Strena The Youngest Slayer Arc Part Three

 The Werewolf

Strena looked at the jobs, humming the syren's song under her breath. She just could not think why but for some reason she just could not get that song out of her head. She soon found a job. She did not know if she would be able to do it but she knew that she should at least try. She then grabbed it and walked back to Zaryb as he finished his third mug of beer. She had noticed he seemed to be drinking a lot recently. She has thought of asking him why but she was far too afraid to. She showed him and he looked at the slip and then back at her with what looked like concern.

"Are you sure?"

"No,  but I should at least try."

He nodded as he passed it back to her. She then looked at it more closely as her breakfast arrived.

Slay The Werewolf

There has been a werewolf that

has been terrorising my local parents.

He has been doing this for the post

three months. I have tried to send my

soldiers and knights after him but they

were no match for him. Even I, the 

king, have tried and failed!

So please send you best

King Seljor Chyronogh

Master Zaryb's right, this sounds hard. I wonder if I can get this done.

She put it down as she ate her breakfast. She soon ate and then left and packed. They soon were on their way and in a public carriage. She felt slightly nervous but if there was one thing that Strena was learning was how to mask her emotions. She hoped that she was being good at it. Yet she knew that she had to master it. They ate on the public carriage and they arrived at nightfall. She knew that they would have to get signed into a tavern or inn. Zaryb looked up at the moon. It was almost full. He then looked at her, again she thought that she saw concern on his face.

"What?"

"I will do your lesson on were creatures tomorrow.  Meanwhile in the morning you should have a lie in. But do not get used to it! You can only have them when dealing with creatures that you can only kill during the night."

She smiled to herself and nodded. It felt good to know that she would not need to ensure that she got up at an early hour. She jumped off the public carriage and they walked to the nearest inn. They signed in and collected their keys. The moment that she hit the bed she fell asleep half an hour before midnight.

Strena saw a young Zaryb in her dreams. She saw that they were in a room that looked like it belonged to her homeland. She saw a man that looked identical to her father but younger, by far. Yet Zaryb carried a shy look in his young eyes. Yet the man that looked like her father carried a gleeful cruel look in his young eyes with a twisted smile on his face.

"W-what are we don't here brother?"

"Well Zarry, I am afraid that I am here to hurt you again."

He looked down and nodded. He looked sorrowful and scared.

"Please no. Please not again! Please stop it! Why do you keep doing it?"

"Because! Now if you tell mother and father about this I will hurt you more."

She then heard an evil laughter. It filled her heart in fear and she woke up screaming. She could not place why,  but she was filled with an uncontrollable fear. She shook and could not stop shaking.

What in the Demon Realm was that all about? Who was that? Why did father look so evil? My father was not evil! He was good! He was good! So why did I dream that?

She shook her head trying to shove it out of her head. She had to get up and sit on the lieu and let all her urine and dung out. She wiped her behind with a sponge and cleaned her hands and went back to her bed.

It's just a dream. It doesn't mean anything. It doesn't! She repeated in her head.

She then calmed down and then tried to get back to sleep. Yet she could not. She did not want to hear that laugh again. Nor did she want that look on her father's young face. She closed her eyes, yet even though she was not able to drift off, she was able to achieve a light and dreamless sleep nevertheless. This forced her to think about that dream. She wondered why she had dreamed that.

She was the first down the stairs. She ordered a hot chocolate and curled up by the fire. It was the only thing that was comforting to her. She wished that someone would comfort her and give her some love.

She was given her mug which she gulped down then stared into the fire. Her mind was still fixed on her dream.

What has Zaryb turned me into? And why did I dream that? Why can I not shake it off or get it out of my head?

She did not keep time for how long she sat there, by the fire. She had ordered another hot chocolate and by the time she finished that her hot chocolate had become cold.

"You are up early! Did I not day that you could have a lie in this morning?"

"Couldn't sleep."

"Nightmare?"

"Yeah."

"Tell me."

She did. He looked aside. It was all too clear that he knew what she was dreaming about. He looked slightly vulnerable and almost about to cry. He closed his eyes for a moment as he carried the look of someone about to make an important decision. Then he came to the decision when he opened his eyes. His eyes became misty and sullen. He shivered.

"You know what my dreams mean don't you? You always seem to have. So, why do you never say?"

"I'm getting a drink."

"Master Zaryb?"

"No, and may I remind you that I do not need to answer your questions. Yet even if I did you would neither believe me nor would you like the answer."

She rolled her eyes as she looked down realising that he was right. He did not need to answer any of her questions. After all, she was not his ward, she was his prisoner and, with the Artemis necklace around her neck, she was his slave. Which meant that even though she had magic she still was powerless against him.

