Of Monsters and Men

As she mounted Oak and prepared to leave Pontarsfork, Ellyn suddenly became aware of three figures moving through the village. Immediately moving to a wall where she could observe them hopefully in hiding, after a moment she realized that two of the people were most likely Witchers, based on their distinctive two swords. Not many people carried two swords, wielding two such weapons was awkward, but it worked for the Witchers. The third man wasn't particularly notable, but given the company he was in, Ellyn didn't think he was a mere nobody.
Regardless, while she didn't know who had attacked the town, she could be sure that it hadn't been the Witchers, and certainly not just the two of them, despite their famed skill. In fact, they seemed to be doing much the same as she had, investigating the village.

Ellyn moved out of her hiding spot; more than likely the Witchers had seen her before she them. They were tricky that way. Taking a direct route towards the, lance held across her saddle and helmet-less, she had as welcoming an appearance as someone dressed in full armor could be. "Greetings, Witchers and their companion," she called out to them for a short distance away. "I am Ellyn. I'll be blunt with you, I'm looking for who did this; can you tell me anything?" There wasn't any time for subtlety. If any of the villagers were still alive, very unlikely given the state of the village, but if they were, time was of the essence, and the Witchers at least could help speed things up, and perhaps even their companion.

 

​

Having arrived at Pontarsfork, shortly after the two Witchers, the smell of the dead quickly swarm Kruez's senses. By no means was it a pleasant smell and unfortunately this wasn't the first time that he'd encountered this. Venturing further in Kruez had started to look around at the village, during which someone had called out to them. The woman didn't look like a witcher, but then again there wasn't a distinct notification on what witchers looked liked not taking into account their weapon choices. "We just got here so we don't know much." Kruez answered.

​

"Surely there's someone else in your family that could take your place should you die, a sibling perhaps." Xross said, smirking. In truth he didn't know whether or not what he was saying was true in Talon's case, but judging from how he reacted to what he'd said earlier, he may have hit the nail on the head. The only way to know for certain was to keep pressing for information until he got something definite and that was exactly what he was going to do.

Fortunately for Terra and Sweallow, the day that they had chosen to go out of was a nice one. There was a perfect balance between the amount of clouds that were in the sky and the amount of sky that they were able to see. As they were walking past a tree they could hear birds singing a cheerful tune. All and all, it truly was a lovely day. "Yes it is." Sweallow simply answered. Of course with the day being as it was, there wasn't much to really talk about regarding it, so Sweallow tried to think of another topic that they could speak about. "So what was it that you did before ran an orphanage?"

 

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Veera stepped in front of Keenan and Kruez, though she spared an admonishing glance towards the latter. "I've been tracking a mage named Solomon. He has an uncanny ability to be able to raise the dead, and control them completely." She raised her eyes to Ellyn, frowning slightly. "Myself and him," she jerked a finger at Kruez," have been following Solomon's trail since Oxenfurt. He," this time the finger went towards Keenan, "just recently met up with us. What do you know?" Veera looked around, uncertain where to start. The stench of death covered everything.

"Are there any survivors?"

​

Treasa looked up at Derrick, biting her lip. He was so eager to go...she placed her hand on the ground. "I can't get up." She said truthfully. "If you want to get a move on, you could leave me here. I'll catch up when I can get on the horse." Much less find the horse. She knew she would probably be dead as soon as he walked away, but she was in no way going to beg for help, and though it irked her, it wasn't in her ability to pull herself from the ground. Her eyes felt as though there were immense pressure behind them, and her skull felt like it was going to crack.

"I'm sorry. I'm just a simple human." She gritted her teeth, then sighed. "Never mind. It was good fighting with you, Derrick." Fully expecting him to leave, she slowly shifted her legs to stretch out in front of her, easing into the position gently. Letting her eyes shut, she prayed to the Goddess that this wasn't one of those long term things. And that this wouldn't end in her very likely death. At least, if another of those cow things showed up, it would likely be quick.

