Amelia Indras Einhardt POV
"Princess Amelia, we have arrived—!"
Before the coachman could even finish, the door to the ornate magic carriage slammed open.
A blur of grey shot out, boots barely touching the ground before she landed on all fours, sprinting across the polished stone like a streak of lightning, her messy grey hair flowing behind her like a wolf's mane.
"Move!"
Servants leapt aside as the second princess of Einhardt tore through the grand halls, her sharp claws clicking against the tiles.
Her glowing yellow eyes darted around, searching.
The Einhardt Palace was massive, elegant and painfully overdecorated in Amelia's eyes.
She had grown up here, but she never liked the way the gold-trimmed walls and velvet curtains muffled everything.
She found it all far too quiet, too stiff and too clean.
She skidded to a halt, crouching low and grabbing the nearest servant by the collar.
"Where's Papa?"
The poor man blinked, wide-eyed and trembling.
"P-Princess Amelia! H-His Majesty is currently in the meeting room, d-discussing border secur—"
Before he could finish, she had already dropped him and bolted again.
Her body naturally shifted into that feral motion, running on all fours, like she always preferred.
It was faster, freer.
Her tail flicked wildly behind her as she dashed past guards who had long since given up trying to stop her.
'Stupid Papa, calling me back when I was going to hang out with Soren. He's my first friend ever, damn it.'
She growled under her breath as the scent of her father's presence grew stronger.
The guards at the end of the hall flinched when they saw her coming.
"P-Princess, His Majesty is in a mee—"
The doors to the meeting room exploded inward before they could finish.
The sudden boom silenced the gathered nobles, generals and ministers, papers fluttering to the floor.
Amelia stood at the entrance, panting lightly, her canines bared in an angry snarl.
"Papa!"
At the far end of the long wooden table sat the King of Einhardt, a massive wolf beastkin with a mane of silver fur and sharp golden eyes.
He leaned back on his throne-like chair, arms crossed, a dangerous grin spreading across his face.
"Amelia, my lovely daughter," he rumbled, his voice deep enough to shake the walls. "You look well, I'm glad."
"Don't 'you look well' me!" she barked, stomping forward until she slammed both palms down on the table.
The force rattled the crystal glasses, causing a few of the weaker officials to flinch.
"You called me home! I was supposed to be with Soren this break! You better have a damn good reason, or I'll—" she jabbed a clawed finger toward him. "—I'll pull you off that throne myself!"
A heavy silence filled the chamber.
Then, the king's grin widened into something savage.
"Oh? Is that a challenge?"
Several of the beastkin generals sighed in unison.
"Here we go again," muttered one.
"One gold says she loses in the first ten seconds," whispered another.
Amelia's tail bristled.
"Wanna bet, old man?"
"Always." The king's claws tapped against the armrest, his thick muscles tensing beneath his tight clothing. "Show me if you've grown strong enough to take my place. I'll happily hand the throne over if so."
Amelia crouched, a low growl escaping her throat.
Mana flickered faintly around her claws, her mana enhancement responding to her rising excitement.
But before either of them could make a move, a voice as smooth and commanding as thunder echoed through the room.
"Enough."
The doors closed on their own, and the air chilled.
Amelia froze mid-lunge.
"...Mama."
The queen of Einhardt entered from the side corridor, a tall fox beastkin woman with sleek copper fur and cold yellow eyes.
Her regal composure alone made hardened soldiers straighten up.
"Sit down," she said simply.
Amelia slumped into the nearest chair with a grumble.
"Tch."
The queen gave her a sharp look before addressing both father and daughter.
"This is not the time for brawling. We summoned you, Amelia, because a matter of importance has arisen."
Amelia crossed her arms and slouched, her eyes half-lidded.
"Better be good."
The queen gestured to one of the generals.
"Report."
The grizzled bear beastkin stood, unrolling a map across the table.
"Six days ago, scouts stationed near the northern border reported unusual monster activity. At first, it was a few stray beasts, but yesterday…"
He paused, tapping his finger on a marked red area.
