Chapter 3: First Steps
Recruit's Trial –
Pentos training ground, morning The sun was a searing orb in the sky, beating down on the training grounds. The air was thick with dust and the scent of sweat. Adam was standing across from a young woman, her face smudged with dirt, her hair tied back in a messy knot. Lyra. A fierce, determined look in her eyes. He had seen her fighting with the Dothraki. She was good. Not great. But she had fire. She had potential. She could be a Witcher. His first.
"Inner monologue: One Witcher down, an army to go. She's raw talent. I'll mold her. I'll make her a weapon. She's my first recruit. My first step towards an army. Viserys won't see it coming. He thinks he's fighting a man. He's fighting an army. And I'm just getting started."
"Why choose me?" she asked, her voice a challenge, a silent question.
Adam raised his hand, a small, shimmering blue light gathering in his palm. He used Aard. A sudden burst of telekinetic force. She didn't flinch. She stood her ground, her body a coiled spring, a statue of pure defiance. She was good. He was right about her.
AARD SIGN USED. STAMINA: 10/100. QUEST: RECRUIT WITCHER, 200 XP.
"You've got fire," Adam said, his voice a low hum. "I'll make you a Witcher. A hunter of monsters. A guardian of the weak. I'll make you a weapon."
A Dothraki warrior, a hulking brute, strode towards them, a sneer on his lips. "You dare train a woman to fight?" he sneered. "She is a weakling. A toy." Adam's eyes were cold, his face a mask of grim determination. He looked at the Dothraki's banner, a bright, colorful banner with a horse's head. He used Igni.
IGNI SIGN USED. STAMINA: 15/100. DOTHRAKI KILLED: 50 XP.
A jet of searing flame erupted from his hand, a pillar of fire. It consumed the Dothraki banner, reducing it to a pile of smoking ash. The Dothraki warrior stared, his eyes wide with a mixture of terror and disbelief. "You dare burn our mark?" he stammered, his voice a high-pitched shriek. Adam gave him a small, humorless smile. "It was just a warning," Adam said. "The next time you mock her, it will be you. Not your banner." The Dothraki warrior turned and fled, his face a mask of pure, unadulterated fear.
Daenerys's Council – Illyrio's manse, afternoon The air in Illyrio's manse was thick with the scent of perfume and expensive wine. Daenerys was holding court, a small, quiet gathering of her most trusted advisors. Illyrio, Ser Jorah, Adam, and now, Lyra, stood by her side. They were discussing the journey to Qarth. The danger. The rumors. The possibilities. Adam was the one who was guiding the conversation. He was the one who had a plan. A strategy. A purpose.
"Inner monologue: She's becoming a queen. I'm her shadow. Her strength. She's learning to trust my judgment. The journey to Qarth is dangerous. A nest of vipers. But I'm a snake charmer. And I'll show them who's in charge. I'll make sure she's safe. And I'll get rid of her brother. Slowly. Painfully. One step at a time."
"Qarth sounds risky," Daenerys said, her voice a whisper, her eyes distant.
Adam's lips curled into a small, grim smile. "Risks are where I shine," he said, his voice a low hum. "We'll be safe. I'll make sure of it." He had crafted a Grapeshot bomb, a small, lethal device, a cocktail of explosive power and sharp steel. He had it hidden in his bag. A little insurance.
ALCHEMY LEVEL 2, GRAPESHOT BOMB CRAFTED. 150 GOLD USED. 50 XP GAINED.
He heard the sound of Viserys's voice, a high-pitched, whiny protest from the other room. Adam gave Daenerys a small, knowing smile. "He's at it again," he said. He focused on Viserys, a subtle mental compulsion. Axii. He made him confess. Again.
AXII SIGN USED. STAMINA: 10/100. QUEST: HUMILIATE VISERYS, 50 XP.
Viserys's face contorted, a mask of agony and rage. "I'd betray her!" he shrieked, his voice a high-pitched cry. "I'd give her to anyone who would give me a crown!" The old men were staring at him, their faces a mixture of confusion and disbelief. The whispers in the manse, the whispers of betrayal, were now out in the open. A public confession. Viserys was a broken man.