​

Tessa hesitated, then released Adolin. He could have made her, she was sure those blades weren't just for show. She didn't apologize for what she had done, hoping he understood. If he didn't....maybe she would apologize later. "That's Se-" he came running up, scolding her for leaving him. "I'm not a child." She told Seth flatly, but she had to acknowledge that both men were right. They should get out of here. Running again...."Seth, we're going with him. We can find Matilda on the way out, but she knows the city better then we do. She could probably make her way to safety before we even had a clue where to start searching."

It may not have been the safest assumption for Tessa to make, but having grown up in Oxenfurt, she had known the best alleyways and the safest, or quickest paths to home and back. She thought Matilda would have the same sort of knowledge, and that associating herself with them would only put her in more danger. If all else failed, she could hide with Sigmund.

"Can we go?" She asked, trying to keep her eyes averted from the stage. "I don't...I don't want to see that again." The sight would already haunt her nightmares. She didn't want it to bother her during the day too.

 

He was too caught up to notice that Treasa wasn't able to stand, and when he looked down at her, a part of him felt a little sad. For someone so fierce, it seemed wrong to have them down on the ground and unable to do anything. She said he should move on and she'd catch up later. The Witcher shook his head and dismounted, even as she continued speaking. She sunk down to the floor, appearing to resign herself to her fate, but Derrick had other ideas. He knelt down by her right side and picked up her arm and slung it over his shoulder while putting his left arm around hers for support.
"Damn right it was good fighting." Derrick grunted as he hauled her up from the ground and placed her on her feet, then steadied her with his right hand to support her weight. "And that was meant to be a compliment. You stand out. You've got more guts than most people I've seen. Let's get you to your horse. I'm not leaving without you. I like you, and your uncle would kill me." He guided her to Veceslav's horse as best he could, trying to make sure that she didn't fall over. His back and his shoulder wound seemed to screech at him, but he ignored the pain. No man- Woman left behind.
"Ready Treasa?" He asked before he lifted her on to the horse. She might well decide that she was going to do it herself.




He nodded at Seth as he came over, urging the girl to leave. Apparently he was quite the protective character, and they needed to go find someone called Matilda. He immediately considered the possibility that these two were somehow and item and that Matilda might have been their daughter. He didn't vocalise the thought, but nodded. It brought things into perspective a little. Even children were going to die to this insane purge. He looked back at the bodies hanging from the ramparts of the castle with a look of disgust. The pouch and Kaer Morhen sprang to mind again. Is this justice? I shirked my duties in Oxenfurt, but that didn't make a blind bit of difference. And before... Before I didn't see this. This is an attempt at a genocide of an entire race. He calls it exile, but he wants to drive us into the wilderness to die or get lynched by fearful peasants. We Dopplers will face persecution forever if he has his way. The only place to go is South, South across the border to Nilfgaard. And then what? Will the Nilfgaardians hate us too?
"What...? Yes, yes, let's get out of here. You should find this Matilda. I'll go with you to protect you, but I'm not leaving the city. I have someone to look after as well." The slayer of Witchers spoke. He started to lead them out of the crowd towards one of the side streets. He wasn't sure where it lead yet, but they'd let him know if he lead them wrong. He looked around, making sure that there weren't any guards looking in their direction once they broke from the boisterous crowd. These people... They want to see us die. They'll watch the slaughter and laugh as our blood runs rivers through the street. Bryce was wrong. He attacked people. He didn't attack the cause of this. If he was just smarter, more far sighted... Then perhaps he would have made a difference. Adolin stopped at the entrance to the alleyway they chose and looked back over the crowd to the bodies. He felt angry. The same anger that had coursed through him to kill the Witchers for what they did to his family, and what they would have done to him if they had found him.

