Attacked

"What on Earth!" Inquired the slayer with a growl, his gaze fixated on what was behind him. Upon pivoting to exit the premises, the office door unexpectedly became stuck, emitting a cloud of crimson dust before vanishing from sight. Now trapped inside, this predicament arose because he had refused the king's proposition to eliminate the woman residing in the mountains.

"What is happening here?" He addressed the woman, whose eyes now glowed in a fiery red hue, bearing a devious smirk on her countenance. Advancing towards him, her steps were deliberate and enigmatic. Before the slayer could prepare himself for any potential danger, he found himself forcefully pushed against the walls while the woman clutched his neck, strangling him.

"Are you still refusing?" She inquired, effortlessly lifting him into the air as if he were weightless.

"Yes... I am not willing to kill a fellow human," he gasped, struggling to breathe.

"Do you comprehend the consequences of rejecting my offer?" Her smile intermingled with the conversation, concealing a grave and murderous expression.

"I am not concerned," he retorted. "Why don't you take matters into your own hands and eliminate her?" Following her release, he grasped his throat and collapsed to the floor. The impact jolted his back, leaving lingering pain and even casting doubt upon his ability to walk back home unimpaired.

"I could have eliminated her ages ago; however, I lack sufficient power to accomplish this feat," she cackled, revealing her true nature as a malevonent witch,"but you, Saint Alexander of the Moonberry Pack, can!" For a moment, the slayer attempted to process her words. Alpha Alexander of the Moonberry Realm? That was a name he had never encountered before! "She is fabricating falsehoods! Although I am a saint I am not Saint Alexander. That is not my name," he countered, shaking off his thoughts.

"I cannot execute someone without knowledge of their transgressions. King Xavier informed you of my achievements in slaying the water monsters, and I agreed due to their attacks on innocent women and children. But what has this woman done that warrants your inability to eliminate her?" He scoffed, rubbing his neck. The woman's iron grip lingered, the burning sensation confirming the presence of marks she had left behind.

"Her past actions hold no significance; what matters is what she may do in the future," the woman mused, pacing around the office.

The slayer, with resoluteness in his voice, declared, "In any case, I will not be the one to cause her demise," as he retrieved his fallen sword and attempted to dispel the purple glow emanating from his fingers, in order to reveal the concealed doorway.

"What is affliction me?" he queried of his wolf companion, disregarding the woman's malevolent laughter behind him. His wolf remained silent, and he could not sense its presence at the back of his mind nor access his powers. It seemed as though his wolf had vanished, expired, or been locked away by a sorceress.

"And did you truly believe that you would retain your abilities after consuming my food, Alpha Alexander, or whatever moniker you go by?" the woman taunted.

"What?" he exclaimed in shock. So, the reason why she had insisted he eat, despite his refusal and explanation that the king was occupied and he would be summoned once he had finished his meal, was now evident.

"It is truly inconceivable that an individual with such formidable powers cannot even detect the alterations within his own body," the woman sneered, motioning to his skin, which had transformed from pale to tan. Darkened veins snaked their way beneath his epidermis, akin to one scorched by an unrelenting sun, providing a chilling sensation.

"You have poisoned me," he gasped, finding it hard to fathom the woman's actions. He had assumed she was kind due to the gentle smile on her face and her pleasant demeanor towards him, but little did he know, she harbored devious intentions.

"Yes, I have poisoned you, Alexander." However, rest assured, you will not perish. What I have done is draw your powers closer to the surface of your skin, where my associate will take them from you and transfer them to me. "I would not have resorted to this, Alexander, but since you refused to eliminate that woman on my behalf, I shall exploit your powers to magnify my own and accomplish the task single-handedly," she revealed.

"What man would dare seize my powers and bestow them upon an evil witch like yourself? Do you truly believe it is a simple feat to wrest one's exceptional abilities away?" he scoffed, directing his gaze piercingly towards her.

"Hmph, it appears you are unaware that we witches possess the capability to pilfer powers from others; explaining the methodology would be an arduous undertaking, but allow me to demonstrate," the woman declared, extending her index finger towards a particular section of the pristine wall, causing the door they had entered through to materialize.

"Come in!" came the call, and the raven the monster slayer had seen, previously perched at the window, and the owl he had spotted outside, flew in. They shook their feathers and transformed into two bald-headed, emaciated young men with lifeless eyes.

"You both know your tasks," she barked at them, causing them to flinch and step back fearfully. They both dropped to the ground, moving like spiders on all fours and assuming the forms of large, hairy arachnids. The slayer gasped, retreating but finding himself trapped when his back met a solid wall.

"Damn it!" he cursed silently. The door had vanished once again, leaving him no escape route. The unhinged woman and the self-proclaimed king smirked at him with wicked grins on their faces.

