Maria watched as Zelda unwrapped the vines restraining the Greater Dire Wolf. The wolf slowly moved its body as it rose to its feet. Deep red marks covered its fur where the vines had constricted it, and blood trickled down from several wounds.
The beast seemed not to care.
Instead, it looked straight into Zelda's crimson eyes, perhaps contemplating what answer to give.
After all, it was a heavy decision.
"So, what will be your answer?" Zelda asked again.
As he spoke, he lightly pressed the bladed spear at the tip of his staff against the female wolf's belly. Not deep enough to seriously harm her, but enough to draw blood and force a pained whimper from her. One push further and both her life and those of her unborn pups would be lost.
The Greater Dire Wolf finally opened its mouth.
"Do it."
Maria blinked.
What did it mean by that?
Did he not care about his mate and unborn pups?
No.
That could not be right.
She had seen how desperately the Greater Dire Wolf had struggled when Zelda struck his mate with the blunt end of his staff.
Is it bluffing?
The thought crossed her mind.
It certainly seemed like a bluff, and one that she doubted would work on Zelda, but still...
"I love my mate and my unborn pups," the beast said quietly. "But my duty toward the survival of the pack and its overall well-being is far greater."
So, for this Greater Dire Wolf, duty outweighs love...
Maria came to that conclusion.
In a way, it raised the beast in her eyes.
Though it was still a creature that had refused the order of its superior out of stubbornness.
Then again, she needed someone like that.
Someone loyal.
Someone who placed duty above personal feelings.
And she certainly could not allow Zelda to kill him.
Not yet.
"If I may," she interjected, drawing the attention of both Zelda and the Greater Dire Wolf.
She looked at the wolf.
"You possess an admirable quality, and we really need someone who places duty above all else."
She paused before continuing.
"But think of it this way. You say you care for your pack, yet all you are doing is leading them down a path of destruction. You cannot defeat Zelda. None of you can. Nor can any of you escape."
She glanced at Zelda.
Understanding her intention, he moved the spear away from the female wolf's belly.
"Wouldn't that defeat the purpose entirely?" Maria asked softly.
The Greater Dire Wolf narrowed its eyes.
"What are you trying to say, human?" it asked.
"Zelda may believe that we need your absolute submission, but I don't think we do," Maria replied. "So, instead of slavery, I propose an alliance."
The Greater Dire Wolf stared at her.
"What sort of alliance?"
"Why not aid us until we have gathered sufficient strength?" Maria suggested. "In return, neither you nor your pack would have to worry about food, water, or shelter."
She paused before continuing.
"And protection. As strong as you are, there will always be foes stronger still. You may be able to protect your pack from ordinary threats, but against a superior enemy, there is only so much you can do."
Her eyes shifted briefly toward Zelda.
"But Zelda can."
"And if you still value the survival of your pack above all else, then isn't that a far better outcome than watching them perish for the sake of pride?"
The Greater Dire Wolf remained silent.
But Maria could see it in the beast's eyes.
It was thinking.
And that, she hoped, was enough.
"How..." the Greater Dire Wolf began hesitantly. "How can I trust you when you work alongside a demon?"
"Because you are forgetting something," Maria replied. "I am human, and yet I have not been eaten by one."
She placed a hand upon her chest.
"The situation before you is quite rare, I admit. Which means I must hold considerable value to this demon. Enough that he listens to me and, more often than not, does as I ask."
She smiled faintly.
"Use your head and look at the truth before your eyes rather than the assumptions in your mind."
The Greater Dire Wolf lowered its gaze in thought.
"Your words carry reason," it admitted. "I accept your terms."
Then its yellow eyes shifted toward Zelda.
"However, I wish to hear it from the demon's own mouth."
Maria turned toward Zelda.
"If that is what it takes to make you and your pack work alongside us," Zelda remarked calmly, "then I shall abide by Maria's words."
With a casual wave of his hand, the wounds upon the female wolf began to mend. The blood around her belly stopped flowing, and the bruises left by the blow from the blunt end of his staff gradually faded.
The Greater Dire Wolf's eyes widened.
"I have healed your mate's wounds," Zelda remarked calmly.
The female wolf slowly rose to her feet, taking several heavy breaths as the pain faded from her body.
Without hesitation, the Greater Dire Wolf walked over to her. The two pressed their heads against one another, and for a brief moment, neither said anything.
Maria smiled.
At least things had worked out in the end.
"Well, as touching as this is, there are a few questions I would like answered," Zelda interrupted, much to Maria's annoyance.
The Greater Dire Wolf turned toward him.
"What is it?"
"This is hardly territory for a pack led by a Greater Dire Wolf," Zelda observed. "Why are you all here?"
The wolf lowered his head slightly.
"We were running away from a giant snake monster that had been pursuing us. The chase lasted for days before we finally managed to outwit it and found our way here."
"I see."
Zelda's eyes swept across the pack.
"And your pups? All I see are adults. Nine males, including yourself, and eleven females."
The Greater Dire Wolf nodded.
"We are actually a newly formed pack, barely a month old. Every one of us was exiled from our former packs."
"That will suffice for now. I have more questions, but those can wait," Zelda remarked. "Tell me, have any of you eaten recently?"
The Greater Dire Wolf shook his head.
"No. None of us have. We are all quite hungry."
"Then it is time to find food," Zelda declared. "After that, you will sleep and recover your strength. We depart tonight."
"To where?" the Greater Dire Wolf asked.
A faint smile appeared on Zelda's face.
"To wherever our next recruits await."
And this was only the beginning.
Their army had finally begun to take shape.