20 Tribute to the Pack (1/2)

When one wins a fight, they could feel a sense of accomplishment.

However, for Stigma there was no such joy, it was a battle between him and the wolf leader, even if the leader had the advantage in everything physique, experience and numbers, it still fought with him on even grounds.

With the howling sorrows of the wolves they can only weep for the sacrifice for the young one, and it only made him feel worse.

”Master, its not your fault.” Hilda tried to comfort him by telling him what had happened.

The leader was already resigned it's fate, when the it was ready for his charge, focusing on the sword was the mistake, with the knife thrown at his eye he was momentarily blind judging the distance and guessing the weight of the weapon.

Guessing would take a while to get to him and strike, but instead, he had used the other two knives to attack him only to have one flung away and one missed, but the surprise attack came, while he was distracted with the sword that was causing him worry for injuries, it did not notice the knife was still in the air.

Stigma deceived him by letting him focus on Hilda, when he should be focusing on where the missing knife went, but it was to late, after Stigma got close he had received the knife that was missing and stabbed him by the neck, albeit the cut was not deep enough, it earned him the respect of the leader.

After receiving the trickery it acknowledged him, to be worthy opponent to be taken seriously, and by dying by his hands was not a shameful death to a talented warrior who still had a bright future, that is why he sent his brethren away, to not disgrace a warrior's defeat.

The leader changed his battle style and kept focusing on defense, but yet again trickery won, with both the sword and knife at hand, Stigma made him realized that he was a greater threat when they were having a frontal assault, so it focused on the sword and knife combo.

However, it had failed to take notice it was already in a trap, the weapon he had been wary of was now a distraction from the real danger, while momentary stun Stigma took the advantage and tackled his unguarded area and used his familiar to take form and incapacitate him.

Struggling from what latched on to him, Hilda landed on his hand and charged at him while the knife was still in the air, keeping his attention away, but he closed its eyes showing that he accepts his defeat.

Only to have the fight intercepted by the young wolf who refuses for him to lose.

The wound was on its neck almost cleaving half way, taking such an injury, it only had minutes away to die from blood lost.

A bitter end came to the fight, Stigma was prepared for the worse, he was prepared to kill the wolf or get killed, to kill something he was not ready for took a blow to him.

He killed the wolf that was protecting their leader, if killing an animal was cruel, killing an animal that was protecting its own was far crueler.

Looking at the blade fresh blood was on it, there no denying it nor give an excuse, it had been done. Even when he was playing games the blood was fake, but to feel the impact with his hands was something else.

*AWWWWOOOHHH!*

The howling went on for a while, then the wolves gave way to the wounded leader who was staggering to Stigma.

With what had happened, there was no way Stigma was getting out alive. But the unexpected happened, the leader bowed it's head which shocked also the others.

”Failure, shame, life, take, before.”

It took a while for him to understand but if he can guess right, the leader wanted to take responsibility for the insult from before, so by taking his life Stigma would spare the rest.

Looking at the wounds on the body Hilda's 'Erode' skill was very effective and threatening, the leader was already forcing itself to just stand and not pass out from the pain.

Seeing such a resolve to end the conflict, he had mistaken the wolf was the type to take vengeance and have rage control him and fight to his death.

Swinging Hilda and placing her behind his back he walked towards the leader, the others were growling at him as they inch closer, only to be berated by their leader.

”Defeat, shame, dying, Honor, restored!”

Despite the broken sentence, the pack understood, by taking his life would their pride be greater as to not make the same mistake. He wanted to tribute his life to the pack.

”Master! I beg you taking his life would mean nothing, mindless slaughter is never the correct path.”

Stigma walked closer to the leader, ignoring Hilda's pleas, the leader closed his eyes waiting for the sword to strike him, he relaxed his body waiting for his end, death.

...

He waited for the strike but nothing happened, he opened his only to find the youth walk past him towards the hole. It was ignored because of the interruption, before it could howl with raged and charge at Stigma to provoke him to kill him, only to return carrying something something large on his back in his hand.

Stigma returned from the hole to get something, a red stone the size of an overgrown apple that needed two hands to hold was under his arm, and the corpse of a large beast was being dragged behind.

The very beast was the Predator Tiger from before, baffled at the sights not just the leader, but also the pack were stunned on how the development took from offending a youth with great strength to gaining a great harvest from a great predator that could destroy a pack by it self.

Placing both the corpse of the beast and its over-sized core, he went on both he's knees and bowed with his forehead touching the ground.

”Master, what are you...”

”I am giving this to you, you have made me realize, that killing is just a means for survival, but killing any form of life that protects another is not acceptable no matter the reason.”

After killing Gus and Frank, Stigma's realization was half-baked, taking the lives of scum is nothing to feel guilty about, the wolf he was about to kill was for accepting the reality he was in, but when he took the life of an innocent, it finally dawned to him that he killed something for the first time.

Because of survival, one can make any excuse but that is only if the situation calls for it.

”Defeat, no, shame, pathetic, I, death.”

Voicing out his protest, the leader was given something a great bounty, that very prize would make any pack go in a frenzy for. The hierarchy in this world follows the strong, the Tiger was strong not for its built, but its evolution.

They hunted alone and got stronger by itself, were as the wolf had to be in groups to gain their meals, by it self it would take about a hundred members to defeat it and loss so many of its mates to die, just to let it bleed to death.

And they were born strong though wolves may be predators, the majority have a pack mentality so they eat more than the tiger, hence they are weaker since the have to consume the meat that can only boast them by a small margin, and only one can eat the core so only a minority have evolved whilst the tiger can gain anything.

If a wolf were to devour a Tier 1 tiger, he would immediately feel its strength increase, just imagining a Tier 3 was something the wolves can't imagine, the size itself was enough to help even the weakest evolve given time.

That was how large the bounty would mean if they ate it, yet the leader refused out of pride.

Sitting up straight, he saw the wolves not taking the meat and core, Hilda stated before that beast get stronger just by devouring the remains of a another, but if they were somehow defeat a higher grade an evolution to a higher Tier would be possible.

”...We have both lost, take this so we can start over so honor me with your growth and friendship.”

He wanted to meet the beast again when they both have gotten stronger and gain each other proper respect, if the leader was resolute in placing the blame on himself, then he will counter propose that he will grow stronger until they will meet again, as it must do the same as he has a family to protect.