Beastmen: She Tames the Land-Chapter 132: Another pack bonding ceremony

"You might be right," Chi responded.

Her eyes shifted from Lyra to Visha. She didn’t say a word. Only smiled softly.

"Let’s talk about this tomorrow," Xeno suggested. We won’t be able to get anything done tonight. All we have are questions. And asking questions we won’t get answers to is foolish."

After reaching a consensus, they left the square, each heading towards their respective homes. Lyra was the most shaken up about everything. Having heard that her parents were safe, she didn’t know what to believe.

Mainly because she preferred to think she was correct. She had seen her parents. The blood on their bodies. She didn’t think that was something they could fake. But when she thought she might not be their daughter, she shuddered. Because if she wasn’t their daughter, it meant they might truly have fooled her.

She had been in the Stonefang pack her entire life. She has seen them do things that others would balk at. If it was just a show, then they used her. And it was something she didn’t want to think about.

The following day, Uri, Xeno, and Visha met the twelve people they had brought back. They didn’t look different after one night, but they hadn’t caused problems after they came back. They spent the night peacefully in the house they were given.

Now, standing outside, their eyes were fearful, apprehensive.

In her hand, Visha held the bottle Reyn had given her. According to him, the slaves were poisoned, and that’s why they didn’t leave. She hadn’t checked before. But if they wanted to join the pack, she would definitely ensure her pack members were healthy.

"You were given the night to decide what you wanted," Uri began. "As we have said before. We will not treat you as slaves. You will be a part of our pack. We do not tolerate betrayal."

The five half-shifters stepped forward almost immediately. Even the one who looked as though his spirit was broken. His eyes held a spark of hope. The next to step forward was a burly man. The rest, seeing their companions willing to take the risk, decided that they would also take the risk.

The uncertainty in their eyes was still there, but like Visha, Uri, and Xeno, they too were taking a gamble.

Before administering the antidote, Visha used Commune to check their bodies. She found they were indeed poisoned. She also noticed they were malnourished. She was glad for level 2 Commune. It allowed her to see more than she could before.

It made her look forward to the future missions the system would give.

She surveyed the bottle in her hand. Since they were poisoned, it meant that the pills in the bottle would help them. Visha did her own tests on the pills. She could only get preliminary results because there were exactly 12 in the bottle. She had to scrape a little off each pill to even have something to analyse.

She would have them take the pills. If anything went wrong, she would be able to act quickly. She wasn’t completely worried, but she wasn’t relieved.

"This was given to me by Reyn, the Fox tribe leader. According to him, you have all been poisoned. To get rid of the poison, you need to take the pill inside this bottle." Visha paused, letting the reality of the matter sink in.

"I won’t pretend that I don’t doubt him. You are the ones who would know if you have been poisoned. I will hand them to you one by one. If this pill is the reason you decided to stay, after taking it, I will give you a chance to leave."

She noted some of their eyes lighting up when she mentioned the pill. She nodded her head internally. Making note of their joy, she confirmed that they knew they had been poisoned. As for whether they would leave after taking the pill, she would not stop them.

After the pills were handed over and they had taken them, Visha asked once more if there was anyone who wanted to leave. Despite what she believed, no one stood up and took the initiative to leave.

Later that night, thirteen people became a part of the pack. There were now thirty people. When they first set out on their journey, there were only ten of them. Now, after a few months, they have thirty people.

Their knowledge base is wider, and their home is becoming more like a home. And though it isn’t something to be proud of, they have made an enemy. They have gone from trying to survive to thriving.

In addition to the pack bonding ceremony, Visha decided to do one thing for newcomers. She decided it would be best if they were able to let go of their burdens. She didn’t want them to feel as though they weren’t a part of the pack. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

She called it a cleansing ritual. In truth, it was something akin to therapy.

In the square, after the pack bond had been formed, everyone could feel their apprehension. But they could also feel everyone’s joys. It was something they were not used to. They had never felt anything like this in their own tribes.

"You are all now a part of our Warm Pack. We were originally a group of outcasts simply trying to survive the winter. Now we have become stronger and more close-knit. I hope we will continue to be loyal to each other. Betrayal is never an option." Visha made this statement with everyone present.

Then she stated, "There is one other thing I would like to do." She turned to the newcomers. "Those who were bought recently, the brand on your arm is a mark of slavery. I have made a promise before. I will remove it. All I ask is that you participate in our Ritual of Cleansing."

"It’s to wash away and help heal the wounds on your soul."

The pack had never heard of such a ritual and was curious. Visha explained to them what they would need to do. She brought out a brazier she had gotten from the Stone-horn clan. She had already put the necessary herbs inside.

"The first step is to acknowledge your pain. You will speak your truth, and the pack will listen, so we can understand the depth of your wound. The second step is to cleanse your body. You will pass through the smoke from this brazier, taking a deep breath as you do."

She paused, making sure everyone understood. "The third step is to heal the spirit. This tea will help you to gain clarity," she pointed to the clay kettle off to the side. "The fourth step is to embrace the pack. Allow yourself to feel and let go. The pack will give you courage."

"I will then remove the mark. By the end of this ritual, you will feel at peace. Are you willing to accept?"

The silence that followed was one of contemplation. Would they be willing to share their pain to have a chance at healing?