fic update / work complete!

[dragonlady7]

what a concept!, the witcher, vernon roche, canon fixits, witcher 3 fixits, reason of state

via https://ift.tt/3eU9ydm

Chapter 2 of Under The Ribs is up on AO3 https://archiveofourown.org/works/32764837/chapters/81465868, concluding that particular story.

This is the chapter the warnings were really for; there are some quite dark nightmare/hallucinations. (Anoke wrote all those LOL. And yes a bunch of the rest of the story of course but in the rough draft that was the most striking bit. They really are the best part of this whole thing. The only bit I supplied was exactly what it feels like to rip something’s heart out, from extensive personal experience.)

Also some politics. Also some medical bullshit. Roche is very sick.

Vernon was strapped to a table in the dark. He could hear metal against stone, blades being honed. He tried to struggle, find a weakness in the straps, but nothing gave.

“Hold still, dear heart,” Foltest said. “Hold still for me.”

“I’ll try,” he tried to answer, but he could not speak. They stabbed him, a killing blow, but he did not die. Again they struck, and again and again, and he realized they were cutting. His ribs snapped, his flesh was peeled away, they tore open his chest and he could not scream, he could make no sound, he could not die. They pulled and pulled until something gave with a springy, tearing snap-pop that jolted his entire body.

Foltest pressed a kiss to his open mouth. “There we are, pup,” Foltest said, holding Vernon’s heart in his hand. “We both know this belongs to me.” (Your picture was not posted)