Chapter 13: Lion Tribe Rules

Years later, I would soon turn thirteen after the winter. We still constantly collaborate with the other tribes regarding their progress on provisions every autumn, as preparation for winter, to ensure the safety of the people of the allied tribes.

It was midwinter, and the heat and egg-laying season were in full swing for the Forest Lion Tribe. Different types of scent could be sensed all over the territory, indicating that most of the mature and youngling members of the tribe were undergoing their estrous and rut, while some had already laid their eggs and were already in the process of incubating them.

The Elder Healer and I were busy brewing a tremendous amount of suppressant for the younglings and the unmarried males to prevent any unwanted incidents. I thought to myself that it had been too peaceful at the tribe for many days already. However, there was an intense sense of an eerie feeling that was bothering me for some reason.

A female youngling suddenly rushed to the Elder Healer's abode, asking for help—she was bleeding excessively.

We immediately placed her in the bed for the patients while the Elder Healer was checking on her.

"Ari, brew some blood-replenishing herbs as I instructed before," the Elder Healer instructed.

I did as I was ordered and carefully brought the medicine to the Elder Healer when I found her face darkened in fright.

"Ari, dear, call our Alpha—tell him there is an urgent situation and I need him here."

She was trembling in fear while tending to the female youngling. I was also nervous and confused. Even so, I immediately flew out of the treehouse to find my father despite the heavy snow—I didn't bother with the cold since I was wearing my cloak, mask, and gloves.

I saw my father supervising the tribespeople as they created a bigger weaving tool, not far from the Elder Healer's treehouse.

"Father, Grandma Lony is looking for you—there is an urgent matter at her abode," I yelled as I approached my father from a distance while flying. "She looked terrified."

He suddenly let go of the thing he was holding, then tapped the shoulder of another tribesperson, bidding goodbye in a hurry.

We rushed back to the Elder Healer's place, and there we found the female youngling named Athea screaming in pain in her stomach. She seemed to be having an abortion and was in a dire condition.

My father and the Elder Healer suddenly asked me to go back to my room, as the situation was dire and terrifying.

When I got back to my room, I heard my father's terrifying roar, calling all the tribespeople furiously.

I was trembling as the scent of the males surrounding the treehouse suffocated me, causing me to almost faint, so I had to cover my nose using a few layers of handkerchiefs.

Male and female younglings were separated during the heat season to prevent unwanted incidents like this since they were naturally reckless and uncontrollable due to physical and mental immaturity.

A female beastman normally goes into heat only during mating season, but there were also reported cases where a female went into heat even before the mating season. So, the tribe occasionally tests the female younglings for early signs of estrous once they turn fifteen because their scent can literally drive the unmarried males crazy.

Both male and female younglings were given heat suppressants to help them through their estrous and rut during the mating season and suppress their scents and sense of smell.

Any male who is caught disregarding the rules shall be forced to become the guardian of the female and shall be forced to take a stronger rut suppressant while under the supervision of elders until they are allowed to be wed on the female's coming of age. The female youngling shall be banned from going out of her room except if necessary until her coming of age.

Guardian males are unofficial partners of the female but are not allowed to enter the female's room unless an emergency occurs. They are expected to provide for the needs of the female youngling, such as clothing, food, and other necessities.

The rules do not apply in an emergency or if the situation is forced by the male.

Any male who is caught forcing a female to have an illicit relationship shall be sterilized and chased out of the tribe unless the female admits their relationship to be mutual.

Sterilization is a process whereby a male beastman is deprived of the capacity to produce offspring by means of medications against infertility or removal of the reproductive organ.

The rules in our tribe are quite strict regarding relationships and reproduction, though the age they consider an adult is quite younger compared to the world where I lived in my previous life. The adult age in my previous life was 21.

The next day, the Elder Healer was so busy tending to Athea. But she still refrained from letting me help directly. I can only help her brew the herbs needed for the treatment.

A few days later, Athea miraculously survives despite the huge loss of blood with the help of the Elder Healer.

As soon as she can regain her strength a week later, a tribunal trial is held against a male youngling who claims to be her lover named Arvad.

He says that they love each other and have a relationship because they promised each other that they would be married a year later, upon their coming of age. However, according to him, Athea kept skipping her suppressant for a few days just because the medicine was too bitter for her. It was the reason why he lost control despite the suppressant he drank regularly due to their close distance when she had undergone the peak of her estrous.

I can feel his sincerity in his tone. I know he is telling the truth based on his calm and compassionate way of explaining his side. There are no traces of faults in his gestures and mannerisms while he is speaking.

The parents of the female youngling are extremely hostile to him, and Athea can't look at him as if she is the guilty one.

Despite the hesitation, she refuses the claim at the end and says she was forced and had no intention of accepting him as her guardian male while hiding in the embrace of her mother.

I know she is lying, but there is no supporting evidence or witnesses that the male youngling did not break into the female youngling's room, and all the witnesses claim that Arvad was a stalker and was allegedly caught skipping on taking the rut suppressant.

The elders, along with my father, decide to exile the male youngling and feed him an infertility poison despite the plea of his mother to reconsider the case.

It is extremely saddening to see a mother scream in agony as her precious son is dragged away and forcefully fed poison, then thrown out of the territory despite the extreme cold weather.

I can occasionally hear her cries for a few days, and the tribe's heat season is disturbed by the incident, so the number of eggs for that year is lesser than the previous year.