The Witcher: Black and White

Freaks, Halflings, and Witchers

Marvo; stilled disguised as a Redanian, walked calmly through the winding passageways leading through the fortress. His suspicions of the place had been confirmed and then some. This fortress was Elven in origin but it was also sitting on a massive dimeritium mine, meaning the biggest users of dimeritium in the Continent now had the largest source of the metal.

As much as Marvo wanted to explore, he sensed he needed to hurry. He could feel the brown slipping away from his eyes and revealing his gold underneath. He avoided eye contact with other passing soldiers but Marvo couldn't help but notice the suspicious glances he was getting.

Soon, Marvo reached what seemed to be a barracks, men were stripping the light armor from their bodies and climbing into uncomfortable looking bunks. One of them saw Marvo looking around.

"You new?" the soldier asked, standing from his bunk and stepping towards the Witcher in disguise.

Marvo cleared his throat. "Yeah, where might I find the dungeons?"

The soldier's eyes narrowed, then he chuckled. "Anyone ever told you, you look like them Witchers?"

Marvo chuckled too. "All the time." he said, relieved.

The soldier pointed to the door to the barracks. "Corridor on the left, down the 30 flights of stairs."

Marvo thanked the soldier and continued on his way, the helmet didn't cover much of his face but the eye spell should've still been in effect. He worried about the time he had left and quickened his step to the dungeons.

/

Marvo reached at the bottom of the 30 flights a massive door of wood reinforced with dimeritium. The door could fit ten men shoulder to shoulder through it and was almost impossible to get through if you were a nonhuman trying to escape to freedom. His uniform allowed him to enter the dungeons unnoticed, but what he found was the biggest surprise thus far.

Inside awaiting him in the large passage lined with cells was a group of Roshytta Knights in full steel armor and weapons, led by Sir Turnican.

Turnican held up his armored hands and smiled through his raised visor. "Our honored guest arrives."

The soldiers standing guard at the door turned and unsheathed their weapons on the Witcher. Marvo glanced around at his odds. Not good, enclosed space, vastly outnumbered, no weapons to speak of, surrounded by dimeritium.

"Where is Geralt!?" Marvo shouted.

Turnican's grin turned to a deep frown. "You want Geralt, is it? That is what this is about, one Witcher for another?"

"Geralt is coming with me." snarled Marvo, becoming impatient with the Redanian.

Turnican looked back at the group of soldiers and waved them away, all of them took a step backwards except one. This one soldier seemed taller than the rest and his helmeted head was tilted lazily to one side.

"Remove your helmet, son." Turnican ordered.

The soldier removed the steel helmet, revealing a head of white hair cut short and a beard of the same color. A scar down his right eye, his eyes as black as night. It was Geralt, but it also wasn't Geralt.

"Who are you?" Turnican asked.

"No one." Geralt replied.

"What is your purpose?"

Geralt lifted his sword and pointed it at Marvo. "Kill Witchers."

Marvo froze with fear. Turnican noticed this. "Then by all means, kill him."

Geralt charged forward as fast as any other Witcher. Marvo looked around for anything he could find to defend himself and had to settle on a torch that hung from the wall. As Geralt slashed through the air near Marvo's head, Marvo weaved out of his path and smashed the torch over Geralt's head.

The blow seemed to have no effect on the Witcher who only backhanded Marvo across the passage and against a wall with a solid thud. Geralt advanced on Marvo and swung his sword wildly at his neck. The younger Witcher ducked his head and narrowly avoided decapitation.

Marvo jumped to his feet, grabbed Geralt's sword arm and thrust it out to his side. With his free hand, Marvo began wailing on his former mentor's face. He landed several solid blows before Geralt began throwing his more powerful strikes.

Several feet from the epic brawl between Witchers, Turnican glanced around at his companions. "Let the Witchers kill each other. Come along."

