Faelorn still stood across from Sebastian near the rough wooden table, their forearms only just separating after the handshake when hurried footsteps suddenly echoed from one of the outer tunnels.
Fast and panicked, every Scoia'tael in the cavern reacted instantly.
Hands moved toward blades, bows were grabbed.
Several torches were extinguished immediately. Then an elf burst into the cavern breathing heavily, dirt smeared across his face, panic clear in his eyes.
"Commander Faelorn!"
The entire cavern snapped toward him, the scout nearly stumbled catching his breath before blurting out, "Redanians! They're here! not far from the hideout!"
A wave of curses spread immediately through the cavern.
"How many?"
"At least twenty!" the scout answered quickly. "Heavy armored men all of them!"
Faelorn went still for half a second. "Shit." he said.
Sebastian slowly rose from his chair.
There it was, the mistake, his mistake.
"I see," Sebastian muttered quietly, his golden eyes narrowed slightly.
"It seems we were both tricked."
Faelorn immediately turned toward his people.
"Move!"
His voice echoed sharply through the cavern now with full authority.
"Women and the young ones first through the lower tunnels. Grab supplies only. Leave the rest."
They did so instantly through the camp, Scoia'tael began gathering weapons, extinguishing fires, moving crates aside to reveal hidden stone passages deeper beneath the cavern.
The dwarf from earlier grabbed an axe nearly as large as Sebastian's torso while muttering:
"Could've had one peaceful evening…"
Sebastian however noticed something else.
The wind again, cold air flowing faintly from deeper below the cavern.
He turned slightly toward one of the lower tunnels now partially revealed behind moved crates and broken stone. "…There's something under this place."
Faelorn glanced toward him briefly while strapping a sword to his back.
"You noticed?"
"The wind gave it away."
The elf captain actually smiled faintly despite the situation.
"Sharp senses, witcher."
He nodded toward the dark tunnel below.
"Yes. Ancient ruins."
His expression shifted subtly afterward.
"One that belongs to my people."
Several nearby elves lowered their eyes slightly at those words.
Faelorn continued, "Old even by elven standards."
His voice darkened. "A dangerous place still, infested with monsters and wretched creatures."
The female elf who captured Sebastian crossed her arms.
"We never dared to fully explore it."
"Too many disappearances," the dwarf muttered.
"One fool walked down there drunk three months ago," another elf added quietly. "Never came back."
Sebastian glanced once toward the darkness below.
'Interesting. very interesting.' that's what he thought.
But not the problem right now.
"As long as your people stay safe."
He reached calmly for the steel sword strapped across his back.
"…I'll go deal with the Redanians first, do not explore the ruins deeper, I'll protect you once I return, more soldiers will return here even if we deal with these ones."
That stopped everyone completely.
The female elf stared at him.
"You are doing what?"
Sebastian unsheathed his blade slowly.
Metal scraped softly against leather.
"There are too many of you to escape if battle starts inside these tunnels."
Faelorn narrowed his eyes immediately.
"You would stand and fight in our stead?"
Sebastian shrugged lightly.
"Yes."
The answer came so naturally it almost sounded ridiculous.
He adjusted the sword in his hand.
"I'll try talking first."
The dwarf barked out a laugh.
"With the Redanians? Good luck!"
"Exactly," Sebastian replied dryly. "Which means they're probably here for blood, but I'll still try."
The female elf studied him openly now, confused and almost suspicious.
"But…Why?"
Sebastian looked at her.
"Because if what you all said is true, then they murdered innocent villagers because they helped you and used me as killer for hire and a tracker to get to you, their actual target."
His voice hardened faintly. "And I really hate being manipulated."
Faelorn watched him silently for several moments.
Then the elf captain grabbed his own bow from the table nearby.
"No."
Sebastian looked at him.
Faelorn slung the quiver over his shoulder.
"I said we fight side by side."
Several Scoia'tael immediately nodded in agreement.
The older elf continued,
"I won't hide underground while another bleeds for my people."
He pointed toward the dwarf.
"Yarvik comes too."
The dwarf grinned viciously while spinning the axe once in his hands.
"Finally, some fucking fun.."
The female elf sighed dramatically.
"Of course we're all going to die now.."
Faelorn ignored her completely.
"Twenty armored men is too much even for a witcher."
Sebastian smiled then. "Actually…"
He rolled his shoulders once.
"…twenty is too little."
The dwarf blinked.
Then burst out laughing.
"Oh I like him."
Faelorn's scarred face slowly twisted into an amused grin too.
"Aren't you an arrogant bastard..."
"Learned from the best."
Far above the cavern came the distant echo of horns.
Redanian war horns.
