Of Monsters and Men

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"Stone, eh?" Solomon grinned and sat back casually at the table "A heart of stone isn't as great as it seems. I was stone, until someone made me into cloud. I was weightless in their arms. Their death turned me into something worse than stone. What would that be I wonder? Whatever the case, I was emotionless, then I was in love, and now I feel nothing but hatred and grief. But hopefully not for much longer" Solomon explained, his mouth contorted into a mournful frown. "Everyone I've ever loved died that month. Everyone who helped me, everyone who I believed in, and who believed in me. The least I can do, is bring one of them back" Solomon tapped his cane on the ground and the ground shifted once more, paving stones moved by many undead under the earth. The stones fell away to reveal a second floor below them, one covered in carvings and hellish symbols. These symbols were organised in circles, and in the centre sat a coffin. Solomon walked solemnly over to the coffin and sat on it "I'll give you three guesses as to who's in this" He said sadly.

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In the centre of the village was an upturned cart, its wares spilling out and slowly rotting. No complete bodies could be found, indicating that they'd all been added to the necromancer's army. The few parts that were found were mostly covered in pustules and infested with disease. Out of curiosity, Vyle lowered a bucket into the well. He didn't even have to bring it all the way up again to smell the foul stench of disease in the water. "The water is polluted with some kind of foul disease, probably Solomon's doing"

Willow soon came across a ruined village on her search, and immediately noticed it had three people wandering around within it. Quickly, she transformed herself into a guise she didn't use very often, but one that could be useful in this case; the appearance of a female witcher she'd killed once. As Selena of Temeria, she rode into the strange village. As she recognised the people, a smile flickered across her face, the vampire and mages from Oxenfurt, and one of those was her quarry, Zephyr himself.
"Greetings" she said to the gathered group as she approached on her steed, looking around the village with those cat eyes "I am on the hunt for a necromancer names Solomon, I assume he's passed through here?"

Violet smiled and nodded her head "Good. I thought it was going to take all day" she complimented. Suddenly Evelynn, Archon's most trusted advisor, walked into the courtyard with a stern expression
"What are you doing with the Princess?" she asked Violet disdainfully. Evelynn's distaste of Violet's methods was no secret, she believed magic was an elegant thing and that mages, women in particular, should not engage in physical combat. Of course, Violet defied this every day and carried her morningstar everywhere she went.
"I am teaching Anna earth magic. I was going to move onto combat" she said calmly, her mouth curving upwards at the edges as she finished the sentence, she knew it would irritate the other mage
"Hmph! Archon has asked me to teach the Princess in academic subjects" she said, crossing her arms. Violet didn't respond and merely turned to Annabelle
"What would you prefer, princess? Being taught to fight like a warrior, or learning about boring history?"

 

Olivia's Pov:



That was when Alastar asked some questions. 'So? There's also the option of it having just been us who got thrown to the side.' Why did the man pick this time to ask a question? At this point she did not know what to do with the man. "Everyone is in danger. The Witchers need to gather soon. We should meet at..." That was when Alastar started running around and distracted her. She did not know if her message got through or not with Alastar baking her concentration there was no telling if anything got through. She had to think of every out come. She looked to Alastar. The anger raged through Alastar as clear as it was on the mans face. The anger would only cloud his mind and it was better to let him vent now then to have to deal with it later on. She watched as Alastar ran around the ruins of the fortress. It would do the man some good to let lose out there. It was better that he let it out on the ruins of the fortress then her so she would just let him have at it. Besides, it was not like the man could do any more damage to the already broken walls. She looked out to Alastar who at this point was looking at a dead body. He was looking for some information. She stood by waiting for Alastar to cool down. She would just have to wait until the man was ready to talk or to say anything. While she waited she thought about not getting a message if that was indeed what happened or if it was some product of Alastar running off. There was a few options with the message some not good some bad. One was that the message did not go through at all. Two was that it was ignored. Three was that the Witchers did not have the medallion on, thust not getting the message. Four was that every Witcher was dead. There was so many option to list or to think of.

 

Derrick followed Treasa as they made their way through the city, being buffeted around by the crowds. There was something almost therapeutic about it, casting oneself into the tides of people and allowing them to carry you wherever. In many ways, that described the Witcher's life. Setting out on to the trail, going wherever the job took you or where the next job was - Hearsay from other towns or the begging of farmers coming to town to seek help with the monsters that ailed them. He had drifted so far, and he'd continue to drift. He wondered at times, what it was like to live a normal life. To have something clearly defined for you, a purpose that you could fulfil rather than the endless monster slaying of a Witcher that promised pay, pain or death for you at the end. It wasn't the most gratifying job. He wondered how many Witchers had the same thoughts.

