Embers

Oxenfurt

Chapter 28
Oxenfurt - Jaskier's POV

The city was bubbling with students for the new Academic year. All dressed colourful and with hope written on their faces.

Jaskier could easily tell who just started their studies and who didn't. The fresh badge of students, probably coming from all corners of the world, had no worries and almost danced into the large, wooden library. Once in a while, he heard the librarian scold them for being so loud. The bard didn't mind ; it seemed so long ago that he didn't have a care in the world like them.

He wasn't in Oxenfurt for a study. He had graduated years ago and had his fun. Jaskier travelled to Oxenfurt months ago for their large collection of history books. He had his own reading table on the second floor right by the stairs. Normally, a quiet little place and Jaskier could look down from the railing to the first floor. He had forgotten how beautiful Oxenfurt's library truly was.

Today, it was loud because everyone needed to find their books for the year and Jaskier had a hard time focusing. It didn't bother him at all, but the book in front of him was boring and it seemed he couldn't really focus on the lecture. It was about Warfare History and he had skipped all the chapters until he had found the chapter on Magic.

With a frustrated sigh, he threw the book closed when the whole chapter had no mention of Elementals at all. He had almost read every book about magic and they hardly mentioned Elementals. The only luck he had was with one book completely dedicated to their history. The bard had read it in two days and nights. The information in it, wasn't comforting. It was all about Black Elementals and how they were out to destroy the human race. How the Witchers had to make a pact with the sorceresses and fought them together. Still, they weren't strong enough for the fire that the Elementals used.

Thousands perished in the war. Witchers, humans and sorceresses. Jaskier read the small part about the white Elementals with much attention a few times. How they had to bound themselves to a Witcher and never used the element of Fire. How they had to take human vessels to control their powers.

The War was won by the White elementals with their Witcher by their side. Yet, the problems didn't stop there. Some of the White turned against their witcher over time or the humans and witchers couldn't seem to trust the elementals completely after the carnage their species did to them.

After some time, the Elementals were cut loose by the Witchers. Leaving their vessel surely meant a certain death by cutting the bond they had with their warrior witcher. Most of them didn't survive, the ones who did, disappeared and the Elementals were thought to be extinct.

Jaskier had thought long and hard about this information and felt uncomfortable. He had remembered how scared Eira had looked when she finally told him what she was. How her hands had trembled and her blue eyes looked up at him. Jaskier swallowed hard by the thought of their last moments together.

He had left her standing by the castle and alone. He couldn't grasp what she told him. The fact that Eira, sweet and innocent, was an Elemental. Jaskier had learned his history, he loved history!, and knew exactly what an Elemental was. The bard got scared and left the young woman without being able to say another word.

It hurt his head when he thought about their last moments. A part of it was guilt. He had promised she wouldn't be alone no more. Yet, that was when he thought she was a human. Not some destructive power that could wipe out half of humanity. Jaskier had trouble imagining that Eira would be capable of doing that.

"You look troubled, Jaskier," the gentle voice of the librarian came from behind him.

He turned slightly to face the beautiful, black haired woman.

"I am troubled, Katharina," he told her honestly and felt her hands rest on his shoulders.

Jaskier closed his eyes underneath her touch.

"You looked troubled since you arrived back in Oxenfurt seven months ago," she murmured and rested her head lovingly on his hair. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

He reached for her hand and took it in his.

"No," he replied, his happy tune in his voice long gone. "You can't."

She hummed and Jaskier felt her move behind him. Katharina walked around him and jumped to sit on the table before him. She moved her legs slightly and slid onto his lap so she cradled him. Jaskier looked up at her and his hands came to rest loosely on her hips. Dark, brown eyes stared playfully back at him and the bard felt another pang of guilt that rushed through him.

"Do you think one race can all be evil?"

Katharine arched a brow and leaned a bit back.

"Are all humans evil?" She countered back.

"No," Jaskier replied and felt her fingers starting to play with the buttons of his vest.

"I don't think a whole race can be evil or good. Just like humans. Why do you ask?"

Jaskier shrugged, felt her playful fingers come to rest in his neck and he took a deep breath in when Katharina pressed a wet kiss in his neck.

"I need to get back to work and keep the students in line," she murmured against his skin, "I will see you at home."

Jaskier offered her a forced smile and a nod when Katharina jumped from his lap and went on to shouting at some youngsters. He knew the young librarian since they went here to the Academy together and Katharine had offered him one of her spare rooms when Jaskier arrived here.

Her presence was comforting in the beginning. Katharina was beautiful to look at and easy to talk too. Yet, Jaskier couldn't help to want to kiss Eira instead. To let his fingers travel over Eira's soft skin and play with her hair.

The bard rubbed his eyes and felt tired all of a sudden. He didn't want to be in Oxenfurt. He didn't want all this information that only told him Eira was evil. Also, he didn't want to believe that Geralt would trust a Black Elemental. The Witcher clearly trusted the woman that travelled with him. So much even, that he allowed her to fight by his side.

'Are all humans evil,' Katharina's voice echoed in Jaskier's mind.

He needed an explanation. After months of research, the bard wasn't much wiser. He deserved an explanation and why she had hidden this from him. Because a part of him was angry with Eira. Angry for lying to him. Angry for making him miss her like he did now. Angry because Jaskier was falling in love with her.

"I'm not coming home," he spoke without thinking. "I'm leaving."

Katharina glanced at him with a frown and then laughed dryly.

"No, you aren't, right?"

"I'm sorry," he stood up and took the history book underneath his arm. "I need to go."

"Jaskier?" Katharina followed him. "I thought you would stay here in Oxenfurt?"

"I never said that, Katharina," his voice friendly and the woman grabbed him by the elbow before he could walk off the stairs.

"No, but you made me think it," she said. "Just like you did all those years ago." Her voice changed from happy and gentle to urgent and hurt.

Jaskier looked at her and shook his head. His features stern and the bard looked so much older all of a sudden.

"I told you the truth when I got here," he said. "I was never going to stay in Oxenfurt."

Katharina nodded slowly and let go of him.

"I had hope," she told him and Jaskier cradled her face in both of his hands.

"You're lovely and kind," he told her friendly with a smile. "Katharina, you deserve to be happy. Get out of Oxenfurt and go see the world. Be the Poet you wanted to be instead of a librarian stuck here."

"I was happy with you," she countered back and Jaskier sighed.

"I have to go," and he turned on his heels to leave Katharina and Oxenfurt behind him.