The Witcher The Swallow and The Monster

The Free City of Novigrad

The witcher set down the coin he had promised the blacksmith and slipped his black jacket on, it would cover his crossbow but not his sword. (F/N) walked through the streets, he kept checking to make sure his hood was up and his mask was on. The sound of music didn't calm him, he slowly made his way to Triss' house, hopefully the address Yennefer had given him was accurate.

As (F/N) made his way through the gate that led to her house, he felt himself unintentionally smile, seeing the red-headed sorceress always cheered him up. When he finally made it to her house, his smile vanished, it looked like it had been torn apart, there were two men going through the scraps, having a conversation as if nothing was wrong with what they were doing. As he got closer the witcher balled his fists, the looters must have heard him, they turned around and looked right at him, "Hey! Sod off! We're lootin' here."

(F/N) took a deep breath, he saw one of the boxes they were looking through, the first thing he saw was a key for Elder Speech, he had given it to Ciri a long time ago, Triss caught him giving it to her and had taken it, she had kept it, through all these years. He spoke in an overly calm voice, he had seen humans burn two of his kind, non-humans, for some reason he felt like hurting a human in retaliation, he didn't know why, "I'm going to count to three. If you're not gone by then, I'm gonna get pissed off. One."

The looters laughed, "Hear that?"

"Two."

"Ooh, lookie. Thinks he can scare us off."

(F/N)'s fist flew forward before he could even hit three, he heard a loud crunch when he made contact with the man's jaw. Blood sprayed everywhere, as the man fell to the ground, "Fuck! Ahh, he broke me jaw." The other looter looked at (F/N) and raised his fists, the witcher tapped his medallion, "See that? Think long and hard before you throw that punch." The man stared at the viper medallion that identified who he was. He slowly lowered his fists, (F/N) nodded, "Now, wha..." The man tried to punch him, but the witcher merely grabbed his fist and pulled him forward, he drilled his knee into his gut. He fell to the ground gasping and wheezing. (F/N) sighed, "Now, as I was saying, the sorceress that lives here where is she?"

The man with the broken jaw spoke up, he slowly stood, "Probably in some rat trap, hidin' like the rest of 'em."

(F/N) cracked his knuckled, "I'm gonna need more than that."

The man who he had kneed spoke up, "The Putrid Grove!"

"Where is that?"

The man looked at (F/N) with a terrified expression, "I don't know."

The witcher put his boot on the man's leg, "You sure?"

"Yes! I swear, I don't know! Only freaks, beggars, and other oddities stay there."

The other man laughed, "You'd fit in well there." (F/N) growled, "I have been through a lot, in the last day, don't push me. Who would know where it is??"

"Ask a beggar. Or spot yourself a thief, follow him...Beggars and thieves gotta pay tribute to the King of Beggers. Word is they do it in the Grove."

(F/N) stared, for a second he thought about working more of his anger out, a King of Beggars, that sounded insane, but he had seen crazier. (F/N) shrugged, "Gentleman, you've been very helpful. Now get out of here."

The men got up, but one of the looters paused and looked at (F/N), "Watch yourself there. Menge himself don't go to the Grove." The witcher was about to ask who the hell Menge, but suddenly the looters got a scared look on their faces, a voice spoke up, "Someone call for me? Wonder why."

(F/N) turned around, the man who was approaching him had two guards with him, it was the same man who had thrown the torch in the square. The looters cowered behind (F/N), they muttered, "Menge...temple guard."