chapter 8

A few days had passed since Andries started feeding the Chort potion-laced sheep. Not wanting to use his device to teleport home for more money, he found ways to earn a living.

He offered his services as a healer to the townspeople after the monster attacks, he had himself created. Using his mental powers, he stunned boars and brought them to town to sell. He also gathered herbs to make healing potions. Charging slightly less for his services, he quickly became an admired figure in the towns near Oxenfurt, he was seen as a savior in their time of need. He was also well-compensated for his efforts.

Andries expected the city to call for witchers to deal with the Chort, but they instead sent a thirty-man armed force. Andries considered ambushing the soldiers to protect the Chort, but the Chort had the same idea. The soldiers, poor at tracking monsters, set up camp nearby after failing to find the Chort. The Chort, a cunning creature, waited until the soldiers slept before attacking their camp. It killed most, wounded many and forced the survivors to flee.

The next day, Andries looted the destroyed camp. He found rations, money, and twelve pairs of boots, which he sold. Over time, he amassed more than a thousand crowns.

By the end of the second week, rumors of a witcher coming to town spread. Andries grabbed his cat, Felix, and with Mathies, set out to find the witcher. They learned the witcher was at a tavern on the outskirts of Oxenfurt and headed there.

Entering the tavern, Andries scanned the corners. Sitting in one was a scarred mutant, identifiable by his yellow cat-like eyes. The mutant had rugged features, a jagged scar from cheek to jawline, and dark brown hair tied in a ponytail. He wore layered armor reinforced with metal and had two swords on his back. Around his neck was an amulet with a roaring wolf, confirming his identity as a witcher.

An old man sat across from the witcher, explaining something with a near-crying expression, while the witcher remained stoic.

"Hello, are you the witcher?" Andries asked, approaching.

Both men looked at Andries. The old man recognized him and greeted him, while the witcher appeared wary of the two mutants.

"Master witcher, these are the ones I told you about." the old man said. "This is the sorcerer child who has been healing people and his companion who helps with the rebuilding. Maybe they can help you. Master Andries, this is witcher Eskel."

"Were you talking about the monster?" Andries asked, and the old man nodded eagerly. "I've been trying to find the monster, but I've had no luck so far. Or maybe I'm lucky because I have no clue how to kill one of them."

"Who are you exactly?" Eskel asked, his sharp eyes scrutinizing Andries and his companions.

"Oh, sorry, I forgot." Andries replied with a small smile. "My name is Andries, my big friend here is Mathies, and this is Felix, my cat."

"Hi." Mathies said with a nod.

"They are the mutants who fought at Sodden Hill." the old man interjected.

"Oh yeah, I've heard of those two." Eskel said, his expression softening slightly. "I'm Eskel. I owe you two a few drinks. People have been treating all mutants better after the news of your fight. Even us witchers are having an easier time with people."

"That's great to hear." Andries said, taking a seat. "So, about the monster. I might have some ideas about what it might be."

"I heard it's a fiend." Eskel said, leaning forward.

"It isn't." Andries replied confidently. "I heard no mention of hypnotic powers and survivors say it had ram-like horns. I guess it might be a Chort."

"Are you sure?" Eskel asked, frowning. "Well, that makes things a lot easier than a fiend, but not by much."

"Of course it isn't easy. The bastard killed thirty soldiers." the old man said, his voice trembling with anger and grief.

"The Chort ambushed the soldiers at night." Andries explained. "It killed a lot of them, but some managed to survive. I don't know how smart monsters are supposed to be but that was smart."

"This Chort sounds very aggressive." Eskel noted. "Do you have any idea what brought this up? Chorts don't usually leave their territory."

"Well, someone might have made it aggressive." Andries said. "I killed a bunch of Nilfgaardian spies the other day. One of them was a mage. They were looking to abduct a bard named Dandelion who knew about a witcher and the princess of Cintra. I saved the bard, and he told me the princess was probably dead, but spies form Nilfgaard don't just do one job. They could have done something to the Chort."

As Andries spoke, he observed Eskel's face. The witcher's stoic expression wavered slightly at the mention of the princess and the witcher. Andries had to stop himself from smiling, knowing now that Eskel had some knowledge of the girl.

"Nilfgaardian bastards." the old man said, tears welling up. "I lost two of my sons. I would have lost the rest of my family if this young man hadn't healed them. I hope you send all of those Nilfgaardians to hell."

