Chapter 36: The Moon-Sworn Envoy
The camp was no longer at rest.
Every corner of the Crimson Howl territory buzzed with preparation. Wolves sharpened their blades and reinforced defenses. Younglings were moved deeper into the caves, under the protective watch of the ancestors. The Oathstone glowed faintly with every new rule etched to prepare for what was coming.
Kael stood before the eastern ridge, cloak whipping behind him in the wind. His golden eyes were fixed on the horizon, where the blood-tinged moon still hung low, like an omen refusing to fade.
Flam approached quietly. "No one's slept. The entire pack feels it."
"They should," Kael murmured. "Something old is approaching. I can feel it in my bones."
> System Notification
Incoming Threat: Moon-Sworn Envoy
Origin: Ember Lake Ruins
Arrival Estimate: 2 Days, 6 Hours
Recommended Action: Scout the Ruins / Prepare a Defensive Ritual / Issue a Pack-Wide Hunt Code
Optional Trigger: Pack Formation Trial – "Echo Circle" (Unlocks Tactical Formation Bonus)
Kael's brow furrowed. "What the hell is a Moon-Sworn anyway?"
"It's not a name I've heard in stories," Flam muttered. "But the ancestors—"
Before he could finish, the sky pulsed.
A wave of blue-silver light rippled across the stars for a heartbeat, then vanished.
A voice echoed, low and ancient, yet somehow female.
"Bloodline of Chaos. Rise... or be silenced forever."
Everyone in the camp felt it. The pups whimpered. The warriors stiffened. Even the ancestors stepped from the shadow of the sacred hall, their robes fluttering unnaturally in the wind.
Varric, Kael's grandfather, rested a heavy hand on his shoulder.
"That was no random force, Kael," he said grimly. "That was a herald. The Moon-Sworn were the watchers before the age of packs. They were the judges of old bloodlines—deciding which would rise and which would be erased."
Kael turned sharply. "Then why now?"
Varric looked at the moon, sorrow burning in his eyes. "Because… your Chaos Bloodline is nearing its second threshold. They're trying to stop what they couldn't centuries ago."
Kael's fists tightened.
"Then we fight."
---
Two Days Later – Ember Lake Ruins
Mist rolled across the water like pale ghosts.
Kael, Flam, Milla, Tamir, and a team of ten elite wolves stood at the lake's edge, cloaked in silence. The stone ruins around the shore shimmered with ancient glyphs, and a strange hum echoed beneath their feet.
Tamir sniffed. "It smells like… burnt magic."
Then it rose.
Not from the lake, but from the reflection on its surface.
A figure stepped forward, cloaked in lunar silk, face hidden behind a porcelain mask etched with a wolf's frown. Her voice was cold as frost.
"I am Thaleia, Herald of the Moon-Sworn. You awaken what should remain dormant. Turn back, child of Chaos."
Kael stepped forward, voice calm but unwavering.
"We will not bow. Not to myths. Not to shadows."
Thaleia raised a single finger.
And the air exploded.
Shadow creatures burst from the lake's edges, tall and gaunt with bone horns and mirrored eyes.
Kael didn't hesitate.
"Form the Echo Circle!"
> System Triggered: Tactical Formation Unlocked
Echo Circle Formation – Activated
Effect: Reflexes shared among pack members / Damage reduced by 25% when in formation
Mission: Survive the Herald's Trial
Reward: Moonsteel Shard / Bloodline Clarity Insight
Failure: Bond Breakage (Random Member)
Kael's claws ignited with crimson light. Flam roared as his blade lit up in silver flame. Milla's daggers hummed like a heartbeat, and Tamir summoned shadow glyphs to his palms.
The lake turned into a battlefield.
The Moon-Sworn had come to judge.
But the Crimson Howl had already chosen:
They would not kneel.