Chapter 46

"Phew, that was the last one," I said, wiping the sweat from my forehead. The leshen's corpse lay at my feet, sprawled in a grotesque position. This wasn't a young leshen, but an old, tough beast, with each strike seeming to awaken a new surge of strength in it. The villagers had paid me 150 crowns to take it down a pitiful amount for such a creature but I had accepted. Not for them, but for their children. A starving leshen never stops.

The fight had been grueling. As soon as I saw its tracks, I understood why it had started hunting so suddenly: those idiotic villagers had looted an ancient temple, a sanctuary their ancestors had dedicated to the leshen. And then they wondered why their "protector" had turned against them. Why do humans always confuse greed with survival?

"Alright... Let's cut off its head and head back to the village," I murmured, staring down at the corpse. The leshen's dark blood slowly seeped into the ground. I needed to leave quickly. Finding Ciri and those damn orbs was still my priority. I'd been searching for over four years. Barely in my twenties, and I already felt like I was carrying the weight of the entire world on my shoulders. No news, no solid clues, nothing. The conflicts between the Northern Kingdoms and Nilfgaard were flaring up everywhere, making travel even more difficult.

I'd scoured everywhere, from the north to the south. Nothing. Kaedwen, with its racist king, had shut its gates to me. Skellige? Now nearly impossible to reach due to maritime tensions. And as for the orbs... the pendant I'd received only told me if I was getting closer to one, like some cursed, never-ending treasure hunt. The scant information I'd gathered spoke of places tied to the seasons. Kaedwen clearly represented winter, but I'd already secured that one. Spring, summer, autumn… there were still too many paths to consider.

"Ugh, I hope the next village has something useful," I muttered, rubbing my face, more frustrated than tired. Fastening the leshen's head to my saddle, I mounted Ganon. Together, we began the slow journey back. Despite my frustration, I always let my eyes wander around me. The forest was calm now, its aura of menace dissipated. Ganon moved steadily, his hooves crunching the leaf-covered ground. There was something soothing about these moments of respite.

When I reached the village, a crowd was already waiting for me. The villagers had gathered near the square, murmuring among themselves, their stress evident on their faces. As soon as they saw me, some rushed forward, while others hung back, hesitant. I gently pulled on Ganon's reins to stop him, then dismounted, untying the head that still dripped with blood.

"Village chief," I said, tossing the head onto the ground in front of them. Several stepped back, horrified, while the chief reluctantly moved forward. "Here's the monster's head."

He stared at it for a few moments, clearly uneasy, before handing me a pouch.

"Here's your payment," he said, his voice trembling.

I took the pouch and, with a quick glance, estimated it held the agreed-upon crowns. Fastening it to my saddle, I climbed back onto Ganon. My gaze turned to the chief.

"Well, I'm off."

The chief nodded, unable to hide his relief. "Thank you again, master witcher."

I shook my head, looking at him.

"It's nothing. I'm just doing my job." Without another word, I rode off to the south. The road to Nazair would be long, but I hoped to finally find some answers there.

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"Ohhh," I said to Ganon to stop him, as before me stood a village engulfed in flames. Bandits were pillaging without restraint, while some committed unspeakable acts, violating village women under the helpless gazes of their husbands.

With a firm gesture, I spurred Ganon forward, urging him into a gallop toward the village. As we neared, I leapt from my mount, landing in an explosion of ice that pierced two nearby bandits, impaling them on frozen spikes.

The other bandits hesitated, unsettled by the sight of their comrades pinned to the ground by ice. I twirled Noctalgivre in my hand, its black blade emitting a frosty mist that seemed to drain the warmth from the air around me.

"Well? Who's first?" I called, my voice steady despite my heart still pounding from the rush of action.

They exchanged glances, uncertain, but their leader shattered their hesitation with a guttural roar, shoving one of the bandits forward. "What are you waiting for, idiots? He's alone!"

