chapter 7

Andries had learned horse riding at the academy but Mathies had not. Given Mathies's immense size, there was no horse that could comfortably support his weight, so Andries decided a carriage would be their best option. He spent four days in the city, hiring instructors to teach him how to operate a carriage properly. During this time, Andries continued refining his device whenever he wasn't learning to drive the carriage.

By the fifth day, they were ready to depart. Andries and Mathies packed their belongings into the back of the carriage they had purchased, hitched two sturdy horses to it, and set off. Andries had cast some protective spells on the carriage, ensuring it appeared empty to any onlookers other than the driver.

As they navigated the bustling streets of Gors Velen, Andries couldn't help but notice the suspicious glances directed his way because of his eyes. It had only been two years since the war and people had already forgotten that mutants could be heroes. Andries had grown used to the stares and whispers, letting them slide off him. In the back of the carriage, Mathies played with Felix, the cat purring contentedly on his lap. The sight of Mathies, who resembled a giant next to the small, furry creature, was oddly heartwarming and brought a smile to Andries's face.

Leaving Gors Velen behind, Andries guided the carriage toward the Mahakam Mountains, located to the west. To reach their destination, they first had to travel north to the town of Anchor, avoiding the dense Jay Forest to the west of Gors Velen. The journey was peaceful, the rhythmic clopping of the horses' hooves and the gentle sway of the carriage providing a meditative backdrop. Mathies often peeked out of the carriage, his eyes wide with curiosity at the passing scenery, while Felix dozed contentedly on a cushion.

As they traveled, they passed through small villages and rolling hills, the landscape gradually transforming as they moved north. Farmers toiled in their fields, children ran alongside the carriage for short distances, and merchants with carts full of goods nodded in greeting. Although some were taken aback by Andries's eyes, most didn't seem to care.

During their stops to rest and feed the horses, Andries and Mathies drew the attention of the locals. While some were wary, others were curious and occasionally friendly. Andries used these opportunities to gather information about the road ahead and any potential dangers from those willing to talk.

In the evenings, they set up camp near a small stream. Andries used his magical knowledge to create a protective barrier around their campsite, ensuring they wouldn't be disturbed during the night. They sat around a small fire, chatting about various topics until they drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Andries awoke early and walked away from the camp to relieve himself. As he did, he felt a strange sensation tugging at his senses. Intrigued, he finished quickly and began to follow the feeling into the woods. After a few moments of walking, he realized what it was, a place of power. Excited, Andries telepathically contacted Mathies, assuring him he would be back soon, and ventured deeper into the forest in search of the source. Mathies responded that he was going to sleep more and went back to sleep.

After a few minutes of walking, Andries found the monument built over the intersection, a place of power deeply connected to both earth and water. He tapped into the energy, seeking to deepen his understanding of these two planes. He was careful not to drain too much energy, allowing it to flow through him and back into the ley lines. Meditating there, Andries cycled through his repertoire of spells, feeling the power enhance his connection and understanding.

Once he felt he had gained enough, Andries stood and made his way back to camp. On the way, he foraged for berries and looked for game. He found a patch of wild berries and spotted a group of rabbits in the distance. Using his psionic abilities, he levitated his daggers and directed them behind the rabbits, driving them toward him. A simple telekinetic wave immobilized the rabbits, breaking their fragile bones. He retrieved his daggers and counted six rabbits, which he then carried back to camp.

Reflecting on his increased psionic strength, Andries considered the potential of consuming another's brain to enhance his abilities, but now, with his device, he saw other possibilities. Back at camp, he began to clean and prepare the rabbits while Mathies and Felix slept. He drained the blood, skinned them, and started a fire with a simple spell. As the rabbits roasted, the aroma woke Mathies and Felix.

Felix rubbed against Andries's hand, purring contentedly. Andries smiled, petting Felix and giving him a piece of rabbit meat.

"You got rabbit?" Mathies asked, his eyes lighting up.

"Yup." Andries replied. "Those two are done; you can eat them."

