Zephyr awoke before dawn, the rune-talisman's warmth a steady hum against his skin. Last night's Covenant pact still resonated in his veins—Hemaleth Essence had refilled his HP gauge to 100/100, and the residual rush of power lingered like ember heat beneath his ribs. Yet this morning, accomplishment tasted hollow. A new burden weighed on him: the hunt for a traitor within the Silverfang Pack.
He dressed in muted tones—dark trousers, reinforced boots, a charcoal hoodie concealing his talisman—and gathered his gear: the primer scroll, a sheathed short blade etched with lupine sigils, and a small holo-projector loaded with Corin's reconnaissance footage. Slipping quietly past his mother's room, he found her in the kitchen, already stirring chai on the stove.
"Elara," he whispered. She looked up, concern flickering in her eyes. "The Pack investigation begins today."
She set a ladle aside. "I prayed for clarity last night." She poured chai into a steel mug and handed it to him. "Trust your instincts—and the rune."
Zephyr accepted the mug gratefully. "Thank you."
By first light, Zephyr and Rennan navigated the narrow alleys to the Silverfang Hold at Grey Docks—a fortress of shipping containers stacked into tiers, ramparts of steel mesh, and snarling guard dogs at every corner. Morning mist curled around the towers, turning floodlights into spectral beacons.
Inside, the Pack Council convened in the central courtyard. Five lieutenants in leather armor paced beneath a great banner of the silver wolf's head. At its center stood Hexan, the Alpha's second-in-command—a grizzled veteran whose one good eye glowed with calculating intelligence.
Hexan bowed his head as Zephyr approached. "Bloodwolf Ardent," he rumbled. "We await your judgment."
Zephyr inclined his head respectfully. "Thank you, Lieutenant. You requested my presence?"
"Rogue elements trade Covenant secrets," Hexan said, voice low. "Our intel pins them to the Eastern Quay." He tapped a datapad. "Three suspects: Tarek, the quartermaster; Selina, head of reconnaissance; and Duran, our former scout."
Rennan pressed play on Zephyr's holo-projector. Grainy footage showed a cloaked figure slipping documents into a Covenant courier's hand beneath a shipping crane. Backlit by neon, the phantom's silhouette could match any of the three.
Zephyr frowned. "We need to narrow the suspect list."
Hexan's scarred cheek twitched. "We interrogate—by Pack trial, by howl-binding ordeal."
Zephyr glared. "You'd break them on the rack?"
Hexan bristled. "Traitors deserve pain."
Zephyr held up his hand. "No torture. We do this by Bloodwolf code: a trial under the gray moon. Each suspect will stand beneath the eclipse stones—if their blood-rune lies, the stones reveal the lie."
A murmur rippled through the council. Rennan nodded. "The Rune of Truth suits this purpose."
Hexan hesitated, then bowed. "As the Bloodwolf commands."
Behind the Hold lay a low stone circle: five monolithic slabs carved with ancient glyphs and runes, each topped with a blood-moon symbol. The stones formed a pentagon around a shallow basin of lunar-salted water. At midday's eclipse, they would glow to reveal deception.
Zephyr gathered Selina first—a lithe figure clad in leather straps and binocular harness. Her eyes widened at the ritual circle. "You summon me for treason?"
Zephyr held firm. "Step into the circle."
Selina's jaw clenched, but she acquiesced. She placed her left palm on the rune-inscribed basin and rested her right hand on the central Eclipse Glyph etched into the ground. Zephyr recited the binding oath:
"Blood binds truth, moon reveals lies;If guilt stains your veins, in light it dies."
A pulse of lunar-infused energy radiated from the stones. Selina's eyes fluttered—then widened in fear. The basin's water rippled, turning crimson. Tendrils of light snaked up her arms, encircling her wrist rune. A soft heartbeat sound issued from her chest.
System Prompt: "Rune of Truth activated."
Selina gasped. "I—" She collapsed to her knees, panting. The basin's glow faded. The water returned to pale silver.
Zephyr knelt beside her, voice gentle. "What did you see?"
Selina shook her head. "Only… only truth. I am innocent."
Hexan and the other lieutenants exchanged glances. Rennan stepped forward. "Then she stays under watch. Next."
Tarek, the quartermaster, lumbered into the circle. His burly frame dwarfing the stones. He spat on the ground. "This is nonsense." But he obeyed, pressing one hand to the basin, the other to the rune.
Zephyr repeated the oath. The stones pulsed again, water hissing as if heated. Tarek's eyes squeezed shut—then snapped open in terror. A shimmering aura traced his veins.
"Guilty blood!" Zephyr declared. The basin roiled crimson, stirring as though alive. Tarek lurched back, stumbling. "Confess," Zephyr said softly.
