CHAPTER 3: THE CHALLENGE
CHAPTER 3: THE CHALLENGE
"Not bad. Even without adequate resources, I was able to make a tasty meal out of this boar," I praised myself.
I had recently made a home out of an old abandoned hovel in the woods. I got up from the dining ground and stretched my body while staring at the stark silhouette of my figure, etched by the moon onto the cracked walls. The light illuminated every crevice, exposing the desolation of the hovel. I decided to go for a little traipse to avoid getting lost in the abyss of my own thoughts.
The creatures of the woods were having a little party—from the colorful myriad of fireflies illuminating the often-somber woods to the croaking of frogs and the mating calls of other creatures—all were music to my ears. I beamed with elation as my lips finally experienced joy after such a long time. I climbed onto a tree, smiling and grinning like a lovestruck teenager.
"Has the world always been this beautiful?" I asked myself. A part of me felt like enjoying life without worrying too much. But I had briefly forgotten that the world doesn't revolve around happiness alone, as a short-lived incident would soon jolt me back to business, reminding me that the world isn't all roses and tulips.
Out of the blue, my keen ears picked up a distant voice, faint but unmistakable.
"Please let me go! Mama, Big sis, save me!"
It was a cry for help.
It must be the remnants of those bandit rogue wolves I dealt with back in the day. I jumped down from the tree with effortless grace, darting like a phantom across the forest floor. Using my keen ears as a compass, I arrived at a much darker side of the forest in seconds. There, I sighted five omega wolves—probably rogues too—but definitely not bandits, as they looked and dressed too classy.
One of them kept tugging at the horns of a little girl.
"Wait, horns?"
My eyes widened, leaving my mouth agape in shock.
"That's not a wolfkin!" My thoughts raced, trying to make sense of the creature before me.
"Come on, let's hurry. She might alert rogues with all this noise she's making. Muffle her mouth," one protested.
"She's too much trouble. Too bad we can't hurt her. I don't have the patience for all this—I haven't cuddled with my wife in days," another snapped, showing his frustrations.
"Remain composed. If we do anything stupid, the Alpha would destroy us," another cautioned.
"Alpha? They aren't rogues—they're omegas," I probed.
I didn't truly understand the werewolf hierarchy. I felt I didn't need to understand it, maybe because of the discrimination I'd endured. All I knew was that there's an Alpha who rules the pack like a king, his fated mate who is the Luna, and a very powerful wolf second in command—the Beta. The rest I often thought of as redundant members of the pack. But realizing I was also an Omega, just like the ones planning to kidnap another life form, made my heart flutter briefly.
The sensation faded quickly, replaced by a wicked smile curving effortlessly on my lips.
Observation is over. It's hero time.
"Ugh, that sounded corny. Hero? Nah," I laughed as I stepped out of the bushes.
"Hey, who are you? And what's got you laughing like a nutcase?" one of the omegas demanded, his voice screeching like a startled bat.
"It doesn't matter. It's unfortunate your sorry self has seen too much already. You're leaving this plane of existence now," one of the Omegas said.
"Is he mad?" another scoffed.
"Sorry, guys. I just cracked a joke. Can you believe I thought of myself as a hero?" I responded, laughing loudly again.
The muffled creature kept groaning, her eyes scanning mine, pleading for mercy.
"What's with this guy? He's pissing me off. Let's just ignore him—Alpha Thorn really needs her," one of the frustrated omegas churned in.
"Wait, did you say Thorn?"
The teasing laugh and smile that played on my lips evaporated instantly, like a droplet of water on a scorching desert. Fury surged through me, turning my face a furious shade of crimson. My fists clenched tightly, knuckles whitening, as a prominent vein throbbed, nearly bursting with the intensity of my rage.
"It's Alpha Thorn you peasant! Show some respect!" a furious omega corrected.
I bent my knees briefly, building up energy to bolt in between them.
"Seeeeeezhh," my teeth drew in air as I pounced on the first omega with speed that exceeded a striking hawk. My movement was a blur of raw power and precision.
"I WON'T HOLD BACK!"
I punched a hole through the face of my first victim, my fist stuck in the grotesque orifice. The crunch of bone and squelching flesh, mixed with the ripe tang of blood, filled the air. He dropped dead as the contents of his face spewed out.
The muffled creature moaned before fainting in fear and shock.
The remaining four wolves were beyond startled, panic evident in their eyes.
