Elder Blood Witcher - 791 End of the path

…

Etredi “Yeah… Tell that to all the innocent people it slaughtered, I’ve never personally heard of a pig capable of that.” she states.

Ciaran shrugs, “Pigs where I’m from weigh a few tons and are covered in metal plating…” she mutters, giving the still squirming body a punt.

Zudite shakes his head, “We need to get going, who knows when more are going to turn up… Where’s Margarita anyway?” he says, closing his eyes to ask her through the mental connection.

Dythi “Come on… Let’s get you up…” he says, helping Hurtelt to his feet after doing his best to patch him up. “Argh!” he blurts as he rapidly looks at his hand.

Hurtelt “Ah… Sorry, my blood is still quite acidic, try not to get any on you.” he says with a truly apologetic expression.

“Ah! You’re finally here!” a voice asks from the darkness, Margarita stepping out of the shadows and running up to Ciaran.

Margarita “I managed to slip away for a moment… It seems my trust in you all wasn’t misplaced.” she says with a smile.

Ciaran nods at her, “Thank you for your help thus far.” she says, giving a slight bow.

Margarita “It’s nothing… I only wish I could help the others.” she mutters.

Zudite “Right, Margarita we’ll need to remove your Dimeritium restraints before we can leave here… Could you show them to us?” he asks.

Margarita nods, gesturing towards the collar tightly fixed around her neck. “I’d appreciate if you could remove it… I feel like a dog wearing it.”

…

Margarita glances at the others, not hearing a response from them. “Is something wrong?”

Zudite “Err, well… Yes?”

Hurtelt “We’re fucked. I’d have thought you’d be restrained by chains or something similar… Not a collar, I only brought explosives to free you.” he says, inwardly cursing at himself.

Margarita frowns, “Then… We’re stuck…”

*MOOOOORRTAALLLLLSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!*

A roar erupts from what sounds like above them, shaking their eardrums and causing immense pain to all of them.

Etredi “What the fuck was that!” she exclaims, still holding her ears.

Margarita goes pale, “It’s Vasile! He must know something up when one of his underlings didn’t return…”

Zudite “There’s nowhere to run! Behind us is blocked and infested with Vampires, and we can’t very well leave through the front door!”

Hurtelt “F-uck… Fuck it! We should just try and remove the damn collar, we’re dead if we fail anyway!”

Margarita nods, “There’s no other way… If I survive we might be able to escape.” she says with a determined look on her face.

With Dythi’s assistance he hobbles towards Margarita and stretches the clay thin, wrapping it a dozen times around one part of the collar.

Hurtelt “Dythi, cover us with your shield…” he says, as he shoves one hand under the clay covered part of the collar, maneuvering his fingers until they rest in the Quen sign… “You ready for this?”

Margarita nods, “Q-quickly, there isn’t much time!”

Hurtelt doesn’t ask anything else, lighting a flame atop his finger and putting it next to the clay while he simultaneously casts Quen with the other.

*BANG!*

The explosion wasn’t large, but due to how concentrated the blast was, it was definitely strong enough to blast off the collar of Margarita…

“ARRRGGHHHHHHH!” two voices shout in agony… Once the smoke clears everyone is able to see the results of their reckless hail mary.

Etredi looks away and vomits over Tildanirds shoulder, the sight in-front of her too much to hold her stomach…

Dythi “H-holy shit.”

Zudite “I-I think I’m gonna be sick…”

Dyhi’s shield had blocked the explosion from doing any harm to Hurtelt and himself, but that was only true for what was hidden behind it… Hurtelt’s hands were, to say it politely, gone. A more accurate description would add the fact that they weren’t entirely gone. Hurtelts right hand still retained his fingers, they just didn’t have any skin or flesh… The only thing left of them was bones, bloody ligaments and patches of flesh that’d managed to survive the explosion.

His left hand wasn’t much better, even with his utilising Quen to try and protect it and Margarita, it was gone entirely, leaving only a bloody wrist.

Margarita wasn’t much better, the Quen shield had blocked the majority of the explosion, but some still got through, horribly scorching the left side of her neck and face, her left ear was also completely blown off.

Hurtelet “Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK! SHIT!” he shouts in agony, no amount of training or mental strength could stop him from shouting curses.

Margarita crouches on the ground cradling her face for a moment, pain shooting from the burnt receptors in her flesh…

*THUD, THUD, THUD*

“YOU DARE TRY TO STEAL FROM ME, I’LL DEVOUR YOU!” A voice screams from down the hallway, getting closer and closer.

This brings Margarita back to her senses, she stands and starts chanting to create a portal… She didn’t have enough time to contemplate where they’d go, only wishing to go someplace safe.

In a flash of light the portal opens, Tildanird carrying Etredi and Zudite race through it without another word.

Before Margarita enters she looks over her shoulder and spots a titanic creature destroying the hallway as it charges them…

Dythi struggles to carry Hurtelt towards the portal fast enough evade the creature, Hurtelt forcing himself out of his grip and stepping forth the confront the beast, without hands and covered in horrible injuries.

Hurtelt “YOU WANT SOME YOU FUCKING FREA-!” He’s cut off and Vasile digs his claws into the Witchers belly and literally tears him apart.