Deep inside a dark cave laid a giant creature. This being was one of the Dragon Lords, Fasreal Tun Aindoch, also known as the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord. He enjoyed staying hidden inside caves and disliked conflict. In fact, he disliked any form of activity. He was the epitome of laziness. Even if his life was targeted, he wouldn't attack the one threatening him, but would rather go away and look for a new cave. Then he would sleep for a few decades or a century and the threat was gone. Even as the Eight Kings of Greed slaughtered his kin, he didn't even think of participating. Right now, he was enjoying his sleep. At least he would if not for that noisy voice humming around his ears, like a mosquito in the night.

"..ease, wake u.. Lord Fasr... ou have to...urgent...emergency."

He tried to ignore it for several hours until he couldn't take it anymore.

"Yeah, yeah. I am awake. But please shut up. Your voice is terribly annoying. You better have a good reason to wake me up."

As he slowly opened his eyes, he saw a tiny creature before him. Tiny for his standards at least. It was barely as big as his pinky finger. His true size was that of a grown man. Despite the total lack of light in this cave, Fasreal could see him very clear. It resembled a goblin, but was roughly twice the size. Its' species was called Hobgoblin. They were a superior species to goblins and was known for his human-like intelligence.

"I'm sorry Lord Aindoch. But an emergency meeting is about to happen. Your presence is required."

"Not so fast, yaaawn."

Fasreal stretched his enormous body and his shining white teeth were visible as he yawned extensively.

"How long have I been asleep?"

"Almost five years."

"That barely counts as a nap. What could possibly so important."

"I don't know all the details. I was merely tasked to inform you. The council has been convoked. You have to attend."

"Don't bother me with such nuisance. I am sure my brothers are more than capable at handling whatever crisis is near. So far they have been fine without me."

The giant dragon was already turning around, ready to continue his most favorite activity, sleeping.

"But please, Lord Aindoch. It's really important. The Witchers are about to break the pact."

Like hit by lightning the dragon was now wide awake, staring in disbelief at the tiny messenger

"What?"

"The council chairman has been observing their fortress and noticed some disturbing activities."

Before the Hobgoblin could finish his sentence, the mighty dragon was already halfway out. Because the ceiling of the cave was too low, he couldn't fly. The way he was running was energetic, but rather inelegant. As soon as he reached the exit of his hideout, he stretched out his wings and left the ground.

"Please wait, Lord Aindoch. Don't leave me behind."

But it was too late. Deep Darkness Dragon Lord was already too far away. He had no time to spare. Right now, there was nothing else in his mind than the imminent danger. If the Witcher actually betrayed them, their days would be numbered. The threat would not only come from the outside, but also from the inside. Nobody could tell how the other Dragon Lords would react, if they were cornered. If the biggest secret of their race was discovered, they could not trust anybody, not even their own family. Until now, they held something akin to a cold war with their biggest enemies. The Slane Theocracy, the Elven Kingdom, rivaling Dragon Lords or the dangerous Demi-Human tribes in the south. All of them were very careful around them. They knew of the Dragon Lords's strength. But if this weakness was discovered, they would race to deal the first blow. For 500 years the Witchers have kept their knowledge secret. It has been long enough for most of the dragons to become too confident in the peace. Some might even have forgotten that a single word of this guild could spell doom for them. Fasreal flew faster than ever before. Right now, he was already passing the Azalea Mountain Range. In only half an hour he would be at the capital of the Argland Council State, Republica. For the first time in centuries several Dragon Lords would gather there to discuss this matter, it would also be the first time in centuries Fasreal met his brothers. He wondered if they changed during that time. Even for dragons, 500 years are quite a while. Before he noticed, the city already came in sight. Even though his last visit was a long time ago, he instantly located the giant courtyard, that was meant for the dragons to safely land and enter the city. After landing, several Demi-Humans hurried to him.

"Lord Aindoch, we are honored by your presence. I am sure your journey was long and tiring. Please eat and rest until the others arrive."

"Are the others not here yet?"

"Two are already here. Lord Tanusk and Lord Eroso are waiting in the high chamber."

