Chapter 131: The Miracle’s Voice and Blessing
Inside the chamber, amid the hugs and tears of happiness, a soft, clear sound cut through the emotional atmosphere. Lía, still rested on Kellar’s chest with her hands on her belly, let out a broken chuckle that turned into an intelligible word, spoken with a sweet voice she had never used before:
"Thank you..." said Lía, looking at Kellar and then at the others with shining eyes.
Everyone froze for a second. The Bond of Love was not only connecting their minds, but tearing down the barriers that separated them.
"She spoke!" said Maya, letting out a cry of joy as she rushed to hug her from behind. "Lía spoke for the very first time!"
"It is a miracle from the Shaman," said Mila, joining the group embrace along with Meli, Elia, and Loria. "Congratulations to everyone. We are going to be mothers to the tribe’s heirs."
Kellar, smiling at the tangle of emotions and thoughts flowing through his head, pulled them all tight against him in the tub, feeling a warmth that erased every trace of fatigue.
Outside the quarters, the entire village was buzzing. Even though the people had just eaten and the workers were exhausted from the long day, no one dreamed of going to sleep. Torches were relit in the central plaza, and barrels of the shaman’s wine were tapped one after another.
When Kellar and his women emerged dressed into the plaza, a roar of jubilation echoed against the night sky.
"Long live the Great Shaman!" shouted Brak, raising a horn of wine into the air. "Long live the mothers of our future leaders!"
"A toast to the Shaman’s family!" said Mentz, approaching with several filled cups to hand them to the entourage. "Neither cold nor exhaustion will stop us from celebrating this. May the Overlord Tribe’s prosperity be eternal!"
Every single villager, from the veteran warriors to the youngest workers, raised their glass to toast to the health and happiness of the new generation about to be born.
Kellar took one of the wooden mugs filled with wine and raised it high before the crowd, causing the cheers to echo once again throughout the settlement.
"Thank you all for your loyalty and for celebrating this moment with my family!" said Kellar, raising his voice firmly as he took a long gulp to the crowd’s delight. "Cheers to the Overlord Tribe and to the future we are building together!"
Maya, Mila, and the others extended their hands to grab their own cups of wine from the tray held by Mentz, ready to join the collective toast. However, Kellar caught their hands with a firm grip, pulling the drink out of their reach.
"You are not drinking wine tonight," said Kellar, looking at his six women with a serious expression.
Maya knitted her brow in confusion, while Mila stared at him with wide eyes puzzled by the restriction.
"Why can’t we toast?" said Maya, eyeing the mug with desire. "It’s a night of celebration, Kellar, it’s just one drink."
"Because alcohol is harmful to the creatures growing inside your bellies," said Kellar, speaking with medical authority as he looked at the crowd listening in silence. "Wine taints the blood and disrupts the growth of unborn babies. From now on, no pregnant woman in this tribe will taste a single drop of alcohol."
A murmur of awe rippled through the villagers and hunters. That was a completely new revelation for the northern people, who usually drank without distinction during festivities. However, since the words came directly from the shaman’s mouth, no one dared to doubt their truth; the hunters nodded reverently, taking mental note of the lesson for their own families.
"Mentz!" said Kellar, turning toward the master of works. "Bring pitchers of sweet fruit juice and fresh water for them."
"Right away, Great Shaman!" said Mentz, bowing his head before rushing toward the storehouses alongside two workers.
Within minutes, Kellar’s women received their cups filled with fresh mountain berry juice. Maya tasted the drink with a satisfied smile and clinked her glass against Lía’s, who wore a radiant expression while gently stroking her belly.
"Let the feast continue!" said Kellar, raising his mug once again toward the musicians and warriors. "Music, meat, and celebration for everyone until dawn!"
The beast-hide drums thundered once more across the central plaza, and the main bonfire burned even brighter amidst the freezing night.
Kellar kept Lía comfortably seated on his lap, wrapping one arm around her waist while she rested her head on his shoulder. With his free hand, Kellar began signing gently before the young woman’s face, accompanying his finger movements with a warm gaze.
"Welcome to the family, Lía," said Kellar, also transmitting a wave of pure affection through the bond connecting their minds.
Mila and Maya settled beside them, joining the moment. Maya gave Lía’s hand an affectionate squeeze, while Mila tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.
"You’ll see that you’ll never lack anything here," said Mila, smiling at her with tenderness. "Now we’ll all take care of each other."
"And you’re going to have to get used to the mess in this house," said Maya, with a teasing giggle. "Especially when Kellar gets stubborn."
Suddenly, a voice echoed directly inside the heads of Kellar, Mila, Lía, and the others: "Hey! I’m not that stubborn, I just maintain order."
Maya jumped in her seat and immediately covered her mouth, her eyes wide open.
"I forgot the bond transmits thoughts!" said Maya, bursting into laughter upon seeing Kellar’s incredulous expression. "I thought I was just saying that to myself!"
"We’re going to have to learn to filter what we think or this will be chaos," thought Loria, causing everyone to burst into collective laughter as they heard her mental voice as clearly as if she were speaking out loud.
Lía, feeling the direct flow of their thoughts through the bond, understood every joke perfectly. An expression of utter awe and happiness lit up her face; for the first time in her life, she could "hear" the voices and emotions of others without barriers. However, as soon as Maya and Mila began chatting out loud to each other without projecting their thoughts into the bond, Lía blinked in mild confusion, seeing their lips move without hearing anything.
"That’s right, when we only speak with our mouths she can’t hear us," said Elia, noticing the shift in the girl’s gaze and immediately making the welcome sign with her hands. "We must use the bond or hand signs so she isn’t left out of the conversation!"
Kellar took Lía’s hand and warmly projected his thought to her: "They are learning to communicate with you. You are safe here."
"Thank you... I hear you... I hear all of you," thought Lía through the bond, causing the women to let out soft gasps of emotion at feeling her mental voice so pure and clear.
On the other side of the table, Ron watched the scene with a mug in his hand and a broad smile spanning his face. Never in his life had he seen his sister so relaxed, so full of light, and connected so deeply with people. The anguish he had carried for years feeling she was isolated and defenseless completely melted away that evening, knowing that now they both had a true home under the shaman’s protection.