The ride to the palace was swift, the cobblestones of Vizima blurring beneath the hooves of Seb and Vernon Roche's horses. Sebastian's mind was filled with possibilities, each one leading to another, each answer raising new doubts. Who had sent those men? What had they wanted? And why had they come for him, a witcher with no renown, no enemies that he knew of? The questions circled like vultures, and he could not shake the feeling that he was being drawn into something far larger than he had anticipated.
They arrived at the royal palace gates, their horses snorting and stamping, their breath misting in the cool afternoon air. Sebastian dismounted, his boots hitting the ground with a soft thud, his hand instinctively checking the swords at his back. Roche followed suit, his eyes scanning the courtyard.
And there, standing near the entrance, were Triss, Dandelion, and Zoltan. They were clearly about to head out, their faces filled with concern, but the moment they saw Sebastian, their expressions shifted, surprise, relief, confusion, all warring for dominance on their faces. Dandelion was the first to speak, "Seb! You're not in prison? How did you.. what happened? I was certain we would have to storm the dungeons to get you out. I had already composed a ballad about your heroic escape, complete with a dramatic finale and a chorus that would bring tears to the eyes of even the most hardened guards."
"Aye, lad, we were about to come and get you ourselves. Didn't think they'd let you out so soon. I had my axe ready and everything. Would have been a grand rescue, I'm sure." Zoltan said.
Triss rushed forward, her arms wrapping around Sebastian in a fierce embrace that spoke of genuine relief and concern. Her voice was muffled against his shoulder. "I thought you were arrested in the streets! I heard what happened, they said you butchered men in broad daylight, and I.." She pulled back, her eyes searching his face. "Are you all right?"
Sebastian's voice was calm, reassuring, the same steady tone he used when facing down monsters in the dark. "I'm fine, I was arrested, yes. But thanks to this man over here, I'm a free to go." He gestured toward Roche, who stood nearby, his arms crossed over his chest.
Roche waved a dismissive hand, "Enough about that. You could have escaped them yourself. I saw what you did to those shackles, melting iron with your bare hands? That's not something I see every day."
Seb's eyes narrowed. "You were coming to get me out?" He asked.
Triss nodded, her expression serious. "Of course. The guards who did that will face true justice. To imprison the guest of the king himself.. it's an outrage. One that cannot be allowed to stand."
Sebastian shook his head slowly. "It's nothing, really. My only concern right now is to find out who those men were and why they came for me."
"I heard that they brought dead bandits, but I didn't hear the full story because I was busy with the mas..." She stopped abruptly, her voice trailing off. Then she continued, "I didn't know those men attacked you of all people.." Triss said.
Roche stepped forward. "We will know who these people were, hopefully. Sebastian here could figure out something. He's already proven himself to be more than capable in combat, I want to see the investigation bit now."
Sebastian's voice was direct. "Where are you keeping them?"
"Usually we keep the dead in the morgue far away from the palace, but we brought these to the palace for our experts to figure out something. I wanted them somewhere secure, somewhere I could keep an eye on them." Roche said.
"Foltest is really careful now." Sebastian said.
Roche shook his head, his voice flat. "No, these were my orders. Because I saw the whole thing, after all. I doubt the king knows what happened yet. I made sure no one told him. The last thing we need is for him to start another round of paranoia."
Sebastian nodded slowly. "Good. He is already too paranoid as it is. He doesn't need more reasons to distrust everyone around him."
"You can't blame the man after all those assassination attempts. I've seen what that kind of fear does to a leader. It eats away at them, makes them see enemies in every shadow." Roche said.
They walked through the palace corridors, until they reached a room in the far corner of the palace, its door heavy and unassuming, its location chosen precisely because it was out of the way. Roche pushed it open, revealing a chamber that was clearly used for purposes that most people would rather not think about.
Inside, five bodies lay on autopsy tables, their bodies covered with white sheets that did little to hide the shapes beneath. A single man stood among them, his face lined with the weariness of a lifetime of dealing with the sick and dead. He wore the simple robes of a physician.