The Demi-Human with the head of a bird was pointing at the biggest building in the city. The Argland Council State´s High chamber was meant for official gatherings and public discussions of the Council State´s government. It was a huge building with vast double doors at the entrance. Their size allowed dragons to enter the building without worrying to draw in their wings or heads. Two of Fasreal´s brothers were already inside. Taran Ordeal Eroso, also known as the Brightness Dragon Lord, was unique even among Dragon Lords. His magic allowed him to take on the form of a humanoid creature. He chose the appearance of a very attractive human man, with bright blue eyes and long blonde hair. The only thing that made him distinguishable from a human were the horns sprouting from his head. He even stayed in this form when meeting with others. He said it was for convenience, but Fasreal knew the truth. Taran liked to mingle with many different species. He charmed many women with his looks and magic to produce offspring. The royal family of the Draconic Kingdom was the result of one of his affairs. Taran had little to no interest in ruling over others. Like Fasreal he simply indulged into his passion. As much as Fasreal enjoyed sleeping, Taran enjoyed the company of women. The other one was Riolt Arst Tanusk. He was the only one of the Dragon Lords that constantly stayed in Republica. He was also named the Saphiric Dragon Lord, because his scales shimmered blue. He also had a rather unique personality. He basically never left the High chamber and was absorbed in his work. He ruled the Argland Council state as the council chairman, because all the others were absent. The only time he neglected his work was during meal time. Among the servants "Eating like a dragon" became a catchphrase for somebody very hungry. Riolt liked a good meal more than anything else. He often tasked his servants with finding new and rare ingredients and even hired chefs from far away nations to exclusively prepare his meal. Once in a while Fasreal would enjoy a good meal too, but as a dragon he could basically eat everything. There was no need for him to go out of his way to feast, as long as his belly was full and he could sleep in peace. Despite being brothers, they had very little in common. For Saphiric Dragon Lord to be here was not unusual, but Brightness Dragon Lord´s presence was quite surprising. He had no sense of duty and was generally carefree.

"Welcome brother. Glad you could make it here so fast. I guess you are aware of the urgency of our meeting?"

The dragon asked with a stern voice.

"Of course, how could I not? If what the messenger said is true, we have a big problem."

"As much as I would like to speed things up a bit, but wouldn't it be better to wait for the others to arrive?"

The only one in humanoid form seemed rather casual about this matter.

"I guess you are right. They should be here soon."

Over the next three hours, three more dragons arrived. Saessenthesis, known as the Crimson Dragon Lord, Villentretenmert, also known as the Golden Dragon Lord and Horaki Falter, the Emerald Dragon Lord. This huge, stadium-like room was filled with six (or rather 5 plus one human) dragons. This gathering could very well be described as the accumulation of the highest power in this world. They were eager to start, but had to wait for the last member of the council to arrive. Saessenthesis was growing impatient.

"How long do we have to wait? This coward is always late. If he isn't here soon, I will drag him here."

Saphiric Dragon Lord was trying to maintain the peace. That was not an easy task, as he knew his sister was always a little short fused and very much a hothead. She would occasionally destroy landscapes when she threw a tantrum.

"There is no need for rash actions. We all know why he can't leave this place easily."

"That is not fair."

This time Horaki interrupted the peace.

"How come he can stay there? I wanted to be the one to guard the treasures. I vote for a change in the honor of guarding the floating castle."

"That's not the reason we are here today."

Next it was Villentretenmert to speak up.

"You shouldn't lose your calm over such trivial matters. It doesn't befit a noble being such as a Dragon Lord to indulge in such childish quarrels. But it seems not all of us can remain such a dignified matter."

During his last sentence his view changed from Horaki to Saessenthesis. She was instantly furious.

"What's that supposed to mean? Are you looking for a fight?"

"I am not looking for a fight, I am simply stating facts."

Fasreal sighed internally.

(I nearly forgot, why I dislike this kind of gatherings so much. They are all so annoying. I wish I could go back to sleep.)

As Saessenthesis was nearly about to jump at Villentretenmert´s throat, the doors to the chamber opened. In walked a human-sized figure clad in full-plate armor, surrounded by blades. This was Tsaindoruks Vaison, better known as the Platinum Dragon Lord. He wasn't here in person, but send his remote-controlled armor. He shared senses with this doll-like magical item and could experience everything like he was actual present.

