Chapter 475
I swept the dagger down in a straight line across all three throats, the blood curling in an arc through the air and onto the closest spectators. My people cheered as our attackers' lives were reaped, but Nievtala’s blessing, whatever it was that she was promising us, had yet to descend on us all. The blood that pooled on the altar turned into a thick smoke that choked the air, skirting around me, but flowing towards every one of the audience members, whether they be Kha, Khatif, or Keel.
The bloody smoke filled the entire temple as coughing filled the air, and I saw as scarlet painted every one of my watching people. I could see the changes that took place in those closest to me, and I disregarded the System notification that flashed as pulses of pleasure thrummed like a heartbeat from the aura. Our goddesses approval was a potent drug, and with it came an obvious change. Between the scales of each of the Saharliard pulsed a bloody light, something that glowed only barely perceptibly. Their bodily makeups didn’t change as this happened, but I could hear their heartbeats growing stronger and slightly faster, the sound carried to me a hundred times over through the influence of my magic.
The three corpses were left forgotten in front of me as my people went from excited but mostly controlled to an anxious mob, ready to run out and destroy whatever they came across. The sound of drool dripping between fangs and onto the ground was just barely audible as a few of the less intelligent Saharliard were consumed with this rage.
As I observed what happened, Shraal stepped behind and pulled twice on the hem of my robes.
“May I address our people?”
I flared my frills and stepped back as he spoke.
“Feel the power of our goddess in you. The Misti Hawar had to gain a blessing like this to be able to stand against our un-enhanced ranks. Their god, the creator of the wyrms which cannot stand together as a people and are forced to resort to ambushes to attempt to harm us, gave them a blessing like this in order to attempt to do anything to our assembled might. Even with this strength that you now feel, they still couldn’t breach our walls, and now our goddess has granted her approval! We’ll be granted an even greater strength than they, and can now run towards victory!”
The words were greeted with hisses and roars or adulation, every person thrilled to agree with him as he continued his sermon. His words were powerful, impressive and drew my people in. I could feel some measure of a Skill similar to Imperial Bearing influencing the way that he spoke, but instead of instilling respect, it made it so his words affected people’s emotions more easily. It was something like Sybil, Shemira, or Farahlia’s magic, but there was something different about it. I didn’t care to learn what that difference was, and instead read the description of what’d just happened, as explained by the System.
New divine Skill bestowed on your subordinates. Skill originates from the Administrator for whom you are the designated Voice. Skill description shared with you.