Turnican turned and walked down the corridor with his troupe on his heels, leaving the Geralt to kill Marvo without audience. Geralt had managed to get a strong hand on the front of Marvo's stolen gorget that clung tightly to his throat and toss him backwards like a ragdoll. Marvo landed on one knee as Geralt swung his longsword over his head for a killing blow.

Marvo lashed out his lightly armored forearms and miraculously blocked the ferocious attack. Marvo locked his arms together, trapping Geralt's blade. Swinging his arms to one side, Marvo got the sword out of his way, spun around gracefully, and delivered two simultaneous backhands to the side of Geralt's head.

Geralt stumbled off tiredly. The young Witcher's defensive tactics had taken the old Witcher's stamina, Geralt stood in the middle of the corridor, breathing heavily but not saying anything. Marvo took a step forward, falling for the possum strategy.

Geralt lashed out with the sword, catching Marvo in the gap of his breastplate. The sword cut through muscle and tissue on Marvo's side, narrowly missing ribs and a lung. Blood poured out onto the blade and Marvo howled in pain.

Geralt withdrew the sword and Marvo dropped down to his knees, bruised, and nearly beaten. Again, Geralt lifted the sword above his head, sure that this time Marvo didn't have the strength to defend himself. Instead of a sword ending his life, a beam of yellow light appeared between the Witchers and Lady Yennefer stepped out.

Yen held up her hands and said an incantation Marvo couldn't hear over the roar of the portal but it made Geralt stop in his tracks, drop his sword, and fall to the stone floor. Triss and Ciri stepped out of the portal and it closed behind them.

Yen knelt beside Geralt while Triss and Ciri saw to Marvo. He was still on his knees and was still catching his breath.

Ciri knelt down in front of him and handed him a bottle. "Drink." she said.

Marvo looked down at the potion. It was a Swallow, to uplift him in his battered state. Marvo downed the potion and instantly felt much better.

"What did they do to him?" Marvo asked.

Yen shook her head as she stared down at the unconscious Geralt. "He's been under a chemically induced trance, susceptible to suggestion. Powerful alchemy."

"Can you reverse it?" Marvo asked, putting one arm around Ciri as she lifted him to his feet.

"I just did. That spell was the equivalent of hitting his head, very, very, very, hard. He might be out for some time." Yen replied. "Go get Turnican. I'll see to it that Ciri gets Geralt out of here."

Ciri's green eyes exploded with sudden rage. "What!? I should be here to help!"

"You are helping, take Geralt. Triss will get you two out. Marvo and I will end this." Yen said authoritatively.

Ciri looked to Marvo, Marvo nodded his response. With a reluctant sigh, she hugged Marvo and she and Triss hoisted Geralt up and walked out from the dungeons.

Marvo turned back to Yen and saw that she was holding a bundle of leather. She ripped the leather away to reveal twin swords. Ornate, the silver one was deeply engraved with a silver wolf on the pommel. The steel was curved less than a scythe but more than a sabre and was also engraved with the same words as the silver sword.

Marvo stepped towards Yen and the swords. "What do they say?"

"Legend." Yen said as she handed the two swords to him. "They were Geralt's. I don't think he could come up with someone more worthy of wielding them."

Marvo took the swords and strapped them to his back in the Witcher fashion. He thanked her and then moved off to the far door where Turnican had fled.

/

The duo soon reached an impasse. A door as wide as the one to the dungeons was. With his senses Marvo could tell that the door led to a second, forming a room in between them. What was on the other side of the second door was a mystery to him.

Marvo turned his head to look Yen in the eye. "Stay behind me, help me only if you think I'm going to die."

Yen rolled her violet eyes but nodded in agreement. Marvo pushed the door open. The room was poorly lit with shadows on all four sides that climbed up the wall and onto the ceiling. Marvo sensed the presence of two others. Their swords being drawn from scabbards on their backs. Their heart rates abnormally slow and their movements quick and swift. All signs pointed to one thing.

Marvo withdrew his sword. "Come out, brothers."

He had known since the cave but he had never, ever wanted it to be true. But, true enough, Wigro and Evyn stepped from the shadows, their weapons already poised to strike.

