chapter 9

Andries did not sleep and kept to his work. He was too busy to realize it was morning. What pulled him out of his work was a knock on the door. His work wasn't that dangerous, so he raised his head to see the dawn's light. Deciding it was enough for now, he went to the door and opened it to see the witcher, Eskel.

"Morning." Andries said.

"Morning." Eskel replied. "Listen, I went out to check my horse and didn't find the Chort's head. I thought you took it and when I looked at your carriage, it wasn't there. I thought you left, which was odd, but now I think someone stole your things."

"No, don't worry. I hid my carriage with an illusion." Andries said. "As for the head, I removed different parts like the brain and eye, then put them in preserving jars. I also learned what happened to the Chort, or have a good idea."

"That's good to hear. Tell me what you learned." Eskel said.

"I know a few potions that can do that." Andries explained as he went inside his room with Eskel following. "You see that red potion? That's the closest thing I found that matched what was in the Chort's blood. From what I remember, this puts people in a battle-trance-like state."

"What caused the mutation, the potion itself or the battle trance?" Eskel asked.

"I don't know." Andries admitted. "The thing is, I can't really say without live test subjects, and I need multiple. I have to test the battle trance thing by putting one under a spell, using the potion, then calming one with my spells to see the results. It could also be that both the potion and the battle trance caused the mutation, so a third subject would be great."

"I think you're asking a lot." Eskel said. "I'm a monster hunter, not a monster capturer. Besides, I don't think anyone can capture a Chort easily."

"Yeah, I know." Andries said, looking a little sad. "Anyways, do you think you are ready to move now? I really don't like to stay around here for too long."

"Why not? People here are very good to mutants." Eskel said.

"Yeah, but I met a couple of enchantresses and I'd rather avoid them." Andries said.

"People who meet enchantresses usually want to meet them again." Eskel noted.

"Not when you can actually think." Andries retorted. "Why would a sorcerer be interested in someone like me? It's obviously not sex since they can have anyone and I look too young for that anyway. That leaves me being used because of my abilities and I'd rather not be used."

"Okay, fair enough." Eskel said. "You should gather your things. I'm getting ready to move soon."

"Okay." Andries said.

Andries went back to his room and gathered his and Mathies's things. After he was done, he woke up Mathies. Going downstairs together, they saw the witcher eating breakfast. Andries ordered breakfast for himself, Mathies, and Felix, and they started to eat. The four ate mostly in silence. After breakfast, they got their things and prepared to move when Eskel saw the Chort's head.

"What did you do with the Chort?!" Eskel demanded.

"I was experimenting." Andries replied. "I preserved parts I couldn't do anything with yet, like the brain, eyes, and other organs, and experimented on the rest. How do you think I learned about the potion?"

"You said you would wait until we reached Kaer Morhen." Eskel retorted.

"I didn't say that." Andries corrected. "I agreed to do some tests on this and help you witchers, and I plan on doing that. I still have a lot of tests to do on the Chort, so why don't we move quickly? Also, can we make a stop at the city? I need to buy some new jars. Mine are all full."

Eskel sighed and nodded. After that they all rode to the city to buy some supplies for the road. They bought food and replenished their water supplies. In addition to that, Andries paid for more jars to store his specimens. His carriage was getting full of items by now, so much so that Felix and Mathies preferred to stay in front with Andries.

The group left the city, Andries riding behind Eskel while teaching Mathies how to handle the carriage. Eskel rode at a steady pace, not too fast nor too slow, allowing Andries to keep up. Eskel led them north, then east, towards the town of Zgraggen and the Devil's Ford.

In each town, Eskel inquired about monsters to hunt. Other than bandits, thieves, and squirrels, they found nothing noteworthy. It was getting late by the time they reached Devil's Ford and tried to rent a couple of rooms, but the inns refused to accommodate them.

The group moved to the north of Devil's Ford, which was to the far south of Tretogor, the capital of Redania. Andries created an illusion around the carriage and the horses while they made camp.

Andries found Eskel to be a boring companion, as he barely spoke and now simply meditated after eating some dried meat. Andries wasn't in the mood for hunting, so he too ate some rations with Mathies and Felix before they slept outside their carriage.