One, then another.
The Scoia'tael instantly tensed.
Faelorn's expression darkened fully now.
"They found the entrance.."
Sebastian rotated his neck once before stepping toward the outer tunnel calmly, sword resting over his shoulder.
Flames flickered faintly beneath his fingertips for the briefest second.
"Good."
The female elf stared after him.
"Good?…He's insane."
Yarvik grinned while hefting the axe onto his shoulder.
"He's a witcher.. If the stories are true, they enjoy a proper bloodshed."
Then the dwarf followed Sebastian toward the surface.
Faelorn right behind him.
The first thing the Redanians saw was not the elves.
It was the witcher.
Sebastian stepped out at the forefront with slow steps, cloak shifting behind him, two swords on his back, his golden eyes swept across the soldiers surrounding the cavern entrance.
Heavy armor, Redanian colors, crossbows raised.
The scout was correct, they were at least twenty men, more waited deeper between the trees. Steel glinted everywhere beneath the forest light.
Behind Sebastian came Faelorn with bow already in hand, beside him walked Yarvik gripping a brutal dwarven axe across one shoulder while the female elf archer who had captured Sebastian earlier stood with an arrow already nocked.
The moment the Redanian captain saw Sebastian emerge from the cave, his expression twisted into disbelief.
"Witcher?!" he barked.
The surrounding soldiers shifted uneasily, the captain's eyes narrowed beneath his helmet as he stared at Sebastian.
"I truly expected better." His tone dripped with disappointment. "Thought you'd have butchered them already... or died trying. Either would've been acceptable."
A few soldiers laughed nervously, the captain spread his hands dramatically.
"So much for the famed professionalism of witchers."
Sebastian stared at him for a long moment.
Then finally spoke. "Cut the bullshit, human scum."
The laughter died instantly.
The captain blinked once before barking out an ugly laugh.
"Ohhh..." he sneered. "So that's how it is."
His eyes shifted toward the elves.
"You've gone and made friends with the squirrels."
Faelorn's lip curled at the insult, the captain continued, "Mutant freaks siding with filthy nonhumans." He spat onto the forest floor. "Not exactly surprising. Scum tends to gather together eventually."
Yarvik immediately took a threatening step forward.
"You wanna repeat that without the armor, ya horse-fuckin' cunt?"
"Easy," Faelorn muttered without taking his eyes off the soldiers.
Sebastian never moved, never blinked, his eyes didn't even leave the captain ignoring everyone else, Sebastian spoke again. "One question before this turns ugly."
The captain smirked.
"Oh? The mutant wants answers now?"
Sebastian ignored the mockery. "Why did you kill the villagers?"
For the first time since arriving, the Redanian captain looked genuinely amused.
He laughed. "Because we were ordered to."
Faelorn's jaw tightened.
The captain continued casually. "We are tasked with hunting Scoia'tael by any means necessary. We discovered those peasants traded with them. Sheltered them." His face hardened. "Fed enemies of Redania and the North."
One soldier nearby muttered,
"Should've burned slower if you ask me."
Another chuckled, Sebastian's fingers slowly tightened.
The captain noticed and smiled wider.
"They died because they chose the wrong side." He shrugged. "Simple as that."
Faelorn glanced toward Sebastian.
"See?"
Sebastian closed his eyes briefly.
Just briefly, then exhaled slowly through his nose.
"I understand now."
The captain tilted his head.
"Good. Then you understand this too."
More soldiers emerged from the trees behind him.
Crossbows lifted, steel unsheathed.
The Redanian commander raised his sword toward them.
"We outnumber you." His voice echoed through the clearing. "We're better equipped than a pack of starving forest rats and one wandering freak."
He looked toward Faelorn.
"Surrender, and maybe I'll grant you quick deaths, and everyone you are hiding in there."
Then toward Sebastian. "You included."
Yarvik spat onto the ground.
"Come try it then, ya armored pile o' pig shite!"
The female elf pulled her bowstring tighter, emerald eyes burning with hatred.
"Fucking Dh'oine!"
The captain ignored her.
"Or," he continued calmly, "die like dogs here in the mud."
Sebastian slowly drew his steel sword.
SHIIIING.
The blade slid free and orange flames erupted across the steel instantly.
The surrounding soldiers recoiled instinctively as heat rolled across the clearing.
The fire reflected in Sebastian's golden eyes while sparks drifted around him like embers, even Faelorn stared for half a second.
The witcher raised the burning blade toward the Redanians.
His voice was dead calm.
"Step forward, monsters."
For one moment nobody moved, they all stared at him and his burning sword.
Then the captain roared, "KILL THEM ALL!"
/-\
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