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TWL Chapter 280: A Traitor Among the Druids
🕑 Added 2024-12-28 23:23:32 +0000 UTCArtis was advancing towards the coast of Ard Skellig.
On his knees rested an oak staff, every grain of the wood soaked in blood. The black and reddish crust completely covered the natural color of the oak, emitting a constant and penetrating metallic aroma.
Below him, a towering giant Skellige bear walked with unusual calm. The wild beast, which under any other circumstances would be untamable, now moved like the most obedient of horses, even instinctively flattening the curve of its back to give its rider the most comfortable ride possible.
The salty, damp air announced the proximity of the sea, and soon the sound of waves breaking against the shore confirmed their arrival. They had reached the coast of Ard Skellig.
Artis nimbly climbed down from the giant bear's back and turned to face him. His eyes reflected a mixture of compassion and determination.
"Hassya... You are the last of the Vildkaarl berserkers." He said, his voice heavy with solemnity. "The time has come for you to give your faith to our god, as your brothers did."
For two seconds the bear held Artis's gaze before bowing his head in acceptance. A deep growl emanated from his throat.
The oak staff began to glow with a faint crimson glow, while the vines carved at its end lengthened and grew, forming a point as sharp as a dagger.
With a sharp crack, the staff pierced the giant bear's neck. The blood, defying gravity, flowed upwards, absorbed by the wood. Within seconds, it disappeared into Artis's palm.
For an instant, Artis's shadow seemed to distort, moving closer to the bear's figure, but it soon returned to its original form.
Artis fell to one knee and plunged his right hand into the animal's wound. With a little blood, he traced a new war pattern on its face.
"Oh my god Svalblod...!"
With both hands raised toward the sky, Artis unleashed a whirlwind of wind upon the coastline. The sails of a ship waiting in the distance immediately billowed, carrying the craft toward him.
"Everything is ready. Everything to please you."
"Oh my god Svalblod...!"
...
Lann followed Eist to the Circle of the Druids.
As he looked around the place, he couldn't help but compare it to the dryads' territory in Brokilon.
Unlike the gigantic trees of Brokilon, large enough to serve as roads or dwellings, here the trees were of moderate size and surrounded by green meadows.
It looked more like a nomadic camp than an academic center for mages devoted to nature.
The place was bustling with activity. Druids were not only sorcerers, they also worked as alchemists, healers, and animal tamers, attracting villagers seeking help.
Eist greeted a druid apprentice who greeted them and headed off to see his brother, who was facing an urgent problem.
Meanwhile, Lann accompanied the apprentice to treat the three druids rescued from the hands of Svalblod's followers.
Soon a high-ranking druid approached, a grim look on his face, arranging the treatment of the three apprentices.
"The Svalblod cult actually dared to use our apprentices as blood sacrifices!" The druid roared, before unleashing a torrent of insults in the Skellige dialect.
After calming down, the druid turned his attention to Gerd. "Ha, witcher! Did you find the Feainnewedd I wanted?"
Everyone's gaze turned to Gerd, who looked visibly uncomfortable.
Sensing that everyone was focused on him, Gerd took the initiative to explain: "This druid is a master of alchemy and potions. I wanted to learn from him, but he gave me several tests that I had to pass first. However..."
"Yet you didn't complete a single one!" The druid interrupted. "I knew it all along: your head is harder than a rock. You can't even find a Feainnewedd!"
Gerd snorted lightly and ignored the foul-mouthed druid.
The druid, too, put the topic aside, focusing on Lann.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Lion of Cintra, Lann Lannister, is that right?" The druid said, surprising Lann by mentioning his name without introduction.
“I am Gremist. As you can see, I am a druid, specialized in alchemy.”
The druid continued: “Mousesack talks about you often. And when I say often, I mean way too often.” Gremist let out a light laugh. “Every time he comes back, he spends hours chatting with his old friends about apprentices, teaching methods, and heirs. They used to talk more about academic research, but now… it’s always the same.”
“Such topics bore us all, but Mousesack insists on bothering us with them. So, Lann of Cintra, your reputation in the Skellige Druidic Circle is widely known. I would say some elders know you better than their own apprentices.”
Lann responded with a polite, if slightly awkward, smile.
“But now that I see you in person, perhaps there is some truth to Mousesack’s praises.” Gremist looked over to where the three druid apprentices were resting soundly. “You’ve barely arrived in Skellige, and you’ve already helped wipe out the Svalblod cult and even rescued three of our apprentices.”
"The barbarians whose mothers were fucked by the giant bears actually used our apprentices for blood sacrifice!" Gremist showed an indignant expression again and let out a series of curses in the Skellige dialect again.
It was several seconds before the druid managed to calm down. Finally, he turned to Lann with a calmer expression and added: “All the druids in the Skellige Druid Circle owe you a favor. Tell me, little Lion, are you interested in learning alchemy?” Gremist began searching through his bag. “I could give you my alchemy notes. You could even show them to Mousesack when you get back. Consider it an academic exchange.”
Gerd, who had been listening to everything, opened his eyes wide in disbelief. When he came to visit Gremist, it wasn't as easy as he had explained. He received a series of scoldings, as well as going through several grueling tests before being given a measly amount of knowledge.
But now, that same druid offered his valuable alchemy notes to Lann without hesitation.
While it was true that the rescue of the apprentices influenced the decision, druids were known for being unpredictable and acting on their own judgment. This did not fail to puzzle Gerd, who remained silent.
Lann accepted the notebook, pretending to put it in her bag when she actually stored it in her [inventory].
He then formally thanked the druid, making sure to give him the respect a master alchemist deserved. Gremist's response was a proud smile as he stroked his beard.
“However…” Lann continued. “The Svalblod cult has not been completely destroyed. As far as we know, there is a fallen druid among them, though we have not yet found his whereabouts.”
Gremist’s eyes widened at that statement. “Impossible!” He exclaimed.
But then, his expression softened, pondering. “No… you may be right. The berserkers’ blood ritual requires a sorcerer to lead it, usually a druid. If the Svalblod cult has resurfaced, that means there is a traitor among us. And that traitor has been hiding for a long time…”
Gremist took a deep breath. “Thank you for this information, little Lion. We should have figured it out sooner. For a child to point it out is… shameful. But what comes next is a matter for the Skellige Druid Circle.”
Lann shook his head. “Uncle Mousesack is technically my master. In a way, that makes me part of the Circle, right? If it involves facing the fallen druid, I want to help.”
The [Silent Fury] quest was not yet complete. Probably because the fallen druid was still alive.
While he could have let the druids sort out the problem, Lann preferred to get involved. Not only for Bill's sake, but also to uncover the secrets of the Svalblod cult and the berserker ritual.
If it were the druids or someone from Skellige who were taking action, they might not ask too many questions and simply kill the traitor without hesitation, before destroying anything he was carrying. In this way, the secrets would be lost forever.
Even if Mousesack and the other mages on Lann's side could deduce the secret method of transformation from Bill, they would still save a lot of time with the original formula. Besides, the fallen druid might have other surprises in store for him.
After Lann took the initiative to offer to help them, Gremist looked at him with a complex gaze.
Finally, after a few moments of thought, he said: “You're even better than Mousesack said.”
“If you truly wish to help the Circle catch the traitor, I will not stop you. In fact, I will do everything I can to support you.”
However, Gremist couldn't shake his grumpy nature and added with a snort: "But don't cause us any trouble, okay?"