When they reached the store, he found himself doubting the story of the blacksmith with the silver, and his medallion told him that it was a Doppler behind the counter. He simply sighed. There was no point in making an issue of it. It could be true, he could have killed the Witcher who owned the sword before, but it was too late now to make a difference. At least now it was in good hands. The right hands.
"Next up, I'm selling that head. With the money, I'll get myself some new armour, saddlebag and all that." He returned to where their horses were stabled and led his to the marketplace. He wasn't sure how best to do this, so he figured he'd just auction it off. He grabbed a nearby crate and stood on top of it with the reins of the horse in one hand and shouted as loud as he could. "The head of a rare beast for sale! A fearsome creature that nearly slew this Witcher! An essential piece for any display!" He was usually... Subtler. But he didn't actually know how to sell this damn thing, because hell if he knew what it was. With any luck some sort of scholar would show up and buy it off him to classify it or something like that.



"That was enlightening." The Doppler remarked dryly as Seth ran off. He shook his head. "First things first Tessa. Never do that. He could have at least tried to give us a lead on something." He paced around quietly for a few seconds, trying to plan out a next move. They were searching for one person, somewhere. Truthfully, he hadn't a clue of where to start. They could try the 'go back to the alley and figure out the direction they went' approach, but he didn't have the senses of a Witcher and in this place any scent would be quickly lost. There was a massive crowd and the footprints would be lost in the bustle of the street, making the use of Carrak of Cintra of limited... Use.
"Do you know where their house is? I assume that's where they'll go if they're lost somewhere." ​

 

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"Can't be any worse then the beer in White Orchard." Teliana commented, upon Vyle finding the water had been polluted. She looked around the desolate village, her expression hopeless. "I'm going to go to the outskirts and look for any sort of tracks." She murmured, drifting away from the group towards an outer set of buildings. Upon checking inside, they were empty of anything except a few bloodstains, and a grim image of what had happened. Teliana shuddered, remembering the bony fingers of the dead that had raised themselves from the ground to hold her down. If it hadn't been for Milosh, she would have very likely had nightmares about that instead.

"What can do we in the face of such despair?" She murmured to herself, scanning the ground for any trace of a trail. She tensed when she heard the voice of a stranger, who was now between her and Vyle. Woman or not, Teliana felt the now familiar sensation of a fist tightening in her stomach. The last person she had been talking to, before Milosh had been a woman. Someone friendly, seeking out company. And she had played right into their trap. Unbidden, fire exploded from her palms, though it remained bonded to her skin.

She had enough of her mind to know she didn't need to attack, just yet.

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Veera didn't need to guess. Nor did she need to look at the mage to see what he was feeling. She stepped closer, just a little bit, her eyes on Aaron's corpse. "You become empty. Nothing is ever enough, nothing is comparable to what you felt with that person. You think the worst is the grief, watching them slip away from you. Watching what you had turn to ash, and you're powerless to stop it. And then one day, they're gone. And the pain is so intense, so very immeasurable, that it takes everything you have and more. It leaves you with emptiness, with nothing. There is no material in the world that could describe it."

Her words were quiet, measured, as if she were speaking about the weather. But it wasn't Aaron's face Veera saw in front of her. No, it was...

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Treasa blinked, and then laughed as Derrick began to yell up and down the street, acting like a common merchant. She grabbed his arm, tugging him down as she continued to laugh. "People are going to think you're trying to sell your horse as some strange creature." She told him in between giggles, taking the reins of the horse from him, her fingers brushing his for a moment. "Come on. There's an apothecary down the street. Maybe they've some notion, at the very least if this thing had a bounty on it."

By now Derrick's antics had drawn a few stares, though not the type that were interested in buying. More the type wondering what kind of crazy street show this was. She waved to the people, with a "He's drunk before noon, lost his job!" and turned, leading Derrick back down the street, breaking into the odd burst of laughter as she did so.

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Tessa felt her heart twinge as Seth left, but she forced her attention to return to Adolin. "He's just scared." She defended Seth, though in her mind she couldn't help but wonder why he had left her alone if he thought her so helpless? He had forbidden her down at the docks just last night, but now....she sighed, and shook her head. "I don't know anything beyond her first name." She murmured. "And I've...never been to this city before. Or anything nearly as big. We could try describing them, but would anyone know one girl and child simply by their hair color?"