Mathies nodded, quickly devouring four of the rabbits, bones and all, enjoying the crunch under his sharp teeth. Felix ate half of a rabbit, and Andries finished the rest. Afterward, they ate the berries, packed their belongings, and set off again.

Their journey brought them to the town of Anchor. Andries used an illusion spell to hide their carriage and asked around for a good inn or tavern. After some inquiries, he learned of several taverns known for their good food. He also heard about a famous troubadour named Dandelion performing in a tavern in Oxenfurt, which was half a day's journey north. Intrigued, Andries considered visiting Oxenfurt next.

Andries and Mathies visited a tavern, enjoyed a hearty meal, and continued their journey to Oxenfurt, eager to experience the performance of the famed troubadour, Dandelion. They arrived in the city as the sun was setting. Andries hid their carriage with an illusion spell before entering the bustling tavern. Despite initial hostility, the tavern keeper's attitude changed when Andries paid triple the usual rate, earning himself a respectful "me lord" instead of "filthy mutant."

They found a spot to settle, Andries in a chair, Felix on the table, and Mathies on the ground beside them. Despite his size, Mathies's proximity made it seem as if he were at the same level as Andries. The tavern keeper, initially wary of the mutants, softened upon seeing the cute kitten and how Andries and Mathies cared for him.

The tavern served venison, which Andries ordered for himself, Mathies, and Felix, along with some baked bread and water. As they ate, the bard was introduced, Julian Alfred Pankratz, also known as Dandelion. With his flamboyant attire, shoulder-length dark hair and a feathered hat, Dandelion exuded charm. His richly embroidered doublet, silk shirt with puffed sleeves, tight trousers, and high boots added to his striking appearance, enhanced by his neatly trimmed goatee and striking blue eyes.

Andries and Mathies joined the gentle applause as Dandelion began his performance. The bard's tales and songs captivated them, a pleasant new experience. However, Andries's attention sharpened when Dandelion mentioned a name he recognized, Geralt the witcher, Yennefer the sorceress, and Ciri, the child surprise and princess of Cintra. Andries listened intently, eager to glean any information about Ciri.

Dandelion's songs, filled with themes of love and passion, were beautifully performed, but Andries grew increasingly impatient, wanting to hear more about Ciri. The tale concluded with a mention that Geralt had found the child surprise, but offered no further details.

As the tavern buzzed with conversation, debates erupted. A priest suggested the story was a metaphor, immediately countered by someone claiming to have met the witcher. A dwarf denied Ciri's existence, only to be rebuked by another who confirmed she was the granddaughter of the late queen. Amidst the heated discussions, Andries noticed Dandelion trying to leave with two beautiful women, shadowed by a group of thugs.

Andries discreetly reached out with his mind to the thugs, searching for the weakest link. He discovered that one of them was a Nilfgaardian spy, there for the same information Andries sought.

When Andries reached into the mind of one of the thugs, the better-dressed man in the group turned around, as if sensing the intrusion. Andries quickly withdrew his mental probe and masked his presence by heading to the tavern keep to pay for their food. This complicated things; if one of the thugs could detect such a subtle mental activity, it suggested that he was not a normal human, possibly a sorcerer.

"Mathies, keep an eye on them." Andries instructed, pointing discreetly at the thugs as they exited the tavern.

Mathies nodded, and Andries picked up Felix, leading Mathies out of the tavern. They saw the thugs trailing Dandelion from a distance and devised a plan. Andries reached out to Dandelion's mind and spoke.

'Master Dandelion.' Andries said politely.

"Who said that?" Dandelion exclaimed aloud, looking around in confusion. This reaction caused the thugs to hide in a nearby alley.

'Don't speak out loud. I am in your mind.' Andries explained, sensing Dandelion's fear. 'Listen, there are Nilfgaardian spies after you. One of them is a sorcerer, but so am I.'

Dandelion, being quick-witted, pretended to bend over to clean his shoe, using the opportunity to glance back. Andries felt Dandelion's panic as he spotted the thugs.

