The Wolf’s Daughter

Phaedra looked up at the flying harpies. Before anything else, she needed to deal with them. If they ran off and warned Arthur, he might decide to kill Emma and the others without thinking, before she had a chance to respond.

She couldn’t allow that.

Fortunately, Houdini had given her the perfect solution.

Her first name, she’d never really had one before, it was thrilling. While she’d had Circe’s, she hadn’t allowed herself to really do much with it because she didn’t want to get attached.

This time was different. It was hers and hers alone.

Most importantly, it was a name that seemed to be focused on teleportation magic. Eeeeee! She KNEW learning that teleportation spell was a good idea. Everyone always said it was a waste of time and that she should learn just about any other spell and that she could spend her time doing so many other, more important things, but she KNEW it would be useful one day. And now look, here it was. She could pull someone out of a hat! If she had a big hat.

Oh gosh, once she rescued Emma she could probably pull her out of a hat. It would be adorable. “Eeeee…”

“Lady… Houdini…” Lu Bu said softly. “It is… oddly… errr… distressing… when you make that expression while covered in so much blood…”

“W-what?” Phaedra asked before giving a light squeak. “O-oh! Right, sorry! And please, Phaedra is fine. Right. Let’s see. Ohhhh! How to do this! Ahem… Ohhh… NOW! For my grand finale! I’ll need my magnificent assistant! Zenodotus, if you would?” she asked, holding out a hand to the pixie.

“What? Do you want me to light you on fire or something?” the pixie asked.

“… Never mind!” Phaedra said before lifting her hands into the air. “Abracadabra!” she yelled before casting a bright light spell, creating a momentary blinding light. All of them were forced to cover their eyes for a moment, during which she focused on the harpies.

Teleportation magic wasn’t so hard, it just required a bit of magical thinking. She’d always kind of imagined it as if everyone was wrapped in a sphere of magic and then there was a great hand of magic that came from outside of the world and grabbed that sphere, plucked it out and then placed it into another place, while swapping it with another sphere of magic. The great hand of magic being made of the caster’s magic, of course. The hardest part was trying to make sure it all ended up somewhere nice and simple, but the power of the name actually helped a lot with that. While the teleportation spell she knew was incredibly difficult to do and required a long time to prepare, this magic felt almost easy. Like the hand grabbing the harpies out of the air was an obediently trained pet that just wanted to help, bringing the harpies nearby for her inspection.

Once they found themselves at ground level, however, they let out startled squawks and tries to correct themselves. Lu Bu started forward, his halberd swinging at them--

“Don’t kill them!” Phaedra yelled.

Only for him to turn it aside at the last moment, hitting one of them with the flat side and slamming the harpy to the ground.

Phaedra leaped towards the next, driving it to the ground. Unfortunately for them, as clustered as they were they weren’t able to truly bring their spears to bear or right themselves in preparation for her and Lu Bu’s assault, at least not in time. They didn’t have enough space. They were built for aerial combat, attacking from above and dive bombing, not being crowded together on the ground, with their spears dragging on the ground and bumping into each other.

It likely didn’t help much that their leader was dead and there really weren’t that many of them left.

“Is this really all of you?” Phaedra asked.

“I don’t think they expected much resistance,” Zenodotus said bitterly. “And what was that about ‘your’ ship? I thought you were a sheep demon?”

“I am… kind of,” Phaedra said, sheepishly. “Half, at least. I may not have been entirely forthcoming about everything. The ship I fell out of was mine, but I didn’t want to mention that for obvious reasons.”

“You were attacking us?!” Zenodotus yelled.

“Watch your tongue!” Lu Bu yelled, lifting his halberd.

“Don’t,” Phaedra told him quickly. “I owe her my life. She has every right to be angry at me. I imagine she’s going to be very angry, soon. Zenodotus… I was lost, hurt, and dying of starvation. You and Melas found me in those woods and you saved my life. And for that? I am eternally grateful. And for that? You’ve earned quite a bit. I’m intending to deal with this Arthur problem, well. Now I have to, anyway. They have my crew. But even after that… I owe you my life. So, I aim to pay it back. Once I have my people back, should this town, Roothome, or yourself or Melas ever find themselves in danger again, you may call on my help. I will come to your aid, even against my father if need be.”

“L-Lady Phaedra!” Lu Bu said, his voice filled with horror.

Zenodotus blinked a few times before rolling her eyes. “Your father, huh? But not your mother?”

“My mother is dead,” Phaedra said. “My father, however, is Lord Fenrir. Or, as many call him, the Wolf.”

Just saying the word seemed to have an effect on the world. She swore she could feel the temperature go down five degrees and everything go silent. Even the harpies stopped groaning, instead they stared. The silence was only broken when Zenodotus, now no longer flapping her wings, started to drift towards the ground again.

