chapter 12

Andries and Mathies set up camp, shrouding themselves in an illusion. As they settled in, Andries administered some of the troll mutagen to Blightborn. The elf convulsed in pain, his body shaking violently, but he uttered not a single word. Meanwhile, Andries, Mathies, and Felix ate their meal, seemingly unbothered by Blightborn's agony. From time to time, Andries would cast a spell or feed Blightborn some potion to stabilize him.

Andries continued his work on the other elves. He carved sigils into their bones to prevent them from rotting and then inscribed sigils for control. Out of the forty elves, only ten were in good enough shape to be turned into undead. Knowing he couldn't carry all of them around, Andries decided to test their limits and then destroyed the sigils on those unfit for further use.

Through his tests, Andries discovered that with an elf's brain, he could control all ten, but without it, he could manage six or seven if he pushed himself. With the device and the brain, he could control all without the need for any sigils. Blightborn, with some control over his actions, was his best soldier so far.

They remained at their camp for most of the day. While Andries worked, Mathies hunted and managed to kill a deer with a large rock. The deer's brain was scrambled from the hit.

They stayed the night under the cover of the illusion. Occasionally, more elves from the Scoia'tael came to scout the area. Mathies would step out of the illusion, kill the scouts, and then return, sometimes forgetting about the illusion and needing Andries's help to get back.

The mutation process for Blightborn took a long time. When it finally ended, Blightborn appeared more muscular, stronger and taller. Andries tested his healing abilities by making a small cut and casting a spell, noting that the wound healed much faster than normal. Blightborn also showed signs of stone growth on his hands and back, indicating a significant mutation.

Searching through the looted armor, Andries found a set that fit Blightborn's new body, stripping off the Scoia'tael insignia. Although it wasn't perfect, it would suffice for now. Blightborn began to eat, but surprisingly consumed less than expected. Reading Blightborn's mind, Andries realized that he wasn't very hungry and had actually eaten more than necessary.

Gathering their belongings, the group set off once more. Andries decided to take a break by playing with Felix, leaving Blightborn and Mathies to lead the carriage. Mathies, already adept at handling the carriage, guided them while Blightborn, still possessing some knowledge from his former life, assisted without issue.

Andries and Mathies rode on for the entire day, eventually setting up camp north of the river and north of Ban Glean. They took the opportunity to replenish their water supplies and wash themselves. After a meal, Andries ordered Blightborn to practice with his swords and bow to get accustomed to his new, stronger body.

Blightborn struggled at first with the sword, his enhanced strength and size throwing off his balance. However, he soon adapted. Andries observed Blightborn's archery technique and tried to mimic it, improving his own skills but still nowhere near Blightborn's proficiency.

Motivated by his recent encounter with the elves, Andries began training his body. He ran around the camp, did pushups and swung his sword until his arms felt like lead. Mathies watched Andries with a look that Andries interpreted as amusement, similar to how Mathies looked at Felix when the cat did something funny. Although Andries felt a bit insulted, he kept his focus on his training.

As they prepared to leave, Andries sensed a mental presence reaching out to him. He met the mental spell halfway, amplifying his own power to connect with it.

"Ah, this is so much better." a female voice said. "I wish all sorcerers would reach back with their minds just like you."

"I'm sorry, who is this?" Andries asked.

"Philippa Eilhart. We met a while ago." the woman replied.

"Oh hey, it's you." Andries said. "Sorry for throwing your crystals away. I don't like it when people spy on me. I also don't know that many important things other than something I heard, it turns out some gathering is happening on Thanedd Island."

"I know of Thanedd Island, and I understand not wanting to be spied on." Philippa said. "I reached out because of the event on Thanedd Island. It's a conclave of mages. Important mages will be there, including some who work with Nilfgaard."

"There are sorcerers who willingly work for Nilfgaard?" Andries asked, surprised.

"Yes, they believe Emhyr var Emreis will grant them the northern kingdoms." Philippa explained.