"Fear not, handsome; they are not after you," she taunted. "Have you forgotten that I was to demonstrate how powers can be stolen from one person and given to another?" Her laughter sent chills down his spine. He widened his eyes in disbelief as he watched Heldah undress. He closed his eyes tightly, hoping that his thoughts were not becoming reality.

"Oh, mother goddess, please don't let her engage with those spiders...ugh!" He felt nauseous at the mere thought of Heldah engaging intimately with the spiders. He sighed in relief, wiping his mouth when Heldah moved her naked body towards a long brown table in the corner, lying down and beckoning the two hairy spiders to climb onto her back.

He noticed a crimson mark on her back as she turned away from him. He watched in horror as the spiders injected their chelicerae into the mark, causing Heldah to scream at the top of her lungs. Red strands of light seemed to swim from the spiders' veins into hers, creating a glowing aura around her body.

Realizing the implications, he screamed, desperately pleading for Heldah to cease her actions. "You're harming yourself, Heldah. You will die!" He had observed that these hairy spiders, unlike their counterparts, possessed power glands instead of venom glands. When they attacked people, they absorbed their powers and transferred them to Heldah’s system, draining their victims completely.

"Cease your insolence, you wretched individual!" I will not be dictated to by you. Brace yourself for your impending retribution," retorted Heldah defiantly, perched upon the table as she flung aside the two spiders, now rendered useless in her eyes as they had completed their task of imbuing her with their powers.

"You shall come to regret this." An abundance of powers will avail you naught. "In fact, it shall jeopardize your life, for avaricious kings shall covet you, and countless monsters shall seek your demise, perceiving you as a formidable threat," he informed her based on his own experiences.

I am unconcerned with such matters." What I desire is your power. "King Zane, fulfill your duty," she commanded, expelling the two spiders from the room with a swift kick.

"What is he to do?" "Do not dare to engage in any foolish endeavors with me," he warned them. None of them reacted to his threat, showing no signs of fear; his mouth fell agape as King Zane transformed into one of the hairy spiders. It was larger and appeared more formidable than its counterparts. Before he could utter a word, he was violently thrown to the ground, rendered defenseless as he struggled to fight back or push the spider away. The venom had assimilated all his powers, leaving him feeble. At that moment, even as he attempted to request they cease their actions, he found himself voiceless; his ability to speak had suddenly abandoned him.

King Zane, now assuming the form of a hairy spider, crawled onto him, injecting its two chelicerae into his neck. All he could manage was a grunt of pain as he felt his power draining from his body. The weight of the spider bearing down upon him proved to be an additional burden. Heldah's malicious laughter only amplified his suffering, causing his eardrums to throb, and he longed to cover his ears, as though they were the sole remaining unscathed organs within him. However, both his hands and legs were bound by a whitish light that Heldah had directed towards him when he attempted to combat the spider.

After half an hour had elapsed, the spider released its grip on him, leaving him gasping for breath and writhing in agony upon the ground. Lethargically, the spider advanced towards Heldah, who retreated to the table and allowed it to climb atop her, injecting its powers into her. Just as he began to surrender to slumber, believing the only sole means he possessed to survive was taken away from him, piercing screams shattered his tranquility, jolting him from his fatigue. He turned his gaze towards Heldah's direction, where the agonizing wails emanated, and he gasped.

On the table, Heldah squirmed and fanned her body, resembling flames engulfing her. Urgently, he rushed towards her, inquiring about her well-being. Accidentally stepping on something on the floor, he gasped upon discovering the spider, or King Zane's remains, scattered on the ground with luminous threads of fiery red light slithering like earthworms.

"Who are you, Alexander?" "What have you done to us?" Heldah screamed, her voice piercing his ears.

"I haven't done anything, Heldah." I promise!" he shouted in response, scanning the surroundings for any signs of others. With her final cry, Heldah transformed into ashes, her entire body consumed by flames. Before the slayer could comprehend the situation, the flame-like red glows on the floor, resembling worms swimming in their predatory manner, wriggled towards him, attaching themselves to the fresh wound on his neck. He gasped, feeling his power returning and regaining his strength.

"What has occurred?" He questioned his wolf, once again sensing its presence at the back of his mind.

"Do you still possess the given sketch?" A voice reverberated throughout the room, causing him to startle.

"I...no...wait, there it is," he replied, grabbing the sketch from the table while vigilantly searching for the source of the voice, yet finding nothing.

"Now, go. "Seek out that mountain; locate the woman who holds the answers to your queries," he was instructed, "She is the gateway to your realm. Find her!" Before he could respond, he found himself outside the concealed realm, with only a vague recollection that the voice belonged to a man.

"Now, let us embark on the search for the woman," he sighed, walking away.