The first ray of golden sunshine in the morning has just pierced the mist, coating the magnificent spiral stone tower of "Tidal Wing" with warmth. Yavi's figure has appeared on the open platform at the entrance of the tower on time. The air is filled with the salty smell of sea breeze and the whisper of magic. He is not the only one on the platform, many apprentices gather in groups of three or five, chatting in low voices, and the air is filled with restlessness and anticipation before the mission begins.
At this moment, a clear and powerful male voice penetrated the din. "Apprentices who are setting off to Saize Village in the northern part of the Kaedwen kingdom to perform an investigation mission! Meet me here! Depart immediately when everyone is ready or time is up!"
The source of the sound was a well-proportioned male warlock wearing a dark blue senior warlock robe. He was standing at a clearly marked position in the center of the platform, with a weak amplified magic shout condensed in his palms.
Yavi Hearing the sound, he immediately adjusted his direction and walked quickly towards the meeting point.
"Name?" The senior warlock glanced sharply at Yavi.
"Yavi."
"Yes." The other party quickly confirmed on a glowing parchment roll in his hand, and moved his chin to the side, "Stand over there and wait."
Yavi walked over as he was told, and there were already five or six apprentices standing there, some male and female, all with unfamiliar faces. They looked at the newly joined Yavi curiously, and Yavi nodded calmly, then found an open space a little further away, crossed their legs and closed their eyes, entering a state of meditation, isolating the noise around them.
As time passed, more and more people gathered at the meeting point. Just when the set departure time was about to arrive, a familiar female voice with surprise and a hint of imperceptible joy sounded from behind Yavi:
"Yavi?"
Yavi immediately opened his eyes and jumped up from the ground. Turning around, he saw the familiar figure - Yennefer standing a few steps away, his iconic violet eyes lighting up instantly in the morning light.
"Yavi! You... are you also performing the Saize Village mission?" Yennefer's voice was filled with obvious excitement.
Yavi nodded, with a smile on his face, "Yes. Yennefer, what a coincidence, are you too?"
"Yeah!" Yennefer nodded vigorously, the corners of his mouth rising uncontrollably, and his voice was full of pure happiness, "I didn't expect it! That day I said I hoped we could go on a mission together... and it actually came true!" Yavi noticed that instead of wearing a restraining warlock robe, she changed into a dark long skirt with a loose cut and good drape, which skillfully covered up most of the distorted contours of her body. Although the facial flaws still could not be concealed, the overall feeling was much more stretched than usual.
Before the two of them had time to say a few more words, the loud voice of the senior warlock in the center of the assembly point sounded again, with unquestionable majesty. "Attention everyone! Saize Village investigation team, assemble!"
His eyes swept over the ten apprentices who gathered quickly like a hawk, and he said solemnly, "I am your team leader, senior warlock Alf Red Raven. Just call me Red. There is only one requirement for this trip: act in unison and absolutely obey my command!" His voice was resolute, "I will do my best to ensure everyone's safety. The specific mission details and arrangements will be discussed after we safely arrive in Kaedwen. Now, everyone, follow me!"
After saying that, Red turned around without any hesitation, and walked steadily towards the huge arched portal at the end of the platform that shone with unstable blue light, and his figure was instantly swallowed up by the light curtain.
The rest of the apprentices immediately followed and filed in. The composition of the team was clear at a glance: seven female apprentices and three male apprentices (including Yavi).
Soon, only Yavi and Yennefer were left at the entrance of the platform.
"Yavi?" Yennefer looked at his companion who had not moved yet, feeling a little confused.
Yavi Staring at the flickering blue light curtain that seemed to be able to swallow everything, his Adam's apple rolled imperceptibly, and his steps seemed a little hesitant. "... the portal. The last experience of riding on this thing was really not a pleasant one."
Yennefer instantly understood his concerns. Seeing the flash of tension on Yavi's face, an inexplicable courage suddenly surged into her heart. Without any hesitation, she stretched out her right hand, which was deformed but extremely firm at the moment, and took hold of Yavi's hand!
Her palms were cold and trembling slightly, but she held them extremely hard.
"Don't be afraid." Her voice was very soft, but it carried an unprecedented power.
