The Curse of Love || The Witcher

Chapter Six

Geralt set off immediately from the estate, not wanting to waste any time in getting back. Aela had informed him that there was some kind of trinket in Kallis' possession. She didn't know what it was, she had left too quickly after she had been cursed to know exactly what form it had taken, but it was that object that was the key to freeing her. It had been created when Kallis had cast the curse and now Aela could feel its draw on her power, like part of her had been taken and held captive. Geralt's task was simple—find and destroy the object. Then Aela would teleport in and kill Kallis.

Of course, Kallis wasn't just going to stand by and let Geralt snoop around his house to find this object. Geralt had to keep his trust. To that end, Geralt would act as if he had killed the witch and he had come back in need of healing. Unfortunately for Geralt, it had to look as though an epic battle had taken place. Geralt couldn't stroll in unharmed and expect Kallis to believe that Geralt had killed the witch. So Geralt had asked Aela to wound him in a few places. Initially, she had declined, but when Geralt persisted, saying that it was a necessary evil, she grudgingly agreed.

Now Geralt trudged through the all-pervading night, holding his arm across his deeply slashed chest, a matching gash running down his thigh. The wounds were severe enough to be impressive, and frankly painful, but not enough to put Geralt in any significant danger. He did wish that he hadn't had Aela injure his leg because walking on it was really starting to grate on him. Though in the end, he supposed, the more uncomfortable he looked, the more convincing it would be.

So Geralt limped along in the darkness, with nothing better to do than reanalyze every conversation he had had with Kallis.

The man was undoubtedly a gifted healer. Geralt had seen the effects of his skills firsthand. And Kallis had said that he sought seclusion to continue his studies. Technically, that wasn't a lie, Geralt admitted. Kallis just hadn't been forthcoming with the full extent of his studies, and the human lives that were sacrificed to enable them.

Clearly the entire story about the witch was a fabrication, other than the location itself. No, Geralt had been played from the very beginning. And he was starting to wonder whether Kallis had even chanced upon Geralt at all. It seemed pretty unlikely that Kallis had been wandering the woods at the exact moment Geralt had been in dire need. Geralt grumbled at his stupidity. He wasn't going to let Kallis get away with it. With any of it.

It took considerably longer for Geralt to make the return trip due to his injured leg, but he eventually strode up to the small castle Kallis had procured as his home late on the third day. Geralt hadn't really had a chance to study it when he had left to find the witch, but now he took in its full glory and "castle" seemed a generous term. It was more the size of a small outpost. A single building made of limestone sat enclosed by a crumbling wall cut from the same stone. The building was only two stories high as Geralt had seen from the inside, though weathered crenellations protruded from the roof adding another few feet in height. Ivy draped from the sides of both building and outer wall, camouflaging the compound somewhat with the surrounding forest.

There was no cellar door on the front side of the building, Geralt noticed. He would have to wait for the right opportunity to check the back. He couldn't risk Kallis catching him prying unsolicited.

Bringing a cringe to his face and hunching over to sell the extent of his wounds, Geralt hobbled up to the door and pounded on it. It took a minute, but Kallis appeared at the door, shock evident on his face.

"Geralt!"

"I'm sorry to bother you, but I—"

"No, no. It's no bother at all." Kallis stepped aside and motioned for Geralt to enter. "Come in, please." Geralt feigned a stumble as he stepped through the doorway, allowing Kallis to assist him inside. Kallis led him to the same bed Geralt had stayed in during his first visit and set him down on the edge of it.