The Path: A witcher's tale

Chapter 16

There are many fantastic monsters and beasts that roam the world that us witchers call home. In my opinion, no creature is more amazing than a witcher's horse, it seems that all those magic beverages and signs left a deep and permanent effect. Although few of us would admit it, many a witcher's has spent a lonely night on the Path speaking to his faithful mount. As I lay down next to Wasp, I was recounting the events of the events from the elven werewolf, to the run-in with the Temerian Blue-stripes. With the occasional whinny and neigh from Wasp, I even confessed how I felt about Karadine, how I longed to have her back at my side again. Wasp might not be quite the conversationalist, but she is quite a good listener.
I called it a night and rested up, I had to hunt down a slyzard in Aedirn soon, and a slyzard is no damn forktail. I awoke in the morning and began my trek, after about 4 day's time, I reached an inn where I could sleep before I begin the last 3 days of travel. I entered the inn and saw something that surprised me quite a bit, I found the succubus from Beauclair. Apparently, she was attracting more and more customers, like moths to flame. As I walked in, she seemed to have recognized me, as she had walked up to me and said, "Hey, you're the witcher I met in Toussaint, never caught your name, what is it? And where's that witcheress you traveled with?" I sat down at a table and said that I would rather keep the details to myself. The succubus, named Meisa, had asked if it was more desirable to go somewhere more private to discuss the details of my situation. I don't know if it was some succubus magic, but I found myself agreeing to her suggestion.
She led me to a room and we sat down and I started talking. I started with my name, and got to the subject of Karadine. Meisa's first question was how I ended up adventuring and hunting with her. I said that I found her hiding from Nilfgaardians who wanted her killed for an attempted assassination. She then said, "That's not what I wanted to know, Andrezej. Take any man, whether it be a wealthy nobleman, a rowdy Skelliger, or a rough-hewn witcher, they all end up wrapped around a woman's finger. So how did it happen to you?" I guess succubi can even stimulate a witcher's emotions, for I ended up telling Meisa how I eventually developed a love for Karadine, but I wasn't quite sure about what to do about it. Meisa had then told me that I should stop being unsure and act as if I were in a hunt, where I knew exactly what to do in almost any given moment. I thanked Meisa and began to leave the inn, and pondered over what she told me as I finished my travels to Aedirn.
Upon arriving, I was greeted by Saskia, the female ruler of upper Aedirn. She greeted me with utmost respect, which was quite a culture shock to me, for I'm used to being treated as a mutant abomination. Saskia told me that the slyzard was living in the nearby mountains, that were cleared of harpies by Geralt some time ago. I left Wasp at a nearby tavern and started towards the mountains. As I was approach my hunting grounds, I noticed some fresh scorch marks and smelled some freshly spilt blood. I followed the scent and saw a large bloodstain on a large rock, and a blood trail leading deeper into the mountains. The slyzard must've killed its prey and carried it to its nest. I followed the trail and eventually came across the nest. It was empty, with nothing except a horse head and some eggs, that meant that this slyzard must've been an aggressive matriarch. I figured that, in order to lure it out, I would need to place a bomb in the nest and destroy the eggs.
After about half an hour, the sound of beating wings and draconic roaring was not far off. The slyzard approached me and started its attack. They say that no man alive, no matter his might, no matter his skill, is able to parry that blow of a slyzard's tail. I figured that I didn't want to attempt to be the first and dodged the first blow of the slyzard's venomous tail. The slyzard then started breathing fire, I narrowly avoided burning and found myself right in front of the beast. I then sent a well-aimed strike with my silver blade across its face and left it bleeding. That strike was then returned with a bite on my arm, luckily, I pulled my arm away so that the teeth of the draconic only grazed me and left some semi-deep cuts. I quickly recovered and sent another slash across the slyzard's belly, as it started flying above me. The slyzard fell like a stone and ended up scraping me with its claws, I could feel my ability triggering, although this time, I could control it. I held myself back and decided that with my wounds, the transformation could end up doing more harm than good. The slyzard, now laying stunned at my feet, was ready to die. With one clean slice, I ended the monster and returned to Aedirn brandishing a new trophy and some new scars to boot.
Saskia had greeted me with a feast in my honor, and had told me that I truly earned the name "Bloody Wolf." A room was prepared for me and my wounds were tended to. The feast took place about 2 days after my hunt, for I needed time to rest and repair. It's not a good idea to get drunk off your ass while you've got wounds that could burst and start bleeding. I stayed and feasted to entertain the menagerie of dwarves, elves, and humans that attended with my tales of my previous hunts. They marveled as, ironically, some bards had been singing a ballad about me and a witcheress. I had said later that night that it was time for me to go, for winter was approaching a little earlier this year and I decided that certain things were going to change when I would arrive that winter.