“It is only fair,” Phaedra said. “You saved my life and offered me aid when I was on death’s door. I—”

“You… you are Fenrir’s… you are…? I… I rescued the daughter of… F-Fenrir?” Zenodotus asked, her voice cracking slightly.

Phaedra stared at the pixie and couldn’t help feeling a small surge of guilt. The pixie didn’t sound hurt, angry or even upset. She sounded utterly broken by this revelation. She knew it would be a shock, in fact she had expected it to be. It always was. But that was why she had laced it with the good news of her protection. “Yes, you did. And with it, you have bought the safety of—”

“No no no no no,” Zenodotus said, shaking her head and flipping through her book rapidly. “You can’t be, you aren’t. NO! I refuse! You’re a sheep! You’re just a SHEEP! How did you get so wounded otherwise? You can’t be the daughter of… of that! I’ve heard all about him! The Wolf! You can’t be the spawn of that monster!”

“But I am,” Phaedra said, though she tried to make her tone as soothing as possible. “Please, calm down. It’s going to be okay. You did the right thing, you—”

“DON’T YOU TELL ME I DID THE RIGHT THING!” Zenodotus screamed, shaking her head before closing the book again. “You… you knew what I said earlier. How? Nobody knows those words. Nobody understands that language. How did YOU?”

“W-what?” Phaedra asked. “Uhhhhh…” She glanced towards Lu Bu. That incantation must have been translated by the same magic that translated everything else. But if it was, she couldn’t just explain that in front of him. Worse, Zenodotus was panicking, she could see it clearly. “Lu Bu, can you keep an eye on the harpies? Make sure none of them escape. Don’t kill them.” She then glanced towards them. “If any of them do try to escape, you can break their wings. Zenodotus? How about you and I have a little talk?”

“Answer my question,” Zenodotus said, practically snarling. “How did you know those words? How did you know that incantation? Nobody can. Does your father?”

“No, if you’ll just—”

“She was right,” Zenodotus said. “She was right about me. Everything I touch, everything I do. I’m so sorry… I’m so… I never… I never wanted to…”

“Zenodotus?” Phaedra asked. The pixie was definitely crying now. There was no question about that. She took a few steps forward and knelt by her, reaching out her hands to try and scoop her up. “Please, listen. It’s—”

“NO!” Zenodotus screamed before she darted back. She pulled her book open, the pages flapping wildly in the wind. “I will not. I will NOT be a part of this. I will not BE the cause of… fine. You know what? I couldn’t deal with Arthur, because there was just too many of them. I’m only one pixie.”

“Uhhhh, what’s she saying?” Lu Bu asked. “She’s speaking gibberish now, but it’s getting kind of ominous.”

“I should have left you there, demon,” Zenodotus said. “But I will fix my mistake. I will not endanger this world. I will put an end to you myself! You face Zenodotus, the student of the sun! You may be the child of the wolf, but I will end your tyranny here and now!”

Phaedra gave a light whimper as the pixie’s book glowed with a blinding golden light. She could almost imagine golden letters appearing under her and hear ominous chanting music in the background, as if this was some kind of deadly boss fight. She really, really wished her memories of being a human weren’t so crystal clear right now, or that she had at least played just a few less video games. Then again, she was able to be a girl in games, so no wonder she played so many.

“Oh Tomb of this Twisted World, hear me. Bring forth your champions, bidden by my call. Grant me their might and protection, so I might strike down my foes. Heed the call of the true student of the sun, wrongfully banished. I call forth the reverberation of the champion, Phaedra!” Zenodotus called.

“Wait, what?” Phaedra asked. To her horror, SHE appeared in front of the pixie, or at least, a replica of her did. Except THAT version of her ran straight at her and lifted her right hand, claws forming before driving them straight down at her. “Don’t interfere!” she yelled to Lu Bu before she lifted her right hand up, catching the descending claw by the wrist.

An imitation. It was strong, but just an imitation. A fourth, maybe a third of her actual strength. Though she had no way of knowing if that was based on her strength, or Zenodotus’. What kind of spell was this? Her other hand lashed out, forming a claw and tearing the copy in half. It dissipated into a flurry of bright, colorful sparkles.

Unfortunately, a massive figure covered in armor and wielding an even larger battleaxe was already coming at her. The axe was bigger than she was, though, admittedly it wasn’t even the fifth largest that had ever been swung at her. She hopped back, avoiding the first strike before then leaping up to avoid the second, kicking down on the axe as it passed under her, driving it into the ground. A second swing of her claws dissipated the wielder as well. “You know, I have cousins who used to play with axes like that. Can we please just talk about this?”

