NOTICE: Managed to cross the Pontar late last night. Would rather not talk about my experience at the crossing. A local man has offered me shelter for the night. Tomorrow, I ride for Novigrad. Might go quiet for the next couple of days as I will be busy hitting the city's various establishments with some old mates. Hope I will be able to get back to writing soon. Now, enough about me, on with the story.
P.S.: I openly welcome reviews and criticism in order to improve both this story and future works.
"_"- Speech
'_'- Inner thoughts
[_] – Tier Spells/ Skills/ Martial Arts
{_} – Signs and Magic
3rd HUNT: Little Red Right Hand
"The inhabitants of Velen believe the expanse of caverns underneath the Devil's Pit are home to demons."
- description of Devil's Pit found on map
In a chamber deep beneath the earth, encased in stalagmites, there hung a witcher. No, it was more accurate to say that a body hung there. One inhabited by a great evil. It knew not how long it had been trapped here but it was sure a significant amount of time had passed. Still, time was on its side. One day some fool would wander into its prison and then it would be free. Oh, what plans it had for the world once it finally broke out of its salt cage.
Then, a sound broke the monotonous silence of its prison. Light footsteps were approaching the possessed cadaver. Could it be? Had the time for it to finally be free come? No, something felt off about the situation. While its reach was limited, it could still get a feeling for the goings on in the mine. It could tell that whoever it was that now stood before it hadn't come through the tunnels from the surface. The being's presence had just appeared in the chamber as if from nowhere.
The footsteps stopped at couple of meters away from the prison of stalagmites. The evil spirit could now they belonged to a man, or what seemed to be a man, dressed in red. A gloved hand reached down to inspect the semi-circle, drawn in salt, in front of the hanging corpse. After a few moments, the man seemed to lose interest in the barrier. He snapped his fingers and then there was fire, though that didn't seem to bother the one in red as he walked through it as if it was nothing.
At first, the trapped entity thought the flames had sprung up just in front of man but it soon noticed that the blaze was following along the outlines of the salt circle. Distracted by the spectacle, it missed just how close the man had gotten.
Regardless of the feeling of wrongness it was getting from him, the spirit knew that such an opportunity was unlikely to come again. It took control of the witcher's body, glowing red mist manifesting around it, but just as it was about to speak, the man's voice echoed in the chamber.
"[Silence.] "
No matter how much it tried, the words would not come out of the possessed corpse's mouth. It came to the sudden realization the being in front of it was very powerful. The face-splitting grin on its blue mask sent shivers down the entity's none-existent spine. Though the spirit couldn't see the thing's eye it could feel the being's inquisitive gaze pass over it.
"Now, what do we have here?"
"Beings that hate everything are truly fearsome."
Geralt was seeing red. Next to him, on the ground, lied Letho, a bolt sticking out of his chest.
After departing from Louis' camp, the party had swiftly made their way to Lindenvale. There wasn't a soul in sight. It appeared that the recent earthquake had spooked the peasants. With his enhanced hearing the witcher had caught their whispered prayers and pleas for mercy from behind the locked doors.
The house Vester resided in was easy to find on account of the large number of horses tied to the fence in front of it. It seemed Letho wasn't playing around, as the Viper had blown up a barn with a bomb to make their presence known. Geralt had to give it to him, he knew how to make an entrance. The blast had drawn the headhunter and his posse right out of the small village hut. As soon as they had shown their faces, Letho had instructed his companions to not intervene, no matter what happened.
What had fallowed was a short conversation between the Viper and the man after his head. One that had ended when Vester's arbalist, seemingly having panicked after Letho had directed a few threats his way, shot the witcher through the chest. That hadn't stopped the former assassin from gutting six of the bounty hunters, but alas by the time Geralt could reach the melee, Letho had already collapsed.
Vester tried to say something but the Wolf wasn't in the mood to listen to the murdering bastard. Instead, he drew steel and went to town on the remaining headhunters. Ironically most of them ended up losing theirs to the witcher's blade.