"Welcome. Thank you for your fast advent. Please, let's all sit down and discuss why we all gathered here today. I assume you know what is going on?"

"Only what the messenger told me. Why do you think the Witchers are going to betray us?"

"As you might know, in my function as the representative of our council, I always kept a close eye on the actions in their fortress. For several hundred years nothing noteworthy happened. But around 200 years ago, the Slane Theocracy started to hunt the Witcher. In their eyes, they are abominations and an affront to their gods."

"As much as I hate to say it, but finally those fanatics are good for something. When they kill all the Witchers, our problem will be gone."

"We all thought the same. That's why we didn't intervene when their scriptures came that close to our border."

"So, what happened? Were the Witchers scared of being killed and offered their secret knowledge to plea for their lives?"

Some of the Dragon Lords laughed. They couldn't take them seriously. Surprisingly, it was Saessenthesis that stopped them.

"Don't underestimate them. Even if they are cornered and with the back to the wall, they would never lose their pride and dignity. Especially not to the likes of this god-loving lunatics."

"She is right. Even while facing death, the Witchers they killed haven´t lost a single word about us. The problem is, what happened after that. The Theocracy´s unit killed one of the two remaining Witchers and retreated. I honestly hoped, they would finish the young one too, but I was content with the result. However, the next day something weird happed. All of a sudden, my magic was unable to look into the whole area. At first, I thought it could be a natural phenomenon, given the nature of their collection of magic items, but it didn't pass. In lack of better options, I decided to use a more practical approach."

"What do you mean?"

"I send one of my minions to look into the matter. Don't look at me that shocked, I made sure he couldn't be detected, even by them. When he came back, he reported of his sightings. So far nothing unusual about the castle, but one thing was slightly different. He said a new flag was risen over the towers. He drew it for me."

Saphiric Dragon Lord placed a small piece of paper in the middle of the roam.

"Seems like the young Witcher has found a new lord. Is anyone of you familiar with this crest?"

Five of the seven Dragons present shook their heads. Only Tsa recognized the weird symbol in front of him.

"I know it. It's the crest of the Sorcerer King, Ainz Ooal Gown. I knew he was up to something, but he meeting with the Witchers is bad news."

"You mean the Witchers allied themselves with the Sorcerer Kingdom?"

"Are you sure? I heard stories about him, but I didn't know he was actually real."

Fasreal was puzzled over the sudden tumult.

"Who is the Sorcerer King?"

"Tsa, I know you keep an eye on that region, because of your friends. Would you please share your knowledge?"

"You probably haven't heard of him, because he has been very much hidden until recently. He first appeared little over two years ago in a small village of the Re-Estize Kingdom. Apparently, he saved the villagers from bandits. He is said to be a powerful magic caster that can even control high-level undead. Roughly one and a half years later he joined in the annual war between the kingdom and the empire at the empire´s side. His magic was able to destroy the entire army and killed nearly two-hundred thousand soldiers. His magic conjured horrible beast of absolute horror. According to survivors, these monsters were invulnerable and caused the earth to tremble while walking. One of my contacts told me, the Sorcerer King revealed himself to be an undead of unimaginable might. As soon as the war was over, he took control over one of the kingdom´s cities and founded his own nation. Following that event, he managed to further increase his influence. He traveled to the Dwarven Kingdom and liberated their capital that has been occupied by one of the Ice Dragons."

"I knew that whelp. He was far too arrogant for his own good."

"The leader of the pack was killed and the remaining ice dragons were forced to serve him. Following that day, the dwarves have been allies of the Sorcerer King. After that he traveled to the Holy Kingdom. This land was plagued by the invasion of Demi-humans, orchestrated by a powerful demon, named Jaldabaoth. He and the Sorcerer King clashed, but the details are a bit fuzzy. Fact is, the Sorcerer King became the savior of the Holy Kingdom and is almost worshiped by those he saved. In the process he also subjugated the Demi-human tribes and took control over the Abelion Hills."

"I can understand the dwarves, they work for everybody, as long as they get paid, but the holy Kingdom? They are nearly as fanatic as the Theocracy. For them to worship an undead is a huge deal."

"After I looked into all the available information, I came to the conclusion that Ainz Ooal Gown must be a player, on par with the Eight Kings of Greed."

