Anomaly I

The bottle of cheap liquor slipped from my hand, feeling the cold slowly creeping into my limbs. I closed my eyes and let out a sigh. Nearly three decades on this planet and all I had amounted to was failure after failure. I had just been let go from my third job in the last several months. A few weeks ago I found my fiancé in bed with the man she told me not to worry about. Before that I found out that my brother, the last of my family, had been KIA on deployment. Needless to say, I was exhausted, I saw no way out of the hole I had dug myself into. Sure it was rash and stupid, yet at the moment it felt right. I felt the forty oxycodone tablets I had practically inhaled along with the gas station vodka begin to slip my mind into darkness. I was pretty sure death would have hurt more, but this, this was unexpected. Almost like falling asleep. There was no light at the end of the tunnel, my life, as disappointing as it all was, didn't flash before my eyes, I didn't even feel my own heart stop beating. 

Yet, something was off, I had never been overly religious, hell, I thought that in death I would just fade into nothingness. I felt a warm sensation spread into my limbs. There it was, if I was dead why could I feel my limbs. My eyes flew open, a blinding light filled my vision and I winced as pain shot through my eyes. 

I felt a tugging in my stomach as my vision slowly returned. Blinking a few times to try to get my eyesight to adjust I looked around my surroundings. I was in some sort of forest, around me were children of varying ages. I looked down at my own body and groaned. I was a kid again. I wasn't one for religion, much less the idea of reincarnation, and yet here I was. I pinched myself to double check if I had fallen asleep instead of kicking the bucket, cursing when it did little more than to bruise my arm. I sighed, accepting that I had, in fact, been reincarnated. The kids around me were dressed in rags, many looked no older than ten years old. I wondered what I looked like before coming to realization. I was a kid, not a baby. 

'How does reincarnation even work…. Forget it, I'm getting a headache, at least I'm not starting out as a baby.' 

I shuddered at the thought of reliving being a baby again. Accepting my new reality was so easy that it scared me. But honestly what could have been worse than the life I had already lived. Heavy footsteps drew my attention to a man walking into the clearing where me and the other children were. The newcomer was wearing plate armor lined with some sort of fur. My eyes were drawn to the pendant around the man's neck. It was a sort of animal head stylized to look like it was roaring. Realization washed over me and I looked at the kids around me again. My eyes flew back to the man dread filled my heart. My fears were confirmed when I saw the man's golden cat-like eyes and I finally realized where I had wound up.  

"Oh for fucks sake." 

Decades passed, and the days began to blur into a haze. Oddly enough I had seemingly stopped aging, I had assumed the White Wolf had been a special case and was the only one to have an unnaturally long lifespan due to the extra mutations. Still I wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth, the enhanced abilities, skills, and magic certainly made my life infinitely more interesting than it had been prior to coming to this world. I didn't look a day over twenty despite the years that had passed. This made the idea of romance strange for me. I honestly didn't know how Geralt did it, then again the man mainly went for sorceresses and they lived for just as long if not longer than Witchers. 

Though my life was now fraught with dangers, I was genuinely happy, strangely I had found catharsis in killing monsters. Hell, I even took contracts to kill bandits and other criminals from time to time. It was on one such contract that I finally ran into the infamous White Wolf. 

I had been in Skellige at the time, tracking down a man who had murdered a farmer's son and stolen a horse. I followed the murderers trail deep into the woods when I felt my medallion buzz alerting me to magic in the air. Instinctively I cast Quen, just in time as an arrow shattered against the magical shield. I drew my steel sword and quickly parried a slash from my unseen attacker. Using Aard I blasted my foe backwards and was about to deal the killing blow when my sword was caught by another sword covered in runes. My attacker's savior blocked my riposte to my surprise as I had moved much faster than any man should have been able to counter. 

"Another Witcher? Geralt, I thought you were the last one."

"Hjalmar you've met other Witchers." 

Two names that I was familiar with, sheathing my sword I looked at the two men. Geralt looked as he did in the games, twin swords on his back silvery hair tied off in a loose ponytail. Hjalmar also looked as he did from what I remembered. Offering the an Craite a hand which he took I glanced over to the Wolf Witcher. 

"Your reputation precedes you White Wolf." 

"I did not expect to run into anyone this deep in the woods." 

"Well met Master Witcher, terrifying swing you've got." 

"My apologies Hjalmar an Craite, I was tracking down a contact, I didn't expect to meet the Jarls son today. And please, call me George." 

"Aye, me and Geralt here are on a hunt of our own."

"Bear huh?" Geralt eyed the medallion around my neck. "I've heard that your school is all but extinct." 

"Mostly, as far as I'm aware, everyone scattered once Haern Caduch was sacked. It's been decades since I've last heard from anyone."

"Geralt, we need to go. That ice giant isn't going to wait for us to kill it." 

"We'll meet again White Wolf. Good luck on your path." 

"I wish you well George of the Bear School." 

