I do not own Witcher or any of the characters.
Exterminators
Eldin narrowed his eyes as he watched Bodwel. Finally, after a moment of neither moving, Bodwel lunged, slashing. Eldin deflect the blade and stepped forward, spinning and getting behind Bodwel before hooking his foot and driving an elbow into his back, tripping him. As Bodwel hit the ground, Eldin turned, deflecting a sloppy slash and knocking the blade aside before holding his own to Bodwel's throat.
"You've gotten better," Bodwel smirked.
"Of course I have," Eldin smirked. "Did you think I was doing nothing the last ten years while I was traveling with a skill elven warrior?"
"Well, I figured you were at least keeping up on your cardio and endurance training," Bodwel said as Eldin hauled him to his feet.
Eldin smirked, shaking his head, then looked over at where Renfri and Aralyn were sparring. Both of them were able to give a few of the Witchers a run for their money in a sparring match, and Eldin couldn't be more proud.
"Geralt!" Coen called, Eldin glancing around and realizing that Geralt and Vesemir had just returned from laying Eskel to rest. "You've got to see this."
They followed Coen at a fast jog until they reached the same obstacle course Eldin had grown up training on. Its obstacles were swaying boards, swinging logs, a set of spinning bone spikes arranged in four rings that turned counter to the set above or below it, several places with large gaps between pegs sticking out of a mountain, a platform that was hanging from ropes, making it swing, and a pair of chains just before the final platform where the exit ladder was. And there, just passing the spinning spikes by ducking under the second-lowest set while stepping over the bottom set's, was Ciri. Once past the spinning spikes, she passed through the rest of the less painful or dangerous obstacles quickly. While passing across the pegs in the cliff face, she nearly fell, but managed to climb back to her feet and continued. Then, just as she jumped to the final platform, she landed wrong and bounced off to the side, crashing down hard.
Geralt walked over, looking between her and the platform, then back. "So close."
"I can do it," Ciri said.
"No," Geralt said. "You're done training for today."
Ciri glared at him, then sighed, nodding and following him back toward Kaer Morhen. As she did, Lambert sighed, securing a rope to stop the obstacles, then tied the rope off. Eldin led Aralyn and Renfri back toward the keep as well, then through it toward the armory. After a month of putting it off, he had finally made up his mind. Although he'd grown quite fond of the sword he'd received from Aralyn's father, it wasn't truly his, and rightfully belonged to her. And besides that, it was time for him to finally take up the inheritance that he had never wanted. He stopped at the door to the armory, turning to her and Renfri.
"Here," Eldin said, holding the sword out to Aralyn. "This belongs to you."
"What, are you retiring?" Renfri asked.
"No, but my father, or at least, the closest thing to a father I had, my mentor before Vesemir, before the attack here that claimed so many Witcher lives, left a sword for me to wield," Eldin said. "I refused to touch it in part because it reminded me that I lost him, and in part because I always blamed him for me having no choice but to be a Witcher. So Vesemir and I made a deal. At the time, I never thought I'd see the end of being a Witcher, so I never cared about anything besides being a Witcher. Vesemir used that to make a condition in which I would take up my father's sword."
"What condition?" Aralyn asked, tying her father's sword to her waist.
"If I ever found something to dream of beyond the end of my time as a Witcher, it would mean I finally learned the most important lesson my father tried to teach me that I ignored entirely because of my spite toward him," Eldin said. "I don't even remember those lessons, but I remember they were there. Things he would say from time to time that I wouldn't acknowledge. Anyway, I finally found that thing. You two."
Both of them smiled adoringly, and he kissed them both before stepping into the armory. A dozen shelves were lined with swords, both silver and steel, but his father's was the only one that was spotless, untouched by time or dust. Eldin walked over to it and gazed at it in a mixture of awe, fondness, and disgust. The weapon had a three-and-a-half foot, double-edged blade with a narrow fuller along the first half of the blade, a wolf identical to Eldin's medallion decorated one side of the guard in the center, the arms of the guard extended outward at an angle, like a "Y" but with the arms bearing a resemblance to a lightning bolt as well, with a single deviation at the center of the guards for seemingly aesthetic purposes. The grip of the sword was smooth and black, long enough for two hands with a metal ring between the section of grip that would be occupied by each hand. The pommel was a rectangle of metal with each side bearing a small, wolf's head carving sticking out from them. As he lifted the sword, glowing blue runes spread from the hilt along the first three quarters of the blade, and he took a slow breath before inspecting the blade, nodding to himself.
"What are those markings?" Renfri asked.
"It's a protection spell," Eldin said. "Similar to the one on Aralyn's father's sword. This blade will never dull or break. And the edges...that's stupid."
"What?" Aralyn asked.
