Game in Marvel-Chapter 104

"If the Wild Hunt is after him, it means they're looking for her, too. We need to move quickly," Geralt said, bringing them back to reality.

"So, what is the plan now?" Steve asked.

"First, we go to the Bloody Baron. If Hendrik's information is accurate, we'll find more answers there. It's in Velen, and then we can visit the crones," Geralt suggested, and everyone agreed, since they were already in Velen.

The group reached the Bloody Baron's estate just as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows over the crumbling stronghold. It looked beautiful.

"If not for the horrors of human beings and monsters, I would love to move here and spend the rest of my life here," Barton said.

"I would join you, I say," Steve added, as he too loved the nature here.

After passing the guards who watched them warily, they reached the half-broken fortress. Geralt led the way, his reputation preceding him, while Liam and the others trailed close behind.

Inside, the Bloody Baron himself greeted them, a stout man with a gruff demeanor and eyes that betrayed years of pain. He leaned back in his chair, tankard in hand, and sized them up.

"Geralt of Rivia," the Baron began. "And... an entourage? Didn't take you for the type to keep company."

"We're here for answers," Geralt replied curtly. "About Ciri. We know she was here."

"Aye, she was. But I don't give out information for free, especially not to strangers," the Baron said. He didn't know the relationship between Ciri and Geralt, and since Geralt was a mercenary, there was no way he was giving any information for free.

"We didn't come here to barter, but we're willing to help if it gets us what we need. You look like a man with plenty of problems," Liam said. He knew the story of the Baron: an alcoholic and abusive husband, and also a man with a missing family. Thus, Liam didn't have time to waste here.

"Problems? Aye, you could say that. My wife, my daughter, my bloody estate—all cursed, one way or another. But if you want to know about the girl... there's something you could help with," the Baron said with a bitter laugh.

The Baron led them to a shallow grave just outside the estate. The air was heavy with an unnatural chill, and the ground was disturbed, as if something had crawled its way out.

"This," the Baron said, "is the source of my nightmares. A botchling—my wife and I lost a child years ago. It never received a proper burial, and now it haunts us."

"A botchling is a cursed being, born of improper burial rites. It's drawn to the bloodline it once belonged to, feeding on the energy of the living," Geralt explained to the rest, sending shivers down their spines.

"And how do we deal with it?" Steve asked. He seemed a bit shaken as he held on to the sword at his hip.

"Two ways," Geralt replied. "We can kill it outright, which will end the curse but won't bring peace to the family. Or we can try to turn it into a lubberkin—a protective spirit—by performing a ritual and giving it a proper burial."

"Do what you have to, Witcher. I just want this nightmare to end," the Baron said, as by that point he didn't care.

The group opted for the ritual. Liam assisted Geralt and the Baron in carrying the botchling—a grotesque, malformed creature—through the estate grounds while the others kept watch for any signs of danger. And they were not disappointed. They came face to face with the wraiths. The actual wraiths, for the first time.

Thankfully, Geralt had expected that kind of attack and made multiple silver bombs, known as moon dust. Money was never a problem, so they asked some men living near the fortress to get the alchemical ingredients from the traders around to make moon dust.

Moon dust was essential because it made wraiths vulnerable to physical attacks.

"So, we can now proclaim that we have exorcised ghosts," Barton said after he nailed the last wraith down with his medium-sized silver sword.

"This is one hell of a story to be told at a party," Tony said.

"And nobody will believe you," Liam replied.

Meanwhile, the botchling writhed and screeched, its cries echoing through the night, but eventually, the ritual succeeded. The creature transformed into a glowing, ethereal figure—a lubberkin. It floated briefly before vanishing, leaving behind a sense of peace that hadn't been felt in the estate for years.

The Baron, visibly shaken but grateful, kept his end of the bargain. Over drinks in the main hall, he recounted Ciri's time at the estate.

"She came here seeking shelter," he said. "Didn't say much about herself, but she was running from something. Something powerful. She stayed a few days, helped one girl here with some trouble, then disappeared in the night. Left this behind."

As the Baron was describing her heroics of taking down the basilisk and her presence here, a grotesque, cursed creature with bulging eyes and twisted limbs came from the side of the hall.

Everyone was a bit taken aback at seeing that figure here. The Baron saw that everyone had questions about this being and explained how Uma, as they had named him, landed near their estate.

Since it looked pitiful, the Baron and others took him in and gave him proper food and clothing. Liam knew who Uma was.

"I want to take Uma with me," Liam offered. The Baron didn't understand why Liam was offering to take Uma with him, but since Liam had helped them, he didn't refuse. The only thing he asked was that they take proper care of Uma, as he didn't have anyone else in his life. Liam promised to do so.

"Okay... spill it out. What is up with you taking Uma with us?" Natasha asked.

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"I am not babysitting this ugly being. No offense," Tony surrendered.

"This ugly thing is more beautiful than any of us," Liam retorted.

"You are joking, right?" Steve said. Though he wasn't a bigot, that didn't mean he couldn't see beauty.

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