This chapter will be a little different from what was in the episode.
Everyone had an amused look except for an embarrassed Connor, who gave them all the stink eye before taking his fishing net and moving further downstream away from them.
"Only eight years old, and my grandson's already engaged," Logan chuckled. "The kid got his charm from me."
"You're sorely mistaken, Dad. He got it from me," Lydia shrugged. "If he had gotten your charm, then he'd be sleeping around with several women every night and being chased by hitmen and pissed-off fathers."
Even though Geralt and Jaskier didn't know what hitmen were, they both knew what it was like to be chased by enraged fathers.
"What are hitmen," Jaskier asked, voicing Geralt's question.
"They're contract killers," Lydia explained, and the two men sent her looks of understanding. "My dad has a knack for pissing off a lot of people."
"Logan certainly has a way with people, that's for sure," Jaskier commented, glancing at Logan and Geralt. "He reminds me of someone else that I know."
Lydia laughed while Geralt and her father both glared at Jaskier.
"Geralt, you're fantastic at a great many things, but clearly, fishing is not one of them," Jaskier said as he amusingly watched his friend try to fish. "Have you caught anything today? What are you fishing for, exactly? Is it cod? Carp? Pike? Bream? I'm just- I'm just listing fish that I know. Zander? Is that a fish?"
"I'm not fishing. I can't sleep." Geralt told him, wanting a good night's rest.
Geralt's lack of sleep worried Lydia and Logan, who would never admit it.
"Right. Good. Well, that- that makes sense. Insomuch that it, sort of... doesn't. What's going on, Geralt? Talk to me," Jaskier voiced, annoying the Witcher.
"A djinn," Geralt uttered, casting his net back into the lake.
Meanwhile, downstream, walking side by side, Connor and Nova discussed they were with the water djinn in the cave. They thought they wouldn't have another encounter with one, but destiny had other plans for them.
*Nova*
*Yes, child*
*Do you think that my wish will come true*
*Whenever a Djinn grants wishes, they sometimes happen instantly while others take time*
Geralt's mood worsened with each passing moment, and she noticed how hard it was for him to restrain his anger. Knowing he had a temper, Lydia always managed to calm her love.
Logan tried his best to tune out what Jaskier was saying; instead, he focused on catching lunch.
"A what," Jaskier's question was only met with a moment of silence.
"I'm looking for a djinn," Geralt sighed, trying to fish for one.
"What's a Djinn," Lydia inquired, staring at Geralt. "Are they dangerous?"
"Powerful elemental spirits... that grant wishes," Geralt remarked, tiredly looking at the lake, hoping to find what he was after very soon. "Djinn are resentful creatures... And yes... They're dangerous."
"For a dj- For a djinn? A dj- Like a genie?" Jaskier laughed but immediately stopped once he saw Lydia glaring at him. "The floaty fellas with the... the bad tempers and the banned magic? That kind of genie?"
"Yes. It'll grant me wishes," Geralt heard Jaskier laugh again. "It's in this lake somewhere. And I can't fucking sleep!"
"There's probably a catch," Logan muttered, hearing bits and pieces of their conversation.
If there weren't a price, I'd wish to see you one last time and tell you goodbye, Darlin'. God, I miss you, Val. Logan thought sadly, feeling his heart painfully ache for his late wife.
Glaring at the bard, holding back his anger, Geralt grunted as he looked for a new spot to fish.
"I don't mean to play priest's ear or anything, but has it occurred to you that maybe we're merely rubbing salve on a tumor?" Jaskier declared, suspecting that the incident that happened two months ago was the reason for his friend's lack of sleep. "Not exactly addressing the root cause of the problem? Hm? I mean, maybe, just- just maybe, this whole sleeplessness-ness has got something to do with what the druid Mousesack said to you in Cintra? Do you know the Law of Surprise? Destiny? Being unable to escape the child that belongs to you, et cetera, et cetera?"
Law of Surprise? What's that? I should ask Geralt about it when he's in a better mood. Lydia thought.
"No! It's not that," Geralt uttered, trying to forget his hasty decision.
"Yeah, you're probably right. But what if you're not," Jaskier noticed Geralt's glacial glare. "You know the Countess de Stael once said to me that destiny is just the embodiment of the soul's desire to grow."
"Did you sing to her before she left," Geralt raises his eyebrow.
Happiness flashed in Jaskier's eyes as he spoke,
"I did, actually, and she... Why, what are you implying? Oh... We are so having this conversation. Come on, Geralt. Tell me. Be honest. How's my singing?"
"It's like ordering a pie and finding it has no filling," Geralt says, causing Lydia and Logan to bite back a laugh.
Taking a step back with his eyes and mouth wide open from Geralt's comment, Jaskier blurted,
"You need a nap! I mean, are you trying to hurt my feelings, Geralt? It's... It's down- downright indecorous of you if I'm completely honest, and-"
Before Jaskier could finish his sentence, everyone heard Logan say,
"Is this what you're looking for? It looks strange."
Spotting what Logan was holding, Geralt wasted no time walking towards him. He couldn't believe it; he had fished for most of the morning only to find out that Logan discovered it first. As long as the djinn's pot was in his care, it didn't bother him.
"There's an odd symbol on the stopper," Logan told Geralt, handing the pot to him.
Sensing something amiss, Enzo and Ava woke from their slumber inside Lydia's satchel. Popping their heads out, they hissed as soon as they detected the magic trapped within the pot. The magic emitted from the djinn scared them.
Lydia had never seen her furry companions frightened before; it worried her.
