The Witcher: Part XLIX
The Sword of Death
Previously, on The Witcher:
Team Witcher have arrived at the city of Kaer Morhen, which is just below the Palace of Death at the summit of the Mountain of Death. They need only to wait for noon, as the Palace of Death opens only at that time.
Their journey is almost at an end. The unification of the world is at hand.
The journey concludes...
It was a bright morning in Kaer Morhen. Team Witcher were sleeping in the Witcher's quarters, a special wing created by the greybeards. Geralt sat up, and gently roused the rest of Team Witcher.
"It's time to awaken," he said to Lady Feudalism and Ciri and Christian White. "We don't want to be late for our destiny."
The others slowly and groggily rose.
"Come on, let's go," he said.
Geralt summoned the magick carpet, and positioned it outside the window.
"Okay, we're ready," said Lady Feudalism, with determination in her voice. "This is it. This is the day we've been waiting for." Team Witcher climbed aboard the magick carpet and they flew away from Kaer Morhen.
Before long, they reached the peak of the Mountain of Death once again. Geralt parked the magick carpet at the base of the stairs leading up to the Palace of Death.
He looked to his team.
"This is it," he said. "Let's go."
They slowly climbed the stairs, up to their final destination.
The black walls of the Palace of Death reflected some of the sun's glare, showing how neatly polished the walls were.
Geralt stood before the marble orb with the keyhole.
Vesemir appeared from the shadows. "It is now noon," he said. "It is time for you to face your destiny, Witcher."
Geralt looked to Lady Feudalism, and then to Ciri, and then to Christian White.
"Here I go," he said.
Geralt grabbed the Key of Death, and thrust it into the lock.
At first, it seemed as though nothing happened. But then, the ground began to shake.
And suddenly, a vertical red beam shot out of the marble orb up into the air. The red colour spread across the sky, turning the sky a calamitous crimson.
"Why did that happen?" asked Geralt.
"It's a stylistic thing Jesus added when he designed the place," replied Vesemir. "It creates a nice climactic feeling."
Suddenly, the giant double door of the Palace of Death lurched open, and behind it was darkness.
"Okay," said Geralt. "Let's go and get the Sword of Death."
Team Witcher slowly, tentatively, walked through the doors of the Palace of Death. The inside was dimly lit by everlasting torches.
Team Witcher walked through the large entrance hall, their steps echoing through the air. The walls and floor were made of the same black stone as the outside of the Palace of Death.
At the end of the entrance hall, there was another door, which Geralt opened, revealing a series of stairs leading up. Team Witcher slowly walked up the staircase.
At the top was the Chamber of Death.
There were sixteen black monoliths in the chamber, eight on the left and eight on the right.
"This is an... unsettling place," said Ciri.
"I know," said Geralt, his voice echoing through the chamber. "It's designed to be creepy."
Team Witcher walked down the path between the monoliths.
At the end of the path was a slightly raised platform.
Sitting on the platform was a large rock.
And wedged inside the rock was the Sword of Death.
Its hilt was elaborately designed, with a black jewel in the pommel and a depiction of a bloodlusted Jesus carved into it. Its blade was black.
Geralt stepped up to the raised platform.
"This is the end of the journey," said Geralt. "All I need to do is draw the sword from the stone and then I will be the supreme ruler of the world."
"Do it, Geralt," said Lady Feudalism.
Geralt nodded, and wrapped his hands around the hilt. The Sword of Death was very firmly sealed into the rock. Geralt pulled as hard as he could, using magick to make him stronger.
After about half a minute of straining and pulling, the Sword of Death suddenly slipped out from the rock.
Geralt fell over backwards from the force he was applying.
"He's done it!" said Lady Feudalism.
"The Witcher has won!" said Christian White.
"Go Geralt!" said Ciri.
Geralt got up and brushed himself down with his left hand, and he raised the Sword of Death up into the air victoriously.
"We have won," said Geralt. "The world is ours."
Lady Feudalism, Ciri, and Christian White clapped and cheered.
Then, suddenly, Vesemir entered the Chamber of Death. "I'm sorry to interrupt your celebration," said Vesemir. "But I'm afraid you... haven't quite won yet."
Geralt's face fell. "What do you mean?" he asked.
"You see... the Sword of Death... is currently inactive. You can't actually control people with it," replied Vesemir.
"What?" said Geralt. "How do I activate it, then?"
