The Wolf’s Daughter

Phaedra watched Circe and slowly circled around the battlefield. It had been decades since the two had fought last and it hadn’t involved a crystal trident. She supposed that meant Circe would be taking this seriously.

Circe didn’t seem to be in any rush to get closer, but Phaedra wasn’t surprised. She suspected that her cousin was gathering her power for something big. They’d circled around and nearly switched positions on the battlefield entirely when she was proven right.

Circe leaped into the air and lightning rained down, enveloping her body entirely in electricity. She then spun, the trident pointed at her and rushing forward like an electrified bullet.

Fortunately, Phaedra had been gathering her power as well, readying for the coming assault. As the spinning trident came at her, she knelt down and put both palms on the ground. She doubted she had enough time to make a wall thick enough to block it, but she didn’t need to. A pillar of rock rose up ahead of her, slamming up right as Circe passed over and hitting her into the air. The succubus let out a shriek and spread her wings, electricity still arcing off her body as she hovered there.

“You’re faster than I remember,” Circe said, her voice cold.

“So are you,” Phaedra said. The electricity seemed to be gathering primarily around the trident. She suspected it was an aid to help focus her magic. “You know, you never told me how you got that name. Circe.”

“Took it from a gnome,” Circe said. “She was a nasty little thing. Made me go through quite the feat to get it. She’d turned her forest into this terrible maze filled with all kinds of monsters. I almost got eaten by an acid monster.” She plunged forward again, much slower this time.

Phaedra didn’t move this time, instead her wool extended outwards, growing into a massive poofy shield around her body. She could feel the trident plunging in deep, before electricity erupted through it, dispersing throughout the fibers. It rippled through her body, but she was able to, slowly, direct it out and into the dirt below. Within a few seconds the electricity stopped and instead there was only tugging felt on her wool.

“Damn it! Let me go!” Circe yelled. “I always hated your wool!”

“Oh, sorry,” Phaedra said before it shrunk down again. Circe’s trident was dragged in with it, alarm on the demon’s face before Phaedra managed to grab it just beneath the prongs with one hand. The other hand turned into a claw, slamming forward and slashing across Circe’s face and chest. Red lines were cut into her cousin’s body and her wings lanced forward, the edges hardening to deadly points. Phaedra let the trident go and leaped back, one of the wings snagging a bit of her wool but missing her body.

Circe lunged forward and gripped the trident in both hands, holding the tip down. Once again lightning struck down from the heavens, slamming into the butt of the trident. Phaedra’s eyes went wide as the electricity coursed through the crystal before erupting from the end. She dug her feet into the ground and wrapped her wool around herself before the electricity erupted from the prongs of the trident.

It felt like she was in the midst of a lightning storm, countless bolts of electricity striking her as the trident plunged forward, deep into the wool. The smell of it burning filled the air and Phaedra was driven down to one knee, directing as much of the electricity as she could into the ground.

Finally, the storm ended.

“Had enough?” Circe asked. “You can-- AGHHHH!”

Phaedra sent magic coursing through her wool, causing spikes to erupt throughout it and plunge into the succubus. She tried to pull back, but Phaedra lunged forward, her wool tangling with the trident as she slid down it. She lifted both hands overhead and then drove them down, shifting them into great claws before they hit with such force that the ground shook.

“Y-you thi—” Circe started, but Phaedra drove her foot down on her back, ramming a claw down into the base of both of her wings. There was a sickening crunch as she heard one of the bones snap. The other wing lanced out, shifting to a blade and slashing a deep gouge up the side of Phaedra’s leg. She stumbled back, blood pooling at her feet while she watched her cousin.

“Y-you… you bitch,” Circe said before slowly getting to her hands and knees, panting from exertion. She lifted a hand up to her face and pulled it back, covered in blood. “Y-you actually… b-broke my wing.”

“S-sorry,” Phaedra said, panting just as hard. “I’m… used to training with Gibs. Err, Leviathan. He’s a lot harder to hurt.”

“You don’t think I’m actually done, do you?” Circe asked before looking up, a vicious grin on her lips. She moved her left hand out and muttered an incantation and then her broken wing closed to her back, the other still stretch out. “That… should hold.”

