The Witcher: Lord of the Empire

At Iris's pleading gaze, Lann raised his left hand. The sign he had prepared from the beginning was activated.

[Yrden Sign]!

An hourglass-shaped circle of runes enveloped the entire temple, creating a magical barrier. The specters, enveloped in green flames, barely materialized as the purple light of the sign enveloped them.

Death came swiftly. The witchers' silver swords finished the job.

The heart-wrenching wails echoed through the temple, carried by the icy mountain wind towards the cliffs.

The witchers sheathed their swords. Before them, there were only traces of dust, alchemical materials and, if they were lucky, some small mutagen intact.

Lann turned, looking at the last specter, who lay trembling on the ground.

Even as Lann lit the flames to reduce its bones to ash, the specter did not move. Its body, wreathed in green fire, flickered like a candle on the verge of going out.

"It spoke, Lann." Iris suddenly said. "It said: Thank you."

An emerald light, bright as the sun, illuminated the ruined temple.

…

After a final search of Fornhala, the witchers confirmed that there were no more clues. Lann and his group began their descent.

They had completed the entire search with astonishing efficiency. Meanwhile, the Skellige soldiers, assigned to search for clues about the Vildkaarls, were still groping their way through the mountains.

From afar, Lann could see the mobile forces' camp at the foot of the mountain. But something had changed: the number of troops had increased.

Looking closer, Lann noticed that there were not only soldiers from the An Craite and Tuirseach clans, but another force with shields bearing different family crests.

"Look at that emblem… is it from the Drummonds? The leader is… Madman Lugos?"

Lann smiled amusedly, that guy still owed him a boxing match...

Crach, upon learning of Lugos' presence in the camp, handed command over to his second-in-command and ran towards him with three soldiers. From a distance, Lann could already hear their cries.

"Get out, madman, you thief without honor! You are not welcome here!"

Crach raised his axe as he screamed.

"Every inch of Ard Skellig belongs to the Drummonds! You are the thieves!" Lugos drew his weapon with equal intensity.

Behind them, soldiers on both sides stood tensely, but held back their weapons. Only the leaders were on the verge of confrontation.

Eist regarded Lugos coldly before speaking: "Cut the show, Lugos. You know as well as I do why you are here. This is not the time for territorial disputes. Be direct, like a true islander."

"Why am I here?" Lugos spat on the ground, his crooked smile full of defiance. "Everything that happens on Ard Skellig is under my watch. And yes, Crach, that includes your movements."

"Eist, I respect you, that's because of your previous achievements. But the past achievements are not enough for me to make concessions for the future."

Lugos looked at Eist and Crach with fierce eyes. The coalition of these two clans was too dangerous, even he was quite worried now.

Eist suddenly asked: "Are you afraid of Nilfgaard? Don't you want Skellige to become enemies with the Black Sun Empire in the future?"

"Ha!" Lugos seemed to have heard something funny. "It's exciting to be able to plunder Nilfgaard, isn't it? That's the empire that integrated the south! The screams of their people must be more pleasant than those of fishermen in ordinary villages, and their gems must be more shining than those of ordinary small kingdoms."

"But..." Lugos suddenly emphasized his tone. "If such a refreshing looting team is led by me, wouldn't it be more intoxicating?"

"So you want to be king." Eist replied, holding his gaze. "I acknowledge your skill in naval combat. Even I cannot claim to be able to defeat you completely at sea. But you are not cut out to be king. You do not know how to rule. Skellige is a kingdom, not just a band of pirates."

Lugos, far from calming down, became even more enraged upon hearing those words.

"I am not qualified to be king? Am I not fit? And you are?" Lugos shouted, his face full of indignation. "Perhaps you once were. I myself followed you and supported you as king. But you abandoned your honor! You went north to become a queen's husband, renouncing the sea and the mountains."

"Your brother Bran took your place. I thought he could take on your responsibility, and that's why I gave him my vote. But he turned out to be just like you, another coward who treats the crown like a child's toy!"

"I will no longer trust any of you. Among the seven great clans, there is no one more worthy of my support! If anyone can lead Skellige to the mainland, it is I, Lugos Drummond."

The furious scream seemed to completely exhaust Lugos' strength. After releasing his rage, he began to pant loudly, as if every breath was a struggle.

After hearing Lugos' accusation, Eist was at a loss for words to respond.

He had led a legendary life, one worthy of song. His story with Calanthe had captured countless hearts. But to the Skelligers who had once proclaimed him king, Eist owed them a debt. That was why he had become so obsessed with finding an undisputed honor that would allow him to regain the throne—like this plan to hunt down the ice giant.

A plan that, in the eyes of Lann, Bran and Crach, was little less than a suicide mission, but for Eist it represented a way to be accountable to his former comrades.

Lugos took several deep breaths, slowly calming down, and his characteristic 'madman' expression returned. "I've already said too much nonsense. Eist, if you have chosen the queen of Cintra, then Skellige is no longer your place."

"Crach, even with Eist here, I would never..."

An unexpected voice interrupted Lugos' words. "Hey, you, do you have any opinions about my aunt?"

Interrupted mid-outburst, Lugos flushed red with rage, his face taking on an even more ferocious expression. He spun furiously towards the source of the voice, ready to unleash his wrath, but the person he saw left him momentarily speechless.

"Crach, I'll let it pass today just because Eist is here, but the matters between the Drummonds and the an Craite will never be resolved!"

After delivering his threat, Lugos turned around and left with his followers.

As they watched Lugos walk away, the expressions on those present were difficult to decipher.

Crach looked at Lann. Over the years, he had defeated Lugos on numerous occasions, but he had never managed to make him flee like he did now. Every encounter with him was like facing a rabid dog.

The fact that this time there were only threats, and no physical combat was something rare in the history of relations between the two clans.

Lann met Crach and Eist's gazes, and with a smile, said: "I've found a clue."

Upon hearing this, Eist and Crach stopped entangling themselves regarding Lugos, and focused on analyzing the clues obtained in the ruins of the Fornhala temple.

"Egron Village?" Crach clapped his hands in approval. "If it's within the boundaries of Ard Skellig, there's no problem."

For the group, this information was a crucial breakthrough. The only question was whether there were survivors of the berserk attack and if any had returned to their village.

Eist nodded and arranged: "We will continue to split up. Lann, you pursue the lead you have; we will continue to explore these mountains. If there is a berserk, the Vildkaarls must have some settlement in this region."

Lann replied: "I will leave my men at your disposal. You will need reinforcements. My soldiers and squires are loyal and will be happy to follow your orders. I only need the witchers with me."

Hearing this, House, who was standing behind Lann, bowed to Eist.

Although concerned for Lann's safety, Eist decided to trust him, remembering his combat ability and the support of the witchers.

With the plan decided, Crach called one of the men in the group with a gesture.

Crach began to introduce him: "This is Guslav. He was once my lieutenant, but after being wounded in battle, he began learning administrative duties under the steward of my castle. Now he is part of the circle of stewards, occupying a position almost as high as that of my own steward. However, he has never forgotten what it means to wield a shield and an axe. That is why I take him out from time to time. He will take you to the village of Egron."

Guslav bowed. "It is an honor to be your guide, Duke Lannister."

His formality was so out of place with the relaxed atmosphere of Skellige that Lann couldn't help but feel slightly out of place.

Lann replied with a slight smile and a solemn air: "The honor is mine. I thank you in advance for your help, Guslav."

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