After the situation they witnessed, Moses, Atlas, and Dax returned to Lastwood with the group of mercenaries that accompanied them and the rescued people.
Arriving in the city, Moses didn't speak to Dax and Atlas before leaving with many things on his mind; he was angry but also determined to change.
He was grateful for the tribe and for many of the teachings of the elders who came before him. But he now had slightly different views than some of the people in his group and could no longer follow the old principles.
It was time for him to change his destiny and that of his group members!
...
As darkness fell in Lastwood, the Misty Woods Tribe group met as they regularly did to share their experiences.
But that night, part of the group acted differently, with strange looks and quieter than usual.
Seth noticed this as soon as he joined his people, picking up a meat skewer and turning his attention to the group closest to Elder Snyder.
Moses looked at him as if preparing to say something, but there was no need for the elder to speak. Feeling something different in the man's body, Seth realized Elder Snyder had already shed his old bonds.
"Elder, say what you want. Don't keep it all to yourself." Seth bitterly laughed as he closed his eyes in disappointment. 'You have consumed the resources that the people of this world use to strengthen themselves, huh...'
Moses clenched his fists and stood up, looking at everyone around the bonfire in the backyard of the estate where they were living in Lastwood.
"Seth, don't use your abilities on me. There's no need to rush me. I was just thinking about how to do what I have to do in the best way for our people." Moses commented, looking at the young man while those who didn't know what was happening looked at him strangely.
Moses continued, this time looking at his fellow tribesmen. "Folks, someone needs to tell you the truth. That someone is definitely not Seth! So I'm going to do it for our own good!
I don't want to force you into anything, but everyone here needs to understand that we've been living a lie for too long. The tribal elders made us believe that the world outside the island was sinful and that we would be corrupted if we left the island and used outside methods.
But that's all nonsense!" He said, changing the tone of his voice at the right moments and looking at the different people in his group.
"This morning, Atlas, Dax, and I witnessed the methods of the people of this continent. We saw a person who would have died on our island saved by people so weak that we can crush them with a single blow!"
"What?"
"That happened?" Asked the people in the group who didn't know what had happened.
Dax nodded in agreement but said nothing. He himself was confused and disappointed by the elders' method.
Atlas commented. "It is true. The three of us thought such a person was going to die, but not only has he been saved, he's already up and walking. I saw him before I came here, and the man is already talking."
"Incredible!"
"I didn't think this civilization had such fantastic methods." Some of the young people were sincere in their comments, while the elders saw the problem with all of this.
If such fantastic methods existed, why had they never been taught to develop skills or knowledge outside of their natural abilities?
Why had they been taught that the methods of those outside the island were corrupt and would lead them to degradation?
"What happened to this man? Has he changed in any way?" One of the elders asked.
Moses gave Atlas room to speak, knowing that even though this man was a follower of Seth, he would not lie about it.
Atlas said. "The man looks good. I spoke to his companions and asked if he looked different in any way. But he seems perfectly normal. He doesn't seem to have lost his essence or changed his personality."
"That..."
Seth opened his eyes and looked at Moses, feeling that it was time for this man to show what he really wanted.
Moses said. "After witnessing this, I decided to take a chance and consume the special resources of the people of this city."
"What?"
"How can you, elder? It's a sin!"
The group didn't react well, but Moses motioned for the people to give him a chance to explain himself. "I did what I did to demonstrate my theory. Ever since we arrived in these lands, I've been troubled by the lies we've been told on the island.
How many of our loved ones didn't die because of our forced ignorance?" He said, raising his tone, clearly angry.
"Now that I've consumed the resources of these people, I can say that everything we were told was bullshit. There's nothing wrong with consuming something unnatural! I didn't benefit as much from the pill I digested earlier, but that's because of my high level compared to the people in this city.
But I could feel some of that pill's great effects. Still, I'm here as I've always been. My personality hasn't changed. I am the same as before. The difference is that now I'm sure we were forced to live like animals for some unjustifiable bullshit! The damned..."
"Elder Snyder, be very careful what you say next," Seth said in his usually calm voice.
Moses looked at Seth and changed his sentence. "The elders lied to us. That's a fact!
My problem is, should we follow this person?" He pointed at Seth. "Should we follow the orders of a fanatic for the disingenuous elders of our tribe?"
"Elder Snyder, I don't care how you talk about me, but if you insult the elders of my tribe one more time, I will rip your tongue out." Seth stood up as he showed his terrible aura to his entire group.
The people there were powerful and could withstand that power for a while. But the city they were in soon showed signs of weakness, and the soil shook throughout Lastwood.
Moses was not intimidated and said. "Seth, if you want to continue to live by the old ways and respect our ancestors, that's up to you. But I will not do it from now on."
Moses looked at the group. "I still want revenge on the bastards who destroyed our village. No matter how much we've been tricked, our dead loved ones deserve justice, and they were victims of the old elders just like us.
However, I will not follow the customs of the old elders, nor will the traditions of the village limit me in seeking revenge for the deaths of our family and friends.
Those who wish to follow my path of vengeance, join me. I will leave Lastwood in the morning for the capital of the Vridor Dynasty!"