chapter 21

"I hate this," Andries grumbled, his voice thick with annoyance. He sat at the round table, his pristine combat long coat draped around him, his staff resting against his side. It was an unfamiliar sight—his clothes were spotless, without the usual wear and tear, but his mood remained anything but polished. Behind him stood Umbra, Nyx, Mathies, Blightborn, and Wyrmblood, their presence imposing in the dimly lit council chamber.

"These are the duties of a leader," Eldrin said, his voice rasping from his frail form, draped in an oversized robe. Despite his still-gaunt frame, he had been looking healthier recently, thanks to Andries sharing his personal potions with him.

"I didn't say I wouldn't do it," Andries muttered, leaning back in his chair. "I just said I hate it. Kind of wish I went with Draugor instead. He had the right idea—hunt some basilisks and call it a day."

"Any word from him?" Seraphina asked, her voice cutting through the room.

Seraphina's leather armor gleamed, polished and well-oiled, though the wildness of her yellow hair remained untamed. She had tried brushing it, but it seemed even the brush had surrendered to the chaos of her mane.

"I contacted him telepathically," Eldrin replied. "He's managed to take down a few stragglers from the pack. More interestingly, he captured one alive."

Andries perked up at that. "Oh, that sounds like fun. Wonder if I can turn a basilisk into one of my half undead?"

"I was thinking the same thing," Eldrin mused, a rare flicker of amusement crossing his features.

"I'd love to work on that basilisk myself," Vesperia chimed in. Her gown's plunging neckline revealed more of the snake-like scales running down her full chest. For the first time, she'd worn makeup, her slitted eyes lined with dark eyeshadow that only enhanced their predatory gleam. Her clawed hands were gloved, but the lethality underneath was evident.

"I'll give you my notes after I'm done," Andries offered with a smirk.

"Please, focus," Eldrin cut in, his tone sharp. "There have been reports of an unusual number of monsters near the Yaruga river. Likely rift creatures. And we've received sightings of Wild Hunt riders near the town."

"Are these monsters attacking Temeria more than Nilfgaard?" Vesperia asked, crossing her arms.

"Nilfgaard," Seraphina replied. "It's their own doing. They launched a surprise attack on Temeria, burned villages and cities. With the people displaced, there's less food for the monsters, so they're heading south—right into Nilfgaard's territory."

"And then there's the mutant purge," Eldrin added. "Nilfgaard is cracking down on mutants, anyone seen as mutant is either executed or banished, if they're feeling merciful. No Witchers or other mutants are hunting these beasts for Nilfgaard."

"Witchers must be raking in the coin with all these contracts," Andries mused, a flicker of amusement in his eyes.

"They are," Eldrin confirmed. "King Foltest has sent us contracts and payment as well. He's asked us to drive the monsters south into Nilfgaard. Likely, he's contracted others to do the same. I've already instructed Draugor on what to do and teleported some shipments of bombs to him."

"King Foltest sounds like a clever man," Seraphina noted.

Andries leaned forward, his tone turning serious. "What about the Wild Hunt? You said there were sightings. Are they attacking anyone? Taking people?"

"No," Seraphina said, shaking her head. "That's what's strange. They're just... here. It's scaring people, but oddly, it's also reassuring them. Some are saying the Hunt's afraid to attack because of our town."

"What could they be after?" Vesperia asked, her eyes narrowing. "I understood them scouting the rift—either for its power or to prevent it from getting worse. But why linger here?"

"They might be after me," Andries said quietly.

"Can you elaborate?" Eldrin's voice was calm but expectant, the tension in the room growing.

Andries leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with a mix of mischief and intensity. "Well, imagine this: you're a group of powerful mages from an unknown world, right? Then you hear that a rift between worlds has been opened. Not long after, you catch wind of an undead army recently fighting people, and then—bam—some mutant rolls up near the rift, bringing his half-undead buddies and summoning more undead."

Vesperia caught on quickly. "You're unknown to them."

"Exactly," Andries said with a grin.

"But why haven't they attacked us yet?" Seraphina asked, frowning as she leaned back in her chair.

"They're probably being cautious," Eldrin suggested. "Andries isn't the only strange thing around here. This town is packed with mutants, and there are plenty of other oddities. The Wild Hunt might be watching, assessing, trying to understand how Andries uses his powers."

"That doesn't mean they won't attack," Seraphina said with concern. "I'm assigning more guards. We've got new mutants—both from outside and the mindless ones thanks to Vesperia's methods, so we can afford to place some on high alert."