“Are you really going to make me rip them out?” Phaedra asked before glancing down at her leg. It stung, but it wasn’t bleeding as badly now.

“I’m going to tear you limb from limb,” Circe said, her grin only growing. She used her trident to help prop herself up. “I really thought you’d be slacking off during all this time apart.” She took a deep breath and her body began to quickly grow.

“I’m the daughter of Fenrir,” Phaedra said. “It would be pretty shameful if I was to be brought down too quickly, wouldn’t it? Leviathan isn’t exactly a gentle trainer, either. Well… okay, not once I got through the basics. He was more the… ‘see how many bones you can break until you learn to stop letting them break’ sort.”

Circe continued to grow, towering over Phaedra and growing ever taller and taller. Within a few seconds she had grown to many times her original size, her body covered in thick, short brown hair. She had a large snout with two massive tusks growing out from the side. However, unlike many demons that Phaedra had seen, she stood on two legs, not four. She wondered if that came from her mother or father’s side. Either way, the trident had grown with her, now bearing a fourth prong.

Circe lifted the trident into the air before plunging it down at her.

Phaedra dashed forward, casting a spell to make the ground catapult her forward at the same time. She dove under Circe, between her legs. At the same time, she pulled both her arms back, letting them trail behind slightly before they shifted into massive claws and she struck both of Circe’s legs.

Circe let out a surprised roar, plummeting forward so hard her trident collapsed into the ‘stands’, her head striking the side of the hill.

Phaedra supposed it was a good thing, after all, that there weren’t enough of her subjects here to fill the stands. She might have lost a few there.

Circe groaned and began to, very slowly, get back to her feet. Phaedra couldn’t help but realize they WERE actually feet, unlike her hooves. She wondered why that was. She wasn’t able to think on it long, because a few seconds later Circe was on her feet again and holding the trident over her head. Lightning crackled from the tip before she plunged it down, sending electricity coursing through the ground.

Phaedra’s wool expanded again, covering her body. She thrust both her hands against the ground and did what she could, attempting to redirect the lightning away from herself and forming rods of metal that erupted all around her, driving the electricity deeper into the ground.

While the barrage only lasted a few moments, by the time it was over her wool was lightly sparking and the ground was torn to pieces, but her hands were the only part of her that had burns. She looked up and saw Circe, down on one knee and panting. “That spell,” Circe said. “I knew I hadn’t imagined it. Where did you even learn such a thing?”

“I don’t know,” Phaedra said. “It just kind of came to me one day.”

Phaedra knew she couldn’t really explain the full truth about it. That lightning rods were a thing in her world and, while magical electricity wasn’t exactly the same as real lightning, it was close enough that she’d been able to come up with an effective counter to such magic. The most difficult part had, admittedly, been figuring out what kinds of metals were most conductive to magical lightning.

“I hate it when you do that,” Circe said bitterly. “Everything just has to come so easy for you, doesn’t it?”

“If only that were the case,” Phaedra said before she ran towards Circe.

The boar demon gripped her trident in both hands, plunging it down to block her path. Phaedra didn’t leap forward this time, instead she leaped to the left and cast another spell. When the trident jammed into the ground, dirt and rock surged forward, snaking up it rapidly and even wrapping around Circe’s arms. It likely wouldn’t last for long, but it didn’t need to. Phaedra leaped up, landing on the trident and running up it towards a surprised Circe.

She leaped off Circe’s hand moments before she managed to break the bind holding her trident still. Phaedra landed directly on her snout, her extended wool locking in between Circe’s tusks.

In a powerful explosion of light and electricity, Phaedra sent all of the electricity gathered in her wool out into the tusks, sending it arching through Circe’s body. The boar demon roared in pain, her body locking up for a few moments.

It was all Phaedra needed. She dashed forward, her wool retracting and her right hand rising overhead. She could see the pain and fear in Circe’s eyes before the hand became her claw once again and slammed down between her eyes. Had she not made a fist with it, she likely would have torn the girl’s eyes out. As it was, the blow made Circe’s entire body shake before her trident dropped from her grasp and she fell forward, collapsing into an agonized pile while Phaedra leaped off to land besides her body.

