Rain pattered onto my face tickling me awake, guttural chanting drew my attention to a large army of black garbed figures. Focusing on a figure perched on a large boulder I groaned. The white hand painted onto the figure's brutish face was familiar. The Uruk Hai roared and I cursed under my breath. Quickly drawing Aerondight I took a quick survey of the area around where I had woken up. The dark stone walls nestled in the side of a mountain brought back memories of a large battle.
"Helms Deep, Fan-fucking-tastic." I groaned, what's worse was the fact that I was outside the walls, under the only weak spot of the keep.
An arrow hissed through the air before felling an orc. The orc crumpled to the muddy ground as the other Uruk Hai roared in what I assumed was anger. Slowly the massive army Saruman had assembled started to charge forward. I may have been a Witcher but that didn't mean I wasn't infallible. There were thousands of brutes charging right at my direction and I had my back to some rusty grates.
Arrows whizzed through the air, dozens of orcs crumpled as their comrades stampeded over their dead bodies. My grip on Aerondight tightened and I grit my teeth, the orcs drew closer. I squashed my remaining doubts and casted Volun. The sign caused an arc of lightning to immediately vaporize a dozen orcs and I blinked. Charging forward I batted away roughly forged pikes as I cut through the orcs ranks. Arrows fell dozens of Uruk Hai around me but I ignored them. I was a whirlwind of steel and fire, Aerondight cut through blotchy skin and black armor like butter. Igni was a spout of fire that turned dozens of orcs into ash. I heard a horn sound behind me as I hacked and slashed my way through orcs.
'Either that procedure has boosted my strength and the power of my signs or these orcs are pathetically weak in comparison to what they were in the movies.'
I glimpsed the ramp-like structure that led to the main gate to the keep. Refocusing my attention I fought towards the ramp. Dodging another slash from an orc I blasted a path through their ranks with Aard. Taking advantage of the opening I had created I ran to the gates and was immediately pulled inside by multiple hands. I heard roars and screeches as the battle continued on the other side of the heavy doors. I quickly caught my breath and looked around at the small number of warriors gathered around me. There was a mix of elves and men in the room, eventually I spotted a grizzled man approaching me.
"Well met friend, how did you come to be outside the walls?"
I hurriedly tried to think of an excuse, it was rather difficult to come up with a reason as to why I was outside the wall, much less appearing out of thin air. Then again these people, especially Theoden, were no stranger to magic. I weighed the risks of telling the truth. On one hand there was ultimately no danger of the defenders attacking me, but Theoden would no doubt be apprehensive about magic. Given that the man had been throughly mind raped by Saruman just weeks prior.
'Fuck it.' "I came about a rift in space in my world. I stepped through and here I am."
The horse lord looked at me disbelievingly before looking at my, no doubt, strange armor and eyes. An explosion shook the keep and heads snapped to the direction of where it came from.
"That is hard to believe but we need all the swords we can get. Let us return to the battle."
Nodding at him sheathed my steel sword and followed the king. We came back out to the rain just as Aragorn shouted out that the Uruk Hai had breached the wall. Moving past Theoden I rushed over to the grounds where defenders gathered to repel the invading force. Aragorn looked at me briefly before turning back to the group of elves he commanded. Rasing his sword he ordered the elves to fire a volley of arrows downing dozens of orcs. I drew my sword again and prepared to engage the oncoming orcs. Casting a quick Quen sign on myself I tightened my grip on my sword before waiting for Aragorn to call the charge.
The orcs drew closer, Aragorn called for one more volley before charging out. The elves followed suit behind the ranger, I quickly overtook the charging elves and ran side by side with Aragorn. Just as we were about to crash into the wall of pikes I sent an overpowered Aard sign blasting apart a few orcs and knocking over a dozen more.
My sword sang as black blood splattered on my armor. Adrenaline coursed through my veins as I hacked away at the vile creatures. Lost in the heat of battle, my blade a deadly blur, I laid waste to countless orcs. Time was lost to me as I found grim satisfaction in slaying the creatures. Dodging a spear I cast an Igni at the attacker incinerating the orc.
