The Union knows something. They keep close contact with the entire continent, much more than any other nation, and something is happening on the other side of the continent. We cannot yet be sure of what it is, but I have received a vision, and I know that something has arisen, something that bears a threat to the whole of the Holy State.

You all shall now call upon every favor and power and threat that is available to you that you might gain some insight on what has happened. The Beastkin should be your first avenue of information, as they have citizens across the continent. If you find nothing, you have not found everything. Search together, alone, and however necessary to ensure the Holy State of the Veratocracy is apprised of all things.

-Missive from the Gran Verat to the High Veran and Veran.

With just the three of us, it was agonizingly slow to drag three carcasses back to the den. Foire had been able to run down the wounded deer and slay it, which I almost regretted as he tried his best to drag it to the den entrance we’d just learned about. After maybe a quarter of an hour was wasted with us three trying to drag our prey back to the den, I sighed and turned to Shemira.

“Go get enough of the pack to help us get these back before morning.”

For a moment, she and Foire both looked at me, puzzled and perhaps a bit confused. “We need to move, we don’t know what might find us here. Hurry up, Shemira.”

Finally realizing that I was showing her the trust I’d promised, Shemira nodded, and with a pleased flick of her tail, she sprinted off. Foire, never questioning and always loyal, simply dragged his carcass towards me until the three bodies were piled together. Then, still without hesitation or argument, he quickly scaled a nearby tree to ensure we were aware of anything that was approaching. I still wasn’t sure how exactly his locating abilities worked, but I figured it was effectively an extension of our warmth-based perception. How that extended so far beyond our own abilities was beyond me, but so too was Sybil’s, Shemira’s, or Vefir’s magic.

Thinking of Vefir, I rolled my shoulder as best I could without causing any flare-ups in my pain while I idly drained my sonilphon, noting when the counter ticked over to 17/50. The damage had been mostly righted by Vefir and my evolution, but I still couldn’t move it as completely or easily as before. Hopefully, with continual ministrations, I would recover fully, but even if I never did, at least I still had the arm.

I stayed close to the bodies, and instead of enjoying the scent, I turned my attention to my [Status]. The addition of Mature Scaled Deer (Martanimis) behind the Terrorbird was good to see, and looking down to my [Skill] list, I was excited to see [Bloodlust]’s changes. I realized, taken aback, that I had never seen any description of what the [Skill] did before now.

[Previous Skill: Bloodlust; when incited by the shedding of blood or intense desire to shed blood or enact violence, the Skill user will find themselves enveloped by rage, thus heightening their battle prowess and ability to ignore debilitation, at the cost of rationality. This skill can evolve. Skill Evolution requirements; Skill user must succumb completely to the influence of the Skill at least once. COMPLETE. Skill user must entirely reject the influence of the Skill at least once. COMPLETE. Evolution to Improved Bloodlust complete.]

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[Current Skill: Improved Bloodlust; when the Skill user deems it necessary, they will find themselves enveloped by a cooler, more calculated rage, thus heightening their battle prowess and senses, at the cost of the slight loss of rationality. This drain on sanity is lesser than that of the original [Bloodlust] skill, but the longer the Skill is invoked, the more complete the loss of rationality. This skill can evolve. Conditions: Hidden.]

Interesting. Nothing less than what I had already guessed was the consequence of the activation of the [Skill], but seeing it out in plain language truly told me that I had been indulging in enjoying shedding blood. I didn’t regret that, it had helped me on my path, had been a qualifier for my first evolutions, and had forced me to confront my new reality. Oncli had been different, softer. Maybe happier, but his softness couldn’t continue and blaze new trails, and it certainly couldn’t lead.

Looking at my new [Skill], I was quite pleased until I looked lower down, ready to enjoy my upcoming evolution’s checklist reducing in size:

[-Young Sonic Magicblood Brood Alpha Khatif. Requirements: Evolution of Bloodlust Skill to Combatant’s Bloodlust, Evolution of Sonilphon, Brood Alpha race (Completed).

I hadn’t qualified for this evolution’s [Bloodlust] requirement. Quickly, I reread my new [Skill]: [Improved Bloodlust]. Not Combatant’s. On top of that, it was saying that the evolutionary condition for the [Skill] was hidden! Immediately, I was cursing the Administrative Body in my mind. Hadn’t I been promised clarity and guidance? Was I still being thwarted at every step, to be held back artificially from my birthright? I was sure that the Administrator was as always, trying to keep the rest of the Body from deliberately denying me my options for growth.

[The Administrator speaks personally: In this isolated case, I am withholding this Skill’s evolution from you for a time. If you were to know how to evolve this, it would severely damage your leadership’s hold, and would have lasting consequences on your rule. I will ensure that you learn of the requirements soon.]

And how soon could I expect soon to be? You yourself said that for me to begin to understand your timelines I would be speaking in millennia!

[The Administrator laughs and speaks: I will disclose the evolutionary requirements before you reach “adulthood”. I will ensure that you have the option to pass at least one growth period whilst within the khatif line. That should be more than sufficient for you.]

Again, I choked back curses at being held back by something I couldn’t see or begin to comprehend. She obviously wanted me to grow stronger and more competent, so why would she be pulling me back now? For maybe the first time, I began to doubt the Administrator’s intentions. A [System] notification flashed in the corner of my eye, but seeing that it was another message from the Administrator, I ignored it.

I recognized that I was being petty for ignoring the message, but I couldn’t bring myself to care. So far as I could tell, there was no reason to withhold that information from me. After all, any hatchlings born khatif would have immense benefits beyond being a keelish, even if they weren’t born with any magic. Their Stats would be incomparably higher and with the increase to their base intelligence, they would better be able to adapt and grow–

I was shaken from my hopes and frustrations as Shemira returned with five others in tow. Disregarding my own thoughts, I turned and began to help the others begin to haul the corpses back to the den.