Chapter 11

After we finished sleeping we packed and while Ciri was on Ablette, I walked next to Geralt while he was tightening Ablette's harness and then enjoying the silence, I asked him where we were going, after all, we were following his steps.

"Geralt where are we going"

"We are going to a nearby village, we need to get resources and equipment for you two, the road is long and hard."

"I see."

Then the silence returned, but it didn't last long, because, after all, we had arrived in the village in which a gathering was at the central square.

"What's going on?"

"I don't know, be careful."

"Ciri is guarding Ablette."

"Mmh" Ciri nodded, but seeing how she was I wanted to go and comfort her, but before I could a hand came to my shoulder and when I looked I saw Geralt looking at me seriously.

"No, she needs to grieve on her own, and your help won't help, but she knows she can count on you in cas

"Yes."

"Good, come with me."

Then looking one last time at Ciri looking where there was nothing, I turned my face away and then walked towards Geralt and as we were approaching the gathering we could hear whispers.

"What are we going to do?"

"I don't know, he's a monster."

"Only a monster can defeat another monster."

Then the talking stopped as he saw us coming, and an old man came out of the crowd, surely the mayor?

"Hello, traveler, what can we do for you" he looked at me and then at Geralt who, seeing his eyes, gasped in surprise and then said with a shout

"Mutant!"

"A mutant here?!"

"Don't you know the war has been going on, and some scavengers are almost in packs, there is surely work for them"

Hearing this, I frowned, but seeing no response from Geralt, I shrugged and asked the Mayor

"What monster is troubling you?""

"Uh. Does the witcher want to help us?" the villagers were excited, but in a gruff tone, replied Geralt.

"Wichers don't work for free."

Hearing this, the mayor's eyes darkened, but immediately smiled again and said.

"Don't worry, we have enough to pay.

Hearing this, I was happy, and then I turned back to Geralt who looked at me.

"You decide, but know that your test has already begun. "

"Mmh" then I turned back to the mayor, "Do you have any info on this creature?"

"It was standing on four legs, that's all I can tell you, but we managed to trap it in the barn.

Then the mayor pointed to the barn where a wagon had blocked the door, probably to keep the monsters inside.

"Well, we're going" then Geralt pulled out his silver sword then handed it to me, as I looked at the sword I looked at Geralt asking why.

"It's your contract, so you have to beat it, but don't worry if I see that you're going through trouble, I'll step in."

"Okay."

Geralt and I approached the barn, and we could hear grunting, knowing that going through the big door is a bad idea, I looked around the barn until I saw an open window, seeing this I grabbed the ladder that was on the wagon, then rushed to the window to get the ladder on right, but as I looked at Geralt I could see who was looking at the wagon, not knowing what was doing I called out to him.

"Geralt what are you doing?"

"Nothing."

Then he moved towards me and got in first until I followed him, as I entered I could smell the decomposing smell, but inside were 4 corpses and 2 monsters.

"He didn't tell us there were dead people" but putting aside that strange feeling, I analyze the monster, it was a 4 legged monster, with sharp claws and very powerful teeth to rip out the bones easily, because just hearing the cracking of the bones that happens just because the ghoul eats the corpse, barely holding back my vomit, I heard Geralt talking to me in a whisper.

"Ghouls or necrophagous, they can sniff out corpses from miles away, very dangerous to humans, as their claws easily pierce armor" then he pulled out a bottle of some sort.

"This is an oil against necrophagous use there, it will be like poison on them and every blow on them weakens and slows them down, so you can deliver the killing blow."

"Okay," I took the oil and then spread it properly on the blade then as I was about to go down, Geralt looks at me and says.

"Don't make unnecessary gestures and don't think the ghoul is like a human, don't act like a human but like a hunter."

Although I didn't quite understand, I nodded and then slowly climbed down the ladder and hid behind a bale of hay.

Thinking about what I could do, I have the element of surprise, but as I was thinking that, a danger pops into my head, and automatically I roll onto the ground just to dodge a ghoul that landed in front of me.

Surprised by these events, I didn't understand, but the idea had come quickly, I was too confident because I completely forgot that I was injured so the ghouls had already felt me for a long time, but were waiting for me to make a mistake.

Swearing to be a jerk, I continued to dodge, but I could see that I was starting to have less space, which resulted in me being slightly cut by a claw.

I dodged further and waited with a sword at the ready as in front of me were two ghouls looking at me with hungry eyes, my heart was pounding but as I was scared I knew I had to calm down, taking a deep breath I concentrated again and stared at the ghouls towards me and I noticed a small detail, one ghoul's leg was slightly injured, so he would have less strength to jump towards me, aware of this I threw a haystack at the other ghoul which made him back off and knowing I was exposed the other ghoul jumped ready to bite me

But that was what I wanted, I backed off a few feet and the ghoul landed in front of me, but unable to stand up, I threw the sword toward its head then

"Slash"

A head flew, and it belonged to the ghoul, proud of my feet, I smiled at this, but this slight distraction made me lose attention to the other ghoul who took advantage and threw herself at me resulting in clawing at my shoulder and leg, but I managed to push her away with my legs, and luckily she landed where she planted herself on a fork in the ground, taking advantage of this opportunity, I picked up the sword and ran towards her and killed her in the process.

Gasping in pain and exhaustion, I heard footsteps coming and saw Geralt looking at me as always without emotion.

"Your swordplay is meant for killing humans, not monsters, so you were at a great disadvantage."

"You are too confident and don't think enough before engaging in combat, after all, knowledge is power."

"The only good thing is your instinct, it's strong, plus you manage to think fast enough and adapt. "

"I give you 5/20."

"Is that all?"

"Yes, because the reason is quite different"

"It's okay, you have a lot to learn, I give it to you, but as they say, it's in the forge that you learn to be a blacksmith, to learn from these mistakes, and that's how you're going to evolve."

Hearing this, I lowered my head without looking at Geralt

"Well, are you done?" Then he looked at Geralt "And to think I thought witchers were smart when you foolishly followed the kid."

"No, you're wrong because of you, he learned a lot."

"Well, how about we finish this."

He drew his steel sword and as he went rushing towards the bandits, he glanced at a pitchfork then muttered "How I hate pitchforks" Then went on a rampage.

As I left the barn with Geralt and after burning the bodies to prevent other ghouls from being lured, he brought me to the cart where there were stolen goods, and to the door of a house, blood was flowing out proving that they were not villagers.

"Well, here's something very important, I didn't say anything, because I wanted you to see the facts."

"Aiden, analyzing the situation and the environment, nothing is real, a phrase I like to tell myself is that I believe what I see, and what I can hear people say, I promise, I always prefer to see because people are deceitful and cowardly"

He patted my head and waved me off.

"Come on, it's time to go, get some rest, you'll need it."

Nodding his head, Geralt saw my look of determination knowing that the message was understood, a smile that I didn't see appeared on Geralt, and mumbled.

"There you go, your last quality, you absorb knowledge and learn from your mistakes at an insane rate, and you don't get discouraged."

Then he looked up at the sky and muttered sadly.

"I envy you because you didn't give up, while I gave up like a coward."

Sighing at this story, he forgot it and went to the camp, ready to meditate.