Beastmen: She Tames the Land-Chapter 137: What the howl represents

"Where are you going?" Lyra’s father asked.

He stepped towards them to grab Lyra. Xeno stepped in, kicking the man to the ground before he could touch them.

"You’re not welcome here. You and your Stonefang Pack go back to where you came from," Xeno snarled.

Coughing, the man stood up. "You actually dare to make an enemy of the Stonefang Pack. Do you really think you can do anything you want?"

Xeno scoffed, not answering.

He turned to the other people who were standing on the side watching.

"So what do you all want? Are you allies of the Stonefang Pack?" Xeno questioned.

He was already annoyed at the Stonefang Pack coming to ask for Lyra and causing a scene. They had not even had time to talk about those who were coming close to the caldera. The Stonefang Pack causes them to confront these people earlier than expected.

If these people are allies of the Stonefang Pack, they would be in trouble. If they are people looking for the cause of the howl, it would be both a relief and a burden.

"We mean you no harm," a female announced. "We are only interested in the howl. I believe I met two of your people earlier."

Surveying those in front of them, the different clothing choices indicate they are not all from the same tribe. But Visha had no clue where they were from. She did not see anyone from the Stone-horn tribe or the River clan.

"Why are you interested in the howl? What’s so special about this that it would cause people to go looking for it?" Visha said.

She truly couldn’t understand why the phenomenon happened or what it meant for these people. She questioned briefly whether she was a competent priestess. However, she quickly shook the thought away.

If she weren’t competent, she would not be able to help so many people. She has worked hard to learn to differentiate among herbs and to work with the land to improve the lives of those around her.

Those standing there muttered among themselves. They observed the three people standing before them.

"The howl-" the woman said.

But before she could continue, snarls came from the Stonefang Pack. The group of eight had shifted. Each of them growled at the trio.

Shit, why didn’t these fuckers leave? Visha thought. She thought to herself that the Stonefang Pack was arrogant because of their numbers, because they were cruel and worked together to pick off weaker groups.

She wasn’t afraid that Uri and Xeno wouldn’t be able to beat them. She didn’t want the trouble.

As the first wolf lunged stepped forward. He did not shift, only using the skills he had learned from Krag. He drove his forearm into the wolf’s throat, cutting across, forcing its head sideways. Using the wolf’s own weight, Uri slammed him into the ground.

Slipping between the others, Uri ducked as claws threatened to tear at his back. Stepping on the wolf’s jaw, he hit pressure points that caused the wolf to stop its attack, whimpering with each move.

Xeno moved like a battering ram. No matter which wolf lunged at him, he used brutal and efficient punches to send them flying, crashing into the ground or a wall. Seizing a wolf mid-air, he locked onto its ribs. Using momentum, he hurled it down the path away from the gate.

Those standing close by had to scuttle away to avoid being hit by the wolf Xeno had launched.

The fight did not last long, but it ended in utter defeat for the Stonefang Pack. While no one died, the humiliation for the Stonefang Pack was nothing short of social death. A group that claimed superiority was defeated by an up-and-coming pack.

Seeing that they were unable to win, the Stonefang Pack quickly ran with their tail tucked between their legs. The trio did not celebrate. They knew this was only the beginning of the feud between them and the Stonefang Pack. If they were not careful, it would lead to their annihilation.

The group who were trying to speak to Visha stood watching the two men who had just fought. They noticed that they did not shift when they fought their opponent. Their eyes met the missing limb Uri had.

They had seen how well he fought, even when not shifted. The thoughts on their faces were evident. They were wondering if rogues were able to fight, whether in beast form or otherwise, even if they were missing limbs.

Their interest in this group of people, first fleeting, had become a source of genuine interest.

"Now that the distractions are gone, please tell us why you are so interested in the howl," Visha asked, her voice calm.

A half-shifted male stepped up to answer, "I am not sure about others. I only know that when I heard, I felt the need to find it."

The wrapped female interjected, "Our priest specifically asked us to find the source. We are also not certain why. We were only told that it is salvation."

An aggressive voice sounded, "Do you know the source or don’t you?"

"And if we do?" Uri’s eyes turned sharply to the man, dressed only in a loincloth.

"Take us there," the man demanded.

Uri ignored him. The silence stretched.

"Don’t you hear me? I said take us there." The man walked forward. "Filthy rotfur rogue."

Xeno growled, walking forward to meet the man. He did not fight. Only stood in front of the man, towering over him. His eyes made it clear that he would have to get past him if he wanted to touch Uri.

Visha laughed softly at the absurdity of it all. A simple ritual turned into a hunt. She could understand the polite woman. But this man, even after seeing the fight, decided he wanted to provoke them. Is it that he thinks they are weak, or does he truly believe himself to be stronger than them?

Hearing her laughter, the group turned to Visha. She looked at the man who spoke. "May I ask you a question?" Her voice was calm and steady.

Without waiting for his response, she continued. "Who are you? You come to our territory. You do not introduce yourself. You do not ask who we are. You don’t show common courtesy, yet you demand. If you think being loud will get you anything, then leave."

By the end of the statement, her voice was forceful. Carrying an authority she rarely used.

A hushed silence fell on the group.