Kalira ⤱ The Witcher

[two]

The second Geralt pushed the doors open and walked in with Kalira by his side, the lively buzz and the music quieted down, people shushing each other as they eyed the two Witchers. Unlike Geralt, who had left his swords on Roach, Kalira kept a firm grip on the hilt of her sword. They headed towards the bar where a woman was wiping the counter, Geralt put the flyer he had in his hands in front of her.

"What will it be?" She asked putting the rag aside, being the only one not looking at the two with disgust.

"Point me to the alderman's house."

"And to Master Irion." Kalira added, knowing they were supposed to go their separate ways.

"It's down the alley to the left-" The woman replied, pointing the way when the innkeeper interjected.

"Isadora!" He stepped up, motioning the woman to go away. "We don't want your kind here, Witchers."

"The alderman." Geralt repeated himself when Kalira heard someone behind them get up and she slightly turned back to keep an eye out. "Tell me where he is and we'll be on our way."

"You don't give the orders around here you mutant son of a bitch." Kalira narrowed her eyes at the man that had stood up earlier as he walked towards them.

"Hear that?" The innkeeper continued as Kalira and Geralt stood back to back. "Go. On your own or at the end of a rope, your choice."

"Not a hard choice." Geralt scoffed not taking their threats seriously, knowing damn well he and Kalira could take care of them and turned back.

"Yeah, fuck that." The innkeeper raised his voice. "Kill them with your bare hands if you have to."

"C'mon, Witcher." The man addressed Geralt, not taking Kalira as a worthy opponent. "You're not scared of us, are ya? Show us what you've got."

"I'd advise you to stand down." Kalira spoke up with a low and poisonous voice. "Possibly, now."

"Yeah?" The man chuckled, grabbing her arm with a filthy smile. "Am I supposed to listen to you, you Witcher whore?"

"If you don't let go of my arm in the next three seconds, I'll gladly cut it clean off." Kalira raised her sword in the blink of an eye, resting the cool metal on the man's wrist. "One... two..."

"Can you not leave it alone for a moment?" A woman sitting behind Geralt at the bar spoke up.

"Witchers can't be trusted." The innkeeper replied as Kalira kept her eyes on the short man before her, who still hadn't removed his hand.

"I'm not speaking to you." The woman shot back. "I apologize for my man's interference in your day." She addressed them. "Hopefully he can improve his behavior by tomorrow's market."

"Sorry, Renfri." The man released Kalira's arm before taking a few steps back. "Come on, lads."

"I'm sorry if he's your man." Kalira lowered her sword and finally looked at the woman, Renfri. "Your luck must be down in the shit."

"Beer for my friends here and one for me." Renfri told the innkeeper after letting out a small chuckle at Kalira's statement. Kalira took the seat between Geralt and Renfri, both pulling down their hoods. "I am speaking to you now, good sir." Renfri raised her voice at the innkeeper who refused to serve two Witchers. "Want some breakfast?"

"We're full." Geralt replied as the innkeeper returned with three mugs, angrily slamming them on the counter, making the beer spill. "Venison."

Hiding her small smirk behind her mug, Kalira downed the beer in one go. Putting it down, she saw Renfri doing the same, the woman earning Kalira's respect as not many women openly drank like that without a care.

"My mother, God rest her..." Renfri spoke with a small smile seeing as they were looking at her. "Would be mortified."

"Our secret then." Kalira replied with a wink, reaching for a grape on Renfri's plate.

"So, what brings you two to Blaviken?" Renfri asked, averting her eyes from Kalira's. "You came for a monster?"

"I was traveling by the swamp." Geralt replied when Kalira kept quiet as she eyed the angry innkeeper.

"That would be your mistake then." Renfri replied pushing her plate away. "Why wouldn't you travel by main roads?"

"It's hard to make a living on main roads."

"And you two desperately need money for new clothes." At her statement, Kalira's eyes fluttered to the stains on her cloak.

No matter how many times she washed the wretched thing, the stains wouldn't come off. Her leather armor on the other hand was in better condition than Geralt's and she realized he had a harder time than her.

"Three more beers." Renfri called out to the innkeeper. The man walked towards her, angrily putting the pitcher in front of her before walking away. Renfri sighed and got up, pouring beer into Kalira's cup first. Instead of walking around her, the woman stepped even closer to Kalira to reach Geralt's cup, Kalira feeling the woman's breasts push up against her shoulder. Kalira raised an eyebrow at Renfri whose eyes kept moving between her and Geralt. "More and more, I find monsters wherever I go."

"How much coin for your kikimora then?" A girl put her hands on the counter next to Geralt, interrupting their conversation.

Kalira and Geralt silently agreed with each other to follow the girl out, not liking the atmosphere inside the tavern, the people still giving them dirty looks. Geralt got up without shooting Renfri one last look. Kalira turned to the woman who still had her body pressed against her side, the action almost making their noses touch.

"Thank you for the beer." Kalira gave a curt nod at Renfri and got up, falling in step with Geralt and the young girl.

"I killed a rat this morning with my breakfast fork." The girl spoke as they headed towards the door. Kalira saw she was looking at her with a smile. "Stabbed it in its fat little gut."

"That's disgusting." Kalira muttered, surprising the girl. "You shouldn't use a fork for that."

"My mother nearly fainted." The girl smiled at Kalira's reply. "But what was I supposed to do? It had been shitting in our pantry for days."