Silver Soul, Dragon Heart

by Storm Wolf77415

A foolish mistake launches a Witcher into an entire new world. He makes new friends, deals with the Civil War in Skyrim, and even helps the Dragonborn find his destiny.

5. Enduring the Maelstrom Part 1

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Silver Soul, Dragon's Heart

by Storm Wolf77415, Wing Commander White Wolf, and Centurious the Azure

Enduring the Maelstrom Part I

(One Year Ago, City of Oxenfurt, Kingdom of Redania)

In truth, it wasn't the first time I had been to Oxenfurt. Mark and I traveled through there on many occasions during the two years I spent training under him. But this was my first time traveling solo, so it did feel quite different. As I rode through the cobblestone streets on my horse, Sleipnir, I checked the note I had received from a courier just a few days prior, asking me to report to Oxenfurt with all haste.

It was written on fine parchment from Nilfgaard, Leona clearly took after her own master when it came to the finer things in life. I suppose that comes with being apprenticed to a royal court mage. Still, the message written in delicate calligraphy was straight and to the point. Another quality of Leona, she wasn't the type to mince words when it was important. "Please make haste to Oxenfurt at once. I need your help. The Crimson Falcon Inn, Room Six." I said to myself.

The establishment wasn't hard to find, painted in brilliant red with a stylized falcon on the front in black. I hitched up Sleipnir and entered. Right from the start the familiar burning smell of alcohol hit my nose. One of the problems with being a Witcher is all your senses are very highly attuned. While normally a very good thing in my line of work, it sometimes can be a major drawback, because the booze was all I could smell and it wasn't pleasant.

"Cheap Redanian lager, I'd rather drink dwarf piss!" I muttered, before making my way over to the bar. I lightly banged my fist to get the innkeeper's attention. "Excuse me, sir, I'm supposed to be meeting with someone who's staying here, up in Room Six?" He just grunted in affirmation. Poor guy clearly had to deal with this kind of thing all the time and couldn't be bothered when there was so much to do. I simply tossed a crown on the table and went upstairs.

I gently rapped on the door twice, before finishing with a harder knock. The door swung open on squeaky hinges and I was suddenly pulled inside. The sweet aroma of wildflowers is a stark contrast to the liquor downstairs. Even now I'm taken with Leona's beauty. Her silvery blonde hair was elaborately plaited against the back of her neck. Her blue eyes radiated power. Punctuated by a dazzling smile. She was clad in a gorgeous silvery-blue sleeveless gown that clung tightly to her body, revealing her toned arms, and going all the way to her ankles. "You used the old knock. I missed hearing it after you left Vizima."

"Figured it would be the best way to let you know it was really me." I gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek. "It's really good to see you again, Leona. Hard to believe it's been almost a year now, hasn't it?" We sat down in a couple of chairs in front of the small fireplace, a couple of teacups set up. My expression turned serious. "I got your letter, and it told me to make haste. So, here I am." I took a sip of the tea, it was warm and citrusy. It was the kind of tea I preferred early in the morning. It was one of the few luxury items I allowed myself where I could. "What's so important you needed me to come all the way here from Cintra? You need my tracking skills or my sword arm?"

Leona nervously bit the knuckle of her index finger, something she often did when upset. "Both. I need the former to help me locate an artifact of great magical power, and I need the latter in dealing with the ones who stole it." I could see the very evident concern on her pretty face, and I grimaced when hearing of a magical artifact in the wrong hands. Nothing ever good came from foolish people messing around with things they did not understand. "The chancellor of the College is waiting to meet with us. He'll explain everything in detail to you."

Wow, this really is a big deal. Leona and I departed the inn and made for the campus of The College of Oxenfurt. After I got cleaned up and had a haircut. Leona wanted me to look my best for this meeting, so who was I to say no? I had never been here before myself, but many I knew had. Geralt and Mark both had taken classes here, as had Dandelion, a bard that had close ties to the Wolf School. He had even become a guest speaker. It was one of the premier institutions of higher learning you could find anywhere in Europa. I'm actually surprised that neither Mark nor Triss ever sent me there, both always go on about the value of a good education.

The campus itself was stately, with buildings made of red brick taken from quarries in Redania, while the stone came from the eastern quarter of Temeria. But there was a tangible sense of dread in the air. Professors and students bustled about but they all seemed very on edge. Whatever happened had left everyone anxious. I looked to Leona but she just gave a light shake of her head. "It will all become clear soon enough." With that, I followed her to the Chancellor's office, taking in the sights of academia. Cabinets filled with trophies and awards the college had collected over the years, portraits of former chancellors, teachers, and other prominent figures. Overall quite the spread.

The Chancellor of Oxenfurt University was your classic academic. An older man in his late fifties, with graying hair and a well-kept beard, wearing a hanse that spoke of his office as a scholar. "Thank you for coming on such short notice, Lady Metz, you as well Master Witcher." He spoke with a refined voice that yet carried a heavy weight to it. The poor guy looked exhausted, so I felt for him. "It's been an absolute nightmare having to run damage control after the incident, not to mention the theft of the artifact." He sighed, cleaning his glasses. "Rest assured both of you will be well compensated for your actions."

Of course I was happy to know I'd be paid. I don't do this job purely out of altruism after all. But I wasn't about to mouth off to him like that. "Start at the beginning, sir. Just what exactly happened?" I asked, figuring it was best to just get to the point. The headmaster sighed, putting his glasses back on his face.

"We pride ourselves on being the best center of learning on the continent. As such, many wealthy and influential families send their sons and daughters here to get a proper education. Now most of them have no problem at all with following the university's charter and code of conduct. They behave themselves and there's no trouble, but then we get those types who think whatever influence they have, whether it's money or their title, puts them above those rules. Sad to say, it's because of this attitude there was an incident a couple of days ago that cost a student their life, and the whole school is in danger." The headmaster grimaced, clearly upset at the blow to the school's reputation.

"It all cycles back to a young man named Franklin Sabnak, son of a Redanian count. Very charismatic, and had little trouble attracting his share of followers around campus. But he could be very condescending to others, not just students but professors, never showing them any respect. He would get aggressive with anyone who dared question his opinion." The headmaster growled slightly. "Not to mention his flagrant violation of the rules. It's quite clear that parties are not allowed, nor is alcohol allowed on campus. But Mr. Sabnak constantly flaunted this rule and said that his father would have our jobs." He sighed, clearly frustrated. "Count Sabnak is an alumnus himself, and a major donor, so it wouldn't be hard."

"Certainly there must have been something you could have done to put a check on his behavior?" Leona asked, not pleased such a little punk was being allowed to run roughshod all over an institution she held so dear. The headmaster gave her an apologetic gaze.

"The only person who could truly calm him down was his best friend, Trenton Valkyrion. The boys started here together and they were inseparable. Of course that didn't stop them from both causing trouble however they could. The incident in question, the student who died, was Trenton. They were having a party in their dorm, and they had brought considerable amounts of Kovirian brandy." Well, at least he had good taste in liquor I suppose. "The students were getting rowdier by the minute. It was starting to spill out onto the campus. So I rallied the faculty and called the guards. We asked the students to disperse but they wouldn't."

"And given how drunk most of the kids probably were, I imagine some of them started provoking the guards and picking a fight with them." It was starting to come together in my mind, and the grave nod from the headmaster was the final confirmation. "So what kicked it off? Someone getting punched? A bottle being thrown? If the tension was already that thick, it wouldn't have taken much of a catalyst to turn the entire thing into a full-blown firestorm."

"One of the students attacked a guard by drawing a knife. That was all the incentive they needed to crack down." The headmaster bit out. He wished to not have to recount this part of the story, but he pushed on. "Order broke down quickly after that. Trenton was trying to bring things under control, but he ended up with a sword in his gut, and no one was around to give him medical attention. He died right there in Franklin's arms." He sighed. "That right there was the final straw. I finally had the reason to expel him and all of his cohorts from the college, but he said they were going to leave of their own accord anyway. But not before threatening to make all of us pay." The old man's head bowed in shame. "I still remember that glare he gave all of us before departing the room. There was pure malice there. I was expecting him to maybe contact his father and have him take some kind of legal action, but he had something far worse in mind."

