And somewhere in the dark, General Shen walked beside his silver alpha, not as a master, but as a brother. The wolf leaned into his leg. Shen smiled, his teeth very white in the moonlight.

A young commander beside him frowned. “Remind them of what, General?”

The first wave did not charge. They flowed—silent, low to the ground, a tide of grey fur and black iron. The wolves led, noses to the wind, sensing fear before the sentries even knew they were afraid. By the time the first guard saw the eyes glowing at the edge of the torchlight, a wolf was already at his throat. And behind that wolf, a soldier with Shen’s brand on his arm—a crescent fang—was already stepping over the body, moving to the next gate.

The drums did not beat for Shen’s Wolf Army. There was no brass fanfare, no silk banners snapping in the wind. Instead, there was only the soft, terrible whisper of hundreds of paws on frozen earth, and the low, guttural rhythm of men breathing as one.

“Tonight,” Shen whispered, his voice carrying no further than his lieutenants, “we do not conquer. We remind.”

“Good boy,” he said. “Tomorrow, another wall.”

General Shen stood atop the ridge, his single eye gleaming like a chip of black glass. Below, the imperial city of Jinsha glowed like a lantern in the winter dark—unaware, complacent, soft. He raised one hand, and the army behind him stilled instantly. Five thousand men. Five thousand wolves. No one spoke. No one howled. The wolves, massive northern greys with eyes the color of old silver, sat motionless among the soldiers, their hackles raised not in aggression, but in anticipation. They had been raised together, man and beast, since pup and recruit. They shared wounds, meals, and the same cold hatred for the empire that had exiled them.