chapter 13

It took much longer for Wyrmblood to regain consciousness. Like Blightborn, Wyrmblood was completely loyal, but he had many problems. For one, he didn't know how to use his tail or wings. He also wasn't a warrior and his increased height created additional challenges.

For the next weeks until the conclave, Andries stayed home teaching Wyrmblood. The first two days were dedicated to walking and running, followed by using his claws and tail in combat. His tail had poison glands that replenished based on his diet. The last few days, Andries attempted to teach him how to fly. Flying was much harder to master, requiring numerous failed experiments, extensive reading about birds, and capturing some birds to finally help Wyrmblood take flight.

Wyrmblood's flying speed was slow, but he could still fly. After a few flying tests, Tissaia visited Andries' mansion. Andries went to greet her personally.

"How many times do I have to tell you, you should not open your house gate yourself." Tissaia said angrily.

"Yeah, but you are the closest thing I have to a family, so that is different." Andries replied.

"I appreciate that." Tissaia said. "Still, that doesn't change the fact that I am angry at you. I learned some interesting things that we need to talk about."

"Are you talking about the flying thing over my head? I have no clue what it was." Andries said.

It didn't take long for Mathies, Blightborn, and Wyrmblood to come to the entrance hall. Tissaia saw Wyrmblood and turned to Andries with a look that could kill a basilisk.

"Okay, maybe I know what it was." Andries said with a sheepish smile.

"What have you done?!" Tissaia demanded.

"Officially? I am the leader of a mutant army." Andries said. "I am spreading the rumor that mutants are seeking me out so they can help with the war against Nilfgaard. I thought that was a great way to trick people to think these are just normal mutants."

"And the truth?" Tissaia pressed.

"This is Wyrmblood." Andries said and explained the events that transpired, including the girl, the squire who was probably a knight, the animal handler, and the mutation.

"Andries." Tissaia sighed. "I don't know what to do with you. The things you do are both horrifying and brilliant."

"I know, it is great." Andries said proudly.

"I should also talk to Yennefer." Tissaia said. "The girl she has is a lot more trouble than I expected. She needs to know that."

"Wait, did you say Yennefer?" Andries said as everything started to click together. "No, that can't be her. The random girl I saw was the fucking source I was hunting?!"

"That brings me to my next problem." Tissaia flicked her fingers and summoned some papers into her hand. "I managed to pull some favors and find your mother's notes. People said they were gibberish, but they were in code."

"Oh, you found them?" Andries said, his anger replaced by joy. "Can I see them? I really want to see what she was working on. She used to say she was working on her masterwork."

"She was working on you." Tissaia said. "You are her masterwork, her son and the one she could trust with everything."

"The trusting part was maybe wrong." Andries said. "What else did she say about me? Do I have any hidden powers?"

"I learned about your psionic issue." Tissaia said. "She seemed to have fed you brains from intelligent races. In her notes, she said a mage's brain made your psionic powers stronger and she believed that giving you the brain of a source would remove the issue. Now, care to explain the last part?"

"Well, it is complicated." Andries said. "A mage's brain doesn't make my power stronger, it increases the limit of my power. So instead of hunting mages like a psycho killer, I hunt a source so I can remove the limit completely."

"I need you to stop hunting her." Tissaia said firmly.

"Why? Oh, Yennefer must be a friend, right?" Andries asked.

"That and many other things." Tissaia replied. "You can't just go around killing random innocents for your power. The source brain theory is also still just a theory."

"First, I am not going to hunt random innocents." Andries said. "I'm not a psycho that does things for pleasure, I'm doing it because I'm ill. This limitation is like an illness that's bothering me. The medicine for that illness is a theory and horrible, but I still have to try."

"Then try on someone else, not her." Tissaia said. "Yennefer is a good friend and she will hunt you till she dies. So will the Witcher. If they start to hunt you, I don't think I will be able to help you."

"But there are no other sources around." Andries argued.

"There are, they're just rare." Tissaia said. "Also, you are a brilliant child. You are starting to create an army of half-undead mutants. Why don't you try to find some other way to break that limit?"

