Geralt and Yennefer stop in the town of Aed Gynvael. The witcher is hired to kill a zeugl, a monster prowling the town dump. Yennefer, meanwhile, spends a lot of time with the wizard Istredd, who is conducting mysterious experiments. At the local court, Geralt meets the renegade witcher Dermot Maranga. An unpleasant exchange ensues between them. Geralt learns that Istredd and Yennefer have long been in love.
