Good day everyone,
I hope you are all having a good day, welcome to CryptoGod-1's blog on all things gaming and literature. Today I will be doing an analysis and review of the fifth book from The Witcher series, and the third of The Witcher Saga, by Andrzej Sapkowski, entitled Baptism of Fire. Within I will break down the chapters and give an overview of what happens within the story, with a conclusion on the overall book at the end. This will be done in a four part series for this book, so keep an eye out for the remaining parts to follow.
Previous Parts to this Book
The Witcher Saga - Baptism of Fire - Part I
Chapter 3
As the group are continuing on their journey towards the Yaruga they are using the old dwarves roads which had been destroyed by humans. Zoltan was of the belief they would encounter the Temerian army once they reached the forts dotted along the backs of the Ina. As they proceeded the horse which had carried Cahir sped past them, covered in blood, leading the group to believe he had perished while following them. They eventually come across a large tree with corpses hanging from it, some bearing placards which read “Nilfgaardian whore” or “traitor.” Zoltan takes this as a sign that the Tererian army have been through and were fighting back against the Nilfgaards, meaning the group was now behind the front line.
The group were faced with a decision to make. They could continue towards the Ina and the Chotla by the road, or chance the forest where there may be monsters such as ghouls. On the road they could meet anything, including troops of soldiers from either side. Milva insisted on going through the forest, as she is not as convinced as Zoltan was that they were behind the line of danger. As they travelled through the thick overgrowth, the wagon which had served the Dwarves so well for so long got destroyed while trying to reach a stream by the name of “O” which was a tributary of the Chotla. Four of the dwarves remained behind to bury their chests of goods, which according to Dandelion held the future for the dwarves. The remainder of the group would push ahead along the O, the Chotla and then finally the Ina towards the Yaruga.
As they pushed ahead the realisation that they were lost among the twisting ravines of the O dawned upon them. They decided their best course of action was to reroute themselves into Fen Carn, the meadow of the Barrows. A broad valley, full of burial mounds and moss covered monoliths; in reality it was an ancient elven cemetery. While the women and children were frightened and Zoltan apprehensive, Milva pointed out they could go no further due to exhaustion. They settled down to camp for the night, with Geralt feeling no fear of a threat from possible Ghouls, Spectres, or worse. Percival believing he spotted a ghoul, which startled the group, and along with Geralt and Zoltan they investigated the sighting. It was not a Ghoul, but instead they happened upon man amongst the tombstones.
He was an alchemist, or a barber sturgeon, by the name of Emiel Regis, and he came from Dillingen. He explained to the group that he has a small shack nearby, and invited them to camp under the stars around his hearth. At once Zoltan accepted, and Regis explained how there was a refugee camp near the Chotla housing the peasants of Brugge and Sodden. As they camped around Regis's vacation home, Zoltan begins to become suspicious. Geralt advised him to go inside the hut to ensure all is above board and to ease the dwarfs fears. Zoltan agreed and went to the door, being invited inside by Regis, and soon after beckoning Geralt, Percival, and Dandelion to follow him in. Soon after Milva joined them, as Regis shared with the group that he made his own homemade moonshine from none other than mandrake roots, a very rare and expensive delicacy.
They drank and got merry, with tongues loosening and tales sparking. Regis refused to drink, but listened intently to Geralt’s queries on any alchemist remedies for his injuries. As the chatter turned towards the Witcher's more private affairs, Geralt excused himself. When he was outside Geralt confided in Milva his worry that it would take a year and four months at this rate to get to Ciri. She cannot console him, and when he asks why she followed him from Brokilon, Milva merely replied she does not know anymore.
Once Zoltan informed Regis of the real severity of the war, the man decides he wants to join their group and travel with them. With the moonshine flowing the chatter turns to their destination, and it won’t be the mythical home of the dwarves. Zoltan does not wish to return to be under the rule of Brouver Hogg, the Elder of Mahakam. He refuses to be ruled over in such rigorous manners, seeing the harsh ruler as a life not becoming of his grand plans for the future. More was drank and more was spoken, when eventually Dandelion let it slip they were heading to Nilfgaard to rescue Ciri, the child of Destiny bound to Geralt, which left the Witcher white with rage. As Geralt slept from too much drink, Regis coaxed more from Dandelion regarding Ciri.
Approaching a barn on the outskirts of a village, The Rats enter to a surprised crowd. Irska and Ciri dance, getting lost in the simple pleasures and enjoyment of being able to let loose and have fun amongst the crowd. They dance and dance, forgetting the world around them, dancing into the night.
Chapter 4
As they set out on their travels once again the following morning, those who had indulged heavily the previous night were feeling the after effects, especially Milva. While all were somewhat heavy in the head on the journey, they encountered a group of peasants. Armed with pitchforks and a vessel of holy water, the peasants were on the hunt of a vampire. The have already lost two members of their group to the fiend, and although nobody has seen the vampire, a priest has shown up and told them they are condemned for their lack of prayers of donations. They demand Milvas horse, as they require a black clot to ride around the cemetery until it stops by the supposed vampires grave. As imaginable, she was unimpressed at the manner in which she was spoken to, and did not hold back in showing how she is more than a woman who belongs in the kitchen. Hitting the ignorant man, she knocked him over and he damaged his head. Milva puked thinking she had killed him. The two groups combined and made a stretcher to carry the injured man back to their camp, the refugee camp by the river.
