Staring at a hundred Bloodkins, their crimson eyes pulsing with hunger and dark yearning, Kaelor remained still, unflinching. The scent of blood wafting from the rabbit would have driven lesser creatures into a frenzy, yet before his presence, they had no choice but to hold it in. His will shackled theirs.
"Never quench your thirst with the blood of my subjects," he said, his voice deep, deliberate, and firm. "Go into the forest and feed on any beast you lay your eyes on."
Kaelor raised his arm and pointed toward the dusky horizon, beyond the towering outer wall where the wilderness stretched in shadows. At his command, the Bloodkins began to stir, their wings stretching wide, membranes taut like obsidian sails.
Then, with a chorus of wingbeats, they soared skyward, blotting out the moon for a heartbeat as they surged toward the forest like a flock of monstrous birds.