Those who were hanged there would never go back to their families. Husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, uncles and aunts and brothers and sisters, all never to return. That all-consuming rage filled him again. Alanna said that they were on a new path. That they had to atone for what they had done. He had agreed to it, but he knew in his heart that it wasn't the life for him. The three swords across his body called to him. Ever since that moment all those years ago, this was his reality. He clenched his fists until his knuckles were white and his nails dug into his palms. These two were not fighters. These two were not killers. These two, he would save and then turn his attention back to destruction. He was on a timer, and he knew it. Whatever he was going to do... Whatever he could do... He was going to have to do it quickly.
"Lead the way." He spoke to the girl and the boy, in a voice that sounded far distant from the city they stood in. ​

 

​

Ellyn shook her head in response to Veera. "No survivors in the village anyway. Maybe some got away on foot, but..." She gazed around at the carnage. A mage called Solomon who could raise the dead? Well, such creatures would explain the sort of injuries the remaining corpses showed. She'd seen stranger things. "It seems you know more about this than I do, despite arriving here afterwards. What I can say is that it has happened quite recently, so we should be able to catch up to this Solomon before long. There should be some tracks around."
Something struck her then, and a vague look of worry passed over her face. "The undead he controls," she asked Veera, "what exactly does he have them do?" The question was unnecessary though; considering what had happened in the village, she already knew what they were used for.

 

​

Veera headed towards the tracks, though when Keenan spoke she spared a glance his way, analyzing. Was he going to follow her now? It was a strange thought, and one she didn't have time to consider whether she cared for or not. Her eyes narrowed as she turned, leaning down to touch the dirt that had been disturbed when the undead walked through. "You've seen what's left of the ones left behind" She murmured in response to Ellyn. "They don't feel pain. Losing a limb will not stop them. They have strength untempered by fear or caution. No self preservation. They are his slaves, completely and wholly. From what I have seen, at least."

She frowned, getting to her feet. "You're right." She told the knight. "These are more recent then the tracks we followed. We should be able to catch up within a few days." Turning back to Kruez and Keenan, the frown back on her face, she addressed them next. "You two don't have any obligation to keep following. You can return to the Kaer, or go to Oxenfurt and see if the survivors need help rebuilding. The necrophages had almost overwhelmed the town when we left. This is my quest, and mine alone."

Turning back, she nodded to Ellyn. "I would say the same to you, but you are apparently seeking the mage for retribution as well. While I cannot say you would be welcome, I will not stop you from accompanying me, or vice versa." With that said, Veera took off in the direction of the tracks.

​

She made a small noise of surprise as Derrick pulled her, gently, to her feet. Staring at him, she leaned heavily against the witcher as they walked towards the horse. "I thought for sure you'd leave me. I'll only slow you down." She murmured as they reached the animal. She looked up, swallowing, before letting Derrick assist her in clambering up the saddle clumsily. Once atop, she gripped the saddle horn tightly, taking a few deep breaths to quell the sea in her head. Once that was done, she reached over, cutting some of the leather off the saddle and wrapping it around the body of the stirrup, tying her leg to the saddle. It was crude, and it wouldn't hold very well, but hopefully it would be enough to get her to where they needed to go.

She did the same to the other side, and then turned to look at Derrick, her eyes searching his face. "I wouldn't let him touch you." She said finally, probably one of the highest compliments she had ever given to a male. "I'll follow your lead, Derrick." And there was the third highest.

​

Tessa wanted to retort to Seth, a well of frustration growing inside her chest, but she bit her lip, cutting off her response as he turned and walked into the crowd. She started, then turned, her eyes traveling up to Adolin's face. He hadn't immediately started walking with them, and she could see his thoughts were far away, perhaps with the person he needed to protect. She stepped towards him, her hand reaching towards the other doppler before jerking back hesitantly. Steeling herself, she did it again, taking his hand and gently squeezing it.

"I want to avenge them too." She murmured, her eyes burning with both tears and anger. "I've lost everything because of the hatred of humans." Tugging his hand gently, she pulled him towards her as she followed Seth towards Matilda. "But you said so yourself. We have to get to safety first." She glanced back at Adolin when they reached Matilda. "I need your help." She told him, dropping his hand. "We need your help."

Seth wouldn't like it, but Tessa was done running. She had finally found a place of hope, a new start, and now it was being ripped from her again. Her mother, her father, the man who had looked after like a brother, her home...it was all gone. This wouldn't be taken from her too. "Please." Now wasn't the time to ask, but Adolin's eyes carried the same drive that Bryce's had, before he had changed. She wanted that same passion, and she wanted to point it at the people who had destroyed her life so many times over. She wanted to make them feel what she had felt. And I will.

