Chapter 22: Ritual of Flame and Stone
Night fell like a curtain of ash, casting a silver-blue hue across the Crimson Howl Pack's inner sanctum. The Ring of Trial still glowed faintly behind the den, etched with blood and glory. But Kael's focus had shifted. The system pulsed in his mind, urgent and unreadable, until finally—
System Notification:
Special Ritual Mission Unlocked: Foundational Laws of the Crimson Howl
Objective: Conduct the Flame and Stone Ritual to establish Eternal Rules
Reward: Oathstone of Dominion (Treasure Rank: Rare)
Penalty: Seven Days of Misfortune (Curse)
Note: Rules declared in this ritual form the sacred backbone of the pack.
They are unchangeable, except by ancestral intervention.
Kael stood before the bonfire in the ritual grounds, heart pounding.
This wasn't like naming patrol squads or assigning scouts.
This was sacred. Permanent.
One mistake here could damn the pack.
The ritual began with silence.
Elders stood in a half-circle, torches in hand. The Ancestors, Ronin and Varric, wore ceremonial robes of bone-threaded black fur, their hands resting atop their staffs. All eyes were on Kael.
Before him was a massive slab of grey-black stone, pulsing with crimson veins. The Oathstone.
It awaited only his voice.
Kael stepped forward. Firelight danced on his bare chest, and his golden eyes glowed with solemnity.
He spoke.
"In the name of the Crimson Howl, under moon and fire, let the Pack Laws be written."
The stone shimmered.
His voice deepened, echoing with an unseen force.
"Law One: The Pack is Sacred."
—Those who betray the Crimson Howl shall not be judged. They shall be devoured. Their flesh becomes the pack. Their soul—ashes.
A quiet gasp followed. Harsh. Final. But necessary.
"Law Two: The Ancestors Shall Stand Apart."
—When an Alpha steps down with honor, or when one's service becomes legend, they may choose to become Ancestors—beings beyond command, beyond rank.
They may not interfere unless the pack faces extinction. Their only duty—grow stronger. Remain eternal.
Murmurs spread.
Ronin and Varric stood taller.
"Law Three…" Kael paused, narrowing his eyes. "...Strength decides, but the Ring binds."
—All positions of leadership beyond the Alpha must be won in the Ring of Trial. Even the Alpha may be challenged once every moon.
Cheers. Some fear. But excitement.
"Law Four: No Lone Wolf May Feed Within Our Borders."
—Strays will be judged. If worthy, they are tested and may join. If unworthy, they are hunted.
Then… Kael paused.
Everyone leaned in.
The final law.
He clenched his fists.
"Law Five: The Alpha is not a God."
—He may lead. He may command. But if his heart falters, the pack has the right to bring him to the Ring. The pack's loyalty is earned, not owned.
Silence.
Then, the Oathstone ignited—flames erupting into a pillar of crimson and silver.
From the fire, a shape emerged.
A massive stone tablet, chained in rings of metal and moonsteel. It floated down and embedded itself before the den, visible to all. Its inscriptions pulsed—glowing, living, bound to every heartbeat in the valley.
System Update:
Oathstone of Dominion Acquired
Effect: Automatically enforces Eternal Laws of the Crimson Howl
Rank: Grows with Pack Rank
Current Power: Minor Aura of Fear to Lawbreakers
Pack Stability Increased
Bloodline Sync: 41%
Kael stepped back, sweat dripping down his brow.
The Ritual was complete.
And far beyond the vale… the Cult stirred.
They had felt the Oathstone's flame.
And now—they knew where to strike.
Note
Earlier, Kael created "pack rules and regulations" during the foundational stages of the story (around Chapters 4–5).
What we just read in Chapter 22 is the Flame and Stone Ritual, which defines the "Foundational Laws"—sacred, eternal, and enforced by the Oathstone