*What's wrong with you two*
*Don't mess around with that thing*
*Please get rid of it, Mistress*
Returning from their stroll, Connor and Nova froze in mid-step once they noticed the familiar pot his father was holding in his hand. They thought that they'd never have another encounter with a djinn. Unfortunately, they were wrong.
"Do you mind if I-" Jaskier stopped in mid-sentence, grabbing the pot from Geralt.
"Jaskier..." Geralt warned, trying to get back the pot.
"Give it back, bub," Logan told Jaskier.
"Take back that bit about my fillingless pie. Take it back, and then you can have your djinny-djinn-djinn. If you don't, then it goes back into the lake," Jaskier demanded, offended by what Geralt said about his music.
"Give it back," Geralt tugs on the pot.
"No! No, let go, you horse's arse," Jaskier yelled, continuing to grab the pot.
"For Christ-sake," Logan growled, quickly approaching them and grabbing the pot from the top, accidentally yanking out the stopper. "Stop acting like a child."
"Hm. That's a bit of an anticlimax," Jaskier says, grabbing back the Djinn pot. "Or is it."
A breeze instantly ruffled the three men's hair.
"Oh no," Connor groaned, wanting to be someplace other than there. "Not again."
Jaskier is probably going to wish for something childish. Lydia crossed her arms, quietly watching the scene unfold.
"Djinn, I have freed thee, and as of this day, I am thy lord," Jaskier stated, a look of excitement twinkling in his eyes. "Firstly, may Valdo Marx, the troubadour of Cidaris, be struck down with apoplexy and die. Secondly, the Countess de Stael must welcome me back with glee, open arms, and very little clothing. Thirdly,"
"Jaskier," Geralt yelled, grabbing the back of Jaskier's top and pulling him backward.
"Wha-," Jaskier said, being interrupted.
"Stop! There are only three wishes," Geralt warned, trying to stop the bard from using the last wish on something foolish.
"Oh, come on, you always say you want nothing from life," Jaskier voiced, reminding Geralt of what he said in Cintra. "So how was I supposed to know you wanted three wishes all to yourself?"
"I just want some damn peace," Geralt shouts, his eyes flashing gold.
"Well, here's your peace," Jaskier says, throwing the pot to the ground and breaking it.
Baring his teeth, Geralt growled as he collected the pot pieces. Focused on picking up the pieces, he didn't notice the fresh cut on his forearm.
Feeling the wind intensify, Connor immediately knew that it was the Djinn.
Suddenly holding his throat, Jaskier cried out,
"Geralt... Geralt... it's the djinn!"
Casting a magical black smoke, rushing by the others, Geralt suddenly saw Jaskier double over, clutching his throat.
"Dad! Something is wrong with Jaskier," Conner called out, seeing the bard vomit blood. "What's wrong with him?"
"He needs to see a doctor, and fast," Lydia stated, examining Jaskier's swollen neck.
"There's a camp not too far from ours, " Connor mentioned, getting questioning looks from his family. "Maybe there is someone at the camp who can help Jaskier."
"You ventured far... from camp again, " Geralt knowingly says. "Connor?"
"Yes, Dad, " Connor admitted, knowing he would be in trouble with his parents later.
"Your father and I will discuss your punishment later, young man," Lydia declared, leading Roach, Aeris, and her horse over to him.
"Hm, " Geralt grunted, agreeing with Lydia.
Mounting their horses, they raced to the nearest camp. When everyone soon arrived at the camp, Geralt dismounted off Roach and went over to a militia guard.
"Is there a doctor here, " Geralt inquired.
"Yes, yes. Chireadan, the elf healer," the guard pointed. "Over there."
Geralt and Logan entered the doctor's tent with Jaskier while Lydia, Connor, and Nova waited outside.
Once he finished explaining what happened to Jaskier to Chireadan, Geralt began to feel guilty for how he treated his friend; he wasn't the only one who felt terrible. Logan felt sorry for being mean to Jaskier; he decided to apologize after the bard got better.
"A djinn in a bottle? It's like a fairy tale," Chireadan said in awe.
"More like a nightmare," Logan muttered as he crossed his arms.
"Without the happy ending," Geralt uttered, seeing Jaskier vomit blood again. "Can you help him?"
"Oh, dear," Chireadan sighed, inspecting the bulge that's Jaskier's throat.
"I don't like the sound of that," Logan muttered, knowing that what the elven doctor had to say couldn't be good.
"What," Geralt demanded.
"I assure you I have received the best medical education right here in Rinde, but... these injuries are of a magical nature," Chireadan tells him. " I can help with the pain, but it's a bit like..."
"Putting salve on a tumor," Geralt added, upset by the news.
"Magic is never simple," Logan sighed, looking at Geralt.
"No," Jaskier rasped.
"His throat was attacked. If the spell's action isn't halted as soon as possible, that damage might be irreversible," Chireadan informed.
"Wha-" Jaskier struggled to say before vomiting blood.
"And the longer he goes untreated, the more likely it is to spread. He could die," Chireadan gravely says.
After hearing what the elven doctor said, Geralt and Logan were determined to find a way to save the bard.
"Fuck! Geralt," Jaskier gasped, afraid of dying early.
"Uh... Yeah, we won't let that happen," Geralt pats Jaskier's back.
Helping Jaskier drink a potion, Chireadan stated,
"The medicine should buy him a few hours, but he needs a magical remedy. You'll have to take him to another town."
"Putting salve on a tumor," Geralt muttered.
This is what happens when you play around with magic. Logan glanced at Jaskier, hoping that they could save him in time.