For a moment, she wondered if she’d gone too far. Circe wasn’t moving, just lying there like a corpse. “Circe? Cousin?” Phaedra asked before walking towards her. “Are you okay? Are you—”

A massive hand suddenly lunged forward, wrapping around her. “Got you, you little-- AGHHHHH!” Circe screamed when Phaedra’s wool hardened and extended into spikes, piercing her hand. She let her go, yanking the hand back and instead trying to push it under herself.

Phaedra dashed forward again, leaping onto her snout and placing a palm out, between her eyes. Circe went entirely still.

“Do you yield?” Phaedra asked. “I hope you’re not intending to actually make me devour the heart of my cousin. Uncle Obby would be heartbroken to lose one of his daughters who he’s so proud of.”

Circe stared at her before, with an angry growl, her eyes lowered. “I… yield. You win. Damn you…”

Phaedra nodded before leaping off. It wasn’t so ba--

A surge of power rushed through her, causing her attention to waver as she felt it coursing through her body. She hit the ground and rolled, barely able to focus as electricity crackled between her fingers. “O-oh. Oh wow. Is THIS what Circe’s name is?”

“Yes,” Circe, or Jasmine, said. “Congratulations, cousin.” Her body began to shrink down and she knelt there, her broken wing braced to her side. “I… will take my leave, now. But this isn’t over. I’ll come back for Paradox’s head AND that name.”

“Actually, about that…” Phaedra said, a small grin forming her lips before putting both her hands close together. Fire, ice, water, dirt, electricity all formed between her hands. The magical power in the name was incredible. “I… may have a counter offer. Please, meet me in my throne room once your wounds have been taken care of.”

“What?” Jasmine asked.

“You’ll see,” Phaedra said. “I think you’ll like what I have to offer.” She then turned and walked away, though as the adrenaline was fading the wound on her leg was starting to ache.

------

“You can’t be serious,” Jasmine said while she paced back and forth in the, admittedly almost barren, throne room.

“I really am,” Phaedra said. “This is really cool, I won’t lie.” She held up her right hand and formed a sphere of ice which began to shift into different shapes. “The magic control and power from this name is incredible. But I don’t want to BE Circe. You hunted this name.”

“You took it from me by combat!” Jasmine yelled, stomping her foot down. “Are you MOCKING me?! Pity?”

“No,” Phaedra said. “You’re my cousin, I love you. I don’t want to fight.” She then glanced towards Dixxy, the succubus having taken cover behind Yroth’s great tail. The dragon served as an excellent backing and mood setter for the room, curled partially around the backside of the throne Phaedra sat on. “I don’t want you fighting your sister, either. Why should we be enemies when there are others who already want our heads?”

“What game are you playing?” Jasmine asked. “You knew about Medon, didn’t you?”

That, at least, caused Yroth to open a single eye and gaze at them.

“Not fully,” Phaedra said. “My… father always suspected something about him was strange, but I never knew the full extent. I learned that at the same time all of you did.” She then paused and glanced towards Dixxy. “Well… most of us did. I didn’t recall seeing you there.”

“Didn’t you, though?” Dixxy asked with an innocent smile.

“Then why the dragon?” Jasmine asked, gesturing towards Yroth. “Why Lilith?”

“Because I want them,” Phaedra said dismissively. “I’m the daughter of Fenrir. Should I not be allowed to take whatever it is I want? The dragon’s heart was gifted to me, and I wanted more. Maybe I want this Lilith’s as well.”

“You think you can?” Jasmine asked.

“I don’t know yet,” Phaedra said. “But father didn’t teach me to give up before I try. What better subjects to the Demon Lord’s daughter than the companions of those he slew?”

“… And Medon?” Jasmine asked.

Phaedra stared at her for a few seconds. It would be so easy. Make Jasmine vow now and, in the future, they might never have to fight. But that also wouldn’t be fair. When the time came, no promise could stop what they’d try to do to her. “My offer is simple. I return the name of Circe to you and you forgive your sister and leave Lilith to me, once I acquire her. If you find Medon and kill him, the name is yours to take. If you want to take vengeance on me later for this, you are welcome to. But… you forgive Paradox for her little… this.”

