The Dungeon lord : Women, power and monsters

Thanks for your engagement guys but I’m still counting on you guys to engage. You could do as little as dropping your thoughts in the comments or go as far a donating a power stone, golden ticket or gift.

The birds stopped singing. Tolu noticed first.

Ore noticed a moment later. She slowly raised her head.

Tolu lifted one finger.

Wait.

A sound came from the forest. A low, distant growl.

Another answered it. Then another.

Tolu’s heartbeat quickened. There were multiple wolves.

The pack.

He could hear them moving through the undergrowth. Branches snapped. Leaves rustled.

Then shadows appeared between the trees.

One wolf.

Then another.

Then another.

Tolu counted silently.

Six.

Seven.

Eight.

His eyes searched the group.

Then he saw it.

The largest wolf walked behind the others.

Its shoulders were broader.

Its movements were slower.

More deliberate.

The other wolves moved around it naturally, giving it space.

The Ironfang leader.

Tolu’s mouth went dry.

The leader stopped.

Its head rose.

It sniffed.

The scent of the bait had reached it.

The other wolves remained behind.

The leader moved forward.

One step.

Then another.

Tolu barely breathed.

Ore’s hand tightened around her bow.

The wolf approached the bait.

It stopped.

Its ears twitched.

It looked around.

Tolu’s heart sank.

It wasn’t charging blindly.

It was checking the area.

The wolf sniffed the ground.

Then it looked directly toward the bushes where Tolu and Ore were hiding.

Tolu froze.

Ore froze.

The Ironfang stared.

For several seconds, nobody moved.

Then the wolf turned away.

Tolu silently exhaled.

The beast approached the bait again.

One paw moved forward.

It landed on the concealed section.

The false ground held.

The wolf took another step.

The second paw landed.

Still nothing.

Tolu’s fingers tightened around the release.

The Ironfang lowered its head.

It was directly above the trap.

Tolu waited.

One more step.

The wolf shifted its weight.

The branches beneath its paw snapped.

Its leg dropped.

The Ironfang lurched forward.

Tolu pulled the release.

The rope snapped tight.

The hidden vines shot forward.

They wrapped around the beast’s chest and front legs.

The Ironfang roared.

Tolu and Ore sprang from their hiding place.

"NOW!"

They pulled the second line together.

The wooden braces swung inward.

The wolf crashed onto its side.

For the first time, Tolu felt something dangerously close to relief.

They had done it.

The Ironfang was trapped.

Then the wolf opened its eyes.

And Tolu saw exactly how badly they had underestimated it.

The beast planted its rear legs against the ground.

Its muscles tightened.

It pulled.

The vines stretched.

The wooden braces groaned.

Tolu’s relief disappeared.

"Pull!"

Ore leaned backward with all her strength.

"I’m pulling!"

The Ironfang twisted.

One of the vines snapped.

Tolu’s eyes widened.

"Again!"

The wolf pulled harder.

The wooden brace shifted several inches.

The ground beneath the stake began to loosen.

Tolu ran toward it.

He grabbed the stake and drove it deeper into the soil.

The Ironfang snarled.

Its head turned toward him.

Tolu’s heart pounded.

It was looking directly at him.

And suddenly he understood.

This wasn’t a helpless creature caught in a trap.

It was a predator trying to figure out how to escape.

A predator strong enough to tear apart everything they had spent weeks preparing.

Tolu gritted his teeth.

"Hold it!"

Ore pulled harder.

The Ironfang roared again.

The trap shook violently.

Tolu looked at the ropes.

Then at the wolf.

Then at Ore.

They had perhaps seconds before everything broke.

And they had no idea that another pair of eyes was watching from somewhere beyond the trees.

The trap was beginning to fail. Tolu could hear the wood groaning beneath the pressure of the Ironfang.

"Ore, the leave rope!"

She immediately shifted her grip. "The one around the tree?"

"Yes! Pull it toward you!"

Ore planted both feet against the ground and pulled.

The rope tightened.

The vines wrapped around the wolf’s chest.

For a moment, the Ironfang stopped struggling.

Tolu’s eyes lit up. "Now!"

He rushed forward. His ring was the key.

If he could touch the creature, it would be over. He only needed one opening.

But the Ironfang suddenly twisted. The movement was so violent that one of the wooden braces snapped. The wolf’s front half surged upward.

Tolu stopped.

The creature’s jaws opened. A deep growl vibrated through its chest.

Ore released the rope and drew her bow.

"Tolu!"

"I see it!" He backed away.

The Ironfang pulled again. Another rope snapped.

The trap was coming apart.

Tolu gritted his teeth. "Just a little longer."

The wolf’s hind legs slammed against the ground. The remaining restraint tore loose.

The Ironfang exploded out of the trap.

Tolu barely had time to move. The beast charged directly at him. He threw himself sideways.

The wolf passed so close that its fur brushed his arm. He rolled across the ground and scrambled back to his feet.

Ore fired.

The arrow struck the Ironfang’s side. The beast turned toward her.

Tolu’s heart stopped. "ORE!"

The Ironfang lunged.

Ore sprinted backward. Another arrow flew.

This one struck the beast near its shoulder.

It slowed for barely a moment.

Then—

A voice came from behind them. "Move."

Tolu turned.

The mysterious adventurer stepped out from between the trees.

The adventurer didn’t look surprised. His eyes remained fixed on the Ironfang.

"So this is what you two have been doing."

Tolu’s expression hardened. "You again."

The man glanced at the broken trap. "I was wondering what all that noise was."

Ore kept her bow raised. "You were following us?"

"No." He looked at the wolf. "I was following it."

Tolu’s eyes narrowed. "You knew about it?"

"I’ve been tracking that beast for weeks."

Tolu stepped slightly in front of Ore.

The man noticed. "Relax."

"I’m relaxed."

"You’re holding your sword like you’re about to stab me."

Tolu glanced at his hand.

He hadn’t realized how tightly he was gripping the weapon.

The adventurer sighed. "Listen. I don’t care what you two came here for."

He pointed toward the Ironfang. "But that beast is mine."

Tolu immediately answered. "No."

The man’s eyebrows rose. "No?"

"We found it first."

"I’ve been tracking it for weeks."

"And we trapped it."

"You almost trapped it."

Tolu’s jaw tightened.

The adventurer looked at the broken ropes.

"Clearly." He walked closer.

Tolu stepped forward. "Don’t."