Andries shifted, a curious glint in his eye. "By the way, how do you guys grow the population of mutant hounds?"

"We usually mutate normal hounds," Seraphina replied. "I tried breeding the mutant hounds with each other, but just like other mutants, they're sterile. They mate constantly, but nothing comes of it. So we stick to breeding regular hounds and mutating them after."

"Mind if I experiment on a few of your hounds?" Andries asked, the faintest hint of excitement in his voice.

Seraphina rolled her eyes but relented. "You can have a couple."

"Perfect."

Eldrin cleared his throat, bringing the conversation back to more pressing matters. "Now, let's talk numbers. We currently have over four hundred normal mutants, around a thousand mindless ones, three hundred hound masters with psionic control over their beasts, and nearly a thousand hounds. On top of that, we're seeing thousands of refugees flooding the town. At this rate, we'll need to raid Nilfgaardian supply camps again in about a month just to feed everyone."

"I've also heard reports of cannibal cults," Seraphina interjected grimly. "Some humans are turning to eating the dead as a way to survive. It's turned into a disturbing cult."

"Are they actively hunting for fresh meat, or just scavenging the dead?" Andries asked.

"It started with them eating corpses," Seraphina explained. "At first, we didn't interfere—most of the dead were sick, malnourished, and weak anyway. But now these cultists have begun attacking people."

"Right, well, arrest them all then," Andries said firmly. "We can't afford cannibals causing chaos. Inform the other refugees about it, and they'll help us root them out. And don't execute all of them I need more half-undead. They don't require much food and are incredibly useful."

Vesperia nodded thoughtfully. "You should focus on creating more half-undead. They're likely more valuable than mindless mutants."

"They are, but the success rate is lower," Andries admitted.

"Considering we're facing a food shortage, that's actually beneficial," Eldrin pointed out.

"Alright, I'll get to work," Andries said, though he could tell the meeting was far from over.

They continued discussing various problems: the overwhelming number of refugees, the deep-seated prejudices humans harbored against anyone who looked remotely different, fears that elves were allied with Nilfgaard, and the dwarves complaining about the lack of materials for their crafts.

Andries was beginning to feel restless, but he knew these discussions were crucial to maintaining their precarious stability. He glanced around the table, noting the faces of his companions—each of them holding a different piece of the chaotic puzzle they now found themselves in.

After the meeting, Andries headed straight to his lab. He couldn't help but notice the increased guard presence around the mansion and especially near his workspace. The guards, dressed in worn leather armor, were a clear sign of their material shortages, but even with subpar equipment, the mutants guarding the area were formidable enough to deter any would-be attackers.

With a dismissive shrug, Andries entered his lab, eager to immerse himself in his work. He wasted no time delving into his new projects, his focus broken only when a batch of living test subjects arrived—cannibals captured from the growing refugee population.

Andries wasted no time in experimenting. His first trial involved injecting the subjects with elf mutagen. The results were nothing short of catastrophic. The human bodies fiercely rejected the mutagen, either forcing it out through their skin or, when Andries used magic to force integration, collapsing into grotesque heaps of flesh. Two bodies disintegrated before his eyes, their cells breaking down faster than he could stabilize them with spells.

Undeterred by failure, Andries shifted his focus back to his half-undead creations. He spent days perfecting the process, working through a hundred prisoners. By the end of his grueling efforts, only thirty survived the transformation, he used ghoul mutagen to strengthen their body for now. Those that did were sent to Seraphina, the beast mistress, who found the half-undead responsive enough to be trained like intelligent animals. However, when Andries attempted to enhance ten of them with psionic abilities, the results were bleak—only three survived, and those few were so fragile they could barely function.

Rather than consider the experiments failures, Andries saw an opportunity. He harvested the brains from the failed psionic half-undead, carefully preserving them in magically sealed jars. Using what little material he had left, he began constructing a new device to house the psionic minds, an ambitious project that fascinated him.

Just as he was deep into the work, muffled shouts broke the focus. His lab was designed to block out most external noise, so the fact he could hear the commotion meant something serious was happening. With haste, Andries secured the preserved brains and dashed outside, flanked by his guards.

What he saw left him momentarily stunned—four creatures circled the town. Initially, he thought they were wyverns, but their four legs and massive wingspan revealed the truth. Dragons. Two red, one black and one black, and one gleaming gold. The sight of them was as rare as it was dangerous. The gold dragon appeared focused on the others, as though driving them away from the crowd, while the three lesser dragons circled, their eyes scanning the panicked masses below.