In the end, the thing that brought an end to Geralt's rampage was Momon's armored gauntlet stopping his sword mid-swing.
"Let go…"
"Only once you have calmed yourself."
"Letho is dead and you are telling me to calm down?!"
Geralt attempted to pull his blade out of the knight's grasp but it wouldn't budge. The witcher briefly considered using {Axii} to make him back off but something caught his attention. There was a peculiar smell in the air. It took the Wolf a moment to identify it. 'Zanguebarian venom. Something's fishy…' And indeed upon closer inspection Letho's chest was periodically rising and falling, though it was so imperceptible it could have fooled even the witcher.
"Have you calmed down?" Came Momon's concerned inquiry.
"Yeah… Mind helping me get him inside the hut."
The armored giant nodded before addressing Nabe and Hamsuke. "Nabe go report to Delores that her home is safe. Hamsuke, you make sure no one disturbs us."
He then proceeded to hoist Letho, of all people, up over his shoulder and carried him inside.
Half an hour later and the bald witcher stirred awake.
"Up and at them, sleeping beauty."
"Akh…You still here? Didn't expect to wake up to your face again."
"Huh. They'd 'ave cut your head off if I hadn't been here."
"So you proved useful after all."
"Coulda told me your plan."
"Heh, no fun in that."
"You all right? You're conscious, but the venom could still kill you. Got the antidote?"
"Mm, saddlebag. Take it in a minute. Couple of days, I'll be like new."
"What was the whole farce for?"
"Been on the run since Loc Muinne. Loads of pursuers. Almost got me this one time… Decided to end it all. Once and for all. Paid off Vester's arbalist. You saw the rest."
Momon, who had been quietly sitting on the sidelines all this time, chose this moment to finally break his silence. "And your friend. Was he a part of your plan?"
"Nah, a minor complication. Back on track, if Geralt here hadn't cut down every last witness, I'd be a free man. News of Letho of Gulet's death would have spread across the Continent. Told ya to not get involved. Now the plan is shot to shit."
"Could help you. Turn in your medallion." Suggested Geralt.
"As if Emhyr would believe that. He knows you would never kill me."
The Viper had a point. Still, there must be a way to get the nilfgaardians off Letho's back. Just when all hope had seemed lost, the Black One lookalike chimed in once again.
"The Emperor doesn't know me though. He would have no reason to suspect anything is off if I turn in proof of your demise."
"Could work. Gotta ask why though. If the White Flame realizes he has been made a fool, your head will roll. You look rather well-off, so it can't be the money and don't say you would do it out of the goodness of your heart. What are you after here?" Suspiciously asked Letho.
"That obvious is it? What I am after is spreading my name throughout the world. Claiming responsibility for your death would help towards that goal."
Briefly there was silence. Then Letho chuckled. The chuckle soon became full-blown laughter. The Viper took a moment to collect himself then spoke. "Knights, beneath all that fancy armor and chivalric codes, you are just the same self-serving bastards as the rest of us."
The bald witcher then reached for his medallion and with one quick motion snapped it off its chain. "Catch." He threw it to Momon. The knight pocketed the Viper shaped item and swiftly left the hut, making the excuse he needed to speak to his companions.
The moment his heavy footsteps faded into the distance, Geralt gave voice to an idea he had been toying with in his head.
"Say, if you really want to disappear, you could go to Kear Morhen…"
"Beings that hate everything are truly fearsome."
As the two witchers conversed inside the hut, Ainz was heading deeper into the village. He soon found himself standing before the door of Lindenvale's inn. Stepping through all noise inside ceased. The patrons of the establishment stared at his armored frame in awe. Spotting Narberal sitting on one of the more secluded tables, he quickly made his way over. It seemed that she had already taken the necessary steps to mask their conversation.
"Report."
"Yes lord. The woman is grateful for our actions and says she will make sure word of our deeds spreads throughout the area."