"The front edge is silver," Eldin said, holding the sword up so that the wolf head on the guard was outside, then turned the sword around in his hand so it was inside. "The back edge, however, is steel."
"That's an interesting choice," Aralyn said. "Useful, though. You don't have to carry two swords, still."
"Yes, but a silver sword will kill a human as easily as a steel one, so there's no real need for me to have a steel edge," Eldin sighed, turning the sword right way around again before picking up its scabbard and sheathing it, then attaching it to his belt. "My father was just lazy, that's all."
Aralyn and Renfri didn't respond, knowing he was just venting the excess emotion holding the sword had caused to swell up. Eldin glanced around at the other weapons in the room before leading the pair outside again. As he stepped out of the keep, Vesemir looked over, saw the sword, and smiled proudly. Eldin merely nodded mutely and drew it, turning to Aralyn, who drew her father's sword from her side. Then, as one, they both struck, their blades clashing melodically over and over as they all but danced around each other. Both were felt slightly off with the unfamiliar blades, Aralyn's own sword being slightly longer and slimmer than her father's and Eldin having gone a decade with a single-edged, curved blade, but after about fifteen minutes of sparring, both had adjusted to the weapons. Finally, they sheathed their weapons just as Geralt walked out of the keep in his new, black, studded leather armor, Ciri just behind him.
"You did well on your armor," Eldin commented. "Where are you going?"
"Ciri has been feeling a pull toward the woods," Geralt said, "and I need to know why."
"Want some company?" Eldin asked.
Geralt nodded. "I'd appreciate it. Besides, you need a real test with that blade, not just a sparring match with your lover, who's as reluctant to risk hurting you as you are her."
Eldin rolled his eyes. "Don't make me fight you."
Geralt smirked, and he and Ciri walked over to Roach, climbing on as Eldin and Aralyn climbed onto their horse and Renfri onto her own. Together, they all rode out of the keep and along the mountain path toward the forest. However, shprtly after reaching it, they stopped as Eldin and Geralt's medallions vibrated. Eldin narrowed his eyes and dropped off of his horse, Aralyn and Renfri doing the same.
"What is it?" Ciri asked.
Eldin looked around carefully, then drew his sword. "Geralt, you and Ciri go on."
"You sure?" Geralt asked.
"Yeah," Eldin nodded, holding his sword at his side. "Find out what's pulling Ciri."
Geralt nodded and spurred Roach ahead at a quick trot. As he did, Eldin turned away from them, walking about fifty feet before stopping, Aralyn and Renfri joining him, both with their silver swords in-hand.
"What is it?" Aralyn asked.
"The worst thing the two of you will have fought since joining me," Eldin said evenly. "Treants."
Just then, a tree ahead of them began to move. It swayed first one way, then the other before bending toward them. It looked like an oak tree, but as it bend forward, a trio of cracks split into the top, creating a mouth and eyes. A pair of branches bent down, becoming arms ending in thick, knotted buldges like clubs, and the trunk split in two, becoming a pair of legs that tore free of the ground. It roared, the sound coming out as the shriek of wood being pried apart, stabbing into Eldin and the others' ears, and as it began to lumber toward them, its body creaked and groaned. And then, a pair of other trees were suddenly ripped from the ground further to Eldin's right, breaking and being cast aside as a secomd Treant arrived. Unlike the first, which was more tree than creature, this one could have been a moss-covered Fiend, if not being made entirely of wood. It released the same piercing shriek as the first as Eldin drained an Elixir.
"What do we do?" Aralyn asked, all three backing away slowly as the pair of Treants stalked toward them.
"I thought Treants were controlled by Druids or Dryads!" Renfri asked.
"Maybe Eskel's Leshy was different after all," Eldin said, crouching slightly as the Treant Fiend's body began to creak and groan, warning of an impending charge. "Distract the tall one while I deal with this one."
Both of the girls nodded, and a moment later, the Treant Fiend shrieked and charged. All three dove aside, and as it skidded to a stop, Aralyn and Renfri charged the taller, currently-slow-moving Treant, Eldin charging the Fiend. It roared, swiping at him with all the speed of a true Fiend, and when he ducked under the swipe, it uprooted and shattered a tree as easily as a true Fiend wood. Then, Eldin stood beside it, slashing it along the side, his blade cutting through it with only slightly more resistance than Aralyn's father's sword would have, and that only because of the blade's shape. As he dodged away from the Treant, it whipped its head around, attempting to gore him with its root horns, missing by an inch. Eldin's arm snapped up and a stream of flames roared from his palm, washing over the Treant Fiend which shrieked in pain, rearing up and retreating, its entire body engulfed in flames. As soon as its front legs hit the ground, it shrieked, all but hurling itself at Eldin, and he only barely managed to roll aside. It crashed through several trees, spreading flames to them before skidding to a stop and beginning to turn. However, as it did, Eldin drove his sword hilt-deep in its side then roared in effort as he formed the Aard hand-sign with his fleft hand against the pommel of the sword, channeling the Sign's magic along the blade, and a moment later, the Treant Fiend's body exploded apart violently.