"I guess this is where the stolen magical artifact comes into play," I said, taking note of the stab of fear in the older man's eyes as he weakly nodded. Leona simply smiled to try and alleviate his anxiety, although it didn't seem to be doing much for the poor guy. He was clearly upset at whatever was taken. "What's the story behind that?"

"It's called the Rod of Maelstrom, Master Witcher. It's capable of producing thunderstorms of incredibly destructive power." He produced a thick old tome, opening it to a picture of a tall, gnarled wooden staff as tall as any man, inlaid with ancient runes and topped with a large gem kept inside a wooden cage of sorts. He turned the page to reveal a drawing of a mage brandishing the rod, dark clouds overhead with stylized lightning bolts stabbing down, and an approximation of a tornado raging in the background. "It was found on an archaeology dig several years ago near the Nilfgaardian border. Initial analysis of the rod determined its power had a corrupting effect on anyone who tried using it. It was deemed far too dangerous to put on display in the university museum, and so it was relegated to the archives until Franklin and his cohorts made off with it when they left."

"How are you so certain it was him?" Leona asked.

"Because the timing was far too convenient, Miss Metz. A couple of days after their expulsion, our chief archivist came to me all in a panic and said the Rod was missing from its crate, along with the very extensive report that the scholars who initially studied the artifact had drawn up. It was pretty easy to put two and two together after that." He got up from his desk and went over to the window, looking out at the campus, watching the various teachers and students walk about with no care in the world. "And to anticipate your next question, Franklin charmed one of the girls who worked in the archives. She had access to all the records and knew what to look for. I don't know how long they were planning this, but the fact such a dangerous relic is in the hands of a bunch of students working on heavy emotions does not bode well not just for the university, but the entire town." He turned to face us, a look of firm resolve in his eyes. "It's the reason why you've been called here. Do whatever you can to find Franklin and the Rod. Lives are at stake."

Leona stood up and offered a slight bow. Like anything she did it was elegant and poised. "You needn't worry Headmaster, both Sebastian and I will endeavor to retrieve the rod and return it to the university safely."

I mirrored her gesture, giving a bow, even if it didn't have the same degree of polish. "Let me ask you a few more questions, Headmaster. About how many students left with Franklin and did any of them have any kind of magical training? I would think they'd have to in order to think of using this thing to begin with."

"About a dozen and I have no idea if any of them were actually mages. I can only venture a guess that at least one or two would have some degree of training in the mystic arts." Oh joy, fully trained mages made for some of the most dangerous opponents, but ones that were barely trained? That was even worse because they were just so unpredictable.

I kept this to myself though, and merely asked another question. "What happens to them after we've wrapped up this little operation? How do you want us to deal with them?"

The Headmaster readjusted his glasses, his face stern. "We gave Franklin and his friends every attempt to shape up, and every time they just thumbed their nose at us. I am the chancellor of Oxenfurt University, and there are 1200 other students whose well-being I have to think about. I consider myself a relatively fair man, but even my generosity only extends so far. If they decide they want to come back, I'll see what I can do. But until then, you can handle them at your own discretion, Master Witcher." He sighed, the weariness returning. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a faculty meeting to attend, and the rest of my day is going to be very busy."

"We won't take up any more of your time then, Headmaster." Leona nudged me in the side. "Come along, Sebastian, we have work to do." I gave a slight bow to the chancellor and we left his office. The two of us now had an idea of what we were up against. It was time to strategize and plan our next move.

"A mage that's half-trained is worse than one who hasn't been trained at all." Sebastian swept his gaze across the entire room, even as the fire snapped in the background. "It was one of my adoptive mother's favorite sayings. Because Triss is exactly right. Magic is by its nature a very unpredictable force. Even a fully trained mage can't anticipate it acting how they want it to." He side-eyed Phoebe and Emma as he said that, both girls nodding in affirmation. "And while there may have been one or two people within Franklin's ranks who had a rudimentary knowledge of magic, trying to use the Rod was never going to end well for them."

"You did mention the Rod had a corrupting effect on its users. If it could even affect a master sorcerer, what chance did a bunch of mere college students have?" Phoebe asked, all too familiar with such dangers.

"Makes me think of an incident when I was back in Cyrodil. A jeweled headdress from the Merethic Era created by the Ayelids was stolen from a museum. Apparently, the mage who created it had transferred her soul into it in an attempt to cheat death. The woman who took it had her body possessed by the spirit of the mage." Emma shivered at the idea of something like that happening to her. "She didn't survive it."

Sebastian just gave a knowing nod. "Not surprised at all, like I said, dealing with people under the influence of magical artifacts is one of the main pillars of a Witcher's job. It would fall under curse breaking." Again Kodlak perked up at the mention, as did Farkas and Vilkas. "I've seen it happen far too many times. The fact the artifact in question was something so ancient and powerful, didn't help matters either." Sebastian helped himself to a nice steak. "For Leona and I, the first issue would be finding where they were located. So we went back to the inn to strategize, and decide where to seek out our next lead."

We sat in Leona's room, taking in everything the Headmaster had told us. "This sounds like a pretty tall order, Leona. I'm thinking you made the right call in notifying me of this." I finally said, sitting on the bed. While looking through the various notes Leona had made since taking the case. "These kids clearly have no idea what they're doing, messing around with something so dangerous as this Rod of Maelstrom. Even if they do have an idea of how it works, it doesn't mean they can control it."

Leona was at her desk once again, her chin resting in a delicate hand. Her blue eyes held a calculated edge, and I could tell her she was thinking hard about everything. She picked up her mug and drank some coffee. "It's definitely looking that way." The blonde sorceress agreed. "The question before us now, is what hole are these brats hiding out in? Oxenfurt isn't as large of a city as Novigrad, but it's big enough, and plenty of places to lay low if you know where." She was clearly frustrated at this turn of events. "I imagine they would want to be close enough to see their handiwork in person."

"There are a couple of large estates on the outskirts of town. I suppose it wouldn't be a stretch they could be holed up there." I slammed my fist into my open palm. "Maybe we need to change our tack a bit, Leona. I think it's time to hit the streets, and see if we can't pick up a few leads there. Someone must have heard or seen something. We just need to apply the right pressure." I patted my stomach as it grumbled. "Besides I'm getting hungry and some lunch would probably do us both some good."

Leona giggled and went to change her clothes. She came out wearing a light short-sleeved dress in a muted silvery gray, over which she wore a dark grey cloak. It would be more suitable for traipsing around the less reputable parts of Oxenfurt than her usual finery, but then again she made anything look good. "So where do we start our little hunt?" She asked as we departed the inn, adjusting the silvery pendant around her neck, it contained a large circular diamond that I was certain was enchanted. It made me think of the full moon glowing in the sky on a clear night. She tucked it within the folds of her cloak to keep it from attracting too much attention.

"Let's try around the docks. All kinds of disreputable types hang around there. If someone heard about the Rod, it would be there." Leona pulled up her hood and we made for the waterfront. The heavy odor of the sea air was a marked improvement from the smell of cheap liquor permeating the area. I stuck close to her side. No telling what kind of miscreants might try to make a grab at her. A sharp glare usually dissuaded anyone with at least a single working brain cell. But then there were the guys who had imbibed a little too much liquid courage, eyeing Leona with ill intentions.

"Hey babe!" One such boozed-up idiot slurred, approaching the blond sorceress on wobbly legs and fingers outstretched. "I've been out at sea for almost two months and I haven't seen a decent amount of pussy in forever, and I can just imagine what you've got going on beneath that getup." He gestured suggestively to her dress. "So what do you say?" He was given an answer courtesy of an armor-clad gloved fist right to the jaw. I guess I hit him harder than I thought because his eyes rolled all the way into the back of his head before he collapsed to the cobblestone-covered road, drool escaping from one side of his mouth. Yeah, he was going to be napping for a little while.

