Elder Blood Witcher - 802 Zigizigi Dickstrum

His stay within the city hadn’t been all that bad, aside from the “Kill all Witchers on sight” rule, if he were honest he’d say it was more welcoming than when the Eternal Fire ran things… Reima assumed the place used to stink of rotten, burnt flesh. Now it only smelled of sewage, death and decay, which isn’t dreadful when you get used to it.

It wasn’t like he didn’t have company either, not long after he’d entered the city one of Sigismund Dijkstra’s goons had noticed him and reported his whereabouts… Only problem with that being, they’d mistaken him for Geralt.

When Reima turned up at Dijkstra’s bathhouse the man immediately drew his sword and started questioning him, assuming Reima to be an assassin disguised as Geralt.

The situation was quickly cleared up after Reima beat the man and his men to a pulp, Dijkstra even complemented Reima saying that his fists felt like Geralt’s… Once they got talking Reima realised that Dijkstra actually owed Geralt a favour, and tried to call him here in-order to smuggle him out of the Vampire infested city, the rule against Witchers clearly on his mind.

Reima wouldn’t usually deal with people like this, but upon him mentioning his plan to kick the shit out of Phillipa Eilhart the gang-leader was all onboard, having assumed the sorceress was long gone.

With Dijkstra’s spy network along with the other surviving gang leaders, any information that even give a hint to Phillipa’s wearabouts were quickly relayed… Eventually leading them to small store just outside the city walls, sitting on the heavily travelled road next to the vast forests nearby.

The storeowner was apparently under the employ of Dijkstra, and the shop itself was mainly used as an information distributor… Reima couldn’t help but chuckle when he heard that the herbs they were supposed to be selling almost never got bought, forcing Djikstra to throw out all the rotten herbs and restock it with fresh ones.

Once the duo arrived at the store the clerk quickly shoved papers into their hands and politely shoo’d them out, not wishing for Dijkstra to stay any longer as to not ruin the facade business they were running.

Outside Reima took a look at the papers he’d been given, seeing multiple drawing of a hooden woman with only the lower half of her face visible… Black hair, freckles, smug smirk… Yep, this was Phillipa.

Dijkstra “Definitely ‘er, I’d be able to spot her smug fuckin’ grin from a mile away.”

Reima “Hmm, well, at least we know she’s around here.. Any idea’s?”

Reima shakes his head, “I’ll be the judge of that, you must’ve heard stories about me right?”

Dijkstra nods, “I have, thought they were all drivel of men manipulated by magic… Judging by how redicules the stories they told were, I’d say your but a half-assed mage.” he shrugs.

Reima “Hmm, you can believe whatever you want, I just wanna know where Phillipa is hiding.”

Dijkstra “Fine, it’s you’re deathbed mind you. I’ve received reports that large group of homeless in Novigrad have a started disappearin’, “How do you know this?” I hear you ask? Well, a few of those dirty beggers happen to have been MY dirty beggers.”

Reima “Dijkstra, I don’t care, just tell me where they are.”

Dijkstra shakes his head, “My scouts have reported strange sounds coming from the woods north of Novigrad, screams, whimpers, and all that sort. I ignored it until one of my men found dismembered arms and legs, all drained of blood… One of them with my gangs tattoo. You want Phillipa? She’s probably in the forest with those fukin’ Vampries.”

Reima nods, thankful that this gangster hadn’t gone on another monologue or started telling another story. “Ok, thanks.” he says, preparing to leave to take a look.

Dijkstra “Ah, before you’re off, I’d appreciate if you could bring back my men alive, that is, if you yourself manage to survive. I doubt you’ll be able to manage Phillipa and the Vampires alone.” he remarks, a smirk finding its way onto his face. Regardless of the favour he owed Geralt, getting Reima to pay for some men to assist him would be good business indeed.

Reima sighs and gives a shrug, not saying anything as he leaps towards the distant forest, leaving cracks in the ground where he’d previously been standing.

Dijkstra falls on his ass staring wide eyed at the spot, holding a hand over his heart as it drums in his chest, “The fuk was that? Why ‘as Geralt never done somethin’ like that before!” he exclaims.

Reima quickly falls towards the forest, wings erupting from his back in-order to facilitate a gentle landing… It wouldn’t do to alert the Vampires to his presence just yet, Phillipa might just teleport somewhere else if she heard he was coming.

…

He glances around the relatively normal-looking forest, despite how uninteresting it looked, he couldn’t help but feel that something was wrong. After a minute of observing, he finally realised what the problem was… It’s too quiet…