Andries felt no fear—only exhilaration. He could hardly contain his excitement. 'Dragons,' he thought, 'imagine what I could learn from them.'

He tapped into the chaotic well of Ether energy flowing through him and called out to Umbra. "Bring me my staff!" he commanded.

Umbra appeared moments later, just as one of the red dragons spotted Andries. Instead of continuing its patrol, it dove directly toward him. Arrows shot up from the ballista manned by Draugor and the others, but they barely scratched the creature's armored hide.

The dragon closed the distance with alarming speed, its maw opening wide as it unleashed a jet of flame toward Andries.

Without hesitation, Andries raised his staff and muttered an incantation. A shimmering barrier formed in front of him. At the same time, Nyx and Umbra focused their psionic abilities, layering another barrier beneath his spell.

The dragon's fire struck with overwhelming force. Andries felt the searing heat and an unbearable pressure pressing against his magic. His barrier cracked and shattered under the intense assault, but the psionic shield held, protecting them just long enough for the flames to subside.

Breathing heavily, Andries looked up at the dragon, now circling above. His pulse raced, but not from fear. He had never felt such raw power—and he wanted more.

Soon after, Eldrin and his apprentices emerged from the mansion, hurling spells at the dragons. The apprentices' magic barely scratched the creatures, much like the arrows, but Eldrin was another story. His lightning bolts crackled through the air, forcing the dragons to swerve and dodge, though they seemed unfazed by lesser attacks.

What truly caught Andries' attention was the gold dragon. It didn't seem to be aligned with the others. At first, it circled cautiously, almost as if trying to corral the three, then suddenly lashed out, slamming its tail into one of the red dragons. The blow wasn't devastating, but it was enough to send a ripple of confusion through the group.

Moments later, the four dragons gathered and flew off into the distance.

Vesperia came running toward Andries, her face lined with concern. "Are you all right?" she asked, breathless.

"Did you see that?" Andries' voice trembled with excitement, his eyes wide with wonder. "Four of them, Vesperia. One was *gold*. That has never happened before. They were... magnificent, the most beautiful things I've ever seen."

Vesperia sighed, realizing he wasn't hurt. "Oh, you're fine."

"We have to find them," Andries continued, almost ignoring her, his mind racing with possibilities.

"Find them? We should probably call dragon hunters," Vesperia suggested.

Andries' face twisted in disgust. "Dragon hunters?" he spat, offended by the very notion. "Those barbarians are worse than animals for wanting to kill such majestic creatures! We need to capture them, study them. The raw power they possess... I could harness it!"

"You're missing the point," Vesperia said, her voice firm. "A group of dragons just attacked our town. One of them swooped down and tried to *burn* you."

"Not *someone*, *me*," Andries corrected, with an odd gleam in his eyes. "And that's exactly why we need them alive. Think about it—they're intelligent beings. They don't attack at random. This was deliberate. Why are they interested in *me*? There's something deeper here."

Vesperia narrowed her eyes. "And you still want them alive, even knowing that?"

"Absolutely," Andries replied, his excitement barely contained. "The fact that they targeted me proves there's more going on. They communicate telepathically, don't they? This wasn't a mindless assault. Besides, what chance do dragon hunters stand against a group of five?"

"They might not stand a chance, but that won't stop them from coming. Dragon hunters are rich, Andries. They're some of the best-equipped mercenaries around. If word gets out about these dragons, we'll have an army of them in no time."

Andries smirked. "Well, that just means more test subjects for me."

Vesperia groaned, exasperated. "You're underestimating them."

"Oh, I'm not," he said, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "In fact, I'll join their hunt. I'll use their arrogance against them—kill or capture the hunters before we even reach the dragons. Offer their bodies as a peace offering."

Vesperia stared at him, disbelieving. "You sound insane. You need rest, Andries. A bath, maybe some

wine, and time to *think* this through. You're not going to get yourself killed over your fascination with dragons, are you?"

Andries chuckled, waving her concern away. "I'm not going to get killed, Vesperia. I have my guards, and I've got plans—brilliant ideas, actually—that will make sure we succeed in capturing them. I'm not doing this blindly."

Vesperia crossed her arms, her frustration mounting. "Even if you're serious about this, it'll be a while before we hear anything from the dragon hunters. That gives us time to *change your mind*."

Andries turned back toward his lab, laughing as he went. "You'll never change my mind. I'm going to get those dragons, Vesperia, one way or another."

