When Idalia spotted the silhouette of the settlement beneath the horizon, the suns had begun their descent.

  She blinked and yawned against sleepiness, but her heart swelled, ready to bask in the pride of her first real battlefield victory. But before she could savor it; Fangborns, Trail Wardens, and Alpha Pawail himself stamped into the clearing view. Their eyes scanned the field, taking in the scorched landscape.

  Idalia's joy became apparent as her tail wagged. The rest of the pride had gathered at the edge; warriors, mothers, and kits alike, eyes wide and ears pricked in anticipation of the news from either Hirohowl or Idalia herself.

  She wanted to squeal about her success. However, she shrank back when Alpha Pawail's shadow fell over them first before a word could've been uttered. His roar cut through the settling haze, commanding attention.

  "Hirohowl!" The Alpha's voice boomed. "Do you know what you've done? Charging alone, facing Rassith? Do you have any sense of discipline?"

  Idalia recoiled, while Hirohowl flinched, his shoulders tensing under the scolding, but his gaze remained steady. He dropped his head, ears flattening. "I knew the risk, Alpha Pawail… but—"

  "You're lucky," added another deep voice. It was Hirohowl's father, a Claw Marshal whose bulk rivaled the largest of the pride. "You could have died. Idalia could have died. You—" He broke off, shaking his mane, fury and exasperation clear.

  Hirohowl bowed his head further in apology, but Alpha Pawail's next words made the young Liorex freeze.

  "Yet… you survived." There was a pause. A rumbling chuckle shook the ground. Alpha Pawail's eyes sparkled faintly, corners crinkling, and even his roar carried a hint of mirth.

  "You not only survived, but you faced Rassith and drove him away." His voice, though stern, held a pride that vibrated through the gathered warriors. "Punishment is… pardoned."

  Hirohowl's chest rose, relief flooding through him, but his claws tightened around Idalia's fur. "It wasn't just me!" he barked. "Idalia—she—she used a portal breath! She saved me!"

  The Alpha paused, head tilting slightly. Warriors murmured among themselves, but the tone was dismissive all around.

  Idalia felt displeased, she puffed out her chest, let her declaration of victory be known. "Yes, I—"

  "Quiet, Idalia!" Mama roared. She marched hastily toward her, then lashed her frantically with tongue licks. "I'll have a word with you later."

  "Hn." Alpha Pawail resumed. "A young kit helping the blooded? Cute, perhaps. But the victory was yours, Hirohowl. You fought Rassith. That is what matters."

  Idalia whimpered as she shifted closer to Hirohowl. It wasn't fair. She fought too, and defeated Rassith. Where was her credit? She bristled when she saw the corner of Alpha Pawail's mouth lift in a barely perceptible grin, while he fixed his gaze on Hirohowl again. The Claw Marshal at his side grunted, but there was a hint of pride in his eyes, too.

  "You've grown stronger, Hirohowl. That recklessness nearly cost you! But it also saved the pride. We have already agreed… You're promoted, my boy."

  Idalia gasped, then glared at Hirohowl. She saw his jaw tightening. He knew the truth, and his eyes flicked to hers. She had saved him. Yet all the adults seemed blind to it, too caught up in the glory of his recklessness.

  "You are hereby promoted," Alpha Pawail continued, spreading his massive tail in a gesture that commanded attention. "Toothling, no more. Fangborn, you have earned your place among the warriors."

  A cheer erupted from the gathered pride, horns flashing, tails slapping the stone. Hirohowl raised his head as well, basking in the triumph, but his gaze never left Idalia's.

  "Hiro, say something…" she said softly.

  "I didn't—she—" he began, but Alpha Pawail's glance cut him off.

  "Hah. Modest words from the mighty. Let them stand. You won, and that is all that counts. Do not make this about a kit."