"Aragorn! Fall back to the keep!"
We both turned to Theoden who had called out, the defenders were getting pushed back despite our efforts. Aragorn nodded before calling out to his elf friend in the wall. I remembered the man dying and I rushed to the stairs to try and prevent it.
Just as the orc was about to run the elf through the back I blasted the creature off the wall with Aard. The elf spun around to look at where the orc had been standing before looking to me. He nodded and called for the rest of the elves to retreat. Taking the lead I cleared the way as we fell back to the keep.
Moments later we barred ourselves in the hold and caught our breaths. The elf I had saved approached me and struck out his arm. Clasping it he gave me a small smile before speaking.
"You saved my life out there stranger, tell me what is your name?"
"George, and think nothing of it. I saw something I could easily prevent and seized the opportunity to do so."
"Haldir, you made it."
"I would not have, if not for this man Elessar. He destroyed the orc which was about to deliver a deadly blow to my back."
Aragorn looks at me, "And pray tell, what manner of sorcery did you use?"
"Not sorcery, at least I don't consider it sorcery."
"You cast a spell did you not? That orc was blasted off of its feet by you, while you stood more than a dozen feet away."
"I cast something, but to my understanding it is me harnessing nature around me. Not magic within myself like wizards here."
"You speak as if you're not from around here."
Before we could continue the heavy wooden doors shook as the Uruk Hai began to ram it open. Men shouted as they reinforced the doors. Theoden started to pace, Aragorn walked over to the panicking horse lord. They spoke in hushed whispers but I already knew what they were discussing. Gandalf would arrive soon and Aragorn was convincing Theoden to ride out and meet with the Rohirrim. The two broke off and Theoden went to speak with his men, they went off to gather the remaining horses. Aragorn walked back over to Haldir and I, presumably to 'convince' us to join in their charge.
"Will you two join me for one last charge? Haldir, you have no obligation to stay, your men have given enough. As for you stranger, you equally have no obligation to keep fighting. But you don't strike me as a man who would run from a fight."
I grinned at the ranger before taking a horse from a passing soldier. Whispering to the war horse I mounted before drawing both ax and sword and urging the horse forward mentally. I watched as Aragorn and Theoden also mounted horses and cantered over to where I was. Haldir eventually joined along with a handful of elves. The rest of the men had left to escort the women and children through the cave systems.
Sure I had no reason to stay and fight, hell I could have just cut right through the orc ranks and fled into the night. I also had nothing better to do, Ciri would no doubt return and wonder where I went. Geralt would inform her that I had stayed behind by the portal and knowing the woman, she would put two and two together. Unfortunately there was no telling when the world jumper would eventually find me. Millions of worlds, possibly billions, I left no clues as to where I went. I wasn't even sure if Ciri would ever find me. Just my damn luck, finding a purpose and the makings of a wonderful relationship, just to have it all ripped away. Past me would have been rather destroyed by that fact. With what I've experienced so far in The Continent alone, I have learned to seek validation through other means.
The heavy wooden doors went crashing outwards as our horses charged into the ranks of Uruk Hai. My sword sang as arcs of black blood flew through the air. I parried a pike with my ax and cast an Igni sign at the wielder. Before my mind could begin to haze from the battle again, a horn was blown and my eyes were drawn to the crest of the hill. There Gandalf sat atop a horse who was just as blindingly shimmering as the aged wizard. Eomer rode up next to Gandalf and drew his sword. I could just make out his shout as nearly several thousand riders charged down the hillside at the enemies flanks.
The battle turned into a massacre as the now overwhelmed orcs broke ranks. Thousands were driven into the trees, where if I remembered correctly was where they met their ends. Ents were a terrifying thing which I did not wish to meet so as the battle dwindled down I made myself scarce and went back to the keep. There I tended to my blades after downing a small potion to soothe my sore and stiff muscles.