"She's spoken for," I growled at his glassy-eyed form on the ground. I then glared at a couple of guys who might have been the knocked-out sailor's buddies, letting out a low growl for good measure. "Take him and get out of here if you know what's good for you! I'm not in the mood tonight!" They quickly collected their concussed friend and took off around the corner.

Leona tittered lightly. "My hero! I knew it was a good idea to bring you with me. It's just like when we were younger and you'd pretend to be my knight in shining armor when we should have been studying!" Despite how serious we took our studies and training in the mystic arts. Kids will still be kids and we'd play Lady and Knight to break the boredom. I certainly didn't mind it at all at acting like Leona was my princess.

"Back then I had a very good reason to protect you, Aunt Keira would have used me as a test subject for all her experiments if even a hair on your head was out of place," I responded, to which Leona merely took my hand. If anyone saw us it would just seem we were a couple on a date, even if our choice of location was rather dubious. But at least no one else would come between us. I sighed. "It goes without saying I would never let any harm come to you regardless, Leona. Yes, you can protect yourself just fine, but I care about you too much to let that happen." Her palms were so soft, and I could have held her hand all day.

"Ooh, it sounds like you were quite sweet on her!" Fianna drawled. Sebastian had quickly come to determine that the bard seemed to swing both ways. "Not to mention Leona sounds like she has quite the fine body given how much detail you put into describing her in that dress. I'm sure you've seen her out of it too!" The Witcher groaned inwardly, sliding a gaze over to where Phoebe and Emma were sitting, the former giving a pointed glare at Fianna. Sebastian made a mental note to have a chat alone with her when they had a chance. Regardless, he took a few more cuts of meat and continued speaking.

"Yes, yes she does, and it's only fair to bring up that she's an extremely capable mage, who favors lightning elemental magic. Let me warn you that if you tried that little stunt with her you did on Emma earlier then you would be rewarded with a lightning-charged slap to the kisser." Sebastian replied, although Fianna seemed to take that as a challenge. "She's done that to quite a few people in the past and I'm pretty sure if I hadn't knocked that drunk out first, he would have been on the receiving end of it as well." He snorted. "Who knows? Maybe he would have actually learned something from the experience."

"Perhaps if we ever meet this Leona girl she could teach me that spell. It certainly would keep such things from happening again." Emma looked down at her chest and then shot a dirty look at Fianna, sipping on some wine, who just smiled and winked at her. Emma blushed slightly. The bespectacled mage definitely figured such a deterrent would be worth learning. Phoebe leaned over to pat her friend on the shoulder.

"How about you get back to the story?" Farkas took a bite out of a huge turkey leg. "Did you ever find any leads on this rogue group of wannabe student mages?"

"Of course we did. Wannabes is a very accurate term to use in this situation. I'll tell you this right now, it was only going to get worse from here." Sebastian took some pork ribs from Aela, who also seemed intrigued at the story unfolding. He had to give the Companions credit, they did always have some choice food available. "Leona and I had a little bite to eat before we hit the main square. It seemed to be the best place to look for information."

Oxenfurt's central marketplace was always bustling. Leona and I merely wandered about, looking at the various stalls. Nothing was really jumping out at us, then again we weren't exactly looking for anything in the first place. The main thing we were looking for was information, and we had to work a little harder to find that. All the while our ears were wide open and paying attention to anything magic-related. We didn't have to wait long. A couple of shady-looking types wearing cloaks, much like how Leona herself was walked by us. Something about those two both caught our eyes.

We followed them to a small cafe on the edge of the market, sitting down at a table not far from theirs. "Ugh, this is disgusting! How much longer do we have to play nice?" A feminine voice hissed. "I want nothing more than to let loose the Rod's power right now! Damn this town and its precious university to the darkest void for kicking us out!"

"Patience, our time will come soon enough." Her companion's voice, a male replied back. He was clearly nervous, given how he was looking around for anyone listening in. Too bad he wasn't a little more attentive because he was giving Leona and I all kinds of juicy information. "I get what you mean though. If the faculty had just let us enjoy the party then no one would have been hurt. It's that stupid instructor's fault for trying to shut us down when they should have just left well enough alone." He sighed. "I feel for Franklin, he and Trent were so tight. No one took his death harder and he's been breathing fire over it ever since!"

"Hmph! They're all so high and mighty!" The female replied haughtily. "They couldn't appreciate we needed time to unwind between all the studying and tests." Her voice softened just a little as her head inclined downward. "Trent was the best of us, he could have been the top of our class, but now we'll never know." And with that, her voice hardened. "So we'll show them what happens! Everyone is gathering at the old mansion outside town later tonight. The ritual will soon begin. From there the college will meet on its final day and everyone will remember us!" That was all we needed to hear. I looked to Leona, who just gave me a slight nod. After paying the bill, we returned to her room at the Crimson Falcon.

"So I was right, they are holed up in one of the villas outside of town," Leona said, a map of the town present. "The question is figuring out which one it is."

"How long is it going to take to figure that out? We are on a bit of a time crunch after all." I said from my place on the bed. She just gave me an annoyed glare.

"I'm fully aware of that, Sebastian. But it's moments like this you especially can't rush things. Luckily I know a very quick way to solve this problem." Leona opened the window and she started chanting a spell. There was a flash of golden white light at her fingertips and a group of five spectral owls, glowing a brilliant silver, were now sitting on the desk. "I need you to search for a powerful magical signature. It should be uncommon to this area. Look on the outskirts of town for it, and be quick about it my familiars, now go!" A light flutter of feathers and the birds flew out into the sky, scattering in all directions.

"Combining a tracking spell with a familiar summoning spell, not bad," I remarked, genuinely impressed with Leona's ingenuity. Clearly Leona had not been idle since we parted ways. "You think we can find the Rod's magical signature that way?"

She gave an idle wave of her hand. "I will admit this is still on the experimental side of things. But I figure what better way to test it out?" Despite her bravado, I could see Leona was worried. "That being said, when we do find it, we have to tread lightly. I can't imagine this lot is going to be very pleased to see us show up and demand they give up their plans for revenge. They have enough disregard for authority, we're just going to be another obstacle for them and it's clear they'll have no problem resisting us."

"So we don't openly confront them right away. Let's narrow down their position, and then stake things out. Get a feel for what we're up against." I patted her on the shoulder. "They don't know we're onto them yet. So we have the element of surprise." This eased some of Leona's anxieties. Until the familiars finished their search of the city, there wasn't much else we could do but catch up on old times. Fortunately, Leona had picked up some brownies from the local bakery and we partook of those.

"So how has life on the path treated you so far?" Leona asked, taking a very sexy bite. "Committed any grand deeds worthy of one of Dandelion's songs yet? Saved any princesses from a massive castle or slayed a dragon guarding a massive treasure?"

I just let out an amused chuckle. "I'm afraid nothing so spectacular yet. But I did liberate a village from a clutch of bandits a few months ago. The townspeople were very happy to have their homes back. So that was a nice feeling and I got an equally nice little bit of coin for it. As far as wild beasts, no dragons thus far, but I have cleared out a few packs of wild dogs and even took down this big, nasty grizzly bear, male, and an old one at that. It had devoured quite a few people over the years and the locals wanted it neutralized. It was a tough fight to be sure, but I pulled it off in the end. Truthfully I'm glad you called me. This could really increase my stock as a Witcher."

"So glad to help you out then," Leona said, finishing her treat. It was true, I hadn't really done anything major of note at that point. I was looking for a big job, whether it was a monster hunting contract or someone needing a curse broken that could boost my reputation, and she had given me a golden opportunity. A dangerous conspiracy that threatened a good-sized city? Yeah, this would generate some major buzz. About fifty minutes passed when the familiars returned. They all perched on the desk while Leona gently touched each of them. Elegant fingers ran along them. Leona smiled and nodded. The spectral owls faded from existence.

"I take it we got them?" I asked.