'Calm down. I can take them out.' Andries assured him. 'First, ditch the girls. They will only get hurt. Then, lead the thugs to an alley so I can stop them from running.'

Andries felt Dandelion's attempt to respond mentally, so he helped him.

'You can talk to me in your mind now.' Andries said.

'Who are you? How do I know you're not tricking me? How do I know you're not one of the spies?' Dandelion asked.

'Do you think a mage really needs to trick you?' Andries countered. 'No offense, but you're not exactly a challenge for a mage or spies. If I wanted to take you, I would have done it already.'

Dandelion considered this and then turned to the women with him. He said something that visibly disappointed them; one even had tears in her eyes as they left.

Dandelion began to walk, humming loudly enough for the thugs to hear. He then turned into an alley. The thugs quickened their pace, and so did Andries and Mathies.

In the alley, Andries saw Dandelion at the end, looking frightened as the thugs approached. Andries tapped into the elemental plane of flame, preparing a spell.

"Mathies, kill that one." Andries ordered loudly, pointing at the mage.

The spies turned to see Andries just as a wave of flames shaped like a screaming skull surged toward them. The Nilfgaardian mage quickly erected a shield, protecting only himself. The flames enveloped and incinerated the other spies, leaving the mage unharmed.

The mage dropped his shield, preparing to cast a spell, but was taken aback when he saw only Andries smiling and holding Felix. The mage then remembered Andries and the giant who had been with him, but the giant was nowhere in sight.

By the time the mage spotted Mathies, it was too late. Mathies leaped from a hiding spot, landing on the mage's head and crushing him underfoot.

"Nice work, Mathies." Andries praised, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.

Andries walked toward Dandelion, casting a small water spell to prevent the fire from spreading. Meanwhile, Mathies moved to the charred bodies of the spies, ripping their heads off to ensure they were dead.

"Are you all right?" Andries asked.

"I'm f-f-fine," Dandelion stuttered.

"Here, holding a cat helps." Andries handed Felix to Dandelion. With a shaky hand, Dandelion accepted Felix and started to gently rub the cat's head.

"Thank you." Dandelion's voice steadied, though he still looked as if he might vomit.

"Let's leave this alley. It would be hard to explain this to the guards." Andries suggested, and Dandelion nodded.

Andries led Dandelion out of the alley and to his carriage, maintaining the illusion that hid it from view. He helped Dandelion inside, with Mathies following.

"So, are you okay?" Andries asked again.

"Yes, I'm a lot better, thank you." Dandelion replied. Suddenly, as if seeing them for the first time, his eyes went wide. "Oh my word, I know you two! You're the sorcerer child and his gentle giant friend."

"What?" Andries asked, puzzled.

"You fought the Nilfgaardian army. I heard stories about the two mutant heroes fighting alone against the Nilfgaardian army in Cintra, then joining the Northern armies and killing all the Nilfgaardian mages."

"Well, the stories might be exaggerated." Andries said.

"That's the nature of stories." Dandelion said, his fear replaced with joy. "I'm Dandelion. It's a pleasure to meet you all."

"I'm Andries, this is my friend Mathies and the cat is Felix." Andries introduced.

"Hi." Mathies said, waving.

"Can I tell your stories? Will you add a few more details to complete them?" Dandelion asked eagerly.

"Sure, but let's talk about the Nilfgaardians first. Also, give me back Felix." Andries said.

"Of course, the vengeful mutants of Cintra would want to fight Nilfgaard." Dandelion said, handing Felix back. "Oh, this will make a great story. The vengeful mutants still fighting Nilfgaard, that's amazing. And I'm in the story!"

"Sure, but let's focus." Andries interrupted, remembering something. "I'm trying to find ways to retake Cintra from Nilfgaard. I'm working on magical devices to create an army."

"A device? What kind of device?" Dandelion asked, intrigued.

"That's not important right now." Andries replied. "Now, about the Nilfgaardians. I read one of their minds. They're looking for Princess Ciri."

