"In the meantime, I will be taking my leave, Stronghold Leader Zogar. Please don't forget to be around for the next meeting," he said, walking towards the door.
However, he stopped abruptly in front of it and added, "and also, we will be counting on you to flawlessly carry out your part of the plan, as we all know what is at stake if one of us fails." With that, he pushed the door open and stepped out of the room, leaving Stronghold Leader Zogar alone to ponder within his thoughts as the sound of the door closing resounded in the air around him.
"Haaahhh…." Stronghold Leader Zogar exhaled deeply as he unfolded the piece of paper and spread the cloth over his table again. He meticulously marked out the areas and time for the next wave of two-star and three-star Vylkr vines, planning to send some warriors there to destroy them before they overpopulate the borders.
However, Caretaker Ivor's explanation of Orion's construction plan for the village kept replaying in his mind, causing him to lose focus on his work.
With another sigh, he folded the paper and cloth back on the table. "I think it's time that I meet this Orion," he muttered to himself, standing up from his seat and walking towards the door.
…......
Scrutinizing my constructions, I couldn't help but grin with satisfaction. It had taken me hours, even the entire day, to create them, but now I felt a sense of accomplishment.
"It's perfect," I said to myself, lifting one of the large baskets that could easily hold my entire body, just to double-check for any errors or missed steps. "Perfect," I repeated, carefully placing it back on the ground.
Then, I selected a smaller basket, one large enough to hold three or four newborns, and nodded with approval. Going through each basket one by one, I carefully checked for any flaws or issues.
After examining all sixty-six baskets, I took a moment to check my fingers to make sure they were unscathed, and thankfully, they were. In fact, with my heightened durability and strength, I felt like I could go on for hours, non-stop crafting baskets, moving on to the next one immediately after completing the last. The only thing that reminded me to take a break was a mild hunger, signalling that I needed to eat something before getting back to work.
But despite the effort, it was all worth it in the end!
Afterwards, I packed the baskets one by one, arranging them according to their sizes to maximize space. Once they were neatly stacked, I left the storage hut, ensuring the door was firmly closed behind me.
When I stepped outside, I decided to head towards Mrs Shani's hut to inform her that I had finished crafting the baskets and to ask her to look after them until the next bundles of sticks arrived.
However, just as I was about to reach her hut, a sudden realization hit me -I had completely forgotten to inform the women about our move to the new home tonight. "Dam....!" I almost cursed aloud.
"I hope the warriors haven't arrived yet," I murmured to myself as I raced towards our hut, clinched to make it in time to help them pack up before heading to Caretaker Shani's place to deliver the news.
The midnight hour shrouded the village in darkness, and as I darted through the empty farming paths, I remained undetected until finally reaching our home.
Gasping for breath, I faced two imposing figures flanking the hut's entrance. Their muscular frames and composed stance marked them as warriors, allowing me to recognise them immediately. Without hesitation, I approached as they fixed their intense gaze upon me.
Coming to a stop in front of them, I locked my gaze on the guards. Before I could say anything, one of them spoke up, "Are you Orion?"
Without beating around the bush, I nodded firmly and replied, "Yes." Then I asked, "Did the Village Chieftess send you two?" Both the man and the woman nodded in unison without hesitation.
The woman explained, "The Village Chieftess sent us to show you and your family where you'll be staying. We arrived a few hours ago, but the woman refused to leave until you were present. Please go inside and prepare your belongings so that we can depart immediately. We've already wasted enough time here waiting." Understanding their urgency, I nodded in agreement and silently walked forward, pushing the door to our current hut open and quickly closing it behind me.
"OOORRION…." A soft voice suddenly yelled into the air, and before I knew it, someone had abruptly run into me.
Thankfully, my senses were on high alert, and I quickly recognized that it was Gina who had hugged me tightly. "Orion…." Another voice chimed in, causing me to stretch my arms open and shift Gina to one side as Sura ran into me.
But it didn't stop there; soon after, Reena followed suit, wrapping her arms around me. And just when I thought it was over, "Orrionn…" I noticed Grandma Vivian running towards me.
My arms were already full, and I had failed to notice her on time, so I ultimately fell backwards the moment she crashed into me, followed by Grandma Derry, who came right after. Without a doubt, I could swear that I saw a huge smile on her face as she joined the group hug while I was now lying on the floor.
"Orion, why are you home late?"
"Orion, where have you been?"
"How did the meeting with the Caretakers go?"
"What did you talk about with them?"
"Why didn't you tell us first before you went?"
"Orion....."
As the questions came pouring in, my mind was racing to keep up. They all wanted answers, but it was hard to process everything at once. I nodded my head absentmindedly, trying my best to attend to each of them, even though I didn't hear all the questions properly.