"There is but one way to activate it," said Vesemir. "The Sword of Death only activates when it is stained with the blood of your greatest enemy."
It took a few moments for Geralt to register what Vesemir was saying.
"So... I'm going to have to fight Hitler," said Geralt.
"You're going to have to kill Hitler," replied Vesemir. "Anyone hit by the Sword of Death dies. That's why it's called the Sword of Death."
Geralt stepped down from the platform, and dropped the Sword of Death to the ground. He buried his face in his hands.
"I know you have very strong morals, Witcher," said Vesemir. "But I'm afraid that... just for today, you're going to have to ignore-"
Geralt pushed Vesemir back with a sudden Fus Ro Dah.
"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND, VESEMIR!" he cried. "I CAN'T JUST IGNORE MY MORALS!"
"You can't give up on your quest either," said Vesemir.
"GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!" yelled Geralt to Vesemir.
Vesemir scrambled out of the Chamber of Death. Geralt sat down on the edge of the raised platform, and was silent for a bit.
Then, he slowly looked up.
"What do I do?" he asked.
"Lady Feudalism... you've been with me the longest... what do I do?"
Lady Feudalism rubbed her chin. "I think that... you must kill Hitler," she said. "Remember that Hitler is an incredibly evil man."
"Remember that Hitler killed your father."
"Remember that Hitler killed Iorverth!" she cried bitterly. "You must kill Hitler! That was Iorverth's last wish, and it is my wish also."
Geralt turned away from Lady Feudalism. "I know Hitler is bad," said Geralt. "But... I can't justify killing him."
Geralt turned to Ciri.
"You're the oldest of our group... tell me what I should do."
Ciri thought for a few moments. "I really think you have no choice," said Ciri. "Adolf Hitler must die for the good of the world. And if you want to succeed on this quest... if you truly want world unification... you must kill Adolf Hitler."
Geralt looked down at the ground and then looked up again. "Christian White... you're a man of God," he said. "You're not a killer. Tell me what I should do."
"It was God's will that you come up here and collect the Sword of Death," said Christian White. "God knew that you'd have to kill Hitler. I believe it was God's will that Hitler dies. So I believe you should kill Hitler. It is your destiny, as the seventh Witcher, to restore balance to the world by killing Adolf Hitler."
Geralt picked up the Sword of Death and paced up and down the Chamber of Death. "It looks like I have no choice," said Geralt, finally. "This is the purpose for which God returned me to Rivia. And I must fulfill that duty."
"I will... I will kill Adolf Hitler."
The White Wolf, Geralt of Rivia, stood holding his two swords, with his long white hair streaming behind.
"I am ready," he said.
Right on cue, the Chamber of Death began to shake.
Vesemir hurried back up into the Chamber. "He's almost here, Witcher!" yelled Vesemir. "Adolf Hitler is almost here!"
An army of Nazi Elf Draugr flowed into the Chamber of Death. Lady Feudalism drew Iorverth's sword and began to mercilessly stab and slice at the Nazi Elf Draugr. Christian White smacked them with his ceremonial staff. Ciri used her portal gun to move the Nazi Elf Draugr to the ceiling so they would fall down to the ground and die.
"We'll hold them off," said Lady Feudalism.
"Geralt, you need to go and face Adolf Hitler now," said Vesemir.
Geralt tore open a hole in the side of the Palace of Death using magick, and he looked into the distance. Quickly approaching from the horizon was a giant airship. Geralt summoned the magick carpet and he flew towards the airship.
After a minute, Geralt could make out a figure standing on the bow.
It was Adolf Hitler.
Geralt continued to move closer until he was barely thirty metres away from his archenemy.
Suddenly, Geralt heard magickek-amplified music: Adolf Hitler's theme.
"Finally!" yelled Hitler. "Finally I get to meet you, WITCHER!" And... oh what AN HONOUR it is to meet you!"
"I'm not here to chat," said Geralt. "I'm here to kill you."
"Really?" said Hitler. "You think you have a chance against me?!"
Hitler suddenly discarded the black robe he was wearing, revealing a surprisingly muscled physique.
"I am the White Wolf," said Geralt. "I am the seventh Witcher, I am the future Emperor of the world, I am Geralt of Rivia, holder of the Sword of Death, and it is my destiny to end your life."
"I am the Emperor of the Southern Continent," replied Hitler. "I am the Witchest, so I have magickek which is more powerful than your petty magick. You have no chance to win this fight, Geralt."