 

The Doppler felt someone tugging at his hand before they left down the alleyway. He looked around and saw it was the girl with the platinum blonde hair. He saw the spark of vengeance in her eyes, even as she spoke. His face took on a grim countenance and he spoke.
"All too familiar eyes..." He spoke, then a dark smile crossed his face. "You're not who I expected you to be." He tugged his hand away and followed the group silently, allowing them to lead the way to the person that they were going to meet. Her companion was protective of her, but he was not made of the same stuff as her. Something about it seemed inappropriate. She reminded him of Alanna in a way. She was more independent than her companion seemed to be allowing her, but it was not his place to comment on such things. However, the look in her eyes spoke volumes to him. It reinforced that drive in his heart. If this unassuming girl could carry that same passion, that desire to strike back... Then why shouldn't he? He thought of Alanna, and how disappointed she would be. But she would understand, she always did. She followed him to the end with his drive to destroy the Witchers. This quest he would not ask her to join in. The Witchers were an archaic force, but this was a King. There was no reason to involve her in this madness. He could only hope that she would forgive him.

Eventually they found the girl that they were looking for, and she seemed concerned about his identity. It was only logical, given that she knew these two but he was just a stranger that tagged along for no obvious reason. He had believed these people in need of protecting, but perhaps it was not as much so as he thought.
"I am a protector of sorts. An avenger. My name is Adolin Bonhart, and we need to get out of here, somewhere safe. But there's something that I have to do first." His words only served to affirm his conviction. He would do this. Thinking back to the hangings... There was nothing that he could do now. It would be foolhardy to try anything now. No, he needed something different. Like the Witchers, he would need to think. He would need to plan, and then he would strike. And this time... He looked at the girl and the other one with him. This time, he may not be doing it with quite so few. How many disenfranchised Dopplers existed out there? How many survivors of Oxenfurt were there? They would need a leader. Someone who would protect them from the bloody persecution and hunts to come. In his mind, there was only one person that could be. "Take me to somewhere we can meet up. Once I've done what I need to, then we can leave this city."




"Good thinking." He commented with a simple nod as she tied herself into the saddle. He waited for her to finish, and to say that she was ready to leave. What she said next, surprised him. Not only did she profess that she would back him up from anything from Alastar, but also that she would follow him. The latter was the last thing he'd ever expected to hear from Treasa. He gave her a smile and clapped his hands. "Very well, we'll be off then! I won't lead us too fast. It won't do your head any favours and we don't need to make it any worse." There was no point in driving his new team mate ragged. He began to lead them onwards at a steady pace, balancing speed and the comfort of her skull. ​

 

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While Veera had given them a more in depth look into their reason for being here, Kruez continued to look around the village and all it's destruction. The more that he looked around, the more that he was reminded of his former home before it was presumably burned to the ground. An odd sense of reminisce washed over Kruez as he thought back to day. Still, he felt nothing towards most of the people that died there and there wasn't a reason that he should. They had condemn his father, the man who on numerous different occasions had defended them, solely for being a mage and when he was murdered, not a single person tried to help. He knew that not everyone fell into this category, for he did have a small amount if friends that wanted to help, but couldn't due to various means. They were the select few that part of him hoped had survived.

Veera speaking to him had brought him out of this state of reminisce and back to reality. She had basically given them the choice of going Kaer or Oxenfurt, neither option he was all that willing to go for. "I choose to follow you." He wasn't going turn back now.

​

At Talon's suggesting that he might've had friends or a job, Xross couldn't help but to laugh. Friend? To him all friends were were pawns to be used to your advantage or potential hindrance, that's why he never kept any pawns of his around for too long. "Nope, nope, nope and nope. Life is already such a bore, thus I do this to add a little spice to the mundane cycle. Though I suppose for you getting shot in the shoulder and locked in a dungeon for a night counts as well. By the way, this wouldn't be the first time I've taunted death and it probably won't be the last."

