Village Head's Debauchery

After patiently waiting for Greta to fall asleep, Orion gently lifted her up and carried her back into the hut to ensure she could rest more comfortably.

Perhaps it was the creak of the door or the weight of his footsteps, but the moment Orion entered the room, the unknown woman abruptly opened her eyes. They widened at first, fixed on Orion as he walked in with a sleeping Greta. 

Then, she sprang to her feet, eager for a closer look. 

"You... You're awake," Lola stammered, making an effort to confirm that she wasn't just imagining things.

Orion nodded in response and signalled to the woman to unfurl a third mat that had been folded nearby. This would provide a more comfortable resting place for Greta until she woke up. 

Then, he turned his attention to the middle-aged woman standing by his side. 

"I'm sorry, but I don't recognize who you are," he admitted truthfully. "Can I ask for your name?"

The unknown woman examined Orion from head to toe before responding. She shook her head. "There's no need to apologize. We've never crossed paths, so, understandably, you don't recognize me. My name is Lola; I'm the Village Healer's assistant," she replied with a warm smile as she met Orion's gaze.

Realizing that Lola was Aunt Greta's assistant, Orion nodded in acknowledgement. 

"Alright, can you get me something to eat, Lola? I'm feeling a bit hungry," he said, hearing a slight rumble in his stomach.

Lola instantly understood and nodded. "Please rest a bit longer, Mr. Orion, while I go prepare some fruits for you to eat. I'll also need to report your recovery to the Village Chief and the others."

Orion nodded in agreement. "Alright," he replied. 

Since he had been kidnapped alongside Saria by Stronghold Leader Drakar, it was clear that they would all be concerned and eagerly waiting for his recovery to find out what had taken place during their disappearance. 

With this in mind, Orion asked, "Am I the only one who was rescued?"

Upon hearing Orion's sudden question, Lola let out a deep breath and nodded. "Yes, you were the only one rescued and brought back to the village. Everyone has been anxiously waiting for you to wake up so you can tell us what happened after you were abducted by Stronghold Leader Drakar, and whether Saria is still alive."

Orion frowned inwardly at her words. 

'So it seems I was somehow expelled from the mountain after completing the trial. But why?' Orion thought. 

He remembered that Aegis of the Arctic Deity had offered him a chance to leave the mountain, which he had declined, choosing to stay. Therefore, he couldn't help but wonder if Aegis of the Divine Deity had taken the opportunity to send him out of the mountain shortly after he completed the trial.

Furrowing his brows, Orion couldn't quite pinpoint the reason why Aegis of the Arctic Deity would take such an action, unless he also held some grudge against the Prismerions. 

Given his control over the mountain, which made it challenging for the Prismerions to navigate, Orion couldn't deny that Aegis of the Divine Deity might have removed him to prevent him from assisting the Prismerions in gaining their freedom.

'That bastard,' Orion thought. 

If the other individual weren't a god, and essentially just a wisp of a god's soul, he might have contemplated how well his lightning could burn him to a crisp.

Nevertheless, Orion chose to set this issue aside for now and focus his attention on the current matter at hand.

"How long have I been unconscious?" Orion asked.

"You were brought back to the Village two days ago, but the warriors found you unconscious a day before that, so we're not exactly sure how long you've been out," Lola replied, shaking her head with a deep sigh.

Orion remained silent. His face grew stiff as he realized that the war might have already occurred. 

The idea of the Crystalforge Clan winning the war didn't seem plausible to him, considering the Queen's current condition and the fact that many of the Crystalforge Clan's elite warriors who had participated in the trial had died. 

It was fair to say that the current Crystalforge Clan appeared as an empty shell when compared to the other five major clans.

Just the thought of what might happen to Merida, Maya, and the others was enough to trigger a sudden headache at the back of Orion's mind. 

He took a deep breath and refocused his attention on Lola. 

"Alright, I understand," he responded, watching as Lola nodded. 

"Please rest a bit, Mr. Orion. I'll be back soon," Lola said, before quickly leaving the hut and closing the door.

Orion took the opportunity to follow her advice, sitting down to rest and gather his thoughts. 

His attention soon shifted to his sleeping Aunt Greta, who appeared to be experiencing the sweetest dream of her life, giggling and blushing repeatedly with a beautiful smile on her face.

Slowly, a smile settled on his face as he gazed at her weary expression, unable to ignore how his mother, Reena, Fifi, Grandma Ingrid, and the rest had coped with his absence.

If they were in a condition similar to Greta's, then he would have to find a way to make it up to them one way or another.

….

As Orion concluded his explanation, he observed the unknown middle-aged man sitting beside the Village Chief, the Village Chieftess, Stronghold Leader Zogar, and surprisingly Anara. 

They all sat in front of him, processing his explanation with sceptical raised brows.

"Are you certain that this is the entirety of what transpired since you were abducted by Stronghold Leader Drakar?" Stronghold Leader Zogar asked, his voice laced with scepticism.

Although he had no reason to doubt Orion's words, given that Seth and the warriors sent to rescue them had all confirmed finding Orion near a mountain. 

But believing in a group of unknown individuals living within it, surviving on a garden similar to their farm, alongside a vengeful god intending to kill them, all imprisoned by Naka, was an account that not only he found difficult to believe but was sure that anyone in his position would also be sceptical about.