"The Nilfgaardians wouldn't do that." Andries said. "They don't trust mages. I don't think they'll keep their promise. Or if they do, they should expect to be betrayed."

"It's probably the latter." Philippa said. "I'm sure the sorcerers know this and think they can outsmart the Nilfgaardians."

"So, what can I do? Hunt these mages?" Andries asked. "I'm okay with hunting mages as long as I get to eat their brains."

"Eat their brains?" Philippa asked, incredulously.

"Yes, it's a mutant thing. My psionic power gets stronger that way." Andries explained. "But don't worry, I don't actively search for mages for their brains. I have another idea to strengthen my psionic power."

"Revolting." Philippa said. "But that doesn't matter right now. I don't want you to hunt them yet. For now, I want your help at the conclave, but I'll try to keep things bloodless."

"Sure, I can do that." Andries agreed.

"Good." Philippa said. "Tissaia is overseeing the conclave, so there's a good chance she'll invite you herself. Get some clean clothes, a doublet if you can. When night falls and it's time to sleep, I will send someone to get you. We plan on arresting the traitors while they sleep."

"Sure, I can do that." Andries replied. "By the way, can I bring my three friends? Mathies, Felix, and Blightborn."

"I know one of them is your giant friend, but who are the rest?" Philippa asked.

"One of them is a mutant that serves me and the other one is a very cute kitten." Andries explained.

"I think the sorcerers actually expect you and your giant friend." Philippa said. "As for your other friends, you'll have to ask Tissaia about them. I wouldn't mind the extra help of another mutant, but keep them under control. As for the cat, the answer is simply no."

"I will keep them in control." Andries assured her. "By the way, when is this event? I don't want to come back and wait too long. I have things to do."

"It will be next month." Philippa said. "Tissaia will probably contact you, if she doesn't, I'll reach out the same way I am now to make sure you know about it."

"Okay, I'll be ready." Andries said, feeling the connection end.

He sighed and returned to packing his things. They started moving again, heading west to the Kestrel Mountains. It took them around four days to travel there at a steady pace. Each time they stopped for food, Andries maintained his usual training regimen, working on both his body and mind.

When they reached the mountain pass, Andries instructed Mathies and Blightborn to leave the road and head north. Mathies was confused about what "north" was, but Blightborn seemed to understand. After some travel through rocky terrain, they realized the carriage couldn't go any further.

Andries created an illusion around the carriage to hide it, placed Felix in his bag, and, along with Mathies and Blightborn, began searching the area for anything useful.

Cats were known to sense magical power. Though Andries didn't sense anything, Felix suddenly stiffened and looked in a specific direction. Andries decided to follow where Felix was looking. To get there, they had to climb a tall mountain. Andries was strong, but he preferred to climb on Mathies's back and let him carry them up.

Blightborn had no trouble climbing. The half-undead elf didn't feel tired and his troll mutation greatly aided his ascent.

At the top of the mountain, Andries took in the beautiful view of the surrounding landscape. He then noticed a druidic circle of elements, a platform created by magic with areas for meditation and areas to place items probably for rituals. Andries moved to the circle, sat cross-legged and began to meditate. Felix, too, started absorbing the energy in the area.

As he meditated, Andries felt a profound connection to earth, air, and fire. He absorbed some of the energy, allowing magic to flow through his body, and practiced some of his spells.

As Andries practiced his fire spells, he could feel the intense heat emanating from deep within the earth. Reaching down with his mind, he soon discovered the source of the heat, lava running deep beneath the mountain. With this newfound connection, he focused on honing his fire magic.

He spent hours there, practicing and absorbing the energy around him, while both Blightborn and Mathies stood by. Mathies eventually grew tired and took a nap nearby, while Blightborn remained still, ever vigilant. After an extended period of practice, Andries decided it was time to leave.

