Beastmen: She Tames the Land-Chapter 148: Letting Blood Flow

There has never been such a time as this. The Warm Pack will be welcoming more than fifty people into its fold. In contrast to the thirty they had before, the numbers appeared staggering.

After speaking to his people, the former cheetah tribe leader made it clear that joining meant he would no longer be their leader. He, as the trio intended, also let them know what had been going on in the tribe. He told the females the issues they were facing. He told them that many males were losing their beasts. He gave everyone, male and female, the chance to choose whether they were willing to stay with the Warm Pack or leave to go elsewhere.

Unsurprisingly, many decided to leave. They had never seen the Warm Pack as powerful. They came only because their chief asked them to. Even after hearing their chief would be staying, after much hesitation, they decided that it was not worth it to stay with these people.

This greatly saddened Crosvil. He had hope that they could weather these storms together. But he understood why they wanted to leave. He, however, would not. If there was a chance of getting back what he had lost, he was willing to take the risk.

As for those from the Ram tribe, their parting was neither considered sorrowful nor permanent. For them, it was a strategic retreat. They thought nothing was binding them to the Warm Pack, and they would be able to leave whenever they chose.

They were soon to learn that their actions would have consequences.

The trio waited another day for the people from various tribes to leave. Visha made sure to have all the necessary herbs ready. She put the herbs for the cleansing ritual in her space. She had a feeling they could only be used on another day.

With the number of people needing to be bonded, she wondered briefly if she would suffer from blood loss. Then she thought that she was being excessive. The entire bond would not be done in one night. Especially if the activities they expected to happen actually did.

It was dusk. The sun was setting on the horizon. Its colours spread, causing a scene of purples, oranges, and yellows. It brought with it a feeling of serenity and peace. Everyone stood in the square.

Visha, Uri, and Xeno stood facing the crowd. Their faces were solemn, conveying the seriousness of the matter.

"This ceremony represents your willingness to become a part of our pack. We have said before, betrayal is not an option. If you choose to join us, you will be one with the pack," Uri stated.

"This decision is not a matter to take lightly. We know many of you would never have seen this ceremony. You take it as a formality and may even think it foolish. But we stand here now to tell you. This is anything but foolish."

"The day you made this decision, you committed to being a part of the pack. We will live as a pack and die as a pack. This is about loyalty, which is why we emphasize your willingness. If any of you think you aren’t willing, leave now," Xeno’s voice was powerful as he spoke.

The square was devoid of any sound, save for the rustle of trees and birdsong. There was a moment of silence before Visha spoke.

" Let’s begin."

The Warm Pack members who had already gone through the ceremony stood on the outskirts watching. Their leaders had already prepared them for any incidents that might happen tonight.

The first person to be initiated is none other than Crosvil, the former cheetah tribe leader. The trio did not miss the trepidation in his eyes. Yet, they did not respond and performed their ritual as they should.

Crosvil watched as their and his blood fell into the mixture. He felt Visha’s finger on his forehead. He was not sure what was happening until he felt the warmth that spread through his body. That’s when he noticed it. The connection. His eyes widened. His mouth agape. He finally understood why the trio kept mentioning loyalty.

He glanced at the rest of the Warm Pack members. He saw them smile briefly at him before they turned to watch the others who would soon be initiated.

He wanted to reach out to the others. To let them know it was not a simple ceremony, but he felt the reprimand in his mind. His neck whipped to the side, where Xeno’s eyes lock onto his.

He pursed his lips, not saying anything.

The ceremony continued well until it met a man from the cheetah tribe. As soon as he completed the ritual, his body began to shake. His knees buckled, and blood started flowing from his eyes and ears.

A member of the Warm Pack stepped forward, grabbed the man, and walked away with him. All the others who had not yet gone through with the ceremony were now afraid. They stepped back instinctively.

"Do not harbour ill will," Uri said. His voice was cold and steady.

Scanning the crowd, his eyes fell on Roc. He was watching the man being dragged away. He said nothing, but the worry etched on his face was undeniable.

After a moment of silence, Xeno said, "Continue."

The next person to continue the ceremony was already shaking when the trio approached him. They offered no words of comfort. They had expected many to fall today.

The ceremony continued until half the people had been initiated. The rest of the night had gone smoothly. Besides the one person who had been affected, everyone else was fine.

Visha, Xeno, and Uri ensured that those who had been bonded were separated from those who had not yet bonded. Tonight would be a crucial night to find out if there were any others with thoughts of betrayal.

They knew that after seeing what happened at the ceremony, there would be many who were wary. They would wait to see who would bring them trouble.