Team Canine Crushers (Suka)
“That’s the signal,’ I say as I leap over the thornbush hedge with my darling Moka on my shoulders. All I have on are flames to cover my modesty, but she’s wearing her gorgeous black-and-gold outfit with blood-crystal earrings and cufflinks.
A sparkling rain of multicolored glowing lights from Gabby’s Dark Magic display still lingers in the air, our go-ahead to proceed with Plan B.
Behind me, Steelheart bursts through the thick growth while spouting jets of fire from his three crocodilian heads. The combination of three Sparks in his core from the merger ignited into a flame he can call on at will. This allows him to torch anything that stands in the way of his muscular, scaled, but roughly humanoid frame.
The thorny vines quickly seal shut the gap he leaves behind. Gabby’s Spell Persistence ability sure is potent!
Ahead of us, I see the Witch in question descend on her flying broom with Bonny in her lap. Cottontail sails close behind while dangling from a bunch of balloons, as odd a mode of transport as it seems. Olindia trails further back with Flou riding on the Jellyfish Slime’s oversized hat.
The ruby bunny already has an axe bigger than herself hefted over her shoulder. We’d better not waste time, or else we’ll miss the action!
Honestly, the eight of us are overkill for whatever the Wolf Lord has prepared, but Alex insisted we finish this battle before attempting to lend aid to the other team.
I’m finally going to give him a piece of my mind!
We skate around Gale’s fog bank, which has turned a concerning shade of pink and is emanating rather loud noises of fornication. Don’t even get me started on the smell! I’m wet just thinking about it… No, it’s time to fight, not fuck!
I bound over another hill, and he finally comes into view, along with his inner circle.
Book of Monsters Entry – Delta, Epsilon, and Zeta Wolves: Canine monsters. 2nd Tier, Above-Average Rank, Rank-Promoted. The top dogs of a canine pack. Dire Wolves who jockey for position in the pack's hierarchy. Their leader's magic infuses them with power, boosting their physical stats to a minor extent. Their natural weapons are the equal of wrought iron.
They’re each about six inches taller at the withers than the average Dire Wolf in beast form. No mortal horse that ever walked the world could sneer at their size. Alex and Gabby filled us all in on the relevant Book of Monsters entries we might see before splitting up this morning. I couldn’t memorize the whole thing, but a few relevant passages aren’t beyond my recollection.
Nearby, in humanoid form, lounges the legendary beauty of the Pack. I just hope they don’t set their sights on me.
Book of Monsters Entry – Omega Wolf: Canine monster. 3rd Tier, Below-Average Rank, Tier-Promoted. An unconventional Promotion granted to a Dire Wolf accustomed to resolving disputes with their body. Their leader's magic infuses them with power, boosting their physical stats to a moderate extent while greatly enhancing their sexual stamina and appeal. They seduce opponents with their potent pheromones and carnal allure. They then use their abundance of sexual endurance to subdue said seduced opponents through exhaustion. This monster demonstrates the effectiveness of submissively occupying a number of enemies while their companions mop up the remainder. Despite appearances, their beast form’s strength is still on par with that of an average Greater Wolf.
The pink-furred flirt lies there at their Lord’s feet as if this were a lazy day for relaxation. They have a flat chest, but their body is padded with plenty of healthy cushion. Winking at me over their shoulder, they pat their voluptuous posterior, which ripples enticingly before my eyes. The hairless pair of balls and modest cock nestled between their legs glisten like a pair of juicy plums and a luscious sausage. A perpetual pink haze surrounds their being, just thick enough to be barely visible. One touch from that pheromone cloud and anybody would be driven into a lusty, single-minded rut.
And there he stands, a vision of Canine power incarnate, “Dad…”
Book of Monsters Entry – Wolf Lord: Canine monster. 3rd Tier, Above-Average Rank, Leader-type advancement of the Greater Wolf. Forged through constant struggle, this evolution appears in large packs of Dire Wolves where the competition for dominance is fierce. After taking over at the top, they enforce a Pack hierarchy through their Tier and Rank Promotions. Their Wolf Form provides massive bonuses to their physical stats, with their one glaring weakness being a lack of elemental magic. Regardless, their raw strength, speed, and toughness often put them on an even playing field with most high-Rank monsters in their Tier.
The ‘Wolf Lord’ is uncommon among instances of the Leader-type monster archetype in that this evolution seems to be a function of the Pack as a whole. In the case of one Wolf Lord being felled, if the pack survives, a replacement Wolf Lord can quickly take their place as all members of the Pack hierarchy ascend to a higher role. There are even examples of two Packs clashing with two Wolf Lords dueling for control not resulting in a fatality, but a demotion of the loser to the ‘Beta Male’ position.
