The snow was already beginning to gather along the edges of the leaves when Sant and Inuho crossed the last ridge. Two days of walking without rest had worn down even the forest birds—yet Sant kept moving as if something were driving him forward, silent, steady, relentless. Inuho, on the other hand, panted with his tongue hanging out, his legs trembling with every leap.
The forest felt endless. The wind whispered through the dry leaves as if carrying ancestral voices, and the icy scent drifting down from the mountains warned that winter's arrival wasn't going to wait for anyone.
"Boss… your energy isn't normal…" Inuho said between ragged breaths, forcing a laugh despite his exhaustion. "A-and I mean that in a good way… Varrock and Ravik will accept you. Everything is different now, but… I respect you, sir. You were the one who named me a warrior. The first to believe in me. And I see how much you care for the pack."
Sant lifted his gaze. His silver eyes gleamed like blades catching the moonlight.
"Varrock doesn't worry me."
"Ravik," they both said at the same time.
They exchanged a tired look and laughed—not with joy, but with camaraderie. Inuho wagged his tail, as if that tiny movement could chase away a bit of the night's cold and tension.
"Ravik is stubborn," Inuho went on, wrinkling his muzzle. "Annoying. Arrogant. And childish sometimes. But he was my mentor. Trained me since I was a pup… and he still hasn't gotten over the fact that I ended up with his daughter."
He sighed, feeling guilt and gratitude in equal measure.
"But listen, Sant: Ravik is strong, loyal as stone, and lives by the old rituals. Earning his respect will be difficult. But I know you can do it."
Sant simply dipped his head in acknowledgment. He didn't need to speak; Inuho's words had been far too sincere.
The trees grew sparse until the land opened before them. Then the village appeared, silent, like a sleeping beast beneath the snow. Smoke rose from chimneys in crooked spirals, fading into the gray sky. But before they could move forward, they heard it.
A chant.
Low, dissonant.
Full of fervor and fear.
"Oooo… aaah… flaame…"
"Protect us, Lord, from the moon…"
"Defend us from its demons…"
The sound slithered through the houses like a sickness, creeping into the bones of the two wolves.
Sant crouched instantly, growling under his breath.
"Church of the Pure Flame," he muttered. "Stay alert."
Their smell was already in the air: boiled water, ashes, lamp oil… and fear. A lot of fear.
Sant studied the village with cold, calculating eyes.
"The human's house is near the mill. Come with me. And quietly."
They slipped into the shadows, gliding through the snow like ghosts. They passed broken fences and human footprints already being swallowed by the frost. The village seemed dead, except for the chant — which grew louder with every step.
The Church arrived early, Sant thought grimly. They're spreading too fast.
They reached the house. The window glowed with faint lamplight.
Then they saw him:
Lionel — the only human who had ever shown them kindness — being dragged by two guards of the Church.
"Ally of the moon's demons! You shall be judged!" one of the men shouted, spitting fanaticism.
Lionel struggled, but he had no strength against armed men. He screamed his daughter's name, desperate, his eyes begging for mercy.
Then… he saw Sant.
For an instant, his fear melted.
He found peace in those silver eyes.
Sant decided in a single heartbeat.
"Inuho… we take the child first. We come back for him after."
"What?" Inuho whispered, but there was no time to question.
"You'll be taken to the Church capital! Cirator awaits your sins!"
The guards shoved Lionel outside.
And in that moment — in that exact second — Sant and Inuho burst through the window.
Glass shattered.
The lamp hit the floor.
Screams erupted.
The wolves ran to the crib. Sant grabbed the baby girl's clothes with a father's delicacy, and Inuho cleared the path, snarling at the guard trying to get up.
Outside, one of the guards yelled:
"Wolves! They're taking the child!"
But it was already too late.
The little girl — red-haired, wide-eyed, barely one year old — was placed on Sant's back. He crouched and murmured in the human tongue Scar had taught him:
"Let's play horsie, little one. Hold on tight."
The child understood.
She clung to his neck, trusting him as if she had known him forever.
"Shadow," Sant whispered.
And the mist rose from the ground like protective hands, swallowing the two wolves. Within seconds, they vanished into the darkness of the forest.
Then came the rain.
Cold.
Merciless.
And then came the snow—thick, heavy, covering tracks, swallowing sound, wiping paths clean.
"It's snowing…" Sant murmured softly. "Yeah. Winter has arrived."
Inuho let out a weak laugh, too exhausted to fear what was coming.
When the pack finally fell asleep, Sant slipped away. The cutting wind carried the stench of human destruction—corpses, blood mixing with snow.
Sant hesitated, torn: Lionel's daughter will starve; I have no idea how to take care of a human pup.But then Scar's words echoed inside him.
Ancestral magic.Lunar magic.Blood magic.
The only force capable of touching the veil between life and spirit.
His chest tightened at the thought of Loona.
There was a magic that could bring her back—at a steep price in blood—and she might be the only one able to help save Lionel's child.
Sant gathered the human bodies—victims of their own war—and arranged them in a circle. The snow drank the blood, forming shapes that looked almost alive.
The moon tore through the clouds like a divine blade.
And then… the spirits began to sing.
Oooo…
Great Fox,Goddess of the Seasons,Mother of the Moon,Leader of the Canistra,manifest your power…Grant us one more chance…Let your name guide the veil…
The pack, drawn by the magic, began to howl. It was an ancient sound—wild and resonant.
The earth trembled.Light thickened.The blood vanished from the snow—devoured by the spell.
Then… silence.
Heavy.Total.Sacred.
The light gathered into a single point before Sant.
And in the dim glow of dawn…in the fading edge of night…in the moonlit snow…
A rose-colored silhouette.
Paws white as moonlight.Eyes shining like wet stars.
Loona was standing.Breathing.Alive.
Sant felt the world stop.
The ritual had worked.And nothing would ever be the same again.