Jax straightened behind the podium, his voice even and firm — the kind of command that settled the room.
"Call your first witness."
Silence thickened. The jury remained still. Even the Elders shifted, exchanging tense looks. Finric's jaw locked, anger simmering beneath his silence.
Corvin Thane rose with steady purpose.
"The Crown calls Beta Cael Valehart, High General of the Shadowclaw Legion."
Cael rose, posture crisp, and stepped into the center of the chamber. He nodded formally toward the dais.
Corvin Thane stepped forward just enough to command attention, but not so much as to crowd the witness. His tone was calm, controlled — the kind of restraint that carried more weight than force.
"Beta Valehart, were you present for the incident involving the alleged assault of the student?"
"Yes. I was present that day at the training grounds. The match in question was between Helga Beatrice Emberhide, a ranked warrior, and a student guest from the Ashbane Pack. Colonel Brutus Sterling and Training Master Remus Draven were the supervising officers."
Corvin nodded once — no theatrics, no flourish — just quiet acknowledgement.
"Describe what you observed."
Cael's tone stayed steady, clipped, unmistakably formal.
"During the match, Helga Emberhide shifted into her wolf form — a direct violation of sparring protocol. Colonel Sterling and Training Master Draven ordered the match to continue regardless. The student remained unshifted and complied."
"Despite the disadvantage, she scored two points and won. Colonel Sterling called the match. It was over."
Cael let the words settle before continuing, gaze momentarily passing over the defendants.
"What happened next was no longer sanctioned combat. The student disengaged and turned her back. Without warning, Helga — still shifted — lunged from behind. No order. No provocation. A full-force strike aimed at the spine. Had the student not shifted mid-impact, the blow would have killed her."
A ripple of murmurs cut across the room before Jax's gavel cracked down.
"Order."
Cael resumed, his voice hardening.
"Even after being ordered to stand down, Helga continued the assault. She pinned the student, bit into her right shoulder, tore flesh. That was not confusion. Not defense. It was intent. Rage."
"The student reacted on instinct, disoriented but fighting for her life. She countered, took Helga down, and ended the engagement."
Cael turned back to Corvin.
"The match had ended long before any of that occurred. What followed was not training. It was an attack — deliberate and personal. That is my full account, under oath."
Silence pressed into the chamber like weight.
Jax's voice broke through the silence.
"The record will reflect the witness's testimony."
Fin sat motionless through Cael's testimony, but the moment the words "biting flesh out of her right shoulder" left Cael's mouth, a flicker of fury broke through the calm. His eyes narrowed with the kind of anger that could quiet a room. Xeon tried to surface and Fin had to close his eyes to push him back down.
He'd known about the attack—every report had said Nova was struck, knocked down—but no one had mentioned that Helga had sunk her teeth into her, torn flesh from her shoulder like an animal gone rabid.