Nightclaw: Blood Moon Apex

Chapter 7: World Of Werewolves

Nightclaw rushed through the greenery of Darkveil's outer forest as fast as her paws could carry her, eager to see the Order of Blood once again. To her joy, she found that their camp was still in the exact place it was three years ago; a few miles into the woods behind Darkveil's church.

The two werewolves flanking the official entrance to the encampment, who were meant to keep an eye out for any potential intruders, spotted Nightclaw approaching and quickly ran up to greet her, yipping happily.

Nightclaw! the first one said. It's a pleasure getting to see you again! What might you be doing back in Romania?

Just thought I'd pay some of my good friends a visit, she replied, smiling. Then, she turned to the second guard. Are Jet and Percy available?

The second one nodded. Right this way.

While the first one remained at the camp's entrance, the second one turned around and led Nightclaw into the clearing, taking her to Jet and Percy's location. As she walked through the camp for the first time in three years, she was surprised to see how many werewolves there still were; after she had restored Esther's reputation with the people of Darkveil and helped publicize his cure for the werewolf infections, she thought that their numbers would've been thinned somewhat.....but they weren't.

There was still a noticeable reduction, sure, but it was nowhere near to the extent that Nightclaw had expected. The clearing was still brimming with werewolves like herself, with the same general build but varying fur and eye colors. However, no matter what they looked like, one thread connected them all.

The Order of Blood.

The group's collective drive to see justice done---and to see evil eradicated from Darkveil, as well as Romania as a whole---was unparalleled. Though they were vigilantes, they had earned the approval of a lot of Darkveil's citizens, just like how Mercury Heights's local vigilante, The Viper, had won over the hearts of many people from her home city.

Memories from her past flowed into her mind as she looked around the clearing and saw some very familiar structures: the rocky caves which the werewolves tended to sleep in during the day, the brazier at the center of the field---which was used to induct new werewolves into the Order---a mound of dirt which served as both the burial site for and the final resting place of a werewolf named Boris, and the giant, vertical, circular rock at the back of the encampment with a large, ornate red rune brightly glowing on it, which the alpha, Remus, commonly stood in front of when issuing orders to the pack as a whole.

The second werewolf guard eventually brought her to Jet, Percy, and Remus. Here they are, he informed. Once again, it is good to have you back, Nightclaw.

He then left Nightclaw's side and returned to his post at the encampment's entrance alongside his partner.

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Jet! Percy! So good to see you again! Nightclaw greeted happily, getting their attention.

Jet, who presented as a dark-furred werewolf with gold eyes, had the honor of being the first werewolf that Nightclaw had met in the past, the night after she had officially gained the ability to transform into a werewolf herself. He was arguably the werewolf whom Nightclaw had grown the closest to---out of everyone else in the Order---and eagerly suggested that Remus officially induct her into the organization; an act that the alpha was all too happy to oblige. Also, he was currently the only werewolf whom Nightclaw had entrusted with her true identity; that being Carla Rosenblood. When Nightclaw helped the Order of Blood ward off Dwayne's hunters and subsequently declined Remus's offer to become the Beta Wolf, she instead nominated both Jet and Percy to share the position instead, leading the alpha to begin training them in the years since Nightclaw left.