Vaer aén Birke - The Witcher

In Distant Land

Year 1274, Haakland

Calened stops his mount and grabs his magic compass, an eight-pointed star-shaped stone engraved with runic inscriptions. The psychic vibrations resonate strongly like drums struck at a frantic pace. Its target must be nearby.

Calened looks around. Around him extend the endless steppes of Haakland, a region he unfortunately knows very little about.

Very strange that he decided to come and hide here, thought the elf, or very intelligent on the contrary. These steppes are immense and poorly known except for the people who live there. Even with the help of psychovision, I can't make a precise triangulation. I guess I should already be grateful to know where to look.

Calened had to give up using teleportation to get to Haakland, the data just wasn't accurate enough to ensure safe transportation. Not to mention the considerable distance to travel, Haakland is literally the limit known to the world in the East. Fortunately, Aenye'gaerm is always ready to help him. The trip hadn't been as instantaneous as with a teleportation, but much shorter than if he'd used a horse.

_Esse Iarranbleidd aemyl y me? Ve'ls me thar carraigh bea weard'es!

He again tries the stone-crystal-metal combination, one of the most reliable psychovision tracking methods. Once again, the result is unprecise, either his target carries nothing or little on him that can make him located by the stone-crystal-metal association or he is protected against standard magic detection measures. it must be the first, I still had results, however imprecise they may be. I wouldn't have detected anything if he was shielded...unless it was by some very primitive magical science. Could he be at the court of one of these barbaric tribal chiefs and under magic screen? or maybe a wild witch? no, his situation isn't so desperate for him to ally with one of these creatures... but what if one of them had trapped him?

His Saov Ainmindh continues to trot through the tall grass towards the northeast, as his master instructed him. Calened strokes his mount's neck as he searches the surrounding plain for a clue. But apart from a forest and several white rocks that you can make out in the distance, nothing breaks the monotony of the long grass that sways in the wind. Not much around here, it's pretty peaceful. It's strange though, I read that these plains are traversed by huge herds of large horned mammals. But there is nothing but grass and wind.

Aenye'gaerm jerks his luminescent head up sharply, his antlers barely discernible in the strong daylight. He stops, takes a few side steps then execute a semi-circle as if trying to see around him. The magical creature fidgets more and more, nervously kicking the ground with its hooves and turning sharply several times in several different directions, nearly unhorsing its rider each time.

_Aenye'gaerm,ah, cáelm! Que suecc's? Que suecc's, me wedd?

Something suddenly surged from the grass. Without the Saov Ainmindh,it would have brutally unhorsed the Sage. The spectral deer swerves and standing up, slams into the thing with its chest, knocking it to the ground. Now Calened can see her.

A skinny, humanoid creature barely taller than a dwarf. His face consists mainly of two small cruel eyes and a huge mouth lined with sharp teeth. Its skinny arms end in sharp claws. Nekkers! He didn't feel them approaching, focused on his locating spells, those vicious beasts silently surrounded him!

The nekker only had time to emit a guttural squeak before Aenye'gaerm's hooves shattered his hideous skull like a ripe fruit. Around them, many cries and grunts resounded, a sign that the hunt is on.

Several loathsome brothers of the first creature jumped out of the thickets. Acting of his own volition, Aenye'gaerm dodged the first three and sent a fourth flying with a a headbutt. Calened fends off the next three with telekinesis, but he guesses he'd need something much more powerful to discourage them.