Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters of the witcher. Those are property of Mr Sapkowski and I using Netflix series canon mixed with the books and my twisted version of the lore.

Warnings : Mentioning and suggestion of past abuses, some whump (it had to begin somewhere ^^')

Notes : I am sorry for the writing mistakes. I have the curse of seeing more mistakes while this is online ^^'

The devil of Posada - Part 4

Different

###

Geralt put his swords on the dashboard and waited for Jaskier to come out. He was trying to anticipate the next leg of the discussion with him. He was not nervous per se but he had some worries about this choice he was making. Too many things were pushing in that direction but what if it was a mistake. He was opening the door to something almost absurd. A new experience, he was certain no-one did. But he had the responsibility to protect people and the moral incline to help the wild elves. Alas history was against him in fine, as he knew that the humans would extend anyway. But what if the elves could succeed in their project to grow food on the other side of the mountains ? This was on this objective he was trying to focus his efforts now.

For Jaskier, he knew that he was almost contradicting himself from the day before, with the hunt and especially his principle : no humans. He was not at ease with the idea either, to be fair. This was only because every element of his hunt was pointing at him that he was choosing to try and trust destiny in this.

He took a cigarette but didn't light it. He just needed the taste and the smell of tobacco. The fun thing about smoking was that he rarely did. It didn't help with stress or concentration. Nicotine and all the toxic products were assimilated by his mutated body before they could have any effect on him. He just liked the taste and the smell. He knew that a lot of people didn't though.

Jaskier seemed to get out of the restaurant earlier than the day before. The night was still a bit young. Geralt opened the passenger seat and invited the musician to get in the car, which he did without hesitation but he commented.

- "You are aware that this looks weird, buddy." The insinuation was blatant.

- "Do I have to repeat myself ?" Geralt was trying the intimidating approach.

- "No no no, that was very clear the first time. You are on a mission, your hunt with no humans, and you ask me, a human, things that suggest that you finally would accept me on your hunt because I have linguistic skills, for reasons I barely understand. Also you don't want me to play my cards on you because you are clearly inconfortable with this. Did I miss some point ?"

Geralt was surprised. His well prepared topic discussion was falling apart and his intimidating play too from the start. That guy was bulletproof to that as it seemed or absolutely reckless. He cleared his throat and said.

- "Well I guess I won't need to take as many precautions to speak about some things then." He marked a small pause. "Concerning your linguistic skills, I have seen and read some things about your extraordinary scholar cursus at Oxenfurt. But languages aren't your only forte then."

Jaskier snorted slightly and looked straight ahead, avoiding eye contact even in the mirror. Geralt sighed.

- "My work isn't what people think it is most of the time. And hunters aren't always a requirement. Sure witchers kill monsters and are paid for it. But sometimes there is more to the equation than people think and monsters aren't really the threat. Of course I would kill a kikimora too close to a town, but some creatures aren't inherently dangerous. They can become under some circumstances but there is always a reason. My job is to understand what triggered the retaliation. Sometimes it would require me to find a new home for it or to teach humans to live with it. The second option is rare though. Humans expand and they will forget at some point to respect the boundaries. This is a temporary status quo, if you will. Here, we have a more complex affair. Posada is a small town and the devil, which is not by the way, isn't a threat per se, but the consequences of direct aggression on it or what it is protecting could be devastating."

- "So you found it yesterday ?" Jaskier turned back to him in wonderment.

- "Yes. But the hunt continued in the morning, at the museum and its archives."

- "Really ? Why ?" This was not a mocking why, this was a tell me more why. The young man had a strong sense of curiosity

- "Understanding Posada's history, finding clues that the monster wasn't a threat after my first encounter is part of my understanding of it. Now, I am trying to know if I can trust you."

- "Are you aware that you already said too much ? I can link two dots, you know." The singer was smiling now.

- "Yes. I am aware."

- "So, you are trying a 'all in' there ?"

- "Yes…"

- "I see. And what do you want me to do ? Sing to it ?"

- "Kinda. I need to create a special link with the creature. Music could do. And by the end of this experiment, I need an elder interpreter. I know elder…" Jaskier's eyes seemed to shine. "... but I need more than just basic conversation. Negotiations are my goal. And, all considering, you match perfectly. Or at least your impressive CV and your songs let me think you are." Jaskier seemed to darken a little bit. "You don't seem proud of your skills. Why ?"

- "I don't know much about witchers, except the basic conceptions I guess, so I am asking you from one person to another : do you know what it is like to be trapped because you can do something ?"