A soldier into a director of an orphanage was quite the interesting change of work. Fortunately for Terra all Sweallow wanted to know with his question was the general idea and nothing too specific. Thus he wouldn't press her for more information that what she had told him. That said, this presented another issue for him. Seeing as how he had asked her from some information regarding her past, he thought it was only fitting for him to tell her to same. Thinking back on it, she was interested in his past with Katia so it possible that something else relating to his past would interest to. Likely not for the same reason, but we'll see. "If you'd like, I could tell something else about my past."

 

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As soon as the strange man strutted out of the fog Vyle's hands went to his weapons and he stood by Ana protectively
"Greetings" he responded cautiously and emotionlessly "A more important question is, what brings you here? A battleground is not a safe place for an unarmed man" this man was undoubtedly either mad, or the cause of the dark magic and unnatural fog that infested the city. He acted as if he owned the place, he surely would not be so confident if he didn't know what lurked in the mist. "I don't trust people who hide their face, and I don't answer the questions of people I don't trust" Vyle continued suspiciously. Under his cloak, his hands were on the hilts of his daggers in case the stranger was not as friendly as he acted.

As willow crested a hill she saw a group of people going the other direction. Thinking they may know something, she trotted forwards on her horse towards the convoy
"Hail!" she greeted in a friendly manner "You look like you've been through hell and back, did something happen in Oxenfurt?" she asked with concern, feigning ignorance

 

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Ellyn smiled slightly at Veera's somewhat hostile tone. She wasn't welcome, but the Witcher would kindly condescend to allow her to follow along, was it? A proud woman it seemed. "I do intend to go after this mage, Veera," Ellyn told the woman, "but before I do so, I mean to gather together a few more men. As famed as the skills of the Witcher's are, I don't think just two of you plus whatever your companion is could hope to take him down, and I on my own can hardly add much. More men will be needed to take this monster down if he's already ravaged Oxenfurt." Had the entire town really been overwhelmed? The possibility sent a shiver down her spine. And now he'd presumably added the corpses of Pontarsfork to his horde... a veritable army.
"There's a Nilfgaardian camp nearby, and I'll be able to have the commander raise it's full force, once I get to him. With that, I'll hunt this Solomon down, and kill him." She turned her horse away, having decided that the conversation was over. "You may accompany me, if you like." And then with a slight pressure of her knees she urged Oak forward in a walk.
It occurred to her that she was acting just as proud as the Witcher woman. She chuckled grimly at that.

 

​

Teliana halted when Vyle did, trusting his superior senses. Not a minute later, the same man he had apparently seen stepped out of the fog, walking towards them with all the jaunt of a nobleman, though without the same sense of style. Or perhaps lack thereof. Ana narrowed her eyes, her hand clenching around the fire, swallowing the magic back into her skin. It would take less then no effort to call it back, and only a little more to create the dangerous kind of flame. She kept a careful distance from Vyle, not because she was afraid of him, but because she didn't want him to fear her.

Her hand reached out to tug Zephyr closer as her intuition whispered there was more to the fog then she could possibly see. "I've got your back." she whispered to Vyle, trusting him to deal with the stranger as she turned to scan the area behind them.

​

Veera listened to Keenan's speech with only a set of raised eyebrows. "You shouldn't blame the gods, so much as The Crow." She finally replied, before returning to the trail. She wasn't pleased that Kruez and Keenan had decided to follow her, likely to their deaths, but she had given them their choice. Their blood would not be on her hands. Not like Aaron's. For this reason, she was glad Ellyn was making the choice to raise more men, get more help. Veera, bound by the Code of her punishment, was not allowed to request such.

"Safe travels." She told the other woman, with as close to a genuine smile as Veera could get, raising her hand in farewell before turning away. It would not be long now, and she would face Solomon, and before gods and mages and undead, she would receive her judgement. Hardly the ending she had seen for herself, but then again, it was better then dying against some undiscovered monster in the middle of nowhere.

​

Treasa could only smile at Derrick's reply. Maybe you're not so bad. She thought to herself as she squeezed her knees for her horse to follow his, keeping her eyes focused on the horse's neck as it moved. That way, the vertigo wasn't quite so bad. He thinks you're extraordinary. A small voice whispered in her head, one she quickly shut down. The last thing she needed was to become giddy over the praise of some witcher. Even if that witcher was a legend. For sleeping with people. She reminded herself, gritting her teeth as a jolt sent a pang up her spine.