Looking down from the mountain, Andries felt a twinge of fear at the sheer height and decided to try something different. The distance wasn't great and he needed to practice his teleportation skills. Charged with magic, he cast the spell, creating a rift in reality. He ordered Mathies and Blightborn to walk through the portal. They obeyed, and Andries closed the portal behind them, as maintaining it was taxing.

Tapping into the area's energy once more, Andries opened the portal again, stabilized it and ensured Felix was with him before running through. The brief moment of disorientation passed quickly and Andries closed the portal behind him once more.

The group then walked back to the carriage. Once there, they rode out of the area and traveled to the town of Egremont. Andries secured three rooms for himself, Blightborn and Mathies. Felix stayed with Andries, as the kitten loved sleeping near him. They ate and rested there.

Andries spent a couple of days in Egremont and a few more in Murivel, offering his services as a healer and alchemist. His travel funds were running low and couldn't teleport back home. Selling potions and healing people was a reliable way to earn money. After making some coins and buying supplies, the group moved on.

Along the way, Andries saw bounties for various monsters but chose to ignore them for now, as he lacked the means to store body parts. The journey to Tretogor was uneventful and rather dull.

After some more traveling, Andries again felt a mental spell trying to reach him. As before, he reached back with his own power and recognized the presence contacting him.

"Andries, can you hear me?" a woman's voice asked.

"I can hear you. Tissaia," Andries replied.

"Good, good." Tissaia said. "I tried to contact you with the crystal I gave you, but you did not answer. Did you lose it?"

"I think I forgot to take it with me." Andries admitted.

"I gave you that crystal for a reason." Tissaia said. "That crystal is an expensive item that allows us to contact each other with ease. You should have kept it with you."

"I'm so sorry, Tissaia." Andries said. "I was so excited about the journey that I completely forgot to take some things. I even forgot to take any useful potions, but I didn't need them that much."

"You have to change this behavior." Tissaia said. "I would love to lecture you, but I have more important things to discuss."

"Is it connected to the mage gathering event I've been hearing about?" Andries asked.

"Where have you heard about it?" Tissaia inquired.

"From a guy with a caravan." Andries replied.

"I will have the leak investigated later." Tissaia said. "And yes, there is a conclave of mages. I want you to be there. Social events like this might be good for you."

"Sure, I can come, but can my friends come too?" Andries asked.

"If the mutant and your cat can behave, then yes," Tissaia said.

"What about the other mutant?" Andries asked.

"What other mutant?" Tissaia inquired.

"It's a long story, and I think I should meet you." Andries said.

"What did you do?" Tissaia asked.

"I have to show you." Andries replied. "Also, I think someone is listening to me, and I don't know if it works telepathically too."

"Stop moving so I can scry your location." Tissaia said. "I know your location but having a good idea how the surrounding would be good for the teleportation spell."

"Give me a moment." Andries ordered the two mutants to stop. They rode a little farther, got out of the road, and halted. "Okay, I'm ready."

A few moments passed before an orange portal opened. Tissaia walked through the portal, dressed as impeccably as always in a well-made gown that covered her completely. Her eyes scanned the carriage and soon spotted Blightborn.

"Hello, Tissaia," Andries said with a smile.

"Hello, Andries. Please step closer to me." Tissaia cast a spell, creating a dome around them. "Now, we are safe from outside influences. No mental power can enter or leave this dome."

"That's useful." Andries remarked.

"Who is that?" Tissaia asked, motioning toward Blightborn.

"That is Blightborn." Andries replied. He then explained the events that led to Blightborn's creation, including some of the events with the witchers and how he cheated with the Megascope.

"It is amazing that you can both amaze and horrify me." Tissaia said. "Using your own body parts as a trigger for the device is both smart and disturbing. As for this... this thing, I... I simply don't know how to react."

"I know, I am awesome. So is Blightborn." Andries said.

