The Crooked Fang Inn was warmer than expected. Dim light from glowing crystals bathed the mismatched tables and warped wooden floor in hues of gold and violet. Old magical lanterns swayed from the ceiling, and laughter buzzed like flies in the corners.
The door creaked open.
Five figures stepped in.
Axel. Kyra. Sylthea. Korrak. Brakka the Breaker.
Silence dropped like a hammer.
A group of satyrs froze mid-dice roll. A goblin barmaid dropped a tray of steaming meat pies. A demon with glowing eyes lowered his mug slowly.
Then came a wheezing gasp from behind the counter.
The innkeeper, a hunched bat-winged kobold with a waxed mustache and a waistcoat two sizes too big, stepped forward with shaking claws.
"By all the flames of the Underdeep," he whispered. "The Black Wolf walks among us…"
Axel blinked. "Uh…"
"You're him," the kobold whispered louder. "The Monster Protector. The Exterminator who turned. We heard the stories but thought they were just rebel tales."
He scurried out from behind the bar and gave a dramatic bow so deep his tail flipped over his head. "You and your party dine and sleep here free. No bill, no charge, no questions. It's an honor."
Axel tried to protest, but Sylthea stopped him with a smile and a hand on his arm. "Let them thank you, wolf-boy."
Minutes later, they were seated around a long table in a booth near the hearth. Plates piled with roasted root-beast, molten cheese flatbread, and glowing fruit slices were set before them. Frosted mugs of spiced ale and chilled bloodberry cider followed. A tray of crispy lizard tails for Kyra. A whole rib slab for Brakka.
The ogre tore into her food like a starving soldier, then paused to glance at Axel. "So… you're that Black Wolf?"
Axel, who had been very obviously trying not to stare at her arms, shoulders, or jawline and failing, cleared his throat. "Guess so."
Brakka tilted her head slightly, chewing thoughtfully. So that's why the innkeep went soft. That explains the looks. Hmm… maybe I'll stick with this party. They'll attract trouble. Trouble means fights.
And fights meant fun.
Kyra sat across from Brakka, her plate of lizard tails untouched. She was glaring, fork in hand, like she was planning to stab someone. Sylthea, meanwhile, laughed softly with Korrak as they shared stories, a comfortable air between them.
Axel leaned in toward Brakka. "Hey… can I ask something?"
Brakka raised an eyebrow. "You just did."
"I mean…" He scratched the back of his head, suddenly self-conscious. "About your past. Your life. I want to know more."
That caught her attention.
Brakka put down the rib she was gnawing on and leaned back slightly, eyes focused somewhere in the firelight.
"…I was born in the Bonecrag Mountains," she began. "Ogre stronghold. Proud, high up, impossible to reach unless you flew or bled for it. I was a runt, believe it or not. Weak. Too skinny. No one thought I'd survive."
Kyra's chewing slowed. Her ears twitched.
Brakka continued. "Didn't matter. We were fighters. All of us. And we didn't bow to the humans like some races did. We beat back four Exterminator squads before they got serious."
Axel listened, jaw clenched.
"They brought down fire from the sky. Storm cannons. Something called a Judicator. We couldn't hold. The entire kingdom fell in a week. I was maybe six when I crawled out from the rubble with a broken rib and no parents. I found four others. We survived on roots, bones, and hate. One by one, I lost them. Some to humans. Some to monsters. Some to each other."
Her voice didn't shake. It was steady. Worn. Hardened like stone.
"I stopped counting the fights after a hundred. After a while, I stopped running."
Axel's mind reeled.
The Trolls were prideful, he thought. But they didn't have the grit of the Ogres. They didn't resist the human kingdom the same way. The ogres didn't just survive… they fought to the last. Took down dozens of Exterminators in the process.
And now there's barely any left.
It's rare to even see an ogre these days…
Especially one so…
He glanced at her again. The firelight caught the gold in her eyes. Her muscles flexed subtly as she reached for her drink.
…beautiful.
Kyra's fork snapped in her hand.
Sylthea leaned over with a smirk. "Careful, pup. You're staring hard enough to burn holes."