That remark hit the others like a knife in the chest. They all remembered the horrors these creatures unleashed several centuries ago. They hunted dragons for what seemed like sports. They competed who could kill more. They ravished the land and destroyed nations just for their own amusement. If not for their infighting, they would probably have killed all the Dragon Lords. They were still suffering from the aftermaths of their rampage.

"You mean he is just as dangerous as them?"

"No."

For a moment everyone seemed relieved, until Tsaindoruks continued.

"I think he is much more dangerous. He isn't as reckless as they were. He is a very cautious and intelligent schemer. He plans every move he makes and doesn't take unnecessary risks. So far, he avoided a direct confrontation with powerful forces. He avoided not only us, but also the Slane Theocracy and the Elven Kingdom. He slowly builds up his power and strikes when his opponent let's his guard down. As an undead he can take things slowly. He has all the time he needs. I don't know for how long he has been planning all this. The fact that he appeared right after the Theocracy killed one of the Witchers further proofs my point. He has probably been waiting for this opportunity."

"What do you suggest?"

"In the last two years, there has been an appearing of numerous powerful creatures. The Sorcerer King, Jaldabaoth and I encountered a very strong vampire. We need to learn their relationship to each other. If possible, we should place them against each other. We must prepare to fight them, if the need should arise."

Almost everybody nodded in agreement.

"Please excuse my interruption."

The one who spoke was Fasreal.

"It may sound a little bit weird, but from what you said, couldn't it be said that the Sorcerer King is good guy?"

"Why do you think so?"

"Tsa said this, how was his name?"

"Ainz Ooal Gown."

"Yes, thank you. Well this Gown-guy saved innocent people on several occasions. The villagers, the Dwarven Kingdom and the Holy Kingdom. And even if he killed several thousand soldiers, he didn't indulge in meaningless massacre. All in all, he seems like a reasonable person."

"Are you saying we should ignore the danger he poses to us?"

"Not at all, I am just saying a less hostile approach would be better."

"Don't try to deny the fact that you are afraid. Don't think we have forgotten how you ran away with your tail between your legs five hundred years ago."

Saessenthesis yelled at him.

"The only possible solution is to grab the problem by the root and yank it out."

"Exactly. For the Witcher to know about this place is an insult towards us, but the possibility of a filthy undead to lay his hands on it is intolerable."

Golden voiced his disdain.

"I don't know. I tend to agree with Fasreal. Maybe we should try to negotiate first, before we anger him without reason. As you said, he kept his distance to us. That means either a) he is afraid of us or b) doesn't wish for a confrontation."

Brightness Dragon Lord said in for him an unusual analytic way.

"What about his connections to the Witchers? Our secret is no longer save."

The one disputing him was Saessenthesis.

"Have there been any suspicious activities at our secret place?"

"Nothing unusual happened."

Saphiric answered his question.

"There you have it. Even if the Witchers are allies of the Sorcerer King, that doesn't mean they broke their promise. Any hostile activities could force them to spill the beans. As far as we know, the pact is still intact."

"Do you want to wait till it's no longer intact?"

"Do you want to be the first one to break it?"

The both of them argued a bit back and forth, until Saphiric stopped them.

"Enough. This isn't leading anywhere productive. We should take a vote. Who is in favor of taking action against the Witcher and the Sorcerer Kingdom?"

Tsaindoruks, Saessenthesis, and Villentretenmert raised their hands.

"Who is voting for engaging in friendly negotiations?"

Fasreal, Horaki and Taran raised their hands.

"I for my part abstain. It's three to three. According to our agreement, a majority is necessary, to declare war. Therefore, we will stay passive until the situation changes."

