Nekkers

"So you are going after a Myth," says Keira as she was now more comfortable around Vincent and the other.

"You might call them Myth. I know they are out there. We need to find them and kill them because they are a pest to those lands," says Vincent lying about it because he didn't want to mention the truth.

"To tell you the truth, I don't know much of the Crones. I only know some urban legends about them from the people of Midcopse. But if you need a hint then I have this book for you," says Keira as she handed them a book over that was named 'The Ladies of the Wood'.

"Thank you for your help," says Vincent grateful when Keira shakes her finger.

"You need to read it here. I still haven't finished it and it's the only thing that I can read around here," says Keira as Vincent smiled.

"Alright," says Vincent as he begins to read it and says, "Find the Crookback Bog and follow the Trail of Treats. That seems fairly simple."

"It would be if not for all the monsters between you and them," says Keira warning them.

"Monsters like trolls?" asks Serana curious.

"Possible but I meant Werewolves, Nekkers, Drowners, Water Hags, and so on. Not forgetting that bandits will ambush you on the way but they won't be much of a problem," says Keira knowing that since she was overwhelmed by them.

"We should return before the children and the woman worry too much about our whereabouts," says Vincent as he handed the book back to Keira who opened a portal.

"You should untie your rope if you don't want it to be destroyed," says Keira as Vincent did as told and they followed her while Vincent was carrying the man and Kirvena the woman with which she came.

Once back in the shack Vincent pulled on the rope that was tied to the bed pulling the rope out of the other portal from which they entered while waking the two civilians.

The man was now better as he would survive his injury while the woman was relieved that her husband would stay by her side.

They bid farewell to Keira as they returned to the village together when some creatures came out of the ground.

"What are those creatures?" asks Vincent curious as the two civilians hide behind the group.

"Those are Nekkers. They are quite harmless alone but in a group, they are quite deadly," says the woman informing them as Vincent sighs.

"Kirvena, you can have fun if you want," says Vincent as he walked towards one of the tunnels.

Kirvena rushed at them killing them rapidly while Vincent put his hand into the hole and released fire into it making fire come out of the other hole before he stopped.

They could smell the burnt flesh if they get closer to one of the holes as Kirvena says, "We should burn the corpses as well. We don't want wild beasts or more monsters near the village."

"You are right," says Vincent as the rest already went for the village while Kirvena and Vincent we're dealing with the situation.

Vincent burned the corpses before asking, "Do you know where they are going?"

"They wanted to travel to Crow's Perch and from there to Novigrad. It seems their village is haunted by something in the south," says Kirvena as Vincent was thinking.

"We need to get to Crookback Bog but we have no idea where it is. Maybe the people in Midcopse know the best way to get there," says Vincent as they only had a big map of the Northern Kingdoms and not one of Velen.

"Then we should ask the Elder of Midcopse. He might know more about Velen than Keira since she is on the run," says Kirvena as Vincent nods.

They returned finding the group waiting for them while the children seemed exhausted when Vincent petted them feeling almost like at home.

"Did you clean up after Kirvena?" asks Serana as Vincent nods.

"Yes, they shouldn't be a problem in the future. Anyway, where is the Village Elder? I need to talk to him ask him about our part," says Vincent as Serana smiles at him.

"He is living alone in his cottage. Should I bring you to him? He might be more friendly towards me than to a wild man," says Serana as she was telling the truth.

"Be my guest then," says Vincent as they both walk towards the cottage.

Serana knocked on the door when an old man opened the door. He saw Serana and smiled when the smile disappeared after seeing Vincent.

"Bandit!" shouts the old man scared of Vincent as Vincent sighs while Serana laughed.

"No elder, he is my husband. He might look a bit rough but he has a heart made out of gold," says Serana as she calmed the old man down.

"I'm sorry if I scared you, but I'm here because I need some answers to reach our next destination," says Vincent as the old man seemed to calm down.

They began to talk when the old man brought out an old map of Velen while saying, "Many things have changed since my grandfather bought this map. The fastest way to get to Crookback Bog would be by using a boat traveling this way."