Addendum note: A Wolf Lord with no Pack reverts to the Greater Wolf evolutionary Rank.
He’s a head taller than the average Wolfman, and unlike them, wears a bestial face. His muscular, masculine body is covered with grey fur. As far as powerful monsters go, he isn’t anything special by appearances—it’s his presence that feels terrifying.
“The Wolf Lord is your father? And you didn’t think to mention this???” Gabby accuses me from her perch on that fancy new flying broomstick.
A familiar, deep, rumbling voice echoes across the hills, addressing us, “Regardless of blood, every member of this Pack is my son, daughter, or Mate.”
“And a few are clearly both,” Gabby mumbles under her breath. She might as well have shouted it, given my tribe’s canine senses of hearing, but the Wolf Lord doesn’t rise to the bait.
He looks me up and down with a complicated expression. “You’ve grown.” That’s all he says, but his voice is filled with pride. I nod, projecting grim determination. “But you’re not here to rejoin the Pack, are you?”
I shake my head. It’s my job to speak on Alex’s behalf. I need to show him how much I believe in Alex’s cause and push aside the good times I had with him as a pup. “Listen, we don’t have to fight. Alex is going up against the Ogre General right now. If we band together, we can end this quickly with minimal bloodshed. Nobody has to die.”
“That’s not how this works, daughter, and you know it. Weren’t you listening all those nights by the fire?”
The remaining wolves and my allies ready themselves to burst into action, but don’t budge an inch, waiting patiently for us to say everything in our hearts, like we aren’t on a time limit.
“I remember all that stuff you said about the ‘circle of life,’ that we become the grass prey eats when we die, and all that, but it’s total bullshit! We’re alive here and now! We have a chance here today to put a stop to the killing and dying. To end ‘predators’ and ‘prey.’ This woman here is proof!” I grab Moka from where she has dismounted next to me and lift her into a passionate kiss that she gladly reciprocates, her body writhing in the ecstasy of our embrace before the hungry eyes of the Pack. When our lips finally part, I go on with the chocolate bunny girl in my arms, saying, “She’s given herself to me utterly, and she knows I’d never hurt her or her family. The boys in our bellies will grow as brothers by blood and bonds. And it’s all thanks to Alex. We have enough food to feed everyone without murder!”
He eyes Moka with curiosity, and then a wolfish frown sours his expression. “If only that were the extent of our situation; I’ve never relished the necessity of killing to live. But that won’t stop our enemies abroad. They’ll come to take what we have if we grow too weak to defend ourselves. War is where warriors are forged.”
“Alex will protect the Pack. I will protect the Pack.” Even if I have to do it over your dead body, old man, I say with my hard gaze.
The Wolf Lord rumbles, “If you think the Echidna will solve all our problems, then you are more foolish than I thought.”
“So, you did know,” Gabby adjusts her spectacles as she narrows her eyes.
He snorts. “My daughter, I could’ve nipped this in the bud from the moment you brought that Echidna home to our den.”
I startle as the dots connect in my mind. “But you didn’t. Instead, you gave her your Marks.” His bearing tells me I’m on the right track. “Why’d you let her go? And there’s no way you couldn’t have beaten Bruke on your own until now.” Our rival tribe's leading Ogre was a Tier below the Wolf Lord up to a few days ago.
He answers my question in kind. “Do you not understand someone will replace Bruke once he's gone? Reckless growth is a failing of the young that always comes back to bite them... Tell me, do you really think killing the Echidna or using her to become a God Beast would solve anything?” This time, I’m truly shaken. To think, he knew the extent of what Alex represented all along… We only found out about that after Alex re-read the letter from Saint Lilith to us. "I ask again, can the world truly be changed, even with the power of a god?"
Killing to eat. Killing to protect. Killing to get stronger. Killing to control. What's the difference between me and the Monster Rulers, or the God Beasts? Is it arrogant to think I'd do a better job in their place?
Gabby breaks in again, chuckling darkly as she says, “If that’s the conversation you want to have, then let me say this. I don’t particularly care what Alex chooses. Whether she destroys this world, gathers and hides all the God Brands, or creates a Pantheon Harem with me at the head, I will defend my wife and grow stronger until I can strike down any who would oppose us!”
I snap out of my fugue and laugh. “Damn it, Shortstack, but when you’re right, you’re right. We’re just wasting time here talking, now. Dad, I see now, it seems like you’re the type who drags things out as long as possible because you’re afraid of reaching the end. Bloodshed, rape, and eating people are all ‘fine’ as long as it’s the ‘status quo.’ I get it, change is scary, right? But I’d throw myself in the fire a thousand times before I sit on my haunches and let things go on the way they always have. 'Can the world be changed,' is a question that can only be answered after I've tried. I’ll give you one last chance to decide things with a clean duel, just you and me, or else I can’t promise no one gets hurt.”