"Very good. But we now have another problem."
At Narberal's confused expression, the disguised magic caster elaborated. "Letho of Gulet. We're to claim responsibility for his demise. However, if anybody uncovers our lie, Momon's reputation would plummet. I would have liked to use him as a means to spread my name around but his continued survival poses a risk. When you get the chance, contact Demiurge and see if he might have any use for him."
"Understood."
"Now, if there is nothing else, we should be off to see that baron." With those words, the duo made their way out of the inn and towards the house Hamsuke was guarding. Ainz noticed that Letho's horse was missing. Geralt could be seen rummaging around through his saddlebags for something. The witcher soon took note of the pair's arrival.
"Letho's gone. Decided that spending any more time with the man who supposedly killed him would be counterproductive but he wants you to know he is grateful for what you have done."
"Think nothing of it. This helps me as much as him."
"Where will you go now?" Inquired the witcher.
"The baron at Crow's Perch has posted a notice. Seems his family is missing. I would like to talk to him about the job and some other things." At those words, an amused expression appeared on Geralt's face. Suddenly, Ainz got the feeling that his plan had just not so much gone up in smoke, but rather exploded into a [Vermillion Nova].
"Small world, am heading there myself. But I have some bad news for you. Baron's family – I found them. Just wanted to let you know. If you still want to speak to him you are free to come with me but if you would rather go our separate ways, I completely understand."
"No, no… It is fine. I can't fault you for taking the job first. But where did you even find them, asking from personal interest."
That was what came out from his mouth but in his mind, Ainz, thought something very different. 'Are you kidding me?! This entire field trip was for nothing! Now how am I supposed to get a pass?!' His frustration was short lived as his undead nature soon remedied his mood. With his new-found calmness, the Overlord reassessed his situation. He couldn't change the fact Geralt had already completed the request but perhaps that would prove a boon. Who wouldn't be in a good mood after their missing loved ones were returned and if the baron was in a good mood then he would probably be more open to giving away a pass for a lesser task. Yes, in the end it all worked out.
So deep in thought was he that he almost missed the witcher's answer to his question. "Baron's daughter is in Oxenfurt, seems to have joined up with the Witch Hunters and refuses to return to her father. As to his wife, things are a bit more complicated. She is being held captive in the swamp by powerful witches, the Crones of Crookback Bog."
'Huh?'
"Beings that hate everything are truly fearsome."
The young man ran for his life. The darkness of the tunnel made him trip and stumble but he still ran on, too afraid to stop and light a torch. His priest robes, covered in rips and tears, only further added to his plight as they restricted his movements and caught on the jagged rocks.
The deacon had felt something was wrong the moment he had laid eyes on the Devil's Pit. The noted absence of the deserters they had been sent to parlay with, only adding to the place's foreboding feeling. When he and his retinue had noticed that the mine had been opened, he had begged his guards to turn back and seek the help of a witcher. The witch hunters had simply laughed in his face and confidently stated that they were more than a match for whatever it was that awaited them in the depths, be it the deserters or the supposed evil spirit.
Their bravado had boosted his confidence and the clergyman had soon found himself descending into the mine's darkness. Not that he had much of a choice – either fallow the armed men or be left all alone in the midst of Velen's wilds.
The journey into the depths of the earth had started relatively well off. The men joking and laughing, as they made their way deeper. His position at the very back, offering the most protection, had made him feel safe and secure. So the deacon had joined in on the fun, sharing stories about his antics during his acolyte days. At the time, he had felt that nothing could go wrong.
Unfortunately, it appeared that some malicious being had sensed his thoughts and made it its personal goal to bring misfortune down on their heads. Quite literally in fact as a sudden quake collapsed a large portion of the ceiling, splitting the group in two. It was then that the horror had begun.
Malformed creatures had attacked them in the ensuing confusion. Yet the things sought not to kill them but instead drag them kicking and screaming into the darkness. It had seemed they weren't the only ones, as the priest could hear a similar picture play out on the other side of the blockage.
