Chapter 19 : The Aftermath

After the battle was won and the enemy vanquished, the Witchers looked upon the destruction left in the wake of the fight. It was a sobering sight - the once beautiful kingdom lay in ruins, and the corpses of soldiers and beasts alike littered the ground.

Eryk felt a pang of guilt in his chest. He had been instrumental in the defeat of the Shadow and the salvation of the kingdom, but at what cost? Countless lives had been lost in the struggle, and the land was scarred and broken.

As he stood there, lost in thought, he felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Bjorn.

"You did what had to be done," the Bear Witcher said softly. "We all did."

Eryk looked up at him and nodded, silently grateful for the reassurance. But he couldn't shake the feeling that they had somehow failed.

They spent the next few days in the ruins of the once-great city, helping with the cleanup efforts and aiding the survivors. It was during this time that they were approached by the city's mayor, who had an urgent request.

"There's a group of bandits who have taken over the old fort on the outskirts of the city," the mayor explained. "They're terrorizing the locals and disrupting our efforts to rebuild. We need your help to take them out."

The Witchers exchanged a glance. They were tired and battered from the recent battle, but they knew they couldn't turn down the request for help.

"Very well," Geralt said. "We'll take care of it."

They set out for the fort, not knowing what they would find. As they approached, they could hear the sounds of revelry and laughter coming from within. It was clear that the bandits had no idea what was about to hit them.

They snuck into the fort under cover of darkness, using their stealth and training to take out the sentries without raising the alarm. It was a difficult and dangerous task, but they managed to make it inside undetected.

Once inside, they quickly dispatched the bandits one by one, using their weapons and magic to deadly effect. It was a brutal and bloody fight, but in the end, they emerged victorious.

As they stood there, catching their breath and surveying the damage, they heard a faint sound. It was coming from one of the rooms at the back of the fort.

They cautiously made their way over to investigate, weapons at the ready. As they pushed open the door, they were surprised to see a young girl huddled in the corner, looking up at them with fear in her eyes.

"It's okay," Bjorn said gently, holding out a hand to her. "We're not going to hurt you."

The girl hesitated for a moment, then tentatively took his hand. They led her out of the fort and back to the city, where they handed her over to the authorities.

It was a small act of kindness, but it reminded the Witchers of their duty to protect the innocent and uphold their code.

As they made their way back to their camp, Eryk felt a sense of pride in what they had accomplished. They may not have been able to save everyone, but they had done what they could to make the world a little safer.

And that, he knew, was what being a Witcher was all about.