Chapter 19:

The fiercest serpent may be overcome by a swarm of ants. - Isoroku Yamamoto

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P.O.V: Ivar Evil-Eye

2 Days Later:

Current Year: 1259

It had been around a day and a half since Harkon had started his trial. He was doing extremely well! He was convulsing as well as shouting his lungs out and there was a great amount of blood pouring out of his nose and eyes, a common side effect of the Trial of Dreams, but he was doing well. He did amazing like this during his previous trial, always convulsing and shouting is actually a good thing. When they stop convulsing and shouting is when you should be worried.

I looked down at Harkon and saw him screaming his lungs out. I had a feeling though that he was awake. He was awake for his trial last time, there was enough magical energy running through him to keep him that way. I would expect nothing different this time, hopefully his mind will not be broken again. It's only three days this time instead of seven, but you never know.

"Oi, mate!" I said rather loudly as I looked at Harkon. "Don't be a pussy this time and have your mind break. You don't want to go back to the cave again, do you?"

Harkon didn't respond, there was no way he could have. However, I did notice that his screams weren't as loud as they were before. Hopefully he heard me, although, he might just be in so much pain that he can't really focus on anything else.

"Really?" The voice of the sorceress, Fringilla, spoke aloud. She was sitting in the corner of the room with her face in her hands. She was drinking a bottle of wine by herself without any glasses or mugs, just straight out of the bottle. "Your apprentice is going through incredible amounts of torture… and you call him a pussy?"

"Don't be a bitch," I said while glaring at her without hiding my frustration. I didn't like or trust this sorceress. Harkon had 'somehow' taken a liking to her. That was dangerous, I did not want him to get his heart broken by this woman who originally came here to destroy our school. "My boy, Fringilla, is strong. He'll come out of this just itching for more. That's the kind of man he is."

Fringilla just put her head back into her hands and went back to drinking. I guess everyone has their own way of coping when they watch these trials. I just hope she doesn't drink herself into oblivion, I would not be the one carrying her up these stairs if that was the case. I'm not gonna worry myself about her, I'm gonna worry myself about Harkon. Although, that worry may be unfounded.

Harkon's body is remarkably resilient towards the mutations, I doubt that this trial will defeat him. Whether this was because his… 'father'… was a part of the Wild Hunt, or rather Aen Elle, I did not know. I shouldn't even say that, the man who sired him is not his 'father'. That title, fortunately, belongs to me. I am the one who raised him. I trained him, taught him how to fight. I endowed him with all the knowledge I could give. I've nurtured him from when he was three years old. Even though he only called me 'father' once, as a joke when I proposed to his mother, I can tell he truly thinks of me that way. This Aen Elle who did unspeakable things to Revna will not, nor will he ever be, this boy's father. I would broker no peace when it comes to that. I am his father, that's that.

When he grows a bit older he will be the perfect killer, worthy of taking my place. Despite how I feel about him, I will not coddle him. I've trained him to love battle as I do, he will not quit until he has achieved his goal. I can tell he will go further than me. Despite his… tendency to dislike humans besides those he's close with, he has a particular inclination towards politics. I can see him growing to become something the world will fear in the coming years… That is exactly what I want him to be. I want him to go out into the world and gain as much as he can. Then, I want him to finish what I started. I want him to find a way to defeat the Wild Hunt.

Thinking about Harkon let me reminisce on the very reason for his birth. Before Harkon was born, I foresaw all of the events that were going to transpire. I knew the Wild Hunt was going to attack Revna's village before it happened. My extracurricular trial was stopped prematurely, only allowing one of my eyes to 'see' into other worlds. Despite that, I was able to 'see' enough. I knew that the Aen Elle were attempting to procure more slaves for their world. I stopped most of them, although a few villagers were still taken. I fought 'wraith' or rather 'elf', after elf. I slaughtered my way towards Revna's home, but it was too late. The deed had already been done. Harkon was going to be born, no matter what I had to say about it.

After I saved the village, Revna asked what I wanted in return. I chose the law of surprise. I could already tell that she would become pregnant from the… ordeal. I told her that I would return in three years. I kept my word, practically three years to the day I returned to the village in order to procure Harkon. I didn't expect much at first, but I was able to notice right away how intelligent he was for his age. He even tried to deceive me the moment we met! Good times, truly good times.

As I was reminiscing about the past, Letho came running down the stairs, shouting all the while.

"Ivar! Ivar, come quick!" He shouted at me, his voice gravelly.

"Calm down, Letho. What's wrong? The trial is not yet over." I said with a bit of worry. Letho does not act this erratic without good reason.

"Ivar, Nilfgaard is here! I spotted one of their scouts and followed him. There is an army, over two thousand strong, marching it's way here. They are three miles away." Letho said, his tone was dire.

An army? I knew that we were on Emhyr's shit list, but I thought he would wait more than a month before attacking us. This is bad, extremely bad. I heard the sound of a portal's being created from behind me. I quickly turned around to see every other mage and druid, besides Fringilla, teleport away. Damn cowards. I looked back towards Letho in seriousness.

"The trial is still underway. If we move him too much, Harkon will die." I stated a fact. I looked over at Harkon's convulsing form with worry. There isn't enough time… We don't have enough time to move him. I paused for a moment, contemplating our options.

