Idalia's tail swished with uncontainable pride as she bounded toward Pyra and Pyrokit.

  The remnants of her hard-won prey was clutched carefully in her jaws, dangling and rattling. Finally, she dropped the Big Rodent bones with a triumphant thump at their feet.

  "Look! Look what I caught all by myself!" she declared, puffing out her chest. Her eyes sparkled brighter than the gleam of her claws as she nudged the bones forward. "See the size of this? The strength? The—oh, you should have smelled it! Warm, tender, delicious! All mine!"

  The twins' eyes widened in awe. Pyrakit crouched low, sniffing at the bones, while Pyrokit tapped one with a claw, examining the grooves where Idalia's teeth had scored through the rodent's hide.

  "That's… enormous!" Pyrokit breathed. "Idalia, you're… you're incredible!"

  Idalia preened, her pride nearly spilling over like lava.

  "Incredible?" she said, tilting her head. "No, no, no… I'm unstoppable! I am the future hunter of the Pride. Someday… someday, Alpha Pawail himself will watch me and say, 'Yes. This one… this Liorex has the fire.'"

  "That's exactly how he sounds!" the twins exclaimed in unison, laughing.

  Meanwhile, Idalia smirked as she pawed at the bones, arranging them as though displaying a trophy in the grand hall of the Pride. Pyra and Pyrokit resumed giggling, caught up in the excitement of Idalia's exemplary enthusiasm.

  But then, a hush fell over the clearing. The air grew heavy, and a chill danced across Idalia's fur despite the sun's warmth. She paused mid-paw, ears twitching, while noticing how Pyrakit stiffened, Pyrokit's tail freezing mid-swish.

  Danger was nearby. Not good. She turned around instantly. And from the shadows stretching across the volcanic plains, a towering, hulking figure emerged.

  Hirohowl. The very name seemed to make the stones hum with whispered awe. Even at his current rank, a Toothling on the cusp of Fangborn, his presence radiated authority, his steps making the earth beneath them tremble ever so slightly.

  Muscles rippled beneath his midnight-scaled hide, and his mane glimmered like polished magma, catching the sun's glare with an almost blinding brilliance. Eyes sharp as gray-sky quartz locked onto the scene before him.

  "What do we have here?" Hirohowl's voice rolled over them like a low thunderclap, carrying a confidence that left Idalia's fur bristling. "A little kit thinks she's sought after, after claiming victory over a rodent?"

  Idalia's chest puffed. "Yes! I did catch it! Every single bite, every leap, every—" She faltered as Hirohowl stepped closer, the shadow of his form stretching over the three of them, swallowing the sunlight and warmth.

  Pyrakit whimpered. Pyrokit's ears flattened.

  Before she could respond, Hirohowl's powerful paw shot forward with the speed of a hunting tempest, scooping the Big Rodent bones from the display like they were nothing more than fallen twigs.

  "These?" Hirohowl sneered, holding them high above his head. The bones rattled in his grip. "You declare this a hunt? A feast for the Pride? You should leave the real victories to those who can handle them."

  Idalia lunged forward, claws out, tail flaring in righteous indignation. "Give them back!" she roared, teeth bared, trying to match his aura with the fire of her pride.

  Hirohowl just laughed, an insulting and infuriating noise. He lifted the bones just out of reach, effortlessly dancing away from Idalia's swipes. "Ah, so fiery! Such spirit!" His gaze flicked to Pyrakit and Pyrokit, daring them to intervene. They froze. "Careful, little ones. You might burn yourselves on this kit's ego."

  Idalia's heart thumped furiously in her chest. Every instinct screamed: Fight! Reclaim! Prove yourself! Yet Hirohowl's sheer presence was a wall of authority and skill she could barely hope to scale.

  She crouched low, glaring up at him.

  "You… you won't keep them!"

  Hirohowl frowned, then his voice boomed. "Little hunter, I don't keep them… I test you. Let's see if you're ready for what comes next."