She looked at Adolin, chewing on her lip as she tried to decide what to do.

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Alyse looked back, and sighed with relief as she noticed that Terra had passed out. "I guess it's just you and me." She told the hand, which began to twitch wildly as she reattached a nerve. She could feel the magic pulling on her body's energy reserves, and sighed. She would have rather saved the life of someone she knew, other then a stranger. This was just....a drag. But she had started, and it would be poor karma to leave the man with his arm hanging by a thread of nerve cells.

As she continued to work, Alyse kept her mind focused to the task. She couldn't afford even the smallest amount of concentration to wander, unless she wanted his arm to face backwards. Although who knew, maybe that would make him popular. Later, she would take care of that stupid beserker. After this. And a nap.

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Zephyr's search was providing little results due to a mixture of him not knowing what to be looking for what would be helpful as well as a lack things to notice. He didn't think much on when Vyle had mentioned that the water was polluted for he didn't see just what could be gained from that bit of information. When he was about to move on to a different place, he heard the voice of someone else. He turned to face the newcomer and saw that it was a woman on horseback. It appeared that she too was no the trail of Solomon. Just how many people people were after him.

Behind the female newcomer Zephyr saw Teliana, but more so he saw that her hands were engulfed in flames. The sight of this had cause a wave of caution to wash over the mage. He wasn't sure what had prompted an action like that from her, but it couldn't have been good. His next action may not have been as noticeable as Teliana's, but with a slight adjustment of his posture, he took a few precautions of his own.

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Kruez didn't guess either, though he did have one based off the story that Solomon had told them. He looked at the coffin and the hellish symbols that had surrounded it. None of the symbols down there he recognized at all, which in a way could've been for the best. Not being able to move in his current situation sucked, even if it was more so just for the lack of comfort. he doubted that even if he was in a somewhat more comfortable position that he'd be wouldn't still be restrained in some way.

 

Having once again gone through everything madly trying to find any evidence that his neice was here, something he could keep with him. This world just wasn't fair, angrily he picked up a sizable chunk of rock and threw it at a bigger part where it shattered but it didn't relieve his anger. That damn girl was completely useless and he'd be better off on his own, he just knew it. There was no point in staying in this dump either it was all gone, everyone here was gone, blown to bits or bled out, there was no damn reason for him to stay where he was. It was this moment he decided to run, it didn't matter where the hell he went, any place was better than here, he needed information to find his neice and he wasn't gonna find any around this place. And if it meant ditching that useless girl in the process that'd be two birds with one stone really. Alastar left the Kaer not bothering to check in which direction he was headed or checking up on Olivia, he was out of this damned place. Starting to feel they never should have gone there in the first place. He was going down the roads to the South, maybe he could find something there that could help him.​

 

Apparently she disagreed about his strategy of selling things. He was tempted to ask Treasa how she would go about pawning off a head of a creature that he didn't know about, but apparently she actually did have an idea. That was more than he could say, so he reluctantly allowed himself to be pulled along. Apparently she was playing the drunk card. He decided to play along a little. As he was pulled down the street, he also felt the tingling sensation of her fingers brushing past his hand. It seemed unusually careless for her, and he certainly didn't think she'd be pulling him by the arm.
"I was robbed! Robbed!" He cried out. He shook his head afterwards, an amused smile on his face. Apparently she found it funny, so that was alright. Apparently it was worth something. "Okay, so next time try not to make me look like a crazy person? Losing my job? Bah, all the monsters aren't dead yet!" He decided that it was best not to bring up the whole hand brushing thing. It was one of those things - Pay too much attention and it disappears. And he was kind of enjoying seeing her smiling and laughing for once.
"So then 'o almighty saleswoman, bring us to the apothecary." He realised that he should have actually checked for a contract in the first place, but he wasn't going to say that he totally forgot about it because he was distracted.



