7—Hindhold

Merel after reading the letter, that never made it to its recipient, chuckled slightly at the irony of the man taking the witcher's belongings, would then have his belongings taken in turn.

'I probably would have taken his things too though...'

This witcher he robbed slayed a dragon?

If Merel's memory served him well there was a legendary witcher of the griffin school named 'dragon slayer' George who was famous for killing a dragon.

'Despite being a legendary witcher he met his end all the same'

Seems he planned to sell his stolen property to start anew in maribor with his sister, never made it in the end though.

The last passage of the letter was about this Balstick fellow deciding to drink the witcher's potions seeing as they probably wouldn't survive the long journey.

'Big mistake...'

Merel remarked while thinking of how toxic a witcher's potions are to regular folk.

While to a witcher they may provide great effects like increased regeneration rate of vitality and endurance, some potions can even provide miraculous effects such as night vision, increased strength, faster reflexes, resistances and even heal ailments but to your average man they are nothing but a quick trip to the grave thanks to their major trade off that even witchers can succumb to. Toxicity.

'And he drank the whole lot... I wonder if runes could help me safely ingest these potions in the future.'

Wondering on the possibility he moved on to the old folded piece of paper Merel carefully unfolded the paper so as to not damage it.

On the paper was a diagram of a sword with measurements and detailed specifications on how to properly craft it along with a list of the necessary materials.

'This must be the diagram mentioned in Balstick's letter.'

____________________

Griffin steel sword

1 × Leather scraps

2 × Steel ingot

1 × Monster brain

1 × Monster eye

____________________

Merel wondered why forging a steel sword would at any point in the process ever need monster body parts, reading on he found an answer. The diagram had on it left corner a somewhat faded passage detailing how to use the monster parts to cause a small increase in the power of the signs casted while using this sword.

To merel, it seemed like a pointless addition, his runes could probably create much more powerful effects than such a tiny upgrade.

Merel was impressed that this witcher had managed to slay a dragon with only a steel sword, what insane strength he must have had to kill it without using a silver sword it's weakness.

He didn't dwell on this for long though as he pocketed the diagram into his shirt leaving Balstick's letter where it was and made his way to the open gate.

Walking through the raised portcullis Merel strode outside, exposing him to the view.

The gate led out to a short road ending at a bridge which like the one he saw on the other side but this one was sunken towards the end only just about leading to the other side, somebody crossing would have to leap a few meters to make it to the end.

Under the bridge and all around was a marshy swamp with a fog hovering over the surface blackened trees poking out of the water.

Merel first made his way toward to closest point of interest a signpost.

Reading the signpost it read...

'Hindhold watchtower'

He remembered that signposts allowed you to fast travel between areas but there was no possibility of that here.

Pulling out the tome he flipped to a random page and mentally exclaiming 'map'.

Checking the map, that was now forming on the paper, once more he found his location marker and a new icon of green signpost with a passage of text beside it that says...

_____________________________

Hindhold.

Hindhold is a ruined watchtower located on the frontier separating Velen and Novigrad. It is now inhabited by a large flock of harpies that have made their nests atop the tower.

This watchtower used to protect barges travelling between Oxenfurt and Novigrad. It once even boasted a bridge connecting the two sides of the river, but now it stands abandoned and neglected, its bridge a collapsed ruin.

___________________________

'Just like the game...'

Merel was glad that the map was self updating just like the game was, this would be helpful.

Examining the map closely Merel looked for areas that could be deemed safe to stay.

Fishing out the folded parchment with the steel sword diagram out of his shirt. Merel placed it into the pages of the tome and stored it away.

Making his way onwards to the bridge he waded through the fog that slightly consumed the bridge stopping in the middle when he saw something move to the left among the trees.

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A/N: There were two Endrega warriors at the bottom of Hindhold keep in the game didn't include them in here as it made no sense besides making a challenge for the griffin school scavenger hunt.

804 words without Author's note.