“Hmmmm, the tracks lead this way,” Tisephone pointed to our left as the leaf lazily started to spin in her hands once more. I seemed to only point when she focused on it.

Interesting. Since I had joined the modern world, I have witnessed so many forms of magic and yet fea magic continued to impress me. Tisiphone continued to impress.

Though in truth, I rather she impresses someone else. An elf perhaps. They were said to be creatures of nature as well, no?

“Uhhh, so what do we do when we find her?” Tisephone asked as the leaf trembled in her hand.

I nodded to myself. I doubt I was this nervous on my first hunt. Excited was probably the correct word. Long I have lived, but routine across centuries did not adventures make.

If I had NetFlix during those dreary times, I expected that I would have been a more eager person. This reserved nobility thing was a touch dated, wasn’t it?

“We bring her in my dear Tina,” I said as I looked around the forest. It was silent. Which was never a good sign.

Or perhaps, it was a good sign for us.

“Its Tisephone!” the dryad hissed in frustration. I looked away and smirked.

“My dear,” I drawled and I could feel her anger boil. For one of the fae, whose very soul is deeply connected to magic, names had power. Tisiphone is only part of her name. Which part? Only she, and her parents, would know.

Should she ever take a love, then that would be the first, and the last person to ever find out. Children would be graced with the essence of their names.

In that, I found a little sad. Titles had more affiliation then names for them. For one such as myself, who’s lineage spread back to near the dawn of the original humanity… not knowing the full name of my ancestors was sacrilege.

“I YEek!”

I pulled Tisephone close to me. The smell of lavender and leaves filled my senses strongly.

BOOM!

The girl in question tensed at the sudden contact. Dryads were skittish as best. She would have reflexively attacked me, but she found herself distracted.

The werewolf stood tall and proud. The windbreaker covered her torso, and leggings her lower half. The snout revealed her blue fur and lead up to her golden eyes.

“Traitor!” the woman snarled as she pulled back her hood. The large ears, pierced with studs, gleamed in the moonlight. “You are both fools to track me under a full moon night!”

I looked over to see that Tisephone was already staring at me with wide eyes. I nodded to agree with the wolf. Fighting one under a full moon was stupid. I gave her a supportive shrug.

“We don’t have a lot of choices,” I said as I walked up to the werewolf. Her teeth shined silver and I wasn’t sure if it was because of the reflections of the moon, or because of that werewolf energy.

She stepped out of the crater and started to roll up her sleeves.

I fell into a fighting stance and began my assault.

Karate. Taekwondo. Muy Thai. Wushu. Ninjutsu.

I had trained in these 5 arts for the last few years. My heightened physic allowed me to learn them smoothly, and my reduced need to rest had me constantly practicing.

Thus it was frustrating to get my ass handed to me. It was very humbling.

Was this… what was the term? Getting Rekt?

I coughed, and Tisephone channeled healing magic into me as I slowly stood up for the 53rd time.

The werewolf sneered at me and she often cooed as she proceeded to show me that werewolves, especially alpha wolves as herself, were of incredible physical prowess.

I sighed as I popped my neck, the healing magic was also doing wonders for my mangled arm she had used to shoulder throw me.

“Awww. Ready for another beatdown old man?” The woman sneered as she hopped from one leg to another. “I must warn you… playtime is over.”

“Alex. We should run. We can get back up like the handbook says,” Tisephone whispered.

I raised my eyebrow and wondered if she knew that the werewolf could probably hear her.

I nodded in return.

“You are both right. Playtime is over, and I suppose this is the moment for backup to show up,” I said as I rotated both wrists. They cracked and my right arm popped as the healed bones settled back into place when I moved the shoulder joint.

“Don’t bluff. I hear its unbecoming of a vampire noble,” wolf girl said as she laughed and pointed to her nose.

I sighed as I gave up. I could not physically restrain this girl and I raised my right hand. I touched my middle finger to my thumb. It ended with a snap.

“AARRGG!”

Tisephone’s eyes widened at the sudden shift in battle.

Her trainer had said that senior agents were not to be underestimated. They all were selected for each mission carefully to ensure both safety and success.

When she met Alex, she was optimistic. That soon turned to regret and sadness as he was just so lazy. He was late. He was hungry. He was easily distracted.

Yet no one ever complained. Now she understood why.

The werewolf was impaled on a dozen spears of black shadows. They went through her and locked her down as each limb was pierced twice, and her torso the remainder.

“I am Archduke Alexander Eldrick Nightingale von Blacklight,” I proclaimed as I walked forward. My eyes bore into hers and for the first time, she was the one who flinched.

The girl twitched, but her anger still filled her eyes. Yet she now understood the difference between us.

“You have rights, but Uhhh… Tina, read her the rights,” I began and stalled. What were they again? I waved at Tisephone to follow up.

The girl shivered but began to dutifully read her the right available to any living person.

Tisephone then wrapped the werewolf in vines. I raised my eyebrow when they actually held, and the wolf woman howled in frustration.

Tisephone waved her hands and the woman passed out.

My new partner gave me a wink.

I laughed and lead the way back.

Trainee or not, Tisephone was impressing me.