70

A moment of absolute darkness, accompanied by the feeling of my body being "pushed" through the tube, and I, bending my legs, smoothly stepped onto the ground.

 Having looked around, I didn't notice a trace of civilization. All hills and forests. Having looked around again only with magical vision, I was convinced that there was nothing hidden here. I looked at the teacher and began to wait.

 - Why are you looking at me like that?

 - Is this our arrival point? "I said, circling my hand around the space. - It doesn't look like that at all. Just grass and hills.

 - Well, you didn't think that we would immediately move to my friends? - Poppy asked with some surprise.

 "At first I assumed that I would have to change my appearance through metamorphism. But after hearing how you revealed part of my secrets to Andre, I came to one single conclusion. You, teacher, are not going to hide the fact that I am your student.

 "Hmm," she thought, watching me carefully. "Perhaps it's my fault for not telling you everything." You see, you will still have to deal with Andre quite often, unless of course you continue to learn from me. But with others everything is not so smooth.

 "But you yourself said that I will go on a "hike" with your good friends," I noted her earlier words.

 "That's true, but I have reasonable reasons not to trust at least some of them," she dumbfounded me with her answer.

 "And I really wanted this expedition to pass without incident," I tiredly massaged my temples. Well, when will this end?

 - Don't worry. They won't touch you, they'll just collect information and that's it," the teacher reassured me.

 - What am I supposed to do? I will reveal myself to everyone with my skills as a healer. Even a little intelligent person will immediately connect all the threads and find a connection between me on the hike and me, but only your student.

 "And this is where your memory will help, as well as the medicinal skills that we developed along with healing."

 Hm. Perhaps she wants to pretend that she knows me as a medical wizard? It may well be. However, I do not have enough knowledge to visit Greenland. Inconvenient questions may well arise. I conveyed my thoughts to the teacher:

 — A familiar medical sorcerer who went on an expedition, and who also does not have even a minimal amount of knowledge about this territory. Not too suspicious?

 - Who said that you don't own this luggage? — she asked me a question, while smiling wickedly. "You don't seem to be complaining about your memory, so catch it," the teacher said and with a wave of her hand, she took out a rather thick Talmud from her shoulder bag.

 Having caught the book, I quickly read the title: "The Veil of Greenland. Ours or someone else's world? Complete collection." 

 - Are you serious? — my indignation knew no bounds. "Couldn't you have given me this book earlier, and not at the last moment?" That way I could at least think about all the information instead of just remembering it.

 "Sorry," she shrugged. — At that time I did not have the latest edition. And this one appeared in print only yesterday.

 Opening the book on the first page, I actually noticed a "stamp" indicating the date of printing. Yesterday indeed.

 "Couldn't you get by with the old ones?" Why just a new one? Somehow I can't believe that now behind the veil everything is changing so much - my skepticism was not heard except by the deaf. Even then I doubt it. 

 "And you read the first chapter and you'll understand everything right away." We still have a whole hour left," this witch grinned again.

 Looking at her incredulously, I nevertheless started reading. The first chapter was quite lengthy, but I still finished it in four minutes.

 - This is true? - I somehow squeezed out of myself.

 - What exactly? — she asked, tilting her head slightly to the side, like a bird. 

 — Does every border crossing throw you in a new place?

 — Yes.

 "Then I don't see the point in this book," he shook it in his hand for clarity. "If we end up somewhere unknown, then why did she surrender to me?"

 "The last twenty years," she began a kind of lecture. — Cases of ending up in previously "found" locations have become more frequent. This "useless" book," she pointed out the gray-bound Talmud that was still in my hand. — The first book of its kind, which contains all known locations. After reading it, you can learn about more than half a thousand different places that earlier expeditions had a chance to visit.

 "Mm," I said a little. There is a grain of common sense in this. However, I still don't understand why not give me an older book, at least for reference? I'm sure there wouldn't be any problems from that. Well, okay, let's leave it out. Not for the first time. - Okay, I understand you.