"No... Damn it. We're stuck. Let's retrace our steps, and then pick a direction from the alleyway. We've got a better chance of finding them with an educated guess." Adolin spoke, leading Tessa out of the inn. He walked briskly through the streets, remembering the route that they had taken through. It wasn't far away, so there wasn't all that much to remember. They soon arrived back in the alleyway and some quick thinking largely narrowed down their options. There were three ways out of here, two of which were covered. At least, he figured. One led back to the square with the crowd, the second led back to the inn and the other went in the opposite direction from the inn. "They probably went this way, because we went down the other two." He knew the logic was a little faulty, because Matilda left the group before they went down towards the inn, but Adolin was willing to hedge his bets and take the gamble. ​

 

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"I'm so glad you understand" Solomon said slowly, his voice hollowly in response to Veera "And I wish I could say I'm sorry to have to bring that pain onto anyone who loves you" He tapped his cane and some undead brought forth a rusty metal cage "Get in" he commanded without feeling, as the undead puppet of Aaron moved forward to enforce his master's will.

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"Ah. You are a witcher I assume? Greetings, we are also on the hunt... for... Solomon..." Vyle trailed off at the end as he saw Teliana's extreme reaction "Ana, what are you doing?" he said, an expression of confusion and slight embarrassment crossing his face. Anxiously he crossed the distance between then and stood by her side, standing over her almost protectively "She poses no threat, even if she did, we three could easily overpower her" he hissed quietly so the witcher wouldn't hear "I would take whatever limited help we can find right now. And you know that if anything happens, I'm here for you"

"You shouldn't advertise your power so much, mage. The Witch Hunters have become a lot more active as of late" Willow stated as Selene of Temeria, her voice strict, but concerned "If you don't know anything I'll be on my way"

Vyle turned to Ana, his face almost pleading "I would like a witcher on our side, but I'm not going to do it without your permission. If you really feel uncomfortable with this..."

Violet rolled her eyes "Very well. But I want you back out here tomorrow morning. First light" she commanded the princess, before turning her back and walking away. Evelynn turned to the princess with bright eyes and a plastic smile
"Come on then Anna! Do you mind if I call you Anna? You know when I was a little girl I always dreamed of being a princess" Evelynn rambled, forcibly grabbing Annabelle's hand and dragging her into the castle "I was the second cousin to some lord or another, but I was never comfortable in our squat little manor on the moors. I always looked out at the spires and towers of the Hierarch's Palace in Novigrad, oh that's where we are right now by the way, and oh I was so jealous of the people who lived there. Of course this was before the reign of Archon. You know, I would ask my mother to get me the prettiest dresses and braid my hair in patterns that I thought were so lovely at the time, but oh it never came close to what the princesses and ladies would wear. I asked for a tiara one time, but mother would never get me one..." and on and on Archon's closest advisor rambled until they arrived at the castle library, an enormous archive of books on all subjects.

 

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Teliana narrowed her eyes at Willow, the woman who had introduced herself as Selene. She didn't like this. She didn't like it at all. Vyle didn't like it either, clearly, but for a different reason. As he stood over her, pleading with her, she could only sigh, half exasperated at herself and half frustrated with him before squeezing her fists once, putting out the flames. "You can talk to her." She told him, turning and walking towards an abandoned house. "I don't want to be near her." Or anyone. But how could Vyle know that a simple introduction from a friendly stranger could have led to so much pain and scarring?

They hadn't talked about what had happened to her. The physical evidence was fading from her skin, though a remnant would always remain. And she was trying to battle her demons, the words that Milosh whispered which were a near constant companion. How could Vyle understand if she didn't tell him? Because I don't want him to. She didn't want to admit that she had given up the information on Solomon, that all she had been able to accomplish was freeing Zephyr from the same torment she had been put through. If Teliana put enough thought into it, she could still imagine Milosh peeling back her nails, feel his breath on her neck. She shuddered, feeling the taste of bile in her mouth. I don't want him to know.

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Veera's eyes flickered to Solomon. "There isn't a person alive who cares for me anymore." She said flatly before backing up from Aaron. "Don't touch me. I can do it." She glanced at the cage, briefly wondering what Solomon's plans were. Did it matter? She had little choice in submitting to his will. If she didn't, what used to be Aaron would touch her, and if that happened, then she knew she wouldn't be able to hold it together. And she had to. She had to keep herself in one piece for this to work.

All of this hesitation lasted only a second before she stepped into the cage, her eyes straight ahead.

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Treasa laughed again, patting Derrick's horse on the nose as she glanced back towards the owner himself. "You know, you're much better at appearing jobless and desperate then you give yourself credit for." She teased, leading him down the street. "I'd wonder where you got the experience." Turning forward, she patted the horse on the nose before halting in front of a short stone building, a sign above swinging in the breeze. "I believe I have completed my service, o follower of mine." She replied with a smile, her eyes sparkling before she turned and grabbed the head, untying it from the saddle with very little reaction.

