Chapter 64: Aftermath

Albert brought August to the only place he knew can work as a healing place: Temple.

Teleporting right next to Nenneke, Albert had a face of panic.

"Nenneke August needs your help!" shouted Albert, arriving at the room where Nenneke usually stayed.

Nenneke, who expected nothing of that kind, had a face of worry.

"What happened?" Inquired Nenneke looking at Albert, before looking down on August that lost consciousness and continuing "Doesn't matter right now, bring him down to the medical bed, I will be there soon".

Albert nodded saying nothing else and teleported away from the room.

With a sigh, Nenneke said, "These boys…"

She stood up and went towards the shelf that had a lot of herbs on it. Before picking a few and going towards the medical wing of the temple.

During the time, while August was travelling, a lot of things changed in this region. After August slew almost all the ruling party in the city, there was a dispute in the city, but it was only until Witchers were gone.

Order of White Rose arrived and set their rule here. Hugues de Napeys the one to found this order at first, arrived here to set a rule in the city.

Nenneke harried towards the medical wing with a bunch of different mixtures and, upon arriving, quickly applied them to August. On bruises and on all the damaged areas.

August had several bones that were broken. Other than this, he also had severe injuries all over the body, burns on his hands and bruises all over the body.

After all, medicine was applied. Nenneke looked at Albert with her eyes filled with questions.

"What happened to him? Was he assaulted by the army or a swarm of hungry wolfs?" Asked Nenneke.

Albert scratched the back of his head and replied, "Ugh, well, how to tell this. He took a dangerous job?"

Nenneke's eyes shrank and looked at Albert with suspicion "Albert, I raised you, be direct with your words towards me"

"Well, I don't know the details, all I know is that we fought a Giant," replied Albert with slight shame.

"Saint Goddess Melitele," said Nenneke, covering her mouth with her palm

"But how? You were surely not the only 2 to fight it, right?" inquired Nenneke

"Well, as I said, I don't know the details about that, but all I know is that there was August and another man there, other than this others were just another meal that Giant had. But as far as I could tell there was a fight and a lot of those that were there to kill a Giant were dead before Giant could even make his appearance," replied Albert shortly explaining the information he was able to gain from observations.

"And where the hell were you?" inquired Nenneke, getting more and more frustrated with how careless they were.

With a small chuckle, Albert replied, "Well, I was on my lessons, doing some studies before August contacted me using his ability and said that he need help. In fact, I had to beg one of my mentors to bring me to the Toina Valley, where the fight took place." explained Albert.

"What about the other man that was with August? What did he tell?" inquired Nenneke

"Oh, shit!" cursed Albert before leaving nothing but some fragrance of sweat behind himself.

"Give me strength, Melitele! How can I live with such a people that I care about?" whispered Nenneke under her breath.

….

After several minutes Albert brought Baldwin with him, who felt uneasy teleporting for the first time and dropped to the bed, breathing heavily.

"Damn, this was just something," said Baldwin quietly

Albert gestured towards Baldwin with his hand. "This is the man I was talking about"

Baldwin looked around, seeing August on the bed and quickly arriving next to him standing on his knees. "Oh God, August, are you ok?"

"Huhum" cleared her throat, Nenneke attracting the attention to herself.

"Who are you?" inquired Nenneke, not recognizing Baldwin.

"Where are we?" inquired Baldwin, looking around, not seeing anything familiar to himself.

He looked towards Nenneke, that wore priestess attire and bowed slightly, introducing, "I'm sorry for my misbehaviour. I'm Baldwin Thyssen, Prince of Kovir and Povis"

Nenneke showed a smile on her face "Oh, I remember you! Your father hmmm, what was his name… Yes! Right! Estrilinvited me over to overlook the birth process to see if the baby is healthy"

Baldwin looked at Nenneke before something clanged inside of his mind and with his mouth shape of an 'o' he said "You are mother Nenneke? Freaking, Archpriestess of the Melitele goddess."

"First of all, don't call me a mother. I'm not old. And second, tell us more about what happened to August," said Nenneke with a strict voice.

"Well…."

Baldwin explained how August was hired to assist in the rally and protect Baldwin during the rally as well, but also told her about how they were betrayed by someone and they made a trap for them in the cave wanting to bury them alive in Giant cave.

Explained that this was also their plan to assume that the Giant just slew the prince of the country having it that way Baldwin went on a quest to slay the Giant to keep his territory safe from all the dangers, but end up as a meal for a Giant failing in his attempt.

After the story was told, Nenneke placed her palm on her head and sighed with slight frustration.

"Why did he even take such a job? He is too young to take cases such as this. This was clearly a death sentence just based on the pay that they promised him," voiced her opinion Nenneke.

"But we killed the Giant!" said Albert with a smile on his face. Getting such an achievement was nothing of something minor. Killing a giant is very hard for any kind of rally, including mages and Witchers.

Nenneke slapped Albert's back of the head and replied, "But look at him, broken bones, bruises all over and was it worth it?"

Albert was about to say something when he was interrupted and with strict finger-pointing in his direction, Nennekesaid "Don't even try to say that this is their job"

With an open mouth, Albert quietly took a seat next to Baldwin and stayed silent, saying nothing more.

Nenneke redirected her sight towards Baldwin and inquired, "What you will do now?"

As soon as he heard a question Baldwin replied with a fire burning in his eyes, "I will kill those that dared to betray my kingdom and will burn them alive. But I will wait for August to wake up. I will never take credit for killing a Giant when in fact teacher was the one to do that"

Albert looked at Baldwin with his head tilted. "Teacher?"

Baldwin only released a small chuckle and replied, "Kind of"

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