Chapter 14 - Enduring Scars (3)

The fire in the hearth crackled softly, casting flickering shadows across the chamber walls. A little girl, no more than twelve, knelt by her small bed, tucking in the edges of her blanket with surprising precision. The cold of the stone floor bit into her knees, but she ignored it, humming a tune as she worked.

The door creaked open, and her head shot up. A beautiful woman with chestnut hair, her mother, stepped into the room, her presence as striking as ever. Her hair fell in gentle waves over her shoulders, her sapphire-blue gown shimmering faintly in the firelight. But tonight, something was different."Mama!" the girl scrambled to her feet, her face lighting up as she hugged her mother. But the excitement faltered as she noticed the strain in her mother's features—the slight furrow in her brow, the tightness in her smile.

The woman closed the door behind her and crossed the room, kneeling to meet her daughter's gaze. "You should be in bed, lil star," she said, her voice warm but soft, like the first snowfall of winter.

"I was making it without creases," Tetra replied, a small pout forming. "You always say we should do things properly."

The mother chuckled, brushing a lock of her daughter's hair behind her ear. "And you do, my love. Always."

The child tilted her head, her young eyes sharp. "You look… worried. Did something bad happen?"

For a moment, the woman hesitated, her fingers pausing in their gentle caress of her little girl's cheek. Then she straightened, her expression smoothing into calm. "It's nothing I can't handle."

"But something did happen," the child pressed. She frowned, crossing her arms like she'd seen the palace guards do when they meant business. "You always tell me to share my troubles with you. Why won't you share yours?"

The mother sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed and gesturing for the kid to join her. "You're a clever girl, lil star. Too clever for your own good sometimes."

The girl climbed onto the bed, her small hands clutching her mother's as she waited.

"There are people in this world," the mother began, choosing her words carefully, "who don't like it when someone is different. When someone is powerful. They get scared, and sometimes, they do cruel things because of that fear."

"Like bullies?" the girl asked, frowning.

The mother smiled faintly. "Yes, like bullies. But these bullies… they're grown-ups, and they don't just take things or call names. They can hurt people, even good people who don't deserve it."

The child's grip on her mother's hands tightened. "Are they trying to hurt you?"

The mother shook her head firmly. "No one is going to hurt me, little star. I'm strong, and I have you to remind me why I fight so hard."

The words seemed to have reassured the little girl, if only a little. She leaned against her mother's side, her head resting on her mother's arm. "I'll fight them, too," she whispered fiercely.

The mother kissed the top of her head, amused. "I know you would. But for now, all I need is for you to be brave. Can you do that for me?"

The girl nodded solemnly. "I promise."

A few days later, the woman entered her daughter's chamber again, but this time her steps were hurried, her movements clipped. In her hands, she carried a smooth crystal ball that seemed to pulse faintly with light. "Lil star," she said, her voice steady but urgent. "I need you to listen carefully."

The little girl sat up straight on her bed, her heart quickening at her mother's tone. "What's wrong?"

The mother knelt before her, placing the crystal ball in her hands. "This is very important. Mama's duties call her away for a while. While I'm away, you must stay with Cassian and Elena. They will take care of you. And if—if anything bad ever happens, I need you to take this and pour every bit of magic you can into it. Can you do that for me?"

"Why? What's going to happen?" the child's voice wavered, her small hands trembling as they clutched the orb.

The mother cupped her daughter's face, her gaze fierce. "Nothing's going to happen. It's just a precaution, little star. Something to keep you safe. Promise me you'll do it."

The little girl swallowed hard, nodding. "I promise."

The woman smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. She kissed her daughter's forehead and whispered, "You are my heart, Tetra. Never forget that."

...….

Alaric turned to leap back into the fray, his mind already calculating where he could best support his fellow Witchers when a spine-chilling noise erupted across the battlefield.

A cacophony of sharp, rhythmic tkch kchk tkch kchk rose above the din, followed by guttural, chittering cackles that seemed to echo from every direction. The sound was alien, predatory—a noise that made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.

Dark, skittering shapes emerged from the smoke and shadows, leaping into the chaos with terrifying speed.

"KIKIMORES!" someone shouted in terror, their voice breaking.

But Alaric's instincts screamed otherwise. 

He vaulted over the battlements with a kinetic burst, landing heavily on the walls. His senses were on fire as he scanned the carnage, seeking clarity amid the chaos.

What he saw froze him for a heartbeat.

A grotesque, insectoid figure, towering at least twice the height of an adult man, loomed over a farmer clutching a burning torch. Its grotesque exoskeleton gleamed dully in the dim light, its massive, scythe-like claws dripping with gore.

Before the man could even scream, the creature lunged. One swipe of its blade-like appendages cleaved the farmer in two, the torch tumbling to the ground and sputtering against the dirt. The sickly light from the flames illuminated the monster, casting its horrifying visage in sharp relief.

The battlefield, already a maelstrom of violence and death, descended into outright pandemonium. The Witchers fought valiantly, their silver swords flashing as they managed to fell a few of the beasts. But they were heavily outnumbered, and even their honed reflexes and years of experience weren't enough to save everyone.

Peasants, mercenaries, and soldiers alike were cut down like wheat before a scythe. The insectoid monsters moved with inhuman speed, their razor sharp limbs carving through flesh and bone effortlessly. Their elongated, segmented bodies twisted unnaturally as they darted and leapt across the battlefield, their hollow, chittering shrieks adding to the chaos.