"You can either come in, or stay behind, but we both know that you'll be happy with whatever I get for this thing." She held the creature's head at arms' length as she walked into the dimly lit building, waving incense smoke away from her face as she stepped up to the counter, letting the head plop onto the scales normally meant for ingredients. "What is it, what can I get for it, and how do I never see it again?" She asked the younger man behind the counter. He did her the disservice of looking her up and down, as though she were cattle. She ignored it, as best she could. Treasa needed this man's money, not his blood.

"It's been haunting the countryside a fair bit. The folk beyond the city are calling it the Guardian of Cows. Or...were, I suppose. Said it would come whenever someone slaughtered one of their cattle. Killed a lot of people." The man leaned forward, a sleazy smile on his face. Treasa slowly counted down to the moment when she would break his ribs with his own spleen. Not an easy task, but she had dedication, and patience. "Just give me the money." The man raised an eyebrow, but did as she commanded, making sure his hand grabbed at hers. She resisted the urge to shudder, and instead bumped over several jars of ingredients. "Oops." She said flatly before strolling out.

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Tessa didn't want to retrace their steps, didn't want to have to go backwards, but she had no better plan. She followed Adolin with a sigh, her eyes warily scanning the people on either side of them. People betrayed you. People hurt you for their own gain. It was the law of the life they lead, and as a monster, that rule applied doubly.

Her scar ached, and for a moment she could feel the cold silver plunging through her skin and muscle like it was butter, burning and freezing her until there was very little that remained that was her. Unconsciously, she reached forward, her fingers touching the nearest solid object they could find; the hem of Adolin's shirt. She clung on, gently but with determination, to keep herself from falling away. If she had nothing to hold on to, then what was there to keep her from letting go?

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Alyse shoved over Sweallow's limp body, being none to careful with her patient. There was no need to be, after all, his arm was more or less in one piece. And attached to his body, the correct way. That was the most important. She curled up on his other side, pressing her face into the sweet smelling blankets and sighing.

Another attack, two strangers in her home; one's warmth she could feel behind her and the other collapsed on the floor, and still no sign. Alyse wasn't impressed with the gifts the day had brought her thus far, but perhaps it would be made up for later, with the promise of blood.

Letting that be her last though, Alyse shut her eyes and passed out.

 

Alastar went down the roads towards the South still not paying too much attention as to where exactly he was going as the anger continued to burn within him. That stupid girl didn't understand, hoping against the odds, he had seen what had become of the Kaer, it was a near guarantee that she was dead. All because they trusted that mage, all because he let her hand slip away. If he would find who did this, no mountain would be able to save this individual from his wrath, even if it meant his own death, he didn't care as long as the vengeance would be executed. He stormed on down the quiet roads, perhaps it was for the better there weren't any other people around. Monsters seemed to leave him alone now too, though a good fight might help with releasing some of this anger. He cursed the nameless person who had done this beneath his breath. He wondered if she had suffered or if it had been quick and painless. He silently hoped for the latter, as the Witcher barreled down the dirt road following it to where ever it may lead him, someone was gonna pay for this **** and he would collect the payment.​

 

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Zephyr could do much beyond watch as Vyle went to go speak with Teliana. He couldn't hear what they were talking about from where he was, but it wasn't hard to figure out that it was about the woman who had recently arrived. Zephyr was still uncertain on how to feel about her, but instead kept these thoughts to himself and kept silence while looking around a bit more. Who knows, maybe something will catch his eye.

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Still being unable to do much, Kruez simply watched as Solomon motioned for Veera to enter the cage that had be brought via the other undead servants.

 

The bear school witcher kept on moving down the empty dirt road, following along the course of a river though a nice grassy plain seperated him from the river still, on his other hand were wooded mountain slopes as he kept on moving south. He spotted a deer in said woods and an idea came to mind to release some of this anger. The thrill of a hunting, the chase. He kept a hand on one of the pouches on his belt containing Mardroeme. No his supplies of it were limited here on the mainland and he'd like to preserve it all. And it would only result in the guilty not receiving his full fury. No instead he would try to preserve it within for when the moment came for retribution. He didn't have to think for two anymore, trying to not subject his neice to too much horror, but he didn't mind that as they shared the blood in their veins. He'd get awoken from meditation in the middle of the night as she tossed and turned. Atleast she slept, the first week after she had found him she wouldn't close her eyes to sleep at all, gradually getting better as he asured her that he wouldn't let anything like that happen to her again, that he'd keep her safe, in spite of knowing this world was chaotic in nature and he would be unable to stop everything that the world threw their way, including his own murderous tendencies after he turned. Atleast she was in a better place now, his mind wandered again if she had suffered in her last moments or not. What might have gone through her, only turning into him feeling more guilty for failing her, but he would avenge her. He swore it on the forefathers.​