"It was you two wasn't it? You killed Arnley and Salac in that cave." Marvo said horsely, the words catching in his throat.

Wigro grinned maliciously. "You were next on our list."

Marvo's face turned grim. "Why? Witchers do not kill fellow Witchers."

"Says who? Vesemir? That old bastard got what was coming to him just as you will! You follow some code of honor." the once quiet Evyn spat angrily. "Fuck your honor, we are just inhuman mercenaries after all."

Marvo brought his sword to a defensive stance. "You are no Witchers. I won't even give you the courtesy of calling you equal opponents."

Wigro and Evyn brought their swords up as well. "Doesn't matter much to us."

As one, Marvo's former comrades launched themselves forward. Swinging their swords wildly without the finesse of better Witchers. Marvo easily parried each and every blow the two traitors threw at him. As he studied his enemies' weaknesses, he finally struck back, catching Evyn in his thigh.

Evyn yelped and backed away, leaving Wigro to fend for himself. Wigro blasted Marvo with an Igni but was deflected by Quen. Marvo's blade lashed out from the shield, swiftly nicking Wigro in the shoulders, chest, arms, and hands. Every little peck with the small of his blade drew Wigro closer and closer to dropping his sword.

Now, Marvo stood face to face with Wigro. And, he had no sword to speak of. Marvo held the point of his own sword to Wigro's neck.

"Marvo." Wigro gulped. "It was just a contract."

Marvo's yellow eyes narrowed. "Witchers don't beg."

Marvo cut off the coward's scream by severing his windpipe in half as the sword went through his Adam's apple and out the back of his head. Marvo took his blade from his neck to see Evyn advancing on him quickly. Before he struck, Evyn stopped and was lifted into the air by an unseen force.

Evyn's arms and legs twisted around and the bones in each shattered. Evyn screamed and was cut off as his torso quickly turned all the way around but his neck didn't. Evyn went limp and was dropped to the ground. His body contorted unnaturally so it seemed as if only his head was on backwards.

Yen stepped out with a calmed look on her face. "You said-"

Marvo stopped her. "I know what I said."

/

Ciri and Triss, with Geralt in between them reached a large hillside overlooking the fortress. The night was dark and the fort was illuminated brightly from the commotion inside. Ciri and Triss could hear men shouted orders and directions as the entire Knights of Roshytta force mobilized. Triss was grateful they'd managed to slip out undetected through a sewage passway but Ciri was still furious about leaving Marvo behind.

They reached the top of the hill and set Geralt down on the ground. He took a deep breath but other than that, he appeared to still be unconscious. Ciri turned back to the fortress and began walking back down the hill. Triss noticed her.

"Where are you going?" she called to her.

"We can't leave them!" Ciri shouted back as she walked.

Triss glanced down at Geralt then took off down the slope after Ciri. She caught up to the Elder Blood girl and grabbed her by the arm.

"I know it doesn't seem like much, but we are doing them more good here than we are there." Triss tried to reason with the young woman.

Ciri seemed unfazed by Triss' words and tried to push her way past her. Triss placed both hands on her shoulders and pushed her back.

"I know how much you care for Marvo and vice versa. Which is why I can't let you go back there. If you were overwhelmed, Marvo would be crushed, right now we need him badly."

Ciri's green eyes softened only a little and her gaze dropped to the grass beneath her boots. She threw her arms up in the air. "Fine." she said, still angered by the situation.

They reached the top of the hill to see a dark figure standing over Geralt's unconscious body. The figure turned and saw Triss and Yen standing there. Without a word, the figure erupted into a mass of black feathers and lunged at them through the air. Ciri and Triss both jumped out of the way as the creature landed behind them.

It stood up and turned back to them. It's face was hideous but the uneven locks of silver hair gave it away, Dendri. He had suffered the same fate as Geralt. Suddenly, as if out of nowhere, a second creature attacked from behind them with a large battleaxe.

