Chapter 11:Battle for Kaer Morhen

Young boys, looked in the distance, witnessing their home burning. Castle Kaer Morhen is on fire, battle cries could be heard coming from there, but nothing really resolved the situation at this point.

Kaer Morhen was their home, where they grew and found friends, most of them died during the experimentation, and some of them died during the trials, but those boys had nothing more than that.

None of them had felt the real love of parents, the only care they were given came from their seniors and they are far from being parents to them. But they were nothing in this world, they had to cherish the little they had.

But now it was burning down, fire erased almost everything that could resemble their home. All that was left is a bunch of boys. Their numbers were not great and by the end of training and trials they still have to do, even less will make it out alive.

But there is little or no other way for them, that is the only path they could take at that moment.

Vesemir looked at the boys in front of him, they were the last Witchers that will ever be created, and he is the one responsible to train them and make them someone who could stay on their own.

Vesimir caught to attract their attention towards him and said "This is the first lesson I'm going to give you. I don't want you to blindly follow your own judgments, but the truth is cruel. All of those humans are scared of the fact, that monsters are not someone like Witchers or Vampire.

A real monster is a husband that beats up his wife to death or a crowd that burns innocent women on fire. They are scared, therefore they always try to unconsciously seek to shift guilt for all of the cruelty in the world on someone else. "

Everyone looked toward Vesimir and kept his words in their heads, while August had another opinion. People might say: They are Witchers they don't have feelings, but they do, they are not as strong and fast to develop, but they are there. And when Witchers start to feel something towards someone, those feeling are real, and they will not betray it.

For August that met Hans, talked to him, grew close it is hard. He didn't show it, he studied to be in control of his emotions, but with every vision, every interaction and every event he loses faith in humans and other living beings.

He felt hurt because of Hans's sacrifice, he had yet to learn a lot, but all of his plans were cancelled because of the crowd, that follows orders and lies like mad dogs.

He looked at the distance, in the direction where shouts were coming from and silently muttered "I will pay back, with the same coin sometime in the future."

Geralt and Eskel walked close to August and tapped him on the shoulder. Despite their short time knowing each other, they could spot that August had some attachment to Hans.

Eskel looked at August, that didn't let a single emotion out and said "August, there is no use in looking and thinking at the moment. We have to grow up strong to be able to avoid something like this happening to each one of us."

He shifted his gaze on Eskel and without saying a word nodded his head, turning towards Visimir that had yet to figure out the future of the boys.

But they had to leave, they need to find a safe place.

….

Vesimir took the boys further away from the castle, taking them 20 kilometres away deeper into the woods. There they set their new camp, where they would live for a while.

While the siege was still going on.

[Back to the castle]

After sending children with Vesimir away from the castle he returned back to the main hall, where the rest of the Witchers and Sorceress were at the moment.

Gates were sealed and the castle was surrounded. There was no way, that those fearless men will ever abandon this castle to save their life. They were here until their last breath and last drop of blood.

Hans walked inside and asked one of the Witchers named Vigravid "How is the situation?"

Vigravid let out a heavy sigh and looked at the people that were present announcing "I will be honest. There is little to no chance that we will survive and hold this place in one piece. There are simply too many of them for us to handle."

Hans hummed before scoffing "And? If this is the last ever battle we are going to fight, it is better to take more of those along with us, rather than giving our lives for free. All of us knew from a very young age, that none of us will die a natural death. We are destined to fall on the battlefield taking whoever our enemy is along."

A small, but very truthful statement made some Witchers give out a dry laugh.

Vigravig chuckled "Then how about we prepare a welcoming party?"

Than earned him some chuckles from the rest. They were up to do that kind of thing.

Like that, they prepared, while the raging crowd was roaring and trying to burn the place down, but it proved to be a hard task since stones don't burn well.

They started to gather up weapons that could use, elixirs that will help them to fight and make their minds up to be prepared to cast their signs.

After a day of preparations, they were ready to face their opponent. The Witchers never used something like a bow, so all they had is their short-range weapons and their wrist crossbow.

Before opening the gates all of the Witchers gathered up in front of the gates and started to lay down traps.

All Witchers placed some Yrden signs on the ground. While Sorcerer prepared to cast a barrier that will shield anything that is coming their way until they have magic.

Sing Yrden is one of the signs that Witchers learn. This particular sign is used in specific situations to place traps. The power of the sign is to trap someone and wound, along the way the sign also immobilizes the enemy.

You could hear how the enraged crowd was screaming outside of the castle "Walk out and die monsters" "You don't deserve to live, filthy creatures!"

Those cries only fired up their spirit. For decades they were the ones to protect those people from monsters that ate their children and killed their people at night, for a small amount of money. And that is their way of paying them back.

At least they can have some fun before going to the other side.

Once everyone was ready the gates open revealing thousands of people that stood there with some things that could work as a weapon, against 22 Witchers that had their weapons out.