Geralt looked at him with intensity. This question was randomly hitting too close to the heart. He suddenly had a flashback of the herbs trials. The second and the third ones. Those that gave him his golden eyes and white hair. He remembered the infinite pain and Vesemir crying while forcing him to drink the potions. He was forced into those things because he could survive, because he was stronger than the other boys, because he was the one that was following the path of the witcher with all his heart and soul, because this was all he had as a reason for living at this point…

- "Yes." He answered softly. Jaskier smiled sadly. "Do you feel trapped by my proposition? You can decline. I won't force you."

- "No, no. This is not what I meant. Just that CV… This is both what you think it is and a wound. So it feels strange to me that this is what is the anchor there again." He made a long pause. Geralt didn't know what to answer to that. But the young man clarified. "I was different… Good different or bad different, I can't tell. The thing is that this caused me a lot of pain, in very different ways. I fronted the seven exams to open the doors of my cage. I thought that if I had them all no one could force me ever again to fit into something I didn't want. I was creating multiple possible futures just to choose none of them in the end, just like lures for the whole society to escape in the blur. Creating a smoke cloud to disappear and start anew. The paradox is that I will forever hate Julian, not because who he was, but because he is the me I never wished to be, and, in the same time, from whom I am forever grateful for all that I learned. This is weird, don't you think ?"

- "No, this isn't. Believe it or not I understand."

- "I don't know why I am telling you this… I guess I trust you somehow. This is strange…" Jaskier was getting back his composure. "So, I get that I have the good CV for what you are planning but what happened to no humans, even warriors on the hunt ?"

- "This is not a hunt anymore. It kinda ended at the museum. As I said this would be more of a negotiation so... But this is still dangerous and I am still unsure if I am not taking a risk to ask you to come."

- "Well. I know you said no flirty things and all but I am gonna authorize myself a little comparison here. You seem like the kind of guy who doesn't know how to ask the girl to dance."

- "Witcher don't…"

- "Oh common ! You know what I mean. You want me to plead for you to take me on your not a hunt anymore ? I thought my enthusiasm was clear enough yesterday."

- "What if something happens ?"

Jaskier put a hand on his heart and turned bodily toward him.

- "Me, Jaskier, I swear on my honour that I am not forced by any witcher to participate in his mission on the mysterious devil of Posada and that I am coming willingly. Is that enough ?"

- "Well, in front of a court, it won't be enough as there is no proof of this vow."

- "You are so no fun."

The young man was suddenly doing the most childish pout and crossed his arms on his chest, squaring himself back in his seat. Geralt was fascinated by how quick he was jumping from maturity and really childish behaviour.

###

Geralt didn't have to push more to make him accept to come with him the next night. He was surprised but not that much. Jaskier said that he had no concert to give and no obligations. This was almost too easy.

Geralt had the whole next day to patrol a bit around the town to make sure Torque wouldn't come and damage the fields. The good surprise was that he didn't. He was not sure that he had listened to him. It probably was just the menace of a witcher in the neighbourhood that was more dissuasive.

After his round, he decided to go to the supermarket to take food for his lunch and the night. He didn't know what Jaskier's preferences were so he took simple pasta salads. Basics often works. But while he was walking between the stalls, something caught his witcher's senses. The smell of fresh soil and a distant scent of beast musc. This was not that strong, humans wouldn't notice at all but this was unexpected. He followed the scent and found without a doubt what was the last connection of the whole Posada affair. A woman. Or more precisely an elf. She had long blond hair in dreads, covering her ears, and she was wearing human clothes. But her race was evident to Geralt. She didn't seem in excellent shape. She seemed well fed but she had a greyish complexion and her eyes were circled.

She was looking at products on a rack and her pockets were a little bit too full. He made it seem like he didn't see it and went past her. Near, the smell and the little details on her, couldn't lie. She was living in the forest. She wasn't one of the elves living in the wild East though, but she was clearly not from here either. She seemed to notice him and for a brief moment he felt his medallion vibrating under his shirt. Magic. That elf was a chaos user.

He let things go and she left the supermarket with a little bit more than what she paid for. Geralt was sure that he would meet her again if the contact with Torque was successful tonight. She was playing a dangerous game there.

The only thing that was worrying him was the choice now. There was no evil nor devil. He didn't want to kill Torque. The wild elves were trying to survive. Everything could be fine if played well. But that woman here was another variable in the equation, and his guts were telling him she was the unpredictable kind. The one that could easily provoke a human aggressive response to a problem that they ignored in nature. Again this could degenerate badly.

