True to my personal vow, one more of the ambushing indlovu lay dead at my feet, making three of them. Even so, I felt no glory after the hunt. Fifteen splatters of crimson on the dirt were all that remained of my own subordinates. The mauls of the indlovu didn’t leave anything solid behind, a puree of pulped person were all that was left, and if someone hadn’t watched each one die, then we’d never have known how many of our own had died.

“Foire!” I barked. He stepped forward, head bowed and body language chagrined. “How do they keep sneaking up on us without anyone noticing? Where do they come from? How do they evade your notice?”

“I… have no excuse. They have good timing for their approach, so that’s been a problem–”

“I don’t care if they’ve had immaculate timing with every one of their Nievtala-cursed steps! I don’t care what devil of fortune has blessed them, I want to know how the miserable beasts have been able to ambush us twice! I didn’t feel their approach, and I guess you don’t see them??”

Foire, my abashed friend, hung his head in shame, and I forcefully gathered myself. “It isn’t just your fault. I shouldn’t act as if it were. I apologize for my anger. It isn’t your fault, and I shouldn’t have lashed out at you like this.” Several keelish around audibly gasped at my audible apology. “I need to you figure out how to see these bastards coming. I don’t care how you need to learn that, you have my permission to drag anyone away from any assignment at any time to figure out how these gigantic monsters are able to move the way that they do.”

My trusted scout flared his frills in agreement and I dismissed him with a flick of my wrist. “Now, feast! Eat your fill and then more, because this much meat will spoil quickly!” I beckoned for my swarm to gorge themselves before tearing a long strip from my first prey’s back, where I’d torn into him at first. Then, I walked to the side, where, frustration mounting, I glanced at my [System]

[Status updated. Skill acquired.]

I ignored the sounds of devouring and bone crunching behind me and instead focused on the changes in my [Status]. Adversary had ticked over to 9/10, confirming my near certainty that the indlovu was a much stronger individual than me. More interestingly to me, though, was the notification that came to me from the Words of Power that I’d finally been able to speak, even though I’d tried and failed to do so before.

[The user has discovered the True iteration of the Fifth of the Words of Power of Nievtala. The user has been blessed with the greater blessing of victory. The user has been granted the Skill Victor’s Spoils.]

A new [Skill] was always welcome, and, as I stood in the crimson slurry of sand from the indlovu’s blood underfoot, I realized I probably knew what the effect of this [Skill] would be.

[Skill: Victor’s Spoils; a passive Skill granted to the select representatives of Nievtala. When the Skill’s holder slays a foe, the holder will regain some of their strength from the dead. The amount of recovery gained by the holder is a percentage of and commensurate with the strength of the slain foe. This Skill cannot evolve.]

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

With a grin, I patted along my side where the indlovu’s tusk had scored a deep scratch along my ribs. Even though neither Vefir nor Etra had come to tend to me, the previously weeping wound now was scabbed over and not nearly so agonizing as before. As I stood and gently brushed a finger over the partially recovered laceration, Vefir came close, clicking his tongue in frustration. For my part, I didn’t try to avoid his displeasure. Always, he warned me to be careful, and always I forgot or simply disregarded his sage counsel.

“Here.” Vefir grunted, his healing delivered to me in a none too gentle tail slap just under the long scratch. I gasped in pain as my wounds were replaced by hale and hearty scales. “Permission to speak about something?” Vefir asked, his tone clipped.

“Yes, I’ll be more careful.”

“No, not that.”

I perked up, hopeful he’d speak about something else entirely.

“You need guards. You need someone who will stay by your side and minimize the risk you encounter. I am always available to support you and the swarm, but it’s so much easier to heal many small wounds than a couple big ones. And, as always, if you die, so too does this swarm.”

I flared my frills, trying to actually drill the idea into my head this time. Vefir stepped away, his healing and warning complete. Shemira stepped close and nudged his hip with her own as she began to tease him. I smiled at the sight, and then, something occurred to me. I couldn’t help but wonder why the boon I’d gained from Speaking the Fifth of the Words of Power was obviously different from what Vefir had been able to accomplish when he’d saved Sybil’s life back when we were still on the other side of the Samutelia. His “blessing of victory”, or whatever he’d been given, had instead empowered his magic, something wholly different from what I was experiencing. Why?

[The Administrator answers: the boons received from the Speaking of a Phrase will differ from one individual to the next, even if the same blessing is given. In certain species, though, the physical alteration will occur in the exact same stages and order through every individual in the species.]

Like with the Moonchildren’s fingers and eyes?

[Exactly. According to what the Bloodsoaked Priestess told you, the Moonchildren have six Phrases, one for each finger in order, and then the final for the eyes. There are exceptions to–]

The Administrator went silent, obviously having overstepped once again. Her message returned, surly and frustrated.

[Anyways. The Moonchildren speak their Phrases in order. The Beastkin do not, as their entirety of their Phrase… No, I can’t explain that or I’ll be silenced. Nievtala’s Words of Power, the Keel’s Words, bless each individual slightly differently, though you, as a Disciple gain greater benefits. Anyways, that’s not the point. What was I saying? Ah, yes. Each keelish or khatif will gain different boons from speaking each of the Phrases, but upon speaking the entirety of the Words of Power, they will qualify to evolve into a Keel. There are other changes that will arise therefrom, but that’s neither here nor there. Basically, you’ll grow in a way slightly tailored towards yourself.]

I flared my frills, supposing she could see. Then, thinking that she possibly couldn’t, I whispered and thought, “Thank you” under my breath.

Now, we needed to continue our journey east… and find whether I would need to progress some other [Quest] requirements to keep more indlovu from thinking they could ambush and slaughter us out of nowhere. After all… I wouldn’t mind the opportunity to grow.