Landor knew it was time for a gamble. He said, "Chief, wouldn't it be better to test the flowers first?"
The Chief looked at the Council and said, "Landor's words do hold some merit. What say all of you?"
The Council members looked at each other and nodded. One of them said, "We are also in agreement. Discarding something without even trying goes against all our traditions."
Another member said, "But we must be cautious as well. What if the flowers really are cursed? Someone needs to step up to test them."
Landor said, "I'll do it."
The Head Elder shook his head. "It must be someone neutral," he said. Then he looked at the Village Chief.
The Chief inwardly sneered. The old fogey was trying to set him up. He had heard the rumours about the so-called cursed boy. But he wasn't so foolish as to believe them. Of course, that didn't mean that he would stop the rumours.
They didn't affect him anyway. Only two things mattered to him. The safety of the village and Roan. The only reason he had let the old idiot live for so long was that his death would cause unrest in the village.
Things were different now. With him being so old, his death wouldn't really be unexpected, would it? But right now, he looked at the boy hiding behind the warrior. He said, "Daren of Ga'al, come forward."
He saw the boy staggering a little at first. But then his eyes became resolute. He came forward and said, "Greetings to the Chief."
The Chief said, "May you find strength in struggle. Child, summon your Anima."
Daren hesitated for a second before saying, "I cannot do that here. This hall will be destroyed."
"Very well. We'll move outside," the Chief nodded and said. They moved outside the hall, and Daren summoned his Anima. The banyan tree appeared behind him, its hanging roots adorned with blooming violet flowers.
The Village Chief's eyes widened. The flowers were pretty, but they were also familiar. He had definitely seen them somewhere before. He just couldn't remember where. He walked towards the boy and grabbed a root. He smelled the flowers. They smelled sweet and musky. But he detected something else as well. It was extremely subtle, but the flowers smelled of blood.
He broke one off from the root and put it in his mouth. He chewed and swallowed. Almost instantly, he felt a slight current swimming throughout his body. It didn't really affect him that much. He ate another flower. But this time, he focused on the current, and he finally understood what it was doing. His eyes shot open. He looked at the tiny boy in front of him incredulously.
He said, "Maro, bring one of the injured hunters here."
Maro nodded and left. A few moments later, he returned. He had brought Nord with him. Nord had almost broken his arm on this hunt. The Village Chief broke three flowers of the root and said, "Nord, eat these. Don't worry. I've tested them myself. They are safe."
Nord nodded and ate the flowers. He was only an Anima Soldier, so the currents he felt were a lot more intense than the Chief's. The warm currents rushed to his broken arm. And then he almost screamed. His arm had begun to itch violently. And it burned. Thankfully, it was only for a few moments.
When these intense sensations finally ceased, he looked at the Village Chief with questioning eyes. The Village Chief said, "Try moving your arm."
Nord was confused. His arm? But it was broken. Wait, why wasn't it hurting anymore? He carefully moved the once broken arm. It had been healed. The Chief asked, "How do you feel?"
Nord replied, "My arm has healed. It is no longer broken. I can even join tomorrow's hunt."
Landor sighed in relief and looked at Mar and the Head Elder, "Are the flowers still cursed?"
The Chief and the Council members exchanged glances. An old man stood up. Even the Chief had some respect for the man. He was currently the oldest member of the village, the village healer from back when his father was the Village Chief. The old man said, "Child, come here."
Daren went to the old man, and the old man examined his Anima. He said something to Daren in a low voice. Daren's eyes widened. His Anima moved, and the roots wrapped themselves around the old man's arm. A few moments later, Daren was grasping for breath, and his Anima disappeared. The old man smiled and ruffled Daren's hair.
He said, "The boy is a healer. There is no doubt about that."
The old man sat back down and closed his eyes. The Village Chief nodded respectfully. He said, "So it has been decided. The boy is to be a healer. But the concerns remain. It's as you said, Landor, the village hasn't treated Daren fairly. What if he seeks revenge one day?
Even if he doesn't, it won't be simple to change the villagers in just a few days. And if his resentment grows, who will stop him?"
Landor realised that the Chief was hinting at something. He asked, "Then what do you propose, Chief?"
The Chief smiled subtly and said, "The boy may be a healer, but he must also become a warrior."
Landor replied, "I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean by that."
The Chief explained, "His power feeds on life to heal. Then he must become a healer on the battlefield. Someone who can heal his allies and slay his enemies."
Landor protested, "He is but a child. You would make a tool out of him already?"
The Village Chief shook his head and said, "It's for his own good. As his reputation increases on the battlefield, the villagers will surely start treating him better. And he will advance faster."
Landor was silent for a moment before his eyes steeled. He asked, "I wonder if your decision would remain the same if it wasn't Daren but Roan. Would you still send him to the battlefield?"
Anger ignited in the Chief's eyes as he said, "Don't you dare bring my grand–"
He was interrupted by Daren. Daren replied, "I'll do it. If it means not being useless, then I'll do it."
The Village Chief scoffed, "See, even the boy understands his duty."
Landor glanced at Daren and said, "Not yet. Not before he has absorbed his first Origin Bead and become an Anima Soldier. We do not send children to the battlefield. As are our customs."
He looked at the Council members. The Village Chief also understood what he was doing. He asked, "And until then?"
Landor replied, "Daren will provide his flowers and heal the injured warriors. But, he must be granted the right to claim three entire beasts of his choice from every hunt."
The Village Chief immediately shook his head and said, "You ask for too much."
Fierce negotiations ensued. Finally, the Chief said, "The boy will give his flowers and his service to the village. In return, he will get one corpse of his choice from every hunt. Additionally, you may hunt what you want for him at your own discretion as long as it doesn't put the village in danger or infringe on your duties. Are we in agreement?"
Landor nodded and replied, "Agreed."
Landor and Daren finally returned to their hut. The boy had been called Withered Roots, a curse to the village. Tonight, he had been bound anew — not to despair, but to duty.