"That we do. They're holed up in an old estate on the northeastern side of town." She sat down at the small desk the room provided, pulling out a piece of parchment and a silver feathered quill pen. I recognized it right away, given that it had been a present to her shortly before I left Temeria. Leona finished writing, and folded the parchment up. She took a stick of red wax, melting it onto the meeting corners of the paper. Reaching for a wax seal stamp, bearing the seal of the Kingdom of Temeria, she pressed down hard. A wave of the hand caused a small portal to form which Leona deftly slipped the letter through. "Mini portals, great for delivering mail when you have to get it there immediately. It is now on the desk of the chancellor of the university."

"Another neat little party trick." I whistled. "I'm guessing Aunt Keira taught you how to do that. So you told them about what we learned in the marketplace and what the familiars found?"

"Of course, and I mentioned we were going to look for further information and I would get back to them directly," Leona said, sitting back down, clearly exhausted at the breakneck pace we were going at. I came over to gently rub her shoulders. "Mm, you haven't done that for me in the longest time. Don't stop on my account." Her face got a little red. Leona almost seemed disappointed when I finished up. But I promised her another massage when it was all done.

"So where do we go from here?" I asked, taking in the sight of the desk itself. It was covered with a litany of notebooks, random scraps of parchment, and a few small magical relics Leona had brought with her. It was like when were still training as kids, sitting just as she was when she was thinking hard about something, a delicately manicured nail done up with silver polish tapped the wooden counter. It was moments like that which reminded me of just how majestic and radiant she could be.

Leona finally smiled, I could tell that was the moment she had made up her mind. Another thing about this blonde beauty, not only is she a true prodigy in the mystic arts, but she also possesses a brilliant and sharp mind with a firm grasp of politics and strategy. "Now that we have an idea of where they are, it's time to do a little reconnaissance work. That way we can start drawing up a plan on how to keep the renegade mages from deploying the Rod of Maelstrom."

"We'll probably have to wait until nightfall to give us the best chance of not being discovered." I offered, I may have been the brawn of this little operation, but I'm glad to say Mark and Triss taught me not to be just a simple meathead. Too many other guys would have just gone in there and started cracking heads. I had learned the value of finesse and precision. Many of the missions I had undertaken during my time under Mark we had disguised ourselves so they wouldn't know we were Witchers. Not that it mattered, no one lived long enough to know who we were anyway. "Best to keep the magic use to a minimum on this one. I wouldn't put it past them to have some kind of way to detect the use of a portal. It goes without saying we're on a time crunch here, Leona."

"I know that." She said lightly, that twinkling smile of hers returning. "Clearly you've forgotten the lessons on the value of patience and waiting that Lady Triss always taught us. Let's get some dinner, and then we can come back here, get prepped, and then we move out." This is why I loved that girl, Leona kept it simple and to the point. She was a natural leader and a cool head. It would be required for what was to come.

(Later that Night)

Witcher combat in general leans toward being light on your feet, it's why we keep armor to a minimum, usually preferring stiff leather held together with firm rivets over any kind of heavy plate that could be heard three towns over. I was no different when it came to my daily working attire, A short cut leather coat with the sleeves rolled up dyed in a dark green, trimmed in white. The pants, usually dark brown and steel-reinforced black boots. The dyes for the coat weren't cheap, but totally worth it in my opinion. The colors are a personal preference, my own special brand if you will. Not to mention it worked for general camouflage out in the bush.

But this operation would require both Leona and I to be extra stealthy, so I had chosen attire that would give me every chance possible. A short-sleeved shirt colored a dark grey, over which I had a sleeveless leather jerkin in black, along with matching pants and soft-soled boots. It wouldn't provide much in the way of extended protection, but combat wasn't the objective here. It was to sneak in, find out as much as possible as the rogue coven, and get out before they knew we were even there. I was checking my swords while Leona was changing. She is a woman and wants to look her best for everything.

"I'm ready!" Leona called out, stepping from behind the dressing screen. My jaw about hit the floor at seeing her choice of attire for this little infiltration. A skintight long-sleeved unitard in basic black, it contrasted with her crystal blue eyes, and sun-hued hair, tied back in a simple low ponytail. "Does it bring back some memories? I hope it does." She spun around, giving me a great view of her heart-shaped butt. Truthfully it did bring back a whole lot of memories. Leona wasn't just well-versed in magic and politics. She was also an incredibly gifted ballet dancer, and could be found practicing in empty rooms of the palace in Vizima. That unitard was usually what she wore when dancing on cold days, since it kept her warm when the castle got drafty.

She had looked rather cute in it when we were younger, and now that she had blossomed into a such a gorgeous young woman, her curves were on full display. Leona hugged her chest, which pushed it up a little, smiling at me. Another thing about sorceresses in my world. They will tease you relentlessly if you let them, and Leona had learned from one of the best. "Oh, the look on your face. It's just like when you walked in on me that day so long ago. I remember being so flustered at you seeing me in my dance attire, given how revealing it is." I could have looked at those trim hips all night. Old instincts came rushing back.

"Leona, are you sure you need to go with me? I mean it would probably be better if this was a one-man operation. I'm sure I could sneak in and out before anyone knew I was there." That was as far as I got before she put a delicate, well-manicured finger to my lips, a knowing gleam in those lovely blue eyes of hers.

"Oh, don't you dare start with that, Sebastian Connor! I'm going with you and that is final. You know I'm fully well of taking care of myself. Besides, I could never live with the pain if I sent you there alone and something happened that I could have prevented." Her eyes became misty. "I miss when we were younger and didn't have to worry about the fate of a city resting on our shoulders." Yeah, I couldn't deny that for a minute. The two of us studying magic together, sitting on the roof looking at the stars. I missed those times as well. I suppose my concerns were unfounded, my gaze falling on the sheathed estoc holstered at her side. Leona primarily relied on her magic, but she knew how to use a blade just as well.

I stroked her cheek, she reached up to take hold of my hand between hers. "Things are easier when the biggest worry you have is making sure all your essays are finished on time. Aunt Keira was always a huge stickler for punctuality after all." Leona giggled at that before her face turned serious. We both had a mission to accomplish and it was time for us to put our game faces on. I donned a black jacket while Leona pulled on a hooded cloak colored a dark purple, Nilgaardian silk, very expensive no doubt.

I climbed aboard Sleipnir. "Ahem!" I looked down at my companion, hands on her hips as she looked at me with a very familiar glare of mild irritation. It was one she had learned well from her master, perfected by multiple generations of prior sorceresses. The bulk of the female mages I knew had made such a look into a fine art. "You just going to stand there or are you going to be a gentleman and pull me up so we can ride together?"

"You have a horse. A very good horse in fact!" I indicated to the silver-colored mare still lapping water from the trough. "I should know since I helped pick Selene out for you myself. Why do you need to ride with me when she's right there?" Leona cocked her head and smiled. Ugh, I could never say no to her when she did that. So I took her offered hand and hoisted her up behind me. A little giggle and she kissed me on the cheek.

"Because it's one less thing for us to worry about, and my dear Selene needs the rest after the long journey from Vizima. And besides." She put her arms around my waist and pulled herself close to me, the faint whiff of her shampoo so much stronger due to my enhanced senses. "I always enjoyed riding with you and I wanted to enjoy it again." Another faint memory of us as kids riding along in the dusk came to mind. Nostalgia would have to wait. I spurred Sleipnir out the gate toward our destination.

"Sounds like you got pretty lucky with her, my friend," Farkas said, stripping the meat from a pork rib he was eating. "A lady that's smart, powerful, and good-looking? Truly worth her weight in gold. Not to mention fearless for going into such a dangerous place." To which the Witcher nodded in quiet affirmation.

"Leona was never bereft of courage. Most of the people I'm close to are. Besides which, she was the only one who could have properly identified the Rod of Maelstrom." Sebastian took the offered tankard of mead Phoebe passed him, and made eye contact with her. "In fact, I'm sure there are people here who would love to meet her if the chance ever came up." The blue-haired mage didn't miss how the Witcher spoke of her blonde-haired counterpart.

