After a simple breakfast, the atmosphere in the camp was much calmer than last night.
The embers of the bonfire were rekindled, the warlocks silently packed away their magic weapons and medicine bags, while the villagers gathered together in twos and threes, talking in low voices about the nightmare attack last night.
Exhaustion was still written on everyone's face, but the sense of joy of surviving the disaster gave their voices a hint of warmth of life.
Yavi was sitting by the campfire, carefully checking his equipment.
Moonlight Cursed Blade drank too much filthy blood last night. He wiped the blade of the sword repeatedly with a piece of grease-stained suede until the silver sword surface reflected his blue pupils again.
The cracks in the leather armor could not be repaired for the time being, but at least they were still usable. He counted the remaining potion bottles one by one - he had plenty of various potions on hand, and he also had a few grenades, which were enough to support him in the next battle. He closed his eyes and checked his Talisman and the magic power in his body, and found that they had all returned to their best condition.
"Ready?" Yennefer's voice came from behind. She changed into a clean black traveling robe, and her long hair was tied up with a simple wooden hairpin, but the faint blue marks at the corners of her eyes still revealed the consumption of last night.
Yavi nodded, stood up, sheathed the silver sword, and patted the mud stains on his trouser legs. The two walked side by side to the entrance of the camp, where Red was already waiting.
The senior warlock sent by the academy stood in the morning light. At this moment, he took out a suit of equipment from nowhere. The chain armor on his body was polished to a shine, and a broad sword hung on his waist. It seems that Red also received warrior training, but he was accustomed to the convenience of being a warlock and neglected close protection.
Behind him, Cahir, Ailiya and other warlocks were ready to go. When everyone saw Yavi and Yennefer approaching, they all started talking. They nodded slightly, and when their eyes fell on Yavi, they all showed a kind of respect from the bottom of their hearts - the bloody battle last night was enough for these proud warlocks to re-recognize the silent demon hunter in front of them.
"Everyone is here." Red put away the map, scanned everyone, and said in a crisp voice, "Today's mission is only one - to return to the center of the village and investigate the church. Yesterday we were interrupted one step away from the truth, and today we must find out what is hidden inside."
He paused and turned his gaze to Yavi: "Yavi, you are familiar with the route. You go in front, and the warlocks and I will provide support. Once you find the scent of a monster, send a signal immediately and don't rush in rashly."
"Understood." Yavi nodded.
"Let's go."
The group of people followed the path they took yesterday and once again entered the deserted village. The morning fog had not completely dissipated, and the broken wooden houses and collapsed fences were looming in the mist, like abandoned skeletons. The burnt smell of last night still lingered in the air, but the rotten and bloody smell had faded a lot.
Yavi was walking at the front of the team, and Witcher Senses had opened his eyes the moment he stepped into the border of the village - his cat pupils were microscopic, catching every suspicious sound and smell. Yennefer was walking half a step behind him, with his left hand in his sleeve, ready to make seals at any time. The warlocks were scattered on both sides, maintaining a defensive formation, with light and steady steps.
The journey was uneventful. There was no roar of Ghoul, no scream of Bruxa, and even the traces of wild dogs and crows disappeared. The village seemed to have been completely drained of life by some invisible force, leaving only a deathly silence.
The spire of the church gradually emerged in the morning mist. It was a typical Melitele temple-style building. The stone exterior walls were mottled and blackened, and vines covered half of the wall, but the overall structure was still intact. The door was closed tightly, and the cracks in the door were filled with dead leaves and dust.
Red raised his fist and the entire team stopped. The commander's brows furrowed slightly and he looked at Yavi with obvious uneasiness in his eyes.
Yavi did not answer immediately. He closed his eyes slightly and took a deep breath - there was only the smell of damp stone bricks, old dust and the sweet smell of rotting vines in the air. There was no corpse odor, no smell of monster sulfur, and no signs of any biological activity. He opened his eyes again and shook his head gently at Red.
There is no scent of monsters.
Red's tight shoulders relaxed slightly, but he did not completely relax his vigilance. He just nodded and lowered his voice and said, "Okay, maintain the formation after entering. Cahir, you go at the end and make sure the entrance is clear."
Everyone slowly arrived in front of the church door. Red stretched out his hands, pressed against the heavy oak door, took a deep breath, and pushed slowly.
quack--squeak--
The rusty iron hinges let out a harsh whine, and dust fell like a gray waterfall from the top of the door frame, causing several warlocks to cough. The door opened little by little, and the early morning sunlight was like a tilted sword, splitting open the dark interior of the church.
Dust was flying in the beam of light. The interior of the church was shrouded in hazy darkness, with benches neatly arranged on both sides, and the pulpit covered with a thick layer of gray dust. The stained glass windows were almost blocked by dust, and only the largest rose window in the center barely let in a few rays of colorful light, which fell on the pulpit.
No one was in a hurry to go in. Yavi had already pinched Quen Defense Signs's starting hand with his left hand, and silently pulled out Moonlight Cursed Blade with his right hand. The tip of the sword hung slightly, and he took a step forward as light as a cat. Yennefer followed closely behind, with the lavender magic power looming between his fingers.
A gust of draft blew in from the door, picking up the dust on the ground and swirling it toward the depths of the church. The dust was blown away, and the dark interior of the church became clearer bit by bit.
The benches, stone pillars, candlesticks, faded tapestries... everything was arranged like the most ordinary country church. Except for the ubiquitous thick layer of gray, there was nothing unusual.
The only difference is on the pulpit.
In the center of the lecture, there lay a corpse. Judging from the clothing, it was a black priest's robe with the Heart of Thorns emblem of Melitele embroidered on the collar. The corpse was covered with dust and almost blended into the podium. The gray-white skin was tight on the skeleton, the hair was white and dry, and his hands were folded on the edge of the lecture, as if he fell asleep during prayer and never woke up.
There were no wounds, no bloodstains, and no traces of monsters. It was just a corpse.
Red took a long breath and looked back at Yavi. Yavi stared at the priest's body for a few seconds. The cat's eyes shrank slightly, and then he slowly released Signs's left hand and put the silver sword back into its sheath.
Everyone felt relieved. But that subtle sense of dissonance was like a thin thorn piercing the edge of Yavi's perception - it's hard to say what was wrong, but it was just a little... incongruous.
He didn't say it out loud.