The Wolf’s Daughter

Phaedra murmured softly as she nestled up against the warm scales of Yroth’s. She needed to make a note to have Yroth take a bath or something later, she was starting to smell a bit odd. Kind of sickly sweet. It--

Wait, dragons didn’t smell sickly sweet.

Phaedra’s eyes opened and she saw a figure standing over her. Their face was hidden behind a blank, brown mask and they held a sword and over her. They hesitated a moment when her eyes opened, but then drove the sword down.

Her wool expanded and her hands reached out, gripping the blade as it plunged. Pain seared through her hands and she shrieked, the sword slashing them open. The blade caused sparks to fly through the air as her hardened wool formed over it, but she didn’t manage to stop the blade in time. It pierced her shoulder, though she managed to get enough of a hold before it could pierce all the way through. Her feet shot out and she caught her attacker in the chest, launching them across the throne room and causing their sword to scatter across the ground.

Phaedra rolled to her feet and then fell face first on the ground, a startled squeak coming from her. Her hands and shoulder were tingling terribly and she suddenly felt so incredibly weak. Worse, the tingling was spreading through her limbs, making it harder for her to move at all, let alone sit up. She reached out a hand and tried to cast a spell, but even her magic felt strange and unresponsive. She glanced to the sword again and saw a strange, yellow liquid dripping from the blade.

She’d been poisoned. Of course. Her assassin was already on their feet, racing towards her and grabbing their sword as they came closer. There was no other choice, she was going to have to transform. She couldn’t--

Her thoughts were broken by a massive tail crashing down on the assassin, hitting them so hard that the stone cracked.

“O-oh,” Phaedra said weakly. “That… that’s pretty effective. Huh.”

The tail didn’t move, but a great claw came out and gently scooped her up, placing her in a standing position. “Are you hurt?”

“Bleeding,” Phaedra said. “Shoulder hurts. I think they poisoned me.” The tingling, at least, was starting to fade. Unfortunately, it was replaced with what felt like prickling under the skin, as if her limbs had fallen asleep and were just waking up. It was far from comfortable, making her move her hands and legs to try and get it to stop. “Ugh. I’m all tingling. For a few seconds I couldn’t move, what was that?”

“Golden wasp sap,” Yroth said before motioning towards the sword, once again dropped away from its owner. “I can smell it from here. It should wear off quickly.”

“Thanks,” Phaedra said, though she was grateful the claw didn’t let her go. She still felt exhausted, even if the numbness was fading. This was definitely the worst way to wake up.

The assassin let out a groan. Yroth responded by lifting her tail up and then slamming it down again.

“Who are they?” Phaedra asked.

“An assassin,” Yroth said.

“Yeah, but for who?” Phaedra asked. She then paused and glanced up. Her throne room was hewn into the mountain itself, so there wasn’t much natural light. The only source was a single window in the ceiling that had been carved out to allow fresh air inside. In retrospect, she supposed she should have expected someone to try sneaking in at some point, but she’d hoped her new home would be finished before that happened. She reached a hand towards the door and lowered the spell on it, barely resisting the urge to hiss at the pain from the movement. It hadn’t been disturbed, so it likely meant her assassin had come through the window.

“I’m going to need my healing amulet again,” Phaedra said with a soft sigh.

“You truly do love your magical toys,” Yroth said before her tail curled around the prisoner, lifting them up into the air. Her other claw reached out and tore the helmet off their face, revealing an elven face. One she didn’t recognize. “Elf, it looks like.”

“Huh,” Phaedra said. “I wonder which assassin group they are. They… oh.” She thought it had been blood at first, but now she realized there was a perfectly round red circle on the back of her right hand. “Is this from the poison?”

To her surprise, her assassin began to chuckle before raising his head. “Foolish… sheep… that is the mark… of my master. Now there is nowhere he cannot track you. You may have escaped… our sight once, child of Fenrir, but you never shall again. Q-quake in fear and know that your end is coming.”

Phaedra blinked a few times before sighing. “O… kay? So, once your master comes to try and kill me, this mark will go away? Do I need to make an appointment or something? How high am I on his kill list?”

The elf stared at her, his mouth falling open in shock. He then hmphed and glared. “You make jokes? Mock me? Know that I am merely an amateur in comparison to the master. We have—”

“You’ve been searching for me for decades, I know,” Phaedra said, rolling her eyes. “Why do you think daddy had me in hiding for so long? He’s well aware that there are people looking to end my life. The spot, will it go away?”

