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"Kal, Mal, come closer." I commanded as I bestowed the illusory feather and immaculate body mutations to them and myself. Our bodies immediately shifted. Already I could felt my body tighten and compress. I felt the wind more pronouncedly and my hearing and sense of smell also become better. Kal and Mal bodies also changed. Kal’s bulk compress and become leaner while keeping his strength. His muscle and abs more pronounced. While Mal’s body have no visible changes other than her body become more voluptuous. Then long feathers starts to grow on their mane and on my nape. The feathers varies in length, most as long as a hand while a few grow as long as a forearm. They shines in various color in light like a bismuth.
"The feather could work as a disguise or camouflage. I haven’t test it personally. So Kal, you might can test it and tell me how it works. Mal, share this with the rest but prioritize the ones on search party first." Both nodded
"Then how about Lak?" Mal asked while glancing a bit to the left where Lak with her ears down as she is not called like the rest.
"I will have her help me with something else.". I said with a smile. Seems like both are working together properly.
"Now Druig, it’s your turn.". He come closer then I gave the same two mutations with the addition of the fiery strength. Druig grits his teeth as his change is much more pronounced. First his body compress, his body proportion also become better as his bulk spread more evenly. Then his muscles enlarge again. Druig starts coughing blood before spewing fire from his mouth and smoke from his nose. I watched in awe as he stands again. This time I barely reached his chest.
"Thank you mother." Druig said with heavier voice.
Blood Concept level up
Level 6 -> Level 7
Nice.. Just three more level until it can evolve too
"Now go on. Continue with your work." The three then left to gather their search party and Mal bestow the new mutations on them.
"Lak, follow me.". She immediately perk up and follows me. We go to the crafters. I ask them to fell a tree and bring the trunk to me. As the crafters went with my task I turn at Lak. First I bestow her the two mutations like the rest. Then I taught her how to make the totems.
"Teach this to Valeria and the other lesser daemons. They should be able to help you. Carve strength and endurance enchantments on the totems and place them around the camp." She nodded enthusiastically. Then I left her as she starts calling Valeria and the lesser daemons. I start bestowing the mutations to Valeria and the lesser daemons one by one. Then I move to help Mal and bestow the rest of the herd to level my Blood concept.
Blood Concept level up
Level 7 -> Level 8
—-
Meanwhile Kal and Druig decided to be a little more proactive in their search. The search parties are instead organized as war parties. Both decided that this is the chance to find and kill the other beastmen herds that have been harassing them since entering Drakwald. Druig lead 20 other Bovigors and start stampeding around the radius of a dozen or so kilometers from the camp. Chasing after any beastmen that does not have golden furs. They found a small herd of few hundred and bulldoze straight through them. The Khorngor leading the small herd have his body exploded by Druig’s punch. The remains along with those unfortunate are flattened as the golden bulls stampede through. A party of 50 Caprigors are directly behind. Killing any stragglers that is not flattened or managed to run away. A group of a dozen tuskgor raiders also follow and took the surviving beastwomen away.
Kal meanwhile lead his party of 200 Caprigors and 50 Werewolves. They test the illusory feathers. Not fully invisible but camouflaged enough to fully surround the other herd’s camp when the glamor wore off. A few minutes, Kal’s counted. Then he led his party and slaughter the other herd to the last beastmen. Kal took the beastmen as they continue to hunt down the other herds. Only when the vicinity clear of all what they saw as lesser beastmen herds do they start the search for the stone.
All of this is witnessed by murders of crows. A murder stays to watch over the golden herd camp while the other two murders of crows returns to their master on what they witnessed.
—
Malagor folds his dark feathered wing and sat on a barren hill. Somewhere east of Altdorf. He picks a skull, one from the many tied to his clothes and throw it away. Then he picks up his rusty but chaos marked carving knife. He picks a fresh head of a woman with blond hair and blue eyes. A former judge priestess from the Order of Scalebearers that worship Verena, the goddess of law, justice, and wisdom. Then he carve the eyes out in glee. Now the head mirrored their goddess’ depiction as a blind woman.
This has been his favorite past time after desecrating and destroying the temples of human gods. Taking souvenirs of the priest’s or priestess’ head and carve it into a mockery of their gods. This time he just finished leading a herd to destroy a small town within the Border Princes Confederacy. Destroying and desecrating a library and courthouse dedicated to Verena in the process. He pushed a rope into one of the eye socket and pull out the rope from the other. Tying the head then put them in his collection of human priest and priestess head.
The murder of crows he has sent to watch over the dark gods newest pawn returned. His small sense of joy immediately replaced with the familiar flame of hatred and envy. The small herds he have manipulated into fighting the golden herd now all died. But nothing of value is lost. They are just small herds that the dark gods barely noticed.
What he hate is how all of them are blessed by the dark gods. And now they bore more marks from the dark gods. The illusory feathers they now have is unmistakably from Tzeentch. The golden bull sudden increase in size and strength is from Khorne. All of the golden herd bodies is now looks like they are molded by Slaanesh. They are taller and more powerful version of beastmen. Malagor could see what the dark gods planned. A second Everchosen as a contender for the one in the north.
He looked on his own wings. Once he thought that he is the most blessed among the beastmen. Now the wing only serve as a reminder on what he don’t have compared to the golden herd. What’s more the dark gods commanded him to test them. But he start to laugh at this notion as a plan formed in his mind. Well, if it is a test the dark gods want, he will make it. He unfurled his wing and start to fly to the province of Talabecland. He has news for the Taurox, the Brass Bull regarding a new Golden Bull.