NiTN Season 3 Outlines - 4 (Patreon)

Episode 4: The Dawn Massacre

Greg rushes out to see the Bolton men execute a devastating attack on the village, killing several and setting homes ablaze.

the cold morning air hit greg like a slap as he sprinted out of the small hut, gwenna close behind. the screams of the villagers cut through the mist, sharp and panicked, mingling with the clash of steel and the crackle of flames. the bolton riders were everywhere, their horses trampling through the snow-dusted dirt as swords flashed and torches were flung.

a house collapsed in the distance, its roof consumed by fire, and greg’s stomach churned at the sight of the bodies already lying in the snow.

"m’lord, we can’t—" gwenna began, but greg didn’t wait. he was already running, his exhaustion forgotten in the heat of adrenaline. his legs screamed in protest with every step, the damage he’d done to himself not yet healed, but he didn’t care.

a rider charged toward him, his sword raised high. greg skidded to a stop, raising his hand.

"ard!" he shouted, and a wave of force burst from his palm, slamming into the man like an invisible hammer. the rider flew backward, crashing into the side of a wall with a sickening crunch.

another rider turned toward him, but greg was already moving. he scooped up a rock from the ground and hurled it with all the strength he could muster. it struck the man square in the face, and he toppled from his saddle, hitting the ground in a limp heap.

the earth shuddered as something hit the ground nearby. greg spun, expecting another rider, but froze at the sight before him.

ash.

the bear—or what was left of the bear he remembered—stood in the middle of the chaos, his dark fur singed at the edges but unmistakable. except ash was no cub anymore. he was huge, almost the size of a doberman, with muscle rippling under his coat and eyes that glowed like embers.

“ash?” greg breathed, half in awe, half in disbelief.

the bear-dragon—because that’s what it had to be, didn’t it?—growled, smoke curling from his nostrils. then he lunged.

ash darted into the fray with terrifying precision. he leapt at a rider, his claws raking the man’s chest as the horse bucked in panic. with a deep, guttural roar, ash bit down on the rider’s arm, shaking violently until the man toppled to the ground.

greg didn’t have time to gape. another rider was charging at him, and he barely managed to sidestep in time. his fist shot out, connecting with the horse’s leg. the bone cracked under the force, and the animal screamed as it went down, throwing its rider.

“igne!” greg shouted, sending a cone of fire toward the fallen man. flames engulfed him, and the screams stopped almost instantly.

he turned to ash, who had already downed another horse, the rider struggling to crawl away.

“you really grew up, huh?” greg muttered, catching his breath as ash growled in response.

the bolton riders were faltering now, their numbers cut nearly in half. greg moved through the chaos like a storm, his punches landing with devastating force, his kicks snapping bones. he hurled rocks with precision, each one striking with enough power to kill.

he cast “ard” again, sending a wave of force that knocked three men from their saddles. ash followed up, his claws tearing through leather and flesh as fire licked at the corners of his mouth.

but greg’s body was failing him. every movement felt slower, heavier, the strain of his earlier sprint catching up with him. he saw the crossbow too late.

the bolt struck him square in the chest, the force knocking him back. he fell to his knees hit the ground hard, the world tilting as pain bloomed sharp and searing. his breath hitched, his hands clawing at the bolt buried in his flesh.

Another struck him in the stomach and Greg felt his eyes widen as he was knocked back from the force of it.

ash roared, bounding toward the retreating rider, but greg raised a hand weakly.

“no,” he rasped. “let them… go.”

ash growled, pacing back to greg’s side.

gwenna appeared minutes later, her face pale as she skidded to a stop beside him.

“m’lord!” she gasped, dropping to her knees. “you—”

“bag,” greg croaked, gesturing weakly. “get… the bag.”

Gwenna ran back and minutes later, the girl was back with the bag

she fumbled with the straps, pulling the pack free and handing it to him. greg’s fingers closed around the estus flask, its cool glass a strange contrast to the heat radiating from his wound.

the liquid was thicker than water, almost syrupy, but it burned and soothed as it slid down his throat. warmth spread from his chest, radiating outward in waves that prickled like waking limbs.

he coughed, sitting up slowly as the pain ebbed away.

“what in the seven hells is that?” gwenna asked, her voice tight with shock.

greg exhaled, testing his arm and chest. the wound was gone, and his strength was returning. he was still weak, the wound still open and his circuits still stinging from even the mild use of Signs. Witcher Signs... and Magic Circuits... that's so weird. I can't believe it took me so long to realize...

he pulled another flask and popped it, enjoying the warmth as he felt the paradoxical feeling of the weird magic nerves inside his soul cooling down like applied ice right on them

“medicine,” he finally muttered in reply to Gwenna, standing shakily.

ash stood beside him, his glowing eyes fixed on the smoldering ruins of the village. greg followed his gaze, his stomach twisting at the sight.

the survivors huddled together, their faces pale and haunted. the flames cast long shadows across their features, and their whispers reached greg’s ears, sharp and accusatory.

“they’ll come back,” one of the older men said, his voice trembling with anger. “this was just the start. you’ve brought their wrath down on us!”

greg turned to face him, his jaw tightening.

“i didn’t bring this,” he said, his voice low but steady. “they did.”

the man’s gaze didn’t waver, and greg bit back the rage in his chest.

Not at them, but…

He glanced at Gwenna, the girl looking expectantly at him.

He only had one thing to say.

“Where’s my sword?”