  Idalia's ears drooped, but she didn't protest. She understood: the pride celebrated power, not nuance. Her contribution would remain a secret in the eyes of the elders, but in Hirohowl's eyes, it was immortal. It should be immortalized.

  She watched as the young, newly-appointed Fangborn stepped forward, lifting his head high. "I will honor this title, Alpha Pawail. And I will protect the pride."

  Idalia padded alongside him, smaller but determined, her claws scrapping the scorched stone with every frustrated step. She should have been happy. Celebratory. The Phantom Carnotaurs were most likely bested and were gone. And the Hollow Lord had fallen, but the lessons were clear: bravery, cunning, and partnership mattered; whether anyone else noticed or not.

  While Hirohowl roared, claiming his place among the Fangborn, Idalia let herself grin, quietly proud. Today, she had changed the course of the hunt. Tomorrow… perhaps the pride would recognize her contributions. However, as she peered ahead, she caught the faintest glimpse of a glimmer.

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  First, a crack appeared, and then a portal materialized from the crackling air, catching everyone's attention. Stomping out from it was Vice Chief Bloombark, dragging the skull and spine of a not-Liorex. Alone. Idalia waited, searching. But her Papa never emerged from the spiral.

  What had happened to him? She squirmed, her mind churning with annoyance and confusion.

  She almost peered past Vice Chief Bloombark, who dragged along that ridiculous-sized Phantom Carnotaur skull into the midst of the gathered pride. Papa. Idalia couldn't see or feel Papa's presence!

  A thud caught her attention when Bloombark discarded the skull, flinging it aside to the ground like it were worthless weight, then she let out a roar to claim attention. "Rassith the Hollow's elder brother has been slain by me! However, I…" She lowered her head, shaking it slightly, "Solrift has fallen in battle. It saddens me to bring forth such unfortunate news to the pride."

  Idalia's heart shattered, her breaths faltering into uneven pants as she processed the revelation of her father's impossible demise. No. No. No. No! That couldn't be right! Lies! Big, terrible lies!

  She swung her gaze to peer at Mama, who shared the same sentiment of disbelief—a stare that almost startled Idalia. Mama broke into a roar of anguish, then the other Liorexes followed suit.

  That moment left a haunting wail in Idalia's mind. Lingering. Deep and disorienting with longing. Papa. The mightiest. The greatest. The best. Gone. She yowled out an emotion she didn't understand, one that had her whimpering incoherently. Sad but far worse. Why did her eyes feel so wet?

  Her gaze targeted Bloombark and a howl broke free. "YOU SHOULD'VE PROTECTED HIM!" She roared out her frustrations. The Vice Chief failed to protect Papa!

  Idalia's throat burned from the roar, but she didn’t care. Her chest heaved, her paws stomped the stone so hard her claws screeched. "You should've protected him! You're Vice Chief! You're supposed to!" Her voice cracked, and she hated it, hated how small it sounded, like a mew instead of a roar.

  Bloombark's eyes widened, ears twitching back. The whole pride froze. Warriors, mothers, even kits—everyone stared. Her mama's tongue rasped over her face in a desperate hush, but Idalia shook her off, snapping her teeth. "Don't lick me! Papa's gone because of her!"

  She glared at the Vice Chief, vision wobbling because of those stupid wet tears. Her tail lashed, smacking stone. She wanted to bite, claw, maul that smug skull-headed trophy, grind it to dust. What good was a Carnotaur head if Papa wasn't here to see it? What good was victory if it stole instead of gave?

  Bloombark lowered her gaze, heavy and somber, but that didn't soften Idalia's fury.

  "The Hollow Lord struck harder than expected," the Vice Chief said. "Your father fought valiantly. He saved many. He—"

  "No!" Idalia shrieked, shaking her whole body. "Papa's the strongest! He's the strongest in the world! He doesn't fall! He can't!" Her claws tore at the dirt, flinging clumps everywhere.

