[TL: Asuka]

[PR: Ash]

'You have completed meditating in the Circle of Elements for the first time.

Spirit: 14.5 16

Mana: 185 200

Witcher Signs: Level 2 Level 3

You have approached the dimension of flames and listened to the legendary ifrit's murmurs of fury. You now understand more about explosions. Your Spirit is now >15.

Igni has undergone a change.

Igni (Base): Shoots out a conical flame to burn your enemies.

Igni Furyfire (New): You may launch a ball of Furyfire at any target within twenty meters. Furyfire will track the target you designate. When Furyfire comes in contact with your target, it will explode and cause a chain reaction with the fire elements in the air to raise its explosion impact and temperature.

Furyfire is affected by Spirit and level of Witcher Signs.'

***

One meditation session, and I raised my Witcher Signs by one level and gained more than a one-point increment in Spirit. And Igni mutated. It's now a ranged fireball. A ranged, tracking fireball. Perfect trip, I'd say.

But even after Roy had exited his meditating state, he could still feel his skin burn whenever he thought about the ifrit's roar. It felt like a pair of flaming eyes was staring at him through the void.

Fear started spreading through his soul, making it shiver. Roy clenched his teeth and tried to meditate in the circle again. He wished to face that creature once more to conquer his fear. When he entered the state again, he realized that although the elements were still dense, they couldn't form that pair of wings to push him ahead again.

With his Meditation still at Level 6, he couldn't even get close to the elemental dimensions. "No wonder Lambert said it's only a one-time thing." Roy took a deep breath and reluctantly accepted reality.

He stared at the expectant Wolf and stayed quiet for a moment. If I want him on my side, I'll have to show my strengths. "My Sign intensity increased a bit, and it changed too."

Lambert's jaw dropped, and surprise flashed in his eyes. He's so fUcking lucky. "You saw the elemental dimensions?"

"One of the creatures in the dimension of flames, yes."

Lambert's cheeks twitched, and jealousy shone in his eyes. "I've read about them. It's called ifrit, one of the four elementals. Most witchers go their whole lives never seeing one, let alone make a wish to it."

"What kind of wish?" Roy was confused.

"Oh, you don't know? Ifrits can grant wishes like djinns do, but you gotta pin it down before you can make your wish."

Oh, okay. The thing sent me all the way with a roar. No way I can pin it down.

"Are you Lady Luck's child or something, Roy?"

"Maybe." Roy accepted the praise graciously.

"Shoot a Sign at me. I wanna see how much you've improved. An Aard is enough." Lambert beckoned at him from two yards away. His legs were opened as wide as his shoulders, and he was half-crouched.

"Shouldn't you cover yourself with Quen first?"

Lambert thumped his chest. "Don't hold back, kid. You can't hurt me. My body's tougher than you think."

"Fine." Roy rolled his eyes and shot a big dose of Aard at Lambert.

The air exploded, and Lambert was pushed down with a thud. He rolled back like a ball for a few moments before he got back up on his legs. "That was brutal, but not bad." Lambert rubbed his chest. "Still a far cry from me though."

So what if he's talented and has clairvoyant powers? I'm still a better swordsman and Signcaster. Lambert regained a bit of his confidence. "Try the new Sign on me next."

"You might get hurt. Just stand back and watch." Roy shook his head and stepped out of the Elemental Circle. His eyes were set on the bunch of azaleas beside the path. Swiftly, a red triangle formed in the air, and Roy pushed it forward.

A crimson fireball shot out of the triangle and flew into the azaleas. The fireball exploded, sending soil, debris, and grass flying everywhere. For a moment, the patch of ground where the azalea stood turned scorching hot, and smoke billowed in the air.

A small crater was left in the wake of the smoke and explosion. The flames blackened the nearby soil, and sparks of fire were branching out to the surroundings.

"Whoa, that was like a small Dancing Star exploding." Roy quickly put the sparks out with Aard. The area of effect is considerably smaller, but the explosion is more lethal. Not as fast as a crossbow bolt, though. And it can't fly as far either.

***

Roy closed his eyes to relive the experience of Furyfire and find its difference from the regular Igni. When he cast Furyfire, the elements became more volatile, and they moved within his body at a fiercer pace. His hand felt like it was burning and breaking up just from casting that Sign.

And Furyfire costs twenty mana. It's the same as a regular Igni, but it has far greater power. He could see the great potential in this modified Sign, but Roy needed time to find out what he could do with this new toy.

Roy had some ideas on how to incorporate Furyfire into his battle tactics. With Furyfire joining his arsenal, he now had two ranged attack options. Gabriel could shoot Guided Bolts, while Furyfire was a tracking fireball all by itself. Wonder if I can shoot a bolt and cast Furyfire at the same time. It's going to be a lot more explosive than melee attacks. Very mana intensive though. Can't do a double attack too many times, not even with 200 Mana.

***

"That's on par with a sorcerer's fireball. I don't think Heliotrop can stop it." Lambert was a little melancholic, and a sigh escaped his lips. Just when he regained some confidence, Roy showed him something unimaginable. He's the one in a hundred. The lad's gonna grow into an important guy someday.

Lambert was envious of Roy's good fortune. Suddenly, he whipped out a pendant from his pocket and tossed it at the young witcher. At the end of the pendant hung a miniature wolf's head with its mouth open.

"Take it, Roy. You passed the trial, and you deserve an insignia. Vesemir, Geralt, and Eskel want you to have it as well."

"But I'm a Viper," Roy said.

"It's alright. We're not going to take you from Letho." Lambert then said, "But you're now an honorary Wolf."

"Um"

"Just take it if you're a man!"

Roy tucked the insignia away, though he was still wearing the Viper pendant around his neck.

