The three girls quickly reached the old manor, where a handsome blond boy was standing guard.
"Achilles, we have urgent news!" Hope shouted before he even noticed them.
"Hope, is that you? What's wrong? Why did you come back so late? And who are these two? Your friends?"
Startled by her loud voice, Achilles jumped to his feet and fired off a whole string of questions. It wasn't that he ignored her warning, but there was no immediate danger, so the first thing he wanted to know was who the strangers were.
"My name is Lily, and this is Cheryl," Lily introduced herself, already knowing that Hope wasn't the most reliable storyteller. "We're all Grey's friends, but that's not the important part. You need to gather the strongest guys. We really do have important news about the cultists."
Achilles studied the two girls carefully.
The darkness of the forest hid their faces, but her voice was pleasant. Its gentle tone, along with her small stature, made it obvious that she couldn't be any older than him, which made her seem trustworthy.
What kind of normal girl would come to the Thorn's Tabernacles in the middle of the night? The fact that they had found the manor on their own proved they were Grey's friends.
"I understand. Follow me."
Achilles led the three of them to the only lit room, where a small campfire burned dimly. Then he woke Garen, Reus, and Sunny, who, together with him, could take on the role of leaders while Grey was away.
His calm and level-headed reaction eased the girls' anxiety a little. No matter how you looked at it, Achilles inspired confidence. He was a born leader who made everyone around him feel calm and secure.
"Cheryl, Lily, is it really you? I never thought I'd see you again."
Garen cried out emotionally as he stepped into the room. Reus came in right behind him.
"Oh, if it isn't the famous leader of the slave gang. To be honest, I didn't believe Grey when he said you were here. I thought you couldn't stand each other," Lily said, slipping back into her usual way of speaking.
"Lily."
"Garen."
Reus and Cheryl greeted them respectively, both giving the others strange looks.
It seemed the reunion between the former prisoners eased the tense atmosphere a little.
Everyone felt somewhat confused, unsure of what emotions they were supposed to show at a moment like this. On one hand, they were happy to see each other again, as if they had finally returned home after a long journey. On the other hand, the lives they had lived since escaping the slave camp had been completely different.
Cheryl and Lily had returned to the comfort of their families, while Garen and Reus had spent all that time fighting to survive and had even lost a companion. It would have been strange if the two boys didn't secretly curse the unfairness of fate.
The only thing connecting them now was Grey, and he wasn't here.
Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Sunny clapped his hands to get everyone's attention.
"I know you're happy to see each other, but can we get back to the cultists? What kind of important information did you find that made you wake us up in the middle of the night?" he asked calmly, since he knew everyone present.
"I agree. Let's be serious. Whether we live or die depends on this," Achilles said with a nod, signaling for them to continue.
Taking a deep breath, the girls began telling them everything they had learned.
They had no reason to hide anything. Everyone in the room was a true ally united by the same cause. They followed the same captain, faced the same enemies, and shared the same goals.
Cheryl explained why they had come, saying they needed to perform a ritual for a beast god in order to absorb a beast's essence. Hope repeated everything she had overheard from the adventurers who had betrayed her mother, then briefly told her own story without going into unnecessary detail. Lily shared her own conclusions and occasionally filled in details whenever she noticed something had been left out.
Everyone listened in complete silence without interrupting.
But anyone paying close attention would have noticed that the longer and more detailed their story became, the tighter Garen's and Reus's fists clenched. They were barely holding back their rage.
In the end, the big man lost control first. He slammed his fist into the floor with such force that the logs in the fire trembled, then shot to his feet.
"Do you know where their camp is?" he roared. "We have to hunt those bastards down before they gather a stronger force. We'll avenge Leo!"
Reus immediately grabbed his friend's shoulder, stopping him from completely losing control. That didn't mean he disagreed. On the contrary, he thought it was a very sensible proposal, both emotionally and logically.
He had learned Grey's lesson well. It was always better to crush a threat before it had the chance to grow.
"Stop holding me back, Reus!" Garen growled through clenched teeth. "I'm not going anywhere. I just want to gather our people right now and kill those bastards."
"Garen, shut up! Do you even hear yourself?" Sunny shot back, glaring at him. "First of all, you're not in charge here. Second, do you really want to expose the hideout you all just moved into?"
"What are you talking about? Since when was I planning to expose our hideout? Do you seriously think a group our size can't deal with three ordinary adventurers? We won't let them escape, and dead men tell no tales."
"And did it ever occur to you that a search party disappearing will raise suspicion?" Sunny argued. "Taking care of three people is easy enough, but what if dozens come looking for them? Or maybe hundreds? I've heard these cultists have a lot of followers."
"Sunny, go to hell. You've never even seen these cultists, so how can you know what they're thinking? I'm telling you, if we don't kill them the first chance we get, things will only get worse."
