KAER MORHEN -
In the forest near Kaer Morhen, snow had mostly melted, leaving damp earth and patches of frost beneath twisted pines.
Vesemir moved ahead in silence, boots leaving shallow impressions in the mud. Sebastian followed a few steps behind, eyes alert, fingers resting lightly near the hilt of the sword strapped across his back. The older witcher's pace was steady, the pace of someone who had walked this path more times than memory could count.
They had been tracking for hours.
Broken branches. Drag marks. Flies where there should have been none.
Vesemir glanced over his shoulder. "Normally," he said quietly, "I wouldn't bring you on a hunt this early."
Sebastian raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
"You've earned it," Vesemir continued. "Your sword work's sharp. Your control… better than most grown men I've trained. And your knowledge?" He grunted approvingly. "It's improving."
Sebastian allowed himself a small smile.
The wind shifted.
A faint, rotten stench drifted toward them.
Vesemir stopped suddenly and knelt beside a torn patch of earth. He pointed at claw marks etched into the soil.
"What do you think we're dealing with here?" he asked.
Sebastian crouched beside him, studying the ground, the surrounding trees, the direction of disturbed grass.
He inhaled carefully.
"Dead animal back there," he murmured. "Half-eaten, already rotten before it was eaten." His eyes moved to deep scratches on a nearby trunk. "Claw marks. Not from wolves. Too long."
He frowned.
"And the smell… rot, but fresh movement too. Something was feeding recently."
His gaze swept the area.
"No nest. No organized trail. Which means scavengers…"
He straightened slightly.
"Necrophages," he said confidently. "Ghouls, to be precise."
He hesitated.
"But it's strange. They're close to the keep. And aside from that dead animal, there aren't any corpses around. Ghouls usually gather where bodies are plentiful."
Vesemir's lips curled into a proud smile.
"Brilliant deduction, Seb. Exactly right."
He stood, brushing dirt from his gloves.
"Ghouls," he confirmed. "As for why they're this close… either we've grown lazy, or there are bodies nearby we haven't found yet. Travelers get lost. Snow hides mistakes."
Sebastian glanced deeper into the woods, eyes narrowing.
"Then we keep following."
Vesemir chuckled softly as he resumed walking. "Aye. We do."
They moved deeper between the trees, the smell growing stronger. Crows cawed overhead.
Sebastian's excitement showed in the way he walked, quieter than before, more focused.
Vesemir noticed.
"You seem eager," he said.
Sebastian nodded honestly. "First real hunt."
Vesemir's tone hardened slightly. "Remember something. You're here to learn. Not fight."
Sebastian frowned. "I can handle it. Let me try and I'll show you."
Vesemir stopped and turned fully toward him.
"No."
The word was firm.
"Your body isn't fully grown," he continued. "You're barely a teen, mutated or not. A ghoul hits harder than you think. One mistake and it tears your throat out before you can blink."
Sebastian replied. "I'm stronger than you think."
"And I'm older than you can imagine," Vesemir replied calmly. "Strength isn't the question. Experience is. You watch. I do the killing."
Sebastian exhaled sharply, frustration flickering across his face.
"…Fine."
Vesemir nodded once, satisfied.
"Good. Keep your eyes open. Watch how they move. How they hesitate. Monsters teach if you survive long enough to listen."
The trees thinned ahead.
Somewhere in the distance, a guttural roar echoed.
Both witchers slowed.
Vesemir's hand moved to his sword.
"Stay close," he whispered.
Sebastian nodded… but his golden eyes gleamed with something harder to hide a hunger not just to watch, but to prove himself.
Night had settled over the forest, Vesemir and Sebastian moved silently through the trees, following the stench of rot and blood until they found their prey.
They crouched behind a thick pine.
Ahead, in a small clearing, three ghouls hunched over a dead wolf. Flesh tore beneath jagged teeth. Wet crunching filled the air, mixed with low growls and the buzzing of flies that refused to sleep.
Sebastian watched.
Vesemir's hand reached for the pouch at his belt. He drew out a small vial and uncorked it, coating his silver blade in a slick, dark sheen.
"Necrophage oil," he murmured.
Sebastian nodded. "I made that one."
Vesemir glanced at him, a faint smile beneath his beard. "Oh you did? Not bad, Seb. Not bad at all.."
The old witcher's expression hardened instantly.
"Now watch," he whispered. "And do not interfere."
Sebastian swallowed his frustration. "Alright."
Vesemir stepped from the shadows like a ghost.
The first ghoul barely had time to raise its head before silver flashed.
Silver met flesh in a clean arc, one slash across the throat. Dark blood sprayed the ground. The creature collapsed with a choking screech.
The other two spun toward him, hissing.
Vesemir moved with inhuman precision. A quick Aard blasted one back, sending it tumbling through the dirt. The second attacked, claws wide, but Vesemir twisted aside, blade sliding through its ribs. He kicked it away before it could retaliate.
The clearing erupted into chaos.
The remaining ghoul darted low, trying to flank him. Vesemir cast Quen, the golden magic shield bursting into existence just as claws struck the impact scattering sparks of magic. He countered instantly, bringing the silver blade down in a brutal diagonal cut.
Sebastian watched, breath shallow, eyes wide.
It was beautiful. Efficient. Relentless.
Then something shifted.
A sound.
Soft. Close.
Sebastian turned his head slowly.
From the darkness behind the clearing, another shape moved, larger, heavier. Bone spikes protruded from its back. Its posture was cautious, predatory.
An alghoul.
It stalked forward silently, eyes locked on Vesemir's exposed flank.
Sebastian's heart slammed in his chest.
"Vesemir!" he yelled, voice sharp.
The old witcher was mid-swing, focused on the ghoul before him.
There wasn't time.
Sebastian's hand moved before thought could catch up.
He grabbed his sword steel, not silver and burst from cover.
The alghoul attacked.
Heat roared through Seb's arm.
Flames exploded across his blade far hotter, far wilder than any Igni could do. Fire spiraled upward like a storm, wrapping the steel in a torrent of flame.
The alghoul's eyes widened just before impact.
Sebastian drove the blade forward with everything he had.
The flaming sword punched through the creature's chest, pinning it to the ground with a shriek that split the night.
The smell of burning flesh filled the clearing.
Vesemir turned, eyes widening.
For a brief second, he said nothing only watched as fire danced wildly around Sebastian's blade and arm.
The old witcher reacted instantly.
Silver flashed.
One clean swing.
The alghoul's head rolled free, body collapsing.
The flames sputtered and died.
Vesemir stared at Sebastian.
"That's…" he began, voice low with stunned in awe and disbelief.
Sebastian's eyes widened suddenly.
"Look out!"
The final ghoul sprang from the side.
Vesemir moved on instinct, spinning and driving his sword through its skull. The creature then fell silent.
The forest calmed again.
Vesemir slowly turned toward Sebastian.
The old witcher's expression was both filled with shock, concern and curiosity all layered together.
Sebastian released his sword, watching the last wisps of smoke curl from the blade.
Finally, Vesemir spoke.
"We need to talk, Seb." and his voice carried no anger.
/-\
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