Sebastian stood at the center of the square, his yellow eyes sweeping the village with the cold, assessing gaze of a man who had seen too much to be surprised by anything anymore. His companions flanked him.
Dandelion shifted uncomfortably, his usual bravado nowhere to be found anymore. "So, what now?" he asked, his voice low and uncertain. "We can't exactly march up to the elder and demand he confess his crimes. He's already made it clear he'll lie through his teeth, and you said it yourself the monster and the curse is very tricky to deal with."
Zoltan grunted in agreement, "Aye. The old bastard's got the whole village wrapped around his finger. They'll say whatever he tells them, no matter how much evidence we pile up, it means nothing in the middle of nowhere."
Sebastian was silent for a long moment. His eyes drifted to the crows, to the house, to the distant treeline, then he spoke, "Evil is evil," Sebastian said. "Greater, lesser, or meddling. I've seen enough to know that the old folk of this village are fully aware of what happened to Marian. They may not have been the ones who held the knife, but they knew. They watched and they did nothing to stop it."
He paused, his jaw tightening. "The young ones are different. They are oblivious, like Estrid. They had no idea when or how it happened, they carry no guilt for what was done."
Dandelion's brow furrowed. "So what does that mean for us? For the village?"
Sebastian's voice hardened. "The truth of the matter is that they killed her because of the curse. While it may have seemed justified from their point of view, it is still wrong. It is still an evil act. They were ignorant, yes. But they were also faced with an impossible decision at the time: kill the foreigner whose appearance started the strange phenomenon, or do nothing and suffer more."
He turned to face them, his yellow eyes blazing with fire. "I understand what needs to be done now. I wouldn't call it justice, but it is retribution for their actions."
Zoltan's eyes narrowed. His voice was low, cautious. "What are you about to do, Seb?"
Dandelion's voice was sharp, "Killing them seems a bit too kind..."
Sebastian smiled. "Oh no. I won't be killing them myself."
He paused, letting the words sink in. The crows cawed overhead, their harsh calls cutting through the silence.
"I will redirect the leshen's marking," Sebastian said. "Towards them."
Dandelion's eyes went wide. "You can do that?!"
Sebastian nodded slowly. "Yes. It will require a ritual and an item that belongs to each and every one of the ones I want to be marked. A piece of clothing, a lock of hair, a personal belonging. Something that carries their essence, their identity."
Dandelion's expression shifted, his initial shock gone. "I suppose that's a fitting fate..." He paused, his voice dropping. "But does that mean you'll let the monster live and let it torment the village?"
Sebastian shook his head. "No. This will allow me to kill it without fearing the consequences. I will require another ritual to make sure it doesn't regenerate as well, but that will kill the marked ones in the process as well."
Zoltan's voice carried no hint of sympathy. "I can't say I'll feel sorry for them."
Sebastian's expression was hard and unyielding. "What they did was pure evil. And to me, it doesn't matter what their true intentions were. They took an innocent life. They used her blood to fuel their desperation. And now they must face the consequences of their actions."
He paused, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous register. "They thought they could buy their safety with her blood. They thought the land would forget. But the land remembers. The Leshen for sure remembers... And now, so will they."
Dandelion and Zoltan exchanged glances. Then Dandelion stepped forward, "The items... leave this to us. We have some experience in taking things discreetly. We'll gather what you need."
Sebastian's eyes narrowed, his gaze piercing. "Alright. Just don't fuck this up. And make sure the item does belong to the person. This is very important Dandelion. If the ritual fails because of a mistake, the consequences will be... severe."
Dandelion's grin was thin, but there was a glint of seriousness in his eyes. "Don't you worry. We can't let you do everything, can we? What kind of companions would we be if we let you shoulder all the burden?"
Sebastian smiled. "Sure."
His expression grew serious again. "I'll talk with the elder myself. He seems like the smartest of the bunch, so I'm the one who'll take care of his stuff." He paused, his eyes narrowing. "His son is also nowhere to be found, and he didn't mention him. I'll try to find out if he's alive or not."
