229. The Battle of Five-ish Armies, Part 14 [Suka]

Team Canine Crushers (Suka)

We collide again, bodies crunching together, but this time I try my last resort. I purposely detonate all the power contained in my bestial form, shattering the unstable flame construct already on the verge of collapse, which bursts into a plume of a conflagration that consumes both of us. My Fire Resistance is proof against the heat, though the explosion's force sends me tumbling across the rough terrain.

The old dog doesn't come through so cleanly. A thin trail of smoke rises from his fur, and his limbs tremble as he pushes himself up. He's favoring his right paw. That crunch I felt must have been a bone in his leg. 

Not that I'm in the best shape either as I rise, wobbly and shaken. I'm putting on a brave face, of course. This hasn't been easy. No, this has been fucking impossible despite the handicaps Alex and Gabby helped me scrape together. 

This bastard is a demon in wolf's clothing. He's crafty, with more tricks and feints than I can count. He's a mean son of a bitch who's not afraid to lose an eye or an ear if it wins him the fight. That, and he knows me inside and out because he's the one who trained me. 

As a result, I'm battered, bloodied, and wrung-out. My ribs are bruised from that last impact. I've got a long scratch down my back that's bleeding all over the place. It nearly severed my spine. 

But I'm alive and standing. Come here, you mangy old mutt. Let's finish this.

A pulse of cobbled-together willpower reignites my fire, covering my head, ears, tail, and paws with flames. Burning, clawed gauntlets cover my hands. Then a string of double-jump explosions from the pads of my paws propels me through the air. I flip mid-flight to land a kick to his head, depending on his wounded leg to limit his mobility. A spike of pain in my side almost sends me careening off in the wrong direction. I power through.

Hit! 

He takes it. Staggers. Doesn't go down. What's your game this time, old man? 

I spring away, chased by imaginary reprisals. He doesn't pursue me. No, in fact, he isn't looking too good.

Bloody drool leaks out the side of his face. His eyes are unfocused. He still doesn't go down. Is he punch-drunk?

"Yield, you stubborn bastard!"

He doesn't shake his head, but his voice reaches me, low as a whisper. "End this the right way. Claim it all."

Looking around, I see the nearby battles reaching their conclusions outside our arena. The ghostly wolves patrolling the perimeter stare at us intently. Silently judging. I notice there are fewer now than there were to start.

"Damn you." I think I get it. 

The Wolf Lord's power isn't a monolith. It never was. It's fueled by the loyalty of every wolf in the Pack. This fight between us is fracturing the base, but it was never going to be a clean transition. Some will see this as the end of an era, an excuse to break free on their own, or a chance to join a different monster society. Some won't change loyalties until the old Lord is dead.

So, what am I going to do about it?

I launch myself into the air on a jet of flame. Flipping at the apex, I fall hard with a heel-drop kick to the former Wolf Lord's head. The spiritual echoes of this final strike reverberate across the battlefield as he shudders and slumps to the ground at my burning paws. His chest slowly rises with an unconscious sigh.

A bone-rattling howl rips from my throat, face turned up to the sky, and I release all my pent-up emotion. Screw you, old man, you don't get to die yet. Screw all you who turned-tail and fled. Bend the knee now or later, it doesn't matter. I'm coming for you next.

The ghostly wolves join me in a great canine chorus howling in unison. After a frozen minute of communion, they lower their muzzles and rush at me. Into me. Their ethereal forms dive into my body and disappear as the Ritual Duel reaches its conclusion. I feel each as they enter, an infusion of power along with a trickle of a connection to some distant Pack member. 

A change comes upon me. My muscles writhe, my skin ripples, and my flames become somehow more real. I transform into my bestial shape, but this is no mere construct, now. The towering, fiery wolf I've been sculpted into (though not yet as tall as the previous Lord) is a form as natural as breathing. My fur is a carpet of solid flame over blood and bone. Untold strength coils in my legs. 

My eyes open as a wave of invisible energy erupts from my body. I feel it hit the supplicants before me a moment after my gaze lands on them. The tenuous connection between us becomes a closed loop that weaves itself into a thick cord. We are now bound as Pack. 

The first three, I know intuitively, are far-ranging scouts that escaped the Centaurian floggers, the Omega's pheromones, and Delilah's lusty mist. They rise from where they knelt, transformed to reflect our bond. Their fur is the color of ash except for a handful of red-glowing patches across their bodies. They each have only one burning spot somewhere useful, like on their paw or muzzle.

Book of Monsters Entry – Scattered Ember Wolf: Canine monster. 2nd Tier, Above-Average Rank, Rank-Promoted. The scout of a Fire-Attribute Pack Leader. Gaining any amount of Fire magic, even a small measure such as their 'scattered embers,' is transformative for a monster's overall power. 

That's familiar enough from my limited knowledge of the Canine Subordinate subcategories. The next group of three are a bit different. (When Alex later received an entry for them in her tattoo logs post-orgy, she reported to me that her system identified them as Cherry Chained Wolves. She also passed on the following...)

*Fairy Companion Tooltip!*

Cherry - A shade of red reserved for monsters wielding metallic weapons who gained the Fire-Attribute through a Subordinate bond. This allows them to control the temperature of their metal to the point of radiating thermal energy in the visible spectrum.

These wolves had been tempted away from the Pack with pleasure and the unspoken promises of potential power radiating from the high-rank Centaurs. They'd then seen my victory and had yet another change of heart to come crawling back. They actually lost the ability to manipulate the chains like limbs after the second betrayal, but kept the magical metal collar and chain links. 