The two quickly disappeared into the dense forest. I remembered the game mission with the ice giant. If memory serves me correctly it was a prelude to a new king being selected in Skellige. It also marked the halfway point for the game. Soon Geralt would set off to find Ciri and fight the Wild Hunt. I didn't want to miss the opportunity to be part of a historical moment. I made a mental note to track down Geralt once I was done with the contract. 

The farmer was thankful once I brought him the murderer's head. Albeit he was a bit terrified when I handed him the bloody sack. Once I collected the meager pay I made for the inn at the foot of Kaer Trolde. I slipped into my rented room unseen before taking off my modified Bear school armor and swords. Equipment-wise I had broken the Bear school tradition of carrying a crossbow. I found the weapons much too inefficient, there were also too many moving parts that could potentially fail. Instead I relied heavily on my two swords, several daggers, an ax, and a plethora of explosives. I didn't shy away from using traps and poisons either, anything I could use to get an upper hand on my adversary. 

I drew a bath and stepped into the warm soapy water easing the soreness of my muscles from trekking up and down the mountains of Skellige. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath enjoying my momentary solitude from the crowds gathering for the coronation. I got out of the bath an hour later and dried myself off before putting on a fresh set of clothes and cleaning off my armor. I had gotten a significant amount of grime and blood on it from my journeys and it was in need of some serious TLC. 

After cleaning my equipment I put the heavy armor back on and replaced my swords on my back. I exited the inn and began to wander around the town. I spotted a familiar head of silvery hair and made my way over. 

"Geralt." 

He turned to face me, he looked as if he had just been rolling around in the mud. 

"Told you we'd meet again, also what the hell happened to you?"

"Ice giant. Damn thing threw me halfway across its den." 

"Come on, tell me about it over a drink. Though you should probably wash up first." 

"He's right, you know." 

We both turned just as a raven haired woman stepped out of a portal in the middle of the street. Geralt attempted to sneak off but Yennefer stopped him. 

"Go wash up Geralt, I'll keep your friend occupied." 

"Fine." 

"Off you go." 

I looked between the two, it was obvious that they shared a romantic bond, despite their bickering. Geralt walked off and the raven haired sorceress looked me up and down. It almost felt like she was scanning me. 

"And what's your name Witcher?" 

"George, and just like the White Wolf, your reputation precedes you Yennefer of Vengerberg. You're just as famous as Geralt, if not even more so." 

The woman stepped closer, her violet eyes met mine. I felt my medallion buzz at the same time I felt a tickling sensation in my head. 

"My, what an interesting life you have, George Kensington." 

I took a step back and glared at the woman, she raised her hands in surrender. 

"I didn't mean to pry, one just can't help but to be cautious in this world after all. Though you aren't the first world jumping individual I've met. Come walk with me." 

I was still cautious of the mage but slowly I began to ease into casual conversation with Yennefer. I eventually revealed that I knew about Ciri and I was willing to help the both of them recover their adoptive daughter. Geralt eventually returned and Yennefer filled him in on what I had told her. Geralt began making plans to travel to the Isle of Mists. Yennefer told him that she would go off and gather their allies at Kaer Morhen for when the Hunt inevitably came for Ciri once we rescued her. As Yennefer disappeared into a portal Geralt and I stepped onto a small rowboat and set off to the entrance to the Isle of Mists. 

Curiously enough we managed to find our way into the hidden isle without Avallac'h. I never liked the elven mage. He gave off strange vibes towards Ciri when I played the game. When we reached the gravel beach we drew our silver swords in preparation for a fight. 

"Shall we split up to cover more ground or stick together." 

"We don't know how big this place is, I'll go towards that ruined lighthouse." 

"Very well, keep an eye out Geralt, I smell a fiend."

The Wolf nodded before slowly making his way to the lighthouse. I made my way up the steep path up to the hut. Dispatching the tangalores that attacked me I eventually reached the shack and heard whispering voices inside. I already knew about the dwarves and contemplated just blasting the door down with Aard. Before I could make my decision Geralt arrived with a stumbling dwarf in tow. 

"Who goes there!" 

"We've got one of yours on this side, open the doors." 

"It's a trick, don't open that door." 

"We won't hurt you." 

"I don't believe you! Go away!"

Bit by bit my annoyance was building up, I turned to Geralt and the dwarf he had brought, who had fallen asleep on the ground. Geralt kicked the dwarfs' foot lightly. 

"Wake up."

"Wha- I'm awake!" 

"Gaspard! It's you! Step back, I'm opening the door." 

The door swung open and four dwarves stepped out, after a brief conversation and agreeing to leave the isle together on the boat Geralt finally spotted Ciri laying on the cot. 

"I'm sorry lad, she's gone cold. The spirit has left her." 

The dwarves walked away towards the boat as Geralt stumbled into the room, I could have told him that Ciri was still alive just passed out in exhaustion from using her powers. But that would have brought up questions I couldn't easily answer. 

"I'll be outside." 

