NOVEL NEXT Chapter 60
Old friend, we do not have much in common with the new nation of the Veratocracy. Some think of us as allied due to our mutual disregard towards all things linked to the gods, but for us it is a deliberate choice to disregard the “divine”. You should know that, keep your emotions from running away from you. On the other hand, the “heretics'' of the Veratocracy have created a god all of their own: The Gran Verat.
The whole nation’s worship of their ruler is of particular note and differs from that of you Sunkindred and the Moonchildren’s respect of the Allmother, though they are similar in nature. You of the Wilds believe the Allmother to be the chosen mouthpiece of the Bloody Mother, whereas the people of “The Holy State of the Veratocracy”, so pompously named, believe that the Gran Verat is, himself, a god, and thus his established nation is similarly celestial in origin. I have no doubt that their king is at least half as powerful as the stories claim, but I do doubt their doctrines of his supposed divinity.
Regardless, you need not fear that the whole nation of the Godless will rally behind the Veratocracy and march through the Sheer Pass so as to begin warring against your flanks in support of the Veratocracy. Though, of course, I cannot speak for every Sovereign of the Godless. They do tend to follow profit.
-Letter from Lord Ferrah of Harandal to Noonbright Teikhom
Before settling to rest, to allow my right shoulder to finally resume recuperation, I scanned through my [Status], looking for anything to have changed. The first notable addition was that behind my [Hunt 3 new species] [Quest] was the addition of [Progress: Mature Martanimis Terrorbird.] With that, I could be sure that my “participation” in the hunt of the scaled deer didn’t count, which was a relief, considering how I hadn’t participated in the hunt. If it had counted, then with my meager assistance I would gain nearly nothing additional once the [Quest] was completed.
Another creature to add to my list, I supposed. Otherwise, my [Status] remained mostly unchanged, just that I had exhausted my sonilphon a couple more times and aged another day. With my new evolution placed before me, I finally felt a true burning to evolve [Bloodlust]. I wasn’t sure what exactly would be the change to [Combatant’s Bloodlust], but I did like the sound of it.
Being reminded of my evolution, I felt to see if my sonilphon’s reserves had topped up once again. Not quite. With a sigh, I forced myself to greater wakefulness. Again, I was under pressure to evolve my sonilphon quickly, instead of simply emptying it once, maybe twice a day. It had slowly broadened its depths, being able to hold maybe 20% more now than when I had first acquired it, and while it did fill up slightly faster than before, the sonilphon’s replenishment hadn’t kept up with its growth. Thus, it took longer and longer between exhausting my sonilphon, and I needed to be much more proactive in keeping track of its availability.
Trying to focus myself, focus on what I needed to do to continue progressing, I stood and walked out of my quarters. In the communal area, Sybil stood giving instructions to a couple of the previously troublesome members of the pack who quickly jumped to follow her instructions. I could see Shemira in the corner, accompanied by two of the keelish from her old pack, looking on Sybil’s leadership in envy. Took was resting, exhausted from hauling the massive prey back to the den, and Brutus, Treel, and Foire were nearby, also resting. Vefir was making his rounds, seeing and administering to whatever wounds he found, and I could hear sighs of relief everywhere he went.
Of the hunters that hadn’t participated in the hunt of the terrorbirds, at least half had left to go on hunts of their own. After what had happened today with the successful hunt, I no longer felt as if the keelish were little children without my accompaniment, and simply looked forward to whatever it was that they were able to bring back. With the pack’s individual level growth, the terrorbirds wouldn’t feed us all for even two days, so there was a definite need for continual hunting. So long as they didn’t range out too far, they would be fine.
With that in mind, I walked around the den, giving praise where I could, seeing if I felt anything “guidelike” towards any members of the pack. I had yet to encounter something so impactful as Vefir’s or even Foire’s possibilities, yet I was sure there would be something that came up eventually. Eventually, I had spent some time alongside each member of the pack, and noted that my sonilphon was again full. Carefully, I began to leak the magic to my throat and addressed the body of the pack.
“You all have done well. I am proud of what you’ve become, of what you are. Rest well, for tomorrow, we continue on this path.”
The words felt stilted coming out of my mouth. I’d never been a natural public speaker, and without whatever divine presence came with Speaking the words of Nievtala, I felt not much more than awkward. Still, I’d spoken, nodded in as confident a manner as I could muster, and finally returned to my quarters. There, I tried to move the magic to every part of my body, only getting the slightest response whenever the sonic magic was moved anywhere other than my throat. I knew there had to be more that I could do, that there could be something beyond my voice to influence with my magic, but I’d never been in a position like this before. I’d always had a guide when learning to Speak as a human.
That I could try to discover and learn how to use this magic, to influence my own path was daunting, and exciting all the same. To find new knowledge, to make myself more than I already was… to overcome the difficulties laid before me and dominate them. I recognized that I was categorizing everything as a trial to overcome, a fight to win, a new realm to conquer. The determination to continue on this path to ever more and ever greater ambitions, the drive to become more than I’d dreamed as a human, a mere son of a chief… Now, I was to become much more.
The fervor of my newfound drive and acceptance of my motivation drove another pulse of magic through me as I exhausted my sonilphon. I imagined I could feel myself strengthened with my resolve and that I felt something new stir within me with the newest attempt, and with a feeling of satisfaction, I laid down and let myself rest.
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