Beastmen: She Tames the Land-Chapter 88: Returning home

Kael gave a humourless laugh. "You want to know if we decided to accept their deal?"

He opened his hand that had been clenched this entire time. In his hand was a fang. It was wrapped with a strip of animal skin to make a necklace. Kael held it between his fingers before throwing it on the ground.

He pointed towards it. "That is a symbol of their elite hunters. They gave it to me when they made the offer." The contempt in his voice was barely concealed. "They were so sure I would want such a thing, they were willing to give it regardless of whether I actually agreed. In their mind, it was already done."

"They threw her away when she was useless. Now she has some use; they want her again. It isn’t because they treasure her or even need her. It’s because they think of her as their tool. A means to an end."

Kael spat on the fang. "They don’t deserve my help or my loyalty. Neither Heta nor I need their pity. My loyalty is to her. I will not have her repeatedly used by people who see her life as less than."

"That is my decision," Kael said.

Heta moved to stand beside Kael. Her eyes met his. Her smile lessened the anger and frustration in Kael’s eyes. He pulled her closer to him, a low rumble sounding in his throat.

Heta’s eyes met Visha’s, "I can’t remember what happened during the winter. But I believe it was my own choice to go back. Now, it is my choice to follow you." She glanced at Kael, who nodded. "He will follow as well."

[Task: The broken link-Complete]

[Objective: Address the resentment of Kael and find a place for Heta within the pack.]

[Reward: 100 EXP, 50 CP, Kael’s trust-Loyal]

"Kael," Visha started. "I admire the fact that you are willing to stand up for your beliefs. I admire even more that you would rather not have a tribe than use the person you love. I welcome you into the pack."

"When we go back, we need to have a ceremony." Visha smiled.

The day was only half finished. Visha decided to have everyone set out. Staying here was not safe. The Tiger tribe people could come back at any time.

--------------- 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

The day Visha left, Uri and Xeno felt the difference. The bond wasn’t gone, but they could feel her absence. It felt like a weight on them.

Uri tried to comfort both himself and Xeno, "The first day will always be the hardest."

The two men stood watching Visha leave, and even after they left, they felt it was hard to leave the place where they stood. However, they knew they couldn’t stay there to wait for her. They had to lead the pack.

Xeno nodded in agreement, his eyes scanning the pack. "They can feel it too. Her absence. Not like us, but they feel it."

Uri’s indifferent eyes turned to survey the pack. He noticed their hesitation. It was as if they had lost their soul. It showed just how important Visha was to the pack.

"She will be back soon. She has given us the knowledge to build a gate, so we should start. When she comes back, she will be proud of us," Uri said, his eyes turning to the sky.

For the first two days, they focused on making the gate. They had the knowledge of cement and how to make the gate. But they lacked the fundamentals.

"Just put the beam there!" Cato grunted.

"Wait! The angle is wrong." Uri called out. "The load won’t distribute correctly. It needs..."

"I don’t know what distribute means," Cato roared, frustrated. "I’m a warrior, not a builder. Give me something to kill, let me fight. I understand that. This..." Cato waved his hands in defeat.

The same problem was happening all over. Willa, who was mixing cement, couldn’t quite grasp how to make it. They had all the knowledge, but the translator was nowhere to be seen.

By the end of the second day, everything came to a halt. They were no longer frustrated; they were angry.

On the third day, Uri had everyone stop working. The mood they were in was not conducive to doing any kind of work.

Uri and Xeno stood side by side to address the pack.

"We have a problem," Uri spoke. His voice was calm, steady, and clear. "The knowledge we have learned is powerful. It is something we could never have imagined learning. Not without our priestess. We are used to being hunters. This is so different that we fail to truly understand."

He looked at each of them. "Our priestess is not here to help us. So we need to take our time to learn. Let us show her what we are capable of, so when the time is right, we can make our pack better. We are not helpless. We must find a way to work together."

Xeno stepped forward. "We will work like we hunt. Each does their own part. You learn it well, so there is no confusion."

Under Uri’s direction and Xeno’s command, they were able to reorganize themselves. One team, led by Xeno, mixed the cement. Another team, led by Uri, placed the beams. The last team, led by Willa, smoothed the surface.

On the fifth morning of their construction. The sky turned grey. A heavy spring rain fell. It fell in heavy sheets, and winds lashed at the gate. The pack quickly worked together to secure the supplies. Xeno directed people to brace the beams.

The pack made sure to keep the gate secure. They fought against the winds and rain just to ensure it would stay steady. After the rain eased, everyone cheered. The structure they built was able to withstand the rains.

For the next two days, the structure dried. They did not continue construction because there was no more binder-reed to make the rest of the gate. Now, they needed to wait for Visha to return.

On the third day of waiting, Visha arrived, and with her, she brought a surprise.