"This is horrifying." Tissaia said. "I don't know how you came up with this and how you managed to do it, but if other mages learn about this…"

"They will have to practice necromancy." Andries said. "I am very good at necromancy. I've studied under one of the greatest necromancers in the world since I was born. I also study mutation, mental powers and many other things. What I have here, they can't replicate that easily."

"I agree, but you should still keep this to yourself." Tissaia advised. "Say that this is a mutant who agreed to work for you because you are a famous mutant."

"Yeah, that's a good idea." Andries agreed. "So, what is up with this conclave thing? Is it important?"

"It is." Tissaia said. "The conclave is a time for mages of great influence to gather. They usually have political agendas and with the Nilfgaard problem, it will be worse now."

"Then why are you inviting me if it's bad?" Andries asked.

"Because it will be good for you." Tissaia explained. "Right now, you are going around with no ambition other than becoming stronger. The sorcerers already know you fight against Nilfgaard and won't bother you with politics that much. Instead, someone might be able to lead you to a better path."

"I have a good path. I will make life a lot easier for people." Andries said. "In doing so I will become one of the greatest mages in the world."

"That is a good cause." Tissaia said. "But, to do that, you will need to do so many other things, and seeing how you are, you will do it in horrible ways. You need other things to focus on."

"Sure, I don't see why I wouldn't come," Andries said.

"Great." Tissaia said. "Listen, we still have around two weeks until the conclave. The exact date isn't clear. I want you to be back at Gors Velen in less than two weeks. If you can't be there by then, I will teleport you. I need to teach you something, and I want you to try on some clothes."

"I think I can do it." Andries said. "If I leave the roads and go straight toward Zgraggen, taking the roads takes six or seven days. Out of the road, it will be four days. After that, around a week to get to Gors Velen, taking into account rest and other problems."

"Good, if it takes longer, I will contact you." Tissaia said and started to open a portal. "Please stay safe on the road, and if you need help, just contact me."

"I will. Goodbye." Andries said.

Tissaia walked through the portal and closed it behind herself. Andries envied the power of older mages, but he also loved the fact that he was working on shortcuts.

Andries got to move again, telling Blightborn to move out of the road and go in the direction he had told him. They rode through the plains and into the forest. At one point, they saw a nest of ghouls that tried to attack them, but Andries scared them off with a fire spell, and they rode a little faster.

While riding, one of the horses broke a leg, forcing them to stop. Andries told Mathies to bring the horse to the back. He then started to do the same thing he did to Blightborn, he opened the horse's skull, messed with its mind, used necromancy to bring it to a half-dead state and carved sigils into the skull and bones. In the end, he used necromancy to heal the horse. At this point, he was thinking of asking Tissaia for help to teleport him back, so he decided to do the same thing to the other horse. When he was done and the two horses were ready, he decided to add some troll mutations he had to the horses. He had extracted a lot of troll mutagen agent so he was fine for now.

They camped there, waiting for the horses to change. Andries had used too much magic by then, so he ordered Blightborn to hunt while he rested. He didn't expect Blightborn to be successful, but he was. It did take him a while, but he came back with a stag on his shoulder.

Mathies and Blightborn skinned the stag and damaged the skin to the point that it wasn't good to sell anymore. They then roasted the stag while Andries enjoyed some rest with Felix.

The horses, like Blightborn, didn't make much sound, but it was obvious they were in pain. Andries went to check on them and cast a few simple spells to ensure the mutation would go well. By the time the mutation was done, one of the horses had died, so Andries used a lot of spell energy to stabilize the other. In the end, it was not enough. Andries could feel when the horse gave up and died.

Seeing that he had no way to get back, he decided to get ready to contact Tissaia. When he tried, he realized he had used too much spell energy and needed some rest, so he decided to contact her later.

Andries created an illusion and began to rest. With daylight still lingering, he ordered Blightborn to practice a little, while Mathies and Felix took a nap, and he himself read a book. The next morning, after finishing the rest of the stag, Andries started casting a spell to amplify his mental power.

