The Last Wish (short story)
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"The Last Wish" is a short story included in The Last Wish collection. This story describes the circumstances of Geralt and Yennefer's first meeting.
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[edit] Summary
One morning, while trying to fish a breakfast, Dandelion and Geralt catch an ancient, sealed amphora. Dandelion, in a fit of glee, releases the genie within. The genie doesn't fulfill even the first one of the bard's wishes, opting to strangle the man instead. Geralt rushes to the rescue, and after a brief fight, the witcher seizes the seal on the ground and shouts out an exorcism.
The genie flees, but Dandelion's far from well. Help is needed.
After a day's ride, at the gates of Rinde, they're denied passage before morning. Waiting for the dawn to break, Geralt makes the acquaintance of the elves Chireadan and Errdil and the half-elf knight, Vratimir. They inform him that there's a penalty for spellworking within the city, and the mages are boycotting Rinde in return. Save for the sorceress, Yennefer of Vengerberg, living in the sanctuary provided by the Novigradian merchant-ambassabor, Beau Berrant.
The moment he can, Geralt goes to see the sorceress, who's far from awake. Despite their rather explosive start, Yennefer's willing to help Geralt and Dandelion...right after a bath.
Back in Errdil's inn, Chireadan and Geralt wait to hear about the bard and meanwhile, chat a little about Yennefer over a cup of tea. After a while, Yennefer summons Geralt up; Dandelion's happily, safely asleep, and there's only the question of price to be discussed. The deal's sealed with a kiss; the next thing Geralt knows, he's sharing the cell with 'honest thieves', an innocent and Chireadan.
The elf tells the hows and whys for their presence there, and the two men reflect on their situation. Their musings are rudely stopped by the entrance of three guards. One of them starts taunting Geralt while his friends hold the witcher still. Seeking to get out with the least injuries possible, Geralt expresses the wish for the man to burst.
To the surprise of everyone present, the guard does so.
Later, the witcher and the elf are in a meeting with the mayor, Neville and the priest, Krepp. The mayor is not happy, but before he can reach a verdict, Dandelion drops in through a magical portal on the wall. The bard shouts with a perfect voice that he wishes everyone present to believe the witcher's innocent.
Alas, there's no time for a heartfelt reunion, for the genie has entered the town and is trashing it. Yennefer's spells are binding it to Errdil's inn, though. For the time being.
Geralt ushers everyone else into safety, gets Krepp to agree on opening the portal Dandelion just fell through, and jumps in to save the sorceress. She doesn't agree, wanting to trap the genie anew. She opens a portal to get rid of Geralt, but the witcher grabs her and doesn't let go.
Outside, the people gathered are watching in terror.
After a scuffle, the sorceress traps Geralt, even though her powers are already waning. The witcher tries to talk some sense into her head, but she won't listen. Desperate to save the two of them, Geralt pulls out the last ace up his sleeve.
The genie tears free, the inn collapses and silence descends. Dandelion, Neville, Krepp, Errdil and Chireadan approach the building, each considering the consequences in his own way while inside, Yennefer and Geralt reflect on living.
[edit] Characters
- Beau Berrant
- Cerberus
- Chireadan
- Dandelion
- King Dezmod (mentioned only)
- Errdil
- Eskel (mentioned only)
- King Ethain of Cidaris (mentioned only)
- Geoffrey Monck (mentioned only)
- Geralt
- Heribert (mentioned only)
- Krepp
- Laurelnose
- Prophet Lebiodus (mentioned only)
- Neville
- enchanter Stammelford (mentioned only)
- Triss Merigold (mentioned only)
- Valdo Marx (mentioned only)
- Virginia (mentioned only)
- Vratimir
- Yennefer
[edit] Trivia
- In The Witcher (computer game), Triss Merigold tells Geralt at the beginning of Act III that "the last time (she) felt this way was when (Geralt) and a sorceress were playing with a genie", most likely referring to this short story.
- It's possible to read, in-game, "a treatise on elemental genies" by the name of The Last Wish.
[edit] Adaptations
[edit] Graphic novels
The short story has been adapted as a graphic novel entitled "Ostatnie życzenie", written by Andrzej Sapkowski and Maciej Parowski, with art by Bogusław Polch.