  Idalia hissed, her claws dug into the volcanic sand. Pyrakit and Pyrokit pressed close, their bodies trembling but their eyes alight with admiration. The challenge had been laid, and the fire in her heart burned brighter than ever.

  She might have been small, she might have been young, but in that moment, she swore she would not be outdone. Not by strength, not by anyone.

  Not even Hirohowl.

  "Let's pounce him!" Idalia cried as she leapt forward. Hirohowl jumped out of the way, easily evading her swipe.

  Pyro and Pyrakit converged on his flank, but Hirohowl maneuvered perfectly, causing them to skid across the floor.

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  For several thousand blinks, Idalia led her friends on the hunt to reclaim her prize.

  At one point, she attempted to throw him off with a few [Portal Roars], as did the twins. But Hirohowl moved too swiftly, despite his bulk, never swiping or engaging with strength. All of their efforts ended with Idalia and her friends sprawled flat on the floor, completely tuckered out.

  She continued to growl as she struggled to rise, her legs refusing to cooperate, while only her head barely lifted in defiance. Hirohowl paused and then smiled, a smug, stupid grin spreading across his face. "Hm. I like that look in your eyes, although it means nothing. You lost."

  Idalia panted as she crawled toward him.

  "Give back the bones… or else… or else I'll bite!"

  She bit hard against his toe. It didn't seem like it bothered him—instead, it hurt her teeth as she chewed. Hirohowl simply towered over her and stared. His expression was difficult to read as it sharpened into fierce neutrality.

  "Quit. This is futile." He leaned down, his meat-smelling breath wafting warm against her face. "I don't fight cubs. Learn your place, Idalia the Kit."

  Idalia yowled, body still refusing to listen. However, she wouldn't allow the bully to have the last word. "No—!"

  "Hirohowl, quit teasing the little ones," a calm, steady voice demanded. "They've done nothing to deserve this."

  Idalia blinked rapidly, her pulse hammering. Recognition sparked within her at the familiar voice. Then her gaze settled on the amber-gold face, solidifying the realization that had just struck her.

  "It's… it's Lyrawinn!" she breathed, her whiskers trembling in awe. Lyrawinn, the Toothling girl known for her steadiness and skill, whose reputation for calm judgment rivaled even some of the Pride's elder warriors.

  She was, uh— Lyrawinn was an apprentice.

  That's right. Recalling the term and how it worked, she now knew that Lyrawinn was Mama's apprentice. Idalia bristled in relief. She's on our side!

  Idalia crawled slightly forward, claws scraping the volcanic dust, yet she kept her stance cautious.

  Hirohowl noticed, shifting the bones lazily in one clawed paw, still holding them out of Idalia's reach. "Teasing?" He rolled his eyes as if Lyrawinn's intervention were a mild annoyance rather than a rebuke. He smiled warmly and continued, "I'm merely instructing them in the art of humility. Every hunter must learn their place."

  Lyrawinn's eyes lidded slightly. "Not by stealing their trophies, genius. Enough, Hirohowl." Her tail twitched in warning, a subtle rhythm that betrayed more strength than her slender frame suggested.

  Idalia watched as the older Liorex padded toward her. Lyrawinn roared, initially startling her, but the yowl cast a sparkling light over Idalia and the twins. Soon enough, Lyra's [Heal Rift Roar] felt soothing and warm against her skin. Idalia's exhaustion faded, replaced by a sudden burst of renewed vigor.

  She shook herself and stood, feeling joyful as though she had never depleted her energy. Though it was not perfect, as her belly felt empty and was now rumbling for anything juicy and filling. Lyrawinn nudged her side before gesturing with her tail.

  "Here, eat. This Megaloceros's thigh should return some of your lost mana. I stuffed it with recherché herbs."

  Idalia gasped. The thigh was nearly twice her size!

  "Thanks, Lyrawinn!" She and twins said in unison.