"It sounds like she was quite fetching in that outfit. Perhaps you'd like to see us in unitards as well?" Fianna grinned as both Phoebe and Emma went red-faced. Sebastian decided to humor the bard just this once. He looked at both mages, and grinned a little.

"Hm, given how absolutely sexy you girls looked in those costumes. I certainly wouldn't mind. All three of you are quite beautiful after all and I'm sure you'd make them your own." This made both Phoebe and Emma even more red, but at the same time, they were grateful for the compliment. Both gave shy smiles at the Witcher, while Fianna winked at them. Sebastian just poured some more mead and went back to telling the story.

It was a moonless night, the stars were beautiful in their own way, but it would increase our chances of sneaking in. Neither of us said anything as we rode through the darkness, both of us trying to keep focused on the mission ahead. It took about a half hour to reach this manor. We stopped about a kilometer away on a small hill so we could get our bearings. The manor itself sat on about 3 acres of land, surrounded by a high stone fence with a single visible gate.

Reaching into the small bag I brought me. I pulled out a long thin tube made of brass. This was something Leona had come up with in her off hours. Using a series of mirrors and lenses, it would allow a person to view objects from a great distance. She called it a telescope. Leona had been wanting to try it out in the field, and this would be a perfect opportunity for this.

My gaze swept over the estate. I suddenly cursed in Nilfgaardian, surprising Leona with my abrupt crude language. "What's wrong?" She asked worriedly as a few more foul words escaped my lips, this time in Redanian. I felt bad about it, noting how she winced, but I really couldn't help it in that moment.

"These guys aren't as dumb as we thought. They've got some muscle of their own, and heavy-duty muscle at that." I slowly swept my gaze across the ground, taking note of the armed soldiers occupying the building and grounds. "I can see over a dozen guards. Two at the gate, two at the door to the house itself. a half dozen on the walls, and the rest are just milling about." I squinted a little, trying to get a closer look at them, noting what seemed to be his uniform, black trimmed in silver. A sleek, polished longsword hanging at his side. "Yeah, these guys are not your average swords for hire. These guys are professional mercenaries, well trained and very well equipped if those uniforms and the quality of their weapons is any indication."

"You can't be serious!" Leona protested. I handed her the telescope so she could look for herself. A frustrated whine escaped her lips a few seconds later. "Oh, you're right! These guys aren't just any common thugs! Where did they come from?" Her mind raced, trying to process this new turn of events. "How did they afford that kind of protection?"

I put a hand on Leona's shoulder. "Relax, we'll figure it out." Truthfully I was very concerned myself. A bunch of college students with questionable magical prowess? No problem. Common thugs you can find on any street corner who are probably more interested in getting wasted than fighting? Sure. Actual sellswords who have proper military training and a professional attitude about their jobs? Yeah, unless Leona and I have an an army of our own at our backs, not even going to try it. But given our mission requires us to look into this place, we have to go. As such, stealth becomes all the more important.

"We'll go on foot from here," Leona said, having finally regained her composure. "Even if these guys are pros, we can't give up now. The Rod of Maelstrom has to be secured no matter what." Like I said, Leona was never bereft of courage, she just needed to remind herself of that fact. The fields surrounding the manor were barren, clearly, nothing had grown in them for years, but the deep irrigation channels were perfect avenues for us to travel and get close to the wall. We crouched in the shadows, eyeing the patrolling guards.

I pulled out something I don't use very often, a small crossbow. What can I say? I've managed pretty well with my blades and my aim is pretty good with my signs. But it does have its purposes. I took a quarrel bolt equipped with a sturdy rope. We waited until the guard passed by and pulled the trigger. A slight "Phlit" sound and the quarrel and its payload flew up and embedded firmly in the stone. The rope curled and dangled down to us. I gave an experimental tug to ensure it was stable. "Ladies first?" I offered to Leona.

"No need for that." She surprised me by hopping on my back, her legs wrapped tightly around my waist as I felt her chest dig into my ribcage. I didn't even need to look at her as I could feel her smiling at me. "This way you can't look at my butt as we're climbing upward!" She put her arms around her neck. I silently prayed she wouldn't choke me as before I started climbing.

"Like your butt's the first thing on my mind," I muttered to myself, trying to push the feeling of her breasts against my back out of my mind. But I didn't miss the little titter coming from behind me. I gripped the rope in hand and gave her one final look as she nodded, and tightened her hold on my neck. "Going up." I quipped and the two of us started climbing up the wall. I landed lightly on my feet, and Leona stepped down as well.

The guard was about to turn around and see us, so Leona and I quickly hid behind some old crates up on the wall. This allowed us to get a much closer look at what we were up against. The uniform jacket was dark as the night itself, double-breasted with silver buttons, and silver piping on the shoulders. The trousers were also black, with silver stripes going down the sides, tucked into a pair of knee-high black boots. The uniform was well-tailored. Very smart and professional if I say so myself.

As the guard passed by us, I caught sight of an embroidered logo patch on the shoulder. It looked like a large cat of some kind, a panther maybe? I filed it away for further reference, silently beckoning to Leona to follow me. We found a staircase leading down into the main yard of the estate. It was wide with little in the way of cover, so we stuck to the wall. "I'm still amazed they could afford this level of security." She whispered as we crept across the grounds, taking note of the numerous mercenaries.

"These kids are all from rich families, it probably wasn't hard to enlist their aid," I replied, catching a group of them sitting by a campfire. They were relaxed, but vigilant. My eyes narrowed slightly, just something about these mercenaries seemed off to me. I couldn't put my finger on it though, but a sense of connection to them. Putting it aside, we soon arrived at the back door of the main house. Leona and I crouched in the shadows, eyeing the routes of the various guards. When we felt it was safe, I snuck up to the door and jammed in some lockpicks. A little something I picked up along the way. The lock clicked open, and the two of us quickly snuck in.

The manor house was full of activity, the students and a couple of the mercenaries could be heard. The two of us took refuge in a small storage room adjacent to the door we just entered. I watched through crack in the bottom of the door, as a couple of hooded figures walked past. "They're all over the place. Going to make it hard to move around." I said to Leona, crouched behind a barrel.

"It can't be helped. Our first order of business. We need to find any documentation about the Rod and just how they intend to use it. That's going to be critical to counter any ritual they'll want to try." Leona knew what she was talking about. Ritual magic is one of the most elaborate branches of the mystic arts. It's not as simple as just waving a staff and chanting a spell. They're complicated affairs with a lot of prep work involved beforehand. Arcane symbols and ancient languages. A powerful artifact like the Rod is normally at the center of such rituals. She tugged at the front of her bodysuit. "Sebastian, is it possible these mercenaries could have some magic users in their ranks? Because if they do, then they could have set the ritual up beforehand."

"That's always a possibility. Even if the former students do have that report on how the thing works, I doubt they would be able to set up the ritual all by themselves." Maybe that was what I sensed when I looked at those hired swords. They were magic knights then, those warriors who merged the arcane with cold hard steel, and unlike Witchers they were fully trained in the magic arts. Mage Knights, also known as Spellswords, are some of the most fearsome opponents imaginable. Putting that aside for now, we began searching the different rooms of the manor house.

The first door we checked led to a bedroom, one that had been taken over by a few of the students, if the numerous cots set up were any indication. Leona's face twisted in disgust at the sight of the dirty clothes and empty plates scattered all over the place. We started looking through the refuse. I tentatively dug my boot into a pile of laundry that clearly hadn't been cleaned in weeks. "Ugh, didn't these kids ever learn how to pick up after themselves?" She picked up a soiled shirt with several questionable stains on it before throwing it down in disgust. "I guess when you're rich, you don't need to worry about such things." I couldn't help but snort, trying to hide my laughter. "What?" She asked.

"I'm sorry, it's just funny that you would say such a thing, given you lived most of your life in a genuine castle, and being waited on hand and foot," I said, rifling through the satchels and knapsacks found underneath one of the cots, trying to find any documents or something to help us better sort things out. And maybe see if they had anything worth taking in the process. But let's keep that between ourselves now, shall we?