Zoltan's voice was hard. "Right! He's the fucker who sold his lass to them and let her get sacrificed! The spineless coward who couldn't protect the woman he claimed to love.."
Sebastian nodded slowly. "Yeah. He is no less guilty.. But if he isn't here, there isn't anything we can do. We'll have to continue our path to Vizima and leave all of this behind us."
Zoltan's expression was grim, but he nodded. "I understand."
He paused, then added, "Now we should get to work."
Sebastian turned, his yellow eyes fixed on the elder's house at the far end of the village.
"Yes," Sebastian said. "Let's get to work."
Sebastian stepped through the doorway of the Elder's house, his boots echoing against the wooden floor. The elder was waiting for him, seated in his chair near the fire, his pale eyes fixed on the witcher with an intensity that bordered on suspicion.
"Master Witcher," the elder said, his voice low and smooth. "Welcome. Do you have any tidings? I hear that you've been looking around the witch's house."
Sebastian stopped in the center of the room, his yellow eyes meeting the elder's. He did not sit.
"I did," Sebastian said, "The village is indeed cursed. And that place is somehow tied to it."
The elder's expression shifted. His eyes widened slightly, and his hand tightened on the arm of his chair. "I knew it!" he exclaimed, his voice carrying a note of vindication. "She cursed us all when we drove her away from the village! She was already cursing us when she was here!"
Sebastian's expression did not change. He watched the elder's reaction with the cold detachment. "Yeah," Sebastian said slowly, his voice flat. "It seems that way. But she is long gone, and we still have to deal with this." He paused, "In order for me to save the village, I have to take something that belongs to everyone here. I'll put a powerful charm on it to protect you from the monster that lurks in the woods, and I need to get paid for that sort of work, you know, we Witchers don't exactly work for free."
The elder's brow furrowed. His eyes narrowed. "I know that you Witchers don't lift a finger without pay.. but a monster lurks in the woods you say?"
Sebastian's voice was cold, "You haven't noticed? Someone from your village just died to it. The young man at the edge of the woods. His body was torn apart."
The elder's face went pale. "I have no clue about any monster," he said, "But I have warned my people not to venture into the woods.. They are cursed as much as our village."
Sebastian nodded slowly, his yellow eyes never leaving the elder's face. "Yeah. So about what I just said. You'll have to give me something that belongs to you. Naturally, I'll give it back once I'm done."
The elder was silent for a long moment. His pale eyes studied Sebastian's face, searching for any sign of deceit, any hint that this was a trap. But Sebastian's expression was serious and calm.
The elder's shoulders sagged slightly. "Very well, Master Witcher."
Sebastian inclined his head. "Thank you."
The elder rose from his chair, his movements slow and deliberate. He walked to a small chest near the wall, its surface carved with intricate patterns that seemed to writhe in the firelight. He opened it, his fingers fumbling with the lock, and withdrew a small object, a silver brooch, its surface tarnished with age.
He held it out to Sebastian, his hand trembling slightly. "This belonged to my wife. She died many years ago.. It is all I have left of her."
Sebastian took the brooch, his fingers closing around it.. He examined it for a moment, his yellow eyes tracing its surface. Then he tucked it into his belt pouch.
"I guess this count as something that belongs to you... this will do," Sebastian said. "Thank you."
The elder nodded slowly, his eyes still fixed on Sebastian's face. "You will return it, won't you? After you have completed your work?"
Sebastian's expression was calm. "Of course. I always keep my promises."
He turned and walked toward the door, his steps unhurried. He paused at the threshold, his hand resting on the doorframe.
"The ritual will take some time," Sebastian said, "Do not leave your house until it is done. It is not safe."
The elder nodded slowly, his eyes fixed on the witcher's back.
Sebastian stepped out into the grey afternoon light, the door closing behind him with a soft click.
'Bastard didn't even give me something that belongs to him... good thing I picked up something else, a piece of clothing, seems his, and again no sign of the son...' Sebastian thought to himself.
/-\
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