 

Solomon the Nightbringer​

After Veera entered the rusty iron cage, Solomon motioned for his undead to chuck the young mage in as well, before he slammed the door shut with a squeak of hinges and a deafening clang. "And now... we wait" Solomon smiled, and stared into the middle distance. Undead hands burst from below the earth and grabbed his feet. Solomon stood motionless as he was slowly dragged into the earth, ready and waiting for those who would come.

​

"I see" said Vyle, who in truth could not see. "Very well. We will travel with you, witcher. I am Vyle, these are my friends. And you are?"
"Selene. Selene of Temeria" Willow greeted with a coy smile
"Lovely to meet you Selene. I suppose we'd better be heading off" Vyle concluded, as he swept his cloak and began to head off

Evelynn smiled at Anna's wonder "Yes the library of the palace is one of the greatest in the- what" suddenly she turned to Annabelle with alarm and recoiled "You... can't read?" she looked pityingly upon the princess for a moment, then made a melodramatic gesture of disappointment. She placed a hand on her hips "Why wasn't I told this? Well I suppose that'll be our first lesson" She turned on her heel and flitted over to the shelves of books. For a moment she looked upon the books, then carelessly grabbed several from the shelves at random. She returned to the girl with armfuls of books and placed them heavily on a table, staring at Anna with intent "These should do. Right. We're going to teach you to read"

Everyone is now ready for a time skip​

 

Derrick faked a sulk at the mention of him appearing desperate and jobless.
"Well to be fair I kill monsters for a living. I run myself out of work if I do it well." Soon they arrived at their destination which turned out to be some sort of apothecary's shop. "Follower of yours? Says the one who needed directions to get here." He replied in a jovial tone, rather enjoying the new back and forth. She looked noticeably happier and he was starting to understand why Alastar wanted her around. He shrugged and followed her inside - After all, there was nothing else much to do. He tied the horse to a post and followed her in. He watched her negotiate, and the appraising look that the young man behind the counter gave. He raised an eyebrow at him and fixed him with his cat eyes, making sure that the boy knew that they were here for business. He nodded disapprovingly at him after she was done negotiating and tsked.
"Smooth going there. Bit of advice, try not to be so touchy." Disapproval was quite evident in his voice. Part of that was him sticking up for a friend, the other was the sheer disappointment in someone trying so pathetically. There was an art. He was an affront to it. "You're less likely to knock things over." He fell in step behind Treasa and spoke once they were outside.
"How much did we get for it?" He asked.




Adolin walked through the streets. He didn't notice it at first, but he eventually realised that Tessa was holding on to him. They were somewhere in the city and he led them to the side of a main street to the entrance of an alleyway.
"You alright?" He asked as he turned around. "Something on your mind?" They didn't have much time and he'd rather make sure she was okay and get whatever it was out of the way now while they were still engaged in this exercise in futility. He wasn't at all certain how they were going to find this Matilida in the city with the only one that actually knew them gone. They'd have to restrategise when they regrouped. This approach wasn't going to work unless they were lucky. If the events so far today were an indication, they weren't.




"Oi you, this is a military camp!" The soldiers glared and hands went to weapons. They looked at the man who came before them and saw that he was a Witcher. "What do you want here Witcher?"

Some talking and some walking later...