“Yes,” the elf said. “When the mark burns my master’s gaze will be upon you and you will know your time approaches, it—”

“Gotcha, so when it starts burning it means your master will be trying to kill me,” Phaedra said before lowering her hand. “Kind of polite to just let me know. Is he going to sneak into my room while I’m sleeping, too?”

“This is not your room,” the assassin said.

“Yes it is,” Phaedra said.

“This is the throne room,” the assassin said.

Phaedra blinked a few times and, grudgingly, had to admit he was right. It was even worse when Yroth snickered.

“Seriously?” Phaedra asked, glaring at her.

“What? He’s not wrong,” Yroth said. “You were the one who wanted to sleep in here. You have a bed, now.”

“Yeah, but you’ll break it,” Phaedra said, crossing her arms.

“You could just sleep alone,” Yroth said.

“It’s nicer to have someone to snuggle against,” Phaedra said. “You’re like a little space heater.”

“What?” Yroth asked, cocking her head to side before looking up. “That… how?”

“… Never mind,” Phaedra said.

“How could you turn on us?” the assassin asked. For a moment Phaedra thought he meant her, but she quickly realized he was talking to Yroth. “How could you become another pawn of the Wolf? It-- grk!” His words were cut off when her tail suddenly tightened around him.

“I do not serve the Wolf,” Yroth said, her voice cold. “My arrangement with this sheep has nothing to do with that demon.”

“She… is his… d-daughter,” the assassin whispered. “The child of the… one who… will destroy our world. If… Medon were… still here… if he knew what you… have done—” His words were cut off entirely when Yroth’s tail only tightened further, slowly crushing him.

“Do not speak to me of Medon,” Yroth said, her voice cold. “Considering what your leaders had done to him. The lies you told me. The trials you put him through. You are unworthy to even speak his name!” Yroth said, fire beginning to flicker from the edges of her mouth.

“Stop,” Phaedra said, lifting a hand. “Please.”

“Phaedra?” Yroth asked.

“I want to talk with him,” Phaedra said.

Yroth, grudgingly, loosened her grip. The assassin coughed and gasped for air, before glaring up at her. “I have… nothing to say to you, demon. Kill me if you desire, I have no name for your ilk to steal.”

“Perhaps I will,” Phaedra said. “But not yet. I just want to know. Did you know Medon?”

“Of course!” the assassin said. “He was a noble figure, a true warrior! He fought back against the demon hordes, driving himself ever further. He saved countless lives in his quest, all who know his name are—”

“Did you know him?” Phaedra said, cutting him off. “Not the stories you heard. Did you, personally, know him? You’re like… what… a hundred? Two hundred? You had to be alive when he was, did you ever meet him?”

“I… don’t know what you’re playing at, demon,” the assassin said. “But I have no intention of playing your games.”

“So no, then,” Phaedra said. “Do you think he knows?”

“I doubt many know,” Yroth said. “If they did, they would not have been able to hide it. Medon’s… silent nature likely muddied the waters further.”

“What are you talking about?” the assassin asked.

“Nothing, don’t worry about it,” Phaedra said before shaking her head. “You’re an assassin, you broke into my home, tried to kill me, so I guess like… we should kill him, huh?”

“That is what is commonly done,” Yroth said. “You disagree?”

“I mean… we already beat him,” Phaedra said. “It’s one thing to kill someone while they’re trying to kill you. Why did you become an assassin?”

“Why are you asking for my life story?” the assassin asked.

“Because I don’t usually… oh, forget it,” Phaedra said. “You’re the expert on this, what do you think I should do?”

“I’ve slain all assassins who came for my head,” Yroth said. “If you release him, he’ll just come for it again.”

“Still feels wrong somehow,” Phaedra said. “… Just… imprison him.”

“As you wish,” Yroth said. Her tail uncoiled from around him.

The moment he was free, he lunged at her. He was almost upon her before Yroth’s claw burst through his chest, splashing blood across Phaedra.

“W-what… why…?” Phaedra asked.

“He was an assassin, Phaedra,” Yroth said. “Did you truly believe that the moment he was disarmed, he would stop trying to do the duty he dedicated himself to?”

“I… no… I just… I…” Phaedra said softly, watching the body fall to the ground. “I just… I…”

“Few assassins who succeed in their task live to tell about it,” Yroth said. “He’d have killed you in any way he could. I thought you had been targeted by assassins before?”

“I have,” Phaedra said softly. “It’s just… a little… different… once they’re helpless. I guess I just… thought…”

Yroth shrugged and tore into the body, devouring the heart in a single bloody bite.

Phaedra got to her hooves and quickly head towards the door. “Just… take care of that when you’re done, please. I don’t… I don’t know.”

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!