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She looked straight ahead, held her head high, like the Princess... Queen... Empress… she was and plunged into the portal. She was immediately surrounded by stars, millions and millions of stars which soon became like comets, luminous strokes against a dark background.
She saw hundreds, thousands of worlds. Worlds very close to her own, but with sometimes subtle (or not so subtle) differences. Worlds were Jaskier was a Witcher, a Fae, a Shifter, a Necromancer. Worlds were Geralt was a Druid, a Warlord, a God, a Human. Sometimes in a timeline similar to her own, sometimes in the future (more or less distant).
She was Geralt’s Child-of-Surprise, Geralt’s Goddaughter, Geralt’s biological Daughter, Geralt’s Sister (and, by the Gods, it would have been hilarious to grow up as siblings). She was Yennefer’s Ugly Duckling, Yennefer’s beloved Daugther, Yennefer’s Student, Yennefer’s Friend.
But in all of that, all of these billions of worlds, there was a constant. Geralt was/had been in a relationship with either Jaskier or Yennefer or both. No matter with whom he shared his life with, at one point, he was in relationship with one or both of them.
It was somewhat reassuring, that the people she loved the most, always ended meeting each other, no matter what. But she left her with some questions. Why them? Why her? Was she ever going to get an answer at her questions?
She felt a pull and followed it. She was in the past of her own timeline. A beautiful woman, red-haired, a Sorceress if she believed what she saw; a warrior, with ashen gray hair, not dissimilar to Geralt’s own white hair and, was this a werebbub?
They were fighting some sort a cross-breed between a spider and a crab. And wasn’t it funny? Giant spiders protected by a hard-like-diamond shell? Wait, she heard of that…
“Why do people with Magic think it’s so great to create new species with no known predators…
- Don’t look at me, Korin. I’m a healer. There is enough ways to get hurt for me not to try to create a new one!
- Love birds, we need to get ride of it, and fast!
- There is a spell that I think can work. It’s called the “Mirror Effect Spell”, but it will take a little bit of time to work on the Koshchey.
- Good things that Kelh and I are so amazing warriors, right Kelh?” Korin looked at the werebbubs with a mischievous smile. The mercenary rolled his eyes.
“Let’s go, human who is not really one anymore.
- Stop calling me that, giant beaver!” Visenna sighed “Boys…”
The spell was spectacular (and Lambert would have loved the effect). It was like a giant magnifying glass formed upon the beast and concentrated all the sunlight in one single point on the beast who exploded, probably from being cooked from the inside. Unfortunately, Kelh died from his wounds and even Visenna couldn’t help him.
“This man, Korin. He has the same hair as Geralt but Geralt got them from the second trial he passed. But Kelh said Korin wasn’t really human anymore. Is Korin a Witcher?”
Another tug. Another path to follow.
“Northern Kings want us to make Magic-Wielder Warriors, to fight the beasts who roams the Continent and kill the people. All of you were chosen because you were amazing warriors and survivors. Don’t disappoint us.”
The Mages began their experiments. Seven survived the first round. Half of them. But they got their Chaos-Warrior. Still deemed unworthy by the Kings who wanted them more powerful in terms of Magic.
They left for Rissberg. They were experimented on again. Five survived. All of them had white or ashen gray hair. They would travel the path, while in Rissberg, news boys were experimented on. But away from the Mages, those who were the first Witchers met and talked.
The Mages and the experiments were necessary. None of them liked that. They didn’t like loosing their friends and brothers but until they could find another way, it would do. But they need to separate. To found Schools, with specificities, so their pupils could met and befriend each others and learn from each other. Because they couldn’t learn everything in the limited time they got to prepare for the Path.
“Korin, you’re the eldest of us, what say you?
- I will be a Wolf. I’ll probably found the School in the Blue Mountains, maybe near Hertch. I’ll probably concentrate on a general training but focus on pack bonding.
- Ah! You always have been a family man! Me, Erland of Larvik, will found the Gryffin School of Witchers! We will keep the original purpose and ideals of our Order! We will be Knights Witchers. Our Witchers will be taught all the virtues and duties of the Knights but without their faults!
- A noble task, brother. What about you Schrödinger?
- Korin, if I always considered you a dog, I’m a cat. I will taught them agility, I will taught them how to spy, how to hide in shadows. You know as much as me that Mages and Rulers will try to screw us if they got the chance.
- Unfortunately. I will built my School on strength. We are going to be tall and massive, like bears! Arnaghad the Bear has a nice ring to it, isn’t it? I think I will found my School in the Amell Mountains. It’s in the middle of the Continent. Maybe take contracts on Skellige! They’re so funny!
- Only you, Arnaghad… Rhys, you’re the last…
- But not the least. Hehe. You know I love to read and I’ve learn something important. The Wild Hunt will come.
- WHAT!!” The four others Witchers yelled.
“Indeed brothers. They will come and we need to be prepared. That’s why I will found the School of the Viper. We are going to be the least reliable ones. Taking contracts on humans and non-humans. Not innocents, mind you. But shady people will come to us. And shady people always knows what hides in the Shadows.
- I don’t like it. But if the Continent is under such a severe threat. Well, let’s discuss this further…”
Cirilla couldn’t believe what she saw and heard. Everything was planned, centuries in advance, to make sure the Wild Hunt wouldn’t win. She knew then, that Korin, founder of the Witcher School of Wolf, was Geralt’s Father. She could see him in every action Korin took. Like father like son.
She couldn’t wait to go back and tell him. But first, she needed to know why it was such a mess between the Schools and what was Jaskier’s role in all that.