"Well we don't have a boat," says Serana as the elder nods.

"Then there is the way through the forest nearby but many beasts and monsters are inhabiting it. And the safest way would be all around going through Crow's Perch. Then you pass those two regions before going south passing only the outer part of the forest," says the elder as Vincent looked close at it before giving Serana a signal.

She then distracted the elder as Vincent made a copy using magic and put the copy away before saying, "Thank you for your help and hospitality."

"Don't worry, lad. I'm old and know how the world works. You needed a roof over your heads and one day you will help someone else doing the same I did for you today," says the elder as he helped them outside.

They saw that it was getting dark and Serana was hungry when Vincent took her behind the house when she bites into his neck to drink his blood.

After stilling her thirst she and Vincent went into the stable finding the wolf keeping the children warm while the single mother was sleeping beside Ellana while Karliah was keeping an eye on the exit of the stable with Kirvena.

"Are you awaiting company?" asks Serana as Karliah shakes her head.

"No, but it's better to be prepared than to be sorry. Just because the elder of the village is good doesn't mean that the others are as well," says Karliah as she was making new arrows while Kirvena was sharpening Dawnbreaker with a full soul gem.

"She is right, we should sleep with one eye open or we could just clean our necks for their swords," says Vincent agreeing with Karliah in this matter.

Serana laid down as she says, "We should go to sleep for now wake us up when it is our turn."

"So we taking turns now," says Karliah as Serana turns around.

"You know that I am the best in the night," says Serana as Karliah couldn't challenge that.

"No fighting or you will wake up the children," says Vincent as he laid between Ellana and Serana before falling asleep.

After 4 hours they woke up as it was time for Karliah and Kirvena to sleep. They could see the night sky through a window of the stable. He saw the stars he felt as if he was back in Skyrim before everything happened.

"The sky reminds me of Skyrim," says Vincent as Serana looked outside as well.

"Before we began to widen our cities. But it still we have a better night sky," says Serana since she liked their sky that could always change in color or the aurora that would appear with the right climate.

Vincent took the map out as he looked at it and says, "I heard from Kirvena that their final destination is Novigrad."

"It seems so," says Serana as she saw the look on Vincent that revealed everything.

"You want to help them," says Serana smiling at her husband.

"Yes, we can take them until this bridge here. From there they should be able to get to Novigrad following the street. And we will go south from there," says Vincent planning the path already as he planned a rest in Crow's Perch since the children wouldn't be able to follow the pace of the adults.

"We will buy some horses. A carriage would take too much attention," says Vincent as Serana sighs since Arvak would scare everyone away.

"Don't worry you might be able to use your favorite when we have to scare some people," says Vincent knowing that Serana wanted to ride on Arvak if possible since she grew to love that undead horse.

"Still, do you think they will accept our gold?" asks Serana as Vincent nods.

"They should since I have molten it down to those things," says Vincent taking a small ingot of gold out.

"This one is worth 50 Septims while this one," says Vincent taking a bigger one out while saying, "Is worth 100 Septims. I still have bigger ones but they should be used wisely."

"You are right we would already drag much attention to us by using those ingots," says Serana as she took the ingots in her hand.

"Have you thought about the silver weapons?" asks Serana as Vincent nods.

"I have and I will have to ask the smith in Crow's Perch for help if they have a smith that's the case. But you must be careful with them, understood," says Vincent not wanting Serana to hurt herself with the Silver Weapon.

"Am I a newborn? I have lived longer than you did," says Serana when Vincent smiles at her.

"We don't count the years that you spent asleep here," says Vincent when Serana threw him to the ground as Vincent lands on his back with her on top of him.

"Even then I'm still older than you by some centuries," says Serana as she kissed her husband passionately before they stopped when they heard the children turn around to sleep again.

"We will continue this later when we are more alone," says Serana as Vincent nods.

"Agreed," says Vincent as he rolled and they changed positions when he smiles at her while saying, "I lied."

He begins to kiss her as they couldn't go hardcore because of the children but still in their clothes as Serana hoped that the others wouldn't wake up while they were doing it.