Alone? Not quite. I had my blade, my power, and a controlled rage ready to erupt. The first bandit charged at me, his sword clumsily raised. Easy. I pivoted to the side and brought Noctalgivre down in a swift strike. The blade's cold tore through his armor, and his body froze into a sculpture of ice before collapsing into shards on the ground.

The others stepped back, their faces pale in the flickering light of the flames. Their eyes darted around, searching for a way out, but their leader's glare held them in place, a mix of anger and fear flickering in his gaze.

Eventually, they rushed me all at once. Blades flashed, cries erupted, but their disorganization made them weak. I deflected one blow, then another, each movement smooth, every impact sending shards of ice into the air. One bandit tried to circle behind me, but I raised my free hand, releasing a wave of frost that froze his legs to the ground. He screamed, struggling to free himself, but I had no time for his misery.

The battle raged on, bloody and brutal. My movements were precise and relentless.

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"Hu… hurry up, bitch, I didn't pay you to just laze around," the bandit spat, striking me violently in the back. I fell heavily to the ground, the wind knocked out of me. Pain radiated through my body, a pain that was just the latest in a long string of humiliations and beatings.

I lifted my head, my eyes locking onto his with a hatred I couldn't hide. He noticed my glare and responded by spitting in my face. Before I could react, his foot crashed violently into my cheek, sending me sprawling. A metallic taste filled my mouth. Blood. Again.

"Useless," he growled. "You'd better pick those up, or I promise you'll end up making the rounds with all my guys. They're already busy having fun with those village girls… but I'm sure they'll save some room for you."

He bent down, gripping my face with brutal force. His fingers nearly crushed my jaw, and I could feel his foul breath wash over my skin. "Fucking a royal… what a rare treat," he sneered, chuckling. That laugh made me want to vomit, but I had to stay calm. I had to wait.

Finally, he stood up, casting a glance at his crotch. "See what you do to me? I think I'll start with you."

My heart raced. Not this time. Not again. My mind was boiling, searching for a way out. As he slowly undid the belt of his pants, I rolled to the side, my hands fumbling on the overturned table. There—a knife. I grabbed the weapon, standing abruptly.

The bandit stopped, fixing me with a mocking smile. "And what are you gonna do with that, pathetic creature?" His voice dripped with disdain, as though I posed no threat to him.

He moved closer. My breath shortened. I raised the knife with determination, but he slapped it out of my hand with brutal ease before grabbing me by the throat and slamming me violently onto the table. The objects on it crashed to the ground with a deafening clatter.

With his free hand, he tore apart what was left of my skirt and leaned close to my ear, his voice oozing malice.

"Any last words, bitch, before I show you heaven?"

Struggling to breathe, I murmured with difficulty, "Yes. That you're… a complete idiot."

He froze, confused. "What?"

I didn't wait for him to understand. My hand had already slid under the fabric, grabbing the knife I'd stolen the night before from their camp. With cold precision, I thrust it into his throat. His eyes widened in shock. His breath turned into a grotesque gargle as his grip loosened, his hands desperately trying to stop the flow of blood.

I pushed him away with a kick, sending him crashing to the ground. He looked at me, his eyes filled with fear and incomprehension, as his life slipped away. Slowly, I approached, wiping the blood from my lips.

"What did you think? That I was just prey?" I murmured, kneeling beside him. He tried to move, but I stopped him by pressing my foot onto his chest. My gaze was icy, devoid of emotion.

I wasn't sure why, but I picked up a nearby object a heavy brick and, in one swift motion, I smashed it between his legs. He screamed, but it wasn't enough. I retrieved the knife still embedded in his throat and stabbed him again, and again, and again, in his stomach. With every strike, my breathing grew heavier.

When I finally stopped, his body was nothing more than a motionless heap of flesh. I looked at my trembling hands, covered in blood, but I felt nothing. No relief. No fear. Just… nothing.