He reached out with his mind to the Ether and sought Tissaia. Familiar with her presence, he found her quickly. Recognizing his mental power, Tissaia let him in.

"Andries, is that you?" Tissaia asked.

"Yes, it's me. Sorry to bother you." Andries said.

"What happened?" Tissaia asked.

"My horses died." Andries replied.

"Both of them?" Tissaia inquired.

Andries glanced at the horribly mutated forms of the horses. "Yes, they both died."

"How on earth did that happen?" Tissaia demanded.

"I would say accident, but that would be a lie." Andries admitted.

"Do you think the others can push the carriage through a portal?" Tissaia asked.

"Yes, we can." Andries confirmed.

"Stay where you are." Tissaia instructed. "I have to get a megascope back to your home so I can safely teleport all of you."

"I can wait." Andries said and felt the connection end.

Andries again ordered Blightborn to practice, and he trained his body alongside Blightborn. Seeing the two at it, Mathies tried to mimic Andries's actions. Blightborn was training to get used to his new strength, Andries to get stronger, and Mathies because it looked fun.

After a long time, Andries sensed a portal opening. Looking toward that direction, he saw a stable enough portal to see the other side—the courtyard of his house.

"Guys, I want you to push the carriage into that portal." Andries instructed Mathies and Blightborn.

The two mutants began pushing the carriage into the portal while Andries picked up his things and Felix. Andries followed them through the portal. As always, there was a moment of discomfort as they passed through. Tissaia deactivated the megascope and ordered her two golems to dismantle it.

"Sorry to bother you." Andries said.

"Don't worry about it, I did offer after all." Tissaia replied. "Now that you are home, try to bathe regularly. I want you to be clean and clear of any bad smells until the conclave. Also, remember to feed your two friends before the conclave. I don't want them eating everything that is brought for the guests."

"I can do that." Andries assured her.

"Good, and please behave until the conclave." Tissaia said. "The city is already on edge from all the conflicts. Having a crazy mutant doing weird experiments would make things a lot worse."

"Don't worry, I plan on only resting." Andries said.

"Somehow I don't believe it." Tissaia remarked.

"You have trust issues." Andries teased.

Tissaia glared at him a little, and Andries only smiled. She finally sighed and ordered the golems to follow her. She repeated herself once more before leaving. Andries waited for Tissaia to be gone before heading to his house. Mathies and Blightborn also followed him.

Andries reprogrammed the golems to understand that Blightborn was always welcome. He also checked the state of the golems and found they were low on energy.

Andries went to the vault and used his blood to open it. He still had a lot of gold in his vault and grabbed a large sum. He then left Felix in his bedroom, letting the kitten enjoy some nap.

Andries ordered Blightborn to stay in the mansion and left for the city. The city, as always, was lively. Some people recognized him, some ignored him, and some hurled insults at him. The different reactions caused some people to argue, while Andries completely ignored everything.

Andries went straight to the markets. There, he purchased a mask that covered the face and head. It was designed to look like a skull face with a cloth area covering the head and face like a hood. After checking the mask's visibility and breathability, he returned to his mansion and placed it on Blightborn's head. Now that Blightborn's face was covered, he could follow Andries more discreetly.

Returning to the markets, Andries first visited a blacksmith to buy armor for Blightborn. He acquired chainmail armor, metal shoulder guards and clawed gauntlets, all for around four hundred nobles. After paying for the armor, Andries moved on to the next area.

Gors Velen, being close to Thanned Island, had many shops catering to mages. Andries checked the alchemy shops, looking for any mutagens. While his popularity had made mutagens and being a mutant more accepted and famous, the mutagens available were mostly from weak creatures. The most interesting and expensive was wyvern mutagen, of which Andries already had plenty.

Moving to the next shop, Andries looked for any usable crystals. Most were weak and very expensive, while the strong ones were even more costly and from different planes than Ether. Despite this, Andries continued his search.