He looked up as they entered, his voice carrying a note of professional respect. "Commander Roche. Lady Merigold." His gaze shifted to Sebastian, his eyes narrowing with curiosity as they took in the witcher's appearance. "And you must be the witcher. I've heard about you. The one who caused such a commotion in the streets this morning."
Sebastian inclined his head. "I'm Sebastian. You are?"
The physician extended his hand, his grip firm and professional. "Doctor Allan. I serve the palace as a physician and coroner. I've been examining these men since they were brought in. Fascinating cases, I must say. Not often that I get to examine bodies that have been killed with such precision."
Sebastian shook his hand, his grip matching the physician's. "Why the Autopsy? have you found something?"
Allan gestured toward the tables. "I'm already halfway through the autopsies, but it's not really necessary. These men are all fine... were fine, healthy, well-fed, no signs of disease or malnutrition. They died of the wounds you gave them of course." He paused, a note of professional admiration creeping into his voice. "Nice clean cuts, by the way, I've seen a lot of wounds in my time, usually some are messy than most, your cuts were all at fatal places, it didn't take long for these men to die after.."
"Thanks, I guess." Seb said.
He approached the bodies, his senses reaching out. The smell of blood and death was all over the chamber, but beneath it, there was something else, almost imperceptible. A chemical tang.
He paused, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the scent. "Do you smell that?"
Allan nodded, a note of approval in his voice. "Ah, yes. You smelled it, too? I was wondering if anyone would notice. Most people can't even tell during autopsy... with all kind of nasty smells mixed together.. They just turn away."
"Ashenwine..." Seb said.
"Ashen what now?" Roche asked, genuinely confused.
"It's a powerful drug. Affects the mind, makes men go crazy, more hateful, more willing to kill. I read about it a long time ago in Kaer Morhen. Some soldiers used to take it to make them fight better in battles, but the substance was banned. It's illegal to sell or buy. The side effects are too dangerous." Sebastian said.
Allan nodded. "Exactly. I would say that if you find the source of where they might have gotten their hands on Ashenwine, you might find out about their background. Someone is supplying them, and that someone is likely the key to all of this.."
Sebastian scratched his head, a flicker of embarrassment crossing his face. "I guess an autopsy was necessary after all. I shouldn't have dismissed it so quickly."
Allan smiled. "You see, when they can't speak like this in this state, their bodies will. The dead have their own language, if you know how to listen."
Sebastian nodded slowly. "I'll take that advice to heart for the future."
Roche stepped forward. "It's interesting that you both could figure out the damn thing from the smell, bloody good work." He paused, his eyes sweeping the room. "We still need more information. I'll send some men to try and figure out where they could possibly get their hands on this Ashenwine. It's not the kind of thing you find on the open market, that's clear to me already."
Sebastian's voice was thoughtful, "I'll try to find out more. There has to be something else here.."
Triss's voice cut in, "Their clothes are all the same. Could be a group of assassins that belong to a guild or something like this. Could be an organization, the uniformity suggests discipline, training, a common purpose."
Roche's expression was grim. "Hopefully not. We don't have the time to deal with something like this." He paused. "And besides, they attacked Sebastian, meaning someone wants him dead. Someone powerful or rich enough to hire professional assassins."
Sebastian nodded slowly. "Yeah, you saw my fight. They were no pushovers. Anyone else, and they might have actually done the job." He paused, his eyes narrowing. "But I don't think they are skilled enough to kill a witcher."
He turned back to the bodies, his eyes scanning them with renewed intensity. Something was nagging at him, something he had missed. Some detail that his subconscious had noted but his conscious mind had not yet processed.
Then he saw it.
On the neck of one of the men, half-hidden beneath his collar, was a necklace. But not any necklace, it was a medallion. A medallion with a griffin head, its beak open, its eyes fierce, its silver surface catching the torchlight.
Sebastian's eyes widened. His voice was filled with shock that he could not hide. "Is that a witcher medallion?!"
/-\
If you Like this story! Check out my other stories! Shadow Monarch: In One Piece / Shadow Monarch in DC
&
If you wish to read more or simply support me than check out my pat-reon / FrenzyAren"
You can Get Access to More Chapters Ahead of Release on All of My Stories!