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TWL Chapter 270: Lust Beneath the Waves
🕑 Added 2024-12-14 20:44:11 +0000 UTCThe village chief glanced at the group and continued telling the story about Bill: "While we were taking turns watching him one night, we saw him sneaking toward shore under the moonlight. There, he began gutting the fish he had caught during the day."
"On the shore, he acted as if nothing else mattered around him. He would bleed fish, throw their flesh into the water, and sing something that sounded like a strange song, with a disturbing melody."
The witchers' expressions immediately turned serious. As they related this information to the reports they had gathered previously, a disturbing idea formed in their minds.
"This Bill guy… could he be performing a blood sacrifice with his catches? Is he a devotee of Svalblod?" Gerd exclaimed.
The village chief suddenly knelt down in front of Guslav. He knew full well what it meant to perform rituals for Svalblod in Skellige.
"No, no! Even if the village is in ruins, we would never stoop so low as to worship a dark god!" He exclaimed, desperate, trying to calm the steward of the An Craite clan.
Guslav, who had already taken his axe, managed to restrain himself, although his hand remained firmly gripped on the handle.
"So explain this to me: why does this guy Bill throw the fish he worked so hard to catch into the sea in the middle of the night?"
The village chief, trembling, struggled to his feet. The night Bill's actions were discovered, he had been followed to the coast.
Until now, remembering it, he couldn't help but feel a chill at the horrifying scene he had witnessed.
"I saw something come out of the water when Bill started singing those weird songs."
"It was… a mermaid."
The old man covered his face with his hands. "At first I thought Bill had discovered a way to tame monsters. But what I saw next… was something completely different. They were hugging each other, caressing each other, kissing each other… they even got to much more intimate actions. That relationship was not what we imagined."
"Hiss--"
Lann heard a loud gasp behind him.
Turning around, he saw the expressions of disbelief and, perhaps, a touch of envy on Kolgrim and Coen's faces.
Even the experienced Geralt and Gerd were clearly surprised.
Because nowadays, mermaids rarely accept clumsy declarations of love from sailors or flattery from nobles. Perhaps it is because too many lonely sailors have tried to kidnap them.
“As far back as I can remember, my father always warned me: If you hear a beautiful woman singing at sea, turn around immediately, even if it means sailing into a storm.”
“Her appearance is just a disguise. Mermaids are merciless. The moment you encounter one, take out your axe and show no mercy.” The old village chief proclaimed with complete certainty. “That mermaid seeks our doom. That creature, with its deceptive appearance, has cast a spell on Bill!”
Lann and the other witchers looked at each other, especially Geralt.
Geralt shook his head slightly. He didn't rule out the possibility that the mermaid was kind, but he would need to see her with his own eyes to confirm it.
Absolute stereotypes about magical creatures or mystical races often lead to tragedies.
Lann continued questioning: “You say you saw Bill meeting that mermaid at night. And then? Did you kill the mermaid and drag Bill to Fornhala to feed him to the bears?”
Guslav gave a cold, stern look, causing the old man to fall to his knees again.
“Gentlemen, we do not have that kind of force!” Stammered the old chief.
"The moment we saw the mermaid, the mermaid also discovered us, and immediately dived into the sea and disappeared."
The old village chief lamented. "But Bill confronted us and told us that the mermaid was kind and that because of her, life in the village had improved. He claimed that he was looking for a way to either allow the mermaid to walk on land or to gain the ability to breathe underwater himself. According to him, one way or another, they would continue to help the village to become the most prosperous in Skellige.”
The witchers exchanged glances. This time, Geralt nodded slightly. It was possible that, just as mermaids can acquire the ability to live on land through some magical transformations, a human could acquire the ability to live underwater alongside his mermaid companion.
The old chief sighed, exasperated. “That young man was influenced by ridiculous tales. How could the people of Skellige believe such ridiculous rumors? Even children don’t believe them!”
Lann sighed, though he wasn't sure if it was for the town, for Bill, or for the unknown mermaid.