Lambert blew the candlelight out and looked at the skies. Sun was starting to set, and dusk was only an hour away. "Time to go. Eskel has probably skewered the goat and lathered spices all over it. They're probably waiting for us."

"What did you guys get from your first meditation in the Elemental Circle?" Roy caught up to him and went down the slope.

"Geralt's Axii mutated. He can turn his targets into puppets, and his Axii lasts a long time. I just know he seduced those women with his mutated Axii. They wouldn't fall for him otherwise. Look at his face. It's forever one expression. But I have no proof for that." Lambert shook his head. "Eskel, Vesemir, and I didn't get a lot of stuff out of it. There's like a Blue Mountains worth of distance between us and the elemental dimensions."

White Wolf probably got his magical talents from his mother's side. That's why his Sign mutated. And then he had another question. "Why didn't you guys wait until you could meditate better before you took this trial?"

"Most witchers don't have the luxury of time. Rather than dying in combat, coming here to power up a bit is the better choice."

Roy nodded. "The Elemental Circle aside, I have a tip for you, as thanks for your help today."

"Don't talk about the brotherhood. To be honest, everyone wants me to tell you to give it up." Lambert finally told Roy the truth.

"It's not about the brotherhood, and you can't change my mind." Roy shook his head. "Know a Cat called Aiden?"

Lambert came to an abrupt half and shot Roy a glare of displeasure. "Are you also a telepath, kid? How do you know that name?" he hissed.

"What do you know? I might be a telepath," Roy said. "I saw through your soul. You acknowledge my idea, and you can't wait to join."

"Is that your premonition again?" Lambert shook his head in disdain. "Don't look into anyone's secrets with that ability. Keep bragging about it and you'll end up dead."

"Thanks for the reminder, but I can't control this ability. The information I receive is very random. It ranges from anything to anything. Let's talk about Aiden."

"He's my best friend." Lambert crouched and pinched his nose before they reentered the passage. "I've only known him for less than a year, but I love his style. Ever worked with someone that meshes so well with you, it's buttery smooth? And he's so understanding. He just gets my humor."

"You seem pretty funny to me now." Roy gave Lambert a weird look.

"Shut it. I would have proposed to him if he were a girl," Lambert answered seriously. "But being a friend is fine. Geralt and Eskel are my friends too, but they're a far cry from Aiden. Why did you bring him up though?"

"Be warned, Lambert." Roy's face fell. "I have seen his future. He's going to get caught in a conspiracy a few years down the line and hunted to death by a bunch of elite mercenaries."

Lambert blanched. There was suspicion, shock, and sorrow in his eyes. He's the first friend Ive meshed so well with in fifty years, and he's gonna die? He stared daggers at Roy. "You know what happens if you lie."

"I have no reason to lie."

"Who's the culprit?" asked Lambert nervously.

Roy stared into his eyes. "A bunch of powerful royalty. Aiden lifted the curse of a duke's daughter and got on their bad side, so they hired a bunch of veteran mercenaries to kill him."

"How the hell did you even find out about something that hasnt even happened yet?" Lambert roared. "How the fuck did Aiden get on their bad side?"

"Because he got in their way." Roy shook his head regretfully. "And Cats are really infamous among the people. Some nobles hate their guts. Killing them is something they do for fun. That's all."

"But Aiden's not a bloodthirsty maniac! He almost never harmed any innocents!" Lambert said. "That shouldn't be his end!"

He paced around like a cat on hot bricks. C'mon, c'mon. Work, brain. How can I help him? "What if I tell him not to take any request from any dukes?"

"Maybe he lives, or maybe someone else slits his throat." Roy shrugged. He loved the look on Lambert's face. "Witchers believe in fate, and you know fate isn't that easily overturned."

A draft blew from the river, silencing Lambert.

Roy broke the silence. "I told you the Cat who joined the brotherhood is also one of the sane ones, and he went through a grueling experience. A sorcerer set his sights on him, knocked him out, and took him back to the lab just to perform all kinds of experiments on him. Painful experiments."

"He was jailed and lived his life in hell for thirty years. We only busted him out a while ago. He didn't do anything to deserve that." Roy hopped onto the boat with Lambert and started rowing. The bow sailed through the waters, and Roy raised his voice. "Don't you get it, Lambert? Weakness is a sin! If you aren't powerful enough, or if you don't have anyone protecting you, this world is going to swallow you whole. I won't be surprised if one of us dies in a ditch or something if we don't have enough power."

"Weakness is a sin?" Lambert murmured to himself. And then he looked at the talented, ambitious young witcher. "Can you promise me that Aiden won't die if I join the brotherhood? Can you promise that Kaer Morhen will weather the storm?"

"Sorry, but no guarantees for that, but there's no harm in trying." Roy looked at him.

It struck a chord with Lambert, and that intense, hot-blooded feeling welled within him again. He had a feeling that Roy would change the history of witchers one day. While I squander my life doing nothing, leaving my home and my best friend to die a horrible death? No, there's a chance to change that, and it's standing right in front of me.

"Do you need any helpers with the work in Novigrad? I can go with you. Even join the brotherhood."

"Sure." Gods, finally. Roy extended his hand. "We're always recruiting."

"Can you take Aiden in as well? I'll take him to you and join up together. Remember your promise. We'll watch each other's backs."

"That's one of the brotherhood's missions, but he'll have to pass probation first."

"That's a deal then."

***

The witchers rowed the boat across the lake. A gentle breeze strolled past the air, caressing Lambert's face. For some reason, he felt energized.

"You convinced me, kid, but everyone else is going to be a hurdle. Your lecture scared them off. They're staying away from you and had me represent them."

"I thought that might be the case." Roy smiled. "But don't worry. You're about to witness a miracle. A few miracles, actually."