Case Closed.

The door was kicked open and a woman of about twenty years old was hurled inside the house, like a sack of potatoes, slamming on the table and sliding further due to sheer inertia of the throw. Furniture went in the air from the direct impact of force, resulting in all the dishes falling to the ground and curses of two people – old and young.

"All assembled I presume." - came cold youthful voice. - "Lets cut it short. I have a hangover and yesterday was more shitty than usual, so I kind of in a bad mood. And a mage in bad mood is a very dangerous entity to piss off with useless banter. The lesser you talk the better. So just be docile and answer my questions and maybe..." - above his hand suddenly aqua flame began to dance. - "You won't become a pile of unassuming ashes somewhere in the corner, are we clear?"

Trio watched a boy in unique armor similar to witcher one, but clearly more developed and magical, with stunned look.

He snapped a finger and a huge stone spike went through the table impaling it to the ceiling.

"Are we clear?" - Alan asked again, giving them a mind slam with his Tenebris feral aura.

"Y-Yes, yes..." - all three nodded like hens.

"You know it is easier to use Axii."

"And where is the fun in that? I can use Imperio and legilimency too. That will literally turn their brains inside out." - retorted Alan without even a shade of a smile. He wasn't into jokes right now because he and Coen more or less gathered enough information from hearsay and gossips of the little town to understand what transpired within this sick household.

A household that drove such a pure and innocent soul to death.

"Okay, you, the woman. Your name is Mary, right?" - he asked. His platinum-gold eyes, albeit beautiful, now radiated threatening power and cold rage and just like the one of the witcher, went into narrow vertical slits.

"Yes..." - she said with some difficulty.

"Five month ago you used someone's help to curse you younger sister, right?"

"I would have nev..."

Suddenly she was implanted in the floor and the whole house began to creak under enhanced gravitational pressure. Isu version of Gaea Ultimatum, a spell that manipulates gravity, can do wonders.

"Don't you dare to lie to me, I'm in no mood for your shit." - said Alan with aura all around. - "Next time your legs will be ripped off!"

"Y-Yes, I did! I did, please, mercy!"

Alan removed the spell.

"Whom do you ask for help?" - he asked evenly, looking how a bloodied woman stood up.

"I don't know... no please, I really don't know, she came in dreams with her sisters and offered help. I didn't know, I thought it will cause some calluses or hair loss! I never wanted for her to become like this and feel pain! I wanted to help her after that and asked for help again and they said to perform ritual every week... I did all of this for her."

"So first it were animals, then they said it is not enough and you used beggars and people from the inn you seduced." - Alan said staring at the woman who's idiocy made him speechless. - "It was in total twelve dead people. Twelve, woman, who you sacrificed to satiate hunger of some unknown dark beings. Fuck my boot, I applaud you, I never saw anyone even remotely as stupid as you. But that aside, how many sisters were there in total?"

"T-Three." - She said with fear.

Alan let out a heavy sigh and frowned deeply having a thought of who it might be.

"And you, Tim, right? Who is Fela to you?"

"She w-was m-my fiancee." - he said stuttering.

"And she?" - Alan pointed at Mary.

"M-My wife... but after Fela! We married last month." - he elaborated hastily, as if this even mattered. Some great fiance he is, not even bothering to go and find her.

"Okay, and that pile of old bones?" - Alan directed his fiery gaze at the oldest of the trio, standing there with shivering countenance and smelling like pile of dung already.

"M-My father."

Alan looked at the family in livid stupor.

"Old fossil... I don't know anymore. This shit is beyond me." - he said to the witcher with a tired voice, barely holding himself from directly ending these worthless lives across the ruined table. - "I mean here we got Mary, who feed soul of her sister to ancient human-eating bitches. Then we have her former fiance, Tim, under love potion and a father-in-law to be, Tom, who actually raped his own daughter-in-law... this is just... sick." - Alan gathered sectumsempra spell might into a point and sent it to Tom's crotch turning it into mincemeat.

Then he snapped his fingers and enchanted face of a woman into one of a pig and turning to the last target sighed. Actually Tim can be considered victim too if only he tried to find her, yet he didn't.

Still he better snap out of it.

Alan came over and using precise control over aqua cleansing flame purged the effect of the potion away, making him stunned and livid with realization on the spot.

"I'm out of here, you do what you feel right." - he told the later.

Witcher and a youth left house and heard heart wrenching screams of pain from inside. But that is just another event in long span of life. Other town people didn't even noticed how two guards missed their shift to never being seen again.

"You forgot the money."

"Do you expect them to pay?" - Coen waved his hand dismissively. - "Forget it, this task was a bit out of the norm. But what about the sisters she mentioned?"

"Not something we can fight right now if I'm right of who... no, what they are. These hags are ancient, I mean it, even Vesimir is a kid in their eyes just like I'm in yours." - seriously noted Alan. He was cautious in his pursuit of the culprit as he already roughly guessed who they were. And knowing that he also could tell, that fighting them now is out of the question as he didn't even know how to kill them without letting escape, neither he is capable of judging their real power.

"Who are they?"

"Have you heard about The Crones, or Ladies of the Woods? The one from Velen." - Alan asked.

"Are you serious?" - this time face of Coen was a sight to behold.

He seems to know what it was all about, but also knew the extent of threat these creatures bordering on being immortal spirits have. Even he, the witcher, the one who suppose to kill such monsters for good had no idea how to deal with that for the time being.

"If we are to hunt them down, it is necessary to prepare properly. I only heard legends about them, but never saw in person or even tackled with their shadow during my long life. We need knowledge and for that my destination is the best."

"Kaer Morhen?" - Alan asked as they walked further away.

"Yeah. It is time to go. While you were investigating all Fela thing, I already hunted down several nekker nests and ghoul gathering grounds, so we have no business here. And one more thing... looks like you were right about Nilfgaard, I heard from magistrate that southern parts of Cintra have fallen and army of black knights is approaching the capital faster than ever." - Coen whistled and saw his horse leaving stables already fully loaded.

"So... I presume we are leaving Cintra?" - Alan gazed at something far away on the horizon.

"Yes, the best and shortest way is to go through Brugge, than to Maribor, from there all the way along Mahakam Ridge up to Flotsam and by Pontar to Leyda. There I really would prefer to stay low key and don't do anything out of line, the lands are not exactly great, with lots of Scoia'Tael. Well, they are not our problem though, but they do like to make things difficult for all. I mean, I'm a witcher and you... your eyes are clear indication of some hybrid, so maybe we will get it easier on our heads."

"After Vergen, cross Aedirn border venturing into the north-east mountains of Kaedwen and we are at arms reach from Kaer Morhen. All in all it will take four to five months, maybe more and that if nothing untoward happens. Looks like we really need to cross half of the north here, huh. But first we cross Yaruga."

"So, where were you before?" - asked Alan through Vibe.

"Sodden. Got entangled with a real pain there. Cemetery long uncleaned gave birth to graveir. Took some effort to kill. First, when you encounter something like that is to kill lesser necrophags like ghouls. Only after attack the main target when it is finally alone. Aside from that, tackled with some noonwraith on the way, turned out to be a raped and killed girl just before her wedding by her older brother who loved her in not so proper way. Happens all the time here and there if you ask me." - Coen talked with a rather apathetic voice, as if he is used to it.