"So, what brings a Witcher to my command tent? Given that my men brought you here, I assume it's important. As you can see, we are mustering." The General gave the Witcher an appraising look, getting the measure of him. Beside him sat Ellyn, who had informed him of this castle and was explaining the situation. The army was getting ready to move out. They'd find this castle and launch an assault soon. ​

 

Dawn Morning Noon Afternoon Dusk Twilight Midnight
January February March April May June July August September October November December
Hot Warm Mild Chilly Cold Sunny Cloudy Overcast
Breezy Windy Thunderstorm Lightning-storm Snowstorm Drizzle Rain Downpour Light Snow Heavy Snow

It is now the afternoon. Though the day started clear, thunderstorms have rolled in and covered the land with snow. Horses are easily startled by the crashing of thunder, and the snow makes the roads slippery. Three hours have passed, giving characters time to travel, to rest, or to prepare for war.
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Teliana crouched on the ground, peering through the leaves at the castle. She, Zephyr, Vyle, and Willow were hidden in the trees, covered by the shadows that the foliage provided. The hours they had spent walking here had been in relatively silence. She didn't like the strange woman, and couldn't bring herself to converse in her presence or with her, let along control the fire that flowed through her veins. Brushing hair out of her face, she stood, letting her back stretch and straightening her muscles in her legs. "So is there a plan? Because if that's where he's holed up.." and that was where the tracks led. She sighed, rubbing her face with her hands for a moment before looking up at the sky. The clouds were ominous, the sound of thundering quickly drawing close, and snow was falling gently.

A flake landed on her cheek, and she brushed it away with her fingers, eyes dropping to her companions. "I'm not sure this is going to be a battle we can win on our own." She said with a shrug. "There's no strategical way to get into the castle without announcing ourselves, and even if we get inside, Solomon will know his surroundings better then we do." She glanced at Vyle, her teeth biting into her lower lip. She had made him promise he wouldn't die on her. But could she swear to do the same?

​

Veera leaned her back against the bars of the cage, her eyes on the ground. She wasn't sure how long they had been there, her and Kruez, but judging by the lack of sunlight, long enough for a storm to roll in. The view of the outside was limited to what she could see through a single window, covered by a flapping curtain. The rest she put together using smaller clues. The thunder outside, for one. Glancing at the mage, her yellow eyes rested on him for a little longer before dropping to the floor, and then shutting. She had tried to enter the meditative state, more then once. She had practiced it enough that she knew she could do such a thing standing, sitting, or lying down.

Veera could not do it today, however. Perhaps it had been her encounter with Aaron. Perhaps it was the connection she and Solomon shared. Perhaps it was the small space. Whatever the reason, she was unable to rest during her captivity. So her thoughts fled, from one subject to another. From what had happened to Veceslav, to whom could have escaped, to where they might be now. And it was driving her absolutely mad. Despite this, she didn't say a word, didn't make a sound. Slowly, silently going insane.

​

Treasa leaned over the side of the bridge, watching the water flow underneath. That water came from the same river that traveled by the Kaer, flowing westward all the way to the sea. It made her desperately miss Skellige; the islands, the trees, the smell of the salt water. This was the closest she had come to home in a long time, it seemed. Homesickness was a weakness, and she shook it off, turning to look for Derrick. They had used the last few hours wisely, resupplying themselves and replacing what needed to be.

She wasn't sure what to do now. She had given him all the money for the monster, feeling he had deserved the larger share. He had been the one to kill it, and save her after all. Save her. She hated the thought of being at the mercy of another person, but the day had been fun with Derrick. She smiled softly as she recalled their conversations, then sighed. But Derrick had a plan, and while she didn't have a better one, she wasn't sure she fully agreed with it. Still, maybe if she remained civil, perhaps he would hear her out. Perhaps they could come up with something better. Watching the snow drift down to the river water, she turned and went to look for her comrade.

​

Zack slowly woke up, rubbing the knot on his head. The last thing he remembered, he had been walking along the brush, trying to catch up to the group. A sudden pain from the back, and he had fallen to the forest floor. Before that...he remembered helping a woman. She wanted to find a mage. Had she been involved? It was hard to say. Hard to say anything at this point. The cell he was in had no windows, only stone walls. No way to guess where he was, location wise. No way to tell time. No hope of finding out what had happened to him yet.

He sat up, running his hands through his bright hair before leaning back against the wall. "Well, this is a shit fest." He murmured, eyes on the only clue to any escape; a cell door that was made of wrought iron.

​

Tessa rubbed her eyes, tired beyond belief. Her back was taking more energy to heal then she would have wanted, causing her to feel tired throughout the day. Snow landed on her pale eyelashes, and she looked up at the darkening sky, wincing as thunder crashed around. Looking up, she could see Adolin not far away. Never far away. They were in an alley, one of the numerous places they had searched for Matilda and Seth. Still, no luck. Novigrad was the biggest city this side of the country, it wasn't unintelligent to assume it would be easy to never find someone in its depths.