Tarek collapsed, voice hoarse. "I… I sold scraps to Covenant black markets—but secrets? No. Not secrets."
Hexan barked an order. Two enforcers seized Tarek, dragging him away. "Detention," Hexan said. "We'll confirm his admissions later."
Zephyr nodded, chest tight. A link to the Covenant for profit, but not treason. He prayed their swift confession would suffice.
Last stood Duran, once Rennan's second scout, now exiled for past insubordination. He stepped into the circle, gait steady but eyes wary. He pressed one trembling hand to the basin and the other to the glyph. Zephyr intoned the oath.
A hush fell. The water stilled. Duran's rune pulsed—but subtly, hesitantly. He jerked his head toward Zephyr. "It's not what you think."
The stones glowed a dull red. Tension coiled in the air. Zephyr approached the basin, fingertips hovering above the water. It glimmered—then warped, warping into a mirror that reflected Duran's face twisted in conflict.
System Notification: "Rune of Truth: strong resonance."
Duran gasped, tears leaking. "I delivered encrypted files to the Covenant—but to bait them. I sought to expose their agents deep within our ranks."
Zephyr stepped back, startled. "You risked everything to flush out the real traitors?"
Duran nodded, voice cracking. "I loved the Pack—but I saw them corrupt. I wanted answers."
Hexan's eyes narrowed. "Then why not come to me?"
Duran sank to his knees. "I feared even you were compromised. I had no proof."
Silence reigned. The lunar stones dimmed, water settling back into silver calm.
Zephyr turned to Hexan. "He acted for the Pack's honor, not for personal gain."
Hexan's scarred face softened. He gestured to Rennan. "Release him."
Rennan helped Duran to his feet. The tension dissolved like mist in morning sun.
Zephyr addressed the gathered council and lieutenants. "Our traitor isn't among these three. Tarek's greed, Selina's innocence, Duran's gambit—they were distractions. Corin's recorder mentions a fourth figure—code name 'Rook.'"
Hexan frowned. "Rook. That was a codename for pack informants. We thought them extinct."
Zephyr produced Corin's recorder. He played a fragment where a disguised voice said, "Deliver to Rook only after the eclipse. The Covenant's grand design requires obedience." The voice had no accent—artificial, synthetic.
Hexan's one eye sharpened. "Covenant subterfuge in our own ranks."
Zephyr realized the tutor's timing. The interrogation had been orchestrated to mask the real traitor's escape. "They led us here," he said. "To ensure I bind to the Covenant oath under false pretenses."
Hexan's hand tightened on his axe haft. "Then we have a deeper corruption. The Pack's blood is not pure."
Rennan placed a hand on Zephyr's shoulder. "You found the decoy. Now, we purge the rot."
Zephyr lifted his gaze to the bloodmoon above, still visible through the Hold's open courtyard. "We will. But not by blind vengeance. We rebuild trust through honor—by hunting Rook together."
Hexan nodded. "Pack and Bloodwolf together. We strike at dawn's first light." He lowered his voice to the lieutenants. "Round up all recent Covenant contacts, search warehouses, and question departures. Take no action without Zephyr's word."
The lieutenants dispersed, rallying squads of scouts and enforcers. Rennan exhaled. "Your code held—no torture, no unjust bloodshed."
Zephyr closed his eyes, resting a hand on the rune at his throat. "Balance, as always."
Hexan approached, clasping Zephyr's forearm in a warrior's grip. "You honor the Pack, Bloodwolf. You saved our honor today."
Zephyr nodded, heart swelling. The shadows within the Silverfang had receded, unearthed by truth rather than bloodlust.
As the council broke, Zephyr lingered with Rennan atop the Hold's watchtower. Below, packs of silver wolves prowled the docks; above, stars began to fade before the approaching dawn.
Rennan traced the horizon. "Rook's trail leads east—old textile warehouse at Pier 22. Abandoned, but Covenant emissaries have been seen there."
Zephyr studied the first morning light glimmering on the water. "We'll gather a small strike team. Fast, precise."
He reached into his pocket, fingers brushing the small vial of Hemaleth Essence he'd refused. Now, he had clarified his values—he would not spill loyal wolf-blood for the Covenant, but he might need every ounce of power to protect his Pack and family.
He closed his fist around the vial and slipped it back, trusting the rune's anchor to guide him.
System Prompt: "New Quest: Hunt 'Rook' at Pier 22 – Assemble Pack allies."
Zephyr exhaled, breath lingering in the crisp air. The Bloodmoon's last glow faded. With honor reclaimed and purpose clear, he and Rennan descended the watchtower steps—ready to face the true darkness lurking in the Silverfang's heart.