The Plot Thickens

"Arghhh!"

The cold sweat-covered Luna woke up as she screamed at the top of her lungs from living through the future that awaited her if she doesn't do what the crones told her to do.

"Do I... I really have no other choice?"

Luna asked herself as she clenched her necklace with her right hand while opening the entrance of her shabby and worn-down tent and looking at her royal pack's surviving pack member's campsite after the holy elven Empire's 98 heavy infantry legion found their hidden tribe, attacked them and started killing, looting, and raping everyone indiscriminately.

Which was mostly made up of lycanthrope women and children who unlike her and a few of her tribe's surviving werewolf warriors could only turn into oversized wolves if they were in sync with their inner wolf, unlike her and werewolf warriors who could turn into humanoid wolves at their will.

It all happened a week ago, she lost the last member of her family that day and since then all she could do was run as far away as she could from the chasing empire's soldiers who were hell-bent on exterminating their whole race and to her knowledge her packs survivors were the only ones left of their race in the entire mainland continent.

Every other werewolf pack that she knew of was either already exterminated and their surviving females had become sex slaves for the empire's nobles to play with as they see fit.

Luna could still remember her grandfather's words after he gave her his necklace before he transformed into a werewolf and started slaughtering the empire's soldiers with the werewolf warriors who chose to stay and buy as much time for their fathers, mothers, wives, and children to flee as far away as possible.

"Luna no matter what it takes you must make sure that our pack survives at all costs!"

Luna's grandfather said as his bones broke and reconstructed themselves in an animal-like way causing his height to increase by at least thirty percent while black fur grew out from his entire scarred body.

"No!No! No! Grandpa, I can't lead them! I'm no leader! Let me stay and fight! You should be the one to lead them!"

"Hahaha! Of course, you can lead them! You are my granddaughter it's in your blood!"

Luna's grandfather said while grinning with his wolf's mouth full of predatory teeth as he embraced his daughter one last time now with his humanoid wolf's body full of explosive muscles.

"Grandpa, please don't go! Sob... Don't leave me all alone you are the only family member I have left!"

Luna begged as tears rolled down her cheeks while she tightened her arms around her grandfather's wide furry back.

"Shush my little girl don't cry who said that I'm going to die? I'll come to find you later so by the time I do you better have already found your mate and given birth to some pups for your grandpa to play with."

Luna's grandfather said as he kissed her forehead and forcefully shoved her away.

"But now run! I SAID RUN!"

Her grandfather used his alpha power after seeing that his daughter wasn't budging even though it pained his heart deeply to do it to his own granddaughter causing Luna's werewolf genes to make her submit and start forcefully running away.

A mate huh? Maybe it's not so bad to try my luck, after all, all men are the same so as long as I can keep him satisfied then maybe my pack will be safe. But can he really protect my pack from the empire?

Luna debated in her mind because she couldn't imagine just how powerful someone should be to be able to protect her pack from the empire's dozens of well-trained, equipped, and battle-hardened legions who have been fighting nonstop in order to expand the empire to its current state for years after the holy emperor Aolf Von Hiler came to power through a bloody cup de ta completely transforming the decayed elven kingdom into a highly advanced war machine.

Only to see a fiery red meteor pierce the night sky with a thunderous roar and explode in the distance followed by a dozen more.

Because Luna had never seen something like this before she fell to her trembling knees as an overwhelming fear took over her body and mind while the crone's words repeated themselves in her mind.

As long as that man lives this world's order will be turned upside down, And as long as you give him the key the whole world will grovel at your feet!

Only for her chief warrior Arthur who is the son of her grandfather's chief warrior to pull her out of her trance.

"Alpha Luna, are you okay?"

Tall and built like a bodybuilder with long braided gray hair with the sides shaved clean and a grown-out beard Arthur dressed in leather and fur armor who was 19 years old a year older than Luna and was also her best childhood friend asked with fear evident in his voice from what he just saw and heard as he gently shook nonresponding to his words Luna with his trembling hands

"Yeah, I'm fine but prepare the pack to move out once the sun rises."

The still-shocked Luna evident from her trembling voice said as she wiped the cold sweat from her forehead.

"Move? To where?"

Luna didn't answer just pointed with her right index finger towards the location where the 900 mm shells fell.

Seeing this Arthur swallowed nervously but he didn't question Luna's orders and left the tent.

I hope my decision is right and it won't come back to bite me in the end grandpa.

Luna thought as she could hear Arthur already organizing the pack.

...

"Lord Graybeard are we really going to try to fight that undead abomination? We already lost 80 percent of our ships and the rest are badly damaged not to mention that we already used all of our mana cores, stones, and crystals!"

One of the Jarls protested in a depressed voice after finishing his large wooden cup of ale in one go.

Making the other Jarls start talking among themselves.

"Jarl Rock is right even with our fleet at its full strength our chances of killing that undead abomination and its undead legion were already slim!"

"Your right Jarl Thunder fighting it with our current forces is complete madness! We should turn around and head back to the aisles!"

"I agree Jarl Stone we should repair our ships then go raid the Empire's coasts villages and towns, slowly stock up on mana cores, stones, and crystals, and think of other ways to get more air mana stones!"

Jarl Hammerfall listened to his fellow jarls as he sipped on his ale with disgust written all over his face at their cowardness but deep down even thou he didn't want to admit it he knew full well that with their current capabilities, there was no way they can kill the master of the city of dead.

After the Jarls came to an agreement that they had no choice but to turn back they quieted down and looked at Hammerfall for his decision as they did Hammerfall placed down his large cup onto the round wooden table he and the jarls were seating at and after looking at each Jarls eyes who lowered their heads in shame finally spoke up.

"You want to turn back?"

Hammerfall asked as he did the Jarls nodded their heads in agreement.

"Very well then go back and get your heads chopped off by the chieftain."

Hearing this one of the Jarls couldn't help but blurt out.

"My lord surely the chieftain will be merciful after all it's not our fault that we got ambushed by the despicable green skins."

"Yeah!"

"It's not our fault!"

"The chieftain will surely understand that!"

The other jarls voiced their agreement only for Hammerfall to slam the table with his fist as he stood up and started roaring at top of his lungs.

"Fucking idiots! Are you really that naive or are you just pretending? We lost 80 percent of our ships! 80 percent! Even all of our heads won't be enough to quench the chieftain's anger!..."

Hammerfall spewed out curses like a machine gun causing his saliva to splatter all over the place until he finally ran out of breath and sat back down in his wooden chair.

"Go back if you want to and suffer in the cold, dark, and misty Niflhelm until Ragnarok for not dying on the battlefield or fight with me to the death like a true warrior and let the Valkyries lead us to Valhalla."

After Hammerfall said this he stood up and left the ODIN's deathly silent conference room.

"Brothers let's fight! We're already old men it's about time we go to Valhalla and join our ancestors in their never-ending feast!"

Jarl Rock said as she banged the table and stood up causing the other Jarls to do the same and start shouting their conformations at top of their lungs.

"Fight!"

"Fight!"

"Fight!"

The dwarves didn't know but by deciding to fight they had saved their lives because if they had decided to turn back they would have been blown up by Dracula and would have never experienced the marvels of technology.