Ciri swiftly brought forth Zirael and the two weapons clashed. She came face to face with an even uglier monster and it smiled maliciously at her.

"Pretty girls!" the creature shrieked. "Undrag wants fuck!"

Ciri's only response was to retreat at the Undrag's horribly bad breath. Almost as if he'd eaten a whole sewer rat, then washed it down with liquid shit. Her foot lashed out and caught the ghoulish man in the groin. Undrag howled and stumbled backwards.

Behind her, Triss came under attack again by Dendri. All his changeling abilities were on display as he consecutively changed from raven to lion, then to wolf and hawk. Triss' sorceress abilities were doing their best to combat the swift motions but Dendri was only slightly faster, his pecs as birds and his claws and bites as animals proved too much for her and she was forced to retreat from him.

Triss and Ciri found themselves back to back on the defensive. Undrag had gained the upper hand on her and Dendri was slowly approaching them, as if poised for a final strike. Suddenly, a fifth combatant came up behind Undrag and slit the freak's throat. Holding Undrag's limp body as a shield, he fired a small crossbow which whistled past Triss and Ciri's heads and landed directly in Dendri's forehead.

Both minions of Turnican fell to the grassy hillside as Triss and Ciri looked to see who their savior was. Geralt dropped the knife and crossbow and once again dropped to the ground, weakened, but not defeated. Triss and Ciri ran to his side.

Triss propped Geralt up on her arms. He smiled faintly. "I want to throw up right now."

Triss glanced at Ciri. "Not yet, Geralt."

/

Marvo knelt beside the bodies of his other two childhood friends. He still couldn't believe they'd betray the fragile brotherhood all Witchers share. Seeing their faces as he had been forced to slaughter them would haunt him more than the young face of Angella all those years ago.

"Marvo?" Yen asked, standing behind him. "I'm confused, Geralt has told me that Witchers don't feel. Only, in our time as allies, I've witnessed you convey more emotion than Geralt ever did."

Marvo stood up and turned to face her, shaking his head, he said. "Rumors. Geralt would have you believe they take all our feelings, they only dampen them. To arise in moments where emotion is an option, it's why I did not hesitate to kill them, but now I am filled with shame for it."

"Have things like this happened before?"

Marvo gave her a long sullen silence. "Once. 12 years ago, I was fooled into murdering a young girl. While doing it, I knew something was wrong but I killed her anyway. It was only after I split her ruthless father's skull did I truly contemplate what I had done." he glanced at the far door. "Now is not the time for further detail, we kill Turnican now."

Yen nodded in agreement, noticing his tone change as his mind returned to their task. He had been speaking truthfully and emotionally.

The duo walked to the door, ready for a fight. Marvo drew a steel sword and Yen prepared an incantation to assist them in battle. The barged the wide door open and swiftly moved inside, expecting a large escort of mailed knights and footsoldiers. Instead, only Turnican stood alone in his office.

Well, alone as in the only alive man in the room. His entire escort was dead. Hanging on the ceiling by various strands of innard and intestine in a demonic spider web. Turnican sat cross legged on the floor in front of a long desk, a giant sinister smile on his handsome face.

"Do you know what I am? I understand you have an extensive knowledge of Witcher bestiaries." Turnican asked calmly.

Marvo shrugged. "You look human, but these tendencies are like that of a…" he trailed off. Realizing the detail. "I don't know."

"Ha!" Turnican exclaimed, jumping to his feet. "I'm special? You know, my dear mother was raped by a Sentient of unknown origin. When I came of age, after I'd murdered an entire village with this affliction, I joined the Redanian army. I see my condition as a curse, a beneficial one mind you, but a curse nonetheless."

"I despise nonhumans, Marvo of Claremont and Lady Yennefer of Vengerberg. I despise them because I am one of them. A halfling sired by a monster. I swore before the King that I'd slaughter every nonhuman who stood in my way."

Turnican pointed his sword at them. "And that means you."

