In the midst of the impoverished temple quarter of Vizima, a hooded woman stood before a shabby building. The exterior was lackluster, with a modest fireplace placed just in front, where the destitute and homeless gathered to warm themselves. The scene was a disconcerting one, as smelly dwarves with mugs in their hands appeared to swarm the place. Rats scurried in and out of holes in the ground, causing the woman to frown at the sight before her. She wondered whether the man who invited her to this place did so intentionally or whether he was forced to stay here due to his circumstances.
Nonetheless, the woman took a deep breath and walked towards the entrance of the "Hairy Bear Inn". As she entered the room, her disgust heightened even more. The dwarves of the volunteer army, who had just returned from war, were drinking merrily in the corner. They ignored the rats scurrying around the ground, picking up crumbs of food that had fallen from their beards. It was an unpleasant sight, but the woman decided not to dwell on it any further.
Her eyes scanned the room, searching for the individuals she needed to meet. In the corner of the building, she spotted two men - one man holding a knife and carving something out of wood, while the other was looking at his plate, seemingly doubting if he should eat it. Upon seeing them, the woman let out a sigh. As she approached the group of men, her heart rate began to slow and she felt a strange sense of relief, although she couldn't quite explain why. She tried to push the feeling aside as she settled into a seat across from them, ignoring the rats scurrying about and the grime that covered everything around her. The hooded woman, Triss Merigold, spoke first, her voice casual and calm. "You arrive later than I thought," she observed. "Tired legs?"
The bulky man in front of her pointed at the man beside him, causing him to chuckle nervously. "What do you think?" he retorted.
"New guy, huh? You refuse to travel with me but travel with him instead?" Triss couldn't resist teasing him a bit.
Once again, Triss found herself face to face with Blaidd the Werewolf, although the surroundings were far from ideal. She couldn't help but notice that there was another person with them, a scholar by the looks of it, named Casimir.
"Unlike you, Merigold, he's paying me."
Once again, the hooded woman, Triss Merigold, has met Blaidd the Werewolf. Though not exactly what Triss had in mind if it comes to the environment they're in. and it seems there's another person 'involved' as well, Casimir.
Casimir, the scholar, was surprised to hear Blaidd address Triss by name. He looked back and forth between the werewolf and the sorceress, his expression revealing his confusion. "Merigold?" he asked.
Triss replied with a half-hearted smile, "Triss Merigold, at your service."
Casimir was even more puzzled now. "As in the sorceress? King Foltest's Advisor?"
Triss's amusement was evident as she responded, "In the flesh."
Blaidd seemed uninterested in the conversation and interrupted, "Merigold, you have what I wanted?"
Triss took out an item from her bag and placed it on the table. "You might need to wear gloves. I don't know how it will react to your...situation," she warned.
Blaidd retrieved a dirty cloth from his pocket and used it to examine the device. It was a simple wooden locket with a carving on it. "How does it work?" he inquired.
Triss explained, "If it's near the 'target' you're looking for, it will vibrate. That's it."
"What?" Blaidd growled. "Seriously? It can only detect when it's near it? Even I could do that, Merigold, much more effectively."
Triss's pride was a bit hurt, and she frowned. "Now, now, I didn't say how far it will detect, did I? Say you visit a city or a village, and that place has a werewolf in it, then the device will vibrate. So you can start from there. I know your sense of smell is good, but I doubt your brain could differentiate the smell of different things across the city."
Blaidd grumbled. "You underestimate me then. I know for a fact that this city has one. Even without using this."
Triss Merigold was feeling a mix of emotions as Blaidd commented on her efforts with the tracking device. On one hand, she was secretly pleased to learn more about his tracking abilities, but on the other hand, she was annoyed that her abilities as a sorceress were being indirectly insulted. "So what are you going to do with this? Throw it away? I worked hard for this, you know? Well, not that hard, but still…" she said, a hint of irritation in her voice.
Blaidd let out a sigh as he responded, "Look Merigold, I appreciate that you actually put some effort into it. I half-expected that it wouldn't work at all." He added.
Triss scoffed, "You know my services aren't cheap, right? I'm a sorceress, Blaidd, not a swindler."
"I gave you the payment."
"You gave me answers."
"Two of the same thing." Blaidd hummed. "Look, I'm sorry if your sorceress pride is hurt, but this is useless to me."
Triss felt her pride being hurt by his words. She took the device away from Blaidd, looking unsettled. "Fine, I'll work on it more if I have time and give it to you at another time. I still owe you though, so if you need anything, ask away."
Blaidd nodded, appreciating her offer. "Can you find us a ship to Oxenfurt? A week from now." he asked.
Triss was curious about the timeline, "That's easy, but why a week from now?" She then remembered the reason Blaidd had mentioned earlier, "Oh, you want to talk to 'that'?"
Blaidd nodded, "Do you know anything about it?"
Triss shook her head, "Just a little bit. The locals call it 'the defender of good men'."
Blaidd raised his brow, intrigued. "Explain."
Triss sighed, "Its targets are usually criminals. Fisstech dealers, rapists, violent gangs, any heinous stuff it will target. Sounds like your kind of guy."
Blaidd chuckled, appreciating the information Triss had shared. "Thanks for the info, and for the effort, I guess."
Triss smiled haughtily, "Well, can I ask you a question? For the effort."
Blaidd agreed, "Ask away."
Triss took a deep breath before asking, "What if you turn me? To one of your kind. Will my problems be…fixed?"
Blaidd was taken aback by her question. "You have to be more specific, Merigold."
Triss clarified, "My—Our fertility. Sorceresses can't have children, and I was wondering if we could if we turn to, well, your kind."
Blaidd was unsure, "I don't know. One thing for sure though, you can't use magic anymore after I turned you."
Triss murmured, "A pity," as she stood up. "Let me know if you manage to impregnate a sorceress, or something similar."
Blaidd couldn't help but tease her, "You know, the only sorceress I know is you, right?"
Triss stopped in her tracks, realizing she had forgotten to mention something important. "Right. I forgot to tell you. Kiera Metz knows about you, and she's curious."
Blaidd was confused, "Is that supposed to be a threat?"
Merigold shook her head. "No, a warning. She's a lot more persistent than I am." With that, she left the room, leaving Casimir and Blaidd alone.
Casimir, who had been sitting quietly at the table, finally spoke up. "You're friends with Triss Merigold?" he asked, his face filled with confusion and envy. "And what did you talk about? It sounds as if-"
"'Friend' is a bit of a stretch," Blaidd interrupted, knowing what Casimir was about to say. "Look, if you're curious, ask me at night when no one is around, not now."
Casimir nodded in understanding, his lips shut tight.