She refused to complain, would never do so. At this point she wanted a warm bed and a fire, preferably the former. Hopefully, both awaited her in Novigrad.

​

Zack nodded to Riel to keep going as he turned to talk to the stranger. He narrowed his eyes; people traveling this close to Oxenfurt were either murderers, sicophants, or stupid. He couldn't rule out any, or all of the three. "We're just a caravan of paupers and troop players. Looking for a new place to play. Oxenfurt wasn't to our tastes. I think we're going to try somewhere more south." He turned to her, tense but not visibly wary. "What's a woman doing out here, riding alone?"

She didn't look like a farmer, or the daughter of one. The nearest town was Pontarsfork, but it would be strange for her to come this way if that was the case. It was possible there was a hermit hut out here in the wilds, but she didn't strike him as the hermit type. Too many inexplicable things, unable to add up, put Zack on his toes. His wary toes.

​

Tessa gritted her teeth. They should have split up, like she suggested. Perhaps they could have found Talon by now if they had. She looked back at Adolin, eyes narrowing. Just what did he have to do? She didn't like people disappearing on her, even if they were strangers. Perhaps it was the fire in his eyes, or the promise in his voice, but Tessa felt as though she had found a part of Bryce she had lost, when he stabbed her in the back. Literally. She wanted to keep this connection to the guardian she had lost, even if it was a shadow of the relationship she had. It was still better then the emptiness that had taken its place.

"We should stick together." She decided to voice her argument. "Two go one way, and two the other. Then we meet back at the safe house. It'll be better if we aren't alone, if something happens." She didn't stop walking as she spoke, but she glanced back at Adolin, to see his reaction. She didn't intend on letting anyone slip away from her easily anymore. "You're not keeping me inside for this." She told Seth, deciding to start the battle on that front before the other doppler got a chance to say so. "I'm going to help. I have a dagger and I'm fast. If you're good enough for this, then so am I."

 

The hands of one of the people moved, presumably to a weapon, suspicious mind too, and suspicious minds always had things to hide. It also meant he'll believe more than he doubts. Of course the man demanded to see his face. Tobias merely threw back the black hood he wore revealing quite the normal face, a lightly toned skin, black hair, looking like the average peasant, even dressing the part, except for the fact that his eyes were completely black. He slowly turned up his left hand, palm upwards towards Vyle "Your turn. What brings you here?" He lowered the hand again to his side, truly the man wasn't very observant a sickle could be used as a weapon, but it would also pass for a simple tool, but wasn't that what weapons were, mere tools. He observed the girl who was warily looking behind them, tugging the third person closer to her, nothing too odd about it, focusing back to the one they had designated to speak to him.

 

Olivia's pov:



She watched as the basilisk flew up into the sky and then fly off with its partner to the west. It was old that the basilisk took off. That was when Alastar asked her if she was alright. "The basilisk got me on the left side and it hurt so I will have to take a look at it when we get out of here." 'We should go before they come back' "Right the farther and faster we get out of here the better." She then looked around. "Your arm is broken we should get something for that. Also the basilisks took off for some reason. We should get going."

 

Derrick led them at a steady pace, making their way to the roads that were familiar to him but likely alien to her her. She didn't seem to have much knowledge of the local area, given that she needed his help to get back to Kaer Morhen. However, it didn't seem as if she was so reluctant to be around him now. Perhaps the battle with that... Thing had changed her mind about him somewhat. He wasn't going to complain, given that a little less hostility in his life was just fine by him. Times had been stressful enough. He could see a familiar bridge ahead. That meant that they weren't far away now. He turned around to call back to Treasa.
"We're not far now! Sit tight, rest and relaxation a little further up!" He said, injecting a bit of enthusiasm into his voice. It had been a fairly quiet ride, so he wanted to see if he could restore a little life and enthusiasm into her so she was ready for the hustle and bustle of the city. He wasn't sure if she had ever been to Novigrad. Speaking of which, he didn't actually know where she came from. He made a note to himself to ask later.





