Chapter Text
At first when he woke up it took him a minute to realized he was awake, he tried to registered the sound and the smell but nothing came, like his mind was still asleep, then he opened his eyes, something was wrong. It’s like the world was darker, he felt heavier, his back hurts, Eskel began to panic when he saw his armor was missing and he was in a strange room in a bed.
“Finally awake, I was starting to get scared” a gentle voice said at his side, Eskel turned sharply towards the stranger and a pain shot through his spine.
“urghhh, fuck" he muttered.
“don’t hurt your self dear, here let me help" the stranger secured a hand behind his back before helping him sit up. “Don’t worry it’s only some fractured ribs it will heal in a months or two"
“I’ll be fine tomorrow or late tonight, but thank you" Eskel was still trying to understand what was wrong with his sense, not giving the other man his attention.
“listen dear, give yourself some time, you’re no Witcher” the words took time to sink in before he slowly lifted his head towards his host. What? What did he just said? The man was looking at him with a heart warming smile, no trace of humor behind the word he just said, like he truly believed them. Behind the man was a wall with a gigantic mirror on it and he was met with his own face, the same ugly scar and short hair cut. The element that shocked him into silent though was his eyes, they where green, a dark kind of green he only saw when he dreamt of his mother. “Are you okay?” the man said looking alert. He was truly gorgeous, the kind of face you expect to see in castle along nobles, piercing blue eyes and full lips, a beautiful halo of brown hair on a lean body. Eskel didn’t know what to do, or what to think, could it be possible? His sense, his eyes, it made sense, but at the same time nothing of this made sense.
“I.. I don’t understand" he muttered again.
“You probably are still tired, here have some food and you should drink some water too, I’ll let you sleep a bit more sweetheart, if you need anything tell me” and with that the man left the room silently before closing the door.
Human, the word resonated in his head over and over again, magic clearly was involved, no Witcher just suddenly turned human again. He tried very heard to understand when that could’ve happen or even how it was possible but his mind began to wonder back into darkness.
Jaskier was a man of pride and honor, yes of course his values maybe weren’t the same as everyone else, but he believe that following your own mindset and pride was an honor in itself. So when his long best friend told him one day that he was the cause of all his misery, he decided he’d had enough, enough of following and not being enough. He then took his things and descended that mountain head high promising himself that in the future he wouldn’t be caught in a situation like that again. Could you believe it, twenty years he made a fool of himself, screaming loud and clear he was Jaskier the bard and best friend of Geralt of Rivia. But now the fool was the Witcher up the mountain alone, because Jaskier was tired of healing wounds and making camp for someone who though so low of him.
That’s why he found himself three months later in a little cottage near the coast alone with his horse and the sea, finally free to put time into writing those book he had so many inspiration for and taking naps whenever he wanted, enjoying the steady life of mundane calm and…. Ok he could admit to himself, he was bored. Of course the first months was amazing, but now he was here, with no where else to go, doing the same thing he had been doing for months, he needed something, anything to take his mind of that stupid Witcher and his adventure.
So when he heard the loud sound of someone falling in the middle of the afternoon yesterday, to discover the mountain of a man in front of his house followed by his horse, he had to restrain himself from doing a little victory dance at the distraction. And what a distraction it was, with shoulders like these and the face that went with it, Jaskier was ready to climb that man like a tree, that is of course until the man in question passed out on him.
The next day when Eskel woke up, it was to the soft sound of a melody, quietly being played on a lute outside of his door. His memory started to come back to him slowly, the fight he had prior to this with two wyvern when one of them was already dead and he knew the other was dying with the damaged it took, the feeling of sickness and fever came crashing onto him in the end of his duel. He had barely the time to give the final blow before hoping on his horse to see a healer, but as the feeling grew he realized he maybe didn’t have time, that’s why he stopped at the first little cottage he saw before promptly passing out on the front porches.
Now that he was human he knew he had to start looking for a mage, someone powerful like one of Geralt’s friends, to change the curse, spell, whatever it was, away. Even though his injury where still intense he couldn’t abused of his host hospitality to much, the man who took care of him and made sure he had food and water, a bed, a man he didn’t even know how to call. At this moment the door opened slowly and the stranger in question entered the room, not realizing he was awake the man placed a plate of something that looked like stew on the table and changed the glasses of water.
“Thanks you" he said quietly, trying not to scared him.
“Awake again as I see, how are we feeling today?”
“Better I would say..”
“Julian, my name is Julian” he answered with a smile.
“Julian, my name is Eskel, I have to thank you again for everything I wont be much trouble anymore , I think I’m ok to walk" Eskel said trying to convinced himself he had to travel in his state.
“Oh none of that mister Eskel, you are here at home, please I couldn’t let you go in this state” Julian answered with worry in his tone.
“Very well I may rest a bit more, I don’t want to impose though"
“Not imposing at all, consider this a favor for my conscience”
Julian took the little table with the food near the bed and helped him sit up to eat. Eskel didn’t know what to do with his attention, yes maybe he was human again, but that didn’t change the fact that he was a disfigured stranger to Julian, who was acting with him as a long parted friend, warm smile and easy conversation. Telling him he had taken care of his horse and little goat for three days now, Eskel felt nearly normal, and that wasn’t something he was use too.
“Tell me do you remember what happened Eskel?” he though about his answer, telling a stranger about his curse/spell and how he’s a Witcher, was probably not the best way to go even though lying to Julian felt wrong.
“I don’t remember anything" is what he went with.
“Anything at all, or do you not remember how you got injured?”
“Anything at all"