  She wanted the Status runes to appear again, to show her something, anything, that said Papa was still out there. Her chest screamed for it, but nothing blinked in her mind except the awful echo of Bloombark's words.

  Mama's roar broke through her haze again, a long, rolling bellow that rattled the air. "Enough, Ida!"

  The word struck like a paw swipe. Idalia froze, ears flat. Mama's muzzle pressed against her neck, rough but steady, holding her down. "Hush, Idaliakit. Do not shame his name by making a scene."

  Shame? Her? No! She twisted under Mama's hold, teeth gnashing. "I'm not shaming him! I'm telling the truth! He's not gone! He can't be gone!"

  Her voice climbed into a wail before she could stop it, and she hated that sound even more than the crack from before.

  The pride murmured, shifting like restless grass. Some looked away. Some watched with pity, others with annoyance. Hirohowl stood stiff, eyes wide, his fangs bared not at her but at the silence weighing over everyone.

  Alpha Pawail stepped forward, mane gleaming red in the twin suns' dying light. His shadow fell over Idalia, and her tail stiffened. His voice boomed, sharp and final: "Enough."

  Her ears rang. She trembled but growled low in her throat, a stubborn ember refusing to die.

  "I'll… I'll find him," her voice was barely louder than a squeak, but her teeth clenched around the promise. "Papa isn't gone. He can't be. I'll… I'll bring him back."

  Her fur stood on end, tail quivering like a snake ready to strike. All that heat and ache inside her found a new target, and she spat the words before anyone could stop her.

  "It's your fault! You sent him! You sent Papa to fight! You made him go, Grandpa!"

  The pride gasped, the sound like a wave crashing over stone. Mama tried to hush her again, pressing her body tight, but Idalia twisted free, claws gouging the earth. Her eyes burned, locked on Alpha Pawail, daring him to deny it.

  "You killed him! You killed him with your orders!"

  Alpha Pawail loomed above her, shadow vast, eyes unreadable. For a several blinks and many heartbeats, silence stretched so heavy it crushed the air.

  Then the Alpha lowered his great head, his mane bristling, and when he spoke, his voice was not rage but humble, deep and carved like the mountains themselves.

  "You believe I sent him to die, Idaliakit?" His gaze sharpened, yet his tone carried no malice. "No. I sent him because only Solrift could face what lay beyond. He chose to go, as warriors do. Not for me, not for pride alone… but for all of you. For his mate. For you."

  Idalia's throat bobbed. She tried to snarl, but her fangs clicked on nothing.

  Alpha Pawail's tail swept slowly, steadying the hush of the crowd. "A leader does not chain his pride. He gives them the path, and they step upon it with their own paws. Your father's steps were mighty, and they ended in glory, not in shame."

  His gaze softened, almost imperceptibly. "Do not let grief blind you into forgetting the choice he made, nor the strength he gave you with his last roar."

  The words slammed into Idalia harder than any claw. Her ears drooped, her chest heaved, but the fire in her eyes did not go out. She glared up at him still, stubborn tears streaking her fur. "I don't care. I'll make it right. I'll find him. I will!"

  Alpha Pawail did not smile, nor did he scold. He only dipped his head once, grave and final. "Then let your vow guide you, cub. Let it make you strong… but do not let it devour you."

  The pride stirred again, voices low and uncertain, but Idalia barely heard them. Her chest swelled with hurt and fury and a vow bigger than her paws could hold.

  She glared at the Alpha one last time, then pressed her claws into the dirt, etching her promise into the earth itself. And somewhere deep, past the sorrow, past the burning rage, past the wet in her eyes… Idalia felt the faintest tickle. A rune quivered. A spark lit.

  [New Condition Unlocked]:

  {Denial} / {Vow} of Blood…

  Her breath hitched. She blinked through the blur. Something inside her shifted. Hungry. Waiting. The "play" wasn't done with her yet. Idalia tore her glare away from Alpha Pawail, returning that ire on Bloombark.