"That sounds sensible, it's a dangerous time for us to be alone." He spoke collectively, as if he were talking about Dopplers as a whole. The girl seemed to now be putting up a resistance to her companion's hand-holding. He figured that it was something that had been going on for a while. They were a curious pair... He wasn't yet sure what to make of them. He didn't think they were bad people. However, he did wonder which of them would accompany him to deal with Alanna. Or rather, to deal with what was in her room. Getting that pouch was the key to everything. He wouldn't pull her into an insane plan like this - He couldn't condemn her to death by the King if he failed, but he would not allow this to go on any longer. The Dopplers had suffered enough. "Who's going with who? We should decide quickly." ​

 

Alastar breathed in deeply and started to mentally count to ten before he gave in to the desire to give Captain obvious a piece of his mind. After having counted to ten he sighed deeply and rubbed his temples Crow... what the hell man, I thought you taught people better than this. "It doesn't seem to have pierced your armour, won't be an aweful lot to see there, Lass, maybe a bruise but you won't see all the organs that are internally bleeding all over you, the world is fun that way." Alastar said "As for it being better that doesn't have to be, I'd take a pair of Basilisks over say a Fiend or a Griffin." He knew it wasn't a great idea to tempt fate when curses could take hold from mere uttered words, but really he had to point it out, he would supplement the Crow's training of this witcher with some additional practical knowledge something this girl didn't seem to have in ample supply. "I know it's broken, already taken care of, nothing more to do now but wait and be annoyed and girl, really I got a pair of eyes and a brain of my own, hard to believe but it's da truth ya don't need to point out every single obvious thing to me. Whatever scared them away I don't know, don't want to stick around to see for myself and it turns out to be some vengeful defender of cows that wanted to punish the Basilisks for their horrendous crimes on the bovine species." The last part was purely made up ****, such a monster didn't exist, he hadn't actually met one and therefor he doubted they existed then again he also never saw a Godling, but apparantly they existed. The annoyance he experienced wasn't just from the girl's actions but also the pain and the inconvenience from his broken arm. He wasn't gonna stand around and look pretty any longer, Treasa had pointed out he was terrible at it several dozen times, so he started down the path they had previously been going down before they had been interrupted..​

 

​

Veera, for the most part, ignored Keenan's ramblings. If he had wanted to know what was going on, he should have stuck around the Kaer more. But coming back only once a year, and then disappearing again, was not something that provoked the making of strong bonds with any kind of person. Yes, they led wandering lives, but she had spent years training with Derrick and Veceslav, and then at least four or five months, when the winter was harshest, weathering the cold with them. Compared to the numerous days that they had hunted together, and the nights spent in the great hall, drinking each other under the table, what was one day?

Veera chose to lose herself in those pleasant memories, rather then remain here in the present. Here, where she ran with strangers, after a mass murderer that would probably lead to her death. Here, where the world was filled with death and destruction, and she had been the cause for some of it. No, she wanted to remember the time that Derrick had Axiied Veceslav into drinking a year old Swallow potion, or the time she had knocked Derrick into the ground with a practice dummy. The times they broke each others bones trying to best one another, racing to see who could jump off the higher parts of the walls, or leap the farthest. She had been so different back then, much more carefree and happy.

Derrick and Vec had always brought out the best in her, she thought. And now she had lost them both to her own mistakes. Perhaps she would need to find that part of her only they remembered, the worst bits that didn't ever see the light of day. After all, it wasn't as if she expected to make it through this. She reached back, as if to check that her swords were still there, criss-crossing across her back. Her pouch clinked as she walked, filled with the potions and oils that Veceslav had given her. Her blood boiled at that memory; how dare he act repentant? He could have taken it all back, forgiven her, but he carried out the punishment, and then asked for her forgiveness? She dropped her hand, clenching it.

That was too fresh a wound to think of. No, she would focus on the happier times. The memories where her family was flawed, but in laughable ways. She would walk into hell with a smile on her face, if it would irk the devil.