"Yes, but the limit is painful." Andries said. "Do you know how many nights I've had to go to sleep with horrible pain in my head?"

"So, you're saying you can't find a way?" Tissaia challenged.

"No, I didn't say that I…" Andries paused, then smiled. "I see what you're doing. You're trying to insult my abilities so you can push me to do it. Well, guess what? It absolutely worked. I won't let that insult stay. I will find a way to fix it but I will also hunt for sources that aren't her. I still need some blood samples and other things like flesh from a source."

"Blood I can get, but the other things would be impossible." Tissaia said.

"Fine, I'll work with blood for now." Andries conceded.

"Why don't you come and see the source girl yourself?" Tissaia suggested. "Maybe you can ask her about her powers and get some answers that you want."

"Sure, that sounds great," Andries said.

"Good. They are in the city with the Witcher," Tissaia said. "I got them one of the best inns in the city. They are staying there until the conclave. This meeting might have to wait until after the conclave since I have some plans for the girl."

"An inn?" Andries asked. "You know I have guest rooms here, right? Every friend of yours is a friend of mine."

"Truth be told, I didn't trust the girl with you." Tissaia admitted.

"I'm not a sexual predator." Andries said. "I actually think the punishment for sexual predators should be burning."

"That is good to hear, but that is not what I meant." Tissaia said.

"Then what did you mean?" Andries asked.

"I knew the girl was a source." Tissaia said. "At the time, I thought you wanted to experiment on her, and then I learned about the cannibalism thing."

"Oh, that's fair." Andries said.

"And please behave." Tissaia urged. "I need to take you to the market for some clothes and I don't want any problems before the conclave."

"Don't worry, I'll be nice." Andries promised. "Just give me a moment to get ready. I want to bring the boys with me, but people might get scared of them."

Andries went to his room and searched through the masks he had bought. A hooded mask that covered the head with the face of a roaring dragon was his choice. He then brought it back and made Wyrmblood wear it. Wyrmblood's clothes all had holes in the back for wings and tail.

"Okay, we are ready." Andries said.

"Are you sure about those masks?" Tissaia asked.

"They are meant to be menacing, so yes." Andries said. "By the way, can I bring these three to the conclave? I heard that place is for showing off and this would be showing off."

"As long as they don't cause trouble." Tissaia said.

"Don't worry. They will be on their best behavior." Andries assured her.

Andries checked his bag to ensure he had the tools for extracting blood. There was a device, a tube connected to a hollowed-out needle. Using his psionic power, he could pull blood into the tube through the needle. He also had bottles ready to be filled with blood. It was peculiar that a child his age always had something like that in his satchel, but not for Andries.

Tissaia sighed and signaled for them to follow. As they left the mansion, people began to look in their direction. While the townsfolk were respectful toward Tissaia, they didn't dare to approach due to the intimidating presence of the mutants.

Tissaia took Andries to a couple of clothing stores. There, she ordered some very high-quality doublets and other clothes for him. Andries stood still, his mind racing through various thoughts about the conclave, the girl and the future as the tailors took his measurements. Meanwhile, the mutants waited outside, their menacing presence enough to deter any unwanted attention.

Tissaia also gave Andries instructions on how to behave at the conclave. As she described the event's etiquette and expectations, Andries began to regret wanting to attend, it sounded like a tedious ordeal.

Eventually, Tissaia brought Andries back to the mansion to repeat her warnings about how to act. After repeating her points for the fifth time, she opened a portal and walked through it, leaving Andries to his thoughts.

With time to spare, Andries returned to his studies on his two new projects, Blightborn and Wyrmblood. The two half-undead mutants were incredibly fascinating, their existence an unexpected evolution from a simple drowner experiment. Their heartbeats were slow, and their blood had transformed into something entirely different, confirmed by a little spell and some alchemical tests.

Over the next few days before the conclave, Andries conducted various tests on their bodies and behaviors, using spells, mundane methods, psionics, and alchemy. The mutants required significantly less food, performed certain physical actions with ease due to their lack of fear and treated pain as a mere mundane sensation. Their natural healing was accelerated, but the sigils carved into their bones remained unaffected.