While browsing, Andries overheard people talking about a basilisk in town. A basilisk would provide excellent mutation material and he considered either buying it or finding a way to kill its owner to obtain it. Either way, it was a great opportunity.

Following the rumors, Andries found the area where the show was about to start. He paid the pockmarked man the entry fee for himself, Mathies and Blightborn. With Mathies and Blightborn by his side, people were scared and allowed him to move closer to the front.

When he reached the front, Andries was infuriated to realize the so-called basilisk was actually a wyvern. The pockmarked man spewed nonsense about how a basilisk was born, how everything feared it and other horseshit. There wasn't a single truthful word in his spiel. Andries was about to voice his displeasure when suddenly a girl made a rude farting sound with her mouth.

"That's no basilisk!" the girl exclaimed.

She was around fourteen or fifteen, decent-looking with sandy blonde hair that almost looked white. Her best feature was her emerald green eyes. For a moment Andries thought of the girl he was hunting but that girl was with Yennefer and Yennefer was nowhere to be found.

"Oh, yeah? So what is it, Miss Know-It-All?" the pockmarked man retorted angrily.

"It's a wyvern." the girl said. "A common wyvern. Young, small, starving, and dirty. But a wyvern, that's all. Vyverne, in the Elder Speech."

"Oh, look at this!" shouted the pockmarked man. "What a clever clogs! Shut your trap, because when I..."

"I say." spoke up a fair-haired young man. "Not so fast, my good animal catcher! Do not threaten the noble lady, for I will readily tan your hide with my sword. And furthermore, something smacks of trickery here!"

The young man wore a velvet beret and a squire's doublet without any visible coat of arms. He had a delicate, pale girl in an apricot dress on his left arm.

"Wyvern!" Mathies said, pointing at the cage.

"Who said tha..." The pockmarked man turned angrily, only to shut up when he saw a giant of a man, a red-eyed child and an armored man armed to the teeth wearing a skull mask.

"Did you want to say something to my friend?" Andries asked, his voice cold and challenging but still had a smile on his face.

"I… I didn't mean no disrespect to you or your friend, sir," the pockmarked man stammered, his voice shaky. "It's just that, this horri..." He caught himself, glancing at the squire, "This fair lady is mistaken."

"It's a wyvern." the girl repeated firmly.

"What do you mean, a Vernon! It's a basilisk! Just look how menacing it is, how it hisses, how it bites at its cage! Look at those teeth! It's got teeth, I tell you, like…"

"Like a wyvern." the girl scowled.

"If you've taken leave of your senses." said the pockmarked man, "then come closer! Step up, and let it breathe on you! You laughed at its venom. Now let's see you croak! Come along, step up!"

"Not a problem," the girl said. She let go of the hand of a young boy around her age and stepped forward.

"I shan't allow it!" the fair-haired squire exclaimed, releasing the girl he was holding. "It cannot be! You are risking too much, fair lady."

"Shan't?" Mathies asked.

"Probably wouldn't or something like that… I don't know, nobles are weird." Andries said.

The girl blushed slightly and fluttered her eyelashes in a way Andries found odd, though the squire seemed to blush as well.

"There is no danger, noble knight." the girl said. "Nothing will happen to me. That so-called poisonous breath is claptrap."

"Claptrap?" Mathies asked.

"It's polite for horse shit." Andries explained.

"I would, however, like to stand beside you." said the young squire, placing his hand on the hilt of his sword. "To protect and defend... Will you allow me?"

"I will." the girl said.

"It is I who shall protect and defend her!" declared the young man who had been with the green-eyed girl, sticking out his chest and glaring defiantly at the squire. "And I shall stand with her too!"

"Mathies, get ready to grab the wyvern." Andries whispered. "Grab the back of its head and the tail. Keep it in the air so its claws can't get you."