Geralt didn't like to find himself in the middle of that. In a very different way it could go like another Blaviken for him.

###

He came back to the motel to take Jaskier with him at the end of the day. The sky was still on fire when he parked. The singer was waiting for him, on a bench in front of the hotel part. His harp was covered in a transport bag, next to him. He got up when he saw him and came right away.

There was some tension in the air, but Geralt couldn't tell from whom. Jaskier seemed rather enthusiastic. This was coming from somewhere else. Somebody was watching. Looking rapidly at the windows he didn't see anyone else.

- "Are you ready ?" He asked to shorten his presence here.

- "Yes !"

He told Jaskier to take and secure his instrument on the platform. The young man almost jumped in the back of the car. Geralt watched him in the mirror working the elastic tensioners to maintain the object without damaging it. Himself took the time to take his swords from the passenger seat where he used to put them and blocked them on his side, against the door.

And as soon as the young man was back and sat next to him, he started the engine and he asked:

- "Do you have any questions before we go ?"

- "Yes one…"

- "Go on."

- "Why is your car ID plaque ROACH ?"

Geralt smiled, breaking that tension he was feeling in here.

- "That was the name of my first horse. I hope you like pastas."

And on that answer and a quizzical look, they left the motel area.

###

They rode slowly toward the mountains. On the way he explained what monster they would see and its potential link to music. Jaskier was truly fascinated and excited by the idea to sing to a sylvan. He asked many questions about the creature and the details on his hunt. Geralt told him almost everything he knew and mentioned the wild elves potential strategy. He had no difficulty to make him understand the problem of a direct confrontation between the two races.

Geralt felt weird. He was usually a solo guy. And this was the first time he felt some connection with someone, especially a human. This was so unnatural and yet totally normal.

They arrived at the frontier of the forest and the lands burnt by the farmers. Geralt was surprised to see on those dark patches small traces of greenery. It was as if nature had accelerated the growth of dormant seeds. Maybe that was the sylvan's work. He felt sorry to ride again on the convalescent soil. This time he parked the other way round so that he could see what was coming from the forest and hopefully preserve his car lights.

They got down and jumped back at the rear of the pickup. Geralt had his swords nearby and Jaskier removed the cover of his harp. He got an old fashioned tunefork and accorded his instrument, explaining that the vibrations of the car had messed up the whole thing.

- "You know I have sung a lot the days before. I won't force my voice."

- "Playing is fine, I guess." He said while taking his shirt from the hunt out of his packages.

He changed in front of the young man, realizing a bit late that he was perhaps an attractive view, if he was really into him. He didn't have that physical attraction to bodies and being naked around other men was common for witchers, as they grew and lived in fraternities. He almost felt his look on his back, following the lines of his many scars, memories of fights that didn't go as planned. But surprisingly, Jaskier said nothing about that.

- "Why did you change ?" He asked though.

- "This was the shirt I was wearing two days ago. Torque could smell the difference. I want to create some recurring markers. If everything goes fine tonight, you will have to do the same tomorrow and the days after."

- "Charming…"

- "We have to wait for the heart of the night before trying the music connection."

- "Okay."

This was a "you are weird man" kind of okay but the young man complied without a word. Well… not a word about his decision making, but way too many words about everything else to his liking. For unknown reasons, the musician had decided to speak about the waitress. How she was working at her father's motel for a miserable salary, keeping the tips to pay for her superior studies in the city of Vengerberg, in the next kingdom. She was twenty one and working like that for five years. But she was close to the finish line.

- "Her father doesn't know we are together. I guess I would find myself a bullet in the back if he knew."

- "Well it could happen sooner than you think. She isn't as discreet as you." This was pure sarcasm on his part but it was liberating after hearing so many things he didn't care about. "She told me right away, last time, that you were together."

- "And you would say it to her father ?"

- "No…"

- "We are safe then."

- "What the… never mind… Pastas ?" He asked, trying to put the young man's mouth to another use than speak.

Jaskier was happy to share this simple improvised dinner with him but chewing didn't help to shut him up. Geralt was impressed and equally annoyed by the incessant verbiage. After some new stories about the waitress, he just couldn't help but ask :

- "Can't you just wait in silence ?"

For a brief moment, Jaskier seemed to think and then replied with a grin.

- "Nah."

Geralt sighed loudly. And this is how it went, as the sky grew darker and darker. Fortunately the next part of the evening went way better. He gave the young man a blanket and let him sleep about three hours while he enjoyed the beauty of the night, the way he liked. The sky was all clear and the star appeared progressively as all the sounds of nature seemed amplified.