"One problem at a time." Andries said, handing the old man a few coins. "Why don't you go have a drink? It might help you. I have a few things to discuss with the witcher."

The old man thanked Andries and walked to the bar. Andries knew he would spread the news quickly. Having people believe the princess was dead would be helpful, as would stoking hatred toward Nilfgaard.

"All right, now that he's gone, tell me all you know." Eskel said, his tone more urgent.

"Well, what I said was true." Andries replied. "I feel like someone has agitated the monster. I wanted to hunt it, but I was afraid it would be able to kill me. I've only read about monsters, never fought one."

"Do you know where it lives?" Eskel asked.

"No, but I have seen some tracks in the woods." Andries said. "Mathies and I can take you there and even help you fight the creature."

"You're very keen on helping these people." Eskel remarked, suspicion creeping into his voice.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I?" Andries said with a shrug. "Helping people feels good on its own and I also get paid. But don't worry, the bounty on the Chort is all yours. All I ask is to let me study the monster."

"Study the monster? Why would you do that?" Eskel asked, his brow furrowed in curiosity and suspicion.

"Not to advance the knowledge we have, if that's what you think." Andries said. "You see, I am a mutant, as are Mathies and even Felix. I managed to use alchemy to mutate Felix and I can change my appearance too. For example, I'm fifteen and can change my age. The thing is, I've never had access to monsters like this Chort that have better powers. There is a lot I can do with it, like for example maybe I can enhance my regeneration powers."

"So you want to kill the monster for mutation?" Eskel asked.

"And to help people. They really need it." Andries said.

"All right, we have a deal." Eskel said, extending his hand.

"Great. Do you want to start the hunt now, or do you need rest?" Andries asked, shaking Eskel's hand.

"I'm fine. We can start right now." Eskel replied.

"Great, let's get going." Andries said, getting up.

Andries paid for Eskel's drink, and they exited the tavern. Eskel mounted his horse, while Andries climbed onto his carriage with Mathies. Andries led Eskel to the general area of the Chort's hunting ground but kept the exact location to himself.

They all dismounted and began searching the area. Eskel examined the tracks and sniffed the air. After a few moments, he turned to Andries.

"I smell you guys here too. Have you been here before?" Eskel asked.

"A couple of times, yes, but I didn't enter the forest." Andries said.

Eskel nodded and continued his search. Andries followed, contacting Mathies mentally. Mathies informed Andries that the Chort was nearby, but something felt off.

After a while, Mathies spotted the Chort. Andries told Eskel that Mathies had seen something in that direction. Eskel nodded and poured oil on his silver blade.

As they got closer, they spotted the Chort, and it spotted them. From the first moments, it was clear something was wrong. The Chort was bigger, its horns had grown larger, and its claws looked more formidable. Its third eye didn't have a hypnotic effect, but looking at it made Andries feel slightly nauseous.

"That is not normal." Andries muttered before the Chort attacked.

The Chort charged at them with astonishing speed. Andries and Eskel dove out of the way, but Mathies stood his ground, trying to grab the Chort. The Chort rammed into Mathies, throwing him to the ground.

Mathies quickly got back on his feet. Before the Chort could rip him apart, he jumped over its head, landing behind it and punched it in the rear. The attack seemed to do minimal damage.

Andries regained his footing and sent a lightning bolt toward the Chort. The bolt was powerful but had little effect on the creature.

The Chort turned and roared. Mathies jumped back, creating some distance just as Eskel threw a bomb at the Chort. The bomb produced a loud sound, which momentarily stunned the Chort.

Eskel rushed forward, aiming for the Chort's head. The Chort recovered and backed away, but Eskel's blade still cut into the muscles of its front legs. The silver or perhaps the oil on the blade, had a severe effect, burning the Chort's flesh and creating a deep wound, which Andries noted as unusual.

Despite the injury, the Chort seemed more enraged than weakened. It roared again, shaking off the stun, and charged at Eskel. The witcher dodged skillfully, delivering another slash across the Chort's side. Andries, seeing an opening, sent another lightning bolt, this time aiming for the wound Eskel had created. The bolt struck true and the Chort howled in pain.

Mathies lifted a giant piece of rock as the Chort was busy fighting the witcher. Sensing Mathies' approach, Eskel distracted the Chort just enough for Mathies to reach it and bring the massive rock down on its head.