I stood up and wiped my face. My clothes were in tatters, but I couldn't afford to linger. I had to wait. I knew the others would eventually return. And when they did, they'd regret underestimating me.

A scream broke my thoughts. Then another. It wasn't the village women. It was different. Curious, I moved toward a shattered window, crouching to observe discreetly.

I saw a man. His hair was white, his gaze piercing like that of a bird of prey, and his blade gleamed with a bluish glow. He was slaughtering the bandits. Frost accompanied his every move, and each strike turned the battlefield into a veritable graveyard.

A faint smile crossed my lips. Maybe tonight, the tables would finally turn.

"Perhaps," I murmured, "he's the one. My pawn. My way to exact vengeance. After all, men always reveal they're all the same."

I stayed there, hidden in the shadows, waiting for the fight to end. Soon, it would be my turn to step onto the stage.

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"You… you… won't get out of this alive. The boss will avenge us," the bandit stammered, panic in his voice.

I stared at him with indifference, tired of his useless words. Without saying a word, I raised my blade and decapitated the wretch in one clean stroke. His head rolled to the ground with a dull thud. Wiping the blood off my blade on his own lifeless leg, I sheathed my weapon.

It was too late. The massacre was over, but all I found upon arriving were corpses and shattered survivors, paralyzed by their trauma and unable to move.

As I turned away, a door creaked open behind me. I glanced back to see a woman stepping into the frame. Her black hair, dark as a moonless night, was tangled and filthy, but beneath the grime lay a hint of grace. Her eyes, a light blue almost too surreal to be real, stood in stark contrast to her pale skin.

She approached me with surprising confidence, as though she wasn't fazed by what she had witnessed. Her calm, composed tone clashed with the chaos around us.

"I suppose I should thank you," she said, her gaze fixed on mine. "But don't expect me to be grateful. You've destroyed a world that, as rotten as it was, was still mine. And now, what am I supposed to do?"

I frowned slightly but decided she wasn't my problem. Turning away, I walked toward Ganon. "Figure it out yourself. I've got other things to do."

"Wait!" she exclaimed, running to block my path.

I stopped, glaring at her in irritation. "What?"

"I need your help," she said with unexpected resolve.

A sly smirk spread across my lips. "Oh, really? But you see, I don't have time. And unless you've got something worthwhile to offer, I don't see why I should bother."

She faltered for a moment but quickly regained her composure. "What do you want?"

I let out a small laugh and replied, "I'm looking for a rare, ancient artifact. An orb, tied to the seasons."

To my surprise, her eyes widened slightly, and she murmured almost inaudibly, "You're talking about the Autumn Orb?"

I froze. In an instant, I grabbed her by the shoulders, my gaze piercing into hers. "What do you know?"

She quickly regained her composure, a calculating smile forming on her lips. "Alright. I'll help you. But there's a condition: you'll help me, too. What you're looking for… it's not just some artifact hidden in a cave. But you… you might be useful."

I released her, my wariness growing. "Useful? Explain, or I'll find someone else."

She crossed her arms, her lips curving into a sarcastic smile. "If it were that simple, you wouldn't be here. You need me, and luckily, I know exactly where it is. But nothing comes for free."

"And what do you want?" I asked, my tone darkening.

Her smile vanished, replaced by a cold determination. "What I want is to see those who did this to me fall. Those who, behind their smiles and golden wine, hide a rot worse than these bandits."

I furrowed my brow. "Who?"

She looked away, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. "Let's just say I know secrets no slave should ever have learned. If you want your orb, I'll take you to it. But along the way, you help me settle some… personal matters."

"And if I refuse?"

Her gaze turned icy, her smile challenging. "Then you'll keep searching for your precious artifact until your bones turn to dust. Because only I can take you to it."

(Try to guess who she is: she's the true identity of the mysterious cat everyone wonders about. Personally, I loved her story and her character.)