The Divine Hunter

Dawn broke through the horizon over yonder. Gusts of cool morning breeze danced across the woods, caressing the patches of grass between the trees, kissing the fields surrounding the fence, pushing down dewdrop-covered lips, and entering the quiet orphanage.

Carl was in the yard, taking a deep breath. He could smell the scent of life poking through the soil and the aroma of charcoal and meat hanging in the air.

The bonfire. He could still remember it vividly. His friends stood in a circle, hand in hand. Standing in the center was the famous bard who went by the name of Dandelion. They danced and laughed to the merry tune he played, and the night was filled with nothing but delight.

A small smile tugged on Carl’s lips. A hint of happiness lit his little face up, but that happiness died a moment later. He was reminded of something terrifying, and his brows furrowed. There was unease and even fear in his eyes.

“Carl, it’s a day off. Why are you up so early?” Monti rubbed his eyes and sat down beside his friend, pulling Carl closer. “You look sad. Did you stay up all night? You don’t want to leave us, do you? Why don’t I tell them to let you stay? You don’t have to go for the special training.”

“Yeah, Carl. You can still train at the orphanage. You don’t have to leave.” Acamuthorm had appeared as well. He too sat beside his friend, licking his lips.

Lloyd and Charname made their appearances shortly after. All the reserve apprentices were gathered.

“Training’s going to be boring without you.” Charname slicked back a lock of his hair and put on a look of disappointment. “Training with these talentless fools is a boring chore. They aren’t tough enough to motivate me.”

The boys snarled at Charname.

“And you’re the pretty boy.” Lloyd blinked and sighed. “If you’re gone, the girls won’t even look at us as much anymore. That’s gonna take the fun out of training.”

Monti took a deep breath. His fringe was shaking, hesitation filling his eyes. But in the end, he resolved himself. “If you stay, I-I’ll let you marry Vicki.”

Monti puckered his lips. He felt like crying, but still he continued. “I-I’ll be your best man when you get married.”

“Yeah. We’ll just stop this competition,” the boys agreed. They put their hands on their friends’ shoulders and pressed their heads together in the center like a human chain, as if doing that would bond them tighter.

“No forcing or giving up on love. Didn’t you guys see how Roy wooed Lytta?” Carl shook his head and put on a precocious act.

“Wait, you saw them?” Curiosity lit up the boys’ eyes.

“Um, once. When I got up to pee, I saw them going into the woods at night, and then I heard someone purring like a cat. Happened almost every day after that. I call that romance. I bet Roy recites a lot of poems to her every night.” He muttered, “And they also fight naked. That’s how he made her fall for him.”

The boys’ jaws dropped. The story was shocking, and they nodded like they had learned something from it.

“If you want true love, you’ll have to have charisma and strength. Or all you’re gonna get is a fake,” Carl said seriously. He patted the napes of his companions. “Thanks for your concern, but I must leave. Worry not. I’ll be out for about six months at most. It’s going to be the most critical point in my life.”

Carl tilted his head and cooked up a story. “If I get through this, I’ll be awesome like a swan. You know, the story of the ugly duckling.”

“But you’re not ugly.”

“Shut it! Then I, Carl, will gain enough power to be an actual witcher apprentice, not a reserve member.” He teased, “Don’t slack off. I won’t wait for you guys. If you don’t catch up, we’ll drift apart.”

Curious, Acamuthorm asked, “What if you can’t get through it?”

A long silence later, the kids quickly covered his mouth. “Shut it! Don’t jinx it!”

Acamuthorm’s eyes almost rolled back into his head, and he almost fainted.

Carl turned around while his companions kept up the banter. Then he noticed all the girls and the fat lady staring at him in silence. There was concern and blessing in their eyes.

Are they sending me off?

Felix showed up out of nowhere. This time, he didn’t smack his student’s head. Instead, he patted it. “Ready, Carl?” There was a hint of warmth in his otherwise dead voice.

Carl nodded. He shouted to the kids, “Wait for me, people. I’ll return triumphant!” A tear trickled down his cheek.

The kids waved their hands. “Bye, Carl!”

***

Not much time had passed since the laboratory last saw a deadly trial, and now another adept came to the very same chamber where Roy underwent the harrowing ordeal. The boy was sitting on the operating theater, naked and filled with trepidation. He looked like a little beast scared of a new place.