The next morning, Andries woke up to find everyone else still asleep except for Eskel. The witcher was meditating with his eyes closed. Andries got up, dressed, and went to check on him. Getting close, he heard Eskel's slow breathing. He poked the witcher's nose, which seemed to annoy him.

"Stop that." Eskel said.

"Sorry, I wanted to make sure you were fine." Andries said. "I was going to go around and hunt a little. Do you want to help?"

"I hunt monsters, not really good at hunting big games." Eskel replied.

"Don't worry about the hunting part." Andries said. "I only need you to track something down and I'll grab them with a spell."

"What type of spell?" Eskel asked.

"It's a mental spell." Andries explained. "I really can't hit humans or monsters with it, but animals are easy. The spell will make them extremely calm. They'll forget their fight-or-flight instinct, so we can get close and kill them."

"Sounds easy. I'm in." Eskel said.

"Great, get your things. We're leaving before Mathies wakes up." Andries said.

Andries moved over to Mathies's sleeping body. He telepathically reached into Mathies's mind, assuring him in his dream that he would be back soon.

He grabbed three daggers, one silver, two metal and sheathed them around his belt. He also took his short sword, the same one he had stolen from the Nilfgaardian camp. Finally, Andries picked up a satchel bag with some essential items and slung it over his shoulder.

Andries and Eskel then ventured out for a hunt. The area around them wasn't densely forested, but there were enough trees to suggest there would be some game to hunt.

Using his enhanced senses, Eskel tracked down a pack of boars. Boars were notoriously aggressive, attacking anything in their path, so the two looked for one that was separated from the others. After a few moments, they found a lone boar.

This boar was medium-sized, enough to feed all four of them. Andries channeled some energy and, with a quick flick of his hand, cast a mental spell on the boar. The boar's weak mind succumbed to the spell; it shuddered, moved in a circle, then stopped.

"Done." Andries said.

Eskel gave Andries a look before slowly approaching the boar. The boar lifted its head, seeing Eskel but not reacting. Eskel drew his steel sword and jammed it into the boar's eye, driving the blade deep into its skull.

"We can take it to camp. I can use some spells to drain its blood and skin it." Andries said.

Eskel nodded, cleaning his sword. He then lifted the boar over his shoulder. The two started the walk back to camp, away from the forested area. The camp was a little far, so they had to walk some distance.

Andries, pleased with his actions, failed to notice that they were being followed. However, the witcher did notice. Eskel acted as if the boar was heavy on his shoulder, placing it on the ground for a moment to scan for any signs of danger. This action made both Andries and their stalkers suspicious.

Eskel didn't get the chance to get a good look before an arrow was shot toward them. With no time to draw his sword, he deflected the arrow with a dagger, his reflexes lightning-fast. The arrowhead was oddly shaped and broke on impact. One of the shards hit Eskel in the face, causing a small wound.

Andries, channeling energy, scanned for the source of the attack. The moment he saw the slightest movement in the trees, he sent a lightning bolt in that direction. The bolt sped through the air, hitting its target. Andries heard a scream and saw someone fall.

More arrows flew toward them. Andries moved quickly, casting a sign to create a barrier around himself and Eskel. Feeding more energy into the barrier, he deflected the arrows as they hit and fell to the ground.

The witcher drew his steel sword and held his dagger in his other hand. From the safety of the barrier, he scanned the surroundings, then started to move with incredible speed. He was fast, and could easily dodge and deflecting the incoming arrows.

Seeing that their arrows were ineffective, the attackers emerged from their hiding spots. Andries saw who they were, elves, clad in light armor with colors blending into the forest. They carried an array of weapons, swords, bows, and short swords.

The elves moved swiftly toward Andries. Some continued shooting arrows to prevent him from dropping the barrier. However, they didn't get many shots off before the witcher reached them. With lightning speed, Eskel cut through the archers, not allowing them to draw their swords.

With the immediate threat lessened, Andries dropped the barrier and attempted to cast a spell. The elves were closing in on him, so he drew his short sword and used his mental powers to draw his two metal daggers. He launched the daggers at two elves. The nearest elf didn't see it coming, the dagger pierced his neck. The other elf, a female, dodged the dagger. Andries stopped the dagger mid-air, redirected it and struck the female elf in the back of the neck. Retrieving the daggers from their necks, he waited for the next wave.

