"What? Aren't you going to invite me in for a seat, handsome?" The woman's slightly sultry voice sounded beside Yavi's ear.
But Yavi paid no attention, because his attention had been completely captured by the enormous cleft before him.
Th-this was the famous V!
"Hehe, you'll make me blush if you keep staring at me like that!" As she spoke, she took Yavi's hand and drew it over those steep peaks, then whispered in his ear, "Well? Do you like them? Just thirty crowns! No! For twenty-five crowns, they're yours for the whole night! What do you say?"
"Tw-twenty-five crowns?"
"Of course, but you'll have to pay before you inspect the goods. What do you say? Isn't that a bargain?" the woman continued enticing him.
Yavi said nothing more. He simply stepped aside to let the woman in, then closed and locked the door.
Lying in bed, Yavi hazily felt as though he had had a dream. In it, he felt as though he had become an immortal, finally able to form a golden core after a hundred years of cultivation. Holding a magical artifact, he flew on a sword, clad in flowing clouds and wide sleeves, his feet resting on a flying sword that shone with azure light as he roamed freely through the boundless heavens and earth. With a thought, his blade cut through the sky and carried him straight into the highest heavens. A sea of clouds churned beneath his feet, spreading like snowy waves. Verdant peaks were dark as ink, and jade waters like silk soaked the front of his robes, their refreshing fragrance seeping into his heart. He laughed heartily and swept his sleeve, stirring up a breeze that scattered flower petals, filling the sky with a lovely pink.
Upon reaching a gorge, he withdrew his sword's light and hovered in midair. Mist swirled in the valley, and the faint growls of spirit beasts could be heard. Seized by a playful impulse, he gathered a wisp of golden light at his fingertip and flicked it gently. The light fell into the valley like a shooting star, startling several rainbow-colored spirit deer, which fled in all directions on trails of rainbow light. He chased them, swooping high and low and weaving between the cliffs, having the time of his life.
As the sun set, he lay atop the clouds, letting the breeze carry his body along. The evening glow stained the horizon red, and the clouds burned like flames. He narrowed his eyes, feeling the spiritual energy of heaven and earth circulate around him, as though he had become one with this world. At that moment, he forgot all his worries, leaving only pure joy and freedom.
In the faint light of early morning, a ray of gold slipped through the window lattice and gently caressed Yavi's forehead.
His eyes snapped open. As though he had suddenly plummeted from an immense height, his whole body shuddered violently, and he bolted upright in bed. Cold sweat soaked his thin undershirt, making it cling stickily to his back, and his breathing came so fast it seemed he had just escaped a life-or-death chase. He raised a hand to his wildly pounding chest, his fingertips even able to feel the tremor of blood surging through his veins.
A dream... or a nightmare?
Only a moment ago, he had been roaming heaven and earth, riding his sword on the wind, carefree as an immortal. Yet in an instant, that exhilaration had burst like a bubble, replaced by an invisible force that dragged him back to the beginning of the dream-darkness, suffocation, a cycle he could not escape. It was as though he were trapped in an endless cycle of reincarnation. Every time he thought he had broken free, he plunged back into the abyss the next instant.
Yavi took a deep breath, trying to settle his chaotic thoughts. He was a battle-hardened witcher; an ordinary nightmare could never have made him lose his composure like this. But last night's dream... it had been too real, too strange, as though something were watching in secret, even controlling his dreams.
He reached for a waterskin and took a great gulp. The icy water in his stomach made him let out a long breath of relief.
Getting out of bed, dressing, and straightening the backpack that had been rummaged through yesterday, Yavi planned to go downstairs to check out and have some breakfast.
There were few people downstairs, and those eating breakfast here were travelers on the road, just like Yavi. He went to the counter, ordered a classic breakfast, and found a seat. Before long, his breakfast arrived. True to its name, it consisted of bacon, fried eggs, and bread, along with a small bowl of cream of mushroom soup.
After breakfast, Yavi got up to pay, then rode his pony away from the Inn at the Crossroads and headed east. The weather was wonderful today, with clear skies stretching for miles and brilliant sunshine. Since he was in no hurry, he took in the scenery around him. While crossing a bridge, he even saw anglers sitting in little groups, fishing and chatting. He wondered whether they would go home empty-handed...
After traveling for a little over an hour, Yavi saw a small village ahead. It was probably Moldavie Village. Having heard at the tavern that a bounty had been posted here, he intended to pick it up. As soon as he reached the noticeboard, he saw a law officer repeatedly calling out, "A griffin has been attacking travelers on the eastern road ahead! Please take a detour or travel together in groups! Ahead..."
Yavi ignored the law officer and went straight to the noticeboard to look for the griffin bounty. Only upon looking closely did he discover that the reward had actually increased, from the four hundred crowns he had heard about in the tavern to five hundred. It seemed this griffin had caused the locals quite a lot of trouble.
After tearing off a bounty notice, Yavi did not linger. He left through the eastern side of the village and continued eastward. Along the way, he kept his Witcher Senses working at full strength. No rustle of grass in the wind or low growl of a beast escaped his ears, and he kept his hand poised to cast the defensive Quen Sign. He could be said to have made preparations against a griffin ambush, but since entering the woods, he had found nothing.
After continuing like this for another half hour or so, Yavi suddenly caught a faint smell of blood from the woods to his right. The discovery immediately put him on alert. He dismounted, drew his longsword, and cautiously followed the scent. Upon emerging from the woods, he found a battered wagon among a pile of rocks, with several mangled corpses scattered around it. The griffin had torn them beyond recognition; some could not even be identified as male or female. Yavi did not approach rashly. First, he cast a defensive Quen Sign on himself, and only then did he cautiously approach the scene. After a careful examination, he judged that this caravan had been attacked by the griffin at least five days ago. Judging by the surroundings, it had probably been chased all the way here by the griffin. The horses pulling the cargo were missing and had probably become the griffin's spoils. After killing these people, the griffin had left. Yavi briefly surveyed the scene, then looked inside the wagon, where one sack of goods remained. He opened it and found fabric and similar items, then put it into his storage space. He also inspected the weapons scattered on the ground and pocketed the few that could be sold. This, too, counted as putting a witcher's specialty to use: a witcher who could not loot a battlefield was no good witcher. As for the bodies, Yavi did not intend to deal with them. Instead, he would notify the law officers once he reached Oxenfurt and let them handle it. As for the goods and weapons, I'll take them as payment for my trouble. Then Yavi left the site, mounted his horse, and continued on his way.