Chapter 16: Warlock Resurgence
[Dawn – Qarth outskirts – 299 AC]
The air on the outskirts of Qarth was thin and smelled of salt and distant flowers. The sun was a promise of fire on the horizon. Adam was on patrol, his senses on high alert. He could feel a subtle shift in the magical currents, a sour, sickening feeling that spoke of malevolence. He had felt this before, a low, buzzing hum that preceded the presence of warlocks. They were here, and they were here for the dragons.
"Warlocks again? Boring," Adam said, a low growl in his voice.
Suddenly, from the shadows of a rocky outcrop, a group of men in flowing robes and strange, conical hats emerged. Their eyes glowed with an eerie blue light. They raised their hands, and a shimmering, purple energy crackled in the air. Adam didn't hesitate. He slammed his hand into the ground, and a powerful Yrden sign, a shimmering circle of glowing energy, bloomed around the dragon enclosure. The first few warlocks, caught in the trap, stumbled and fell, their movements slowed, their momentum broken.
[SYSTEM ALERT: 15 STAMINA USED. 100 XP GAINED.]
He surged forward, a blur of motion. He was a storm of steel and fury, his silver sword a gleaming line of death. The first warlock fell with a cry, his neck slit in a single, fluid motion. The second, swinging a clumsy broadsword, found himself disarmed and then skewered through the chest. The third, a man with a look of pure hatred in his eyes, found himself disarmed and then run through the heart. They were amateurs. They weren't a threat. Not to him.
[SYSTEM ALERT: 150 XP GAINED. "KILL 10 ENEMIES" QUEST PROGRESS: 150/500.]
"You don't touch my queen," Adam snarled, his voice a cold, hard promise. He looked at Daenerys, who was now awake, her eyes wide with a strange, fierce pride.
"You're a storm," she said, her voice filled with a quiet awe.
"We've got this!" Lyra, her cheeks flushed with the heat of battle, grinned as she wiped a smear of blood from her cheek. The words were simple, but they were the truth. They had. And the feeling was exhilarating.
"Warlocks and Viserys—both need crushing." The thought was a grim, satisfied hum in his mind.
[Morning – Qarth garden – 299 AC]
The air was still thick with the scent of blood and sweat. The Witcher team was exhausted, but they were also triumphant. Adam found himself back in the dragon enclosure, his senses on high alert. He could feel it, the growing presence of his own dragon, its mind a little more complex, a little more aware with each passing day. The bond, a gentle tugging at his consciousness, was a sign of its flourishing.
[SYSTEM ALERT: 100 XP GAINED.]
He paused by his alchemy kit, his fingers moving with practiced ease as he crafted a Black Blood potion. It was a simple concoction, but it was essential, a quick boost of health in the middle of a fight. He pulled out the necessary herbs and a flask of water, mixing them with a few drops of his own blood. The system hummed its approval.
[SYSTEM ALERT: BLACK BLOOD POTION CRAFTED. 150 GOLD USED. 50 XP GAINED.]
He saw Viserys, his face a grim mask, standing a few feet away, watching him. Adam had to be careful. The man was a snake, and snakes were best handled with caution. He focused his Axii, sending a small, subtle suggestion into the prince's mind.
[SYSTEM ALERT: 10 STAMINA USED. 50 XP GAINED. HUMILIATE VISERYS QUEST COMPLETED.]
Viserys's rage melted into a strange, pathetic plea. He dropped to his knees, his eyes wide with a desperate, pathetic hunger. "I... I vow my undying loyalty to my sister, Queen Daenerys. I am but a humble servant." The words were an echo of the first time he had done this, but they were still a potent weapon.
"My dragons are safe," Daenerys said, her voice a calm balm in the tense air.
"Because I'm here," Adam said, his gaze never leaving the terrified noble. He was a weapon, and everyone needed to know it.
Tomas, standing at the edge of the Witcher circle, nodded. "We're your shield, My Lord."
[Noon – Qarth palace – 299 AC]
The palace of Qarth was a spectacle of white marble and gilded arches. The air was heavy with the scent of perfume and old money. Adam and Daenerys stood before a group of Qartheen nobles, their faces a mixture of awe and suspicion. They were here to negotiate, to secure their support, but Adam knew that words were not enough. He needed to show them power.
"Your power is unmatched," said Xaro Xhoan Daxos, his voice a honeyed whisper. "But can it truly secure our city?"
"It keeps dragons flying," Adam replied, his voice a low rumble. He took a step forward, his hand moving in a quick, fluid motion as he activated Shadow Trick. It wasn't a Sign, but a subtle skill, a manipulation of light and shadow, that made him seem to appear and disappear in the blink of an eye. He moved a dozen feet forward, then back, a ghost among the crowd. The nobles gasped, then a murmur of excitement spread through the crowd. This was not a man of politics, but a man of power. Someone who could handle the dangers of this new world.
[SYSTEM ALERT: 15 STAMINA USED. 50 XP GAINED.]
He saw Viserys standing at the edge of the crowd, his face a permanent scowl. Adam grinned, a cruel glint in his eyes. This was too easy. He lifted his hand, channeling a small burst of Aard. Just enough to be an inconvenience, not enough to cause serious harm.
[SYSTEM ALERT: 10 STAMINA USED. 50 XP GAINED.]
Viserys, taking a step forward to protest something, suddenly stumbled. His feet went out from under him as if he'd stepped on a patch of slick ice, and he landed on his backside in the dirt with a loud oof. A few more laughs, this time louder, rippled through the crowd. Viserys shot a look of pure hatred at Adam, but he was too humiliated to speak.
"Enough!" Viserys hissed, scrambling to his feet, dusting himself off with a furious energy that only drew more attention. Adam just looked at him with an expression of feigned innocence.
"He's a walking jest," Adam thought, the phrase feeling more and more like the central theme of his interaction with the prince.
[Night – Qarth inn – 299 AC]
The fires of the camp flickered and danced, casting a warm glow over the assembled Witchers and Daenerys's inner circle. The celebration was dying down, but the air was still filled with a quiet hum of victory. Adam sat across from Daenerys at a small, makeshift table, a map of Qarth spread out between them.
"We need a plan for dragon defenses," Adam said, tracing a line on the map with a calloused finger. "The warlocks are a constant threat. We need a system, a new council, with freedmen in key positions."
[SYSTEM ALERT: 100 XP GAINED.]
"You're my strength," Daenerys said, her voice filled with a quiet confidence.
"And you're my queen," Adam replied, his gaze meeting hers. "With dragons and Witchers, we're unstoppable."
The sound of shuffling cards filled the small silence as Adam pulled out his Gwent deck. He needed a distraction, a brief moment of strategy that didn't involve life or death. He dealt her a hand, a grim smile on his face. He played a card, a simple Northern Realms unit, a Redanian Knight. She played a card in return. He played another. The game was a calm island in the chaotic sea of their conquest. He drew a new card, his fingers closing around it. It felt different. Thicker.
[SYSTEM ALERT: GWENT CARD VESEMIR WON. 50 XP GAINED.]
Vesemir, the old master. A good card to have. He tucked it into his deck. The game was secondary. The real game was just beginning.
Kael, who had been standing guard, nodded. "We're your wall, my Lord."
"Snake's out of luck," Adam quiped, a grim smile on his face. Daenerys chuckled. He looked at the city, the lights of a thousand campfires glowing like a constellation on the ground. The chains were broken. Now the real work began.
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