"Oh, her. She died in Cintra. I just changed the story to make it more interesting." Dandelion said. "She died in the slaughter. I met Geralt and told him, he left Cintra after hearing that."

"Well, the Nilfgaardians don't think so." Andries said. "Maybe you were mistaken. If she's alive, the witcher might know about her, or at least I hope so."

"I don't know. I've told you all I know about the real story." Dandelion said. "I know this might hurt your fight to take back Cintra, so I'm sorry."

"Oh, I never planned to use her to get Cintra back." Andries said. "The old royal family failed. It's time for a new one. The new king must prove himself in the war against Nilfgaard."

"Oh and who is this new king?" Dandelion asked.

"Me, of course." Andries replied.

"A sorcerer as a king? I've never heard of that. Do you think people will accept it?" Dandelion asked, skeptical.

"They will when they see my devices." Andries said confidently. "I already have small versions of the device. If I manage to build the towers I want, I can use the power of the land to create rain, improve soil, create shields against storms, and many other things."

"Oh, this is going to be amazing." Dandelion said, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "I can already hear the arguments after people hear my song about you."

"That would be great." Andries replied. "By the way, do you know where I can find this witcher of yours, or any other witcher? I'm looking to hire them for some jobs."

"I don't think Geralt would be interested in fighting against Nilfgaard." Dandelion said. "He prefers to stay neutral. Something happened in his past when he took a side, and it went badly."

"Oh no, that isn't what I want." Andries clarified. "I actually want them to hunt some monsters for me. I can pay too. I'm not lucky in finding monsters other than necrophages, so I want them to track one down for me. I need them for some experiments."

"Why would you want monsters?" Dandelion asked, bewildered.

"Mutation, of course." Andries explained. "Look at Felix. He looks like a kitten but he's actually a two-year-old cat that can never be poisoned by eating the wrong food. I can also mutate myself more if I get better monsters."

"Oh dear, I better keep that part out of the story." Dandelion said. "As for witchers, I really don't know. They travel a lot, so it's hard to keep track. I've heard about the keep of the Wolf School, Kaer Morhen. It's somewhere around the Blue Mountains in Kaedwen, but I don't know the exact location."

"Oh well, thanks for the information. It was…" Andries started to say, then was interrupted.

"Oh, I know that woman." Dandelion said, pointing toward a beautiful woman walking by, checking the area.

The woman was striking. She had long, luxurious black hair cascading in waves down her back and captivating violet eyes. Her finely chiseled facial features, high cheekbones and well-defined jawline gave her an elegant and regal look, enhanced by her subtle makeup. She wore a form-fitting black and white dress, and around her neck, Andries noticed jewels that radiated subtle energy.

"Who is she?" Andries asked.

"That is Yennefer from my story." Dandelion said.

"The sorceress?" Andries asked. "Huh, she doesn't look the way I thought. She's still pretty though."

"Her being here can't be an accident." Dandelion remarked.

"No, it is not." Yennefer said as she approached the carriage. "Is this an illusion? Whoever made this illusion really needs to work on their craft."

Yennefer reached her hand to touch the illusion when Andries moved his hand and lightly slapped hers away. Yennefer recoiled, looking almost as if someone had insulted her mother.

"Mathies, help her in." Andries instructed.

Mathies stepped out, momentarily startling the sorceress. She calmed down when Mathies offered his help. Hesitant at first, Yennefer finally allowed Mathies to assist her.

Inside the carriage, Yennefer was not pleased with the lack of seating options but eventually decided to sit.

"Yennefer, good to see you." Dandelion greeted.

"Dandelion." Yennefer acknowledged with a nod.

"Hey, have you heard the mutants of Cintra story?" Dandelion asked eagerly. "It's actually real. These two are the mutants. This is Andries, and that is Mathies."

"Hi." Mathies said, waving.

"Hey." Andries said, but didn't wave.

"We have met." Yennefer said.

"We did?" Andries asked, surprised.

"Yes, at Sodden Hill." Yennefer replied. "I was one of the mages with Tissaia. She seemed worried for you."