Street Encounter – Pentos streets, evening The sun was setting, painting the sky in a fiery, orange hue. The streets of Pentos, a winding, chaotic labyrinth, were filled with the sound of music, laughter, and the low murmur of conversation. Adam and Lyra were walking, a silent, watchful duo. Adam was training her, teaching her to look for danger, to feel it. He was teaching her to be a Witcher.
"Inner monologue: Lyra's a fast learner. She's got the fire. She's got the instincts. She's going to be a force of nature. But she's still a girl. She needs to learn to fight dirty. She needs to learn to be a killer. I'll teach her. I'll make her a monster hunter. And I'll protect her. We're a pack now. And a pack protects its own."
He felt the prickle of danger on the back of his neck. He saw them. A group of Dothraki thugs, drunk on fermented mare's milk, their eyes a predatory gleam. They saw them. A man and a woman. Easy targets. They were wrong.
They charged, their arakhs a blur of motion. Adam and Lyra stood their ground. Adam used Quen, a shimmering blue shield, to block a powerful arakh strike. He used his sword, a cold, lethal blur, to cut down two of them. Lyra, her eyes wide with a mixture of terror and determination, used her sword, a clumsy, but lethal dance, to kill a third.
QUEN SIGN USED. STAMINA: 10/100. DOTHRAKI KILLED: 3/10. 150 XP GAINED.
Daenerys, who had been walking behind them, came forward, her face a mask of awe. "You're unstoppable," Lyra said, her voice a breathless whisper. Adam gave her a small, grim smile. "Just getting started," he said. He looked at Daenerys. "No one touches you or my team," he said, his voice a low growl, a promise of violence.
A sudden, high-pitched yelp of pain, of surprise, of utter humiliation, came from behind them. Viserys had stumbled, his foot caught in a pile of mud, and he had faceplanted, his face a grotesque mask of mud and pain. The crowd around them erupted into laughter. Adam grinned. He had used Aard. A simple, telekinetic push.
AARD SIGN USED. STAMINA: 10/100. QUEST: HUMILIATE VISERYS, 50 XP.
"Who dares?!" Viserys shrieked, his voice a muffled cry. Adam gave him a small, mocking smile. "Snakes belong in the dirt," he muttered under his breath.
Night Strategy – Pentos inn, night The inn was a warm, cozy place, a welcome respite from the chaos of the streets. Adam and Lyra were sitting at a table, a small, worn leather-bound book between them. The Monsters Book. He was teaching her. He was showing her the secrets of his craft. The alchemy. The potions. The knowledge. She was a sponge, soaking it all up. She was a fast learner. She was a Witcher in the making.
"Inner monologue: She's ready. She's learning fast. She's hungry for knowledge. I'll make her a master alchemist. She'll be a force to be reckoned with. And Viserys… he's just a distraction. A petty little annoyance. I'll get rid of him when the time is right. But for now, he's my entertainment. My little puppet."
MONSTERS BOOK UNLOCKED. 50 XP GAINED.
He had used Disguise again, a subtle spell, to make himself blend in with the shadows. He had overheard Viserys's frantic, desperate pleas to Illyrio. He was trying to find a way to get rid of Daenerys. To get his army. His crown. The fool.
DISGUISE SIGN USED. STAMINA: 15/100. QUEST: HUMILIATE VISERYS, 50 XP.
Daenerys walked over to them, her face a mask of quiet contemplation. She looked at Lyra, her eyes a mixture of curiosity and awe. "You're building something bigger," she said, her voice a whisper. "More than just a sellsword company."
Adam gave her a small, grim smile. "Witchers, dragons, and no Viserys," he said, his voice a low hum. "Perfect plan."
Lyra looked at him, her eyes burning with a silent, fierce determination. "I'm ready to learn," she said, her voice a low, firm promise. "Teach me everything."
"Snake's out of luck," Adam quipped, a small, triumphant grin on his face. He had a plan. He had an ally. He had a Witcher. And he was just getting started.