Eldin turned on the other Treant instantly just as it swiped a branch across the ground at Aralyn and Renfri. Aralyn nimbly leapt over the branch, but Aralyn tried to dodge out of range, only to be raked across the front by the small branches on the end, the force throwing her aside as they tore into her skin, fortunately shallowly. Eldin charged, and leapt over a swipe as it triedtl to attack him, then slashed it down the front. It shrieked, staggering backward a single step, then blasted it with Igni, this time as a wall of flames akin to an explosion. The Treant shrieked in pain and raised both arms, then swung them downward. Eldin dove to the side, rolling to his feet before lunging, slashing the treant across the front of one of its legs. It shrieked, stepping backward, and Aralyn slashed its other leg. It began to turn, following Eldin as he circled it, but before it could catch up to him, Eldin slashed its leg a second time, this time with Igni channeled into his blade. It managed to cut through the leg entirely, this time, and Eldin lunged to its head and drove his blade into its face. It shrieked, thrashing in slow motion as the super-heated blade ignited the Treant, the fire spreading both outside and in. Eldin ripped the blade back out and stepped back as the Treant struggled to rise. However, the fire had spread quickly and had devoured its body quickly, and as it tried to push itself up with its arms, its upper arms shattered and it collapsed back to the ground.
Eldin sighed, stepping backward and leaning back against a normal tree. He raised a hand and sent out a blast of Aard into the flames the Treant Fiend had spread around the forest around them, extinguishing them. "You okay, Renfri?"
Renfri groaned, pushing herself up. "My face had better heal."
She had several scratches across her face, mostly on her cheeks and one on her forehead, but one arm also had a couple of larger cuts. Aralyn had a few minor scratches, and Eldin was, as per usual, unharmed.
"That was a lot closer than usual," Aralyn said. "Still, it could have been worse."
"Wait for it," Eldin said, pushing off the tree.
A moment later, a trio of massive centipedes, each as wide across as Eldin's head and with legs three-quarters the length of Eldin's arms, burst from the ground around him, only for him to spin, severing all three of them. Another burst up in front of Aralyn, only for her to slash it almost as smoothly as Eldin could. However, a moment later, one exploded up behind Renfri that was much, much larger than the others. It was as wide as Eldin was tall from his waist to the crown of his head, and was likely over a hundred feet long with a mouth ringed with jagged, horrible teeth. Its feet were tipped in wicked spikes, and its first six were jagged, sickle-shaped blades. In the blink of an eye, it coiled around Renfri, entrapping her completely, only for Eldin's Quen, formed into a complete, shining, golden aura over her body to stop it crushing her. Aralyn lunged, moving to strike, only for Eldin to tackle her aside, its bladed legs exploding into him and sending him bouncing away.
Eldin snarled, pushing himself to his feet, and pulled out a bottle of a shimmering blue fluid. He drained it, then sealed the metal-reinforced, glass phial, stowing it as his pale flesh drained even further of color, the inky black veins darkening further until they stood out clearly. Then, he charged, one arm snapping out. A blast of Aard slammed into the Giant Centipede's head, knocking its strike off to the side, away from Aralyn. It shrieked angrily, coiling tighter around Renfri, only for the Quen shield around her to suddenly burst, forcing its body loose around her at the same time as throwing her out of its grasp. As she bounced and rolled down its body, Eldin leapt over her, slashing at it, only for one bladed leg to block his blade and another to slam into his side, hurling him. He crashed to the ground, using his arm to cushion his head and flipped to his feet just in time for his arm to snap up, a spherical Quen barrier appearing around Aralyn, blocking a swipe by the Giant Centipede's legs partially.
The barrier exploded apart instantly, but deflected the strike, the force of it bursting also hurling Aralyn away from it. Renfri slashed the centipede across the side, but it merely shrieked, lunging at her. Another blast of Aard exploded into its front end, deflecting it to the side and sending it exploding to the ground. Eldin and Aralyn rushed it instantly, but it shot backward, retreating into the ground just before a few dozen smaller Giant Centipedes, the same size as those from before the massive one had arrived, burst from the ground. Several spat globs of acidic venom at them, but they dodged around them, slashing at any within range. Renfri and Eldin both caught one each, but Aralyn's evaded her by ducking back underground. Eldin snarled in annoyance. He glanced at them, then down at his satchel.