Everybody was disappointed by the outcome. Partly, because the vote ended in a tie, but also, because everybody had his own motives he pursued. Fasreal and Taran didn't like fighting and would do everything in order to avoid it. Saessenthesis was the polar opposite. She enjoyed battling and killing. She also wanted to take revenge for what happened 500 years ago, but she would not disobey the council´s decisions. Riolt was very calm and analytic. He would often wage the positive and negative consequences to a tiring extend. His vote was often undecided. Tsa was very worried. He feared the Sorcerer King because of his might and ruthlessness. His power and influence were growing every day. He was also worried for his friends´s safety. Rigrit was about to reach Kaer Morhen, because she was looking for information on Tsa´s behalf. Villentretenmert was simply annoyed by Ainz. He often proclaimed to kill all the Witchers. His ego was hurt very badly by the fact outsiders knew about their secret. Lastly, Horaki had a big interest in the development of the situation. He knew he stood no chance in the aggression faction. Both Tsa and Villentretenmert both outranked him in authority and power. In the peaceful faction on the other hand were only Taran and Fasreal. Both of them were uninterested in leadership and influence. If he played his cards right, he could gain influence and authority over the others. If he managed to solve this matter peacefully, or even sway Ainz to his side, he could become the ruler himself. He envied Riolt for his position of chairman for a long time and wanted to get rid of Platinum for similar reasons. He has been waiting for a chance like this and wouldn't let it pass.

Character Sheet

Name: Geralt

Epithet: The White Wolf

Age: 19

Gender: Male

Race: Human (former)

Mutant (Mutated with genes of Vampires, Elves, Trolls and other unknown species)

Affiliation: Sorcerer Kingdom

Leader of the Witcher Guild (New branch of the Sorcerer Kingdoms Adventurer Guild)

Family: Vesemir (Adopted and educated)

Occupation: Instructor for adventurers

Residence: Kaer Morhen

Birthday: Middle Fire Month (day unknown)

Hobby: Fishing

Job Levels: Fighter 8

Swords master 7

Ranger7

Etc.4

Race Levels: Mutant 8

Item Description

Aerondight:

A unique magical weapon that grows in strength, the higher the wielders level is. It was given to the first Witcher by the mysterious "Lady of the Lake", as a token of her gratitude after saving one of her believers. The maximum strength is unknown, since no Witcher ever reached the level cap while using it. It has a restriction, that would normally only allow the first Witcher that was given the sword, to use it. However, since part of his blood has been used to create the mutating transfusion, all Witchers share a few genes with him. That seems to be enough to allow all Witchers to equip that weapon. It is made of a so far unknown magical metal that emits a pale blue light. Engraved on the body of the sword are the words "No lesser Evil" in the old language.

Xenogloss:

A pair of magical boxes that allow the users to communicate over any distance. No matter how far away, the transmission is always flawless and can´t be intercepted, but it only works between 2 previously synchronized boxes.

Bombs:

Over several centuries the Witchers developed several alchemical mixtures. They can be stored in small, ball-shaped bottles the size of a fist. When the bottle is cracked, they release their effects. Spread a poisonous gas cloud, cause freezing damage or disperse enchanted silver particles.

Oils:

The Witchers developed different weapon oils. When a weapon is treated with this oil, the damage dealt to certain creatures is temporarily increased by 10%. The oils are fundamentally different from poison, so their effect is not decreased by poison immunity/resistance. They have oils for Vampires, Humanoids, Draconites and general beast-like creatures (Most Demi-Humans are in this category).

Potions:

Witcher potions make up for their toxicity by vastly increased effects. They only work, because Witchers can withstand high doses of poison thanks to their high poison resistance. The side-effects however, can take a huge toll on their bodies. A normal human would die immediately after one drop of it. There are potions to increase the health regeneration, grant big bonuses on strength and speed and lastly one for neutralizing the potions effects and reducing the side-effects.

Witcher Signs

With the mutation the Witcher gained the ability to use wild magic. They use different hand signs to cast 5 spells in total. The amount of energy used to cast can be adjusted to fit the current task.

Aard:

Causes a shock wave. Depending on the amount of energy used, the strength of the spell ranges from a heavy punch to the impact of a raging bull.

Axii:

A mind affecting spell. It can cause slight confusion, or, if the target is very weak-minded, a dominating effect.

Igni:

A fire spell. Its strength can be sparks with minimal effort, or with greater effort, rival that of a regular Tier 3 "Fireball"

Yrden:

Causes a "Slow" debuff or a total immobilization when the targets resistance is low and/or the level difference is high.

Quen:

Can prevent negative status effects, but only lasts 10 seconds at most. So, it must be timed precisely with the enemy´s attacks. Therefore, it is useless against surprise attacks.