 Having finished talking, I started reading.

 Time flies while reading. Each page symbolized another segment of the "path traveled." The book also turned out to be much larger than expected. At first I was counting on an hour of reading, but I had to spend all of two. There was some magic here.

 Closing the book, I stared at the sky in prostration. Ice palaces, flying islands covered with ice, giant mountains, centuries-old snowstorms, abandoned cities, dead trees, and frozen giants. This and many other things were mentioned on the pages of the Talmud. It's impossible to list everything at once, but the information is more than comprehensive.

 "Well, I'm ready," I said, getting up from the previously transfigured chair and immediately dispelling it with a wave of my hand.

 Pointing my feet towards the teacher, I changed with every step. First the height changed. Then the skin tone, followed by the color of the eyes, hair, and nails. Literally five steps, and in my place there was already a young German of mixed blood. Blue eyes, blond hair cut short, a sharp chin with stubble on his face, a thin figure of a guy of twenty years old. Not a freak, but not a handsome man either. Yes, above average.

 — Hans Weber. At your service," I bowed my head slightly. The voice clearly had a German accent. Normal Metamorphism applied to the vocal cords. Now even my own mother doesn't recognize me, let alone strangers. Healthy.

 "I see you have come a long way in this art," the teacher said, still impressed by my transformation. — Healing and Metamorphism. How soon do you manage everything? - she asked the question, however, not expecting to hear his answer. - Anyway. From now on you are Hans Weber. A young trainee who decided to try his luck on an expedition beyond the veil in Greenland, and also the son of my old acquaintances.

 — Shouldn't there be any awkward questions? What should I say about my past?

 - You can remain silent. And if they really push you, then say that you are a hereditary sorcerer.

 "I understand," I nodded. - Well, let's go ahead? — I asked, extending my hand to her. Smiling at me, she grabbed my hand and the world started spinning again.

 A moment of unpleasant sensations and I again feel solid support under my feet. Only this time we were not among the hills, but in a standard teleportation area. A stone circle, about five meters in diameter, along the contour of which runes were carved. They were intended both for protection against new arrivals and for stabilization during movement. I had to read it earlier. It's a pity that the teleport arches were not observed here. I'd like to see her.

 Having stopped examining the situation around me, I followed the teacher, who was walking forward rather controversially. Having caught up with her, I positioned myself behind her left shoulder about a meter away.

 Having passed through the arch that led to the square, we found ourselves in the hall. High, stone ceilings, two giant chandeliers with candles, wooden walls (most likely they are simply covered with wood) decorated with paintings, tapestries, as well as various weapons: swords, spears, shields, daggers, sabers and much more. And also a diverse crowd.

 The hall itself was very large. On the sides there were two staircases that led to the second floor. We headed to one of them.

 As soon as we appeared on the threshold of this hall, quite a large number of intelligent people paid attention to us. Yes, exactly reasonable ones. Elves (both light and dark), gnomes, dwarves, beastmen, mixtures of various races, lizards, upright amphibians and much more. This is what the magical world means. You can't see anything like this anywhere else.

 - Is this a mercenary guild? - I asked the teacher a question.

 - Yes. This is exactly her.

 "I see you're quite famous here," I remarked. And indeed, almost everyone they met here turned in the direction of the witch.

 "Well..." she drawled somewhat hesitantly. "There is such a thing, I won't deny it," she smiled somehow weakly.

 - Mmm…

 Having risen to the second floor, we without stopping went into one of the corridors that led into the depths of the building. About two minutes later we stopped at the door from behind which we could hear screams:

 "Hear you, fanged one, one more word, and I..." the sonorous bass of one of them was heard.

 - And what are you doing? - like a snake, his interlocutor hissed in response to him. Apparently it is "fanged".

 "You won't have enough teeth," the first answered the second with a threat.

 - I? Because of you? "Don't overestimate yourself," the fanged one hissed mockingly. Now something will happen...

