The Master's latest "successful" experiment
"As I suspected," Andras remarked, "the Master's attempt to compress fire‑element mana into a tiny sphere has failed again today."
Noelle laughed.
"At least we know he's in the lab."
"Well, it's not like he could be anywhere else," Andras said.
"It's either the lab or the kitchen."
"Or the wine cellar."
Andras grinned.
"At his age, he has to offer his lady guests plenty of grape juice if he wants them to enjoy their time together."
Fireburp blinked curiously.
"Is that grape juice tasty?"
Andras tried to look serious — or at least pretended to.
"Tasty? Let's say… it's complicated.
But dragons must never drink it."
"Why not?"
"Because it always ends with a forest fire."
Noelle burst out laughing.
"Hahaha!"
Fireburp, however, took it completely seriously.
"I don't like forest fires.
When the forest burns, all the fruit burns too, and it never grows back."
Noelle and Andras looked at her at the same time — and both smiled.
This little girl truly was different from other dragons.
On the way to the lab
Word had already spread through the corridors that a new member had joined the Wolves.
Servants peeked curiously at Fireburp, who walked beside them in her human form, crimson hair, tiny horns, and all.
Most assumed she was some kind of exotic lizardfolk girl.
Exactly as Andras had planned.
Smoke still drifted from the cracks of the lab door.
Andras sighed.
"Get ready, Fireburp.
You're about to meet the Kingdom's most enthusiastic fire mage."
Noelle giggled.
"And the most explosive."
Fireburp's tail wagged excitedly.
"He's the one who will teach me how to breathe fire?"
Andras smiled.
"If anyone can, it's him.
Let's just hope the castle is still standing by the time you're done."
A thin ribbon of smoke was still drifting up from the castle basement when Andras and the others reached the laboratory door.
"We've arrived," Andras said.
"Smoke is coming out of the keyhole too."
"We'll have to air the place out," Noelle sighed.
Andras knocked lightly with his fist.
"Master Florian, are you still alive?"
From inside came coughing, followed by a raspy voice:
"Cough—cough—
What am I not accounting for…?"
Andras pushed the door open, waving away the smoke.
"I don't know… maybe when you compress the fire element too much, you need a shell to contain it. Something that can actually hold it. Like… a sphere made of magical crystal?"
Master Florian's eyes lit up as if the universe had suddenly clicked into place.
"Hm… sealing it inside a magical crystal sphere?
You mean like an egg?
If you handle it gently, it stays intact…
but if it's struck — say, dropped on the floor — it breaks and the inside spills out?"
Noelle winced.
"That sounds dangerous.
It could explode in your hand."
But Andras continued:
"But if we put a rune‑lock on it, and instead of reacting to impact it detonates on a timer…
After opening the rune‑lock, you'd have enough time to throw it before it explodes, then—"
Master Florian's eyes went wide.
"By the Holy Dragon Fang!
You're a genius!
If we created such explosive fire‑orbs, we could prepare them in advance and save enormous amounts of mana in future battles!"
Andras grinned.
"You were so absorbed in your experiments you didn't even notice I brought you a surprise."
Noelle put her hands on her hips.
"Try not to be so surprised you need to change your pants, you wrinkled old fossil!"
Master Florian squinted at Fireburp.
"A surprise, hm? Let's see…
A little girl?
A new Noelle?
A new mage apprentice?
That tail… a lizardfolk?
No, she has horns.
A demon?
No, her eyes are more like—"
Then he froze.
"A dragon?!"
Andras smiled broadly.
"Nicely deduced, Master!"
Master Florian's face lit up as if he had suddenly become twenty years younger.
"Just when a man thinks you can't surprise him anymore…
you show up with a dragon hatchling?!
Hahaha!
I'm so happy I became a Wolf Mage!
I don't even know whether to laugh until I cry or cry until I laugh!"
Fireburp stood proudly, her tail wagging with excitement.
The smoke in the lab slowly cleared, revealing one of the most important moments in the castle's history:
a dragon girl had stepped into the world of the Wolf Mages.
Master Florian was still standing in his laboratory — covered in soot, surrounded by smoke, but smiling as if he had just received the greatest gift of his life.
Noelle crossed her arms.
"You don't have to get this emotional. You haven't even started drinking yet."
Andras laughed.
"You don't understand, Noelle.
For a mage, simply meeting a dragon in their lifetime is already extraordinary — let alone teaching one fire magic.
Master Florian might become the first mage in the Kingdom to ever have a dragon apprentice."
Master Florian's eyes sparkled.
"I get to teach fire magic to a Fire Dragon!
This is an even bigger dream than sharing a bed with the Ice Queen!"
Andras snapped his head toward him.
"The Ice Queen?!
Your magic staff would freeze off just from touching her, you crazy old man!"
Noelle tilted her head.
"Don't fire mages usually say that as a joke?"
Andras sighed.
"Most of them, yes… but the Master—"
Noelle nodded.
"He meant it seriously."
But Master Florian was already halfway to the wine cellar.
"This calls for a celebration! I'm going to the cellar!"
Andras called after him:
"I'd tell you not to overdo it, but Noelle will fix you in the morning anyway.
Go enjoy yourself — we're visiting my mother."
Master Florian turned back, still sooty but with shining eyes.
"I see, I see.
The dragon girl still needs to learn how to read the human language, after all."
Noelle wagged her finger at him threateningly.
"Just don't drown yourself in a barrel, because even I won't be able to save you then."
Master Florian grinned widely.
"Are you worried about me, my little fairy blossom?"
"Keep dreaming, you decrepit old fossil!" Noelle shot back.
The Master disappeared down the hallway laughing, and moments later the creak of the cellar door echoed through the corridor.
While Master Florian was living one of the happiest days of his life, Andras and the others made their way toward the upper garden of the castle.
The flower garden was at its most beautiful in the late afternoon.
The sun cast warm golden rays over Wolfwood Castle, and the air had cooled pleasantly after the heat of the day.
The flowers seemed to come alive at this hour: the scent of roses filled the garden, lavender swayed gently in the breeze, and the soft murmur of the fountain added a peaceful rhythm to the scene.
Wolfwood's lady, Carla, sat at an elegant wrought‑iron table in the center of the garden.
She was drinking tea, reading, and from her seat she had a perfect view of the statue of the Hero standing at the garden's edge.
Andras could already see from afar that his mother was enjoying a quiet, peaceful afternoon.
And now… it was time to introduce her to the "lizardfolk" girl.
Fireburp walked among the flowers with bright, eager eyes, her tail swishing excitedly behind her.
"Will I live here?" she asked, her voice full of wonder.
"Yes.
But remember, Fireburp," Andras said softly,
"to everyone here, you're a lizardfolk.
We keep your dragon nature a secret."
Fireburp nodded.
"I understand.
But one day… everyone will know I'm a dragon."
Andras smiled.
"One day, yes. But not today."
They reached the gate of the flower garden.
Carla looked up from her book and greeted them with a warm smile.
The last rays of the sun painted Fireburp's hair a deep, fiery red — as if a living flame had stepped into the garden.