“Why did Bill go to Fornhala accompanied by the young people of the village?”
“It was his test of honor. How foolish I was to believe his words!” The chief replied, beating his chest in regret. “To protect the village from the mermaid, we planned to gather men and ask the lord for help in killing her. But Bill stopped us. He said he would go to Fornhala to find out the truth and gain honor, in exchange for us leaving the mermaid alone.”
"Although the Svalblod cult was destroyed, shepherds who tried to find their lost sheep and travelers who took refuge in the village swore that there was fresh blood on Svalblod's altar, and in the nearby underground caves the roar of giant bears still echoed. Bill swore that he would bring back the head of a giant bear."
The old chief, filled with remorse, lamented: "We Skelligers cannot stop our young men from seeking glory, so we accepted his proposal and sent the four strongest boys in the village to accompany him and make sure he did not run away. But we never thought that only Bill would return alive!"
"It must have been an evil spell cast by that mermaid! Bill must have been in league with her!" The old man shouted angrily.
However, Lann and his group knew the truth: it was not a mermaid, but a berserker who was responsible for the massacre of those young men in search of honor. Bill had escaped by a miracle.
What Lann didn't understand was where Bill had gotten the confidence to climb the mountain. Did he really think love would give him the strength? Or did he think that if he died in Fornhala, his sacrifice would convince the villagers not to hunt the mermaid?
Lann shook his head and asked: "Where is Bill now?"
The old chief's eyes filled with hatred. "That dishonorable traitor had the nerve to return to the village. We planned to execute him to pay for his lies, but he escaped to a cave in the nearby mountains. That cave is infested with sirens. Since then, sirens have also begun appearing near our shores."
The old village chief was indignant. "This proves that he was not only seduced by a mermaid but is conspiring with her and the sirens to destroy our village!"
Lann sighed deeply, feeling compassion for both the village and Bill. At least he knew now that Bill was still alive. He hoped that his love for the mermaid could keep him safe among the creatures in that cave.
"Point me to the location of that siren-infested cave. I need to find it."
...
The entrance of the cave is wide and deep. The rock walls on both sides lean against the cliffs. Every now and then, there will be a hole about a person's height. A bit of eerie sunlight shone through the cracks in the rock wall of the cave, illuminating the cave with a psychedelic look.
Lann's feet sank into the salt water, up to his ankles, causing a wet and unpleasant sensation.
"This is the place, my lord… and masters." The old chief bowed to the witchers and Guslav.
Lann looked into the cave. Between the flashes of light, strange low whistling sounds occasionally echoed from the depths.
Those sounds made the old man, already trembling, begin to shudder even more.
"You may return. Thank you for guiding us." Lann spoke indifferently.
The village chief hurriedly bowed and fled, clearly eager to get away from that place as soon as possible.
Lann turned his attention to Guslav. The latter stood his ground and shook his head. "The Jarl ordered me to guide you, so I will not allow you to face danger alone."
Lann patted him on the shoulder in encouragement. "Then, get your weapon ready."
As they went deeper into the cave, the smell of salt and moisture enveloped them. Their footsteps on the water echoed through the cave, while the low whistling noises immediately ceased.
It was evident that the creatures inside had detected their presence. However, they did not attack immediately, as if they were planning something.
Lann noticed that Kolgrim was strangely excited, with a hint of curiosity in his expression.
"I'm from the south..." Kolgrim explained. "Though I traveled north looking for diagrams of the Viper School equipment, all I found were harpies. I've never seen a siren. They say these creatures are especially good at attracting men by using themselves as decoys. I've always wanted to check it out."
The gazes of the other four witchers fell on him. Then, they nodded with expressions of understanding.
Lann patted him on the shoulder and said: "Then you will go in front."
Kolgrim accepted with a strangely elated smile. Although his face showed an unusual blush, his hands moved quickly and precisely as he coated his silver sword with hybrid oil from the Viper School.
