The Witcher: Origins - chapter 3 (Patreon)

Reinhard had proved to be… an intriguing individual with an almost suicidal way of doing things, and somehow those things would end up working for him.

But I had to give it to him… he was a beast, killing monsters left and right, not that I had seen many fights to say that, but as we rode to his base… I had personally witnessed how he swiftly dealt with any problems along the way, from bandits to monsters.

While I stood there and did nothing, I was as helpful as a blind man telling colors. But I was happy to be able to see his prowess in battle.

While we weren’t encountered by a monster or a human trying to rob us, I was reading the Witchers bestiary, it had quite a lot of information about monsters, animals and more… and how to deal with them, didn’t know they had such a detailed book about it.

“You will love it there kid… if you survive the ritual and training that is,” Reinhard chuckled, blunt as ever.

“A very Grimm thing to say,” I snorted.

“Well we are in a very grimm world,” Reinhard laughed, “Relax, I am sixty percent sure you will survive,”

“Sixty…” I deadpanned, he was supposed to convince me… not shun me away from the idea of becoming a Witcher, “Oh good, I thought you were thinking something along the lines of forty… or maybe thirty,” I sarcastically replied, my lips forming a smile.

“No, thirty? That’s too low,” Oh yeah, I had forgotten Reinhard takes everything to heart, sarcasm is a foreign language for him.

“So… how long till we get there?” I asked and he laughed.

“Six months… maybe more if we catch a few prey along the way,” Reinhard replied, “But don’t worry, I will make sure to protect you!”

“I see,” I sighed, “Can I at least have a knife or something, the last thing I want is for a monster to try and eat me while you fight another or something,”

“Sure, knock yourself out,” Reinhard chuckled, “I would offer you a sword, but those sticks you call arms can handle them yet,” my eyebrow twitched at that comment, “If you don’t gain some muscle people will be calling you, the cracker as your Witcher name… or perhaps… Sir Stickalot?”

“You do realize I’m a homeless kid that prior today had no real nutrition,” It… was that a lie, I wasn’t sure.

“I suppose,” Reinhard hummed, “Don’t worry, by the moment we get to the base you will be a few pounds heavier, or my name isn’t Reinhard the Wild Bear!”

“I will be happy as long as we get there…” I was no fool to believe there was no chance of Reinhard losing, heck even Geralt the strongest Witcher of all time could and had lost battles.

“Don’t worry kid, I made ya a promise, and I keep my shit!” Reinhard stated, with such confidence I couldn’t help but believe him.

“Aye aye captain,” I chuckled.

“Captain Reinhard… I like,” Reinhard smiled.

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[8 HOURS LATER]

Traveling by horse gets really… really old really...really fast. Fortunately for me, Reinhard had decided it was time to rest. I needed a bed, or a rock… to be honest I wasn’t picky.

“We will stay in a settlement I know for a day or two,” Reinhard said, his arms tensing, “If we are lucky, they will have a job that will not only pays for our food and beds, but give me some extra coin,”

How is finding a job lucky, “I see,” I nodded.

“Don’t trust nobody,” Reinhard muttered, “That settlement has a bad reputation for…. missing people every now and then,”

Missing people…. oh fuck slavery, “Slavery?”

“Aye,” Reinhard nodded, “I don’t think they will have the balls to target you… because you are with a Witcher, but you would be surprise the stupid shit people do,”

“Well… I think I rather stick with you…” I sighed, I might have been a man at one point, but right now… I was powerless against an average human, “If you do get a job and lose… I rather die free than to live as a slave,”

“Psfff, and you said I give dark responses?!” Reinhard laughed, “That shit is darker than a vampire's heart!”

I snorted, “I suppose,”

“Alright… stick to me, that way if I do get a gig, you will get to see how it is… the job at first hand,” Reinhard chuckled.

“Are you expecting a gig though?” I asked him, curiosity boiling inside of me.

Reinhard looked at me, for a second as if pondering what to say next, “Well… you see, that place is known for having… a lot of dead babies, lots of prostitutes there… means lots of abortions…”

I looked at him in shock, I knew why he was expecting a job now, “You are expecting to find a Botchling….” I muttered, and he nodded confirming my suspicions.

“Aye, that town is practically a producer of those things…” Reinhard shuddered… why the fuck did he shuddered, “The whores abort the poor babies, and never give them any type of burial, and every now and then… one of those fetus turns into Botchling,” he added darkly.

Botchlings were perhaps the most repulsive creatures a witcher could ever have the displeasure of meeting. Born of dead, unwanted babies that are usually discarded without a proper burial, their appearance is that of a partially-decayed fetus, their unformed flesh twisted with hate, fear and malice, looking for what they lacked.

These hideous creatures feed on the blood and spirit of pregnant women, driven by a mad hunger to fill the void within them.

They are usually easy to kill, but what makes them terrible to deal with… is what they represent, they either die an abomination loved by no one, or if lucky they can be turned into Lubberkin, with elven Magic.

“I see…” I muttered, it seems my first mission was going to be mentally scarring, killing what’s basically a baby is… unsettling.

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Botchling