On the way to the camp Zoltan, Regis, and Geralt discussed the possibility of there actually being a vampire. Geralt highly doubt it, as what the peasants had described did not resemble a vampire attack. The priest did interest him though, as the Witcher was keen to see if he was a learned man or a peddler. Once at the camp, they discovered more than 200 people encamped in a foul rotten smelling place. The women and children Zoltan had brought with him managed to find their husbands and brothers, bringing delight to them. The little girl Milva had allowed to ride on her horse thanked the group with flowers, and Zoltan and Percival gave her an emerald in return. The group managed to get some fodder for their horse and water from the river, but to their dismay, everything in this camp had a price. A high price at that.
As they waited for the remaining dwarves from their party to catch up to them at the camp, a few of the peasants who they met earlier approached. They demanded compensation for the injury Milva caused, and when Zoltan and company refused the peasants demanded the horses as compensation. Geralt intervened and agreed they would let the camp court decide the appropriate course of action, which was led by the Elder Hector Laabs.
They went through the camp towards him, where the Elder was already engaged in the trial of a witch. The priest was telling the crowd how this girl was the bane of evil, had conspired with the vampire, and needed to be burnt alive for her crimes. After delivering his speech on the evil sins of women, mentioning the sorceress’s at Thaleed, finally Laabs interjected. He questioned the priest of any proof, at which the priest got his peasants to bring out a cauldron. Knocking it over and revealing the contents, the priest offered up irrefutable proof that the girl has boiled her black cat, to the horror of the crowd. That is, until Zoltan and Percival pointed out the cat was sitting on a cart licking itself.
Bewildered, the priest did not back down on his claims and demanded the witch be tortured to get a confession from her. Even Laabs knew anyone would confess to anything under torture. A trial by ordeal was suggested, and in this moment Geralt offered himself to stand the trial on behalf of the girl, challenging anyone to fight him. Zoltan and Milva and stepped forward but the priest claimed he would not entertain the whims of warriors. Instead, all they need do was have one of the three retrieve a burning hot horseshoe from the fire and bring it to the priest without getting burnt. If they failed, all three along with the girl would be killed. Considering their options, Zoltan was ready to undergo the test before Regis stepped forward and to the complete shock of the crowd he picked up a burning horseshoe and gave it to the priest. Astounded the man had not been burnt, the priest exclaimed him to be a incarnation of the devil. Before the crowd and priest could make anymore claims, a cry rang out over the crowd. Nilfgaard were attacking them.
The crowd went into a frenetic panic, every man for himself. Milva got dragged away in the pandemonium but Geralt managed to grab his hand on to Dandelion. Zoltan and Percival had joined with Laabs to punish the priest, dropping a red hot horseshoe into the man’s undergarments. As Geralt and Dandelion tried to get away the Witcher was knocked to the ground, trampled and blinded by flour from an overturned cart. Dandelion roared at Geralt to get up, but the flour in his eyes and pain in his leg stopped him. As they tried to hide under the upturned cart, a horse racing by kicked Geralt in the head and knocked him out cold.
The Rats meanwhile were sleeping in a cave after once again evading capture. They were awoken by a scream, as Ciri had a nightmare. In it she had dreamt of someone she once knew, and he was being kicked in the head and trampled by horses. She could feel his pain.
Temerian knights had managed to defeat the Nilfgaards who attacked the peasants, and Geralt woke to the burning smell of a battlefield. A solider was questioning both him and Dandelion, as they were looking for deserters of the army hidden amongst the peasants. The black cat of the supposed witch was watching on as Dandelion, accustomed to dealing with kings and knights, tried to assert himself and talk to the knights as equals instead of being talked down to. This ended with both Geralt and Dandelion in binds.
Dragged and forced to run behind the galloping cart, Geralt and Dandelion were at least travelling South. Battered in the dust, eventually they arrived at a camp. The Lord representing Temeria on behalf of King Foltest, Daniel Etcheverry, the Count of Garramore, recognised Dandelion at once from the time he sang at King Foltests court. He ordered the pair be freed at once, and Dandelion introduced Geralt as Giraldus, a fellow poet. He informed them of the horrors of the South burning, how Nilfgaard were destroying all, and the army camp they were in was in fact a camp ran by Marshall Vissegerd, representing Cintra. At once Geralt wanted to leave, but it was too late, the Marshall approached and recognised Geralt the Witcher at once from when they met at Princess Pavettas bethroval. The pair had their hands bound once more.
Lord Etcheverry tried in vain the defend Dandelion, claiming to know him not to be a Nilfgaardian spy. Marshall Vissegerd however claimed Geralt was the one who sold Ciri to Emhyr after kidnapping her from the sacking of Cintra. Lies exclaimed Dandelion, as he defended himself and Geralt in vain. The Marshall was briefly called out, in which time the Lord Etcheverry explained how the dwindling numbers and deserters meant the Marshall was at risk of losing his camp. The Marshall was doing everything possible to blacken Ciri’s name as the news of her on the Nilfgaard throne had crippled the spirit of the soldiers. Etcheverry knew it was all lies, but as a solider would not interfere. Even when Marshall Vissegerd sentences Geralt and Dandelion to death.
To be continued.......
If you would like to check out my analysis on the World of the Witcher, please follow this link here: The Witcher
While if you wish to check out my review on the first book of short stories in the Witcher series, it is available here: The Witcher: The Last Wish
Finally if you want to see what I wrote about the second book of short stories from the Witcher, it is available here: The Witcher: The Sword of Destiny
The Witcher Saga
Book 1
The Witcher Saga - Blood of Elves - Part I
The Witcher Saga - Blood of Elves - Part II
The Witcher Saga - Blood of Elves - Part III
The Witcher Saga - Blood of Elves - Part IV
Book 2
The Witcher Saga - Time of Contempt - Part I
The Witcher Saga - Time of Contempt - Part II
The Witcher Saga - Time of Contempt - Part III
The Witcher Saga - Time of Contempt - Part IV
Have a great day.
Peace. CryptoGod-1.
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