As the day of the conclave approached, Andries ensured Mathies, Blightborn, and Wyrmblood were well-fed. He instructed them to act as guards during the event and not to touch the food there. Mathies accepted this easily, as he had eaten his fill beforehand, while the other two obeyed without question. Andries also fed Felix until he was nearly sick.

A group of soldiers arrived with a carriage, sent by Tissaia to escort them to the tower. Andries left Felix sleeping in his bedroom and attached the toe he had cut off for experimentation to one of the golems, allowing him to contact it from afar. This was so he could take care of Felix from afar.

Checking his clothes, Andries adjusted the black doublet Tissaia had bought for him, then boarded the carriage to the island. The journey was short and soon they arrived at the gathering area.

Entering the hall, Andries saw around a hundred people already present. The space was vast, capable of accommodating many more. It appeared they would be banqueting while standing, which Andries didn't mind, though Tissaia had advised him to avoid the food tables.

Long rows of tables were arranged under elaborate tapestries, laden with intricate dishes and ornate table settings. There was no music, only the murmur of conversation. Serving boys moved about with trays of alcoholic beverages.

As Andries and his companions entered, they became the center of attention. People stared, whispering amongst themselves, displaying looks of interest, awe, fear, and disdain. From time to time, he would feel someone trying to read his mind but Andries had the advantage of being a natural psionic and pushed them out. People also tried to read the other mutant's minds but they only saw complete loyalty to Andries. Andries didn't like all of this attention.

Uncertain of what to do, Andries wandered in a random direction. He was soon intercepted by Lyetta, who looked stunning in a dress with a plunging neckline adorned with expensive-looking jewels. Her fiery red hair was wavy, cascading down to her shoulders.

Andries smiled and greeted her as was customary, offering a polite bow and kissing her hand as if she were a princess.

"It is good to see you again, Andries." Lyetta said. "I wanted to say you have grown so much, but physically, you look the same as the last time I met you."

"It is good to see you too." Andries replied. "And yes, I look the same. I age very slowly because of my mutation."

"You know, there are ways to change your body using magic." Lyetta said. "I promise you, everyone in this conclave has already done it."

"I know, but I have my own ways." Andries said. "I am already a mutant and my body is very accepting of mutations and alchemy. I plan on using alchemy to slowly change my body and make it physically stronger."

"Yes, strong is good." Lyetta said. "Listen, a lot of male sorcerers will tell you looking like you are in your thirties or forties is good because it makes you look wise. Don't listen to them. Make yourself look young and fit. I promise you, you will get a lot of enchantresses falling for you in no time if you look the right age."

"I'll keep that in mind." Andries said.

"Who are your guards?" Lyetta pointed at the three mutants behind him. "Some of the enchantresses I know wanted to talk to you but were unsure what to do with those guys. Are you trying to make a political move or something?"

"No, nothing like that." Andries said. "After Sodden, mutants have started to look for me. They believe they can be accepted by the humans if they help me fight against Nilfgaard. Mathies is my old friend, and the other two are new guys."

"I'm sorry, are you trying to start a war with Nilfgaard?" Lyetta asked, looking a little worried.

"No, but Nilfgaard will eventually." Andries said. "I already killed some of their spies at Oxenfurt. They were causing problems there. If they did that, then they will probably do more in the future. I am simply getting ready for the eventuality."

"Well said, my young friend," came a man's voice.

Looking toward the voice, Andries saw a bald, fat man with very big hands standing beside Philippa. Andries greeted the man by shaking his hand and, as before, kissing Philippa's hand. The man also greeted Lyetta by kissing her hand.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think we've met. I am Andries." Andries introduced himself.

"I am Count Dijkstra." the fat man said. "This lovely lady with me is Philippa Eilhart. We are both advisors for King Vizimir of Redania."

"He is the spymaster for the king." Lyetta said bluntly.

"Wow, fancy titles." Andries said. "What did I do to be graced by the presence of high-ranking people like you?"