The Chort went down but began to rise again when Andries used his mental power to propel his silver dagger forward into the Chort's left eye. This dagger, taken from the Nilfgaardians, caused a severe reaction, creating a large wound and burning the flesh around it.

Eskel seized the opportunity to slash at the other eye. Although the Chort backed away, Eskel was fast and managed to blind it. Both Mathies and Eskel quickly retreated as the Chort thrashed around wildly. The silver knife embedded in its left eye prevented healing, and the wound from the lightning bolt also refused to close, but the rest of its injuries started to visibly regenerate.

"Okay, that isn't normal at all." Eskel said, his voice tinged with concern.

"We have to kill it fast." Andries replied, urgency clear in his tone.

Andries began casting a spell. As the Chort attempted to heal its right eye, Andries summoned an earth spell under its feet. The ground began to liquefy and climb the Chort's body, hardening and pulling the creature down.

Mathies leaped onto the Chort, landing heavily on its back. Blinded and restrained by Andries's spell, the Chort couldn't evade. Mathies started to slam his fists down on the Chort's head repeatedly. Despite its desperate thrashing, Mathies held firm.

Eskel rushed forward, delivering several slashes to the creature. As the monster prepared to roar, Eskel used a witcher sign to send a wave of flames into the Chort's open mouth, causing significant damage.

Andries maintained his spell, but the Chort's immense strength allowed it to break free from the earth prison. Although it escaped, it was severely weakened and collapsed to the ground. The Chort appeared dead, but Eskel didn't take chances. He approached the creature and decapitated it with multiple strikes.

As the head was severed, Andries ran to the Chort, an excited smile on his face as he examined the body. The muscles were as strong and hard as stone. The third eye still had a sickening aura even in death. Andries pulled out his silver knife, which no longer burned but still cut deeply.

"This is amazing." Andries said. "I've never heard of a relict monster being mutated. I've heard about ghouls or even dragons, but this is new. Mathies, go get some jars from the carriage. I need to store its blood."

"Yeah, it is new." Eskel said, his tone admiring yet cautious. "Good job with this thing. I have to admit, I would've probably died fighting this alone."

"Don't mention it." Andries replied.

"Can you do your experiments fast?" Eskel asked. "I need to take this thing to the keep and show it to others. New monsters are trouble."

"We can do something better." Andries suggested. "I can cast a few spells to keep the body fresh. I can come with you to your keep and use your equipment for more tests if we have. I feel like we can all gain something from that. I can help with this monster and other potions you need and in return you guys can teach me your type of alchemy."

"I don't know about that." Eskel said, hesitation clear in his voice. "Kaer Morhen isn't open to just anyone. We can't let people we don't trust inside."

"Why not?" Andries countered. "If you were making more witchers, then I'd say you had something to hide, but I don't think you do. Besides, I'm willingly offering my talents and telling you I can help with this. I'm a good alchemist. I'm sure we can both profit from a partnership."

Eskel considered Andries' words, weighing the potential benefits against the risks of inviting a stranger into Kaer Morhen. The witcher's eyes met Andrie's, searching for any signs of deceit. Finding none, he nodded slowly.

"Alright." Eskel said, "but remember, you'll be watched closely. One wrong move, and you're out."

"Understood." Andries replied, a confident smile spreading across his face. "I'll start preparing the spells to preserve the body. Let's get this creature to Kaer Morhen."

Mathies returned with multiple jars, and Andries began draining the Chort's blood using his powers, storing as much as he could in the jars. Meanwhile, Eskel used Andries's silver knife to cut the Chort into smaller, more portable pieces.

Once they finished, they returned to their horses. Andries placed the hands and feet in his cart, while Eskel carried the head on his horse. Andries also stored the heart and some other organs in jars. The rest of the body was too large for the carriage, so Andries took a few samples and left the remainder behind.

Upon their return to the town, the people welcomed them warmly. Eskel presented proof of the Chort's death and received a generous reward. He offered to share it with Andries, but Andries politely refused, wanting the witcher to see him as primarily interested in knowledge rather than monetary gain.

Eskel headed to the tavern to celebrate, likely with the townsfolk eager to buy him drinks after the Chort's rampage. Meanwhile, Andries decided to conduct some tests.

Frustrated by the lack of a device to magnify his vision, Andries wanted to examine the changes in the Chort's blood. He carved runes on the jars and fed them power, casting a preserving spell. He then cast several spells on small blood samples and used his alchemy kit for further tests.