The cries for help—guttural screams, dying gasps, and desperate prayers—rose to a deafening crescendo, merging with the sickening sounds of flesh being rent apart and steel shattering against chitin. The stench of blood and ichor was suffocating.

Alaric's grip tightened on his blade as his sharp eyes caught the silhouettes of the creatures in the scattered torchlight. Too large for kikimores, too fast for Aschenas. Their movements were erratic, their forms grotesque and alien, blending traits of various insectoid species in ways that should have been impossible.

They were too grotesque to be....anything. His stomach twisted as the realization hit him like a blow to the chest.

"Chimeras," he whispered, as his eyes widened and his feline pupils contracted with disbelief and dread.

These weren't natural creatures. They weren't even aberrations caused by alchemical exposure or freak mutations. No, this was something far worse—a weapon—something created deliberately. Someone had made these monsters.

The thought filled him with a deep, gnawing unease. The battle, already teetering on the edge of disaster, had just tipped over into utter chaos.

A Witcher near him cried out as one of the chimeras barreled into him, pinning him to the ground with grotesque mandibles before tearing him apart in a spray of blood.

Alaric's hand twitched toward the pouch on his belt where his remaining bombs lay, but his instincts screamed at him to stay alert. The creatures were hunting—not just killing, but hunting.

A terrible premonition tightened in his chest as he watched the carnage unfold.

Then suddenly Alaric's Witcher instincts screamed a warning, the vibrations of his medallion reaching an almost unbearable pitch. His head snapped sharply toward the west wall of Kaer Morhen, his enhanced senses locking onto a massive, oppressive magical signature. The air seemed to hum with malevolence, and then the ground beneath the fortress trembled violently.

With a gut-wrenching crack, the earth split open near the wall, chunks of rock and soil cascading as an enormous creature emerged from the darkness.

Its body was long and segmented, resembling a monstrous centipede stretched to unnatural proportions. Flat and gray, the exoskeleton gleamed dully in the flickering torchlight, while countless bristling hairs and feelers along its bodies twitched and swayed, sensing every vibration. Dozens of limbs propelled it forward with terrifying speed and precision, and its grotesque mandibles—razor-sharp and glistening with ichor—clicked together in a sickening rhythm. Pincers larger than a man's torso opened and closed in anticipation of their next victim.

The creature exuded a palpable aura of cruelty, its intelligent, predatory eyes darting across the battlefield as if savoring the chaos.

One of the defenders, a farmer with a torch clutched tightly in his trembling hands, stumbled backward as one of the creatures loomed over him. Before anyone could react, its mandibles closed around his midsection, cutting him clean in two. The man's dying scream echoed through the battlefield.

Someone shouted in horror, "Idr! The bastards have unleashed an Idr!"1

Alaric's blood ran cold. He had read about these creatures in old bestiaries, studied their terrifying capabilities under his father.

They were smarter than most monsters, capable of feints and tricks that could outwit even seasoned Witchers. Combined with their brutal strength and speed, they were a nightmare to face.

Tissaia, standing atop the battlements, froze as her sharp gaze locked onto the monstrosities. Her voice, normally calm and collected, carried a note of anger and disbelief as she spoke. "Idrs… Have they gone mad? Summoning these things is tantamount to suicide!"

The Idr closed in on the wall let out a shrill, alien screech that pierced through the battlefield, silencing even the din of combat for a moment. Its many limbs scuttled with horrifying precision as it darted forward, scattering defenders like leaves in a storm.

Alaric gritted his teeth, forcing himself to focus. "Tissaia!" he barked. "Can you hold it off?"

Tissaia's lips thinned, her hands already glowing with magic. "I can, but not for long! You need to find whoever summoned them and is controlling them. If we don't sever their link to the summoner, these things will tear Kaer Morhen apart!"

Suddenly, two massive spells slammed into the barrier of the inner keep, their impact reverberating through the air like thunder. Cracks rippled across the shimmering magical shield, its once-impenetrable glow faltering.

Panic surged through the defenders as the barrier began to collapse. Peasants, soldiers, and Witchers alike scrambled towards the relative safety of the inner fortress. The attackers, desperate to escape the relentless beast, surged forward in terror, while the defenders braced themselves to hold the last line.

Amidst the chaos, Alaric's sharp eyes caught sight of two shadowy figures streaking through the sky, slipping unnoticed into the fortress under the cover of the uproar.

"Don't die," Alaric growled, sparing Tissaia a glance.

Tissaia shot him a wry smile, her voice steely. "Worry about yourself, Alaric."

The Idr roared again, their segmented bodies slithering through the chaos, tearing through defenders like paper.

Alaric sprinted toward the keep. Behind him, Tissaia unleashed a barrage of spells, her magic crackling and flashing as she fought to keep the Idr at bay.

"Pull yourselves together!" one of the Witchers shouted, rallying the defenders.

But Alaric couldn't look back. If he didn't find the summoner and sever their control over these monsters, he didn't want to imagine the consequences.

-x-x-x-

A/N:-

A bit short chapter today. About 2000 words.

My imaginary friend took my pen and refused to give it back. I'll reclaim it for the next one! (P.S. - I don't write with a pen)

Also, I am thinking about creating a Dis cord server to better connect with the readers(that's you guys). Tell me what you think about it.

As always, if you have any questions, feel free to comment. I will do my best to answer without spoiling too much.

Clear skies to all of you! ✨