"Oh, sorry. I wasn't looking at you." Andries admitted. "I was mostly scared of Tissaia's scary eyes and then I noticed a couple of enchantresses wearing revealing clothes, so I checked them out, but I didn't see you."

"I know the ones you talk about." Yennefer said. "I heard about Lyetta, by the way. How did you manage to reattach her arms? The healers were baffled by it."

"I learned some things from my mom, but that isn't important." Andries replied. "I want to know why you're here. It can't be a happy accident that you're here after I killed Nilfgaardian spies."

"It is not." Yennefer said. "I was following Dandelion and was going to save him. It's for old times, that is."

"Bullshit." Andries said. "You were here because of the story, weren't you? I came here by accident. I really wanted to hear a bard, but I heard 'princess of Cintra' and knew that would be trouble. The Nilfgaardians were also looking for the princess. I mean, it was a stupid thing to claim you know where the princess is."

"Wait, did you call me stupid?" Dandelion interjected.

"No, I called what you did stupid." Andries said.

"I agree it was stupid." Yennefer added. "Tell me, why are you interested in the princess of Cintra?"

"Nothing really." Andries replied. "I heard her mother was a source and she could be a source, so it would be nice to see a source myself. Other than that, I really don't care."

"You are lying." Yennefer said.

"I am not." Andries insisted. "Look, I really don't like politics. If one day I become a king, I will hire someone for political bullshit and cook them alive if they mess up. The princess of Cintra sounds like too much politics, and I really don't care about it. A source, however, I really want to know what makes them different."

Yennefer was not convinced. Andries felt a channeling of energy and then someone trying to reach into his mind. Because Andries was psionic, he had an easier time pushing the presence out.

"Hey, back off." Andries said. Seeing Andries's anger, Mathies growled, which seemed to scare both Yennefer and Dandelion.

"Um, what happened?" Dandelion asked.

"She tried to read my mind." Andries said.

"Maybe avoid reading the mind of the angry mutant." Dandelion suggested.

"I just want to make sure Ciri is safe." Yennefer said.

"So, she is alive." Andries said. "Is she a source? Can she control her powers? Can I see her powers?"

"I don't know." Yennefer admitted.

"Then what do you know?" Andries asked.

"That you are asking too many questions for someone who claims to be in the dark." Yennefer said.

"Wouldn't you if you were me?" Andries asked. "I've never seen a source in my life. That's like saying, 'Hey, we know a dragon that is friendly to us. Why wouldn't you want to meet one?'"

"He makes a good point." Dandelion said.

"Can we have this talk somewhere else?" Yennefer suggested.

"Nope, sitting like this in here means Mathies can rip your head off easily if you attack me." Andries said.

"All right, I've had enough." Yennefer said, standing up. "I'm going to leave now. Dandelion, I need to speak with you later. It concerns your life."

"Yeah, I think I should leave with her." Dandelion said. "It was a pleasure meeting the two of you. I promise to sing tales of your adventures and hopefully one day your success."

"Thanks, and it was nice meeting you too." Andries said.

Dandelion and Yennefer left the carriage. Andries could see that Yennefer did not like him, and it didn't matter. If, according to the tales, she saw Ciri as her daughter, then she would hate Andries anyway for wanting to use her powers.

Andries watched as Yennefer and Dandelion walked away. Once they were out of earshot, he turned to Mathies.

"Listen, you're good at sensing creatures around," Andries said. "I want you to tell me whenever you feel a monster nearby, be it asleep or awake. I need a monster attack on some place very soon."

"Okay," Mathies replied.

"Good. Now why don't we have a nap for now? We can continue the journey after we've got some rest," Andries suggested.

The three lay down in the illusion-covered carriage and slept. The space was a little cramped for them, but it was safe.

The next day, Andries woke up before Mathies. He took Felix and walked to the center of the town. He bought some raw meat for Felix and started to feed him while looking for bounty notices.

The town crier shouted the news. The announcements were mostly random, but he did mention the deaths of the spies Andries had killed, though the town wasn't aware they were spies and simply called it a horrible attack on citizens.