"I heard something about a mutant army." Dijkstra said. "A mutant army against Nilfgaard is always welcome, but who do they pledge themselves to?"

"It isn't an army yet." Andries said. "We have a few mutants but not enough to be seen as an army. Hopefully, the word of my invitation spreads fast so more mutants can join. As for who we serve… well, that depends on the money and how Nilfgaard will act."

"So a mercenary band?" Philippa said.

"For now." Andries said. "I do need money to feed my people. You can't expect people to fight on empty promises."

"And what will you do when the wars are over?" Dijkstra asked.

"Please, Dijkstra, you really don't think wars would end this easily?" Lyetta interjected.

"No, but there will be times of peace." Dijkstra replied. "I want to know what they will do at those times when war is no longer a problem."

"The mutants mostly want recognition." Andries said. "If a just and accepting king would accept them, they would build a city of their own and work there. They will work, pay the king, and be ready for the next war."

Andries was very nervous. The lie about mutant army had gotten out of hand very fast. He didn't expect to be questioned about other thigs, only his mutants.

As the two continued their conversation, Philippa and Lyetta spoke quietly to each other. Philippa began leading Lyetta toward another group of people but sent some telepathic words into Andries's mind.

'Good work pretending to not know me.' Philippa said telepathically. 'We will need to talk about this mutant army in detail later. Be ready for tonight; you should stay awake and ready. Lyetta is on our side and she will come to get you for the mission.'

'Okay.' Andries responded telepathically.

"Tell me, Andries, you say mutants follow you." Dijkstra said. "I want to know if witchers count as those mutants?"

"Truth be told, I have no clue." Andries said. "Mutants are free to follow me if they want. As for the witchers, I just know that some of them really love to stay neutral.."

"Yes, they do." Dijkstra said as he and Andries started walking toward one of the food tables. "They love to stay out of wars, saying it is against witcher code. It's all bullshit. I've heard of witchers hunting dragons, but some of them say it is against their witcher code. I think that code is just rubbish they invented so they could refuse to do certain things."

"It's probably that." Andries said as he picked up some crab leg, cracked it and ate it.

"Tell me, how loyal are these mutants to you?" Dijkstra asked.

"Hey, Wyrmblood." Andries called to the mutant. "Can you use your claws to carve a piece of flesh from your side?"

Wyrmblood didn't say anything. He just pulled his armor and clothes aside and was about to jam his claws into his own flesh.

"Stop!" Andries commanded, halting Wyrmblood. He then turned to Dijkstra. "Not all of them are like that, but loyal enough. I keep these around because of how loyal they are."

"I know kings that would pay a lot for this much loyalty." Dijkstra said while putting some weird fruit in his mouth. "Tell me, how many followers do you have?"

"I have no clue." Andries said. "The thing is, people have offered their loyalty to me, but they don't just follow me around like these guys. I am rich, but I can't support just anyone."

Dijkstra looked at small octopuses on plates and frowned. "People eat these?"

"Yes, they taste great." Andries said.

"You mutants are weird." Dijkstra said. "Tell me, if the war starts, what will you do? How will you gather your forces of mutants? How will you get weapons and armor for them, and how will you lead them?"

"It would be good if someone with high power spread the word." Andries said. "If that person with high power spread the word that the leader of the mutant army is going to attack Nilfgaard and create a land for them so they are accepted."

"That would be good for our armies, strategically." Dijkstra said. "But it sounds a lot like a childish fantasy."

"Tell you what, you spread the word and I will take over Cintra." Andries said.

"Taking over Cintra?" Dijkstra said and laughed. "If you manage to take over Cintra, I will petition the northern kings personally to accept you as one of the great northern kings."

"You better keep your word." Andries said with a smile.

Dijkstra laughed a little and looked at the mutants. Andries read his surface thoughts and saw that Dijkstra simply didn't know what to think about that bet. Dijkstra picked up a glass of wine and went to meet others.

Soon Tissaia walked toward Andries. Her dress was, as always, immaculate, completely covering her body. Andries greeted her according to custom.