​

Treasa smiled a little, lifting her head painfully as Derrick's voice projected back to her. Perhaps it was a side effect of having been thrown by a giant cow monster, or perhaps she was becoming weak, but she was glad to hear the enthusiasm in his voice. They weren't much farther away, and she could practically feel the blankets of a nice bed closing over her...but the cruel irony was, she couldn't sleep. She had to keep reminding herself of that thought, injecting the fear of death into her veins and snapping her eyelids open just when they had been about to close. Although, if they could get a healer, someone who could perhaps give her something for the pain, then maybe it was a possibility. Or at the very least, she could get a time frame on when it would be safe to sleep again.

"Alastar and I landed here, when we traveled from Skellige." She spoke quietly, but given how close Derrick's horse remained to hers, coupled with his witcher senses, she was sure he could hear her. It mattered little anyway, it was something to keep her awake, keep her going. "I had thought the castles of Ard Skellig were magnificent, but only until I saw the city of Novigrad." Her head throbbed, and she quieted down for a moment, letting the pain slowly slip away before attempting to speak again. "There were so many people, so many ships, so much going on. I was a little overwhelmed at first. In Skellige, everything is so desolate, isolated. Once Alastar and I were lost in the wilds for two months, before we found a ship to take us back to the capital. Stupid trolls."

"The people here, they're different too. They're my father's countrymen, but I could never have compared the two. My father was more of a Skelliger then even my mother, fierce and proud and unstoppable." It had taken four of the raiders to finally bring him down. "He would never have consented to wearing fancy outfits, or trying out different perfumes to blot out the stench of horse. He was never obsessed with riches and gold, only glory. It was no wonder he left this place for my mother." Her mother had killed half the marauders before they finally decided she was too much trouble, and cut her throat. "I wish I was more like her. My mother. She could have been a Valkyrie, a warrior goddess." Another silence, as she listened to the sound of the hoofbeats on the road. "Being around you witchers, was probably the closest I've felt to home in months."

​

Tessa crossed her arms over her chest, feeling her anger rise. Bryce had always called it "Hurricane Tessa". He had also known to stop berating her and simply wait out the explosion, usually with raised eyebrows at the curse words, and the complexity with which she combined them. She missed him. She missed how he could simply sense her mood, and do something to make it better, or rub her forehead when she wasn't feeling well, or sing to her softly when nightmares of her parents woke her screaming. She missed his voice, the sound of his armor as he walked, the smell of the oil he used to clean his silver sword, ever so carefully.

Bryce had been influential in their home. She had never wanted for anything, even safety. He had been capable, and strong, and strategic. No one would have "messed with him", as Matilda put it. And while she had been kept away from the aftershocks of such an event, she heard stories. She did run a bar, after all, and not once had she ever been pestered for "protection money". If Bryce had kept away the rival gangs simply with his name, then he was formidable indeed.

But not once, not ever, had Tessa used her connection to him to try and make people fear her. She wanted to be respected as an individual, not as Bryce's sister.
"You keep talking about your father. What he'll do when he gets back." She hissed, her cheeks flushing with anger. "You think you can just run to him every time something goes wrong, and he'll wave his arms, and make it go away? Well, Matilda. I don't see your daddy here now. And I don't recall being born into a human family, so don't try to tell me what to do. I had an older sibling. I don't need a replacement."

Until now, she had always thought her doppler status was something to be afraid of. Something to be ashamed about. But watching the brutality on that stage, she was glad she wasn't human. She hated them. All they did was take away every time she tried to give back. And she was sick of it. Spinning on her heel, Tessa turned and walked into the crowd, heading for gods knew where. Just away. Matilda had done them a favor, but only because Sigmund had ordered it. She didn't owe the girl a gods-damned thing. She owed Sigmund, and she would see he got what he had paid. But he hadn't specified the way she would get the money. "Coming, or what?" She spat at Adolin and Seth. "Or go with her. I don't care." She knew she wasn't thinking clearly, but Hurricane Tessa was still in full force, and it was telling her to go take out her anger on the ones who had caused it. Even if it wasn't directly doing so.