An elf armed with two swords rushed Andries, slashing rapidly. The elf was faster, forcing Andries to retreat. Despite the elf's speed, parrying the flying daggers and slashing at Andries simultaneously, allowed Andries to hold his ground.

Three more elves joined the fray. They anticipated an easy victory, not realizing Andries had channeled a large amount of energy. He used a spell created by a famous mage to mimic the breath of a dragon. Though not perfect, it was still powerful.

Whispering the incantation, Andries felt the heat in his chest. With a roar, he unleashed a wave of flame from his mouth, engulfing the approaching elves. The sudden flames caught the elves by surprise, setting them ablaze. The burning elves ran in panic, while those barely touched by the fire met their end by Andries's daggers.

Andries glanced at the witcher, who was covered in blood elves, still battling a group of elves. Andries started launching lightning bolts at the elves, thinning their ranks.

Realizing the battle was lost, the remaining elves began to flee. While Eskel was willing to let them go, Andries wasn't. He cast an air spell, propelling his daggers faster than a crossbow bolt. They hit their targets, killing two elves and leaving one alive.

Andries cast an earth spell, conjuring a large spike and launching it at the last elf. The spike struck the elf in the back but didn't kill her.

Andries walked toward the last elf, while the witcher scanned the area for more threats. The elf, a woman, struggled to crawl away. Reaching her, Andries drove his short sword into the back of her neck, ending her life.

"Was that really necessary?" the witcher asked, watching Andries's brutal efficiency.

"Yes, actually." Andries replied. "I don't hate elves, but I don't want any survivors informing others to avenge their fallen. My mom always said, 'Never make an enemy. If you do, make sure they die very soon."

"Your mother sounds like a horrifying woman." Eskel remarked.

"She was, she is dead now." Andries said.

"Oh, sorry to hear." Eskel said.

"Don't worry, I don't care." Andries responded.

"You don't care?" Eskel asked, surprised by Andries's apathy.

"As you said, she was a horrifying woman." Andries repeated. "Now, why don't we loot the bodies? See what they have on them."

Eskel felt conflicted about Andries. On one hand, he pitied him, it was clear Andries had no positive parental figure. On the other hand, Andries was heartless.

Andries, unbothered, began searching the bodies. The burned ones yielded nothing, but he found multiple bows. Some were damaged, but one stood out, so he picked it up along with a quiver and arrows.

The elves weaponry was finely crafted, with well-balanced, lightweight swords. Andries tested their sharpness by cutting off the limbs of the corpses. The blades were sharper than human swords.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Eskel exclaimed.

"Testing the sharpness of the swords." Andries replied as if it were the most obvious thing.

"Test it on the trees, not the bodies. Show some respect." Eskel said.

"Why respect them? They tried to kill us." Andries retorted. "Besides, we usually fight things made of flesh and bone not trees. I want to see how it can cut through that not a tree, the tree didn't do anything wrong."

"These elves have been through a lot." Eskel said. "They've been hunted, hurt, and treated like shit by humans. In the past, their lives were even worse, with humans raiding and burning their lands."

"So?" Andries asked. "I'm a mutant. Until I fought at Sodden Hill, I was treated like shit, sometimes even hunted. If a human calls me a freak, I can insult them back. But if I kill a human for calling me a freak, then I'm no better than them. I'll never stoop as low as these insects."

"Did you call all humans insects or just the racist ones?" Eskel asked.

"Oh, I don't have anything against humans." Andries said but didn't clarify further. That seemed to satisfy Eskel, who resumed searching.

Eskel, despite his belief in respecting the dead, was quick to loot the bodies. He too picked up a few swords and selected the best one. Other than swords and bows, they found some dried meat and edible roots on the bodies. They collected the food and carried the boar back to camp.

When they returned, they found Mathies awake, playing with Felix. Both were happy to see Eskel and Andries, but Mathies grew worried upon seeing the blood on Eskel.

Andries gave them some dried meat to tide them over while they cooked the boar. Using his powers, he skinned and drained the boar, then removed the blood from the witcher's clothes.

They started cooking the boar, with Andries using spells to heat it faster and keep it from drying out. He was particularly proud of these cooking spells he had learned at the academy.

The group started to eat the boar, making sure there would be enough meat for everyone by also eating the roots they had looted from the bodies. After they finished their meal, they packed their things and continued their journey. Andries resumed teaching Mathies how to ride the carriage, surprised at how quickly Mathies picked it up. Realizing that Mathies might have had experience before the lab, Andries allowed him to take the reins, while he went to the back to check his equipment.

