The creature's fur gleamed like obsidian under the faint moonlight. It dwarfed the other Howlfangs, its muscular frame moving with predatory grace. Its eyes burned brighter than any Aelric had seen before—twin orbs of molten gold that seemed to pierce through flesh and bone.
Varik turned pale, his earlier confidence evaporating. "No," he whispered. "That's not possible."
"The Alpha," the girl said grimly.
Then the Alpha moved.
It crouched low, its powerful hind legs coiling like springs. The air seemed to compress around it, a strange ripple distorting the space where it stood.
"Get down!" she shouted, grabbing Aelric and pulling him to the ground.
The Alpha launched itself into the air. It sailed over the battlefield in a single, impossible leap, its shadow casting a dark shroud over the ledge.
It landed with an earth-shaking impact, its claws gouging deep grooves into the stone. The sheer force of the leap sent captors and prisoners alike sprawling, and a few unlucky souls lost their footing entirely, plummeting into the gorge below.
The Alpha wasted no time. Its claws slashed through a captor who had been too slow to react, the man's scream cut short as his body crumpled lifelessly. Blood sprayed across the rocks, and the scent seemed to invigorate the other Howlfangs.
Varik stepped forward, his sword trembling in his hand. "Fall back!" he roared, but his voice cracked under the weight of his fear.
"Run!" The girl shouted.
Chaos consumed the mountainside as the Alpha tore through captors and prisoners alike. Screams echoed against the jagged cliffs, mingling with the triumphant howls of the Howlfangs. The narrow path became a death trap, slick with blood and littered with the fallen.
Aelric sprinted alongside the cuffed girl, Varik, Serenna, and a few others. The path ahead forked sharply. Without time to think, Aelric led them down a steep, rocky incline veering away from the main route. Loose stones tumbled beneath their feet as they half-ran, half-slid down the treacherous slope.
"Where are you taking us?" Varik shouted, his eyes wild.
"Anywhere but here!" Aelric snapped back.
Behind them, the Alpha's roar signaled its continued pursuit. The Howlfangs were reveling in the slaughter above, but it wouldn't be long before they picked up the trail.
At the base of the slope, a narrow crevice opened into the mountainside—a dark maw that promised shelter or doom. Aelric didn't hesitate. "In here!" he ordered.
The group hesitated.
"It's a dead end!" Serenna protested.
"Better than being out here!" the iron-cuffed girl retorted, shoving past her.
Varik hesitated, his eyes calculating. The Alpha's roar echoed closer, sealing his decision. "Move!" he barked at his men.
The group stumbled into the cavern, their breaths ragged and labored. The dark space swallowed them, damp and cold, with jagged walls that pressed close. For a moment, only the sounds of panting and shuffling feet filled the void. Aelric leaned against the wall, catching his breath, while his mind raced to assess their next move.
A lanky prisoner stood trembling, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. With a guttural growl, he lunged at a guard. "You left us to die, you bastards!" His fist connected with the guard's jaw, sending the man sprawling to the ground.
The guard scrambled to his feet, his hand reaching for his blade, but the prisoner roared again, advancing. "You deserve worse!" he spat, his voice trembling with raw anger. "You herded us like cattle, fed us to those things!"
"Enough!" Aelric stepped forward, his voice sharp and commanding. The prisoner faltered, his fists still raised but trembling now. His eyes locked on Aelric, his chest heaving. "They deserve it," the prisoner muttered, his voice cracking.
Aelric didn't back down. "And what about us?" he snapped. "The Howlfangs are still out there, and if they hear us, we're all dead. Is that what you want? To throw away the chance we have left?"
The prisoner's fists wavered, then lowered slowly. His shoulders slumped, and he turned away with a muttered curse. Behind him, Varik chuckled, a dark, mocking sound that made Aelric's jaw tighten. "Wise choice, boy," Varik said, his smirk returning. "Though I doubt your friend here will stay quiet for long."
"One more word and you won't need the Howlfangs," Elysia said coldly. Her iron cuffs clinked ominously as she stepped forward, her dark eyes sharp as daggers. The guards tensed at her movement, their hands darting to their weapons.
Varik raised an eyebrow but didn't reply. He simply leaned back against the wall, his smirk undeterred.
Aelric turned to face the group, his gaze sweeping over the prisoners and captors alike. "If we're going to survive, we need a truce. Right now, we're all in the same danger."
