Every youth in the clearing, regardless of their arrogance or fear, held their breath. The damp, mist-heavy air of the Shamanic Grove suddenly felt as though it had been pulled thin, replaced by a crushing, invisible gravity.
Even Sol felt a strange, involuntary tightening in his chest. The endless sky within him seemed to darken slightly, the golden liquid bubbling with a sudden, violent hunger.
"These are the undisputed kings of their respective territories," Zephyra said, not looking at the youths, but staring down at the three Blood jades with a mixture of awe and terror. "They do not run in packs, they lead them. They do not scavenge; they conquer. Even if an essence born do manage to get strong, much stronger than others, other beast will still not follow him, but an omen one can easily command them.