Mathies nodded, and Andries set to work. He was getting bored with the entire spectacle and wanted to teach the man a lesson. Using his psionic power, Andries reached for the rusted cage. The power was invisible, so no one noticed when Andries pulled the cage's door, damaging it badly. Only the green-eyed girl seemed to realize some power was used. She stopped talking, looked in the direction the power moved and saw the wyvern freeing itself.

"Run! The cage is breaking!" the girl shouted.

Chaos ensued. People began running and colliding with each other. Mathies tried to move forward but the pockmarked man slammed into him. Mathies picked the man up gently and set him aside like a doll. By the time Mathies reached the cage, the wyvern was dead, and the squire was holding a blood-covered sword.

Andries observed what had happened. The girl had drawn the squire's sword. The wyvern got stuck in the cage bars for a moment, giving the girl the chance to move quickly and slash the wyvern's neck. She was very nimble and the way she moved, it was almost like she was trained to kill monsters but Andries thought that it was probably because he had seen witchers train so much that everything looked like their fighting style.

"Danger over!" the girl shouted to the crowd. "The wyvern is dead. This brave knight killed it dead..."

"Awww, poor cute wyvern." Mathies said in a sad tone.

People started calming down and returning to the wyvern. A small dog barked at the wyvern but quickly backed away. The squire himself looked confused, staring at his bloodied blade.

In the commotion, Andries saw the girl use a medallion to turn herself and the boy invisible. They ran away. Andries could feel exactly where they were but Andries didn't care about some random girl. Yes, she was good with a sword, but so were hundreds of other girls. What mattered was the opportunity that had presented itself.

The animal handler tried to slip away from the crowd quietly, but Andries, with a mental command, ordered Blightborn to stop the man. Blightborn rushed forward, grabbed the handler by the back of the head, and lifted him off the ground. Andries approached slowly, a smile playing on his lips.

"The crowd wants you dead, you know that, right?" Andries said.

"I swear, m'lord, I…" the man began.

"I didn't say you could talk." Andries interrupted, and the man fell silent. "You have two choices here. Let the people rip you apart or come with me. I have a proposition for you."

"Can... can I talk now?" the man asked, and Andries nodded. "Yes, m'lord. I accept everything you say, just take me away from these people."

"Good, good." Andries said with a smile. "This will be perfect for both of us. I will also need your wyvern, so we'll take that too."

Andries walked to the wyvern, using necromancy to close its wound and stop the blood loss. He then ordered Mathies to pick up the wyvern and instructed Blightborn to bring the animal handler along.

"Hey, where are you taking him?!" someone from the crowd shouted.

"Oh, sorry for not introducing myself." Andries said, turning to face the crowd. "I am Andries, and my giant friend here is Mathies. We are the mutants who fought in the Battle of Sodden. I plan on taking this charlatan to the city guards."

"I heard of them, the child sorcerer and the friendly giant!" one man shouted.

"If he's a sorcerer, why didn't he kill the wyvern?" another asked.

"Because the squire killed it." someone else answered.

"Truly the young ones of this generation are shining." an old woman said with a smile.

"Wait, if they are the sorcerer child and the friendly giant, then who is that fellow?" one man asked, pointing to Blightborn.

"That is another mutant." Andries said. "Mutants are seeking me out. I teach them how to fight Nilfgaard. Soon, an army of mutants will stand to protect the North from the Nilfgaardian blight and I will lead that army."

"An army of freaks!" a man spat.

"Shut your trash mouth." another retorted. "The mutants are heroes. They are going to protect us from Nilfgaard."

"The Nilfgaardians have no chance against the North with knights like this and an army of mutants." a woman said.

"We should go." Andries told his two companions.

The people started shouting and talking amongst themselves. As always, they were easily swayed by words. Andries hadn't expected this event, but it was a good opportunity to plant the seed of his army in the hearts of the people.

He took the wyvern and the handler back to his mansion. The man was visibly scared of Blightborn and stayed quiet until they reached their destination.