Before Yavi could react, Yennefer had already grabbed his hand, and the two of them rushed side by side towards the blue light curtain without hesitation. The light instantly drowned their figures, leaving only the whimpering sound of the sea breeze blowing through the cracks in the rocks on the platform.
The moment Yennefer was pulled into the faint blue light screen, Yavi's heart almost lifted into his throat. The familiar dizziness and sense of spatial dislocation suddenly came over him, and his stomach was churning. But this time, the cold but extremely firm touch in his hand became the only anchor point - Yennefer held his hand tightly, like an invisible chain, holding him firmly in place. Although the surrounding scene was still bizarre and spinning rapidly, at least it was not spinning like an out-of-control top like last time. This sense of stability slightly calmed down Yavi's violently churning nausea.
He tried hard to adjust his breathing, feeling the slight trembling and strength coming from his palms. When the initial dizziness gradually subsided, he opened his eyes and saw Yennefer looking at him with concern, his violet eyes looking particularly bright in the distorted light.
"Look," she said with a relaxed smile in her voice, cutting through the hum of the transmission channel, "It doesn't seem that bad, right?"
Yavi forced out a smile, nodded, and unconsciously clasped his hands slightly. Seeing the figures of other students in front of him looming in the streamer channel, they seemed to be adapting to the teleportation, and there was no such embarrassing scene as he had last time. His resistance to the teleportation gate had indeed been reduced a lot.
The two walked side by side in the bizarre passage, chatting casually, with light topics, trying to dispel the discomfort caused by the teleportation. Yavi's eyes swept over Yennefer reflected in the streamer Taking a look at the side face that looked a bit illusory, his tone became solemn unconsciously. "Yennefer, remember, when you get there later, no matter what happens, don't leave my side. Also, protect yourself first."
Hearing this protective warning, Yennefer lowered his eyes slightly, but couldn't help but bend the corners of his mouth upwards in a very small, almost imperceptible arc, and softly said "hmm".
At this moment, the steady and powerful voice of the leader Red penetrated the buzzing of the passage and reached everyone's ears clearly:
"Attention everyone! Prepare to leave the passage! Control your center of gravity and stabilize your body!"
The words have not yet been spoken!
A blinding white light burst out at the end of the passage! A powerful repulsive force instantly acted on everyone!
"Uh-huh!"
Yavi only felt that force pushing him hard, and his feet seemed to be in the air for an instant. His whole body was like a stone thrown by a trebuchet. He completely lost his balance and faced down, hitting the unknown hard ground below!
"Bang!"
There was a solid muffled sound, followed by a painful groan. Yavi's cheek came into intimate contact with the cold stone ground without buffering, and the soreness and numbness caused by the impact instantly spread from the bridge of his nose to his entire head.
At the same time, there were several slight landing sounds and low shouts from around - the others had obviously successfully controlled their posture, or staggered a few steps to stand still, or used Levitation Spell as a buffer. Although their postures were different, they all landed safely. Yennefer also landed lightly not far away, and after standing firm, he immediately looked anxiously in the direction of Yavi.
"Yavi!" Yennefer exclaimed, quickly ran to him, squatted down, carefully avoided his possible injuries, and helped him sit up. She took out her handkerchief and gently wiped the dust and possible scratches on Yavi's face, her purple eyes full of worry. "How are you? Are you okay?"
Yavi grinned and sucked in the air-conditioning, waving his hands to indicate that he was okay, but he was just a little starry-eyed and embarrassed. With the help of Yennefer, he stood up awkwardly, rubbed his sore nose and cheeks, and then had time to take a look at where they were.
A cold, musty and dusty air hit their faces. They were standing in the middle of a huge vaulted hall made of rough boulders. There were cold and hard stone slabs under their feet, with slippery moss growing in the gaps. The hall was unusually empty, with only the frame of the huge portal they had just emerged from still emitting a fading blue light behind them. Several torches were stuck on the walls. The swaying light of the burning torch distorted the shadows of everyone and cast them on the tall and cobweb-covered vault. The only exits were a few thick, rusty arched iron doors, which were tightly closed. There was an old, depressing atmosphere in the air, as if no one had set foot here for a long time, more like the depths of some forgotten... stone fortress.