"Andries, what are you doing?!" Tissaia asked.

'I don't know.' Andries replied telepathically. 'I was just trying to hide the fact that I am making more mutants but what if actual mutants join my cause? This lie had gotten out of hand very fast.'

'Then you better be ready.' Tissaia said telepathically. 'Having an actual army made of intelligence mutants will be good for you. Maybe you can become a king one day.'

'I had plans for that but it is moving faster than I thought.' Andries said.

'Don't worry.' Tissaia said. 'You are still young and people don't expect your words to actually be true. They will expect you to try but the expectation for your victory is low.'

'That is reassuring a little." Andries said.

"Please be careful, Andries. What you are doing is dangerous," Tissaia said out loud.

"I will, thanks for the advice." Andries said.

Tissaia sighed, rubbed her forehead and walked away. Andries also walked away from the table, as he was not supposed to stay close to the food tables for too long.

The only time he had drunk alcohol in his life was when he attacked the Nilfgaardian supply camp. That time he hated the taste. This time, when Andries picked up a wine mug and sipped a little, he realized this wine actually tasted pretty good. The wine was sweetened and had a pleasant buzz to it.

Andries's body was resistant to toxic and harmful materials and alcohol was technically harmful, so the good feeling lasted just a moment. Andries liked this wine but didn't want to get drunk, so he took small sips.

People still seemed scared of his guards, so he wasn't approached by many. Looking around, Andries spotted Geralt the witcher, who didn't seem comfortable in his doublet. Beside him was Yennefer the enchantress, wearing a beautiful black dress that showed a lot of skin. Andries decided to approach the two and greeted them politely and as it was expected.

"It's good to see you with all of your limbs attached." Geralt said with a smile.

"Yeah, I haven't cut anything off lately." Andries replied. "Except maybe for a toe but it is fully regrown right now."

"What are you talking about?" Yennefer asked.

"My limbs regrow when I cut them, so I cut them off from time to time." Andries said.

"Why would you... why would he..." Yennefer trailed off.

"That isn't important right now." Andries said. "I came here to talk to you about your daughter. I was hoping I could get a little blood sample from her."

"What?!" the two said at the same time.

"Don't worry, I need just a little." Andries said. "You see, I have this illness that causes a lot of pain in my head. My mother used to think a source could cure me. She was a little crazy, so she wanted me to eat the brain of one, but I'm not crazy... well, not that crazy. I prefer to get some of her blood and see if I can find a cure."

"You think your mother was crazier than you?" Geralt asked.

"Well, she did want me to be a cannibal, so yes, she was crazier." Andries said.

"And what if you can't make the cure from her blood?" Yennefer asked, her voice tinged with anger.

"Then I will try more." Andries replied. "I really can't let a simple thing like this stop me from proving to be great at my work. I will keep doing it until I find it."

"What if the gods came down and told you, you can't find a cure like that, then what?" Yennefer pressed.

"Then I will find another source." Andries said. "Tissaia is like my aunt. She is a friend of yours, so I really don't want to make Tissaia mad."

"That's good to know." Geralt said.

"I didn't know Tissaia was this close with you." Yennefer said, her eyes softening.

"She and my mom used to be schoolmates." Andries explained. "She is trying to keep me safe and teach me things. She feels responsible for me."

"Yennefer!" Suddenly, a dark-haired sorceress passing by freed her arm from the crook of her companion's elbow and came closer. "So you made it? Oh, how divine! I haven't seen you for ages!"

"Sabrina!" said Yennefer, displaying such genuine joy that anyone apart from Geralt might have been deceived. Andries himself was deceived. "Darling! How wonderful!"

The enchantresses embraced gingerly and kissed each other beside their ears and their diamond and onyx earrings, which resembled miniature bunches of grapes and were identical.

The woman wore a transparent dress that barely hid her parts. Andries and Geralt did their best to avoid looking at her breasts.

"Geralt, if I may, this is a school friend of mine, Sabrina Glevissig of Ard Carraigh." Yennefer introduced.

The Witcher bowed and kissed the raised hand. Sabrina Glevissig raised her head, her earrings shaking and jingling.