"What will the truce even achieve?" Serenna snorted, her sneer visible even in the dim light. "You have neither the weapons nor the ability to fight back."
Elysia turned sharply toward her, stepping closer. Her chains rattled as she gestured to the prisoners. "They have more spirit than you give them credit for. If you're so confident, maybe you'd like to test your theory against the Alpha."
At the mention of the Alpha, a hush fell over the group.
Outside, the growls of the Howlfangs changed, morphing into a low, unified rumble. Aelric edged closer to the entrance, his heart pounding. Peering out, he caught sight of the Alpha standing at the edge of the gorge.
It didn't move like a beast—it moved like a predator that knew its power was absolute. Its glowing golden eyes scanned the rocky terrain, its gaze unnervingly deliberate. With a slow, measured step, it turned its massive head toward the crevice where they had fled. For a heart-stopping moment, its gaze lingered, as if it could see through the stone walls.
The Howlfangs surrounding it stilled, their snarls fading into uneasy silence. One by one, they peeled away, their movements precise, as though directed by the Alpha itself. Aelric's breath hitched. It wasn't just stronger than the others—it was their commander.
He ducked back into the cavern, his mind racing. This wasn't a random predator. It was a force of nature.
As he moved aside, the girl approached him.
"Thank you," she said quietly.
He glanced at her. "For what?"
"For rescuing me. For trying, at least." She extended her bound hands. "I'm Elysia."
"Aelric," he replied, offering a small nod. "Those were some quick reactions back there."
Her eyes flicked to him briefly before returning to the darkness beyond. "I've seen an Alpha before."
"Where?" he pressed.
She stiffened, her jaw tightening. "Does it matter? They're monsters, all of them."
It did matter, but Aleric did not push her for answers.
One of the prisoners, an older man with weary eyes, approached hesitantly. "Do you really think there's a chance we can escape?"
Aelric's mind raced. The gorge only had one way out and it was the way where they just escaped from. Trying to escape that way would be suicide. But perhaps there was another way—a way that didn't involve fleeing but facing the threat head-on.
He recalled the message that had appeared earlier:
[Quest Activated: Trial of the Conqueror]
[Objective: Slay 100 Howlfangs]
[Reward: Dominion Mark]
The words lingered in his mind. Trial of the Conqueror. Was this some kind of test? If so, perhaps thinning the Howlfangs' numbers was not only possible but necessary. From what he had seen, the Howlfangs territory was quite extensive. If they could manage to thin those numbers, it might give them a chance to slip past without facing the Alpha.
"Listen," Aelric began, his voice steady. "We might not be able to escape the Howlfangs' territory, but we can fight back."
"Fight back?" one of the prisoners, a burly man with scars tracing his forearms, scoffed. "What makes you think a boy like you can lead us?"
Murmurs of agreement rippled through the group, their fear and desperation spilling over into distrust. Another prisoner, a gaunt woman clutching a tattered shawl, shook her head. "We should have kept running. Now we're trapped because of you."
Aelric stepped forward, his jaw tightening. "Running wasn't an option. The Howlfangs would have picked us off one by one on the open path. At least here, we can plan. We can fight." His voice carried over the rising discontent, firm but not unkind. "I won't promise safety, but I'll give you the chance to fight for it. Isn't that better than waiting to die?"
The burly man frowned but crossed his arms, unwilling to argue further. Others exchanged uncertain glances. The tension lingered, heavy and suffocating, until Elysia stepped beside Aelric.
"At least he's offering us something other than despair," she said sharply, her chains rattling as she gestured to the group. "Unless you all prefer the mercy of those beasts?"
Her words cut through the doubt, leaving the prisoners uneasy but quiet. Aelric exhaled slowly, then turned to Varik. "We'll need to set traps and ambushes. Smaller packs are easier to manage. If we can use the gorge to our advantage, maybe we can—"
Varik interrupted with a laugh. "Ambush them? Clever, but you're missing one thing: bait. Without someone to draw them in, your little plan is useless." He leaned against the wall, his cold gaze sweeping the prisoners. "So, any volunteers?"
*****
A/N:
I know some of you have been wondering about the magic in this world—how it works, where it comes from, and how it fits into the story. I realize I've been a bit stingy with showing the magic and abilities so far, but don't worry—that's about to change. You'll get a closer look at it very soon, starting in the next chapter.
Thank you for sticking with the story, and I hope you enjoy what's to come!