"Because I AM LITERALLY HITLER!"
"MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Hitler's orchestra started to play 'Duel of the Fates'.
Hitler flew up into the air, and shot a massive bolt of lightning at Geralt. Geralt dodged out of the way, and flew the magick carpet further up into the air. Geralt then conjured a massive fireball: bigger than the one he used to wipe out the Himmlers.
He fired it at Adolf Hitler.
Hitler made no attempt to dodge it, instead shielding himself from the flames as they wrapped around him. Then Hitler shot a vaporisation beam at Geralt.
Geralt moved out of the way, and shot a blast of compressed air at Hitler. Hitler blocked the blast with his arm, and fired several discs of energy at Geralt.
Geralt pulled out Smite and blocked the discs. Then Geralt shot some sword beams back at Hitler.
Adolf Hitler moved out of the way, and flew further up into the air, rising up into the atmosphere. Geralt flew the magick carpet up higher, chasing Hitler.
"DIE!" screamed Hitler, shooting lightning down at Geralt.
Geralt dodged, and fired an ice beam at Hitler. Hitler continued to rise up into the atmosphere. The air was getting very thin.
"Can't breathe?" said Hitler. "MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
He shot a barrage of vaporisation beams and lightning bolts at Geralt. Geralt dodged them all, but absorbed one lightning bolt and redirected it straight at Hitler's face.
Hitler dodged.
Geralt was being quickly fatigued in the low air environment.
He flew up to Hitler, and punched Hitler in the stomach. "AARGH!" yelled Hitler.
Geralt then used magick to separate the air around Hitler's head, trying to suffocate Hitler. Hitler deflected the vacuum and redirected it to Geralt's head. Geralt ducked and created another massive fireball, and then shot it at Hitler.
Hitler dodged, and shot a massive vaporisation beam at Geralt. In the thin air, Geralt almost didn't move fast enough. He only just got out of the way, but the vaporisation beam hit the magick carpet, and the magick carpet was no more.
Without the carpet to steady him, Geralt began to fly awkwardly and erratically. Hitler shot a series of compressed air blasts at Geralt, and Geralt failed to dodge them. The air blasts were so strong that Geralt briefly passed out.
Geralt fell down out of the crimson sky, and Hitler followed, shooting vaporisation beams at Geralt.
Geralt awoke just in time, but Hitler airblasted Geralt again, sending him hurtling through the wall of the Palace of Death. Part of the wall crumbled down as Geralt landed in the entrance hall.
Hitler landed gracefully, and drew his sword, with its long red blade. Geralt stood up slowly, and drew the Sword of Death.
Hitler ran forward and sliced.
Geralt parried and stabbed.
Hitler jumped back and stabbed at Geralt.
Geralt parried, and rolled behind Hitler and sliced Hitler's back.
Hitler quickly turned around and blocked the blow with such force that Geralt flew back into the corner of the room. Hitler ran into the corner and stabbed at Geralt.
Geralt parried.
"You will die, Geralt," said Hitler. "Just like how I killed Iorverth and Korin, I shall also kill you."
Hitler sliced at Geralt thrice, and Geralt only barely parried each time. Hitler shot lasers from his eyes at Geralt, and Geralt only barely moved out of the way.
"Come on Witcher, you can do better than that!" mocked Adolf Hitler. Hitler sliced again.
Geralt parried.
Just then, Lady Feudalism, Ciri, and Christian White, fighting the hoard of Nazi Elf Draugr, appeared in the entrance hall.
"Christian Grey..." said Hitler. "I killed you!"
Christian White smiled and winked at Hitler. Hitler, enraged, ran forward at Christian White with his sword.
"Stop it, father," came a voice from the other end of the room. Team Morally Ambiguous had arrived, with Severus Hitler in the lead.
"I killed you as well!" yelled Adolf Hitler. Enraged, Hitler ran forward to kill his son. Hitler sliced at Severus.
Geralt got up and blocked the blow, saving Severus' life. Geralt then sliced and stabbed at Hitler, and Hitler moved back, into the corner.
"DIE, WITCHER!" screamed Hitler, slicing furiously at Geralt. Geralt parried and blocked.
And then Hitler sliced, vertically, one more time. Geralt was too slow to parry, and the slice connected with Geralt's face.
Geralt's vision went red.
"MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" laughed Adolf Hitler.
TO BE CONTINUED
IN
THE WITCHER: PART L
THE ASCENSION OF THE WITCHER