  The three of them chowed on the leg Lyrawinn dropped before them. Rich, earthy, and savory with a hint of sweetness! The herbs gave it a woodsy flavor which bothered her somewhat, but she couldn't resist the tangy taste of the venison.

  Hirohowl stamped forward to snatch the meat, but Lyrawinn blocked his path, and the larger male snarled, "That was your hunt. Why—?"

  Lyrawinn interrupted Hirohowl. "You weakened them. I seek to replenish what had been lost. And I will."

  "Acting like a Shaman. Anyway…" Hirohowl muttered under his breath, the words low and carrying only just enough for Lyrawinn to hear: "Mother should be returning from her mission against the Phantom Carnotaurs… and if she's delayed, it's likely because Solrift is slowing her down."

  Idalia's eyes went wide. Solrift? That's my father! Her heart stuttered at the thought of him somehow entangled in delays and danger. Yet the audacity of Hirohowl's whispered jab made her claws clench tighter in indignation.

  Lyrawinn's gaze shifted to Idalia, a subtle flicker of reassurance in her gentle eyes. She nudged Hirohowl again, sharper this time. "Come on, Hirohowl. Leave them be. You're making this a far bigger deal than it is."

  Hirohowl exhaled, a low rumble that might have been a sigh or a growl of frustration. He finally lowered the bones, tossing them aside lightly with one swipe.

  "Fine, fine. For now," he muttered, though the corners of his mouth hinted that this truce might be only temporary.

  Idalia's tail flicked in cautious triumph, but her eyes didn't leave Hirohowl. That's him. The one everyone whispers about. She thought. Fangborn-level strength… someday even Alpha Pawail might have to reckon with him… and here he is, teasing me like a kitten.

  Lyrawinn gave Idalia a small nod, as if to say, Don't worry, I've got this. Just focus.

  Idalia exhaled slowly, feeling both reassured and even more determined. She prepared to shout a foul rebuke at the retreating Hirohowl because she hadn't declared their skirmish over. Just then, the volcanic wind carried a faint hum of distant portals and the promise of returning elders.

  When her gaze shifted to them and then returned to the Toothlings, Hiro and Lyra had both vanished. Idalia's teeth still itched to taste the fire of challenge, but for now, she would wait—watching, learning, and plotting. Even if Hirohowl's shadow had passed, the spark he ignited in her competitive spirit would not fade so easily!

  She looked at Pyra and Pyrokit; they seemed to share her resolve. Fire, bright and burning, in their eyes! That bolstered her confidence.

  "Follow. We'll need to prepare… starting now!"

  Idalia bounded with a dash, leading. She took in the scenery after scampering up a low cliff.

  The bustling heart of the settlement swirled before her. Liorexes moving between fractured stone arches and collapsed walls of a long-forgotten people. Elders grumbled, warriors trained, and kits yowled at play among the ruins.

  But then a hush fell.

  Heads turned toward the northern archway, where a lone figure stumbled into view. His mane dimmed to a shattered shimmer, his scales cracked and shedding faint motes of light, drifting skyward like fading embers.

  A patrol hunter. One of their own!

  Idalia's chest clenched as she recognized him.

  It was Harkonnfang, a Fangborn of the northern patrol.

  His breaths came ragged, the sound of a predator forced beyond his limits. His eyes burned fiercely with urgency, even as his body trembled with exhaustion.

  He collapsed to one knee beneath a toppled statue of a forgotten being, its stone face worn smooth by ages. Mana-particles scattered from his wounds like a bleeding constellation.

  With a guttural roar, he forced his head upright, scattering motes in a radiant spray.

  "The Phantoms…" His voice was raw stone scraping. "Phantom Carnotaurs… they are here!"

  Greetings, everyone. I hope the story has brought you some joy. If that has been the case, any follow, favorite, review, or rating would be truly appreciated.

  Also enjoy daily chapters starting tomorrow throughout the first week. Once again, thank you for giving Ida T-Rex a chance :)

  Have a good one!