Geralt didn't reply, he simply fell to his knees besides Ciri's unconscious form. I stepped back out of the hut and looked out over to the boat, which was sailing away. So much for the dwarves waiting for us. Just as I was about to look away a flock of harpies descended on the dwarves. 

"Karmas a bitch." 

This had been one of the most annoying missions in the game, sure the dwarves were innocent in the sense that they got lost but they also did steal the boat potentially stranding the player. I would lose no sleep over their deaths. The harpies eventually flew off with their prey and the boat slowly sank beneath the water. I heard Geralt cry out and I smiled, Ciri must have just woken up. Pushing the door open to check I didn't expect Ciri to notice me and immediately shove Geralt out of the way before pinning me to the wall with her sword against my throat. 

"Ciri, he's with us, put your sword down." 

Ciri set me down and sheathed her sword before returning to the bed to sit next to Geralt. I turned to him and grinned before glancing at the ashen haired maiden. 

"Fiesty one didn't she?"

" She can still hear you." 

Ciri crossed her arms and Geralt let out a small chuckle. 

"So how did you end up here?" 

The Cintran princess sighed and began to retell her journey. I watched as she smiled at parts of her story, as if remembering funny details. In the games the scar on her face had been deep and almost impossible to ignore. Yet here, it was practically just a thin silvery line that ran from under her left across her cheek. Emerald eyes met gold as she glared at me. 

"What are you looking at?" 

"A beautiful woman." I deadpanned, Geralt sputtered and I looked at the veteran Witcher in surprise. A slight blush crept up Ciri's cheeks and Geralt looked as if he was fighting back laughter. 

"Well look somewhere else, you're distracting me." 

"I should say the same to you." 

"You-" she narrowed her eyes at me before turning back to Geralt and continuing her story. "As I was saying before I was interrupted." 

"I'll go check on the boat." 

Ciri glared at me again, I bit back a grin and looked at Geralt who nodded. Stepping out of the hut I made my way over to the shore smiling like an idiot. Realizing that I was smiling I groaned at the pitfall that I had unknowingly fallen into. 

'Cool it George, you just met her. You can't have the hots for her. Especially since she's like half your age.' 

I shook myself back to reality and scanned the waterline for another boat. I wanted to try and avoid having Ciri use her powers. Yennefer undoubtedly already gathered allies at Kaer Morhen but I still wanted to skip fighting the Wild Hunt at the old keep. Mostly to keep Vesemir alive but also to not risk any more lives than necessary. Unfortunately other than ruined boats there were none in sight. 

'A fight it is.' 

I heard footsteps on the gravel behind me. Turning I saw Geralt and Ciri walking towards me still in conversation. Geralt saw me sans boat and we shared a knowing look. Ciri looked at me and grinned. 

"Did you lose the boat?" 

"No, the dwarves must have taken it." 

"Sounds to me like you lost the boat. I guess it's up to me then." 

Before Geralt or I could protest, Ciri grabbed both of our arms and used her power. Teleporting with Ciri felt like I was walking through a freezer while it was squeezing me. Geralt and I stumbled as our feet met the ground. We had appeared outside of the gates at Kaer Morhen. As we walked through the gates I felt the air grow a sharp chill. 

"And into the fire." 

We were by the stables when our presence was known. Yennefer came dashing out of the castle, she ran down the battlements and towards the ashen haired Witcheress. 

"Ciri!!" 

The two women met halfway in an embrace. An aging Witcher with a scruffy mustache came to greet Geralt. Two others followed, the last of the Wolf School Witchers. Eskel, Lambert, Vesemir, Geralt began exchanging whispers and I tried not to listen in. Occasionally one of the men would glance my way before returning to the conversation. I let out a sigh and leaned against a stone wall. 

"Haven't seen you around before." 

I turned to the voice, and grinned. Triss Merigold, her red hair in its signature style, her eyes met mine and I looked away before she could do what Yennefer did in Skellige and read my mind. 

"Triss Merigold, it's a pleasure to meet you." 

"Like wise-"

"George." Bowing slightly as I took her hand and placed a kiss on her knuckles.

The red haired mage smiled, "So you're the one Yen has been talking about." 

"Fantastic… What has she said about me?" 

"Oh nothing terrible, just a few interesting details."

"You're not going to tell me are you?" 

Triss smiled before sauntering away, hips swaying suggestively. The four Witchers eventually came over to where I stood. 

"You have our thanks for helping one of ours. There is no oath that says you must continue to stay and fight. Should you wish you may return on your path." 

"I've come this far, my school has hunted the Wild Hunt for decades. I would see this battle through." 

"Then your sword is most welcome, Witcher George. My name is Vesemir, this is Lambert, and the pretty one over there is Eskel. You've already met our most infamous member, Geralt." 

I nodded to each Witcher before turning back to Geralt, the White Wolf nodded. 

"I have some ideas on turning the tide of the coming battle." 

"Ah yes, Yennefer did mention that you may be able to provide needed support in defeating the hunt. Come, let us go and meet the others before we talk plans."