"Monster! He's a monster! Run for it!" one of them shrieked, his voice trembling.
But there was one Omega who remained composed, though his expression was laced with fury and fearlessness.
"And you all dare call yourselves Alpha Thorn's warriors? Pathetic! I knew you were all worthless the moment I was tagged with you!" he reprimanded angrily, his words dripping with disapproval.
"Are you done with your pep talk?" I chimed in, my eyes gleaming with bloodlust.
The composed Omega hissed in response, his face twitching with irritation. They reached into a pouch, pulling out a small vial of green, slimy liquid. Without hesitation, they consumed the potion.
"You shouldn't have come here, bloke. Don't worry, you'll be on a vacation to the afterlife soon," the composed Omega declared, his voice now steady with malevolent glee.
The potion's effects were immediate and grotesque. Their bodies began to transform, bulking with grotesque proportions. Fangs elongated into blade-like protrusions, their hind limbs swelled to monstrous sizes, and their claws sharpened into wicked talons.
"One scratch from us, and your body will be flooded with poison, spreading like a deadly tide," the composed Omega boasted.
The other wolves howled in delight as their forms completed the transformation.
"You blab too much," I retorted. "Come at me."
All four pounced at once.
The first claw aimed for my neck, but I dodged, crouching low and twisting into a powerful heel kick that sent one wolf stumbling to the ground, laying motionless. Their enhanced strength was evident, but their movements were clumsy and slow.
Another wolf aimed a spinning kick at me. I evaded it, seizing his head mid-motion and delivering a brain-rattling headbutt. He howled in pain, staggering backward.
The remaining two attacked in tandem. One feigned a strike to draw me in, creating an opening for the other Omega's heavy uppercut. The blow connected, rattling my jaw and followed by a kick to my thigh.
Pain flared through my body, but fury ignited stronger within me.
I lunged forward, a blur of motion, pinning one of them to the ground. My arms locked around his neck. We both roared—he in pain, I in rage—as I ripped his head from his shoulders. Blood sprayed everywhere, bathing me in its tangy scent.
The last Omega hesitated, his tail tucked between his legs, his wide eyes betraying sheer terror.
"You… you are… evil. What are you?" he stammered, his carefully constructed composure shattered. His body began reacting to his fear, his form shrinking slightly as if the transformation itself was reversing.
"My dear composed buddy," I mocked, my voice echoing through the blood-soaked clearing. "What happened? Wolf got your tongue?"
"P-please… spare me," he begged, his voice cracking.
"Fine," I said, stepping closer to him. "But…" I grabbed his arm firmly. "Take me to Alpha Thorn. Right now."
He nodded rapidly, his fear palpable.
We boarded a crude wooden carriage, speeding through the darkness toward Shadow Claw territory. I held the fainted girl in my lap, her horns gently resting against my chest.
"Are we there yet?" I asked, my voice calm but laced with impatience.
"N-no, boss," he stammered.
"And this creature… she's not wolf-kin, is she?" I asked, tugging slightly at her horns.
"N-no… she's a… a demon-folk, boss. A demon."
"A demon?" I muttered, my anger momentarily replaced with concern. "And what does Thorn need her for?"
"I… I don't know the details, but I think she's supposed to be made into a potion… granting him immense, unnatural strength," the Omega mumbled, trembling.
My heart pounded. The mention of Thorn, combined with this heinous plan, awakened an old, buried fear—the same fear I'd felt when he gripped my neck ten years ago.
"We are here, sir," the Omega announced.
Shadow Claw territory was unlike anything else in the werewolf lands. It was the most developed of all the packs, but the beauty was hollow and false. Stolen treasures, animals, and art adorned their lands—a revolting display of selfish growth. The golden banners fluttered arrogantly in the moonlight, a condescending reminder of their dominance.
I descended from the carriage, the unconscious girl cradled in one arm and the disheveled Omega trailing behind me. "Take me to him," I commanded.
"B-boss… oh… okay," he stammered, my raised brow silencing any further hesitation.
Alpha Thorn was in the middle of a meeting in his opulent palace. The walls and floors were adorned with blinding displays of gold and diamonds, a sickening reminder of his greed and power.
I barged into the hall, the doors flying off its hinges shattering the room's serenity. The council members flinched, their faces contorted in a mix of fear and confusion.
My voice roared through the chamber, carrying ten years of pent-up anger.
"You cowardly bastard of an Alpha! I challenge you to a trial of combat!"