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Reminder, to the world at large, and certain people in particular, Eryk thought, as Auckes finally got his fellow Viper pinned and calmed down enough that they were mostly having a hissing, swearing conversation with each other instead of trying to stab and gut one another anymore.
Reminder: Vipers were scary, ruthless, and hostile.
And he owed Auckes a whole lot of something nice. Maybe something he could gift to Zofia.
Because, quite honestly, this new Viper had almost taken off three heads, and had done a good job trying to stab as many of them as he could before Auckes had arrived and started trying to subdue him.
The rest of the Witchers had all retreated to the far side of the cavern and were nursing wounds and giving the newest freed Witcher looks that ranged between wary, angry, and sullen.
Eryk was glad he’d been the one stabbed, and not Nolyn.
He was pretty good about Cat madness most days, but that would have certainly pushed at his control.
“It’s fine,” he said to his lover who was fussing over him. “Considering he’s a Viper, it’s barely a love tap,” he added, making Nolyn grin.
“You know that Ormand didn’t mean it,” Nolyn said, chuckling.
“That’s what I mean,” Eryk replied, flailing one hand. “He’s a Viper! If he wanted to actually kill me I’d be in little pieces on the floor or something.”
“Think they’re more skilled,” Lexandre prompted, prodding at the wound in his own forearm.
Eryk shook his head, cheerfully, watching his own injuries knit back together. “Oh, not that. Just much more ruthless.”
“Huh,” the black-haired Cat replied, staring at him. “And that doesn’t bother you at all.”
Eryk shrugged. “Why should it? I’m plenty ruthless when it comes to monsters, and usually Vipers won’t aim it at me, unless we’re sparring. Which is really good practice.”
The older Cat just stared at him for a while, and then sighed and shook his head. “I don’t understand you,” he muttered.
Eryk grinned at him.
Nolyn snorted softly.
Auckes growled softly, dragging the other Viper to his feet, and evading what looked - to Eryk at least - like a half-hearted attempt to puncture his innards. “This is Degari,” he growled at everyone without taking his eyes off of the other Viper. “He’s been missing for fifty fucking years. And he’s going to behave while I go make sure the Manticore isn’t getting too friendly with the monster’s venom sac, isn’t he?”
Degari hissed at Auckes, but didn’t say anything, which was as good as agreement from a Viper.
Auckes seemed to agree with the assessment, because he stepped away and stomped back toward the room in the back.
He paused when Michal whistled, then rolled his eyes and kept walking.
Eryk waved. “Hello, we’re waiting for all of the Witchers that dead fucking thing petrified to wake up. Dead monster if you follow Auckes. Or you can stay if you like.”
Degari frowned at him for a long moment, glanced around, looked at the figure - Wolf Witcher if Eryk remembered right - who was glowing.
And then he rolled his eyes and stomped after Auckes.
“Friendly,” Schrödinger said mildly, making Eryk snort softly.
“Viper,” Nolyn said with a little smile.
Just as with all the others, the Witcher had been trapped mid-attack. But he caught himself and froze, looking around at them.
His eyes flicked from Witchers to the statues, and back to the Witchers.
Then, as he straightened, warily, he said, “so, did somebody kill that ugly thing?”
Eryk couldn’t help the laugh. “Yeah. It took about ten of us but we killed it.”
The redhead glanced him over - very blatantly - and then did the same to Nolyn. “All ten as cute as you are?”
Eryk gaped at him for a moment, and then clapped a hand over his face. “Oh, no,” he groaned.
“What?”
When he looked again, the newcomer seemed wary.
Eryk sighed, long and deep. “You know Vesemir, don’t you?”
The new Wolf Witcher grinned.