Beastmen: She Tames the Land-Chapter 69: A warm living space

The next morning, Visha woke up to a hustle and bustle she hadn’t seen in a long time.

Kit and Nimo played with Xeno in beast form. Krag and Chi were helping Fil get more Flare crystals. Willa stood from sorting out her pile of Flare crystals as soon as she saw Visha.

"Priestess, you’re awake," Willa saluted Visha.

Visha was stunned at the sudden change. Uri was closest to the flashlight. Visha had to pass most of the people on her way to him. Along the way, she kept hearing the call of ’priestess’. She felt overwhelmed by the sudden attention.

As soon as she got close to Uri, she asked what was happening.

A soft smile appeared on his face as he looked at Visha. "You are their priestess. Are they not supposed to call you as such?"

"They never did before," Visha whispered, afraid of being overheard.

"Well, they do now," Xeno said, appearing beside her. "This is how it works in a tribe. You never call a priest or priestess solely by their name. The title must be added."

"What changed?" she asked.

"You did," Xeno replied simply.

"After yesterday, although you did not address anyone specifically, they understood why you said what you did. The consensus was for us to be more of a pack. We are searching for our new home, for our new pack," Uri stated.

Visha looked around at the people she had been with for seven months. She always called them a pack after they started calling themselves the Warm Pack. But she never felt the cohesion like she did now. Especially when she saw Krag and Chi being so active.

She appreciated everything they were doing, but she also felt awkward. She was used to things being casual. She knew that as the pack grew larger, they would need to change some things. This change was abrupt, and she wasn’t sure what to do.

Xeno smoothed her hair, "You don’t need to think too much about it. Just know that you are their priestess. They respect you."

After breakfast, the pack set out again. This time, they were prepared. They walked away from the valley quickly. The shadow of what happened the night before stil fresh.

For the next few days, everyone was in high spirits.

They took the time to train and forage. They asked Visha to teach them about the herbs and plants she found. It was as if the journey had just begun.

They took scouting more seriously. Krag taught them a few hunting techniques.

As they walked, they noticed the landscape starting to shift. It was spring, but the place they were standing looked as if it were the beginning of summer. The air was warmer. The constant coolness that accompanied spring slowly disappeared. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"The sun is still the same. But it is getting warmer." Will noted as she looked up at the sun and rubbed her arms.

"The ground is warm. This is not the sun. It is something else." Uri places his hand flat on a stone. He closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he said, "The heat is coming from below.

They continued walking, following the heat. It led them to a wide, fast-flowing river. The water was clear and steaming slightly in the cool air. They decided to rest by the river. The warmth, a comfort they had not felt for some time.

Nimo dipped his toes into the water and giggled. Kit followed suit.

While scouting to make sure there was no danger, Xeno found something odd. He noticed a section of the river where there was a lot of steam. It was thick. He found that behind a curtain of water, the rock face seemed black.

Curious about why it was black, Xeno walked into the water. It was cold, a contrast to the heat he was previously feeling. That’s where he found it. A narrow fissure in the rock, hidden from view. Hot, humid air rushed out, carrying with it the scent of earth.

He thought of the cave they previously visited and how they were able to find Flash crystals.

He wondered if there would be anything good behind this fissure.

He walked back to the pack, ready to explain what he found. He wanted to know if they were willing to take a look.

He gathered everyone, explaining what he had found. He wanted them to decide whether they would look or if they should pretend it didn’t exist.

They went back and forth about whether to check.

Visha herself was interested. She would not force others to check if they did not want to. Finally, she said, she, Uri, and Xeno would go and look. Krag was responsible for everyone while they were gone. Her tone made them know it wasn’t up for discussion.

Xeno led his mates to the place he found.

The passage was dark and narrow. They were still able to see. The path twisted and turned for a few hundred feet before opening up. They were standing on a high ledge, looking down at an enormous crater. The surrounding walls were jagged cliff-like structures.

The floor of the crater was all green. A vast expanse of green that included flowering vines, ferns, and trees with broad leaves. There was a crystal clear lake occupying the centre, with a waterfall that fell from one of the cliffs.

For a moment, none of them spoke.

The place was beautiful, but beauty was what they feared. They were in awe of the place, but they were also cautious. They would not let the same thing happen twice.

Visha used her Commune skill. She wanted to know what kind of feedback she would get.

[Location identified: Caldera]

[Atmospheric conditions: Stable. High humidity.]

[Flora & Fauna: Rich biodiversity. No parasitic or predatory anomalies detected.]

[Strategic assessment: Optimal. High defensibility. Abundant resources. Suitable long-term settlement.]

It’s perfect. Visha giggled. She danced, uncaring of whether she looked like an idiot. There were only the three of them. At most, they would tease her.

"I checked, it’s perfect! No danger, rich plant life, clean water. We can live here." She giggled, swinging their arms.

Uri and Xeno felt her happiness. Her mood brightened after closing her eyes. They knew she did something. She never explained, but they figured out how it worked. She usually did this when looking for something.

They were glad she felt they could live here.

But they also needed to consult the rest of the pack. They all needed to agree, or no one would stay.