Vigilance

Alexis slowly approached the large stone that had been meant to be Islana’s sacrificial altar.

She had waited until both Islana and Gonyaul had been off to their duties, not wanting either of them to accompany her here. Especially not Islana.

The mercenary had kind of expected there to be a catch to the land to be given to her. The Duke had not been amused, after all.

She couldn’t help but wonder: Did this make him a good or a bad judge of character?

Pushing thoughts of the unpleasant man aside, she wandered the area, taking it in in the absence of a bloodthirsty cult.
This place was old. Ancient.

There were places like this in Garrah, too. Places no Garrah clan chief would ever claim to be their own, because they belonged to … someone else. To the Old Ones, the spirits, the fairies, the Beasts, the monsters and everything in between.
Not that anyone would say that out loud. The Pillars would likely not be pleased with such superstition.

But was it superstition, really? She had come to severely question that since coming to these lands. Here, magik was very much alive.

And if there was a kernel of truth in that, what did this make this place? Did it belong to the Boar, truly? If it was true that Slivikhi arrived in this land with his devotees from Helias, she doubted it. Not rightfully so, at least. Then he would have merely claimed it.
She wondered if that claim could be broken, somehow. Had considered to ask Voah if thinking this place to be tainted in a way was just stupid. Or if not if she knew how to cleanse it.
But she hesitated. Because the Pillars seemed to be newly arrivals in this land themselves. And having them affect this place felt like… exchanging one occupier with another.
Alexis had, of course, more sympathies with the Pillars than with Slivikhi, but if she had the choice she would rather see this place restored to its natural state.

A mute point anyway, as if there even was a cleansing to be done, she had not the first clue on how to go about that.

So on to things she might be able to do.

‘“Slivikhi’s slayer”, my ass.’
she scoffed to herself. Who even came up with that ridiculous notion? But there seemed to be no convincing people otherwise. No matter. That hubbub should die down soon enough. Which was good. Because it simply wasn’t true.
What had been slain, that night, had at best been a zealot, a head figure. The Boar, and his cult, were far from gone.
Of that, she was certain.

Maybe they would move on. Find another place to revere their god with the blood of the innocent.

But if not… if this place was integral enough for them to draw them back… then Alexis wanted to know the moment they sat foot on this land.