Chapter 42

"Is she going to be alright?" I asked, feeling quite more comfortable in my normal gear, while looking over the shivering form of Toruviel as she was being tended to by her comrades. Apparently when you aren't a Witcher having a whole load of fisstech thrown into your face by a crazy old woman is not a harmless thing. It was a good thing there were enough uninjured Scoia'tael within the assault team to carry her and Moril back to camp.

"It's not the first time we've had to treat fisstech overdoses. At least this time it didn't happen by choice." Iorveth said with equal parts anger and sadness.

One of the Scoia'tael medics tipped back Toruviel's head and made her swallow something. I gave them a curious look. "Sedative," the medic said to my unasked question. "Counters the fisstech's stimulating effect. Now we need to cool her down, protect her blood vessels from the effects of vasoconstriction. There's a cold spring back at camp - we'll strip her down and have her rest in it. The rest is just letting her body process it out of her system. This isn't my first time dealing with this, she'll be fine."

Jeez, I always knew that fisstech was basically the Witcherverse's version of crack and that obviously like back home overdoses were scary and without treatment were very lethal things… but it is still rather strange and disheartening to see an elf as strong and willful as Toruviel be brought down by it. I hope that the Scoia'tael would help make sure she didn't fall into the stuff after this encounter with it since I've heard horror stories about cops and other good people getting hooked from accidental exposure.

"Good to hear. Other than that and Moril needing her own treatment I would say that went well." I looked back at Iorveth. "You got the documents I mentioned earlier, right?" I asked him.

"Had to strip Loredo's office to find them in a hidden compartment under a floorboard, but yes. Merse might lead Flotsam on paper, but my agents will let him know how things stand from here on out. Given recent developments I have a good number of plans going forward." Iorveth said with an actual smile.

It was a subtle reminder that Iorveth was still the commander of a commando outfit and would in time systematically dismantle all the special ops groups of the North other than the Blue Strips. I most likely just made that easier for him since the Scoia'tael now owned a major trading town between four of the biggest kingdoms… I had mixed feelings about that honestly. Then again no side was really right and I just focused more on the immediate issue that was Loredo so I tried not to think about it too much.

"I do hope those plans involve going after more pricks like Loredo going forward since they on a whole do way more damage than your average racist peasant. Just saying."

"I know how to pick and choose my targets, Witcher. More so since we have been abandoned by Nilfgaard." Iorveth stated like I was an idiot, which to be fair I kinda way in intrigue matters all told. I just cheated a bit with metaknowledge and that was it.

"Good to hear… if it means anything I do believe peaceful coexistence is possible, most likely not for a good while, but still possible under the right conditions and leadership. It helps your cause if you work to earn the hearts and minds of those open to the idea of peace like Margot since I can only imagine the circumstances that led you of all people to trust in the information of a human. Considering how old elves can get maybe you'll even see it one day and can look back on this time as just a dark chapter in history. It's important to know why you are fighting, but it is even more important to look forward to the day you no longer have to." I said honestly, likely ripping off more than a half-dozen better-spoken people than myself.

Iorveth just gave me the most confused look I have seen on him since our meeting, as if he had no idea what my deal was.

"Interesting perspective from a Witcher, someone who is more inherently distrusted and hated than even elves. I'm not sure if you are just a naive idiot or really believe that."

"It's likely an equal bit of both." I said with complete honesty.

"Hmmm, well no matter. You have delivered on your end of things and though you wish no reward I will be damned if I don't acknowledge when I own a debt. Should Destiny drive us together once more you can call on me to repay you… within reason."

"Great! I might call you up on that within… 3 to 4 years actually." I will not say no to a skilled fighter against the Wild Hunt when the time comes after all.

"Oddly specific. There something coming that I should be aware of?" Iorveth eyed me suspiciously.

"Just the coming of the White Frost and the end of the world as we know it. I'm pretty sure everyone's heard about it at this point." I said, not lying at all.