"Letho." I asked. "How many bombs do we have in the armory? Grab as many crates of Grapeshot, Dancing star, Dragon's Dream, and Northern Wind as possible and bring them out into the courtyard. After you are done, report back to me."

I commanded with all of the authority that the title 'master of the viper school' grants me. Letho nodded at my words and then bolted up the stairs faster than any normal human was capable of.

Revna was currently upstairs, in the kitchen, I needed to get her out of here. I quickly ran up the stairs as well. Not even bothering to check on Fringilla who was still in the basement.

After I reached the top of the stairs, I dived towards the mess hall, shouting all the while.

"Revna! Revna, are you here?!" I shouted. I didn't want her to get hurt.

"I'm here, Ivar. What's wrong?" Revna asked in a sweet tone as she walked over to me. She was clearly worried that I was acting so unhinged.

"You need to leave, now! Nilfgaard is on it's way here. They plan to destroy this keep!" I responded back. I quickly embraced her into a big hug and held her tight. This might be the last time I'm able to do it.

"Why is Nilfgaard here?! Wasn't Harkon able to make a deal when we handed over Svend?" Revna immediately asked, her tone full of worry.

"It's from my understanding that Emhyr no longer wishes to keep us around. He sees us as a danger to his rule. Enough of this, you need to leave now! I'm going to have Letho take you through the tunnels and out of a secret passageway on the other side of the mountain." I told her with conviction.

"What about Harkon? He's still undergoing the trial, he can't be moved! What are we going to do?" Revna questioned me.

"We're going to do whatever we can to hold them off for now. Harkon can't be moved, the trial has not yet been completed. I'm going to lay traps through the area and use as many bombs as possible to slow down the emperor's forces." I answered her back.

"No." Revna said matter of factly. "I will not leave you and Harkon to die while I live on. I'll stay with Harkon in the basement, you do what you need to do."

I wanted to tell her no, desperately. She wouldn't take it for an answer though. If she stays… There's a good chance we'll all die. Revna let go of my embrace and ran towards the basement, intent on seeing her son. I couldn't stop her. If this was going to be our final stand, then I would bloody hell make it a good one.

I rant out into the courtyard to see Letho and the remaining witchers of my school waiting for my orders. There were around two dozen of us here. The crates full of bombs were placed neatly in the middle of them as they formed a semi-half circle.

"Alright! Listen up!" I yelled out while holding my hands behind my back. "Letho will take all of you through the tunnels leading through the mountain. You will all escape from this place today! That is an order! I will stay behind and lay several bomb traps for the Nilfgaardians to run into. The school of the viper will survive, it will not end with us. All of your paths will be hard from this day forward. I want all of you to stay the hell away from Nilfgaard. Go somewhere far north, hell even go to Skellige if you don't mind freezing your balls off!"

All of the witchers looked solemn at my words. They all had to leave their home behind them. They could never come back. If they did, Nilfgaard would capture them.

"To hell with that you cranky old snake!" Our sign master, Vormis, yelled out. He had short red hair that was quickly fading to white. He was of a rather medium build and had gained a few pounds in his old age. He had a crooked nose and several nasty gashes on his left cheek. "I'm old, Ivar, almost as old as you. I'll be damned if I go out somewhere to die that isn't my home! I'm staying right here, I'll fight alongside you!"

Vormis had been one of my followers that I had brought here when I left the School of the Bear and created our School of the Viper. He had been with me through thick and thin these more than sixty odd years. I nodded at Vormis's words and clasped his arm in firm hold.

After Vormis stepped up, five of the older witchers also joined him. They said that it was a beautiful day to die with their brothers while some of the younger ones could escape. Letho tried to join us, but I told him to cut the gobshite. I would not allow one of our best and brightest to die here with us. I told him to take everyone he could and to get away from here. He protested at my decision, but I told him that was too fookin bad. I told him that I trusted him with the task of protecting everyone else. He eventually accepted and then looked down at the floor with a pissed expression.

"What about Harkon? Is he not still undergoing the trial?" Vormis stated with a bit of worry. Harkon was one of the best student's he ever trained and from what I understand, Vormis and him had a good relationship.

"He is." I replied back matter of factly. "There is nothing we can do to move him. Even the sorceress, Fringilla, can't move him. Sending him through a portal right now would surely kill him. He's on his own, for now. If worst comes to worst, we'll blow the stairs leading to the basement. That might give him enough time to complete his trial and try to escape."

Vormis nodded at my words. He focused himself, ridding himself of useless thoughts. It was time to get to work.

"All right. Everyone! Let's get to work! I want bomb traps set up all along the path leading up to the gate! Move out!" I yelled out. We need to get to work, and fast.

All of the witchers that were staying began to unpackage the crates full of bombs. They took as many they could carry in a small bag. I told Letho and the rest of the witchers to get out of here. They obeyed and quickly started to march into the keep towards the secret package.

I looked up into the sky and breathed in deeply for a moment. I smelled the fresh mountainous air. This place, the Tir Tochair mountains, has been my home for many decades now. I built this witcher school from the ground up. It looks like our day of reckoning has finally come. It truly was a nice day out today, it was cloudy and it looked like it was about to rain. Dark and macabre, just how I like it.