They made a stop before reaching Tretogor. Andries used this opportunity to open a portal with the megascope to his mansion. Eskel, feeding his horse, was taken aback by the sudden appearance of the portal.

"What the hell was that?" Eskel asked.

"A portal." Andries replied simply, removing the energy source.

Eskel shook his head, still bewildered, and got ready to move again. The group traveled until afternoon, reaching the outskirts of Tretogor. Andries wanted to explore the city, but Eskel warned him about the locals' distrust of mutants. Deciding to avoid potential trouble, they traveled on the east road instead.

While Mathies drove, Andries rummaged through his things and found a small crystal ball he didn't remember having. After a moment, he recalled the enchantress Philippa placing something similar in his boot. Recognizing its magical signature, he quickly threw it away, wary of Philippa's intentions. Satisfied there were no other surprises, Andries sat beside Mathies with a book.

The book was about powerful monsters, with a section on higher vampires and their ability to transform their bodies. This intrigued Andries, sparking the idea of whether he could mutate his body to shift between monster and human forms. He read carefully about higher vampires and dopplers, but found little useful information. Higher vampires were nearly immortal and incredibly hard to kill, while there was slightly more information on dopplers, though still not much.

Frustrated, he looked through another book about shapeshifting, leading him to information on curses, werewolves, and other similar creatures.

"Hey Eskel, do you know much about shapeshifting creatures?" Andries asked as they traveled.

Eskel turned to him, considering the question. "I know a fair bit. Shapeshifters are tricky. Werewolves and other lycanthropes are cursed humans, changing under the full moon or when they're angry. Higher vampires can change at will, but they're rare and incredibly dangerous. Dopplers are more common, but they tend to avoid witchers."

Andries nodded, taking in the information. "Have you ever seen one up close?"

"I am a witcher, so yes." Eskel said. "I've hunted werewolves a few times, but the other forms aren't that common. I also met a doppler once. Nice guy bought me a drink."

"Did the doppler shapeshift in front of you?" Andries asked.

"He did. It was weird." Eskel said. "It was like his flesh bubbled and grew fast. He took my form and started to make fun of me until I punched him."

"Was it magic or something else?" Andries asked.

"I actually asked him that." Eskel said. "I personally didn't feel much in my medallion and when I asked, he didn't know much himself. He said it was a trigger in his mind that allowed him to take the form of something he thought about."

"That's amazing." Andries said, and Eskel shrugged. Andries then took out his notes and started writing something down.

"What are you writing?" Eskel asked.

"I am thinking of shapeshifting." Andries said. "I know mages can do it with magic but that requires a lot of work and energy. I was thinking of using alchemy to create a dual form for myself and using my psionic power as a trigger."

Andries put his notes back, grabbed an empty jar and the elven sword. Finding a good spot on his left wrist, he swung the sword powerfully, cutting off his hand. The pain was intense, but the potential gains made it worth it.

"Whoa! Whoa! What the hell are you doing?!" Eskel shouted.

"Don't worry, my limbs regrow. It's part of my mutation," Andries said as he placed the severed hand in the jar.

"That isn't an excuse to cut your hand off!" Eskel shouted.

"I didn't do it for nothing." Andries said. "That shapeshifting thing, I can't test it on myself because it can backfire, but I also have to do it on myself to do it right. Testing the mutation on my own hand is a better idea."

"There is something wrong with you." Eskel said.

"Yeah, I lost a hand." Andries said and laughed.

Using his own blood, Andries wrote sigils on the jar. Some were preservation spells, and others allowed him to connect to the hand mentally. He fed a little energy to the sigils, and the blood itself pulled more power in. When he was done, he put the jarred hand in his satchel bag.

Andries then began to slowly heal his hand. Using a necromantic spell, he grew the bones and some flesh, then stopped. Looking at his bony fingers, animated by magic, he had a great idea.

He used his psionic power and his other hand to carve runes into his bones. The pain was the worst he had ever felt, bringing tears to his eyes, but it was worth it. When he was done, he activated the runes by feeding them some energy.

