The Dark Forest was adjacent to the eastern border of Ferdania. It was home to approximately three hundred and fifteen thousand werewolves. They were organized into seven clans, and each clan consisted of about 45,000 werewolves. The way clan leaders were chosen reflected a belief held by most werewolves - that the strong should rule over the weak. Any werewolf could challenge a clan leader to a duel. The winner of that duel would assume control of the clan.

The werewolf clans had been at constant war with each other, over limited resources. Whenever they tried raiding human settlements in Ferdania, they were repelled each and every time. Although a typical werewolf had the fighting power of five human soldiers, the humans had superior numbers, tactics, and equipment.

At some point in history, Kreed, a hero among the werewolves, appeared. His power far eclipsed that of any other werewolf. With his strength, he united all the werewolf clans under his rule and became the first werewolf lord. He gathered ten thousand werewolves from each clan to form a seventy-thousand strong army. This was an army never seen before in the history of the werewolves.

Kreed marched his army into Ferdania, conquering one city after another. Numbers, tactics, and equipment - none of that mattered against the brute force of the werewolf army. In just one year, the werewolves had conquered Ferdania.

A year had passed since Ferdania fell. Inside Ferdania's royal residence, a group of werewolves walked with slow and heavy footsteps toward the throne hall. They carried the corpse of their former clan leader on a stretcher.

They were the only survivors of the pre-invasion force that the werewolf lord had sent into the Dominion, a country that touched Ferdania's western border. At the head of the group was Oruk. He had assumed leadership of the Stonecleaver Clan after its previous clan leader had died. It was not a position he’d wanted.

Normally, werewolves would fight for the title of clan leader. However, no one in his clan challenged Oruk. As clan leader, he was responsible for reporting to the werewolf lord about the disastrous mission. No werewolf in his clan wanted that task.

He wondered what punishment he would receive. Imprisonment? No, that would be too lenient. No werewolf would look kindly upon him once they learnt how he had fled from the enemy. Death seemed like the most suitable punishment for a coward like himself. But he couldn’t die yet. His brother had been killed during the mission. He felt that it was his duty to look after Charlotte and Isabelle, his brother’s surviving family.

The throne hall came into view. Its high, marble walls were cracked and had chunks missing in many places. Damaged chandeliers hung from the ceiling. A red carpet, spotted with dried blood, extended down the center of the room. The clan leaders stood alongside the carpet.

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Oruk walked past the clan leaders, stopped at a set of stairs, and lowered the stretcher. Standing next to the stairs was a lone human. He wore a red cloak and appeared completely out of place in the room of werewolves.

Kreed, the werewolf lord, sat on the throne at the top of the stairs. He wore blood-red plate armor over his huge body, which was covered in black fur. Unlike the other werewolves in the room, he had horns growing out of his head.

Oruk knelt on one knee and lowered his head. "Greetings, my Lord."

Kreed looked down at Oruk with glowing red eyes. "Tell me what happened."

"Of course." Oruk recounted what had happened in the Dominion to Kreed, and explained that, though the pre-invasion force had been composed of some of the strongest werewolves from his clan, they were no match for the flying mage that had appeared.

"When you retreated, they didn't pursue you?"

When Kreed uttered the word ‘retreated,’ Oruk's heart sank. Fleeing from battle was one of the most shameful things a werewolf could do. He had done so because, when he was faced with the decision to flee or to die fighting, his sense of self-preservation had triumphed over his pride. But since then, he had become disgusted with himself, knowing that he had brought shame to his clan.

He gulped. "Correct. I was the one who told the others to retreat. They were only following my orders. Please punish me as you see fit."

As he waited for the Kreed's judgment, he felt as though he was drowning in shame.

"Retreating and bringing back Zaric's body was the correct choice. The information that your clan brought back is invaluable."

Oruk felt a huge weight lifting from his shoulders. He had expected punishment but had received encouragement instead.

Tears flowed down his face. "To show such leniency to a coward like me... You’re truly a merciful Lord!"

"Every werewolf life has value. Never forget that. Throwing your life away needlessly would’ve been unforgivable."

Oruk nodded. He felt a deep sense of loyalty toward Kreed. This was a lord who ruled with compassion, rather than fear.

Kreed turned to look at the human. "Deo, what do you make of the human mage?"

Although Deo was a human, Kreed treated him like a fellow werewolf. Oruk didn’t know much about Deo's past, but he knew that Deo had been with Kreed even before Kreed became the werewolf lord.

In a way, Deo had even more authority than the clan leaders. He not only had Kreed's ear, but also the power to give orders to the clan leaders. Naturally, many werewolves resented the fact that a human was ranked higher than they were. But they had no choice but to accept him. Kreed had warned them that disrespecting Deo was the same as disrespecting him.

"The spells she used are legendary."

"Your point is?"

"She has god-like power."

There was distressed chatter among the clan leaders.

Kreed remained calm. "What do you think, Thrax? Do you agree with Deo's assessment?"

A cloaked clan leader stepped forward. "I do. No werewolf mage can defeat her. That includes me."

Oruk’s eyes widened. He found it difficult to accept what he was hearing. Thrax, the leader of the Firesong Clan, was the strongest werewolf mage alive. If even he couldn’t defeat the human, then who could?

"Is that so? How troublesome. But it looks as though she's not the only one we have to worry about." Kreed shifted his gaze toward the body on the stretcher. "Deo, examine Zaric's remains and tell us your thoughts."

Deo bowed. "I'll do my best, my Lord."