Beastmen: She Tames the Land-Chapter 92: The pack’s bond

The tasks set by the system have been completed. The perimeter search, stuck at 99%, was moved to 100% when Visha visited the passage herself.

She wasn’t sure why it took her actually visiting to make it move, but she did find something interesting when she arrived. In the passage, there were vines, ferns, and bushes she had not seen anywhere else in the caldera. She asked the pack not to touch them.

She knew she would either need to transplant them or have the pack build a path around them. There was a fern that could amplify sound. A vine called the soulthread vine, which she couldn’t get any feedback on. And another that can be used for vision rituals.

Her curiosity was piqued, and it would take time for her to experiment on her own. Even with the hearthkeeper’s journal, she only used it as a guide now. She could make her own recipes if she needed to.

The gates have been closed, and the caldera is now their sanctuary, their fortress, their home.

The evening the gates closed, Visha called everyone together. She smiled, seeing everyone gathered around.

"As the gates of the caldera close, I’m sure everyone is happy. Our home is secure, and we no longer have to worry about intruders getting in. Today, your leaders and I have something we wish to speak to you about."

She stepped back, giving the floor to Uri. "We are now in a home we have built with our own hands. My hope is that our pack will become stronger. We will find new ways to become better, whether as a whole or as individuals. The commitments you have made to the pack have been acknowledged. And there is something else we would like to ask of you." His eyes moved, pausing for a moment at each pack member. "We propose a ritual to create a bond between us. Consider it a pack or tribal bond. I believe this will help us strengthen ourselves immensely."

Murmurs rippled through the crowd as they heard what the leader had said. There was a flicker of something in Chi and Krag’s eyes when they heard it, but they did not speak.

Xeno took over. "Imagine a hut where you don’t have to guess your partner’s moves. They can tell you without saying a word. You can feel it. Imagine a moment of sorrow where you are not alone in your grief. We will be one body, one heart, one pack."

Uri chimed in. "It is not an erasure of yourself. It will enhance you. You can feel the shared joy of the pack and share your sorrows with each other. It is an act of unity and strength as a pack. It is a choice and a promise. We await your decision."

Uri and Xeno gave just enough information to frame it as being for the good of the pack. They would give no more information until it was done. They only hoped that everyone would choose to accept.

Murmurs moved through the group of people. They were whispering among themselves. There were not many and the decision didn’t take long.

"We will do it," Krag answered. His eyes swept the trio standing in front of him. The resolute expression on their faces made him smile wistfully.

Visha, Uri, and Xeno, while waiting for the decision of the pack, couldn’t stop their hearts from pounding. Visha felt a pang of guilt, but she ignored it. She knew it was her own sentimentality that made her feel this way. Sometimes, leaders made necessary decisions for the good of their own people. This is exactly what they were doing.

Uri and Xeno both held no ambiguous feelings about what they were doing. They understood what needed to be done. They were thinking about the fact that at some point, the pack would grow. They may trust the people they have now, but they cannot trust everyone they add in the future. There will sometimes be errors in judgment. They did not want to risk their lives and the lives of the people they care about.

When the pack decided to do the ritual, the trio breathed a sigh of relief.

"Kael, Heta, Kaelen, the three of you will be first."

In preparation for the ritual, Visha had already gathered all the necessary items. She made sure to have ten bowls, one for each person.

The bowls were placed on a large boulder in the middle of the square. It was the designated place for Visha to have any future rituals. They were unable to move it when they first came to the meadow, so they built everything around it.

As they stepped forward, the trio stepped in front of them.

She instructed them to hold out a hand and each of them was given a bowl. Visha then took the earth she had previously prepared and dropped a pinch into each bowl. She took a small amount of water and added it to the bowl with the earth. Next, she used the stone knife to cut her finger. She then handed it to Xeno, who did the same and also helped Uri do the same.

Each of them dropped blood into the bowl.

Xeno, Uri and Visha each had a thorn. They had the three people reach out the other hand and pricked them with the thorn to make them bleed.

She used all these to make a paste.

"The blood of the leaders, the priestess and the blood of the pack." Visha chanted. Her voice was rhythmic. "The water of our home and the earth of our land. This sows the bond of our tribe, our pack."

She dipped an uninjured finger into the paste. It felt warm. She reached out to trace the symbol on Heta’s forehead before moving to Kael and Kaelen.

The fire in the square flared. The three people gasped. Uri, Visha and Xeno felt it as well. Besides their bond, there was a faint bond. Compared to their own bond, this was felt fragile. As if pulling too hard would snap it. But it was a bond nonetheless.

Heta, Kaelen, and Kael felt it too. They felt the wonder of it all. They bowed slightly to the people in front of them before moving to the side for the ritual to continue.

This ritual continued until all the people in the pack had been initiated. Krag and Chi were in the last group. Before they left, Krag whispered low enough for only the trio to hear.

"I understand why you didn’t tell them."

That sent a jolt through them which they quickly concealed from the pack. They looked at Krag and Chi. They knew they knew. And they noticed they didn’t dislike them for not telling them the truth.

Krag’s statement was an acknowledgement of his approval of their methods. It was also letting them know that he knew exactly what the bond was, but he accepted it without refusal, so that Uri and Xeno would have no reason to distrust him as they had been doing all this time.

The shared consciousness, warmth, love and joy of the pack flickered through each member. They could all feel it.

The ritual was over. The pack was enjoying the feeling of oneness.

The trio watched it all from their position. They told themselves they had done the right thing, seeing how happy everyone was.