Andries returned to his lab, though frustration simmered beneath the surface. He was running low on materials, forcing him to cannibalize parts from other projects to complete his psionic device. The device, now pieced together, was a crude pyramid shape, with three severed brains—his failed psionic creations—connected to a large metal ring encircling the base. At the top of the pyramid, there was a recessed platform, meant to hold something important.

Without hesitation, Andries placed his left hand on the table. His breath hitched, but his resolve remained firm. Taking one of the elven swords he'd acquired long ago, he channeled his psionic power to slice clean through his wrist. His hand fell to the table with a wet thud.

Nearby, Mathies flinched, turning his head away. He wasn't squeamish, but watching Andries harm himself like that still made his stomach churn.

Andries grunted, biting down a stream of curses. "Damn it... where's Blightborn when I need him?" he muttered, irritated that his assistant was still adjusting to his new body. Without his usual help, Andries roughly bandaged the stump and cast a healing spell. The hand would regenerate in time, but he wasn't in a rush for once.

Using his psionic abilities, Andries gathered the pooling blood, storing it in magically sealed jars. He did the same with the severed hand, preserving it. Then, he connected the jar containing his hand to the top of the psionic device.

Exhausted, he slumped into a nearby chair, closed his eyes, and began to focus. His remaining hand hovered over the stump, still tender, but his mind was sharp. Slowly, the device activated. A surge of psionic energy coursed through him, and with it, a new ability—an enhanced vision of the mutant town outside. He saw everything with vivid clarity, pinpointing the locations of the half-undead he'd created.

The half-undead were currently undergoing rigorous training, being taught how to move, work, and fight. Their limited intelligence made some tasks difficult to grasp, while others, such as repetitive motions, were easier. Andries watched with mild satisfaction, relieved that he wasn't the one doing the training.

His mind drifted back to the device. Could he go further with this power? He focused on a random man walking through the town, a refugee. As Andries extended his psionic reach into the man's mind, he felt the usual resistance from the man's mental defenses, but it was much weaker than normal. Breaking through was easy, though the man noticeably reacted, clutching his head as if struck by a sudden headache.

Andries peered into his thoughts. The refugee was preoccupied with mundane worries, his dwindling money, his desperate need for companionship, and his lewd fantasies involving the local prostitutes. His thoughts spiraled into an endless loop of frustrations and cravings.

Unimpressed, Andries pulled back. This method, while powerful, was inefficient. The intrusion was too noticeable and the process took too long to be of any real use for surveillance or manipulation.

He decided to test the telekinetic capabilities of the device next. Focusing on objects in his lab, Andries found that the device amplified his power far beyond his usual limits. Heavy equipment floated effortlessly, and even the pyramid-shaped device itself levitated. However, the telekinetic range was limited. Once objects were beyond the device's reach, he lost control. Still, the range was far larger than the confines of his lab, though he wasn't yet sure how far it extended.

Encouraged by this newfound power, Andries began using the telekinetic abilities to multitask, preparing potions at an unprecedented speed. With the device's assistance, his mind operated on several layers at once, allowing him to complete complex processes in record time.

He smirked to himself as the final product of his potions bubbled to completion. This device, his creation, would change everything.

Andries crafted two sets of potions with meticulous care, drawing upon the knowledge Vesemir had shared with him during his time with the witchers. Both potions had a base mixture of herbs and mushrooms that mimicked the effects of what the witchers used to enhance their physical abilities, but Andries had added a small dose of monster mutagen to each. The key was balance—just enough to fortify the body, but not enough to cause rapid, uncontrollable mutation.

The first potion, infused with mutagen from lesser, weaker monsters and a lighter mix of herbs, was intended for Eldrin. Andries had crafted this specific batch to help strengthen the frail bodies of certain mutants under Eldrin's care. The second potion, however, was for Andries himself. This one was far more potent, laced with mutagen from stronger monsters like trolls and royal wyverns. He would need this strength for the challenges ahead, but he took care to dose it lightly to avoid any unwanted transformation.

While deep in his work, Andries felt a sudden mental connection reach out to him. The force of it was strong but unrefined, lacking the grace of a trained sorcerer's touch. Then, something familiar tugged at his awareness—the connection to his severed hand, still linked to the megascope. He chuckled before focusing his mind on the presence trying to communicate with him.

'Hello! Andries, can you hear me?!' came Vesemir's mental voice, loud and booming in his head.

'Yes, I can hear you,' Andries replied, wincing slightly. 'But you might want to tone it down. You're shouting through the link. Just ease up, it'll come through clearer without the mental shouting.'