"A full monster wave was sighted, Hundreds of them. We don't know the cause, but apparently a demon was sighted from the mountains."
The words sank in, and Amelia's ears perked up.
"...A monster wave?" she repeated slowly.
"Yes," the general continued. "If left unchecked, it could reach one of our frontier towns within a week. The northern garrison is preparing, but—"
"I'll go," Amelia said immediately, grinning ear to ear.
"Amelia," her mother warned.
"I'll go!" she repeated, her tail wagging furiously. "Finally, something fun! It's been ages since I fought anything strong!"
Her father chuckled, shaking his head.
"You never change, do you?"
"Plus, you dragged me back here, away from Soren. You should let me have this much fun."
The queen sighed.
"This is not a game, Amelia. A wave of that size is dangerous, especially with a demon sighting added to it. You will not go alone."
Amelia shrugged dismissively, already stretching her neck and shoulders.
"Send a few soldiers if it makes you feel better, just keep my weak brothers away."
"Amelia—"
"Mama, I'll be fine. Promise." She flashed a grin. "Besides, you wanted it handled, right?"
The queen hesitated, then finally exhaled.
"Very well. But you will report once the situation is under control."
"Sure."
••✦ ♡ ✦•••
An hour later, Amelia was already in her magic carriage again, lounging lazily across the seat.
Her armour was simple: a tight leather top and a short cloak.
On her hands sat gauntlets, with openings for her claws to slip through.
Outside, the trees blurred past as the carriage raced north.
She rested her chin on her hand, grinning to herself
'Monster wave, huh…?'
Her heart thumped faster the more she thought about it.
'Papa always said the north's where the strongest ones show up. Maybe I'll find something worth punching.'
She leaned back and laughed out loud, startling the driver.
"Heh. This is gonna be fun."
The carriage jolted slightly as they crossed rougher, unpaved ground, and the distant mountains came into view.
Amelia's eyes gleamed like a predator's as she took in the sights before her.
'It's been too long since I got to cut loose.'
She stretched again, the faint scars on her arms catching the sunlight.
'Soren's fun, but I missed this.' She thought to herself as she rolled her shoulders. 'I'll bring him a monster tooth or something when this is over.'
Her grin widened as the wind howled louder.
The scent of mana and blood in the distance began to grow thicker.
And Amelia's tail wagged faster.
••✦ ♡ ✦•••
The carriage screeched to a halt as the blood-tinged air thickened.
Amelia's ears twitched, her claws flexed in anticipation.
"Princess, we've reached the forward camp!" the driver shouted.
Before he could even finish, Amelia kicked the carriage door open and jumped out, landing with a thud that cracked the dirt beneath her feet.
Dozens of beastkin soldiers turned in surprise.
The smell of blood, sweat and steel hung thick around the hastily built encampment.
Fires burned in large iron braziers, and wounded soldiers rested under medical tents.
"Princess Amelia!" A tiger beastkin officer rushed forward, saluting. "You came in person?"
"Obviously." She sniffed the air and frowned. "You guys smell like you haven't moved in a while."
The officer blinked.
"We… We've been fortifying our defences, Your Highness. The monsters—"
"I know." She rolled her shoulders and cracked her neck. "Where do I go for the fun?"
"The fun—? You mean the front line?"
"Where else?"
The officer hesitated.
"It's about three hundred meters north. But Princess, with all due respect, we haven't even—"
"Got it."
And she was gone.
She sprinted past him, moving faster than the eye could follow.
Her boots tore into the dirt, and then she dropped to all fours once more, claws digging deep into the soil.
Wind whipped through her hair as she ran.
'Finally.'
She could already feel it, the chaos ahead, the clash of claws, the screams, and the roars.
She lived for this.
When she broke through the treeline, the battlefield opened before her.
The plains were crawling with monsters, hundreds of them.
Wolves the size of carriages, large spiders spitting venom and webs, greenskins carrying rusted weapons, and many more.