It appears they can still use the chains as improvised weapons, whipping them at enemies or wrapping them around their limbs and bodies, and they have immunity to the heat of their own cherry-red implements. That's pretty cool! 

Their fur all turns ashen grey as well, with their appearance otherwise remaining the same as before.

Lastly, it appears a formidable monster has decided to throw her lot in with me. (Alex's mark system would later identify her as an Ashwood Timberwolf.)

*Fairy Companion Tooltip!*

Ashwood - A special Promotion Modifier reserved for a Plant Attribute monster who gained the Fire Attribute through a Subordinate bond. Allows the user to circulate their Plant spells through the cycle of growth, conflagration, and rebirth at will.

Here and now, I decide to rib the woman a bit to check her motivations. "So, you decided to stick around? Didn't want to strike out on your own like the others?"

The Ashwood Timberwolf is going through an interesting transformation as our bond solidifies. Her fur turns ashen like the other six that stayed loyal, though the plant life on her body is different now. The carpet of leaves and vines growing on her back is continually bursting into flame, turning to embers, and crumbling away before being replaced by fresh green sprouting from the ashes.

"Don't you recognize me, Suka?"

That voice... I didn't recognize her Wolf-shape since we parted ways prior to her Second Tier Evolution, but I know this woman. My reaction is somewhat complicated by the mixture of emotions that seeing her dredges up inside me. I exclaim, "Cagna, I haven't seen you in months!"

I'd thought she was from a neighboring Wolf Pack when we met, but it turns out the Wolf Lord had split our forces across several Regions to lessen our ecological impact (Fuzzy Field can only support so many carnivores). The two of us are something like second or third cousins (our family tree is a bit tangled with everyone screwing each other) and it's not quite fair to say we used to 'fool around.' I know her feelings on the matter are more intense than mine and slightly one-sided.

That's not to say I don't like her. She's a sexy bitch and a great fuck; I just never thought of her romantically until she confessed to me. Her Pack was migratory, communing with mine every few years, and she wanted me to come along. Could I leave my old life to go and be with her in a real relationship? I said 'no' that day. It wasn't exactly a breakup since we left it open that we'd have a 'roll in the grass' again next time her Pack stopped by. Still, I'm not happy about the way I left it then.

My personal goals at the time were to stay near the Wolf Lord and usurp him one day while searching for a human to make my bitch. Both of those fantasies came true after a fashion, but, looking back, I feel some remorse for the way I undervalued our connection. 

I may very well have been happy with Cagna on our own. She might've made a fine life partner. But... the life we would have led would be without Dura. Without Isabella... Without Alex. Without Moka too, since we would've eaten her instead of my taking the bunny for Mate. So, I can't regret what might have been. 

Looking her over, I can't read Cagna very well with the ever-burning foliage covering her eyes and canine ears, though her body language seems expectant. She wants to say something, but it's my role as Pack Leader to set the tone. She's waiting for me to establish whether or not we're going to pick up where we left off when we separated. Have her feelings for me changed? Did she stay because she wants us to try again?

No, I have a responsibility to Alex and everyone to come to their aid. My personal shit can wait. Later, I should try to build on what we had. 

"...There's too much happening right now. We have to keep fighting. Whatever your reasons for following me, I hereby vow to protect you and your families, always." Might as well put the Bond into words. "Cagna, you and I will have a long talk in private when this is over."

That seems to molify the Timberwolf for the moment. The others act relieved they aren't being punished for wavering loyalties to the new Pack regime.

"Suka, it seems you succeeded at last. You've become a Lupine Trailblazer," Gabby says as she swoops overhead on her broomstick, as focused on monster Evolution as ever.

Book of Monsters Entry – Lupine Trailblazer. Canine monster. 3rd Tier, Above-Average Rank. A Fire-Attribute Pack Leader. While a Wolf Lord is the Leadership Evolution of a Great Wolf, this is the equivalent for a Lupine Flamestalker. Or, rather, the distinction is largely academic. From the information gathered in this tome, this isn't a distinct, 'true' Evolution. A Lupine Trailblazer is both a Flamestalker and a Wolf Lord for the purposes of however their status is attained. The same is true for the Great Wolf and Wolf Lord, or any such equivalent canine pairing. This is a curiosity of the Pack's magic that isn't seen with other monster Leaders. It ties back into how the Wolf Lord is more of a mantle decided by the Pack than the other way around. A Pack of almost any size is rarely without a Leader.

The little Goblin is seeming smaller than ever from the height of my new stature despite her riding that fancy flying broom. In front of her is that adorable little mouse girl in the big hat, and one other...

"Suka!"

"Moka!"

My sweet, chocolate bonbon Mate leaps from the broomstick to land on my back where she belongs. She hugs my neck and nuzzles my ruff. "I never worried a moment," she brags. 

Before I can properly appreciate my bunny companion, another group of monsters approaches. 

"So, you're one of Alex's new wives  that Kani mentioned." The Triton mermaid and her crew of aquatic monsters eyes us and down. She gives me a shallow nod. "I already knew my bride has good taste in partners, though you're a bit hot for my pallet. Come, let's not waste more time on pleasantries and go rescue Alex."

Steelheart, Opal, and the Sweet Bees head over to join us as we speak. Flou, Olindia, and the captive Pegasus are waiting in the wings for orders.

I chuckle, intending to get eyes on Cottontail before anything else, though I'm sure the clever bunny has Tygge handled. "And you must be Lady Ariella of the Mermaid Cove. Well, maybe you don't know Alex as well as you think if you believe she needs rescuing."