The Wolf Lord lowers his head, glaring. “There’s no such thing as a ‘clean duel’ when fighting against Incursions, daughter. The Pack’s fate will be decided the same way it always has. Fight me and mine with everything you have; hold nothing back. If you somehow manage to succeed, know that you have my blessing. Good luck.”
Then he transforms, falling onto four legs while growing larger and larger. And larger…
“Gabby, how big did you say a Wolf Lord is supposed to be?” Come to think of it, I’ve never actually seen Dad in beast form. He always handled fights without having to resort to that because he was so damn strong.
And larger…
“About the size of a bull elephant, but it depends on the number of wolves in their Pack, not to mention their collective strength in terms of Tier and Rank.” She pauses, equally dumbfounded by the transformation before us as I am, “Do you perhaps have some cousins you didn’t know about?”
And larger…
“Like, fuck me,” Olindia says, withering at the display.
“Umm, when did you say Alex is coming to help us, Flou?” Cottontail questions with concern.
“She’s not. Alex has her hands full,” the ruby bunny Slime gives a terse reply, eyes locked on the expanding Wolf Lord. She’d know, too, given that her subordinate Cores are scattered throughout the Happy Airforce for the sake of communication.
“For Field Town!” Steelheart cries as if about to lead a suicide charge.
“Eep!” Bonny squeaks.
“It’s done,” a new, somehow familiar feminine voice calls from nearby.
We turn to see a strange-looking wolf approaching us from the northeast. She has a furry muzzle, but the rest of her pelt is covered with grass, bark, and thorny vines. Hundreds of blue flowers bloom thick in her mane, their petals obscuring her eyes. The sweet smell of jasmine in the air is overwhelming.
Book of Monsters Entry – Gamma Night Howler: Canine monster. 3rd Tier, Below-Average Rank, Tier-Promoted. The Pack leader's magic infuses a Timberwolf, causing their power to blossom, boosting their physical and magical prowess to a moderate extent. While physically not much stronger than a Greater Wolf, their Plant Magic is more potent than that of a Flower Dryad. This combination of spells and strength makes them formidable opponents.
This must be the result of the Wolf Lord’s efforts to evolve his children using the denizens of the Charlatan Forest. One of the experiments bore fruit.
“My thorn barrier!” Gabby curses. She’s right, a Plant-type magic user like this would be able to neutralize a section of her Persistent Spell wall.
As if on cue, a pack of Dire Wolves, their fur the pale brown of sand, comes from the direction of the Eastern Desert. One of their number is bigger than the rest.
Book of Monsters Entry – Beta Male Wolf: Canine monster. 3rd Tier, Average Rank, Rank-Promoted. The second in command of a canine pack leader. A Greater Wolf who earned their place as the first in line to succeed the Lord. Their leader's magic infuses them with power, boosting their physical stats to a moderate extent and increasing the size of their Wolf Form to a minor extent. Their natural weapons are the equal of steel blades.
Another pack comes from the north, their fur a pale grey, led by a huge canine. She's half again as large as the Dire Wolves, but her teats are heavy with milk as if she left a litter back home to come deal with us.
Book of Monsters Entry – Alpha Bitch: Canine monster. 3rd Tier, Average Rank, Rank-Promoted. The first mate of a canine Pack Leader. This is a special Promotion outside the normal hierarchy of the Pack with authority relative to the Pack Leader, making her the equal of or greater than the Beta Male. Her mate's magic infuses her with power, boosting her physical stats to a moderate extent and increasing the size of her Wolf Form to a minor extent. Her natural weapons are the equal of steel blades.
"Mom!?!" Is that where's she's been for the past few years?
"So, you are the Wolf Lord's—!" Gabby starts, but the huge bitch doesn’t let her finish.
"—Daughter, you've made a fine mess of things. You dare stand against your father? I didn't think I'd nursed such a fool at my teat. I’d respect it if you'd come at me, but here we are. We'll be lucky if there's enough of you left to mourn when he's through."
Normally, I'd be quipping back right now. It's just that there's not much to say when the Wolf Lord is staring us down from such a ludicrous stature.
He has three packs under his control (I see now he just had them roaming wide to not overtax the prey in the Region), and he's about the size of three elephants shuffled together. I guess Gabby was right on target after all, proportionally speaking.
"We accounted for the Wolf Lord being three times stronger than expected, right?" Cottontail asks, looking for reassurance, while the rest of us register how much this is going to suck. “We do have a 'Plan C,' d-don’t we?”
The Wolf Lord throws his head back in a howl that shakes the world and rattles our bones, signaling that the battle has begun.
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