'Oh, right. Sorry, I'm still getting the hang of this.' Vesemir's voice became more controlled, though the excitement in his tone remained. 'Anyway, we got new crystals. A bunch of them turned out to be duds, but there's one, a big one, that seems powerful. We think it might be useful for teleportation or something bigger. Maybe you could come over and take a look?'

'Sounds interesting,' Andries said, already intrigued. 'But don't bother with setting up a portal. I still have a connection to my hand—the one you hooked up to the megascope. I can open a portal from here.'

'Right, forgot about that hand of yours,' Vesemir responded. 'No rush then. We haven't used any portals recently, and the boys have been avoiding them for a while. Things have been a bit... tense here.'

'Good to know. I'll be there soon, just need to clean up here first,' Andries said. They exchanged goodbyes, and Andries ended the connection.

With the aid of his psionic device, Andries cleaned the lab in record time, neatly storing his materials and locking away the more dangerous components. After checking the healing progress of his left hand, still a painful stump, though regenerating slowly, he rewrapped the bandage, grabbed his staff, and headed for the courtyard.

He decided to leave Umbra and Nyx behind this time, taking only Mathies and Felix with him. Placing Felix, the small black cat, into his bag, Andries focused his mind on the megascope in Kaer Morhen. Through his severed hand still linked to it, he opened a portal for their passage.

A familiar wave of discomfort washed over him as they stepped through the portal, the sensation unsettling but brief. In an instant, Andries, Mathies, and Felix found themselves in the cold, stone-walled laboratories of Kaer Morhen.

"Good to see you, kid," came Vesemir's gravelly voice. Andries turned to see the old witcher standing near the entrance, fully armored, with his sword slung across his back.

"Hello, Vesemir," Andries replied, a smirk playing on his lips. "Good to see you're not dead yet. Old people and witchers tend to drop like flies, and you happen to be both."

Vesemir barked out a laugh. "I'm not going down that easily, you little shit." He turned to Mathies, who stood silently beside Andries. "Good to see you too, big guy."

Mathies gave a lopsided grin, looking a little unsure of why Vesemir was happy to see him alive. "You too. Happy you not dead," he said awkwardly, then shrugged at his own phrasing.

Vesemir's sharp gaze shifted back to Andries, his eyes catching on the bandaged stump of his left hand. "What the hell happened to your hand?"

"I cut it off for a device," Andries said nonchalantly, waving the injured limb as if it were a minor inconvenience.

"Of course you did," Vesemir grunted with a shake of his head, laughing again. "Some things never change."

Andries simply shrugged in response. "So, where are the crystals?"

Vesemir pointed to a nearby table cluttered with various gems. "Over here."

Andries approached and examined the crystals laid out before him. There were a few earth crystals, a single fire crystal, and one large, glowing Ether crystal. The Ether crystal in particular pulsed with immense energy, far stronger than the others.

"Oh yes," Andries said, picking up the Ether crystal and studying it with interest. "I can work with this. With this amount of power, you could open at least twenty portals before it needs a three-day recharge."

"Sounds perfect. Can you get it connected?" Vesemir asked.

"Yeah, won't take long."

Andries set to work, using his psionic abilities to manipulate and adjust the crystal, making it compatible with the megascope. It didn't take long before the crystal was securely in place, humming softly with energy. He pocketed the old, depleted crystal as Vesemir watched him work.

"You should take the rest of the crystals too," Vesemir said, gesturing to the table. "We don't need them right now, and they'll be more useful to you."

Andries didn't hesitate to accept, gathering the remaining crystals into his bag.

"Thanks, Andries," Vesemir said, nodding appreciatively. "This device has been a game-changer for us. We've been completing contracts left and right. The School of the Wolf is getting so much attention, people are actually asking us to make more witchers. I've even thought about offering help to the School of the Griffin."

Andries raised an eyebrow at that. "Interesting. Speaking of jobs, I have one for the School of the Wolf as well."

Vesemir's brow furrowed. "What kind of job?"

"A while back, a rift opened south of Temeria, and it's been spewing out monsters ever since. The area's been overrun," Andries explained.

"I've heard about that," Vesemir said with a nod. "Most of the others went there for different jobs. Geralt's still out there somewhere, hunting for Ciri."

"That's good to know," Andries said, filing the information away. "But what I need isn't related to that. Our mutant village was attacked."

"By what?"

Andries smiled as he spoke. "Four dragons."