Caretaker Ivor's gaze sharpened as he voiced his opinion, "I say we wait for him. If his previous ideas were any indication, there's no reason not to give him a chance to share his intentions."
Caretaker Naida nodded in agreement, "I, too, believe it would be wise to hear what the boy has to say before making any decisions."
Caretaker Nala noticed the unanimous support for waiting and proposed a vote, "Let those in favour of waiting for Orion's arrival before making a decision raise their hands." One by one, from her to Caretaker Zola, to Caretaker Ivor, to Caretaker Naida, their hands rose in agreement.
After a moment of acknowledgement, they lowered their hands. "And those in favour of making a decision without waiting for Orion, raise your hands."
This time, no one raised their hands, indicating a clear alignment with the decision to wait for Orion. However, there remained one individual who had yet to voice their stance. "Caretaker Shani, you have yet to make a decision," Caretaker Naida addressed, her gaze fixed on Caretaker Shani, who stared back with wide eyes.
Caretaker Shani shook her head internally, attempting to regain her composure. She cleared her throat loudly before speaking, "Caretaker Naida before I make a decision, I feel the need to understand more about these children, and why their situation requires a decision. Could you please provide further clarification?" she requested.
Caretaker Naida, anticipating this response, motioned for Caretaker Nala to clarify the situation. Caretaker Nala nodded her head in understanding and began to explain the predicament.
She detailed how the children, who were intended to be offered to the Vylkr vines, were still under Anara's protection. The dilemma they confronted was determining the best course of action for the children, as reintroducing dozens of newborns who were previously declared dead would undoubtedly raise suspicions and potentially cause disruptions and conflicts within the village.
While Caretaker Shani absorbed the information, her eyes widened in disbelief. Caretaker Nala anticipated this reaction, as it was expected given the circumstances. After Caretaker Nala concluded her explanation, Caretaker Naida raised an eyebrow and asked, "Is there something else you would like to know, Caretaker Shani? Feel free to ask your questions, and we will do our best to provide answers."
Finally finding her voice, Caretaker Shani's trembling lips formed a question, "Caretaker Naida, do the children under Overseer Anara's care include those from a year ago?"
Caretaker Naida's brows furrowed with a sense of unease as she responded to Caretaker Shani's question. "Yes," she nodded solemnly, "In fact, to ensure the desired numbers and maintain the plan's success, the babies are fed to the Vylkr vines every three to two years."
Caretaker Shani's hands clenched, her fingers folding into a tight fist, visible to everyone in the room. Observing her reaction, the other caretakers couldn't help but furrow their brows.
"Caretaker Shani," Caretaker Naida said, her frown deepening, "Is there anything else you would like to say?"
Caretaker Shani took a deep breath to calm herself before speaking, "Last year, I became pregnant and was expecting to give birth. However, my child couldn't survive the strain of childbirth and passed away shortly after being born." Her voice trembled, and her eyes began to well up with tears.
Meanwhile, the other Caretakers in the room shared a deepened frown, except for Caretaker Ivor, who let out a frustrated sigh.
"Caretaker Shani....." Caretaker Naida quickly began to speak.
"Caretaker Naida..." However, Caretaker Shani interrupted, her voice croaking as tears streamed down her face, ".... Where is my child?"
….......…
Meanwhile, Celeste found herself at a loss for words as she gazed at the tree nymph sitting before her, radiating a bright and infectious smile. Though she recognized the tree nymph, having seen and heard stories of her during her early days, she never imagined she would be sitting face to face with an Overseer tree nymph who seemed more engrossed in her son than anything else.
Initially, the tree nymph seemed eager to deliver some important news she claimed was from Orion. However, as soon as she learned that she was Orion's mother, her face lit up with excitement. So, before Celeste could even grasp the situation, the overseer tree nymph had already sat down to engage in a conversation with her, seemingly forgetting the purpose of her visit.
'Orion...' Celeste's mind raced, a headache forming as she pondered the kind of young man her son had become. The fact that he had forged such a close connection with not just any tree nymph, but an Overseer tree nymph within a mere month after his awakening ceremony was both impressive and bewildering. Celeste's eyebrows twitched as she realized the social prowess her son possessed.
'No wonder he managed to attract so many partners in such a short amount of time' Celeste thought. While she knew her son treated everyone equally and without discrimination, the sight of all the women gathered around her and Dariya, seated at the centre while the overseer tree nymph continued to converse, finally shed light on their infatuation with him.
Her troublesome son was simply too irresistible for anyone to resist!
"Ahem!" Celeste cleared her throat, prolonging the sound until the tree nymph finally stopped speaking. "What is it?" Dariya asked, her curiosity piqued as she looked at Orion's mother. This was the woman who had raised a son capable of putting her, a being who had lived for centuries, to sleep -a feat she believed no one else could achieve.
As a result, Dariya was genuinely interested in the woman who had given birth to Orion, as his personality and behaviour must have originated from somewhere, right?"
"Can you please tell me the important information that Orion asked you to deliver?" Celeste asked.
Upon hearing Celeste's question, Dariya nodded in understanding, realizing that her excitement had momentarily caused her to forget the purpose of her visit.
Taking a deep breath to compose herself, she replied, "Orion told me to inform you that this morning he would be heading to his partner's hut, accompanied by Grandma Vivian and Derry, whom he convinced to join him."