 - Oh you…

 The noise became even louder. Something fell, or rather someone fell. Laughter, yelling, screaming and exclamations. All this merged into one din. There was no way to make out anything in it.

 "Ummm," I started. - how to say. Your friends are pretty cheerful and intelligent, right?

 - Yes. But that doesn't stop them from being true friends. Perhaps one of them will become like that for you too," he winked at me, she pushed the door and entered it.

 Shrugging my shoulders, I followed her. Standing next to her, I took in the picture that froze with our appearance.

 Seven smart ones. A lizard, a gnome, a vampire, two elves and two humans. The dwarf, lying on top of the vampire, held him by the chest. The vampire did not remain in debt and wrapped his red beard around his fist. One guy, with a brutish appearance, tried to unhook it.

 A lizard sat on the sofa and sipped tea, next to him two elves were talking about something. And the girl, who stood somehow distantly, against the far wall, sadly looked around and nervously clutched the staff in her hands. A remarkable thing. A wooden stick decorated with runes and also a dark stone. In magical vision, mana was seething within him.

 All of them stopped what they were doing at the moment and stared at us, or rather at the teacher. I only got fleeting glances. I didn't really want to...

 - Witch! - the dwarf shouted. At the same instant, he let go of the vampire and in one incredibly large leap, exactly for his height, he found himself behind the back of the lizard. The vampire didn't go far from him, he also got blurred due to his speed (I couldn't keep track of him) and ended up between the elves. Having hugged them, he, as if by chance, put himself forward like a human shield. Having managed to grope them at the same time.

 - Ed! - they shouted in one voice and answered him with a slap in the face. Each one spared no mana for the blow. From this poor vampire boldly to the wall, straight to the displeased witch.

 The lizard watched all this somehow distantly and returned to his previous occupation - drinking tea.

 "Ha-ha-ha," the brutal guy laughed nervously. Standing up, scratching the back of his head at the same time, he said: "Hello Pi." "We're here…" the guy couldn't find anything to say and looked around hauntedly. Unfortunately, I didn't find any support. - We're waiting for you, yeah.

 Taking a forced sigh, the teacher said:

 - Al, tell me. What didn't you share again? - In response to her question, the guy just spread his hands. - Well, what about you, Croco? You are the smartest of them. Why didn't you stop?

 After taking a sip of tea, the lizard, and it was Poppy who addressed him, calmly answered:

 "If you reassure them every time, you won't live to see old age." "You'll go crazy before," soft, smooth speech escaped from his mouth. It was unexpected to hear such a speech from him. Still, he gave a completely opposite appearance. A hefty lizard, about three meters tall, brown-green scales were decorated with numerous scars. He looked more like a grunt of some kind, rather than a magician. Moreover, next to him was a hefty flamberge, just matching his height. However, the sensations coming from him were completely different. Such a concentration of mana that it takes your breath away. She reeked of rage and savagery.

 - Eh, you're at it again. "You speak like an old man," said the dwarf, peeking out from behind him. "It's only a century and a half, and you're behaving like a fossil." You have at least a dozen more cycles to live, and if you want, you can experience the whole world.

 "But for your three hundred you behave like a snotty young man," the lizard did not remain in debt.

 - I'm young and handsome. There's a youthful fire burning inside me (The Power of Youth!)," he hit himself on the chest and lifted his chin up in his throat.

 "You're an old fart, not a young man," the vampire responded from the corner. "I'm young and handsome, not like some," he said at the end, looking disdainfully at the gnome.

 "Oh, you…" the dwarf exclaimed, turning purple with anger. - Well, hold on! - and in one jump he found himself next to the vampire.

 And again again. Screaming, uproar, talking. Looking at them distantly, I turned my gaze to the teacher:

 — Reliable friends? — I said mockingly.

 "It seems like..." she said tiredly.

 "Well, at least it won't be boring, that's for sure." I thought as I watched the flight of a tuft of red hair from the gnome's beard.