Yet then her mind brought up the lyrics of the syren's song. Then it went over what Zaryb had said about his family. Then out went over her dreams. Her mind then took her to the Hunters Tavern. About how alike she looked to both her father and Zaryb. Even she had noticed how strange it was that she looked very much like Zaryb. Then she remembered her father's last moments and how he had reacted to him.

Could it be? That my father is the brother that he talked about?

No! That is stupid, that is a stupid thought! Why would I even think that? No,  Father was nice,  he was kind, he was good! That dream meant nothing! He's just toying around with me! He's only pretending to understand so that he can confuse me!

But then why? Why would he lie? 

Because he's evil! And he's making me evil too!

"I hope that you haven't got any foolish ideas in that head of yours girl!"

"No!"

He smirked.

"Good. Then get your breakfast. Then get your things. Your lesson will begin straight after."

She nodded. She got her breakfast and soon ate her food. She collected her things and then rejoined Zaryb at the table. She pulled out her journal, quill and ink.

"Now, let me start by saying that,  even though the werewolf is the most famous of the were-creatures. There are more out there, some of which are not as harmful as a werewolf, yet there are those that are worse. This depends on what creatures the were-creatures are.

"Now the reason that the werewolf is the most famous is because it is the easiest to become. One can become a werewolf by any number of ways, like being bitten or scratched, selling your soul to a demonic force, taking an enchanted wolfskin and putting it on. All of which lead to a painful transformation. Though any were-creatures in human form are stronger and faster than normal humans and faster too and they do have superhuman senses that you can use against them. Which I trust that you are smart enough to use. Another weakness is the fact that they are all allergic to all types of wolfsbane." He said as he carefully read her.

She kept her mask up as much as she could, but in front of Zaryb she knew that she might as well be naked. So all of this was all practice to get to the point that she could mask her emotions in front of him.

"Done!"

"Good."

"Is three anything more?"

"No. Are you ready?"

"No."

He smiled challengingly at her.

"Do you want to turn back?"

"No."

"Then let's go."

She nodded and they were off. They all looked around and she asked the people all about the werewolf all of which pointed to a florist and then bought a mistletoe branch each. Zaryb pinned it to his breast pocket and Zarb picked off the leaves and thorns. He then weaved it in her hair. They then walked around the town and kept an eye out for anyone sniffing like they had a cold yet not having one. When they found none after going through the entire town they walked back to the tavern.

"What now?"

"Looks like we have no choice but wait for tonight."

"So what are we-"

"You look tired. Take a nap."

She nodded and walked to her room. The moment her forehead hit the pillow her eyes closed and, after a few hours later she wine. It was already getting dark. The full moon was rodding. Quickly they gathered their things. Then they soon came to the bottom room. They noticed that the inn had become rather quiet. Too quiet.

"Master Zaryb, do you think that it is at all possible that the innkeeper was the werewolf?"

He looked at her with shock. He looked all around and sniffed up. His eyes widened. He picked her up and ran with that inhuman speed of his. They then heard a woman scream. Zaryb then followed the sound of the. They came to the innkeeper on the ground screaming as a pair of jaws snapped and the head and shoulders fell. 

Strena looked in shock as the blood dripped from its nose. She slipped off and looked at the dread woman by her. She soon had flashbacks to get deaf parents. She saw their bloody corpses and then Zaryb the way that she saw him back then. With the blood on his hands and the cruel look on his face.

He then hit her and she snapped out of it. She then looked at the werewolf and she drew her sword. She then took some mistletoe and coated it with its juice. She then ran to him. She then swung to the head and she was hit in the side. She landed and looked down to check the damage. Fortunately there were no claw or bite marks. She then looked up to see it was already almost on top of her. She only just rolled out of the way and flicked the blade up. The claws threw out and dug it into the wall and pulled it up before he was hit.

This gave her the opportunity to get up. She then tried to slit the throat again but it backed away and growled at her. He then dived at yet again and she almost was scratched as she dived out of the way. She was almost able to cut off its hand. It threw the other hand at her and she was able to duck underneath it. She then threw a branch of the mistletoe at the werewolves eyes. This caused it to look away and she was able to slash the head off.

She shook all over as she collapsed. She let herself take a break as she calmed down. She only got up once she was ready. She collected the head and they made their way to King Seljor Chyronogh. They collected their money and walked to the public carriage. He checked her for tooth and claw marks. Upon setting that there were none, he let out a sigh of relief. Once she returned to the Slayers Guild she washed herself and slept well only to wake feeling sore all over.