"At least Master Keira taught me to be somewhat self-sufficient!" Leona folded her arms in irritation as I continued. "And I always made sure to clean my room. These kids probably would think picking up your room means really trying to pick it up." I suppressed another laugh as I continued rifling through their belongings. A light jingling assailed both our ears and I pulled out a small coin purse. I took a look inside and whistled at the numerous shiny gold and silver coins. There had to be at least 500 Crowns there. "Sebastian!" Leona looked at me with great disproval.

"What?" I said, pocketing the money. "It's their own fault for leaving their cash unattended. Besides, it's not going to do them any good when they all get tossed into prison and executed. Ezra always said if they aren't using it, may as well claim it for yourself!" She just gave me another frown of disproval. We weren't going to find anything else in here, so we exited back into the hall, just in time to hear some footsteps coming from around the corner. We quickly scrunched up behind a tall clock. We saw a couple of the students pass by, straining to hear what the two men were saying.

"Those Silvercat mercenaries are the real deal. Good thing Allen had a brother who works for them so we could get a discount. They even helped us make off steal that spellbook the report said we'll need for the big event!" I looked at Leona at those words. It explained where the sellswords came from. But the spellbook that was supposedly meant to be used with the Rod was a new twist. That's definitely going on the list of things to search for. "I've heard they've pretty much taken up the guest house as their headquarters. They're the only ones with the keys to the place."

"Yeah, there are a pretty good investment. I actually saw their leader one time. He barely comes out unless he feels like it." The other guy shivered, clearly intimidated at the memory. "You want to talk about creeping me out. He wears that freaky iron mask on his face. What does he have to hide? And those two swords he carries look terrifying." The two of them continued walking and entered the room where we had just come from. Now that was an interesting little conversation. So the mercenaries are known as the Silvercats, and their leader carried two swords? Maybe I'm overthinking it.

"Things around here are starting to get interesting," I said, as we checked the next door. "I know we have to find the Rod and this spellbook. But these mercenaries may be worth looking into as well." The door led to another bedroom. A modest affair with a full-size bed and a wardrobe, a bookcase, and a desk. Leona immediately went to the latter while I kept watch at the door. Leona was looking through the few papers on the desk. "Anything of note?"

"A couple of letters to family, but nothing substantial." Leona shook her head, she had been really hoping we could have found something useful to the case. "They're all complaining about how unfair their treatment at the university has been, and what a great injustice has been caused against them because the administration shut down their party, but of course, they don't bring up just why it happened." Leona sighed, throwing her cloak over her shoulder.

"So on to the next room then." Our hunt was going nowhere fast and we were both starting to get annoyed. When the doorknob started turning. "Shit!" I whispered, looking to Leona, and quickly placing everything back on the desk. I quickly grabbed her around the waist and we took refuge in the wardrobe. Keeping quiet we saw a couple of the sellswords walk in. They both looked annoyed and tired.

"How much longer do we have to put up with these whiny little putzes? Even if they are paying us relatively well, this assignment has been a real drag." The first mercenary said in a mocking voice. "Oh, it's so sad one of our classmates died because our party was too disruptive, help us destroy the entire town. It's all they fucking talk about!" He threw himself on the bed. "Lousy rich kids. Clearly, they've never been spanked in their entire life!" Leona and I both grinned at this, glad to see we weren't alone in thinking how deluded they all were.

"Hey, Allen said it would be an easy payday, and if you've forgotten, we're swords for hire. This is what we do." The other mercenary responded. "And besides it won't be an issue once that ritual Gwen set up is finished." A nasty leer crossed his face. "Their leader really should have just left well enough alone. He's so obsessed with making the university suffer for his little buddy's death. He'll go along with anything you tell him. They don't realize what the cost of using this thing is really going to be." The door opened and another mercenary stuck his head in.

"Hey! You're not getting paid to sit around and bitch about the weather! The boss is meeting with the client in the study upstairs, so we better get ready to move out." The other two hired swords grunted and stood up before making to follow their compatriot out the door. One had stayed behind to lace up his boots while his partner left. Leona and I took that moment to act. I bust out of the closet, decking the guy square in the jaw, sending him stumbling back into the wall and he was out on the floor cold. I lifted him up and stuffed him into the closet, making sure to take his keys so I could access the guest house.

"Nice hit!" Leona remarked as I closed the doors to the wardrobe. "Okay, we need to split up. You go and check out the guest house. I'll head up to the second floor and see if what we need is up there. Probably going to need to get there from the outside." So we headed out the way we came, again on the lookout for any guards or students. There were a couple of good-sized balconies jutting out, and the lights were not on in one of them. So Leona had her target. I crouched low, lacing my fingers together. She ran at me and I flung her up to the balcony. She managed to get over the rail. We shared one last glance as she blew a kiss at me, and went inside.

From what Leona told me, the second floor was even more active. She cracked open the door to see several of the former students milling about. They all looked very excited at what was to come. It was all the more important that she find that spellbook. Finally seeing an opening, Leona slipped out of the bedroom and crept through the halls. Her cape gently swished around her with each step. She could hear voices come from one of the closed doors. "I grow impatient with you, Ransom!" A harsh voice rose above the others. "How much longer will it take until your mage is ready?" Leona peeked through the cracked door, and saw two men in a deeply heated argument.

Clearly, the young man in the fine clothes of a noble was Franklin Sabnak, his fine brown hair was tied back in a ponytail. His brown leather coat cut tight against his well-muscled figure. Dark gray pants tucked into knee-high black leather riding boots. His green eyes radiated a barely contained madness. She told me later how it seemed Franklin was going to snap at any moment. He was talking with the leader of the Silvercats, clad in the same uniform as the rest of his troops. He had his back turned to Leona, so she couldn't see his face at that moment.

"You can't rush such things, Lord Sabnak." The man known as Ransom spoke in a deep, authoritative voice. He stood at attention with his hands behind his back. A stark contrast to the way his client was nervously pacing about the study. "I don't proclaim myself an expert on such things, but from what I'm told, such elaborate rituals as this are an art form all in themselves. The slightest misstep could make the whole thing backfire."

"I don't care about that!" Franklin cut Ransom off, banging his fist on the table. "The college and the entire town will pay for Trenton's death! Every day that damn building stands is an affront to his memory! They have to die!" His voice went up with each word. He pointed to an elaborate book sitting on the table in the middle of the room. "And this right here holds the key to it all! The Tome of the Winds in concert with the Rod of Maelstrom will ensure that all will remember us!" Leona had found our target, but of course, it was in the same place where the mastermind of the entire operation and his chief enforcer currently were.

"I'll come back for that later," Leona whispered, and tiptoed down the hall. She eventually found the bedroom where Franklin was staying. Of course, he would have taken the master bedroom for himself. And it was trashed, the bedclothes were a shambles. The once ornate curtains were in tatters. For someone who enjoyed the finer things in life, it broke Leona's heart to see the place in such a state. But it was a testament to how engulfed in his rage Franklin was and the urgency in stopping his plans. Luckily the desk was the one area of the room not torn to pieces. It was covered in scraps of paper. Leona sat down and began looking at the various papers.

She found an invoice for the hiring of the services of the Silvercat Mercenary Corps to the tune of one hundred thousand Crowns. Also present was a letter to one of the students at the college who Franklin was still friends with, urging him to leave town while he had the chance. But the big prize came from Leona rifling through the drawers of the desk and finding Franklin's journal. Her eyes widened in shock at what madness was contained within the pages of the innocuous-looking book. The first entry of note was mostly just Franklin feeling repressed by all the rules of the college. Why did the faculty have to be so stodgy and strict? What was wrong with having a little fun and unwinding after a long week of studying? They deserved it!

The next entry that caught her eye was how he had charmed one of the girls working in the archives, who just happened to be studying the report about the Rod that day. Franklin had shown a passing interest in it, but was more focused on the girl. After that, she found the entry about the night of the disastrous party. Franklin's grief was palatable, Trenton had been his running buddy through so much and to lose him in this way was inexcusable. Not to mention he was going to be expelled, the whole world seemed so wrong. He was this way for the next few days, and then he remembered the Rod. Talking to the girl helped him to understand what it was capable of. This marked the start of his slide into darkness.