He obeyed his instincts to know when to wake up the young man, who yawned ungracefully and rubbed his eyes.

- "It's time to play."

- "Ok ok… give me a second. I don't see a thing."

Geralt turned up a small blue night light and put it between them. This was probably barely enough for the young man but he didn't protest. To him, this was a beautiful light and it was playing nicely with the shadows of his face. He almost looked like an elf there.

Jaskier took his harp, tuned it again and began to play. If "magical" could have an illustration, this was this moment for Geralt. Jaskier strummed the cords of his harp and hummed the tunes of very old elven songs before pushing the words out. To his witcher senses, between the lights of the sky and the blue one in his car, the eerie music, and the angelic voice singing in this mystical forgotten language, everything was perfect. He was shivering from something he didn't know. Emotions he was not used to. Like when woke up last night after his dream. Was he the wolf ? Will he bite ?

They didn't have to wait that much for what he had anticipated to happen, or to be fair, this could have taken way longer. Elven songs were usually quite long and they were four songs in, when it happened. Geralt heard them long before they showed themselves. In their back, the moon was raising lighting progressively the landscape, stirring shadows, shaping the trees. He could hear movement and then saw the shadows moving. Then the eyes. Like the stars were constellating the dark fabric of the sky, the reflection of light in the retina of the many animals that were gathering were constellating the forest. Then they went out of their hiding. Deers, foxes, boars, hares, for the biggest. They circled the car progressively.

- "Don't stop and don't be scared." He whispered to Jaskier who was now looking around with both fear and wonderment. The young man obeyed again.

And then in the shadows, Torque appeared. It came out almost right away. His head was tilting slightly as he was listening to the music. He approached the car but stayed within the animal circle. With the light of the moon, Geralt could finally see the details of the sylvan. It was a young one. It didn't have much moss on his bark and the branches coming out of its back and shoulders were thin. Sylvan were not like leshen, tree like creatures, but they had an almost symbiotic connection to plants. They didn't have the same abilities, but they certainly had some intense impact on the nature around too. Vegetal and animal.

This was the first time Geralt could see Torque that well. It was muscular but slender. Its beast face was the perfect mix of a goat and a man. Its horns were curved and thick and in between it had two long and mobile ears. It had a soft brown skin and a dark brown fur, running abundantly on its torso and totally covering its goat legs. The bark was growing on its shoulder and probably its back as much as he could see.

- "This is lie." Torque said staring at Jaskier.

Geralt looked at the young man. He really looked like an elf under the contradictory lights. He understood what the sylvan was trying to say.

- "This is not a lie nor a deceit. He is human."

- "Humans and witchers are not welcomed." Replied Torque immediately.

- "We are not hunting you. Did you talk to the elves ?"

- "No."

- "But you didn't steal in the human fields either."

- "No."

- "So you are curious too, am I right ?" Torque didn't reply. So Geralt pushed a little bit further. Jaskier was still playing and singing softly. "We need to communicate. I need to understand the elves' needs, your needs, so I can act accordingly. Jaskier can help with communication. He can speak…"

- "Witcher can't understand. Humans can't understand." Cut Torque.

At the same time, Jaskier had stopped singing and was suddenly making some mistakes. This was clearly not the good time for that, but the sylvan's reaction was not what he feared. He approached a little bit, quitting the circle and, tilting his head more, he said.

- "How human hear that ?"

The false notes became a strange rhythm and Jaskier found a melody inside of it. Melody that he began to hum. He was almost in trance. Torque began to hum too. With its voice it looked like a strange instrument. The sound was guttural and strangely polyphonic. It went in pure synchronisation for a while and they both stopped at the same time.

- "How human hear the song ?"

Jaskier looked at him and Geralt made him a head sign to invite him to answer.

- "You sing when you talk. The melody was in the secondary vibration of your throat. I don't know what it means but, yeah I hear it."

The sylvan was intrigued. Geralt was impressed. Jaskier just needed a few sentences to notice that detail in the creature's way of speaking. And there was definitely a step made toward communication.

- "Torque. We are different. He is a human that can hear your hidden music and speak to the elves. I am a witcher trying to protect you while I am paid to kill you. I know you are different from the other sylvans that lived here. You learned to speak. The other didn't need to… I looked into Dol Blathana's history. Sylvans protect the forest but they were helping elven farmers of the old time. Humans didn't take your warnings the same way and they changed the land. Am I right ?"

