Chapter 120: The next step

Though the battle was over and the threat of the Verminus Plant had died down, there was still a lot of work that needed to be done. Resting wasn’t an option, and plans had to be made to secure the future of the Nemean Tribe.

As the warriors cleaned the battlefield, Kanan, the Elders, and Omula were going over the whole situation, trying to come to an agreement on what their next move should be.

Elder Lars and Trena wanted to focus on improving the village’s defenses, a valid concern given how often their village was under attack. Elder Hal and Nala wanted to destroy the flesh plant in the Typhon Tribe to fully feel at ease.

Surprisingly, Elder Telah wasn’t on board with destroying the plant in her old village as of now. Instead, she wished to form an elite team of warriors to have on standby or to send on special missions that would require their skill set.

Kanan was inclined to agree with Telah, though he understood everyone’s concern and thought that everyone’s plans for what to do next were equally valid and important.

Omula, on the other hand, was different. She wanted to go to the Helsik Tribe to completely eliminate the threat of the Verminus Plant altogether. It wasn’t enough for her to find solace in destroying the flesh plant in the old Typhon Tribe. She claimed that the threat needed to be gone permanently.

Judging by everyone’s reactions, they agreed, but also knew that Omula’s suggestion would be the most difficult to act upon.

"What do we know about the Helsik Tribe?" Kanan asked. He had tried to look at the old records kept in the council room, but all he learned was that they lived in the swamp, had tribal tattoos, like everyone, and could use spirit energy, again, like everyone.

Elder Lars was the one to speak up, being the oldest one here. His knowledge of the Helsik Tribe, while limited, would be more than anyone else had to offer.

"According to what I was told by my predecessors, the Helsik Tribe used to be a nomadic tribe, but settled in the swamp permanently generations ago. They specialize in tocins, herbs, brewing, and poisons. Pretty much anything dealing with nature."

Kanan nodded. "Makes sense. They live in a swamp, so their way of life would reflect that. Do we know what their abilities are?"

People of the Nemean Tribe could manipulate spirit energy, but only within their bodies; then, by getting blessed by Nemean, they would gain an ability that uses spirit energy.

The Typhon Tribesmen could manipulate spirits of nature, using their power to do what they wanted in a limited way.

So Kanan wondered whether the Helsik Tribe had something unique like the Nemean tribe, or simply used spirit energy like the Typhon Tribe.

"There is no record of their abilities, and I was not told what they were from my predecessors. I am sorry." Elder Lars sighed.

"Don’t worry about it. We’ll learn what it is eventually. And we’ll write it down for future generations."

"I think I might know what it is." Telah spoke up.

"Oh? Do speak."

"The more you talked about the Helsik Tribe, the more I started to remember something. You see, my tribe used to trade with them some generations ago. We exchanged knowledge. However, there was one thing that stood out when they would trade with us, and that was the beasts that accompanied them."

"Beasts?" Omula asked

"Yes. They would use beasts to carry their goods, have them fight, and use them as transportation."

"Ah, so they’re beast tamers," Kanan concluded. He found that fascinating. Now he was really interested in learning more about what they would do.

A few beast tamers existed in the village, though they were very few, and mostly hunters had that ability. Now Kanan was coming to the conclusion that Blessings from Lord Nemean were just a mixture of everything compared to the abilities of the Typhon and Helsik Tribes.

"Have you come to a conclusion? Shaman Kanan?" Elder Trena asked.

"Yes. First, we’ll prioritize our defences. Safety comes first. During this time, Telah, you have permission to find any and all able bodies to form this elite squad. Speak with Selin if you wish to have a better understanding of our abilities. Once everything has gone back to normal, we’ll look into destroying the flesh plant, and only after that plant is destroyed will we travel to the Helsik Tribe."

"Yes!"

"Good. Since we are all in agreement, this meeting is adjourned."

Everyone got up to leave, having other duties to attend to. Though the council had a plan for what to do next, there were still things that needed to be taken care of right away, such as the reconstruction of the farms that were unfortunately not protected by the barrier.

"U-Um, Kanan," Omula whispered while grabbing his arm.

"What’s up?"

"Can I speak with you? Just the two of us?"

"Sure."

Once everyone was gone, only Kanan and Omula remained in the council room.

"I’m a bit nervous, taking my father’s place and all. There’s no sign of him waking up. Healer Yala told me that his injuries were serious and that he had expended a lot of his energy."

"It will be okay, trust me. You’ve been learning by his side since the blessing ceremony. Everything will be fine. Besides, you didn’t look nervous today."

"Well, I needed to represent the Village Chief, so I had no choice."

"Fake it until you make it. That’s what I did. I just liked hunting and occasionally getting into trouble with Terin before I became the Village Shaman. I had no idea what to do, and when I did start doing things, I was scared."

"Now look at you." Omula smiled. "It’s only been nearly a year, and you’ve already settled into your position." ℯ

"By that logic, you should be comfortable too, no?"

Omula sighed, pushing Kanan onto a chair before dropping to her knees. "For normal tasks around the village, sure. But we’re not in peacetime. One wrong move and it could cost us. I don’t want to make that mistake."

"You’ll make a lot of mistakes down the road. It’s a part of growth, so don’t beat yourself up over it. Though, I do want to know why you’re taking off my pants."

"To suck your dick, of course."