Using his natural charm, Franklin was able to rally some of his friends to his side. They all agreed it was a travesty and were trying to pin the blame on the administration and faculty of the school rather than take responsibility for their actions. They began plotting their revenge before they were kicked off the campus. Franklin and a couple of others smuggled the rod out and took it to the manor. Which was a summer home owned by one of the other kids in their circle. Another suggested hiring the Silvercats to act as security while they continued to enact their vengeance. The report mentioned a spellbook that accompanied the Rod, and it was kept in the Redanian capital. It wasn't hard to convince the mercenaries to steal it for them and now the plan could really take shape.

From there, Franklin's entries became all the darker, talking about the purifying storm that would blow away the university and restore Trenton's honor. Clearly, the Rod was starting to affect his judgment. It was fast becoming his own personal manifesto about how he had been wronged and no one would hurt him again. Leona had seen enough. She quickly took the journal and stuffed it into her satchel. "I have to get that spellbook!" She said, but it was not going to be easy. It was being kept in the study and was already being occupied. But Leona was a smart girl. She'd figure it out.

While that was going on, I snuck into the guest house. The main room on the ground floor had been turned into a command post. There were about six of them standing around a large table, covered in maps and other documents, clearly planning out some kind of operation. There was probably something valuable there, but I didn't want to hedge my bets just yet. So I decided to search upstairs. Every step was measured, praying that they wouldn't creak too much as I went upwards. There were five bedrooms upstairs, most having been turned into barracks for the men, but I figured the commander would have kept the largest one for himself.

I cracked open the door and entered Ransom's quarters. I wasn't sure what to find. Some of these mercenaries love to put on airs and show off the wealth their blood money has bought them. But I didn't see anything like that here. The room was spartan yet very organized. I noticed my medallion was starting to vibrate, which meant something magical in nature was in the room. I gravitated to the desk, but didn't find a single thing on top. Not a scrap of paper to be found. I checked the drawers, all of them barren. This guy was smart, not the type to leave things out in the open where people like Leona and myself could find them. So I started looking elsewhere.

My search then went to the wardrobe nearby. Inside I found a pair of uniforms. One in the austere black and gold of the Nilfgaardian Empire and the brilliant crimson of the Kingdom of Redania. Both uniforms were decked out in medals of both gold and silver with ribbons of every color you could imagine. Clearly, he had gotten around and had been acknowledged heavily for his service. I'll admit I was kind of jealous. He also had several uniforms similar to what the rest of his men were wearing, not as elaborate as the Nilfgaard or Redanian uniforms, but still decked out in ways that you'd expect of a military commander, silver braiding along the shoulder and adorning the pants. And two pairs of tall black riding boots, made of Nilfgaardian leather and shined to perfection. Well, he did allow himself a small luxury after all.

The pulsing of my medallion got even fiercer when I went to explore around the bed. I found a long thin black case was underneath. Undoing the latches, I opened it up and my jaw hit the floor. Inside I found a pair of swords and a medallion identical to my own, but instead of the symbol of the wolf. A felinoid head stared back at me from all three objects. "A Witcher?" I had to say it aloud in order to believe it. "This guy is a Witcher?" I then recalled the symbol on the other merc uniforms, and what the name of their outfit was and I about beat my head against the wall for not making the connection sooner. "Silvercat, of course! Clever, very very clever."

"Not going to lie, it actually was really clever, ingenious even." Sebastian paused to partake of some mead and an apple. "I mean, given how the world normally looks at Witchers it usually means we work alone. So that means taking on some of the really dangerous threats, like Leshen or Higher Vampires, there's a real risk you're not coming out of it alive. But if you could manage to gather yourself an army, even if it's relatively small, and see they're properly trained in how to hunt and fight such monsters, it would make a world of difference in the contracts you take."

"Not to mention opening up possibilities a solo Witcher probably would never have," Fianna commented. The bard had been riveted by the tale thus far, not to mention enjoying the mental image of Leona in her skintight outfit, but she kept that to herself. "The head of a professional mercenary company who grooms himself appropriately and keeps up his appearances would be received by the upper crust far better than some lone warrior who spends most of his time out in the bush and doesn't get many opportunities to bathe."

"So let me ask, Sebastian, does this mean that these Silvercat mercenaries were trained in the same techniques as you Witchers?" Laura asked to which he nodded.

"Fully confirmed, In the chest I also found a training manual he drew up, incorporating all the tactics for mass formations he learned from his time with both the Nilfgaardians and Redanians, combined with the tracking methods and sword techniques of the Cat School. He clearly spent a lot of time polishing everything. Looking at it just really pushed my anxiety up. Because these guys knew exactly how to counter anything I might throw at them."

"Just how many Witcher Schools are there?" Skjor spoke up.

"There are seven in total. The Wolf School." He indicated to his own medallion. "Then there's the Griffin School, The Bear School, The Manticore School, The Viper School, The Crane School, and finally." He cleared his throat, grimacing slightly. "The one that's crucial to this tale, The Cat School. As far as their methods went, they lived up to their name, their style is one founded on speed, precision, and agility. Their equipment doesn't deal a lot of raw damage, but they have become masters of critical hits. Their gear is designed to maximize flexibility and the greatest range of motion possible."

"As far as physical training goes, their primary tool was balancing on a tightrope while blindfolded. The height would rise the more skilled the trainees became, until the final trial where failure would be deadly." Sebastian stood up, and began to pace around the room, a sign that he was getting anxious. "But what sets them apart the most from other Witchers, aside from the Vipers, is that the Cats are the only ones willing to take contracts not just on monsters, but other people." He sat back down, looking to everyone assembled.

"Hence what I said earlier about Ransom forming this mercenary company being so ingenious. Only a Cat would think of it! Because they have no problems about being contract killers, and assassination work does pay very well, he was able to build up his little operation and make it look as professional as it was. Needless to say, finding out all of this was more than a little overwhelming. Because not only did it mean fighting a horde of well-trained soldiers. It also meant fighting my own shadow in Ransom. Something that did not excite me at all."

Ransom was a Witcher, it was the only thought going through my head at that moment. Ransom was a Witcher who had served with two of the largest military powers on the continent, and incorporated their methods into our own. I quickly closed the chest and slid it back under the bed. Leona and I had to find the Rod and the spellbook and get out of there fast! I needed to find out just what the Silvercats' role in Franklin's overarching plan was. The only problem was the living room was still full of soldiers, so I would have to get them out. Luckily I had just what I needed. Despite this being a recon mission, I had come prepared with a couple of bombs.

They were loud and flashy, but would make for a perfect distraction. I checked inside one of the barrack rooms, and found it empty. Going out on the balcony. I pulled a bomb out and lit it with Igni. I chucked it as hard as I could, using Aard to give it some extra distance. It landed on the far side of the manor's grounds and went off with a deafening boom. It definitely got everyone's attention. People were running out of the main house, and the mercenaries had been alerted. "Leona, I hope you found that book in time!" I hissed, quickly running downstairs and watching the Silvercats empty into the hall and run outside to join the others.

I quickly rifled through the maps and papers littered everywhere. The Silvercats weren't just meant for protection. The Rod of Maelstrom would be used to level the town. But Franklin intended to keep the Chancellor and the rest of the staff alive to watch it happen, and then they would be executed by the sellswords. I stuffed the documents into my pocket when I felt something from behind. I had just enough time to crouch and call up a Quen to protect me as I was set upon by a pair of mercenaries, swords drawn and looking to gut me. The shell cracked and sent them flying back. I drew my steel sword and met them in combat for the first time.

They attacked me as one, but I swept my blade in a wide arc, parrying the first while sidestepping the other entirely. Their footwork was as light as mine, all three of us weaving about in a dance of steel and blood. I snapped my sword up to block one merc while kicking the other away. But he wasn't easily deterred, and the tip of his weapon carved a narrow slit in my jerkin. His partner rebounded and I had to strain to block him. "So you're a Witcher! The boss told us about you guys, how you're some of the best swordsmen in all the continent!"