Andries conducted his magical tests, expecting to find traces of the potion in the Chort's blood, and he did. The telltale signs of the potion's influence were unmistakable, but what intrigued him more were the mutations. The Chort's blood was teeming with anomalies that had never been documented before. It was unlike anything previously reported by sorcerers studying Chorts.

Moving to the Chort's head, Andries carefully extracted the brain and the third eye. He placed the brain in a jar with preserving spells and began his analysis. After some testing, he learned that while he couldn't extract anything useful for mutation, the brain held potential for creating psionic serums. These serums, he hypothesized, might enhance the powers of a psionic or mage but would be highly toxic to non-mutants. The discovery excited him, as it opened new avenues for enhancing mental powers.

The eye was different. It seemed to contain a different kind of magic. Andries preserved it in a jar with protection spells, recognizing that he lacked the necessary materials to do more at the moment. The eye had potential, but he needed a better facility to fully understand and harness its power.

He also extracted some Chort mutagen and stored it in his last jar. These mutagens held great potential, but again, he needed a better facility to fully utilize them. The mutagens could be the key to unlocking even greater powers or creating new forms of life.

Andries paused his work to buy food for his group. Inside the tavern, people were in high spirits, celebrating their newfound safety. The witcher, Eskel, seemed a bit uncomfortable with all the attention. Andries moved quickly, avoiding the crowd, and ordered food to take back to Mathies.

They ate in relative silence, Andries deep in thought about his discoveries while Mathies played with Felix. As soon as they finished eating, Andries returned to his work. He worked tirelessly until nightfall, driven by the potential of his findings.

Eventually, the witcher decided to leave the tavern as there were no available rooms.

"Do you always do that after your hunts?" Andries asked Eskel.

"No, they just kept buying me drinks." Eskel replied, sounding a little drunk. "I've never seen people this happy with what I do. It's a lot better than people dropping coins on the ground and telling me to leave as soon as I can."

"I guess you aren't traveling anytime soon." Andries said.

"No, I'll stay the night." Eskel said. "I also won't go back directly to Kaer Morhen. From time to time, us witchers leave the keep and look for contracts, taking any contract in a random direction and hunting anything on the way back."

"That doesn't sound very effective." Andries remarked. "If only there was a device that could help people contact witchers during monster attacks."

"I think there are some magical things that can do that but they're expensive." Eskel said.

"They are, but they're useful." Andries said. "Also, when I said if only there was a device, I was being sarcastic."

"Yeah, I didn't get that part." Eskel admitted. "By the way, do you know anywhere I can sleep? I can meditate, but a bed would be nice."

"Sure, I've been staying at an inn nearby. I think they have some extra rooms." Andries said.

"By the way, do you know any good brothels around?" Eskel asked.

"Nope, I'm too young for that." Andries replied.

Eskel just nodded. Andries packed his things, and they rode the carriage to the inn outside Oxenfurt. The inn had enough space for the witcher to get a good night's sleep.

Andries, with the help of Mathies, brought in his tools and the Chort's body parts. He ordered some food for himself, Mathies, and Felix. After eating, Mathies went to sleep on the ground, afraid of breaking the beds, while Andries continued working on the Chort.

Having slept the previous night, Andries felt no need for rest and kept working, making use of the materials he had and storing the ones he couldn't use yet. He worked diligently until midnight when a polite knock interrupted his concentration. Annoyed, Andries considered stabbing whoever had disturbed him but decided to ignore it.

The knocking persisted briefly, then ceased. Andries sensed a channeling of energy and heard the door's lock click open.

"Mathies, wake up. We've got company." Andries said without stopping his work.

Mathies sprang to his feet as the door opened, revealing a beautiful woman. She had almond-shaped black eyes, long curly hair cascading down her back and wore a form-fitting dress that revealed some skin. Her makeup enhanced her beauty and her jewelry emanated a magical aura similar to Yennefer's.

"Hey lady, would you mind waiting for a moment?" Andries said. "I would love to kill you, but the materials I'm working on are one of a kind, so I can't stop. I promise I will kill you after."

"Oh no, I'm not here for a fight." the woman said with a smile.

"Then I hope you can wait until tomorrow to talk." Andries replied.

"I'm not really a morning person and you will leave the area with that ugly witcher." the woman said.