From his pocket, he brought out the vial of black liquid. "This kept me from showing what I truly was. No more. Fight fire with fire, so to speak."

Turnican dropped the vial on the stone floor and it shattered. The liquid oozed from the broken glass. It spread out slowly, almost like tar. Turnican began to grunt wildly. He let go of his sword and dropped to his knees. Turnican put both hands on his head as claws sprung from his fingers. Scales in shades of greens, browns, yellows, and even blacks dotted his skin as the clothing began tearing away under the pressure of his expanding body.

Grotesque spines sprouted along his back and his face twisted into a lizard like snout. His eyes became black as night. Turnican, or what he had let out stood up at full height. He was nearly eight feet tall and he was hunching. He tore away the remaining clothes, revealing the full body of reptilian scales underneath.

A deep rattle sounded at the base of his throat. "I will be the death of you, freaks. Then, I kill the other sorceress and the little bitch Cirilla."

Marvo promptly put away the steel and brought out the silver. "Come on then. We'll kill you first."

The Rampant laughed gutturally. "I won't fight you both. I've not flexed these muscles for quite some time. Cat!" he called.

None other the Cat of Cintra, Sonfrith bounded from the shadows. His yellow eyes focused on Marvo.

"You've got to be shitting." Sonfrith said. "You're still alive?"

Marvo returned a glare to Sonfrith of Cintra. "How did I not guess you'd betrayed us like Wigro and Evyn?"

Sonfrith stood up to his full height beside the Rampant. "You need to trust someone to be betrayed. Honestly Marvo, You were a fool to trust me. As was the old man Vesemir."

Marvo calmly glanced at Yen. "Think you could handle him?"

Yen studied him up and down. "Like swatting a fly."

Marvo shrugged. "Or a 215 pound cat."

Yen's hands burst into flame and she took a step in the direction of Sonfrith. Sonfrith crouched down as if he were to pounce, still embodying the School of the Cat. She hurled a ball of fire at him and he dodged it easily. Their battle continued on the far side of the room, leaving Marvo to deal with the Rampant.

The Rampant lunged at him, hissing like a snake as it bellowed towards him at more superior speeds than him. Marvo sidestepped the monster but was grabbed by the shoulder as it ran by. The two adversaries smashed through the wide door and back into the first room with Wigro and Evyn's corpses.

Marvo had no choice but to slash wildly to escape it's grasp. The blade scraped against the scaled breast of the Rampant. He squealed in pain and twisted around like a crocodile in water, smothering his prey. Marvo's sword was wrenched from his hands and over the guttural sounds Turnican was making Marvo could hear it clatter far from him.

Eventually, the Rampant tossed Marvo aside like a girl discarding a doll. He crashed to the floor on his side. Marvo could sense something inside him was broken but he couldn't relent now. He got to his feet and faced the Rampant, which stood on the other side of the room near a simple wooden table.

Marvo bent over and picked up his sword, never taking his eyes of the Rampant for a moment. The Rampant turned to the table and lifted it over his head with one arm and flung it at Marvo. Marvo took off running towards the Rampant, regardless of the table.

As it neared the floor and him, Marvo dropped to the ground in mid-sprint and slid under it. He rolled on his shoulder and bounded to his feet in a mere second of motion, catching the Rampant off guard.

Marvo plunged the silver into Turnican's stomach. Turnican's reptilian mouth shifted into a sort of twisted grin.

"That the best you got?" it hissed, unimpressed.

/

Yen dropped to knees warily. She was covered in cuts and bruises from the attacks inflicted by Sonfrith. Now, the former Witcher stood over her with a dagger at her throat. She stared up at him defiantly, this did not impress Sonfrith at all.

"You are a pretty woman, Lady Yennefer. A shame, I do have to kill you." his raspy tone said.

"Then do it already." She shot back.

Sonfrith's grip tightened on the knife. Only for a moment did he hesitate. In all his years, no victim of his didn't beg for life, she asked for it. Sonfrith frowned.

"No." he said. "You could be a far better opportunity to me alive, or at least mostly."