"So then you know your boss is just like me then!" I snapped back, my eyes flashing in the light of the torches and candles. I broke the lock, kicking the one Silvercat back, while spinning to block his partner's attack. "You know how people feel about guys like me. Nothing but a bunch of freaks that should be hung from a tree and left to die horribly!"

"Ah, but that's where you have it all wrong!" The duel stopped, and standing in the doorway was Ransom himself, flanked by six of his men. He was a physically imposing figure, standing at six foot three, and nearly two hundred fifty pounds. The uniform strained against the slabs of muscle covering every inch of his body, his arms bare so all could see the heavy cords of his biceps. His face was covered by an iron mask with three small slits for him to breathe. "Even a Witcher can rise above his station and become more, a leader of men. You just have to know their price!"

"Not a problem for the Cat School, since you have no problems with murder!" I shot back. Ransom was undeterred. He simply pulled off his mask, revealing a man in his late thirties with dark skin, a head shaved bald, and the telltale golden-slitted eyes. Lips twisted in a wicked, grizzled sneer as his men moved to surround me. I seemed to recall Mark telling me about him at one point, but I couldn't remember all the details about him.

"What can I say? Murder pays better!" He drew his own steel sword, a nasty-looking longsword with the sigil of Nilfgaard on the blade, advancing toward me. "It's been a long time since I faced one of my own in combat, hope you can put up a decent fight!" But before we engaged, there was a commotion from the main house. Clearly, Leona was up to no good. So I used that chance to throw out another Aard, knocking one of the sellswords into the wall, and blowing out the window. I took a flying leap and rolled on landing. I looked to the manor house, seeing people running upstairs. Clearly, something was going on and I knew she was behind it.

Whatever she was doing, I knew I'd have to come up with a distraction of my own in order to give her time to escape. Luckily I didn't have to look far. One of the most important tools of a Witcher's trade is numerous kinds of bombs, good for clearing out monster nests. But also very good at sowing discord among normal folk. I drew a couple of bombs, lit the fuses, and chucked them as hard as I could toward the other side of the manor. The fire of the explosions lit up the night sky and people started running toward it. I smiled and went in the opposite direction to the wall to wait for Leona.

While I had my confrontation with Ransom. Leona had been a busy girl. A couple of former students, both half-dressed, came out of the closet they used for their more intimate moments. It was then a figure wrapped in a purple cloak came around the corner, running right by them. They both gaped at it for all three seconds before it became apparent this individual wasn't supposed to be there. "An intruder!" The girl shrieked and pointed at the retreating figure. They quickly took off in pursuit. But they couldn't catch up. "There's an intruder!" The girl cried out again, louder than before. Doors started opening and people looked out in confusion.

"Someone got in!" The male student exclaimed. "Contact the guards! Notify Franklin!" Now the pandemonium started. The ex-students were panicking. They thought their plan was foolproof, who could have messed it up? The male student ran upstairs to the study where Ransom and Franklin were talking. "Franklin, we have a problem! There's some kind of intruder loose in the manor! They know about what we're doing!" The mercenary and the mastermind both tensed up and ran out to see if they could find this mysterious intruder. None of them realized that it was a setup. The hooded individual was cornered. Ransom came forward, his sword drawn. A single thrust and the cloak fluttered to the ground. And a battered hat stand fell in two pieces.

"What is this?" Franklin demanded, even as Ransom poked at it with the tip of his blade. Nothing seemed to make sense, and his paranoia was rising. They returned to the study. "Captain Ransom, notify your men, tell them to search every inch of the estate! We have intruders!" The Silvercat commander nodded and went to the guest house. He then turned to the former student. "As for you, take the Tome of the Winds to the barn." He indicated to the heavy book with a faded green and brown leather cover, a stylizing cyclone, and four lightning bolts in the center, surrounded by gold filigree. "Tell everyone to get to the underground ritual chamber. We may need to step up our timetable!" The student nodded, taking the weighty tome and departing from the room.

Franklin grunted, lighting a cigarillo, and went out on the balcony. "Who in the hell could have found their way into this place? Those idiots at the University are way too weak and ineffectual to have hunted us down like this!" His fingers curled up into an angry fist. "I've come too far to be stopped by anyone! The city of Oxenfurt and its precious college will pay for taking my best friend from me. And then all will know of how dangerous we really are!" He burned through the tobacco product quickly and then stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

It was a real pity no one thought to look upwards, where they would have found Leona hiding in the rafters, sitting astride one of the support beams, clinging to it as if her life depended on it. She was rather upset since her little diversion cost her a very expensive cloak. But she had both books in hand and knew where the Rod was being kept. The illusion spell she had quietly cast on one of the other books she found in the room would last long enough for the two of us to make our escape. All we needed now was to get into the barn and secure the Rod. Leona dropped down to the floor, landing as softly as possible. She went back to the room she initially came in through and went out to the balcony. From there Leona clambered up on the roof.

She crouched low, watching as the entire compound erupted into sheer chaos. Mercenaries were running around to check every inch of the estate. The former students were all hustling toward the barn, not aware that she had lifted the central part of the ritual, hopefully, it would be enough to stall them long enough for us to get the staff itself. Moving along the room of the manor house on delicate steps, Leona slid down a metal protrusion, praying that no one caught sight of her running toward the wall with a huge book clenched in her hands. Thankfully the bombs I set off earlier did the trick.

None of the students or mercenaries were anywhere near where Leona hopped down. They were all too busy taking care of the fires, not wanting anyone in the town to see it. So she was able to sneak away into the night toward the wall, where I was waiting. "Good, you made it!" I hauled her up on the top of the wall, relieved to see Leona alive and in one piece. "I see you found that spellbook as well. At least they can't perform their ritual without it." My relief was short-lived when I saw how upset she looked. "What is it?"

"I used my cloak to provide a distraction so I could snatch it away!" Leona huffed, "I liked that cloak, it was a gift from Lady Keira. It was expensive!"

"Then I'll get you another one." I shouldn't have been surprised that of all things is what had Leona mad. Aunt Keira would have been the exact same way. But we had to move on. "So did you find where the Rod is being kept?"

She nodded, "There's a hollowed-out underground chamber where they're conducting the ritual. The entrance is in the barn, which is a rather cliche place to hide if you ask me. I found another book in the study the same size and cast an illusion so they don't realize it's been taken. But we have to hurry, they were heading down to start the ritual, so we're going to have to retrieve it and fast!" I could see the urgency in Leona's eyes, and I made a judgment call.

"No, I'm going to retrieve the Rod, and see if I can't thin out the ranks of these mercenaries. You are going back to town and warning the council of these events. Sleipnir should still be where we left him, so you can use him to get back to town quickly, Leona." She opened her mouth to protest but I held her hand. "Look, this isn't the time to argue. You asked me to do this job because you trust me, Leona. Do you trust me now?" A small smile returned to her face and she nodded. "Okay then, Let's have faith in each other and get the job done before anyone else gets hurt."

With that, it was time for us to split up. "It looks like there's only one way down." I looked over the side of the wall, catching sight of a large pile of straw at the bottom. "At least you'll have something to break your fall safely, Leona." I could tell she was still not enthused at the notion of us splitting apart, but it couldn't be helped. Reluctantly she sat down on the incline of the wall on the roof, ready to slide down the canopy into the haystack. "Be careful," I said to her, who promptly kissed me on the cheek. Did I mention her smile was so dazzling? Those gorgeous blue eyes shining didn't hurt either.

"You make sure you do the same." She held both books to her chest. "Ok, send me off!" With that, I gave her a little push, and I got one last glorious look of her butt in that unitard. Leona flew down the canopy and vanished off the side. I heard a soft bump and some rustling and knew Leona had landed safely in the haystack. She rolled out of the straw and I saw her slip away down the corn rows we had used earlier to where Sleipnir was still waiting. She would sound the alert. Now it was up to me to retrieve the Rod of Maelstrom and keep Oxenfurt from annihilated. No pressure right?