The young man had taken off sprinting the moment one of the hellspawn had locked its terrible gaze on him. He ran and ran and ran. He ran until he finally saw the light of day appear ahead of him. Even then he did not stop, instead choosing to bolt out of the mine and the Devil's Pit in general.
The priest only stopped running when he had reached Mulbrydale. 'A witcher… I need a witcher.' The evil in that mine was too great for any ordinary man to deal with, it seemed. Hopefully, the deacon would find or at least be told where he might find one in the village. Making his way towards the settlement, he could only wonder what the fate of his retinue was.
Unknown to him, they had been gathered in a chamber in the deepest part of the tunnels. The witch hunters were lined up before the witcher's now freed corpse, horrific creatures all around them. Everything about them, from age to physical condition, was being judged, evaluated. After what seemed like forever, a ghostly voice echoed from the cadaver "These ones won't do at all. They would keel over the moment I try to possess them. I require another witcher, a better and stronger one preferably."
"Apologies, but they don't just grow on trees. Are you absolutely sure one of these bodies isn't compatible?"
The captured men begun to tremble when the second voice had chimed in. The demon's, for what else could the abomination be, blue mask turned to face one of the captives, a burly man of around thirty years by the name of Bernhart. "How about this one. He looks like he could take a lot." The unfortunate soul began to cry. His quiet sobs driving the rest further into despair. The demon chuckled at the sound.
"I am sorry Lord Jaldabaoth. There are none here that fit even one of my criteria."
"I see. Well, at the very least I got some new livestock for the farm. Hopefully this batch produces some results. Take them away."
At those words, the captives were dragged one by one into a dark gateway by several of the larger creatures. The disfigured things cared not for the pleas and quashed the attempts to break free from their grasp as they haphazardly threw the prisoners through the portal. As the situation they were in slowly set in and their hope evaporated, the men lost their will to fight. The last to be carried off seemed more akin to a lifelike doll rather than a living being.
Once that was done, the blue-masked creature turned towards the possessed body. "It would seem you would have to just endure that body for a bit longer. For the moment you-"
The demon stopped mid-sentence. He placed to two fingers next to one of his long ears and stood there silently. After what seemed like forever, he finally whispered to himself.
"To think He would know about even this little project of mine. And here I thought this could serve as a nice little surprise gift for Him. His intellect is truly on another level."
"Lord, is everything alright?"
"More than alright actually. I think I may have just found a solution to your problem and it is headed our way."
"Huh?"
"Beings that hate everything are truly fearsome."
A sudden chill came over Letho. After parting with Geralt and his new acquaintances, the Kingslayer had decided to prepare before setting for the Wolf School. The Journey to the Blue Mountains would be long so provisions were a must. But see, he had a slight problem. Of the monetary kind. Being in hiding made taking on contracts neigh impossible. Sure, he had killed a few drowners for a couple of crowns here and there but those funds had quickly dried up.
But now that Letho of Gulet was dead, he could go back to what he liked doing – being a witcher. Of course he would do so under a fake name, one that he had already picked out – Edmen of Hagge. What could he say, he liked Aedirnian names. And if he could pull off imitating a blind monk, Letho was sure he could figure out a way to convincingly disguise his appearance. For now, the simple traveler's cloak, a parting gift from Geralt, would have to do.
He had stopped in a village by the name of Mulbrydale. Currently he was browsing notices for any interesting contracts in the area. 'Nothing of note. Guess drowners it is.' Just as he was about to take the piece of paper from board, a voice called out to him.
"Excuse me sir! You wouldn't happen to be a witcher, would you? I, no… Velen needs your help! There is evil underground! Please help! I'll pay whatever price you say!"
Turning around, the Viper was greeted with the sight of a young man in torn and tattered priest robes. 'Well, this is different.' The sudden commotion had drawn the entire village's attention. Not good for the incognito assassin.