"You… are a very strange being." Iorveth said. "You may leave the camp any time you please, though I recommend that you don't return to Flotsam till the morrow. Be aware that should you turn on us at this point I will show no mercy and that the camp will have moved on by then anyhow."

"You still don't trust me?"

"I trust you - somewhat. I just don't trust everything else." Iorveth stated.

---

"Is it odd that I am much more relaxed in this monster-infested forest amongst nekkers, endregas and likely a great deal more than I was back at camp waiting for your return?" Ivar asked while he poked at the fire.

"I think it helps that I have pheromones to convince at least the former two not to attack us." I said as I tugged on a rope Dogmeat was playing with.

"Other than the several questions I have about that, because truly that would be an amazing tool for the common man to use, for all while I enjoyed conversing with them as individuals recent events have made me a little wary about what the Scoia'tael shall do now that they basically control this region." Ivar stated, building off his earlier worries.

"Likely fight the Northern Kingdoms, as they would have done already, and those groups that actively harm or target non-human minorities more effectively than before the war's end since most units can come here in a form of safety I suppose." I said idly.

"And that doesn't concern you?" Ivar asked once more.

"Iorveth already stated how given their condition the Scoia'tael aren't in a position to indiscriminately target most people and those that do won't last long with those suicidal actions. They will most likely go after those that deserve it, in their minds at least, and not overly push their luck or get the kingdoms to look too closely at them. Being totally honest, as far as the Scoia'tael go I'm mostly done actively supporting them since by my metaknowledge Iorveth was the only one I can agree with most of the time. I allied with him since I believe Loredo to be much worse for Flotsam and it's people than he could be for the most part since he is capable of seeing what the world could be." I explained.

"A future diverse Upper Pontar led by a dragon queen, you mentioned. To be able to converse with a dragon…" Ivar got a far off look in his eyes before shaking it off. "Still, I'm glad to hear that going forward we will no longer be tangling ourselves in such things. I'm starting to understand why you Witchers have a code not to get involved in the conflicts of larger organizations."

"Witchers in general only fight for two reasons: coin for monster contracts and for personal convictions. This was one of the latter and I'm hoping against hope that in the long-run it will be the right decision. The people of Flotsam don't deserve to live in fear under Loredo's rule just because he used to be in the Temerian military." I said in disgust as Dogmeat finally won the rope from me and started chewing on it in victory.

"On that we can agree. It will be nice to move forward… even if we are walking into a warzone." Ivar said with an uncomfortable grin.

"We'll stay far in the back while they kill each other over the same piece of land they have fought over for centuries. Once the conflict is over we can pass the border without worry and move on to our main destination." I said.

"Still… over 3,000 souls dying in a magical cataclysm. I will be quite happy to be far from that. I still can't believe this Lodge of Sorceresses would consider such an event as the lesser evil." Ivar shook his head in disbelief.

"In their mind having Henselt take the region would destabilize the power structure of the whole North, which isn't wrong. Like I said, I'm done with shit like that for quite awhile." I said before laying down on my sleeping mat. "No point worrying about it any longer. We'll stop by Flotsam in the morning to turn in contract, get some supplies and then head off. Nothing else for us here."

"Indeed. Tomorrow will be a new day and we shall need to be energized for it!" Ivar said with passion… for going to sleep.

It's weird how Ivar could be insightful one moment and wacky the rest of the time. At least he tried to be a good voice of reason for me and for that I appreciated him.

Goodness knows I would have gone mad if I was just with Griffin this whole time, he wasn't much of a talker on the best of days.

---

It was not a good sign that as we rode into Flotsam I smelled smoke and that when we were in sight of it that I saw smoke rising from the southern part of it… the small non-human district of town. The only silver lining I could get from it was the fact I heard no screams or panicing nor see people rushing about, which meant that whatever happened had already come and gone to leave nothing but cooling ashes. Ivar and I did not say a word to each other for there was little we could say. Instead we rode on to Lobinden to find and speak with one we could answer our questions.