Wearily, she got to her feet, and moved to stand next to her new-found companion. "What do we do now?" She asked, rubbing the back of her neck, her fine hair whispering through her fingers. The snow that fell was nearly the same as her hair color, making it invisible when it landed on the strands. She closed her eyes and let it land on her skin, a small smile at the gentle kisses that the frozen water provided.

​

Alyse opened her eyes slowly, taking a deep breath as she stared at the face of the man she had healed. Whoever he was, was still sleeping, his eyes closed and his breathing even. Alyse was glad that her magic hadn't just been wasted on prolonging his life only to have him die. She shifted, then sat up quietly, running her fingers through her hair in an effort to detangle it before slipping off the bed, smoothing her skirts and moving to the door. The sky had darkened, and snow was falling. She pitied any traveler out in this weather, and sighed, turning to look at the two who had taken refuge in her home. "Who the hell throws rocks at a bear?" She muttered, rubbing her arm absentmindedly before moving about her small home.

The bedroom, kitchen, and alchemy station all somehow managed to fit in one room. It was small, but it worked. How long it would with three people, she didn't know. She didn't know if she could stay either. She hadn't heard from her sister in far too long. It might be time to act. But not yet. Not quite yet. Hands lingered over the herbs on the table; they were the ones Teliana had left her. She had no idea if they had worked or not. Teliana had been planning to test them out the day she seemingly disappeared. Alyse could hardly believe the stories of necromancy and vampires that attached themselves to the last known whereabouts of her sister, but she was beginning to wonder. Teliana did have a strange luck, after all.

"Wake the fuck up." She called out, hoping that would be enough to rouse the people in the room. Next, she would start kicking.

 

Red
Scarlet
Crimson substance
Draining from an over-full barrel of a lord's cellar
Or what was once man
it drips.

Waste not a drop
Like the last font of water in a desert of arid sand
Under the pale light of a red moon
Like a desperate man, dying of thirst, drink the liquid
its tang rolling down the throat
staining teeth red, spilling from the corners of the mouth
it drips.

Far from the dignified tables of kings and queens
I do not dine, I devour
yet at midnight we both drink a red delight
that stupifies the mind
its taste bitter
its promise great
the more we drink, the looser the chains on the beast
our inhibitions demolished
their steadfast walls crumbling under the tides of red
vivid liquid
onto a marble floor
or the dirt
it drips.

Blushing, sweating skin
under silken garments
or rags
the night goes on
And the red never ends
new bottles
new victims
it drips.

In the morning it will be forgotten
In the morning, there will be regrets
But not for I
for they drink the blood of society
and I drink the wine of life.
It drips.

-Kilian Kadmark​

 

​

Zephyr looked through the foliage and at the castle. He wasn't sure if the fact that Solomon was in a castle was fitting or not with how little he actually knew on him. It wasn't dwelled on for long for the sounds of thunder up above drew his attention away from the castle and up towards the sky. That was when a flake landed on his cheek. Under different circumstances, Zephyr wouldn't have minded the snow all that much, but given that he was still missing a sleeve from when he needed to improvise a bandage for his injury. It would suck a bit, but he had little choice but to make due.

The silence was broken by Teliana who asked if there was plan. Not a question that Zephyr could answer, especially since he'd asked something similar before they had arrived in Pontarfork. His question had been given two answers. One by Teliana, who had asked the question this time around, and Vyle. With that being the case he could only assume that Vyle would be the one to answer the question again.

​

In a way, going from being restrained by shambling corpses to being stuck in a cage was an improvement. He had more freedom in terms of moving his limbs was a good thing. He had to be mindful of just how much that he moved though, since he was sharing a cage with Veera. Nothing was said between the two of them, in fact the mainly source of sound came from the storm outside. His back rested against the bars of the cage as he stood on the opposite side of Veera. As a way to pass the time, Kruez thought about a variety of things. Some helpful in theory, but not in actual practice and some just random things that had just popped into his head.

Slowly consciousness returned to Sweallow as he started to open his eyes. Hearing someone else's voice assisted in this process. Blinking a couple of times, Sweallow had managed to keep his eyes open and started to try and get a bearing on his current locations. None of what he saw at first was familiar to him so he was somewhere else that where he lack recall and given just what it was that he last recalls, it was a good thing that he still wasn't there.

Now sitting up on the bed that he had been resting on, his eyes focused on the two other people that were in the room. One being Terra and another he didn't recognized, but assuming from what he had overheard from Terra, she had been the one to help them out of their predicament.