"I'm sorry, who are you exactly?" Andries asked while continuing his work.

"My name is Philippa Eilhart, advisor to King Vizimir the Second." she said.

"And why would the king's advisor want to meet me?" Andries asked, not looking up from his work.

"I know what you did with the monster you're working on." Philippa said, closing the door behind her.

Andries felt a spell being cast, specifically a mental spell targeting Mathies. Using his mental power, Andries pushed the spell out. Philippa's presence was powerful, but Mathies's simple mind, a side effect of an experiment by Andries's mother, made it feel claustrophobic to intruding minds, allowing Andries to easily push the spell out.

"Well, that was interesting." Philippa said. "How did you do that? I know you don't have enough power to fight mine, yet you managed to push my power out. How?"

"I have my ways." Andries replied. "Now, if you wouldn't mind talking to me while I work, I'd be happy to hear what you have to say."

"You are an interesting guy, aren't you?" Philippa said with a smile. "Most people would be scared or surprised when I tell them I know their dark secrets, but you only care about your work."

"Hey, if you wanted to tell people, you wouldn't be here, so…" Andries said. "Do you want to have a seat? You can use my bed. I'm okay with working on the ground."

Philippa looked around as if she were a queen in a barn and decided to remain standing. Mathies stayed alert, staring at her.

"So, you are Andries the mutant." Philippa said. "I've heard some things about you. You've made quite a splash in the magical and political worlds."

"Did I?" Andries asked, still focused on his work.

Andries finished his current work, then stored all his things and started cleaning his hands.

"Yes, you did," Philippa said. "You fought in the war very heroically, or at least that is what people say. Those who last saw Lytta Neyd in the fight swore they saw her lose her hands and when you brought her back, she had her hands, making sorcerers think you have magic they don't understand. You also killed a group of spies I was after and when I had you watched, they said you fed some potion to the Chort that turned it violent."

"Okay, you know a lot about me. What do you want?" Andries asked.

"I want to know what you want." Philippa said. "Most people would look at your actions and say you want to fight the Nilfgaard, but I don't think that is what you want."

"Truth be told, I'm just winging it." Andries said. "I mostly want to find more monsters to mutate my body further. While I was doing that, I got into some interesting situations. Like the spies you said I killed, I really just wanted to listen to music, then I saw people following the bard and got curious."

"I find that hard to believe," Philippa said.

"What can I say? That's what I want." Andries said. "Look at me right now. I made it angry so I could find a witcher. I really just want to follow him so I can get more monsters. If I could get him to show me how they made witchers, I would be happier."

"Most sorcerers think of personal power and pleasure, not whatever you are doing," Philippa said.

"Well, this is both." Andries said. "I'm a mutant, so more mutation is just more power. I also love to fight and test my power on my enemies, so that's the part about the pleasure thing."

"Are you willing to work for someone else for more power?" Philippa asked.

"I don't think I have any way to help you," Andries said.

"You do, actually." Philippa said. "I wouldn't mind if you gave me interesting information you learn. If your information is good, I will promise to teach you some of the magical tricks I know. I also want you to help me in some fights, probably against Nilfgaard if I ask for it."

"Sure, I wouldn't mind that." Andries said. "I have a Megascope. I can both teleport to you and talk to you with it, so that wouldn't be much of a problem. I also know some other telepathic spells that will help me contact you from large distances."

"I have to admit, this went better than I expected." Philippa said. "Most mages would negotiate or refuse to be political, some will even try to get a place in the court but you just accepted."

"What can I say, I am weird." Andries said. "Besides I really don't lose anything if I contact you when something interesting is happening. And I love hurting Nilfgaard so why not."

"Keep me updated on interesting things you find, especially spies belonging to Nilfgaard and other kingdoms." Philippa said with a smile.

"Sure." Andries said.

Philippa looked a little confused, she seemed to be surprised by how unbothered Andries was. Finally she turned around, opened a portal and started to leave. Andries saw her mask the movement of her hands by casting the portal and made the hand movement look a lot more complicated than it was. In the complicated hand movement was her way to mask her throwing a small piece of crystal into one of Andries's boots. Andries waited for Philippa to be gone, then he took the crystal and threw it out of the window.

He went back to work, and Mathies returned to sleep. Andries kept working for the rest of the night, studying the mutation in the creature's body and making notes of everything. In all the events that were happening, the thing that seemed most important was the study and mutation.