"Run!" he snapped. "I have to use it!"
Both nodded, but as they turned to flee, the ground began to be ripped apart in a wave around them, uprooting trees, tearing a deep trench around them, and filling it with sharp bits of shattered wood, the trees adding to the barrier around them, trapping them in an impromptu arena. Eldin swore harshly instantly, spinning and slashing off the front ends of a pair of centipedes as they lunged at him. Aralyn and Renfri both slashed one just before the massive centipede exploded from the ground again, aiming for Aralyn again. Eldin jabbed an arm at it, blasting it off to the side, and this time, Aralyn scored a gash along its side, removing that side's bladed legs as well as wounding the centipede deeply. Then, in a flash, its rear end was free of the ground and flipped, stabbing at her with its spear-like back legs.
Eldin's arm snapped out toward Aralyn and a blast of Aard slammed into her, not hard enough to hurt her but enough to throw her out of the way of the strike. Aralyn contorted in mid air, landing on her feet and slashing, severing several of the smaller variety as Eldin blasted several with Igni, not killing them but stunning them long enough for Renfri to pass, slashing them. Eldin focused, utilizing all of his senses to try and predict the massive centipede's next strike. Finally, he heard it coming for him and dodged aside, his skip-step barely getting him out of the way. As the centipede arced over him, he slashed along its underside, then out to the side as he stepped out of the way, and a moment later, its body crashed to the ground. He turned, slashing along its side before leaping backward, avoiding a small centipede.
"This thing is pissing me off!" Eldin snarled, spinning and slashing a smaller centipede just as it burst from the ground behind him.
"We need a plan!" Renfri shouted. "What do we do?"
"Survive!" Eldin shouted, sprinting and dodging past several centipedes, slashing each as he past.
Before he could react, the massive one exploded up from directly below him, hurling him away before the centipede began to fall directly toward him. He rolled to the side before blasting the centipede, barely managing to deflect it. Then, three more burst from the ground around him, only for Aralyn to slash all three as Renfri leapt onto the massive one's back, driving her blade into it before ripping it backward, then dove off again before it burrowed into the ground.
Eldin shoved himself to his feet, snatching up his sword, then hurled himself forward, tackling both of the others away before nearly all of the remaining centipedes burst from the ground, spitting acid or lunging, only barely missing. As soon as they landed, he yanked a small, metal ball from his pocket, lighting it and hurling it back at the crowd. As soon as he had, his hand formed the Quen Sign, a barrier appearing around all three before the bomb exploded, the blast and small metal balls ripping the centipedes apart. All three stood as the massive one burst from the ground, scrambling along it as it circled them rapidly, its entire body on display for the first time. It was over a hundred feet in length, and compared to its entire body, the wounds they'd made were barely scratches.
"Now what?" Aralyn asked, all three tense.
Then, the remaining smaller centipedes began to burst from the ground rapidly. Eldin killed the first, Aralyn the second, Renfri the third. Eldin wounded the fourth, and the fifth and sixth both fell to Renfri's blade, Aralyn finishing the fourth. Finally, the massive centipede shrieked, veering inward at them in a blur. All three dodged aside, Aralyn and Renfri slashing it along the sides. As they did, Eldin grabbed another bomb, lighting the wick before hurling it just as the centipede shrieked again. The bomb slipped into its mouth a split second before exploding and blasted its head and front end apart from the inside. Eldin dove aside from the rest of the body, allowing it to crash to the ground as he lay on his back in a pool of centipede blood, panting as his adrenaline wore off and his heart rate slowly eased down.
"That was...worse than...the Treants," Renfri panted, leaning against a tree.
"I hope I never...see another...centipede," Aralyn grumbled between heavy breaths.
"Why did so many show up?" Renfri asked.
Eldin reached into his satchel, then held up a blue scarf embroidered with lions. "Ciri's mother's scarf. They thought we were her."
"Then...they were targeting her?" Renfri asked. "Why?"
"I'd wager it has something to do with her powers," Eldin said. "Whatever gives her foresight." He stored the scarf again and hauled himself to his feet, looking around. "Think we're walking home?"
Aralyn laughed tiredly. "If those horses ran back to Kaer Morhen without us, I'm killing them!"
"I call mine!" Renfri groaned in agreement.
Eldin sighed, holding out a hand off to the side of where they'd left the horses and blasted the trees and broken pieces of wood out of their path, forming an exit from the arena the massive centipede had made. Before he left, however, he used his sword to slash off a large chunk of the massive centipede. He speared it on his sword, then rested it on his shoulder as he walked out of the battlefield, finding the horses had, in fact, abandoned them. All three sighed and started the long, exhausting march back to Kaer Morhen on foot.
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