Even though he had gone through a dozen pre-Trials and put himself in danger, the prospect of facing the real deal still scared him.

“Half of this boat is magic. It won’t get destroyed that easily.” Lytta grabbed his hand and pried his fingers open. “And so what if it’s destroyed? You don’t want to swim with me?”

“Of course I do.” Roy kissed the back of her hand.

“They’re going to make a din for a while. Carl needs some time to get that excess energy out of his system. In the meantime, we’ll be making some memories.” Lytta stretched her arms and leaned on his chest like a mermaid lying on a reef.

Her eyes were glistening, and the witcher held her hair, taking in the scent that was coming off her. His eyes were glinting.

The second mutation filled his body with almost inexhaustible energy, and with great energy came great dilemmas.

“Carl’s Trial will take at least three to six months. We can’t see each other that much. Once a week is the best I can do, so let’s make it Sunday.”

“Yeah.”

“Don’t stand me up.”

“Okay, then I have a request. Don’t get too close to the adepts during the Trial, no matter who they are. Alright?” He stared at the sorceress solemnly. Roy could be jealous if he wanted to, and Lytta’s love got him through his Trial.

Lytta chuckled and caressed his cheeks. Her hair brushed across his lips, her eyelashes fluttering like a butterfly’s wings.

“Why are you giving me that look? And why are you being quiet?”

“I’m trying to come up with a surprise to cheer you up.” She smiled and huddled closer.

***

“Alright, I’m cheered up. Incidentally, do you know any sorceresses? Whom you are good friends with?”

“Why do you ask?” Lytta was starting to get cautious.

“Well, sorcerers can work too. I just think you being alone takes a lot out of you. Takes a lot out of our time too.”

“You’d like to rope more mages into this brotherhood, huh?” She looked back and smiled at him. “I know a lot of mages, famous or otherwise. Margarita, Keira, Yennefer, Tissaia, Triss, and the one you saved—Casiga.”

She listed out a dozen mages before she came to a halt. And then she looked at Roy. “Would you like to see Casiga?”

Hesitation grasped Roy for only a moment. The witcher answered, “She has her own life to lead.” I’ll see her when she’s older.

Lytta nodded happily and caressed his forearm like it was a cat. “Aside from me, nobody’s going to work with the brotherhood. You aren’t exactly esteemed at the moment. Besides, do you even have enough money to hire a second mage?”

Roy mused pensively. Lytta didn’t take the coins the brotherhood promised. First, the compensation Kerack’s queen gave her was enough to last for years. Second, she didn’t want to sour the relationship with things like profit or coins. Roy didn’t want to, but Lytta still did him a favor in the end.

Still, it was a favor he loved. The orphanage’s upkeep, the Trials, and recipe improvement cost them a lot. The latter two took up most of the costs. What money they made from their shops wasn’t enough to keep up with this. And they still had a lot of plans in the future, like gear upgrades and big item purchases. They would have to sit down and talk with the dopplers should they want to hire one more mage.

“Don’t shoot for the moon just yet. It’s only been a year, but you’ve doubled your team members and opened an orphanage. That’s good enough,” Lytta said gently. “You’ll get the second mage sooner or later, but for now, Carl takes precedence, get it?”

“Yeah. But can you handle his Trial though?”

“Not sure. You were nearly fourteen during your first Trial. That’s about five years older than most if not all adepts. Carl’s not even ten years old. He’s at the perfect age for a Trial. The effects are going to be far stronger than the Trial you took, but that also means a higher risk.”

Come on. Is everybody gonna hold my age against me? Roy shook his head.

Lytta continued. “And Carl’s not like you. He can’t create miracles or possess multiple powers. You’re a seer, a monster tamer, and you can heal yourself just by making your body sparkle. He doesn’t have that kind of power. And by the gods, I’ll make you spill your secrets someday.”

“You’ll have to keep cheering me up.”

“Uh huh.” Flames of desire flared in Lytta’s eyes, and she bit her lip.

The skies were peaceful, but the seas weren’t. Waves undulated over the surface, and a wooden boat was seen floating across the waters. All of a sudden, it started to rock, and for a long time at that.

***

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