Jasmine gave a low, furious growl. “And if I refuse?”

“Then you’re free to go,” Phaedra said with a shrug. “I’m not going to hold you captive.”

“Why not kill me?” Jasmine asked.

“Because I’d miss you,” Phaedra said, unable to stop herself. “You’re my cousin. Unlike your father, mine didn’t decide to give me a bunch of siblings. So… it’s like you’re my sisters, in a way. And I don’t like it when you fight.”

Jasmine stared at her for a few seconds before the anger faded from her face. She then gave a soft sigh and shook her head. “You’re insane. How did I lose to a sheep like you? How are you still alive with mercy like that? Why do you care so much if I kill Paradox over this? She’s so much weaker than both of us.”

“You don’t understand what it truly means to be weak,” Phaedra said. “If you’re lucky, you never will. I can be as merciful as I please, because I am strong enough that nobody can stop me.”

“Fine,” Jasmine said. “I agree. Paradox, you’re off the hook. You can thank our sheep of a cousin for that. Her and her insanity. Try not to give her too much… actually, no. Give her hell. My name?”

“Of course,” Phaedra said before holding out her hand. A frigid wind washed over Jasmine a moment before she became Circe once again.

“You’re an idiot, Phaedra,” Circe said, shaking her head. “You do realize I’m going to hold a grudge for this, right? I will get you back.”

“I figured,” Phaedra said. “It wouldn’t have been fair of me to use the name you worked so hard to get and expect you to just accept it.”

“I will never understand you,” Circe said before turning and walking away. “’What it truly means to be weak’… Try not to get yourself killed doing something stupid before I get a chance to come and get revenge for this. I’m going to find Medon and then I am going to make you beg for mercy.”

“Of course,” Phaedra said, a small smile on her lips as she watched her cousin leave. She then glanced towards Dixxy. “As for you…”

“Eep,” Dixxy said before giving a sheepish grin. “I, ummmm… about Lilith…”

“Don’t,” Phaedra said before leaning back and closing her eyes. “Are the quarters you’ve been given comfortable?”

“Huh?” Dixxy asked. “My roo—” Her words were cut off by Circe slamming the door shut behind herself.

“Its been a long day,” Phaedra said. “Complete with you almost dying and me fighting Circe. I think we should talk again in the morning. So I want to know if the room you’ve been assigned is comfortable.”

“O-oh,” Dixxy said. “The room is fine. I ummm… But—”

“You’re dismissed,” Phaedra said. “We can talk in the morning, if you haven’t run off.”

“… I… thank you,” Dixxy said before giving her a confused look, then leaving the same way that Circe had.

“You are an interesting specimen,” Yroth said.

“Hmmm?” Phaedra asked before crawling out of her throne and casting her silencing spell on the doorway. She then collapsed against Yroth’s side, laying on the warm scales. “Too tired, don’t wanna be interesting.”

“Circe’s name would have been useful to us,” Yroth said. “Yet you gave it back to one of the people who will surely try to slay you one day.”

“She was my cousin,” Phaedra said.

“And you love her?” Yroth asked. “Did you have many siblings where you were from?”

“No,” Phaedra said softly. “Back home I was… alone. I was almost always alone.”

“They’re not your friends,” Yroth said.

“But they’re my family,” Phaedra said. “Even if they hate me. Even if… they try to kill me in the future, I just… want to enjoy this while I can. We won today, right?”

“We do not have Lilith,” Yroth said. “We have the key to her, but that is all. Do not grow lax.”

“Of course not,” Phaedra said with a small smile. “But that can come later. For now? I just want to rest and recover.”

“You have a bed,” Yroth said.

“You don’t fit in it,” Phaedra said. “And you’re warmer.”

“Silly sheep,” Yroth said before she moved to wrap her body slightly around Phaedra. “Tomorrow begins a new battle.”

“Every day often does,” Phaedra said softly. “Did you see my fight?”

“I did,” Yroth said.

“Was I cool?” Phaedra asked.

Yroth didn’t answer. All she did was chuckle.

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