Chapter 4: Law of the Howl
The sun dipped low over Black Ash Vale, casting a crimson glow on the battered lands of the Crimson Howl. Kael stood beneath the ancient arch of the Council Stone, flanked by warriors, younglings, and elders alike. Even the wounded and the silent had come.
The stone circle, once a place of oaths and feasts, now bore witness to something far older: the writing of law.
The air was still, heavy with anticipation.
Kael raised his hand, the crackling flames reflecting in his golden eyes. At his side, Seth stood quiet. Humbled. Behind them, Varric and Ronin—now healed and cloaked in deep ancestral red—watched from the rear, their eyes dim but proud.
System Notification:
Mission: Establish Core Pack Laws (Ritual Format)
Reward: Lawstone of the First Howl (Artifact - Growth Type)
Failure: Misfortune Curse (7 Days)
Note: Ritual laws are the sacred backbone of the pack, distinct from everyday customs. They are binding and eternal unless broken by blood.
Kael stepped forward.
He spoke—not as a boy, not as a tyrant—but as Alpha.
"These are not simple rules," he began. "They are our bones. They will outlive us. They will shape us. They will bind us."
He turned to the pack.
"We are broken no longer. Today, we rise anew."
A stone altar emerged from the ground with a slow rumble. Black and veined with crimson, it pulsed faintly with ancient energy.
Kael's hand hovered over it. The system guided his voice.
"I declare the Ritual Laws of the Crimson Howl."
He spoke them, one by one.
— No wolf shall raise claw against the pack for selfish gain. — No secret alliance shall be made with outsiders without the Alpha's sanction. — Every challenge must be answered with honor, not treachery. — Each member must contribute to the growth or defense of the pack.
But then… Kael paused.
And he added one more.
"Any who betray the pack… shall not be cast out. They shall be devoured—body, soul, and spirit—into the bloodline."
The crowd gasped. Even Ronin and Varric's expressions shifted.
Kael's eyes didn't waver.
System Notification:
Custom Law Accepted: Bloodline Assimilation Penalty
Effect: Betrayers will be spiritually devoured into the pack's chaos bloodline. Enforcement begins after next full moon.
One final rule remained.
Kael turned to his father and grandfather. He did not wish to banish them—not after what they had sacrificed.
"I introduce a new role—one above all except the Alpha."
He declared: "The Ancestors."
Gasps filled the air.
System Recognition:
New Role Created: Ancestor
Conditions: Must be a former Alpha, or contribute beyond measure to the pack's survival.
Privileges: Immune to Alpha's commands, bound only to the pack's survival.
Mission: Continue to grow stronger. Intervene only in times of extinction-level threat.
Ronin and Varric stepped forward, placing their hands on the Lawstone. It pulsed.
The system roared to life.
System Update:
Mission Complete: Establish Core Pack Laws
Reward Unlocked: Lawstone of the First Howl
Artifact Added to Pack Grounds
Pack Creation: 100%
Pack Rank: 2 (Recognized)
Chaos Bloodline Stage 1 Awakening: Initiated
Kael fell to his knees as a burning wave passed through the pack.
Howls erupted—raw, guttural, ancient.
The Chaos Bloodline… had stirred.