The ground underneath her began to rumble and she dashed back, narrowly avoiding being pierced by stone spikes of rock rising from the ground. As she dove away from them, an elf with a long, thin sword came from above, thrusting the blade down towards her…

Phaedra saw the source of the rock spikes. An earth elemental, its rocky arms pushed together. Well, time to see just how well she could use her new tricks. She focused on gripping the elemental and herself, holding the two spheres of magic.

Then they were swapped. She was standing where it had, just in time to see the sword pierce the elemental and get trapped inside for a moment before the elemental faded into sparkles. She took the advantage she was given, casting an earth spell of her own and launching one of the spikes into the elf, dissipating them next. Two more down. She wondered how many more of these Zenodotus could--

Phaedra saw him.

The last face she ever wanted to see.

She couldn’t move for a moment, all she could do was stare.

Medon.

He might have been handsome, if he were anyone else.

He might have been cute, if he were anyone else.

He could have been happy, if he were anyone else.

He would have been a hero, if he were anyone else.

He wouldn’t have been miserable, self hating and an example of everything that would, and could, be wrong with this world… if he were anyone else.

She barely stepped back in time to avoid the sword, only narrowly avoiding losing her head and instead getting a deep cut across the side of her face. Blood spilled forward, but she could barely feel the pain. Her heart pounded so hard it felt like it might burst from her chest.

“You will die here, monster,” Medon said.

Phaedra stepped back when he rushed forward and swung. Scrambling away to avoid the blade, it hounded her mercilessly, slashing wildly as… well…

As wildly as she had. She’d barely had any practice, then. She’d thought she’d been decently good. She’d had a little training from the elves, but she’d merely been a novice. Being the Hero from Another World had given her power, but it hadn’t turned out to be nearly enough.

Now? She could see just how pathetic she had been.

His swings were wild, awkward, disheartened. There was no drive in them. No real desire. He hadn’t wanted to fight. There wasn’t any joy in them. Medon hadn’t been fighting for anyone, or anything. He’d fought because if he hadn’t, people would die. But he didn’t want to. If someone had offered, he would have given them the blade in a moment.

He wanted to be herself, but he wasn’t allowed to fight for himself, then. The elves had made him a promise…

No.

Not the elves.

Rendel had made Medon a promise. A promise he had likely never intended to keep. A promise to let her be herself. If she’d just do what he said. She’d been such a fool. There’d been so many signs that something was going on, but she’d ignored them. And so many others had paid the price because of it.

She gathered the moisture in the air around her left hand, forming a sheath of ice around it before driving it forward, catching the blade in mid-swing. “Your swings are unwieldy,” Phaedra said. “Don’t worry, you’ll get better. One day.” She then plunged her other claw into his chest, dissipating him as well.

Panting, she stared at Zenodotus. The fairy was panting just as much, her wings flapping wildly and her own sparkles flickering slightly.

“I meant what I said,” Phaedra said. “However… if you insist that we have to fight, I’m done holding back. I won’t just let you kill me.”

“I never asked you for your help,” Zenodotus said.

“I asked you for yours,” Phaedra said. “And you were kind enough to give it.”

“And look what it got me!” Zenodotus yelled.

“Gratefulness?!” Phaedra asked. She reached up and gripped her fleece before tearing it off, making her body once again start to grow larger and fall forward onto all fours.

Zenodotus stared up at her and, slowly, she began to lower the book. “N-no. That’s… that’s not. You’re… you can’t be. The Black… Wolf…” She then jerked, her entire body going rigid. “No, not now! I can’t… gah! I’m… don’t you… fine!”

Phaedra blinked a few times and cocked her head to the side, unable to hide her confusion.

Zenodotus sunk down to the ground, clutching her book to her chest. “Phaedra… Your name is Phaedra… correct?”

“Yes?” Phaedra said softly.

“Daughter of Fenrir? You vow on whatever you claim is honor to not harm Roothome and… protect it? Even from your father, if need be? Or those within it?” Zenodotus asked, before letting out another gasp.

“I… do,” Phaedra said. “Are you okay?”

“NO! Three days,” Zenodotus said. “I’ll be back in three days. Just… don’t be back here when I get back. Or I swear… I swear I’ll find you… If you want to pay me back for helping you, if you truly do… then disappear and never cause me, or anyone else, trouble again. GAH! I’m coming!” she yelled before erupting into flame and disappearing.

Phaedra blinked a few times, staring at the ashen marks on the ground. Slowly began to shrink back down, pulling her fleece over herself once more before looking to Lu Bu. “That… that was confusing. How are the harpies?”

“Terrified,” Lu Bu said.

“Good,” Phaedra said. “Hopefully that’ll make them easier to work with.”

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