060: Encounter
Alice’s party was already on the road before midnight. She was confident that Rodriguez and his lackeys were not stupid enough to track her during night time lest they wanted to get lost in the woods or preyed on by the beasts instead. However, she also had a strong hunch that Rodriguez would launch an ambush at them when she lowered her guard. Alice wouldn't hesitate to take extreme measures to eliminate them if that ought to happen.
Just as the adage goes, preventing future problems was wiser instead of fixing them.
Hours later, there was no sign of any other group of travelers or adventurer party except them. Alice could finally put the possibility of being ambushed by other opportunistic groups in the back of her mind. However, another problem arose as they entered Arlenheim Great Forest.
A huge pack of Wolf Beast followed them from afar, lurking in the darkness while popping their heads on top of the hills as the carriage traversed through the road. As the pack moved along the tree lines, the Alpha Wolf Beast could smell the unusual scents that came from the carriage.
It growled deeply upon recognizing that it was the scent of demons.
While Cecilia was in the couch box, Kahleesi stood atop the carriage’s roof, continuously casting [Vibrant Flare] to deter the pack from ambushing them.
“They are getting close…” The silver haired succubus chimed. “What should we do, Your Majesty?”
“Let them be…” Alice replied from the cabin. “The Alpha Male Wolf is smart. He knows we are strong individually but outnumbered. He would not sacrifice his pack to do a frontal attack. Not now, at least.”
“Should we get them first before they waylaid us?” Momo was so excited to fight the wolves.
Alice plopped a hand on her fluffy fox ears. “Not all fights require initiation, my dear foxy. As of now, those wolves are assessing our weakness. They will eventually be coming to us when our horses need rest.”
“But why? I don't really understand. Wolf Beasts are usually avoiding preying on sentient beings, right?” Arya quipped beside Alice.
Catharina explained briefly. “They must have smelled our demonic presence. Demons and Wolf Beasts are arc nemesis to each other just like Vampires and Werewolves. They wouldn't let us go so easily.”
“That kind of sounds bad, isn't it?” Arya hugged Hraesvelgr who was now nestled on her lap.
Alice yawned a bit, resting her back. “That shouldn't be a problem. I can handle them. Wake me up if they decide to stand in our way.”
The howls grew louder as the night stretched on. Each one echoed through the trees like a drumbeat that tightened the air. The pack wasn’t content to simply lurk anymore, they were closing in, and fast. When the moon reached its peak, the glow of countless eyes shimmered between the trunks, green and menacing.
The carriage shuddered to a halt. Even the horses sensed the danger, their breath steaming in the cold air as they pawed nervously at the ground.
“They have us surrounded,” Kahleesi muttered, her silver hair glowing faintly under the moonlight. A vibrant flare pulsed from her hand, driving back a few shadows, but the wolves did not retreat this time. Instead, they spread wider, tightening the circle.
Alice stepped out of the cabin calmly, her cloak fluttering against the night breeze. “I leave everyone in your care, Catharina.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Be careful.”
Although Catharina was more than capable of annihilating the entire pack in one fell swoop, she opted to remain in the carriage. It was a good opportunity for Alice to train her ability.
In the meantime, Alice’s gaze swept across the pack until it landed on the Alpha Wolf, a towering beast with fur blacker than midnight and scars etched across its muzzle. Its growl rumbled like thunder as it bared its teeth. The 12 foot tall beast snarled ferociously.
Momo twitched, her tail swaying as her claws elongated. “Finally! I was getting bored.”
“Momo, behave. Don't be rude to our guests,” Alice said, her tone was sharp yet playful.
The Alpha lowered its head and let out a growl so deep the ground seemed to vibrate. Then, with sudden force, it lunged, not at Alice, but a mere stride before her, landing with claws gouging the soil. A firm warning to leave his territory.
Alice did not flinch. Instead, she tilted her head higher, as though amused. “We are just passing this forest. Back off. This is my first and last warning.”
The Alpha Wolf Beast paid no heed, and bared all of its teeth before her.
She walked forward slowly while deploying her [Demonic Aura]. Her crimson eyes locked on the Alpha. Meanwhile, the lesser wolf beasts snarled, snapping their jaws, but none dared to leap first.
Without a warning, Alice flicked its muzzle, correcting the Alpha Wolf Beast’s behaviour as well as enacting the hierarchy between them.
“Sit!” Alice’s Demonic Aura intensified.
It was so dense and heavy, creating a powerful gravitational pull the Alpha Wolf Beast’s body to ground.
For a heartbeat, the entire pack froze, muscles tensed, breath fogging in the air. The stand-off was suffocating. They couldn't resist bowing before Alice.
Kahleesi was shocked to witness such a feat. “This is my first time seeing Her Majesty's Demonic Aura. Even the Alpha Wolf Beast couldn't resist her dominance!”
Momo smirked playfully. “Of course… A mere Alpha Wolf couldn't hold a candle before her. She's quite scary when she gets serious, you know.”
Alice raised her hand, summoning her [Claw of Blood], it slowly turned into a pair of daggers.
To fight a big and fast adversary, her Scythe of Nightflame would be at a slight disadvantage. She knew accuracy and speed would play a big role in this situation.
The wolves instinctively stepped back, the raw demonic aura making the air itself tremble.
“It would be a waste to kill a magnificent creature like you. Now, go back to your woods, before I change my mind.”
The Alpha’s eyes gleamed with intelligence. It huffed, as though weighing pride against survival. Finally, with a low snarl, it turned its head. One by one, the wolves melted into the forest, their eyes vanishing into the dark.
“Well, they were easier to reason with than I anticipated.” Alice withdrew her blood daggers back into her vein.
“You were ready to kill them all, no?” Arya chimed.
“Yes, if they were stubborn enough, I definitely would. Though it might cause a massive shift of the food chain in this forest. It would be a huge headache in the long run.”
Momo pouted, puffing her cheeks. “Tch, and here I thought I’d get to tear one apart.”
Alice placed her hand back on the fox girl’s head, ruffling her ears. “Patience. Battles worth fighting will come to us soon enough. No need to waste our blades on beasts who already know defeat.”
The carriage creaked as it started moving again. Yet behind them, faint howls lingered, a reminder that the forest itself had acknowledged Alice’s presence as the Demon Queen.