Swallow and the Panther (Ciri x Male Reader)

The Hideout

Y/n Pov

Triss and I had met with the spy, of course Dandelion was on temple isle, the one place I really couldn't get to him. The leads to how to get him out were now at a dead end. Now I only had one trail I could follow, Whoreson Junior.

Fuck if I cared who he is, what he does, what I needed to know was where he was, and for that it was to the only person I knew who knows every nook and cranny of this city.

"Philippa!" I say, entering the inn. I see her turn around, her blindfold glowing.

"No reason to shout, I'm right here" she says. She sits at a table and I sit across from her, my back to the door.

"Why's the blindfold glowing?" I ask.

"I replicated my vision of course, though everything is coming through a yellow filter. I'll have to work on that"

"I need to ask you something"

"Go on," she says.

"Do you know of a guy named Whoreson Junior?"

"Yes, the dumbest crime lord of them all. Why?"

"He and an encounter with Ciri, which is enough to warrant an encounter with me" I say.

"Fair enough, lives in Oxenfurt, in a not so conspicuous hideout. Tell the guards you're there to deliver the ladies, they'll let you right in" she says.

"How the hell do you know this?" I ask.

"I know everything, didn't I tell you that?"

"Might have mentioned it" I say, " guess I should get going."

"Not so fast" she says, "let me see your hands,"

"What for?"

"I might be seeing everything in Yellow, but I can tell at least 4 knuckles on that one hand are busted. Where are the wrappings I told you to wear?"

"That was five years ago, they wore out and they're expensive," I say. She sighs and points to the chair I previously occupied.

"Why do you punch things? Why not use those swords you insist on wearing?"

"Personal preference I suppose" I say as she conjures a bag and reaches into it, she pulls a bottle and wrappings. "I've always used my fists, I was just better that way"

"That's not it... Hands" she demands, I place my hands on the table with the fingers extended. She begins rubbing the oils on the knuckles. "What is it really? I was there, you went out of your way to train with your fists, why?"

I don't respond as I feel the pain in my knuckles ease and the bruising fades.

"It made me special" I say after a long moment of silence. "I wasn't a mage, I had no elderblood. I was just another witcher... I wanted to be different, not just be another copy of Geralt" I admitted. "I wanted be helpful to my family"

Philippa corks the bottle and then rolls the wraps towards me, I take one and begin to unravel it.

"I guess I understand," she says, "but if you're gonna be the brawler of that 'family', do it properly. Don't just go punching everything, busting yourself up in the process." she tells me. I finish the first wrap and take the second.

"Thought you'd tell me to stop, to just use my sword" I said.

"I've never been the kind to tell you what to do Y/n, not you anyway. I know your capable, I know your strong, but you can be stupid, and that is where I'm responsible, to make sure that the short comings in my teaching don't get you killed" she says and I finish the second wrap, flexing my hands they feel more secured, dumping the gloves I usually wore, I then stood and looked at Philippa.

"You were the best teacher I had," I say "it was never you who failed"

"Y/n-"

"No. I'm gonna go pay Whoreson Junior a visit, I'll be back soon enough"

Riding to Oxenfurt was bland, but quick. Philippa had given me a secret crest to look out for, and I eventually found it and went to the guards.

"I'm here for the women" I say.

"You got none with you" the guard says.

"I'm here to pick them up" I correct, picking at straws never goes well.

"Oh, right. It's been a while since you corpse collectors have been around" the second guard says, opening the gate.

Corpse?

Walking into the house, I'm met with a few guards who stop me.

"What are you doing here?" he asks.

"Corpse Collection" I say. The man looks me up and down.

"corpse collection my arse, you're that witcher who's been snooping around Novigrad, lads! Get him!" the guard shouts.

I put my fists up, and knock the first guard out. Another charges at me, I dodge the sword and grab the man by his throat, twisting us around. I throw him into an approaching armed guard. Dodging a sloppy swing from a hatchet I punch the man in the nose, he reels back and I take the hatchet from his hand and swiftly turn around to block a sword swing, I kick the man in the calf and his left leg buckles, I then drive the hatchet into his head. A man, armed only with a dagger rushes me, pushing me against the wall. I pull his head up into my armpit and twist. Hearing a sick crack as the man goes limp.

I then slide down, letting a sword stab the wall above my head, I punch the man's gut and he keels over as I take a dagger out and slice his abdomen open. I push him over and stand, but I'm pushed onto the ground, I flip over and toss a dagger that lodges itself in the attackers forehead, I then see another man running down the hall, I knew I didn't have time to stand so I look around me and spot a short sword, I slowly reach over and grasp it. I time a kick to the man's crotch perfectly, my foot meets his nuts, and he comes crashing down at me. But I raise the sword and he impales himself on it, blood pours from his mouth and onto me.

Eh, I've had water hags fling their enchanted mud at me, blood isn't so bad.

I push the man over and slowly stand, spotting myself in the mirror at the end of the hall. I was caked in blood, I looked like some monster I'd be given a contract for. I had to look away, and head up the stairs. Hunting the Whoreson.