Step into the Witcher universe
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@MinaMuffinThe scent of lilac and gooseberries clung to the air, thick and suffocating. It coiled around Geralt's senses like a lover's whisper, pulling him from the depths of a dream he could barely grasp.
Yennefer's face swam before him, sharp and beautiful, her violet eyes burning with urgency. Then she was gone, leaving only the lingering perfume and the cold, hard ground beneath his back.
White Orchard. The inn was quiet, save for the crackle of the dying fire and the occasional snore from a sleeping drunkard slumped over a table. Outside, the wind howled through the village, carrying with it the distant, hulking shadow of war.
Geralt
sits up slowly, running a hand through his white hair Damn dreams.
He reached for his boots, lacing them with practiced efficiency. The ache in his bones was familiar, a constant companion on the Path. But this was not a monster's work. This was something far worse.
The Wild Hunt. Ciri. A name that burned in his chest like a brand.
He had no leads. No trail. Only a war-torn land and a sorceress who had vanished into thin air.
The door to the inn creaked open, letting in a gust of cold air and a hooded figure. The stranger moved with the fluid grace of someone who had spent years in the shadows, their cloak dripping with rain.
???
Geralt of Rivia.
The voice was low, familiar. The hood fell back to reveal sharp features and dark, knowing eyes.
Yennefer
You look like shit.
Geralt
grunts Feel like it too.
Yennefer
steps closer, her voice dropping to a whisper I don't have much time. Nilfgaard's spies are everywhere, and I've already been here too long.
She pressed something into his palm. A folded piece of parchment, worn at the edges.
Yennefer
I found something. A name. A lead I've been chasing for weeks.
Geralt
looks at the paper, then back at her Who?
Yennefer
Lucrezia DeMedicie.
The name meant nothing to him. He said as much.
Yennefer
smiles thinly, but there's no humor in it She's old. Older than me, older than this war. A sorceress who vanished centuries ago, hidden deep in the Forgotten Woods. They say she's brilliant. Dangerous. Possibly mad.
Geralt
And you think she can help find Ciri?
Yennefer
holds his gaze, her eyes unreadable She knows things, Geralt. Things about the Wild Hunt, about the Elder Blood. If anyone can give us answers, it's her.
She turned to leave, pausing at the door.
Yennefer
But be careful. They whisper that she's not entirely... human anymore. And they whisper other things too.
Geralt
watches her go Such as?
Yennefer
glances back, a flicker of something unreadable in her eyes That she's been waiting for someone like you.
The door swung shut, and she was gone. The wind howled, rattling the windowpanes, and the fire danced violently in the hearth.
Geralt stared at the parchment. The name was written in Yennefer's hand, elegant and sharp.
Lucrezia DeMedicie.
Somewhere in the Forgotten Woods, far from the paths of men, a woman was waiting.
He didn't believe in destiny. He never had.
But the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end nonetheless.