Chapter 15 — The Howl That Called Back
The howl lingered in the night air, curling through the shattered wards like smoke through broken glass.
Kael glanced at the noble, who had gone pale. "That sound… it's the Huntmaster. Only one exists in the Shadowfang packs."
"Then you'll have to tell it I'm busy," Kael replied, stepping toward the lodge door.
Side's voice was almost amused. —You're going after it.
"Of course." He slid his sword back into its sheath with a click. "If it's calling, it's close. And I'd rather meet it on my feet than in my sleep."
The forest swallowed them within a dozen paces. Shadows clung thick between the trees, their silence broken only by the crunch of frost beneath boots. Kael's senses stretched outward, space folding in the back of his mind. The howl had carried from the east.
They didn't have to search long.
The Huntmaster stepped into view atop a low ridge — a wolf the size of a warhorse, black fur gleaming like oiled metal, eyes burning gold. Its maw was ringed with scars, its teeth long enough to pierce armor.
It didn't rush. It studied.
—It's testing you, Side murmured. Waiting to see if you'll break first.
Kael stepped forward. "Not tonight."
The wolf struck without warning — a blur of muscle and fangs. Kael's sword flashed upward, deflecting the first bite. The impact jarred his arms, the beast's strength rattling bone.
Kael twisted, using the force to slide under its neck, blade slicing across its flank. The cut drew blood but didn't slow it.
The Huntmaster spun, claws raking the earth. It lunged again, faster this time. Kael sidestepped, space bending just enough for him to vanish from its path and reappear behind it. His sword bit deep into its hind leg.
The beast howled — not in pain, but in fury. It pivoted mid-lunge, jaws snapping for his head.
Kael ducked, sliding low beneath it, blade angled upward. Steel tore along its belly in a spray of heat and blood.
The Huntmaster staggered, but still it turned, limping, refusing to drop.
"Persistent," Kael muttered.
The shadows at his feet stirred. From them rose a black spear, its tip whispering with dark energy. He caught it mid-form and hurled it through the air.
The spear punched clean through the Huntmaster's chest.
It fell without a sound.
The noble stared. "You—"
Kael cut him off with a raised hand. The wolf's body slid silently into his shadow, gone before the noble could blink.
From deeper in the forest, smaller howls answered. Many.
Kael's mouth curved in a humorless smile. "Guess the night's not over."
---