The Sword of Destiny Read Free

Geralt, nodding. "It is difficult to find a better escort. Zerricanians are born warriors, trained in combat from a very early age."
    "I wasn't talking about that." Borch spat a crayfish pincer onto the table. "I was thinking about their performance in bed."
    Geralt watched the young girls out of the corner of his eye. Both smiled and Vea seized a shellfish, as quick as a flash. She cracked the carapace with her teeth and blinked as she regarded the witcher. Her lips glistened with the salty water. Three Jackdaws belched loudly.
    "So, Geralt," he continued, "you don't hunt dragons, green or otherwise. I'll bear it in mind. Why categorise them by these three colours, may I ask?"
    "Four colours, to be precise."
    "You only mentioned three."
    "You seem to have a great interest in dragons, Borch. Is there a particular reason?"
    "I'm just curious."
    "These colours are the customary categorisation, although not a precise one. Green dragons are most widespread though in fact they are rather gray, like dracolizards. To tell you the truth the reds are more red brown, the colour of brick. The large dark brown dragons are usually called black dragons. Rarest of all are the white dragons. I've never seen one. They live in the far North, apparently."
    "Interesting. Do you know what other types of dragons I've heard of?"
    "I know," replied Geralt, swallowing a mouthful of beer. "I've also heard of them: the gold. But they don't exist."
    "But how can you be sure? Just because you've never seen one? You've never seen a white one either."
    "That's not the point. Across the seas, in Ofir and Zangwebar, there are white horses with black stripes. I've never seen those either, but I know that they exist. The golden dragon is a myth, a legend, like the phoenix. Phoenixes and golden dragons do not exist."
    Vea, leaning on her elbows, looked at him curiously.
    "You certainly know what you're talking about - you're a witcher," said Borch drawing some more beer from the small keg. "However, I think any myth, any legend, can contain a grain of truth that sometimes can't be ignored."
    "That is so," confirmed Geralt, "but that is the territory of dreams, hopes and desires: it's about the belief that there is no limit to what is possible, just because there is sometimes a wild chance that it might be true."
    "Chance, exactly. It may be there once was a golden dragon; the product of a single, unique mutation."
    "If that's the case, that dragon would've suffered the fate of all mutants," the witcher bowed his head. "It couldn't survive, because it's too different."
    "Now you oppose natural law, Geralt. My wizard friend was in the habit of saying that each and every being can prevail in nature in one manner or another. The end of one existence always announces the beginning of another. There is no limit, at least when it comes to nature."
    "Your wizard friend was a huge optimist. There is one element he didn't take into consideration; errors made by nature or those that play with it. The golden dragon and all the other mutants of its species, even if they have existed, could not survive. A natural limit inherent in them has prevented it."
    "What's that?"
    "Mutants..." the muscles in Geralt's jaw tensed, "Mutants are sterile, Borch. Only legends permit what nature condemns. Only myths can ignore the limits of what's possible."
    Three Jackdaws remained silent. Geralt saw that the girls' faces had suddenly become serious. Vea quickly leaned towards him, embracing him with her hard, muscular arms. He felt her lips on his cheek, wet with beer.
    "They like you," said Three Jackdaws slowly, "The devil take it, they like you!"
    "What's so strange about that?" replied the witcher, smiling sadly.
    "Nothing. But a toast is necessary. Landlord! Another keg!"
    "Not that much. A tankard at most."
    "Make that two tankards!" shouted Three Jackdaws. "Tea, I must leave for a moment."
    The Zerricanian picked up her sabre from the bench as she rose before inspecting the room with