"I agree," Reus added. "This is the Thorn's Tabernacles. Wild beasts are everywhere. Two or three people disappearing won't change anything. That's a much better outcome than letting them discover the manor."
Sunny remained unconvinced.
"No matter what, Grey is our commander, and only he can make a decision this dangerous. Besides, we barely have any weapons. What are you planning to attack them with? Kitchen knives?"
"He's not here," Garen snapped back. "What, are you going to wait until someone chops your head off?"
"You're all too arrogant! I don't see any real threat."
The longer Garen and Sunny argued, the more heated they became. Neither was willing to accept the other's point of view. Spit flew through the air, and both boys' faces turned red with frustration.
"Cheryl thinks we should wait for Grey's decision," the rabbit girl said.
"Mhm." Lily nodded.
"I thought you'd agree to help us get revenge..." Hope muttered dejectedly, feeling a little hurt by her friends' response.
"Enough!" Achilles slammed his fist onto the chair, no longer able to endure their endless arguing.
"What are you, a bunch of gossiping old women? Grey isn't here, which means we have to make the decisions. I say we vote. Who thinks we should eliminate the enemy immediately?"
Garen, Reus, and Hope raised their hands. Each had their own reasons, but revenge was what drove them most.
"Who votes to wait?"
This time, Lily, Cheryl, and Sunny raised their hands.
Achilles was left speechless.
"It's a tie, which means we stay where we are," Sunny declared confidently.
"And who decided that?!" Garen roared, his temper already flaring.
"Calm down. In case you didn't notice, there's still one person who hasn't voted. Achilles, what do you think?" Lily asked with a curious smile as she looked at the handsome boy.
She had no intention of taking action tonight. First, they needed to perform the ritual as soon as possible so Cheryl could increase her strength. Second, she had no desire to fight while so unprepared. Her last battle with the panther had made her far more cautious.
Achilles slowly looked from one side of the room to the other.
"I think we should avoid making any rash decisions for now," he said a little uncertainly. "The cultists are still far away, and we're not ready. Tomorrow morning, I'll go find Grey as quickly as I can. Then we'll decide what to do. For now, we'll stay alert in case they find us and be ready to act."
"You? Why?" Garen could only ask, pointing at him.
"Believe me, Garen, I want revenge too. Just as much as you do. But we can't put our people at risk. We're not ready yet, so we need to buy time. You don't want to sacrifice our brothers because of a careless mistake, do you?"
The moment he finished speaking, Garen seemed to deflate like a burst balloon. His head dropped, his hands trembled slightly, but he didn't say another word.
"Perfect," Lily said. "That means we still have time. Cheryl and I are going to prepare for the ritual. We'll need all our strength when it's time to make our move."
She wasn't asking for permission anymore. She was simply informing them.
Grabbing the bag with one hand and Cheryl with the other, the two girls hurried into the backyard.
The night was dark, filled with the chirping of dragonflies.
Lily skillfully drew the foundation of a pentagram with chalk, while Cheryl arranged the ether candles and lit them.
Once everything was ready, only Cheryl remained inside the pentagram while Lily hid behind the nearest wall. It wasn't because she was afraid. The ritual had strict requirements, and the one performing it had to remain completely isolated from everyone else. Otherwise, their energies could resonate with one another and disrupt the summoning.
Taking a slow deep breath, Cheryl began reciting the incantation.
"Ash of the night lily, a four-leaf clover, three drops of human blood. Cheryl calls upon you, my patron. I summon you, Moon Rabbit, witness of dreams in the night, the divine Tsukuyomi. I ask for your blessing. Allow your follower to inherit the power of our ancestors."
The candles flared, and the wind fell silent.
Cheryl didn't hesitate. She had expected this. It meant the ritual had succeeded.
She filled a bowl with water and placed it so the moon's reflection rested on its surface. The moment the reflection rippled, she immediately dropped the panther's magical essence into the water.
Only a few moments passed before Cheryl took several large gulps. To her surprise, the essence had completely dissolved into the water in that short time, leaving behind only a cool sensation and a faint numbness that quickly spread throughout her body.
The candles went out.
Cheryl closed her eyes and drifted into sleep, allowing her body to absorb the power sealed within the essence. For beastfolk, just as for magical creatures, sleep was as much a part of cultivation as devouring prey after a hunt.
A few minutes later, Lily stepped out from around the corner. She quietly looked at her friend, who had already fallen into a deep sleep, softly breathing with a blissful smile on her face.
"I'm glad it worked. I couldn't have left you in such a vulnerable state. Tomorrow, you won't be helpless anymore."
Lily gently lifted Cheryl's head onto her lap, then softly began stroking the rabbit girl's hair.
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