"Calm yourself boy. Take a deep breath and tell what this is about."
"I… Yes… Panic would do nothing. You see, there is this mine nearby, the Devil's Pit. A… Something lurks in it. A spirit that breeds pestilence and whispers in the dark. The Church had the tunnels sealed shut but recently some deserters had made the Pit their camp. It seems they didn't heed our warnings to not go into the mine. My retinue and I, we were sent to make them see reason, to leave. Alas, we arrived too late and the bandits had already unsealed the entrance. We went in after them and then… then… There is something down there, witcher. Something evil and it wants out."
"Hmm, a pesta… Or maybe… Finally something that isn't another drowner hunt. Name's Edmen of Hagge, by the way. Let's say – 250 crowns. That's my price."
"Whatever you say, sir. Just get rid of whatever is down there…"
'No haggling? This might actually be pretty serious. Gotta tread carefully.'
"I'll take the job. Now, point me to this mine, priest."
The place was a short ride away from Mulbrydale but by the time Letho got there, the sun was already setting. As the witcher entered the quarry, his instincts screamed at him to turn back. Ignoring the small voice inside his head, telling him that 250 crowns weren't worth it, the Viper soon found himself before the mine's entrance. 'Does give off a bad feeling.'
Still, he wasn't some greenhorn that would just run away at the first sign of trouble. Lighting a torch, the Kingslayer began his descent. Normally he would have preferred to take a Cat potion but he had none on him at the moment. The Viper soon found where the priest and his retinue were attacked. 'Poor bastards didn't make it far.' A blast from {Aard} and the blockage was blown away, clearing the way forward. 'No bodies just like the boy said. And no sign of the monsters.' Proceeding deeper, the ruined remains of a wooden structure appeared from the darkness.
Wasn't long before he found something interesting in it. A glowing {Yrden} glyph illuminated a small desk. Upon it lied a note. Quickly scanning the writing, Letho was left with more questions than answers. 'Something like a new ghoul species? Still, I better watch out for the ones with nails in them' Pocketing both note and glyph the witcher continued his journey into the mine.
He soon reached a set of doors, another note, held in place by a knife, stuck to them. "Been here a while." Observed Letho. However, what he read in it made the Viper go on full alert. 'A witcher becoming sick? Experimenting with something similar to Petri's Philter? Impossible…But…No, can't be. What are the chances one of them would be in Velen? Must be something else.' He knew of one monster that could produce what both the priest and the note described, however it was rare. Very rare. " I don't like this. Gotta find this recipe the note mentions. Good thing I have some celandine on me."
Now on guard, the former assassin passed through the doors, ready to jump back if the need arose. Suddenly, a torch light itself, illuminating the path before the witcher. A ghostly voice could be heard calling for help from deeper still. "Hmm, trying to lure me into a trap. Damn thing almost sounds sincere."
Even though he realized that, Letho knew that if he wanted to find whatever was down here with him, he would have to fallow the pleas. Continuing down the path, the witcher soon came across a crudely done engraving on one of the walls. One in the shape of a wolf's head medallion. "So, Reinald was from Geralt's School. Seems like the wolves always find themselves in the worst situations. And what's this on the floor…"
It was as stain of long-dried blood. The priest had mentioned about something the mine being used to quarantine plague victims. 'Hemorrhagic fever of some sort. Not a nice way to go.' In a nearby room, the Viper found a skeleton. He got a wrong feeling from it but as he was missing his medallion he couldn't tell if it was just a hunch or if the bones were actually radiating a dark presence.
It seemed that his little delay was upsetting for the voice as it prodded him to hurry up. Seeing nothing else to investigate around Letho prepared to venture down the shaft.
'Into the beast's lair it is then.'
Author's Notes:
Will be busy playing Armored Core (So hyped!) for the next couple of days, so updates will slow down a bit.
Happy Armored Core day Ravens! See you all on Rubicon.
Fox out!