- "Humans burn forest. Humans make the soil pain. Torque can't repair all."

- "But the elves are learning the human way." The creature shook its head slowly.

- "Elves learn in between."

- "You want the human to learn it too ?" A nod this time. "But this is not going to work if things continue that way. The deterioration of the fields makes them angry against you. They can't listen that way."

- "Torque steal. Torque don't destroy."

Geralt suddenly connected the dots. The elf he saw in the supermarket was not human converted but not wild one either. She was from the ones that tried to survive as they were in the human world, despite the growing pressure. They were probably the ones that created the plantations as an experiment. The technology coming from humans couldn't come from Torque. It was just helping and probably curious about an alternative solution.

- "Torque. There are more than wild elves from the east in your forest, am I right ?"

- "Yes."

He sighed. Jaskier seemed a bit lost.

- "I need to talk to them. The elves from the human lands. They have to understand that everything can work if there is no evidence of your passage. You are the one humans want to kill because they saw you sometimes. They are putting you at risk and with you all the elves you are protecting. Can you make this happen ?"

Torque seemed to think a lot but he finally said.

- "Stay here. When the sun up, Torque speak to elves and will come back for answer."

- "That's good. We stay here. We'll wait for your return."

Torque bended slightly and majestically returned to the forest. Animals followed and disappeared in the shadows. At his side, Jaskier let out a shaky breath.

- "Are you ok ?"

The young man looked at him with eyes full of tears.

- "This was incredible. I… I feel alive." He smiled.

- "You are not afraid." Noted Geralt.

- "Why should I ? Torque is a magnificent creature. This is the first time I can see one that well. The invisible world is real…"

- "You have to stay quiet about this. You understand why ?"

- "Yes."

- "You were brilliant by the way. Finding the melody in the sylvan's voice. You made the connection. He wouldn't have listen otherwise."

- "Thanks."

- "Is this how you learn all the languages ?" Geralt was curious now.

Jaskier frowned, put his harp on the side and layed on the platform, crossing his arms under his head, as a pillow.

- "Don't bring Oxenfurt back in the mix please. I want this moment to be perfect."

Geralt switched off the night light and layed next to him. He looked at him, in the soft moon light, blissfully smiling at the stars above. The cold air of the night sent shivers down his spine. Or was it ?

###

Geralt woke up at the first ray of light. Jaskier was still sleeping, rolled in his blanket. Next to him was the harp. He tried to get down the platform discreetly but his movement woke the young man up.

- "What is it ? Is Torque back ?" Came the slurred words.

- "Not yet. I am just going to take a piss. Stay in the car."

- "Alright." He was almost back to sleep.

Geralt moved a bit and went to the frontier of the forest. He was about to open his pants when he heard a crack not far. Senses in alert, he looked in the shadows. He definitely saw something moving.

- "Torque ? Is that you ?" No response.

He heard another crack further and followed it, taking a few steps into the forest. He didn't walk much but soon he couldn't see his car from where he was. He decided to get back and stick to the plan. Torque would come. He shouldn't try to penetrate the forest that way. He turned round and began to walk back.

The only warning he had came too late. His medallion vibrated and he didn't have the time to face the threat. He felt something connecting with his skin through his shirt and suddenly a huge pain. He fell on his knees. Electricity was paralysing his muscles. The first wave passed and he tried to get up but there was a second impact and the shock was twice as hard and long. This time he dropped on his side like a dead log.

He suddenly heard Jaskier scream. So the assailants came in two groups. It seemed more like a surprise cry though. They probably didn't hurt him. Someone kicked Geralt in the chest and he rolled on his back. The blond elf from the supermarket looked down at him. She was holding a device linked to some wires, still connected to his back.

- "Who knew that all that took to subdue a witcher was some taser shocks." She laughed.

He heard several breaking noises coming from the car. This group was probably now destroying stuff. Jaskier screamed again.

- "Not my harp !" Was clearly audible.

Then there was a strange crushing noise. Geralt's blood ran cold when he heard him cry and then the muffled sound of a fight turning very short. This time they hit him. He just hoped that this was nothing bad.

- "You shouldn't have come, witcher. Especially with a human witness. You can't stop us."

He wanted to tell them that hurting the human was the worst decision but he just growled in protest. This was the best he could do. She seemed to think he was trying to attack or something. She made a quick gesture toward someone he couldn't see yet. He just had the time to see the other elf when he approached and kicked him hard in the head. He lost consciousness.