Yen cocked an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

Sonfrith chuckled. "Only certain people I've come into contact with over the years. People who make a living peddling people like you."

"Sorcerer slavers? Really?"

"Not exactly. There is a growing market for sorceresses out there. More of a fetish, really. Apparently, they like a little sorceress ass-"

Sonfrith didn't finish. Yen had gotten him talking long enough to prepare a spell silently. While he was distracted, rambling on about sorceress whores, she managed to knock his arm away from her throat. Sonfrith, even as agile as he couldn't react in time. Yen placed both hands on his chest and said the incantation as fast as she could.

A force similar to Aard only more contained and far more powerful. With a single motion, Sonfrith's entire torso burst apart. His arms and legs severed from the blow and dropped to the ground as his torso, head, and shoulders flew across the room.

Yen took a sigh of relief that he was finally dead. She collapsed on her back and stared up at the dim ceiling.

"I'm too aged for this shit." she said to herself. Surprising even herself that she was capable of cursing.

/

Marvo climbed onto the Rampant's back, stabbing it repeatedly to little effect. It mainly served the purpose of pissing it off. The Rampant reached behind itself, grabbed Marvo and threw him down to the floor.

"You are weak, Marvo of Claremont. Weakness means death." Turnican hissed.

The Rampant lifted it's right three toed foot and tried to stomp his head in and finish it all, but Witchers don't give up that easy. Marvo, still holding his sword with an iron grip brought it to his chest and allowed the monster's foot to plunge into it and come out the other side with a spurt of dark purple blood.

The Rampant shrieked and backed away, favoring it's right leg. Marvo balanced himself on his sword and climbed to his feet. Every single part of his body screamed in pain but somewhere in his mind, he knew he couldn't stop until this thing was dead or he was.

Marvo yelled with ferocity and sprinted towards the Rampant with his sword over his head. The Rampant lifted it's arm to block the attack but Marvo began hacking it at it with powerful strikes. Eventually, the entire arm cleaved off and fell to the floor.

The monster's remaining arm backhanded him away a short distance. The strike was so weak that Marvo knew he was running out of energy he couldn't recover at this point. Again, Marvo got to his feet and lunged towards the Rampant. Dodging another backhand, Marvo spun around and reached way up and caught Turnican across the throat.

The Rampant stumbled around a bit before collapsing to it's knees. The spines fell away, the scales disappeared and his face returned to normal. Now, the real Turnican emerged. Beaten, broken, and somehow still alive with a slit throat that was bleeding heavily and pouring down his bare chest. The only thing monstrous about him was the dull claws on one hand that remained.

Marvo walked up to him and fell to his knees in front of Turnican. Turnican chuckled. "After all that, this is how it ends? Two titans fighting to the death?"

Marvo shook his head. "I'm not a titan. I just came here to save a friend, you just got in my way."

Turnican chuckled. "Go on then, finish me."

Marvo groaned in pain and picked up his sword again. Grabbing Turnican with one arm around the back of his neck, Marvo plunged the sword into his stomach and out the other side.

Turnican grinned his bloody and broken teeth. Marvo realized it too late. Turnican lifted his still clawed hand and plunged them into Marvo's stomach. Now, the two combatants sat there, staring at each other as the realization set in. Neither of them was leaving this place.

Marvo pulled out his sword and Turnican collapsed to the ground finally dead. Marvo's fresh wound was now bleeding heavily. Behind him, Yen burst in at a very quick pace. She saw Marvo kneeling in front of Turnican's body and ran to him.

Yen grabbed him by the shoulders and tried to lift him to his feet. "We need to go. His soldiers are coming."

Marvo winced and shook his head. "I can't. Go."

Yen slapped him. "You need to see Ciri again!" she screamed. "Now get up!"

Marvo pushed her away and stood up on his own. He looked in her violet eyes with his own. "Remember what I said about emotion?" he brought his sword up in a defensive stance.

