Pure Creature (The Witcher)

TRUE

Once again he was gone before I woke up. Jaskier walked me home and told me he was going to explore new places. I stayed with my family for a few hours. They were fine. They wanted to believe that perhaps the demon was gone for good. I couldn't blame them. However, I returned to the old house, which was empty, outside I came across the presence of the mare and got close to pet her.

"Hello, Roach!"  She snorted softly and laid her head on my shoulder.  "How are you? You're so beautiful, did you know that?"

"Yes she is!"  I jumped a little when I saw Geralt standing there. He hid a small smile.

I said nothing. I walked away and went inside. Jaskier appeared very excited, which infected me with all his joy. He said he wanted to try cooking on his own, although he sometimes asked me for help. This time, Geralt sat at the table at his friend's insistence. The witcher didn't speak and was frowning. I started by praising Jaskier when Geralt interrupted us irritably.

"It's your last night here!" He addressed me directly.  "There's nothing out there! Anything!"

"It exists!"  I exasperated.

"It exists in your head."  There was contempt in the voice.  "I kill monsters that exist! I don't follow the whims of crazy people!"

"I'm not crazy! I'm telling the truth!"

"Calm!"  Jaskier exclaimed.

"A distorted truth!"  Geralt continued.  "If you two are going to go around playing, tell me at once."  He closed his eyes for a second.  "Just don't include me in that! I have no patience!"

"I'm the one who doesn't have patience, nor do I allow myself to be insulted like that!"  I picked up my belongings awkwardly. My hands shook before the revolt.

"Janet, what are you doing?"  Jaskier stood up.  "Wait! Please! Geralt!"

I don't know how to explain what happened. I acted without thinking. Fury blinded my vision and I walked outside with growing anger. A big mistake. I barely got away from the door when I tripped over my own feet when I heard a familiar voice.

"Here you are!"  The demon took over me and I screamed without ceasing due to the cutting pain it caused me. He fed on me.

"Geralt!"  Jaskier shouted, the witcher had already passed him.

The demon grew with the energy it absorbed and I was plunged into darkness. The witcher fought to defend me and took me back inside in his arms. Then he laid me on his bed.

In the morning I woke up feeling sore. Geralt was sitting on the couch looking at his fingers. I tried to move and groaned at the painful sting caused by my movement.

"I'm sorry for taking your clothes off without your permission."  Geralt explained. His voice was sweet again.  "He caused some burns to the ribs and arms."  I looked at my bandaged body.

"Thank you for saving me!"  I thanked him sincerely.

"I should have believed in you and avoided all of this."  He pointed at me.  "He's not a demon. He's a kawsuttihn."

"What is a kaw...?"

"A kawsuttihn is one of the most evil and rare creatures. He thought they were extinct."  He sighed.  "Even in my time you can hardly find one of them."

"What they do?"

"They can torture small creatures, but only after feeding on the purest source."

"Is there a way to kill it?"  I asked hopefully.

"If it hadn't fed on you, it would have ended up dying. I saw how thirsty the demon was, was starving, that's why you weren't feeling it before."

"And why does this demon only want to feed on me?"  I needed to know.

"Because you attracted him. He is attracted to true purity. Pure ones like you are even rarer than the kawsuttihn."

"I'm not human?"

"The pure ones can be any creature."

"Geralt?"  I looked at him more intensely.  "Does it only work with kawsuttihn? Or do I also attract other types of... "creatures"? Are you attracted to me?"

He didn't respond and lowered his head. I thought about apologizing for what I just said, but I needed to know. Whether people liked me for who I was, or because I had a kind of magic inside me. I never wanted to influence anyone to like me. I think he knew this was what I wanted to know and maybe he was afraid to answer me. I tried to get out of bed even though I was in a lot of pain.

"What are you doing?"  Geralt hurried to put me back in bed.  "I don't know."  He whispered to me while supporting me.

I could see in the sparkle in his eyes how he was so delicate. Much more than what appeared. Instinctively I stretched my neck and kissed him. I felt the pain he had suffered before and a tear fell from the corner of my eye.

"Well..."  Jaskier coughed.  "I didn't mean to interrupt! Forgive me!"

"You didn't interrupt anything!"  Geralt disappeared and then the sound of Roach's hurried hooves was heard.

"Are you better?"  Jaskier asked.

"I survived."  I wiped away the tear surreptitiously. Geralt hadn't abandoned me. He ran away because of the confusion of emotions, and I was sorry for that, because I was the one who caused it.

With the sun threatening to set, Geralt returned with a more rigid stance. He didn't comment and a mixture with a strange color developed on the top of the table.

"Is that a potion?"  I broke the silence.

"Something similar."  He shrugged his shoulders.  "To help you heal faster. I hope you don't mind me using magic on you."

"I'm fine."  I waved.

"I'm going to have to change your bandages. And it would be great to do it now. That way we won't have Jaskier here trying to peek."

"It was Jaskier who asked me to buy bandages when we went shopping."  I laughed.  "He said that sometimes he gets hurt too and he didn't want to put any of those dirty things you use in there. Sorry, but those were his words."

"He only suffers from mere scratches. Nothing more than that."  His lip curled up a little.  "But I'll have to put this "dirty thing" on."  He spread that sticky paste on new bandages.  "Maybe tomorrow you won't need to use them."

With the greatest care he removed my old bandages. He didn't look me in the eye once. He didn't make me feel ashamed to be there naked in front of him, he was focused on his work and was quite meticulous. It didn't even hurt me. And I always longed for his fingers to touch my skin. Although I fought the strong desire to kiss him again. There was enormous tension between us.

Minutes later Jaskier came in with new purchases that he had made with the money I had offered them.

"Oh, I arrived late. Has Janet changed the bandages yet?"  Geralt growled at Jaskier's words.

"Very funny, Dandelion!"  I pointed severely with my index finger.

"I was kidding! Look, I bought already prepared food. Isn't it fabulous? So we have time for a new song."  He picked up the lute.