Chapter #46

AN: Well, now that I finished Sword of Destiny (Which I was expecting to be an actual sword not a metaphor...) I came to realize Geralt's abandonment was slightly different than what I wrote in the previous chapter but oh well. Not everything will be faithful to the books since there's also three games and Netflix series and the anime

________

Visenna rode off, she didn't look back nor did she wipe off the tears in her eyes. After traveling a bit more she saw the man she was expecting.

'Vesemir' She thought and stopped the carriage next to his horse.

"Greetings witcher." She said, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Greetings, what brings to this part of the world Visenna?" Vesemir asked with curiosity.

He had just been coming back to Kaer Morhen for the winter when he received a letter from Visenna. He knew the druid, she had healed him after one of his contracts left him seriously injured.

"My son Geralt, I left him by the river with another child I had come across... I am leaving my son to his destiny... Please take care of him." Visenna muttered and whipped her horse to keep moving.

"Visenna don't do something you will regret!" Witcher yelled after her but didn't chase after her.

Instead Vesemir took off in the direction of the river. Even in the vicinity of Kaer Morhen, some monsters slip away their gaze. He must reach to the child before something happens to him

She didn't wait for his answer because she was afraid she'd change her mind. Geralt was a miracle considering most sorcerers and druids alike are barren.

Visenna didn't know what to do with him and she was far too scared to make a decision, so she ran away.

________

Back at the river Geralt was shocked by Zeno's flying figure crashing to a tree.

He put the earthenware jug he was carrying to the ground and ran up to Zeno, trying to get him out of the tree trunk he was embedded in.

"By the Gods' Zeno how did you survive this? Who attacked you? What about my ma?" Geralt answered in rapid succession.

Zeno on the other hand was too preoccupied with trying to jog his memories, he had guesses about this world but nothing concrete.

"I didn't, it was your mother. Well I guess that answers your third question." Zeno tried to shrug but he couldn't move.

Geralt lost his words for a second, he knew his mother had magic powers, so it was possible for her to do something like this but he couldn't understand why.

"Then where's ma?" He could only ask this.

Sighing he closed his eyes and called upon his Karmic Virtue. This thing was left by whoever sealed his powers, but Zeno did notice some difference in the power itself but he didn't have time to inspect himself.

With the boost he got from Karmic Virtue, Zeno pulled himself out of the tree trunk and cleaned his trousers off any splinters that remained.

"She left, she was saying something about leaving you to destiny." Zeno reiterates the events.

Geralt naturally didn't believe him and ran off to the path, not even taking the water jug.

By the time Zeno had got the jug and walked back to the main road there was an extra person awaiting him next to Geralt who was crying.

"Fuck!" Zeno cursed after seeing the man.

Man waiting for him had black hair and amber eyes, his pupils were slits resembling a cat or a viper. On top of that Zeno knew the man standing there waiting for him.

'Fucking Vesemir! Anime version at that.' Zeno groaned mentally.

He didn't care about being in the Witcher world but not knowing which version of the world he was in was troublesome.

[Hey, does that mean Tetra exists as well?] System asked with some excitement.

{Isn't she super racist to the point even Zeno goes 'Hold up!'?} Ouryuu questioned.

[But my waifu...] System muttered.

{Your waifu is trash.} Ouryuu dealt the last blow shutting the system up.

"Oh, you seemed to recognize me, child." Vesemir laughed and approached Zeno.

Geralt had told about how Zeno was brought by a golden flying serpent. Vesemir was interested as it might have connections to the leshen he killed on the way.

"It doesn't take much to recognize a Witcher." Zeno retorted, pointing at the wolf medallion.

"Fair enough. I hear your circumstances. What do you want to do?" Vesemir asked.

"Take me to your keep. I want to beat whomever abducted me. I can't do that without power." Zeno answered.

As far as he is concerned, the thing that brought him is the same thing as who sealed his powers. It might be an enemy on the level of Gaunter O'dimm.

"You want to be a Witcher?" Vesemir asked.

Zeno had seen the flash of surprise in his eyes, even after all these years Vesemir couldn't find anyone who chose this profession like him.

'Well, I chose it for money. He is choosing it for self defense. We're not the same.' Vesemir shook his head and cleared his thoughts.

"Yes." Zeno answered.

"I have to ask you twice..." Vesemir said.

"Yes, I want to go to Kaer Morhen and be subjected to basically torture that I might just not survive." Zeno said plainly.

Geralt had started trembling after hearing about the torture part but Vesemir calmed him down with Axii and put him on his saddle before jumping on it himself.

"Well, kid. It's your choice but there's no space left for you to saddle up. You're going to have to catch up " Vesemir smirked.

Zeno gave him a deadpan stare before he whistled into the woods, his whistle was infused with Karmic Virtue.

Vesemir raised an eyebrow, he swore he felt something but his medallion didn't tremble.

Soon a boar came out of the foliage and stopped before Zeno before huffing, making noises.

Zeno didn't speak animal but even though it was sealed his bloodline translated the contents of the noises.

"He says he can give me a ride if we promise to feed him." Zeno relayed it to Vesemir.

"That's fine. It's a pretty useful trick kid, where did you learn it?" Vesemir answered with a smile.

"Just now." Zeno replied as he mounted the boar, he didn't know why but something was off about Vesemir's smile.

Geralt, fascinated by the spectacle, jumped down and mounted the boar instead. 'I will name it Roach!' Geralt decided.

Finally they took off for Kaer Morhen…

On the way Zeno described his entrance to this world. He didn't need to lie to Vesemir since not even he knew what was going on.

He hoped the Witchers might have a clue to unsealing his powers but he couldn't reveal that part.

Vesemir listened and concluded that it had nothing to do with the talking leshen and put the matter back in his mind to tell Deglan about it later.

________

It's been a while since they arrived at the keep. Since there were more children coming in tomorrow the Witchers allowed them to eat a one last decent meal and didn't spare when it came to cooking.

"Roach..." Geralt sniffled while looking at the perfectly cooked boar at the middle of the table.

"You named him already!" Zeno was dumbfounded.

Zeno too was kind of shocked by the macabre turn of events but he got over it quickly but Geralt was still crying over the poor boar.

"They didn't have to kill him. I thought we promised him food, he even gave us a nice ride." Geralt said in between sobs.

Zeno looked around seeing that many witchers were pointing at them while laughing, he nearly blushed.

At that moment Vesemir barged in and tore a piece from the boar and ate it, ignoring Geralt's shocked look.

"And he got fed with good stuff that made his meat taste better!" Vesemir slapped their shoulders and walked off.

Zeno shrugged and started to eat ignoring Geralt's piercing stare and commented dryly. "This is the last decent food we will have until we pass the The Choice trial. Don't waste it."

Geralt nodded sadly but didn't touch the boar and nibbled on other foods at the table.

Zeno had informed him about the trials on the way, he knew he couldn't skip this meal for it might be his last.

He still didn't know why his mother abandoned him but he planned to survive and find her and ask why.