The soldiers of Einhardt had formed a loose line, fighting tooth and nail to keep them from breaching the defences.
Amelia's grin spread across her face.
"I'm here to help," she announced.
The soldiers near her turned, startled.
"P-Princess–?!"
But by then she had already leapt into the fray.
Her body arched midair, claws flashing.
She landed on a massive spider monster, its exoskeleton as thick as iron.
Her hands tore through its neck like paper, green blood spraying across her clothes and face, but she didn't even blink.
Another beast lunged from her blind spot.
She twisted her body, caught the wolf's jaw in her hands, and ripped it apart.
'God, that feels good.'
Her muscles moved without thought, her body reacting purely on instinct.
She ducked under a claw, spinning low, slamming her elbow into a monster's ribs hard enough to make the bones explode outward.
One of the soldiers gawked.
"Isn't she a princess?!"
"You'll get used to it," another said with a sigh.
Amelia laughed as a dozen more beasts charged toward her.
"Good!"
She dashed forward on all fours again, weaving between strikes, her movements feral and unpredictable.
Every motion was filled with raw strength and animalistic precision.
She tore through hide, exoskeletons and skin alike with her claws, each impact echoing like thunder in the open field.
"Princess, watch your flank!"
Too late.
A massive chunk of stone burst from the ground beneath her, slowly forming into a body.
Amelia smirked.
"This is fun!"
As the golem lunged, she planted her feet and channelled her mana enhancement into her fist and punched, once.
The air boomed.
Her fist shattered the stone body and drove straight through its core, sending fragments flying across the battlefield.
The ground shook with the impact.
She pulled her arm back, rolling her shoulder once again.
The soldiers behind her stared, wide-eyed, and some even cheered.
"The Wild Wolf's here!" someone shouted. "Push forward!"
The momentum shifted instantly.
The Einhardt soldiers, emboldened by her presence, roared and charged.
Amelia ignored them, too caught up in her own rhythm.
Her tail flicked with every strike, her laughter mingling with the howls of the dying monsters.
'They're weak,' she lamented as she tossed the head of a dire wolf away. 'Is there nothing stronger?'
Then a heavy gust swept across the battlefield, carrying the scent of mana.
She turned toward the hills, and her grin sharpened.
Something huge moved there.
A towering beast emerged from the trees, its body resembling a lion's, its tail that of a scorpion, its head human-like, and large wings fitted to its back.
It roared, shaking the plains.
Amelia's heart pounded as she looked at the manticore.
"Oh…!"
The monster's aura made the soldiers hesitate, but not her, never her.
She crouched low, her claws digging into the dirt as the hair on her tail stood on end.
'That's it! That thing is strong!'
Her blood burned with excitement, and she licked her lips.
Then she sprinted forward, her laughter echoing throughout the battlefield as she charged straight toward the beast.
It swung one massive paw down, the force behind it heavy enough to crush a boulder.
She leapt, landing on its arm, running up its limbs with all the reckless joy of a child climbing a tree.
The manticore tried to shake her off, but she dug her claws in deeper, scaling its shoulder and slamming her mana-enhanced fist straight into its eye.
The explosion of blood that followed painted her entire body red.
[AUUAAAAHH—!]
The monster howled, thrashing wildly in pain.
"Yeah! That's it!" she shouted, her voice mixing with the chaos. "Scream louder!"
The beast slammed its head into the ground in pain, and Amelia was thrown into the air.
She twisted her body, landing on her feet, and grinned wider than ever.
Her breathing was ragged, and her body ached, but her tail continued wagging furiously.
'This is so fun!'
The massive creature raised its head again, one eye gone, and growled menacingly.
Its tail dripped a green liquid; Amelia's mind flooded with danger signals at the sight of it.
She lowered her body again, blood trickling lightly from her chin as she cracked her knuckles.
Dash!
She charged forward, laughing.
And that laughter, raw and wild, echoed across the northern plains of Einhardt, swallowed by the roar of battle and the sound of tearing flesh.
————「❤︎」————