A Wild World- A Witcher FanFic

Chapter 11

A.N.~ Ok so i'm in exam mode for uni right now so my schedule is all up in the air.  I'll try to keep my weekly schedule but it may be off by a few days here and there, and chapters might be shorter.  

Thanks for understanding everyone. ~ much love!

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The pale light of the moon made the castle look peaceful, but this was a lie.  He could already sense something was not right.

All the villages along the roads had claimed no lord resided in the abandoned castle.  Yet, here it was.  Eskel surveyed the area from the edge of a small wooded area, just hidden in the brush, and the flicker of several lights from within suggested otherwise.  Something, or someone was indeed here.

His golden irises shrank back allowing the pupils to expand to let in as much light as possible.  No soldiers or mercenaries guarded the castle walls. The portcullis was raised and gates were wide open.

Too easy.

Rummaging through his saddle bags Eskel drew out a few small vials.  He would undoubtedly need his witcher potions to get her back.

The fire of rage and panic he felt the night she was taken had time to simmer on the journey but now it flared up again.  Now is was a permanent throb in the back of his mind.  

Had she been tortured?  Was she hurt?  He knew she would fight back but how long could she hold out.  

Gods, he should have watched out for her.  Been better.  

He didn't have time to let emotions cloud his plan though.  How much he cared, he didn't want to say.  Couldn't say.

Pushing his thoughts deep away again he opened the stopper from one of the vials and took a deep swig.  A warmth surged through his veins.  The swallow already working and rushing through his mutated body.

Before he got closer, Eskel made sure his horse was a safe distance away.  No need to have him in the way if things got more dangerous.   Scorpion deserved a good rest.  The stallion panted softly and immediately took to nibbling the dewy grasses.

With steel in hand, he turned his attention to the castle.

"I'm coming Cass..."

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Run!  Run and get away.

Blindly over old stone steps she ran.  Her feet moving as if controlled by something else.

She had to reach the end.

Someone was there.  Someone who would help.

Run, its behind you.  A slithering voice echoed through the confusing corridors.

Turning Cass saw the monster.  Tall, and closing in fast.  Somehow pulling shadows with it making the halls feel cold.

The man laughed coldly.  His face hidden by a dark hood.

You'll never get away now-- the voice hissed.

Terror pinched her throat tight.  Eyes wild she tried to urge herself faster, but thick thorns had appeared out of thin air.  They grabbed at her legs.  Trying to swat them away they coiled up her legs and pulled her back.  Stumbling wildly Cass fell backwards.  

The ground cold on her bare back.

The monster hovered just above her.

Suddenly its hood melted down his face in coils of shadow and tar.