"Celebration of the Fiery Moon Omens - Volume I" During the spirit-burning rite of the Celebration of the Fiery Moon, I witnessed High Priestess Yaretsi set the bone offering aflame, seeking a divination for the tribe's future. But just as the flames licked the edges, a loud crack rang out. The fang split open, and the fire abruptly died.
Such a sign is considered an extremely ill omen, foretelling grave misfortune for the tribe. As an assistant priest, I was at a loss. I could only look helplessly at Yaretsi, whose face had gone pale as paper. She, too, seemed shaken. Perhaps it was her first time facing such a result.

We sat in silence. Outside, the tribe danced joyfully around the bonfire under the guidance of the Summer Priestess. Laughter and warmth filled the air, while we, only a few feet away, sat frozen in dread.
I glanced at the priestess's earrings. Delicate crescent bone ornaments, swaying faintly in the eerie light of the extinguished flame. The two of us sat motionless, and for a moment, it felt as though time itself had stopped.
At last, Yaretsi broke the silence. She grabbed the shattered spirit bone and forced out a few words through clenched teeth:

"Prepare the rites. I will perform a deep communion. "

Deep communion! The moment I heard those words, a chill ran down my spine. That ritual is known to consume one's very life force, said to summon the ancestors themselves to deliver their decree.
What dreadful omen had Yaretsi glimpsed in the flames to warrant such desperate action? --- "Celebration of the Fiery Moon Omens - Volume II" As the deep communion began, High Priestess Yaretsi closed her eyes and blew into the bone flute. The three elders, no longer wearing their usual calm expressions, stood solemnly chanting in low, synchronized voices.
It was a grand ritual. Elders, priests, even warriors were present. There were eight assistant priests like myself, each holding a spirit relic meant to serve as a medium to the ancestors. And yet, curiously, the chieftain was absent...

Suddenly, the flute fell silent. The elders' chants stopped at once. Yaretsi's body began trembling violently, as if seized by some unseen force.
Moments later, she opened her eyes, slowly. Those eyes had turned a glowing gold. Her expression had shifted as well, no longer hers, but that of a divine being.
Terror gripped me. My knees buckled, and I knelt without thinking. A glance sideways showed the other seven assistants had also dropped to their knees at the same moment.
Empty Elder stepped forward and performed the tribe's highest gesture of reverence toward Yaretsi, proclaiming: "O Ancestors above, we await your guidance. "

Yaretsi's lips parted slightly, and an eerie, unearthly melody poured forth, unlike anything I had ever heard.

The night has fallen over the Eternal Forest, but dawn is not lost.
The alpha goat faltered, bringing forth the ill-omened crescent, driving the White Wolf away.
Correct the mistake. When the moon is full, the White Wolf shall return to the forest.

The crescent devours what remains of the goat. Its life force wanes. The Forbidden Land shakes. One's fall is all's fall.
On the night of the full moon, the White Wolf shall return. The Forbidden Land shall flourish, and the goat's vitality shall be restored.

And just like that, the ritual flames died. Empty Elder whispered into the dark: "So the White Wolf's leaving was foretold after all. We just refused to hear it..."