People outside of the wall had their eyes red. They were spitting saliva with every scream that was directed toward Witchers. Their hearts were thirsty for the blood of the creatures they were told to hate.

With a loud battle cry, they rushed inside the castle gates having their weapons pointing toward the Witchers.

But before long those at the front suddenly stopped for a second, before falling to the ground groaning in pain and rolling around.

Those behind them that build up momentum were not able to stop and started to fall over each other creating a small hill made out of humans.

Witchers were no fools, wasting no time Vigravig commanded "Fire!"

With that, all 22 of them formed a sign of Igni.

A wave of fire wasted over all the people that we're able to pass gates setting them on fire.

The very effective, yet simple move created chaos among the attacking party.

They started to run around, rolling on the ground trying to extinguish the fire. While their skin was turning black and their blood started to boil.

The truly spectacular moment looking at tens of human torches running around in panic, jumping back at the crowd creating even more chaos.

Nasty smell of burning bodies spread around the area. This however didn't stop angry crown, no it only fueled their anger more. At this point in time, they didn't care for their own life. All they could see is a path to the gates of hell.

Those able to cross a wall made of fire ran at a small party of men that had their swords ready.

Those at the back tried to fire arrows, but it didn't help. Witchers had Quen and a shield that protected them from anything that came from above.

They clashed.

Swords made their way through human soft flash. Blood started to spill everywhere.

As more and more, peasants made their way towards Witchers, more corpses started to pile up in front of them.

It was no surprise for such an outcome, they were trained fighters that could face 10 trained men at the time single-handedly. But right now? They were fighting dilettantes that hardly knew anything about fighting.

Swords were making their pirouette in hands of professionals, cutting off heads and creating fountains of blood.

Guts that were sticking out of the dead corpses, with their owner expressions frozen at the moment. There was either extreme anger displayed or intense fear after realization of soon death.

Hans and others had no mercy, they killed on sight. No matter woman or man every single one of them got the same treatments with fire and iron.

Battle continued, with waves of fire washing over intruders, with strong kinetic waves that send peasants flying back and the never-ending crowd. Their bodies that were pushed in the air, would often land on the weapons of their allies. Dying pierced by pitchforks, suffocating in their own blood.

The battleground turned into something crazy. Total disorder in lines of peasants, some of them were scared, some were screaming in agony, some were running away to save their life, only to be killed on the way by their own friends for fact of retreating.

From the side of Witchers, everything looked completely opposite way. They stood on their spot without even a single thought of running away, with little to no hesitation to take action.

Fearless faces, that had not a single hint of emotions such as regret or compassion.

More and more peasants went inside trying to claim their lives, but none of them succeeded so far.

It was until one moment that the barrier that was held by sorcerers started to crumble, leaving them exposed.

One of the witchers that were fighting against a group of peasants and skillfully killing one man after another felt how a sharp object went through his side. Making his catch for a breath.

He took two steps back limping and looked at the man with a nasty smile on his face.

He had a knife in his hands and a hood hiding him. But Witcher spotted some of the attire that he knew.

That attire was coming from one particular Order that was responsible for most of the hate for witchers. Order of white rose.

For the first time, Witcher showed emotions and those were not fear, no it was anger. Without thinking he dashed at the man that stabbed him, pairing his attack Witcher's sword went right through the guts of the man.

*Gah* a man spat out a mouth full of blood.

Witcher looked in his eyes with resolve and smiled weakly "That is what you and your people deserve bastard"

Soon after a lot of peasants rushed at him piercing him with their weapons.

With a mouth full of blood, he forced it right on the man's face from White Rose Order.

Witcher muttered his last words "Good death on the battle-field"

With his words said he created a sign of Igni and burned everything around him, resulting in a small explosion that created a huge fire made out of humans and in the epicentre stood Witcher, he didn't scream he endured until his last moment.

That attracted a lot of attention from everyone on the battlefield. The scene is scary and beautiful at the same time.

Witchers had some sorrow in their eyes, with newfound power they started to kill more and more of the enemies. Cutting through them like a knife through butter.

The longer the battle continued the more everyone was getting tired from everything happening.

Because of the piled-up bodies that were lying around it was almost impossible to fight. Peasants were having heavy casualties compared to witchers which lost only a few men.

Before long someone from the crowd outside of the castle screamed "Retreat!Retreat!"

A lot started to turn around to run for their dear life, just to be shot down with a bolt of the crossbow on Witcher'swrists.

Hans was paining heavily trying to recover from the constant fight he had. He looked at the ones that lived till now and started to laugh "Hahahhahaha, we did it! They are pulling back"

All of them shared a laugh before retreating back to the castle locking heavy metal doors. They needed time to recover and eat.

While Witchers were having some good time from their small achievement. The side of the peasants was in a heavy mood. Nobody talked much, but all of them had a strong desire to kill Witchers, they had no thoughts of retreating, and now they wanted them dead. And they will never back down before doing so.

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