Axel cleared his throat. "Sorry. It's just… you've been through a lot."
Brakka shrugged. "You too, I'd wager. You've got that look."
He smiled faintly.
Then Kyra, still chewing slowly, pointed her new fork at Brakka again. "Don't get any ideas."
Brakka raised a brow. "Like what?"
"Like stealing my Exterminator."
Brakka blinked, then laughed. "You're his daughter?"
Kyra puffed out her cheeks. "I'm his everything."
That actually made Brakka snort. "Well, alright then."
Korrak chuckled. The warmth of the hearth wrapped around them all, food and drink softening the edges of a long day.
Axel looked around the table.
The warmth of The Crooked Fang lingered as night took Hollowfall.
The innkeeper led them up creaking stairs to two rooms at the end of a winding hallway. The wood floors groaned under Brakka's weight, and Kyra yawned dramatically with every step as if to remind everyone she was very small and very sleepy.
Their rooms weren't much, just uneven floorboards, moth-nibbled curtains, and two beds each but after the chaos of the day, they felt like palaces.
Room One
Korrak, Axel, Kyra
Korrak collapsed into the far bed with a grunt, immediately burying himself under a patchwork blanket. "I haven't slept on a bed in forever. If anyone wakes me, I'll eat their boots."
On the other bed, Axel lay on his back in his undersuit, arms behind his head. Kyra curled up beside him, head on his chest, holding on like a clingy little koala.
The candlelight danced against the ceiling as the quiet settled in.
"Axel?" Kyra whispered.
"Yeah?"
She tilted her face up toward him, her gold eyes blinking. "Do you… do you really like Brakka?"
Axel exhaled slowly. "Yeah… I think I do."
There was a beat of silence.
"…Okay," Kyra mumbled, snuggling closer. "Then I'll try to be nicer to her. But only if she stops flexing so much. It's rude."
Axel chuckled and gently rubbed her back. "Thanks, Kyra."
From across the room, Korrak mumbled, "If you two start smooching, I swear I'll dive out the window."
Kyra giggled. Axel grinned.
Soon the three of them began recounting all the food they'd stuffed themselves with, the cheesy flatbread, the crispy lizard tails, the glowing fruit that tasted like starlight. Kyra claimed she could eat twenty more. Korrak said he could eat more than her. Axel judged them both.
Within minutes, the warmth of laughter gave way to yawns.
And then sleep.
Room Two
Sylthea, Brakka
Sylthea lay on her side, wrapped in a pale blue blanket. Her hair fanned out over the pillow like ink in water. Across from her, Brakka rested on her back, arms folded, eyes on the ceiling beams, one foot dangling off the too-small bed.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Sylthea asked softly, "So… what do you think of him? Axel."
Brakka made a low grunt in her throat. "He's not bad-looking, if that's what you're digging for."
Sylthea smirked into her pillow. "That's not all I meant."
Brakka sighed, shifting.
"…But my hatred for humans runs deep," she said. "Too deep. Just seeing his face, it reminds me of blood. Screams. Flames. Makes me want to rip him apart, not kiss him."
"I get that," Sylthea replied quietly. "I know he's on our side now. And I trust him… I really do. But I still hate him too, sometimes. For everything the Exterminators did."
They lay in silence after that.
Not a cold silence, just one born of weight. Of history. Of scars.
And slowly, sleep claimed them.
Meanwhile…
Inside the Axel's, Kyra's and Korrak's room, the Black Wolf suit in sleep mode as a gauntlet around Axel's wrist, a faint red light pulsed from the gauntlet.
Its systems, though dormant to the naked eye, were active beneath the surface.
Black Wolf Log - Passive Surveillance Active
Scanning: Nearby Soundwaves
Source: Adjacent Room (Sylthea/Brakka)
"Just seeing his face… makes me want to rip him apart."
"I still hate him too, sometimes."
The system made no judgment. It simply recorded.
Processed.
Filed away.
Conclusion:
"Emotional volatility detected. Caution recommended regarding future interpersonal dynamics."
…End log.
And just like that, the red light faded to black.
Waiting. Listening.
Protecting.
Even in sleep...
The Black Wolf watched.