Chapter 7 - The Rebels

Wulfric, the Alpha King of the Shadowglade wolves, towered over the five wolfmen kneeling before him, their hands bound behind their backs. Flanked by his two sons and backed by twelve armed wolfmen at attention, Wulfric's authoritative presence was palpable. The surroundings, with towering trees and intricately thatched houses, were unmistakably those of Shadowglade - a city seamlessly integrated into the natural world.

"So, you insolent creatures are the rebels responsible for the turmoil in my city," Wulfric stated, his voice firm as he paced before the captives. Thane, moving to the left side of the line, rested a hand on the hilt of his sheathed sword. "Or, at the very least, some of you," he added with a nonchalant shrug.

Wulfric's gaze scrutinized the rebels, his patience apparent as he awaited their response. "Tell me, what drives your rebellion? Who leads you?"

The silence was eventually broken by one of the rebels, who shouted defiantly, "We will not serve the human king! We are superior to them!"

"Is that so?" Wulfric inquired, his tone laced with scepticism. The rebel's words tumbled forth in a passionate torrent.

"They've reduced us to servitude! We demand our city back! We've heard the true stories—the tales of a wolf who once ruled Shadowfell. His name was—"

But before the rebel could utter another word, Wulfric's sword flashed in the sunlight, its blade slicing through the air with deadly precision. In the blink of an eye, the rebel's head was severed from his body, rolling to the ground with a sickening thud. Wulfric's sword, now stained with the rebel's blood, glinted with a faint white-gold hue, its blue-silver surface seeming to shimmer in the sunlight.

The remaining four rebels were consumed by fear, their bodies trembling, voices stuttering, and eyes welling up with tears as they begged and pleaded for mercy. Wulfric's gaze remained unwavering, his voice firm as he declared, "This sword, forged from blue silver, holds the power to deliver a fatal blow, one from which there is no return, no healing. You know what this means. The moon goddess will never accept her children killed by this blade, and you will never return to live reborn again."

The rebels's eyes widened.

"I will ask only once more: reveal to me the name of your Rebel king."

His eyes locked onto the rebel standing to Thane's left, but the man's only response was a mute, terrified shaking of his head. Wulfric's expression remained unyielding, and with a curt nod, he signalled Thane to act. Thane drew his own sword. It was not blue silver, but the blade flashed in the sunlight as he struck down the rebel, ending his life in an instant.

"And you? His name?" The next rebel began shaking his head, and he closed his eyes, ready to be dealt his own judgement.

"I will never betray my king. The only true king of the wolves."

"Very well." And with that, Thane's hand stretched again, and this rebel's head flew off.

"Kato!!" The next rebel, the fourth one, screamed as Thane's sword approached him.

Wulfric turned.

"His name is Kato. He is our Alpha. Please, spare me. Spare me." The Rebel cried. Wulfric's eyes widened.

"Kato the Ruthless." He mumbled in recognition.

"You coward. You are not Wolf. You are fox! Filth!" The last rebel spat to the fourth rebel.

"What is your name?" Wulfric turned to the last rebel as he bent over him.

"Tomas."

"Hmm. Tomas. You are going to die today. A shameful death, really. Your head is going to roll on this ground, and in the fire later, all because you went against your teachings and the law. No one will remember you, or your justless cause, not even your 'rebel king'" Wulfric peered at him with a filling of darkness in his eyes. "But I certainly hope you and your friends here meet your Rebel king in whatever otherworldly underworld the Moon will spit your into."

"The Rebel king will come for you! And then, he will take Shadowfell and all of the Shadow Lands!"

Wulfric signalled once again to Thane and walked away with the rest of his guards and Boris falling behind, as the shortlived screams of the last of the kneeling rebels scorched the atmosphere.

"Why, father?" Boris asked when he caught up to his father's angry pace.

"Why what?" Wulfric spat angrily.

"You killed the first rebel before he was able to finish talking. It seemed like he was saying–"

"It seemed like he was saying what?" Wulfric stopped and looked Boris dead in the eyes, and he shuddered with fear as he looked down.

"Nothing, father. Apologies. "

Wulfric scoffed and continued walking. "Some things should not be allowed hearing. And that was what I stopped."

"How do you know what he was about to say?"

"I'm old enough to sense trouble, Boris. Don't ask me stupid questions."

"This Kato, you know him?" Boris asked.

"Yes. Kato the Ruthless. He has the smallest pack in this entire part of the realm, but they're such wicked fighters that they make the King's army and our Wolven army look like sport. "

"What does this mean for us?"

"It means, son, that we don't want to make an enemy of him. Kato is Ruthless indeed, but he is not political."

"Which means he wants something."

"Exactly. And we are going to find out what."

Wulfric walked through the city with his guards to where they had tied up their horses, untired them, and rode off.