Maneater

Difference Between The Monsters

Vesemir stands behind me, shouting words of encouragement. Sweat rolls down my face as I swing my sword at Coen. He manages to dodge most of the blade, but the tip of it tears through his arm. Lambert jumps at me, wielding his own sword. His movements are strong but slow due to his size.

I have the advantage in this situation. My small body can dodge their attacks easily. Lambert lets out an annoyed growl as I manage to dodge his blade. I sneak up behind him and kick him behind the knees. He falls down but gets back up.

The two Witchers circle me cautiously. I begin to circle my free hand around, the familiar tingling of my magic jolts through my veins. The red magic shoots towards them, successfully knocking them both back thirty feet. Vesemir cheers, "Well done, (Y/n). You're improving."

"Using fairy magic is cheating," Lambert says, limping towards us.

"And using your heightened senses and strength isn't?" I question.

He grins, "Of course not."

Coen pats my back as him and Lambert head back to the castle. I turn to Vesemir and see that Geralt is next to him now, his yellow eyes honed in on me.

"You're improving quickly," says Geralt.

I slide my sword into its holster, "Not quick enough. We've been here a month, and all I can manage is small bursts of magic."

"Try not to overwork yourself," he says before walking to the stables.

I watch him curiously. He's been somewhat nice to me since we got here. We still have our occasional arguments, but it's been bearable.

"Where is he going?" I ask.

"To patrol the area."

I nod, "I'd like to help."

I don't wait for Vesemir to answer as I chase after the white-haired man. My feet sink into the snow with every step, but I manage to make it to him before he leaves.

"Witcher!" I call out.

He adjusts his reigns and looks back at me, "What do you want?"

I pull Loki out of his stall and begin to saddle him. "I'm going with you."

"It's dangerous," he says flatly.

I pull myself into the saddle and roll my eyes. "I think I can handle it."

"There will be far more dangerous beasts than bug-goats," he says with an amused smile.

"I do not care. I am desperate to get away from this stuffy castle."

~~°°••°°~~

We've been out for only twenty minutes now, and Geralt's already tracking a monster. I watch him in fascination as he looks around the woods, using his heightened smell and hearing to find the beast. He jumps off of his horse and pulls his sword out. I do the same, and he holds his hand out to stop me.

"Stay here with the horses."

"And leave you to fight on your own?"

His yellow eyes bore into me, "I'm a Witcher."

"And I'm a fae."

He stares at me for a moment, pondering his next words. I wait anxiously as he stares in silence. Finally, he speaks a simple one-worded sentence.

"Fine."

I smirk to myself as I follow the Witcher deeper into the woods. His steps are quiet, almost completely soundless. I find myself envying him as he skillfully moves through the trees.

We come across a small pond, and he holds his arm out to stop me. "Don't move."

He stalks towards the water and peers into it. Suddenly, something pulls him into the water.

I stand there, completely flabbergasted as I stare at the rippling water. What am I supposed to do? I'm not a great swimmer, and I imagine that water must be painfully cold.

A creature shoots up out of the water, Geralt is hanging onto it as he swings his sword around.

"Help would be nice!" he snaps.

I cross my arms, watching the beast swing him around. It's a joyful sight to see, and I'm glad karma has finally made its way to him.

"I thought you didn't need my help!" I yell.

The beast drops him and turns to me. Its large, unblinking eyes focus on me. I grab my sword, "Shit."

It lurches forward, coming right at me. I use my magic to propel myself and land right on top of it. My sword stabs in between its eyes. The monster stills before collapsing, and I jump off of it and walk to Geralt.

"See how easy that was?" I ask.

I hold my hand out to him, offering to help him up. He ignores my hand and stands on his own.

"You're not completely useless."

My nose scrunches, "I just saved your life, Witcher. And this is how you thank me?"

"I'm not thanking you at all."

I roll my eyes, "This is why I like the other Witchers better. They at least have some humility."

"Well then, maybe you should go bother them instead of me," he snaps.

His mood swings are unbearable. One minute, he's joking around, and the next, he's trying to fight me.

I climb into my saddle and steer Loki away from him. The Witcher sighs, "You're going the wrong way, dumbass."

Of fucking course I am, because this man has the ability to piss me off so much that I forget everything. It's infuriating.

"Lead the way, Witcher."

He shakes his head, "Why do you call the others by their names but not me?"

"Because they've earned my respect."

"I've saved your life," he counters.

I cut my eyes at him, "And I've saved yours, yet you still hold no respect for me."

~~°°••°°~~

When we get to the castle, I unsaddle Loki and head inside. Jaskier greets me as soon as I step into the main room.

"Ah, there she is. Did you see any monsters lurking about?"

Geralt slams the door open, storming inside. I roll my eyes, "Yes, it just followed me inside."

Jaskier laughs. "Oh, what a wonderful sense of humor you have. But seriously, were there any monsters?"

We walk over to a table and sit, Ciri sits with us as well as Vesemir.

"Yes, there was a big slimy thing. It had many legs and came out of the water."

Jaskier nods in excitement, "Who killed it?"

"I did," I answer.

"Only because I let you."

I take a deep breath, ignoring the Witcher seated behind us. "Your dear Witcher friend was thrown through the air like a rag doll. Had I not been there, I imagine he would've returned with many more scars."

"Congrats on another monster kill," Coen says.

I frown, "It's not something to be celebrated."

Geralt walks around the table to sit in front of me. There's a challenging look on his face, "You feel bad for killing a monster, but not the dozens of men?"

Of course, I feel bad, I'm not heartless.

"There's a difference between the monsters I kill and the monsters you kill. The ones you murder often have no idea what they're doing. They're just using their natural instincts to survive. Whereas the ones I murder know exactly what they're doing, they just don't fucking care."

The room falls silent as everyone looks away in thought. Geralt still faces me, his yellow eyes studying me. I finally have enough of his intense stare and go to my room.