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TWL Chapter 259: The Cult That Never Died
🕑 Added 2024-11-17 03:56:53 +0000 UTCThe warriors who had just fought the giant bear breathed a sigh of relief and fell to the ground one after another. Cold sweat soaked their backs, but from then on they also had new glory on their backs.
And Lann walked aside and gently wiped the blood on the black magic scimitar.
"Iris, how do you feel about participating in the battle so directly for the first time?"
A calm voice resonated directly in his mind: 'From now on, it will always be like this, we will fight side by side.'
...
Thanks to the fearless guards and Lann's timely support, the seven jarls of Skellige fortunately did not encounter any accidents. Maybe there are some minor injuries, but they are not serious.
"Your Majesty, how is Svanrige?"
"A sorcerer stabilized his wounds, and then we sent him to the Circle of Druids through a portal. He'll be fine... at least for now, his life is not in danger." King Bran looked grim, his burly body containing anger that surged like tidal waves.
Lann, Eist, and the jarls of the other six clans were gathered around the round table.
It had been only a few hours since the attack, but after treating the wounds and taking a count of the injured, the jarls quickly reconvened.
On the mainland, the nobles would have run back to their domains, gathering their guards to calm down after the shock. But the islanders could not bear such an affront. For them, revenge could not wait a single day.
As soon as the urgent matters were resolved, they sat around the round table to review the chaos of the day.
An old man was the first to stand up. He held a horn full of mead in his hand and did not bother with unnecessary preambles; his voice went straight to the point: "Everyone here knows that I live next to the goddess Freyja. Therefore, I am very familiar with the cultures of these islands."
The old man was Donar an Hindar.
He was the eldest of those present, and after the king, the most respected, known for his wisdom, caution and piety.
When he began to speak, even the most rebellious jarls fell silent and listened intently. Out of respect, and because they all knew he always had something important to say.
Donar looked around. "At the bottom of this horn I have found something that should never be in a good wine: blood."
As he spoke, he passed the horn around for everyone to examine.
The jarls detected the metallic trace even under the scent of alcohol.
"Blood, giant bears, and the way they suddenly appeared from nothing. Everyone, can't this evoke your memory?"
"You mean…?" One of the jarls asked in disbelief. "It can't be. We completely destroyed them! We all wiped them out together!"
The man who spoke had a sickly complexion and deep dark circles under his eyes. If he had been in a city like Novigrad, Lann would have assumed he was a drug addict.
He did not enjoy much of a reputation, and his cowardly denial soon became the butt of ridicule from other jarls.
"But the reality is that they're back, Udalryk." Donar's voice was deep and authoritative. "Can you think of any other reasons?"
"There is no other possibility, it is the Svalblod Cult! The barbaric cult that worships the evil god, the cult that we destroyed. Their remnants are hiding in a corner and developing secretly, and now they are back."
"It has happened, so let's not dwell on why it happened, but think about how to prevent it from happening again!"
The jarls lowered their heads and thought.
"Donar, what you just said is right. We should not dwell on the past. We should look forward." A jarl suddenly spoke up, and the skin on his hands was strangely black. "But there is something we must find out. It will help us track down those damn cultists. How did they manage to infiltrate the banquet?"
The room fell silent. Everyone waited for King Bran to speak first.
The banquet had been held on the island of An Skellig, and the fact that infiltrators had wreaked havoc on such an exclusive event was unacceptable.
If King Bran's son and wife had not been attacked in front of everyone, and his son had been seriously injured, everyone would have suspected that this was King Bran's trick to completely unify Skellige.
Finally, Bran sighed. He looked at his brother Eist, before speaking. "No one can accomplish something like this without help from within. My castle has no such serious flaws. It can only be a traitor."
"This is my dereliction of duty. I called everyone here, and as a result, everyone suffered a huge loss. If someone needs to take responsibility, it can only be me."
"I promise you that I will catch the conspirator, no matter who he is."
He paused and added solemnly: "But that is not enough. My honor does not allow me to remain king while these things are happening in my land. Therefore, I have decided to renounce the throne."
These words fell like a bolt of lightning, provoking an explosion of reactions among those present.
Some stood up, indignant, but Bran gave them no chance to speak.
"Before I leave my position, I have one last proposal." King Bran looked at each of those present before continuing: "The attack involves the Svalblod cult. This is not just about revenge. It is our chance to right past wrongs and secure a stable future for these islands."
"I propose this: whoever discovers the truth behind this attack and destroys the Svalblod cultists will be our next king."
...
Cultural diversity is an inherent characteristic of any place.
In the archipelago, most people worship the goddess Freya.
However, Freya is not the only deity worshipped in Skellige. For various reasons, new cults are always emerging, such as the one that the seven jarls of the great clans are currently discussing: the cult of Svalblod.
Although there is no conclusive evidence that this deity called Svalblod actually exists, it is certain that this cult became established in Skellige and gained considerable popularity in certain regions.
The Svalblod cult had one rule: kill. This philosophy fit perfectly with the violent nature of some of the archipelago's pirate clans, leading to a fervent loyalty to the cult.
Of the many 'miracles' attributed to Svalblod, the most famous and feared was that of the berserkers. According to legend, believers who demonstrated absolute devotion to this deity could receive his blessing and transform into giant bears.
This phenomenon was precisely what allowed the jarls to identify those responsible for the recent attacks: the giant bears that burst into the banquet confirmed their suspicions.
Despite its supposed miracles and fearsome protective warriors, the cult of Svalblod was eradicated by the Skelligers.
The followers of this cult performed human sacrifices to honor their deity, and even massacred entire villages in the archipelago under this pretext. This led the jarls to unite to destroy the temple of Svalblod, capture its believers, and abandon them in ships without sails adrift on the high seas.
However, recent events show that the purge was not as thorough as previously thought, or these events would not have occurred.
King Bran's proposal was therefore supported by the other jarls: completely exterminating the cult of Svalblod was more than enough merit to legitimize a new king.
Bran's idea also had a personal purpose: to save his brother, Eist. Although deep down he considered Eist's quest to challenge the Frost Giant to be suicidal, he could not stand in the way of his quest for glory. However, he desperately sought an alternative to dissuade him.
With this proposal—declaring that whoever ends the cult will be the next king—Bran saw an opportunity: defeating an already weakened enemy and reorganizing their forces seemed more reasonable than facing a legendary monster.
When Bran announced his proposal, no one dared to speak first.
Those who were qualified to speak were also shocked by King Bran's decision at this moment and lost their voices - such as Eist.
Yet even though the hall was silent, the jarls' gazes expressed a myriad of emotions: excitement at the opportunity, concern at the dangers involved, or complete indifference.
After a few moments, old man Donar stood up, breaking the silence with a dry cough.
Donar exchanged a meaningful glance with King Bran and then turned his attention to Eist, who looked anxious, and Lann, who looked equally surprised.
"His Majesty's decision is reasonable." Donar said in a grave voice. "The Svalblod cult was an enemy of our ancestors, and now it is ours as well. Defeating the cult would not only be an act of justice, but also a way to redeem ourselves and wash away the shame of what happened. The person who succeeds deserves our support and loyalty."
The other jarls nodded after listening to Donar.
"We agree." They said in unison.
"But, Your Majesty." Donar continued, his tone cautious. "I ask that you reconsider. None of this is your fault, and your past achievements should not be overshadowed by this incident."
"My decision is made, Donar." Bran interrupted, his face serious. "The warriors who died at my feast deserved legendary adventures, fighting powerful enemies. Their honor has been cut short, and that is something I cannot forgive myself for."