"Hey, where are we going?" the man asked.

"To my workplace." Andries replied. "I prefer to be all business, if that's alright with you."

"I don't mind writing a contract." the man said.

"Good, you'll love this." Andries said.

They led the man and the dead wyvern to the lab. Andries immediately began working on the wyvern, extracting its blood as quickly as possible.

"What are you doing?" the man asked, his voice trembling.

"I am preparing your offering." Andries said. "You see, humans are weak, so are elves, dwarves, and every other race in the world. Humanity always relies on weapons, shields, and sorcery because we need them, but most of us fear a little mutation. Isn't mutation the same as magic?"

"Wait, you said nothing about mutation. I don't want to be a freak," the man protested after a few moments.

"Did you call us freaks?" Andries asked without turning to look at the man. "A weak little insect like you thinks we are freaks?" Andries finished draining the wyvern and turned around. "We are better than you in every way. I am a powerful sorcerer at the age of fifteen, and yes, I said fifteen. Thanks to my mutation, I age slowly. Mathies can rip your head off with his hands and Blightborn... you seem to be more afraid of him than the rest of us."

"What is your point?!" the man asked, his voice trembling with fear.

"I am offering you a solution." Andries said, holding a potion aloft. "Allow me to mutate you. I want your mind to fully accept what I am going to do and I will make you a great warrior. I will ensure you never grow older, make you stronger, faster, and better than most humans. When I am finished with Nilfgaard, all of us mutants will be heroes and highborn."

"What do you want in return?" the man asked.

"To work for me, of course." Andries replied. "Don't worry, nothing dangerous, just bodyguard duties. Besides, by the time I am done, you will forget fear ever existed."

The man seemed to consider this for a few moments before he spoke. "I accept."

"Good, then take this and drink the whole bottle." Andries said, handing him the potion.

The man took the bottle and drank it all. Soon, his head began to feel strange, and his eyes grew heavy. It didn't take long for him to pass out.

Andries used his mental powers to probe the man's mind. He found complete acceptance of what was to come. The last time, what he did to Blightborn was possible because Blightborn was near death and had given up, though he still resisted. This man had a weaker will than Blightborn and was fully compliant with Andries's plans.

As before, Andries shaved the man's head and carefully opened the top of his skull. He began altering the man's mind, a process made easier by the man's weak will and acceptance. With the help of psionic powers and necromancy, Andries brought the man to a half-undead state. He then carved runes on the skull and reattached it with magic.

Checking the man's mind, Andries found he was completely loyal. He then went to the mutagen jars, selecting two containing wyvern mutagen with some potions. With the lab's better equipment, he injected the man with the mutagen, monitoring his body with tools and spells. He stayed by the man's side until he was no longer needed.

He ordered some food from the kitchen, and the golems brought it for him and the others. After eating their fill, they left for the market again. There, Andries bought some sheep blood from a magic store and ordered enough food to restock his kitchen.

Andries paid for the service and returned with the food carts, ordering his golems to bring the food to the kitchen. The golems were getting slow but were still functional. Afterward, he used the sheep blood to recharge the golems.

This was a hemokinesis ritual. Many mages performed it without much knowledge of hemokinesis. Blood could attract chaos energy from the elemental planes, even sheep blood. While not as potent as human blood, it did its job, recharging the golems to full power.

Andries decided to check on his new mutant. When he returned, he saw the man had mutated to a higher degree. His face had scale spots, his nails had become claws and his teeth were now wyvern-like fangs. He was slowly and painfully growing wings and a trident-like tail. Though his body remained human, he was developing many monstrous features. The growth had slowed down and probably stopped, so Andries added mutagen from another wyvern. The tail and wings continued to grow but eventually stopped. Checking the body with spells, Andries saw the third dose of mutagen was still active but couldn't mutate him further.

Andries smiled at his new soldier and said, "I think I'll name you Wyrmblood."