These runes, learned at the academy, included protection spells and psionic connections. With these runes, he could store energy in his hand and activate the protection spells instantly with his psionics. Finally, he used earth magic to speed up the healing process, allowing some flesh to cover the bones. He then wrapped his hand in a bandage, letting it heal on its own.

Eskel watched the entire process with a mixture of horror and fascination. "You're insane," he finally said.

Andries smiled, wincing as he flexed his newly bandaged hand. "Maybe, but I'm also prepared."

Andries pulled out the jar containing his severed hand. Using a bit of psionics, he discovered he could control the hand as if it were still attached. This realization brought a smile to his face.

"You know the best part about what I did? I can give three middle fingers now," Andries said with a grin.

Eskel burst out laughing, and Mathies, though confused, joined in simply because he loved laughing.

The group continued eastward. Eskel, now more interested in conversation, asked questions about their mutations. Andries, passionate about both mutation and magic, eagerly answered.

After some time, they spotted a camp a little distance from the road. A group of men with shaven heads and dragon tattoos were roasting something over a fire.

"Who are those guys?" Andries asked.

"They look like dragon hunters," Eskel said.

"So, how are we going to kill them?" Andries asked.

"Why would we want to kill them?" Eskel asked, puzzled.

"Because they are dragon hunters," Andries said. "I love dragons. I think they are amazing creatures. I take great offense when little shitbags like these ambush an amazing creature like that and kill it for money."

"That doesn't mean we are going to kill them," Eskel said.

"Why not?" Andries asked.

"There are a lot of people that do things for greed. We can't kill all of them," Eskel said.

"Yes, but if we dismember the greedy ones and let the others see, they will think twice before doing horrible things." Andries said.

"Everything you say sounds concerning." Eskel said.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Andries asked.

"It isn't good at all." Eskel said.

"Well… I don't know how to change." Andries said.

Eskel shook his head, and they rode on. The travel continued for two days. While traveling east, they arrived in the town of Murivel and found a contract for multiple dragons, which they immediately realized were actually wyverns.

Andries bought a sheep and they headed north of the town to the wyvern area, which was south of the Kestrel Mountains, bordering Redania and Kaedwen. They left the sheep as bait in the area.

Wyverns were dangerous, but with Andries, Eskel, and Mathies working together, they managed to kill them all with ease. Andries extracted parts from the wyverns and sent them home through a portal.

Eskel collected the payment for the kill and informed the townsfolk that it was not a dragon but merely wyverns. The townsfolk were displeased, as they had been misled about the nature of the threat. Andries suspected some dragon hunters would soon have problems. By the time they left, Andries's hand was fully healed.

They soon left Redania and entered Kaedwen. They traveled for four days to the east and two days to the north, passing through two towns and a forest. During this time, they hunted and foraged for food, selling the animal hides they collected. Eskel seemed to enjoy earning money by selling hides rather than hunting monsters.

In the forest, they were attacked by elven raiders, likely the Squirrels Andries had heard of. Andries didn't get a chance to test his new powers, as Mathies joined the fight. The arrows didn't damage Mathies's stony skin and the second head he ripped off was enough to scare the elves away. This time, Andries didn't get the chance to kill them all.

When they reached the bridge to the south of Ard Carraigh, the capital of Kaedwen, the witcher decided to leave the main road and head northeast.

Soon they reached a trail carved through the rugged terrain of the Blue Mountains. Eskel told them about the road, notorious among witchers and travelers alike. Named for the many lives it had claimed over the centuries, the Witcher Road, or as witchers call it, "the Killer," was a perilous path. Sheer cliffs and narrow, winding paths were punctuated by steep drops that vanished into the misty abyss below. Eskel navigated the terrain with ease, his years of experience as a witcher making him attuned to every rock and root underfoot. Andries was forced multiple times to use earth spells to shape the path for his carriage.

As they moved deeper into the mountains, the air grew colder and the ancient, towering trees cast long shadows that danced in the pale, light of the sun. The trail twisted and turned, leading them through dense forest. Birds of prey circled high above, their sharp eyes scanning the ground for any sign of movement.

Soon, Andries saw the keep from afar. Kaer Morhen stood damaged but still beautiful. Built by the side of the mountain, the keep seemed to lean back into the rugged stone. It had two sets of walls, both damaged but still strong and beautiful. The keep enjoyed a great amount of natural and man-made protection.

"Welcome to Kaer Morhen, Andries."