who laid casually "You made love to that-"

Regis gave that bemused smile as he slowly kissed his lover asleep "as I say before ,sex is perhaps one of the beautiful expressions of the world and yet you humans detest it-" It rang clearly in his mind,as he tried to recover from the assault on how Geralt stood there rather stoically as if the icy grave was the shrine of a lost friendship.

For Dethalff saw Regis laughed quietly amidst the pain of getting up from his casket Dethaff cooed him quietly ."Do not over exert yourself my friend-"Him holding a fragile Regis tightly,rocking him back and forth,telling their tales of their home long ago,that drips of blood fed to him,life-giving despite his winces of pain from cutting himself. Small signs of progress,Dethlaff cracked that small smile to see Regis taking up that small razor,looking at the bowl of water,and slowly shaved it. Blood oozed out from his fingertips,for he somehow refrains the lust of it,horrid times,Dethaff came in slowly "Are you alright-",he recalled little expect faint memories of the past like the tinkling glasses that reflect and distort Regis' expression of agony and pain "I should be fine-",Regis spoke weakly. His steps are wobbly like a child,as Dethaff embraced him as he tried to push his torso to walk a few miles.

Dethlaff cracked a small smile as he watched Regis walking out to the crypts where they lived,fireflies seems to illuminate the paths for Regis. For he smells rather comforting of Chamomile and rosemary lingered around,searching for herbs to make concoctions that heal people,bringing comfort for the weary. A whisper of a crow to Regis' arm,his eyes welled in pity on the unfortunate incident for the chirping birds,as he swoops them gently,like the caress of a woman he once loved,feeding them quietly with the pellets he made from sage,holy basil, and mashed earth. Dethaff raised a quiet eyebrow as he saw Regis beaming quietly as he sways the birds back and forth with an ancient song, something comforting,a different world perhaps. A home he yearns so deeply His voice tinged with gratefulness that he is no longer in the darkest pit since that assault and that burial by maddening villagers. "If not for Dettlaf,I might have drowned in an eternity of icy terror-" as Regis took that sip of the infusion,trying to numb that horrifying incident,that evil cackle of Vilgrotz,the blood spilled by the companions who faced hell and back for Cirilla. An incident in his many decades and centuries of his life which he cannot forget.

"Can't have been alive,then,Sheesh,experience like that must be vicious-",as Geralt could recall that assault,his ears muffled by his worn hands "Hmm..Indeed.."as Regis tried to forgo that experience ".It is hard to compare anything I know-" as he stared at that flickering candle and the slow fade of the wicks,the long shadows hanging in Saint Lebodia's serene expression making him look almost like death itself,it looms in Regis' life from the moment when he settle upon the continent itself "Yet you are aware we don't see death as you do,the way you cling to life-we find it entirely peculiar-" as he watched the slow candle burn quietly into a pool of wax-like the candle a mortal's life will fade but not his "You are mortals,ergo it's a foregone conclusion-you will die,it's but a question of time." He glanced names and faces of the gravestones and crypts,small children dying from fevers,men out of drunkness and women of an obscure cancer or childbirth,duchies childless,perished as he though quietly,they're all but the blink of an eye. Geralt gave a wry smile "Depends on your point of view-" as he faced countless times near facing death with bestiary unspeakable and the men giving bounties to the fading relics of time,sometimes generous as Anna's bounty with an estate and thousand of crowns or little as fifty crowns from a poor peasant pleading for Geralt for meager tasks "A man who's got a million crowns to spend can't possibly understand one who's only got twenty-"

Regis gave a small shrug "Very true,one's outlook can indeed change so much-" Geralt pondered quietly,he thought of Regis' biggest demons,"Got a new life,a new body-" as he gripped that mandrake bottle tightly,and Regis observing his twitchiness "Your blood addiction-" These words,these memories, Regis wished he could forget those frenzied days,out of a maddening ecstasy, attacking virginal girls with bosoms free and hair plaited to the flowers,baring his fangs to only stare for days and nights in loss and grief of that demon he cannot cure, his eyes staring madly at the stars,with mouth dribbled with the blood of fair maidens,between his slender fingers and his victims, staring blankly . "All addictions are a form of slavery-" as he could recall days and nights,with the deep resolve to fight the taste of blood,his hands shaking tightly as he grips the bedsides,looking through the distorted bottles of mandrake infusions."Readdiction's not a risk I'm willing to take-",somehow his words dictate its verdict,as he encapsulated wordings understandable to the mortal while exhausting that demon in his heart.

Geralt nodded quietly "Fair enough. Curiosity,that's all-" for his voice grew somber,for Regis yearn for a simpler life,blessing others with strange company as their philosophical conversation grew rather somber "Sorry-".It seems like a quiet prayer of penance,despite Gerald's disbelief to all the religion. Regis gave a small smile,as if empathic on the natural impulses of Geralt,after all, it did come in useful in searching for the trail "Not to worry-",as he took that bottle from him rather gently and watching the sediments of "Curiosity is a natural reaction under all circumstances-" there he gave a small sip of that last drop "Apart from which I've always valued that trait in you-"

Regis watched Geralt's muscles relax slightly,on that wave of revelation "all right-" as he laid by the roughness of the grave,watching the evening fog pass through the peacefulness of his home "Give you one question-What do you want to know-" Damnit,Regis thought quietly,for Geralt's curiosity of him become little. Surely Geralt could have been more generous,then again enforce that stereotype that witchers can sometimes be a little greedy,and Geralt is no exception. Well, there would be no point haggling his old friend for more questions.

"One question-" as Regis gave a slight frown in bemusement "To ask one as fascinating as you?" Somehow Regis pondered quietly,as the candle waxes from the graves slowly dropped down on the grasses,freezing them,fascinating relics of a different era, time of paranoia,worlds birthing one another,tiding like the emperors and rulers of the world they lived in. His mind swirled of philosophical views,but the brief but poignant question like the infusions he brewed,perhaps will tickle Gerald's mortality as much as he asked about many events of his life. "Cruel parsimony. I'd say. But I shall do my best to make it count-"