Luisa and the Witcher

"We'll go by foot and come back for our horses when the job's done," Zeke started, once Luisa and him were out of the mansion and by their horses.

"Okay. The creature cannot leave it's forest habitat and only feeds on children that got lost or that went wandering in the woods and that's why he possessed the butler so that it could use him to bring it food," Luisa speculated.

"Very correct, shortie," Zeke responded.

"But what if there are more of those beings possessed by the creature?" Luisa asked.

"Guess we'll find out," Zeke replied.

"How could you tell the tea was poisoned?" Luisa asked.

"Luisa, put your elf senses on bail for once and tone in on your witcher senses, you also will be able to tell. If it's poisoned, it'll smell extremely bad, but if it's not...it will smell just fine.

"The creature already knew we were coming through the butler and wanted to get rid of us so that we wouldn't get to it. A li`cabur isn't an ordinary demon, it is a creature with intelligence. So I'm not going to lie to you that the mission will be easy," he informed and she nodded in amusement.

She can't believe she was actually still learning a lot. They were right, they didn't teach them all these but you'll learn them at your protege stage, there were still a lot of things she didn't know about the witchers and their witchery.

"You know, we don't actually know the exact location of the creature in the woods. The butler could have come in handy for that if you hadn't killed him," Luisa pointed out and Zeke chuckled.

"Seriously shortie, the butler was possessed by a demon. He's no longer himself, you expect the demon to lead you to where it is, you'll just be moving around in circles," he replied.

'That also makes sense,' she thought.

"Killing him was the best option. You can't deliver a person once he's possessed by a li`cabur, not even if you killed the creature. Sparing him will only be creating another abomination, which can cause harm to people," he explained further.

"Okay. How's your hand?" Luisa remembered the butler had bit him. If a person gets possessed by the snake demon, he becomes more of a snake and his bite would also be poisonous.

"Worried about me?" Zeke smiled at her, and she almost rolled her eyes. He collected a small bag which he had hung by his horse's side. Then he hung it by his side and brought out a potion in a small bottle. He opened it and drank from it, then he gave it to Luisa. She collected it;

"Drink it. It will help you to resist the possession of the creature and it will neutralize it's venom so that it won't harm you. So yes, I'll be fine," the last part referred to her earlier question, she smiled and drank from it also.

For a moment she felt her stomach cringe and she almost felt like vomiting, but the potion didn't taste that bad...why was it giving her such after effects. It was amazing how he looked so unaffected, maybe because he was already used to it and it was her first time.

"You okay?" he asked and she gave him a thumbs up when she felt the feeling subside.

"Good. Let's go,"

...

It was already dusk, but Luisa and the Witcher, Zeke were still in the forest. They were still walking in the forest in search of the li`cabur. Their medallions had not glowed yet. It was becoming to look like a futile search, but they haven't given up just yet.

Zeke cleared his throat trying to talk about something that was not related to the mission, for the first time since they were out in the woods, to lighten the atmosphere.

"So..." he started.

"What's going on between you and the young mage?" he asked. Luisa almost burst into laughter.

"What's so funny?" he questioned seeing the smug look on her face.

'Why would he think something that silly?' Luisa thought.

"Nothing. And...nothing is going on between Carter and I, we're not even friends. We're like two colleagues who greets each other at work, that's all. And I-I don't really think I owe you an explanation," she responded.

Carter, Zeke mumbled the name.

"Yes you do," he replied her.

"Why? Why are you even asking?" she asked.

"Luisa no strings attached. I'm your mentor and I've known you since you were a kid, it's been four years now. It's not wrong for me to know these things, is it? And I don't think that mage thinks the same way about you, I think he-"

"You don't have to worry, Hezekiah kadmiel. You've already stolen my heart and I'm ready to leave it with you. I'm all yours till you're ready and even after," Luisa interrupted him.

"Luisa, wipe your mouth with your hand," he requested.

"Why?" she asked.

"Just do it," he insisted and so, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

"You just wiped off the words you just said from your mouth," he told. How can such flattering words come out from that innocent and cheeky mouth of hers.

For the first time, Zeke felt his heart flutter- By her words and the way she called his full name, he wanted her to say it again and once again in his existence, he liked that name.

He walked passed her, because he wouldn't be able to say these words while facing her.

"That's not what I meant, I just wanted you to be careful and don't...don't ever call me that again," he tried to be and sound indifferent.

They continued in silence.

"This isn't working! We have to cast a spell," Zeke suggested after some while.

"What spell do you suggest?" Luisa asked.

"Hmm...'the 10 again' spell," he answered.

"Forbidden magic," Luisa muttered.

Yes! Forbidden magic.

The ten again spell turns you into a ten-year-old in the eyes of everyone including yourself. Although you will still retain your features like in their case, they will still retain their abilities as witchers and all that, but in their ten-year-old bodies.

"It's already nightfall, we'll have to lure the demon out with-"

"How are we supposed to defeat the creature with that spell? You know it takes two to cast the spell, if we both turn into children, how are we going to fight the creature?" Luisa asked.

"It's the only way to lure it out, when it senses our presence and scent as children. We're too far from the town to get a child," he explained.

"Zeke!" Luisa objected, it was way too dangerous to use an actual child as bait for the mission.

"Thought you would say that. If we cast the spell now, the spell will end by midnight. This is not just any beast, it's a one of a kind demon. Deadlier, smarter and even more... complicated to deal with than any other beast- A handful, I could say.

"If we succeed in luring the demon out, we'll use only magic on it, because we can't win a fight against him as children. We'll escape it's attacks with our defense skills in combat and we may also use our weapons against it. I see a total win-win if you stick with me and we work together on this," he elaborated.

"(Sighs) I feel so uneasy about it. Sometimes these forbidden spells go wrong," she replied. "Why don't we just go and come back with backup?" Luisa suggested.

"(Scoffs) You scared, shortie?" Zeke smirked sardonically.

"No!" Luisa frowned at him. He moved closer to her and held her hands in a manner that made her heart to flutter this time as they held each other's gaze.

"Trust me on this, Luisa," Oh she loved the way her name sounded when he calls it. She smiled.

"You're with one of the greatest witchers ever lived. An amateur like you shouldn't be scared when you're with me. They don't call me the demon slayer for nothing," he winked at her.

'Oh! This narcissistic witcher,' Luisa thought.

"If I thought you were crazy, you just became crazier," Luisa mentioned and he chuckled a little.

They stared at each other for a while;

"Ready?" he asked. They were to recite the spell in one accord or it wouldn't work.

"Ready!" Luisa replied, determined.

They both shut their eyes, and when they opened it again their golden eyes glowed like hellfire as they held each other's hands and they started the spell in accordance.

"...No spell is beyond the forbidden world...we tap into the energy of the forbidden magic to unlock and utilize the ten again spell...ten not forever but till midnight..." they chanted the incantations, markings appeared on the ground below them. The markings glowed with a golden hue and a thick dark smoke engulfed them.

After some while, the thick dark smoke started to dissipate.

"Did it work?" Luisa asked as she stared at her palms, then she looked up at Zeke and was stunned.

...