Reima "I'll use some techniques that are not known to this land, may I approach your sister and take a sample of her blood?"
Quelaag "Her blood!?! Do you intend to curse her!?" her voice raises as she accuses him.
Eingyi "If you try to harm the lady I'll bite your ankles, so help me!" he says as loud as he can with his raspy voice.
Solaire "Now, now... I'm sure that's not what my friend intends... Is it?" he looks at Reima trying while trying to mediate.
Reima "Of course not! The techniques I intend to use require me to analyse her blood, do any of you know about science?"
A silence pervades the room...
Reima "Seriously? No one?"
Quelaag "What is this science thing you're talking about? Is it a kind of magical technique I have yet to learn of?" Reima almost caves his own skull in by face palming.
Reima "Science is the method of discovering the mysteries of the world, through testing, observation and careful analyses people can even journey to the moon."
Solaire "My friend, what you're saying is preposterous!"
Reima "No, it's probably what Seath the scaleless uses to further his magic." He remembers the experiments conducted on people in Seath's laboratory while playing the game.
Quelaag "The lord?"
Reima nods his head and pulls the mutagen distilling equipment from his Folded space and showing them to the curious group.
Reima "I'll put her blood in here and have the machine work on it for a couple of days, once it's done we'll be able to see if Mutagens can help or harm her." He assumes she's perfectly capable of accepting them, chaos by it's very nature is adaptable and it'd surprise him if she couldn't.
Reima "How about this" He hands Quelaag two syringes, "Draw blood from her arm and her spider body and I can begin the process."
...
Quelaag "Fine, but you are not allowed from my sight with the blood, is that clear?"
Reima "Crystal"
Reima gets the machine ready as Quelaag speaks to her sister gently before drawing the blood, her human half blood looks normal, but when Quelaag draws from the spider half it looks blackish and tainted. He gets handed the syringe and he empties the contents into some fire resistant vials before putting them in the machine.
Reima "Now, we wait..." He takes a seat next to Engyi.
Solaire "So, how long will it take?" the others nod to his question and looks towards Reima.
Reima shrugs "Around three days to see if I can help, and another three days if we find the correct Mutagen to use."
Solaire "Forgive me if I sound strange but, what is a Muturgen?"
Reima "Hmm, it's basically a concentrated group of DNA strands that are encouraged to integrate with other cells... If injected into someone who's adaptable, like me for instance, it will confer some of the DNA's characteristics."
Quelaag "Have you undergone this process yourself?" she looks into his cat-like eyes.
Reima "Yes, it may surprise you but I'm still only 12 years old..."
Solaire snorts before realising it wasn't a joke, "WHAT! My friend you must stop with this jest!"
Quelaag "I agree, you are clearly old than you purport."
Reima shakes his head, "No, I'm not joking... My rapid growth is a result of the Mutagens I was exposed to when I was younger, my eyes aswell. They call people like me Witchers, we are created to hunt monsters for pitiable rewards as the populace seems to hate us, despite running to us and pleading in times of need."
Quelaag "Humans are hypocrites, although I would like to hear what you consider monsters?" she gives him a glare.
Reima "Well, it may differ form Witcher to Witcher, but any creature without sapience that is inherently harmful to the ecosystem or nearby sapient races... Obviously, you're sapient so don't dwell on it."
Solaire "Interesting, I seem to learn more about you every day Sir Ludvig."
Reima "Well, while we are waiting for the blood to distil, why don't we play a game?"
Quelaag "A game? like when children kick balls around for fun?"
Reima "No, not like that. I mean a card game..." He pulls out his Gwent set that Geralt had bought for him before explaining the basic rules to play.
Quelaag listens intently as she sits beside her sister and holds her hand, Solaire sits beside Reima and Eingyi as he too listens.
After explaining the basics he asks Quelaag if she wants to have a game... Usually she would say no but, something about this game makes he unable to refuse?
They play a short few round while Reima explains things she doesn't understand, he wins eventually but she seems to have enjoyed herself.
Solaire "So it's similar to chess then?"
Reima "Ah, you guys know of chess?" he asks surprised.
Solaire "It was a game only played by nobles and lords, it was created to teach strategy and train generals to think ahead."
Reima "Huh, interesting... Well since I only have two decks worth of cards only two people at a time can play, who wants a go?"
And so the group took turns playing against each other, due to the limited cards each of the games were similar but they enjoyed it nonetheless, while Solaire was playing against Eingyi, Quelaag speaks to him.
Quelaag "I sense you hold a flame... If you manage to heal my sister, I'm willing to share my own with you..." Her cheeks blush red slightly as she says this...
Her words were not ignored by Eingyi who almost drops his cards in surprise. "Mistress will share her flame? Are you sure?" he seems to plead to her.
Quelaag glares at him, "I have made my decision... If he's true to his word I'll keep mine."
Reima is slightly confused at the weird atmosphere, he knows giving sharing a flame is a very intimate action but, as he already did so with Laurentius it shouldn't be such a big deal?... Further thinking of the implications of sharing a part of yourself gives Reima goosebumps, does this make him gay now? He vanishes the thought and focuses on Quelaag's words.
Reima "I don't know the implications to such a thing, could you explain further? I would like to know what I'm getting into..."
Eingyi waves for him to come closer as Quelaag speaks to her sister.
Eingyi whispers to him, "For old families such as the mistress and fair lady, sharing a flame is similar to being adopted... You'll become family, such an honour should never be refused!"
Reima sighs in relief, as he thinks to himself "Lucky this isn't one of those soul bond troupes... Like, where would I even put it?" He eyes Quelaags spider body...
The curse of Gwent... When you ask someone if they want to play, they have to say yes... No really it's kind of funny when you think about it, here are peasants, starving to death in a war torn village and the thing they do with their free time is collect expensive Gwent cards?
As always, if I missed anything please let me know.