Outside the far doors, he could hear a large number of men waiting to storm their way in and kill them both. The number of them was going to overpower them.

"Tell Ciri…" he said slowly. "Tell her, I love her. Now and always." Marvo finished.

A tear fell down Yen's cheek. "You're going to tell her yourself!" she shouted.

The soldiers began barging on the large door. It wouldn't hold for very long.

Marvo grabbed her by the shoulder and squeezed her tight. "If I don't do this, you die too. No matter what, I will not let that happen. Now go!" he shouted at her.

Without another word of protest, a portal opened behind Yen and she stepped through to safety. Marvo sighed deeply and turned back to the door as the soldiers broke through. There were dozens of them. Marvo had faced worse odds but he was critically wounded. This would buy the others time to escape to a safe distance.

His mind blanked out. His mind empty as Marvo charged forward to certain death. As he reached the soldiers, he swung at them, killing several with one blow. With his spare hand, he casted signs left and right. Many soldiers lay dead around him but from the door ahead, Marvo could see even more coming. Never ending. His energy was draining, blood that was his and wasn't his poured down his face and his eyes. Marvo felt a sword slither into his ribs and another into his spine. Regardless of the pain, Marvo still swung his sword at the enemy.

Now, maybe 20 men had fallen to the Witcher. He had no energy left. Marvo collapsed to one knee, still swinging with one hand as more and more blades cut into his body. He dropped his sword as it became dull and began punching wildly. One last burst of energy sounded by a long and haunting scream from the Witcher's bloodied mouth. He bit and kicked his way into the center of their group.

Finally, the several swords, spears, axes, shields, pikes, daggers, fists, and even eating forks brought the Witcher down to his back. They all crowded around, stabbing him until they were certain he was finally vanquished. As the fighting stopped, the soldiers looked around. Dozens of them lay dead at the hands of a wounded Witcher.

Each soldier took off their steel helmets as they stood over Marvo's body, completely ignoring their leader's corpse. They all had found new respect for the warrior. The Redanians picked Marvo up and hoisted him over their heads. The group moved through the corridors of the fortress until their reached the forest. Together, they buried the Witcher in an unmarked grave deep in the wood where he would finally rest in peace.

/

Yen stumbled through the portal to see Ciri and Triss kneeling on either side of Geralt who was very much conscious. Ciri saw her first and jumped to her feet. She saw the portal close and no one else had came through.

"Marvo?" Ciri asked.

Yen's eyes fell to the ground. "We're alive because of him."

"No…" Ciri breathed. Big tears welled in her eyes and for the first time in her life, Ciri wept openly in front of Geralt, Triss, and the gods.

Geralt got to his feet and enclosed Ciri in his big arms. "I'm sorry." he said simply.

Triss put her arms around Ciri as well. "Come on. Let's go home."

/

20 Years Later…

Well, dear readers. That is his story. Marvo of Claremont was born to peasants in the forest and conscripted by Geralt of Rivia into the ancient order of Witchers. For 26 years, Marvo fought with arguably more ferocity than Geralt himself. He defeated the Scorched Knight at the Battle of the Pontar and infiltrated the base of the Knights of Roshytta, killing their half breed commander Sir Adius Turnican. Even found love in the unlikely Cirilla.

His legacy lives on now. Remembered as he lived and idolized as he died. In his honor, Geralt has taken permanent residence in Kaer Morhen, training a new generation of Witchers. Kaer Morhen is now known as Kaer Marvo to many. Cirilla has grown in age, but she has never loved after Marvo's death.

I write this story to shed more light on the epic tale that was Marvo of Claremont's heroic sacrifice. Unlike my other work, none of this is fantasized and is told exactly as it happened from the lips and pen of a man who was there and experienced it all.

I am old now, I will soon pass on. So, I give you this gift, the gift of knowledge. So that we aspire to reach the heights of Marvo's legacy.

My name is Julian Alfred Pankratz viscount de Lettenhove, others know me as Dandelion. This is my life's greatest work, and now it is at a close.