He searched for bounty notices and soon managed to find some interesting things. Most were about bandits and similar mundane threats, but one caught his eye: a group called the Squirrels had been terrorizing humans. At first, Andries thought actual squirrels were attacking people, which he found amusing, but he quickly learned that these were elves calling themselves Squirrels, killing every human they encountered, including the old, children, and other innocents.

Andries wasn't sad about hearing elves killing innocents; he was intrigued by what might be causing this. This type of action was not normal. Yes, there was a lot of racism toward elves, but what made now so different than hundreds of years of racism?

Besides the Squirrels, Andries found another interesting note. Apparently, a fiend had been seen to the northeast. The fiend didn't seem to be attacking anyone outside its territory, so the bounty for it was only two hundred crowns, a substantial sum but not nearly enough for the dangers a fiend posed.

Andries then moved to the markets. He bought some herbs and other alchemical ingredients. After that, he saw a street vendor selling meat skewers. He bought nine of them and returned to his carriage.

Waking Mathies up, the three ate the food. As before, Mathies ate the most, Felix ate a little, and Andries ate the rest. Andries then started to use the ingredients and an alchemy kit he had to make some potions.

"What are you doing?" Mathies asked.

"I'm making a poison for a fiend." Andries replied.

"Why?" Mathies asked.

"I learned about this in a book." Andries said. "A brilliant alchemist studied the berserkers of Skellige, or as the rest of us know them, the werebears. These warriors could transform in the middle of battle and enter a battle trance, shifting to their monster form. This alchemist managed to create a potion that could slightly mimic that feeling."

"I don't get it." Mathies said.

"I'm making an anger potion." Andries explained. "I will feed the fiend the potion. It gets angry and attacks the towns nearby, raising the bounty. That will attract witchers to the bounty."

"I still don't understand." Mathies said.

"It isn't important for you to understand, buddy." Andries said. "What matters is that I want to work with a witcher, hopefully from the School of the Wolf. If that happens, I can get close to finding the source girl."

Mathies shrugged and went back to eating while Andries continued making potions. He meticulously crafted multiple doses, ensuring he had enough for his plan.

Once he finished, Andries dispelled the illusion around them and they started to move again. They rode out of the city, heading directly to the northeast. Upon reaching the area, Andries asked Mathies to find any signs of monster activity.

It took a while, but Mathies eventually sensed something from afar. He described it as a very big goat that was eating meat.

Now that Andries knew where the creature was, he needed bait. He went to a nearby village and bought a sheep. He force-fed the sheep multiple potions and cast a mental spell to prevent it from becoming aggressive. They then returned to the fiend's hunting area and left the sheep there.

They waited for a long time, but the fiend didn't show up. They ate food from their rations while Mathies played with Felix using a string, and Andries worked on making another magic device.

By nightfall, Andries saw the monster emerging. It wasn't a fiend but a Chort. Chorts, hulking like fiends with a third eye, had curved ram-like horns and lacked the hypnotic power of fiends. Still, they were formidable creatures with brown fur and deadly claws.

As the Chort appeared, Andries used an illusion to hide their presence and scent. The Chort pounced on the sheep, killing it swiftly. It then began to devour the sheep's flesh. Andries carefully noted the creature's actions as they watched.

Midway through eating, the Chort seemed affected by the potion. It released the sheep and roared, moving around violently and damaging trees.

Andries reached into the Chort's mind with his mental power. The monster had great mental strength, but Andries didn't aim to control it. He merely planted a suggestion: the direction of the village. The Chort roared again and charged toward the village.

Andries smiled as the monster headed for the village. Mathies looked confused but trusted Andries. With a reassuring nod from Andries, they decided to camp there under the illusion he had created. Mathies fell asleep quickly, but Andries struggled to find rest.

Andries was excited. He had the chance to finally obtain some mutations from a stronger monster and potentially get a lead on the one he was after. His mind raced with possibilities and plans, keeping him awake until he gradually drifted into sleep.