Cedric was still in the same spot on the wooden platform as he was days ago, if looking a bit more tired and weary since last I saw him. A mood that was not changed when he turned and saw me.

"Cedric, what happened? I still see the smoke rising from in town." I asked him as Ivar followed up after me with Dogmeat in his bag.

"The Scoia'tael happened." He answered to my obvious shock and confusion. "Not directly mind you. They attacked the walls the night before last, for the most part ineffectively with only a few of the local guards killed or injured. However, it was later learned it was a distraction for an assassination of the Commandant and his bodyguards in his compound. Merse, as the next in line in leadership in Flotsam, was saddled with the position suddenly after years of being Loredo's dog so he was slow to restore order. When it became clear what happened the local humans did not react well. Loredo himself will not be mourned but ever since the end of the war with Nilfgaard tensions have been high among humans and non-humans, even those that have lived together decently for generations, and people started seeing Scoia'tael collaborators everywhere. How else could they have sneaked into Flotsam so easily after all? I think you can imagine what happened next." Cedric said with dread.

"A pogrom." I said in equal parts disbelief, disgust, rage, and guilt. Ivar himself looked quite sick at the thought.

"Armed with torches, kitchen knives, clubs, and whatever else the common man can get their hands on they descended on the non-human district. Over two dozen were killed and more wounded or worse. Were it not for Einar's leadership and Chorab's kindness to take those that fled into Lobinden there would be many more graves needing to be dug. As it is, while Merse has finally restored order non-humans are, for the time being at least till tensions cool, unofficially banned from Flotsam by the people itself. Things are a bit crowded for now but everyone is pulling their weight to get through this time. It is not the first in Flotsam's history after all." Cedric said so simply as if the fact did not surprise him and it was the natural order of things.

Then again, with his age and experiences it likely was.

… I caused this. Because of my actions and not thinking things through innocent people have been killed, hurt and displaced from their homes. I thought I was working hard to avoid the pitfalls of relying totally on metaknowledge and not seeing people as just fictional characters, but it seems I stepped headfirst into a spiked pit instead.

God fucking dammit!... and now that anger has passed, all that is left is feeling like a total piece of shit. With Iorveth pulling Louis' strings I can only hope that things will at least return to some kinda normalcy in the near-future and maybe even justice for those who had been affected, but until then…

I grabbed the bag full of endrega embryos that Iorveth's people gave me and handed it to Cedric. "Here, I was planning to turn them in for the contract reward but the people hurt will need it more than I will. Pretty sure I couldn't get into town right now anyway, but maybe a human you trust can. I think it is best that Ivar and I start making tracks before anything else happens." That is my fault. I added mentally.

Cedric looked at the bag before nodding and looking at me. "I'm sure that it will help those affected get past this ordeal… don't feel too bad about this. You did what you thought was right and would help all of us in the long-term." he tried to reassure me.

"... You saw this, didn't you? In your visions?" I asked suddenly.

"In part. It was not clear until recently, but if we judged what has happened and what could have by the number of lives affected this was the lesser evil. I know that Moril and Seherim would give you their eternal gratitude if they knew what would have happened had you not stepped in." Cedric then put his hand on my shoulder. "If I learned anything in my long life, Markus, it is that not all lives can be saved and we should strive to save who we can. Destiny has a plan for us all."

"'Lesser evil', 'can't save them', 'Destiny', what bullshit." I snarled as I pushed his hand away before I realized how rude that was towards a man just trying to ease my mind when he had his own demons. "Sorry. I hope to see you again one day Cedric." I said at last.

"Mayhaps… mayhaps not. Good luck on the Path, Markus."

Not long after we were back on the road out of Flotsam, not speaking for a long time.

"Markus, you-" Ivar tried to say.

"You were right. I also don't want to talk about this anymore…" I shut him down. I felt like a jerk saying it but I just wanted to be alone with my thoughts right now.

I deserved all the scorn they threw my way.