"I've been so looking forward to meeting you, Geralt." Sabrina said, then looked at Andries. She sneered and spoke to him. "Boy, would you go and bring us some wine?"

"I'm not one of the servant boys." Andries said.

"Well, you look like one." Sabrina retorted with a mocking smile.

"And you look like a prostitute, but you don't see me shaming you for it." Andries shot back.

Geralt let out a laugh for a moment before stopping himself. Yennefer elbowed Geralt while trying to hide her own laugh.

"How dare you…" Sabrina took an aggressive step forward, and the three mutants did the same, growling. That caused the enchantress to rethink her actions. Instead, she apologized to Yennefer and left.

"Did you just call her a prostitute?" Yennefer asked.

"She asked for it, that bitch." Andries said, glancing at Tissaia, who was staring daggers at him. "Tissaia is going to skin me alive after that."

"Thank you for that one." Yennefer said with a small smile, planting a kiss on Andries's forehead. Since Andries looked thirteen, it appeared as an innocent gesture.

Yennefer then moved a little away to talk to others, leaving Geralt and Andries together, both looking out of place.

"So… who do you think has the biggest tits?" Andries asked in a low voice, causing Geralt to laugh quietly.

"What type of question is that?" Geralt said, stifling his laughter.

"The important one." Andries replied.

"Yes, in a hall full of beautiful enchantresses, the important question is sex." Geralt said quietly.

"I'm not going to have sex with them." Andries said in a hushed voice. "I have no desire to have sex before I'm in a good place in my life, a stable place. I will also avoid most of the enchantresses here. I am not that resistant to illnesses. That Sabrina lady, how many plagues do you think started because someone wanted to fuck her?"

"They are sorceresses, they know how not to get ill." Geralt said.

"I'm not risking it." Andries said, looking around. "Yep, that one has the biggest tits. Hey, I remember her from Sodden, she was okay with showing her tits, but why is she wearing more modest clothes right now?"

"That is Triss," Geralt said. "She is still shaken from the battle of Sodden. She is afraid she would get hurt in the battle. It will take time for her to get used to it." Geralt looked around a little, then nodded. "Yes, she also has the biggest tits, but bigger doesn't mean better."

"I think tits are all great," Andries said.

"So, I heard you are gathering an army of mutants." Geralt said. "Some say you want to make a kingdom where mutants are accepted. Would a witcher be able to buy land in your kingdom?"

"Sure, you can." Andries said.

"Even if I don't fight in your army?" Geralt asked.

"As long as you are paying your taxes, I would be fine with you living in my kingdom." Andries said.

"Sounds like a good dream." Geralt said.

"It is more than a dream." Andries said. "Years ago, when I didn't have an army, Mathies and I broke the Nilfgaardian army using the monsters in the area and other dirty tactics. Now I am going to have an army. Destroying the Nilfgaardian armies in areas where they are hated would be very easy."

"The area they are hated?" Geralt asked.

"People of Cintra hate Nilfgaard." Andries said. "The refugees, slaves, and those forced under the rule of Nilfgaard will fight, you just have to push them."

"You think they will fight for a mutant?" Geralt asked.

"I saw desperate Cintrans in the war, they would whore themselves to a mutant if it meant destroying Nilfgaard." Andries said.

As Andries saw Dijkstra approaching Geralt, he decided to excuse himself. The rest of the conclave went on with people finally approaching Andries. One sorcerer came talking about shoes and leathers, a red-headed enchantress commented on how cute he looked, and another discussed the effects of illusion magic, but all were nonsense talk. Andries also saw a female elven sorceress, Vilgefortz, and some other notable figures, but he was not interested in them.

After the end of the party, Andries was given a room in the academy. They wanted to separate him and the other mutants, but he told them the mutants were fine with sleeping on the ground. Andries ordered the mutants to rest while he himself stayed awake and ready.

Andries heard sounds of commotion but didn't get out, he waited for the enchantresses to get him. He waited but the only thing that came was a mental connection from Lyetta.

'Andries, we are under attack!'