Beastmen: She Tames the Land-Chapter 154: The midnight transformation

The caldera experienced drastic changes. After the cleansing ritual, the trees and plants in the caldera came alive. The trees that had been cut down to make houses grew rapidly. The grass that had been cut in the square sprouted. Flowers bloomed.

The entire caldera surged to life. The caldera itself was filled with a rainbow-like fog. The air smelled sweet. Their breathing was much smoother. There was a collective sigh from the pack. But the biggest change was yet to happen.

All the beastmen in the caldera shifted. Not voluntarily. Their instincts forced them to shift. This shift was unlike any they had experienced. Pain coursed through their veins. Their blood felt as if it were boiling. They fell to their knees. Their groans echoed in the caldera. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Claws and hooves tore through their skin, causing bloody gashes. Some cried in agony, their striped fur standing on end as their body curled in on themselves. Others had their bodies lengthened. Shimmering scales appeared, and powerful horns grew.

Each beastman endured their own agony. Of course, there were some who had an easier time. Krag was such a person. His eyes surveyed the beastmen writhing in front of him. He took note of his own hand that had become clawed, the maximum extent to which the ceremony had affected him.

The females were also going through their own difficulties. Their pain was no less than the beastmen. Their screams overpowered the groans the men made. The beastmen heard them, but were unable to do anything to comfort them. Each person could only endure their own pain.

The females who originally had no beast features began to change. They did not shift completely like the beastmen, but certain beast features became more evident. The most prominent feature was the tails and ears they had grown.

Chi, like Krag, watched them experience the changes. Her change was not clawed like Krag; instead, a beautiful plumage appeared on her back.

The whistling wind carried their sounds. Krag raised a hand to the sky, not stopping the process, but stopping their cries from eachoing anywhere other than the caldera.

His eyes went to Visha, who was also in the midst of her transformation. His eyes softened momentarily, nostalgia seeping in.

"They’ll be fine," Chi whispered. "We just need to wait a little longer. When they find their own way, we’ll leave."

Krag nodded.

The majority of the night was filled with screams. Krag and Chi stood guard through the changes in the caldera and its people. Just before dawn, Krag and Chi’s heads snapped towards a particular direction.

"He knows," Krag stated.

"This is their burden to carry. We can’t interfere," Chi sighed.

"I know, but I was hoping he wouldn’t know so quickly," he responded.

"He only knows she is here; he doesn’t know where she is. He also doesn’t know she has it." Chi’s eyes flitted to Visha. "That thing has been floating around for so long, I don’t know why it decided to choose her."

"Their fate, perhaps? What it’s looking for is in this world. And she needs is with that thing."

Chi sighed, stretching, "They’re waking up."

The pack members woke up to find themselves on the ground. The sun was just peeking over the horizon. The air was still thick with the sweetness from the rainbow fog. Gingerly, everyone got to their feet.

Their eyes scanned the caldera, then themselves. Gasps of surprise echoed. Physical changes were the least of the experience, but they were the most visually shocking. These changes challenged their perception of what they knew their species to be.

The rabbit sisters has rabbit like features. Their tiny snouts twitched as they got up. Most females ended up with ears of relative beasts along with a tail. This change extended to the men as well. The cheetah and tiger males have the same tail and ears as the females. The rams grew horns. The hawks had plumage.

The changes were not only cosmetic. The cheetah’s body lengthened. It was lean and muscular. The tigers appeared to have more explosive power and were more muscular. The rams grew taller and more muscular. The hawks and eagles were more streamlined.

The beastmen felt the new explosive power they carried. Their strength was more than before. The world itself shifted in their eyes. They could see farther, hear more, and they knew they could hunt for days without feeling tired.

The females felt the changes in their bodies. They were much stronger than before. Their eyesight and hearing also improved.

Unable to stop their joy. Screams, shouts, and yells filled the caldera. Krag, who had anticipated this reaction, kept the seal over the caldera. He shook his head in amusement.

Uri, Visha, and Xeno saw the excitement of their pack members. They did not stop them. They were too busy taking note of their own changes.

Xeno looked at his hands. He watched his claws retract. He flexed his muscle, feeling the power in his body. He licked his teeth; they were sharp. His hand went to his hair. His blonde mane had grown again. He had previously cut, but after the transformation, it grew back.

Uri scanned his body. He surveyed the back of his hands. The scales on his body shimmered in the light. He touched them, and they were hard. He could feel the difference with his eyes, but was unsure of what the difference was. It was only later, when Visha and Xeno pointed it out, that he knew his iris had become vertical slits.

Visha felt the change in her body. The purr of a beast that was settling. She knew it was the beast in her mind. Her body was more in tune with its instincts. The world around her did not seem as strange. She could feel a lingering connection. She felt something tickle the back of her hand. Looking down, she saw a tail. Her eyes widened.

[Don’t faint!] a voice in her mind shouted

This was definitely not her beast. The cry made her want to faint even more. But she held on.

Who is this? Visha asked cautiously.

[It’s me. Sys. The system.]

Oh! Well, system, sorry to disappoint you, but I think I’m going to faint anyway.

No sooner had she said the words than she closed her eyes and fainted.

_____

A/N: A big thank you for the power stones and golden tickets. They help a lot. Not sure if you wanted your names here. But regardless, I’m still thanking you. I appreciate it.

And yes, she does faint a lot. You would too if, in less than a year, you keep having so many surprises. Or are you strong enough?