Idalia could feel the warmth of Vestella's fingers lingering against her fur, slow strokes that kept her quiet. Purring. Content. Yet when she lifted her gaze, Idalia caught it. A shimmer in her eyes. Faint and dark. Something heavier. Sinister.

  One that made her bristle as if she were beneath a Phantom Carnotaur's gaze.

  Then… gone. Vestella's voice lowered, secretive, shaped with care.

  "Perhaps… not my kin. But others. Rivals. Enemies. Another nation."

  Idalia's ears twitched sharply. She blinked, trying to keep up. "En…emies?" The word tumbled clumsy from her muzzle. "Other apes? Like you?"

  Vestella's lips tightened. "Yes. Wanderans… not all of us are united. Some seek to tame beasts. To chain them. Use them for war."

  Idalia growled at the word chain, her tail lashing the tent floor. "Tame? Beasts are not toys!" Her teeth snapped at the air.

  Vestella flinched at the sound, but she didn't pull away. She sighed, shoulders slumping beneath the fancy hides. "They believe strength is theirs to steal. Monsters, beasts, dragons, Liorexes… all made into weapons. Mounts to ride into battle."

  Idalia froze. Her whiskers twitched, nose wrinkling. "Mount? Ride? You mean… like Hiro's back?" she blurted, remembering dangling in her rival's jaws and begging to climb on his back.

  Vestella hesitated, face confused, then nodded faintly. "Yes. But crueler. Harsh. They break wills. Twist spirits. Not like… play."

  Idalia's mind spun. The words were heavy, too big, tumbling through her skull like boulders.

  [Knowledge Core [E]: 25 → 30%]

  Nations. Taming. Enemies. None of it fit. And yet… her chest squeezed, the ache sharper now. Papa… captured? A mount? No. No. Papa would never kneel. Never.

  But the dark shimmer in Vestella's eyes didn't lie.

  Idalia sniffed again, her muzzle brushing Vestella's wrist, as though the truth might hide in her scent. "Then… Papa. They took him? These enemy-Wanderans?"

  Vestella looked down, lips pressed thin. She didn't say yes. She didn't say no. Only whispered: "It is possible."

  The word struck Idalia harder than a blow.

  Idalia squirmed against Vestella's careful grip, claws digging into the smooth hides. "I've heard enough!"

  Before Vestella could respond, Idalia twisted herself free, tail puffed high, and bolted for the flap. The hide shivered and flapped as Idalia shot into the ash-covered night.

  Soldiers and guards stumbled back, some tripping over each other, a chorus of startled cries echoing through the camp. Sparks from the lava rivers caught her shadow as she vanished between blackened trunks, paws striking ash with a furious rhythm.

  ??? [Vestella] ???

  Inside the tent, Vestella pressed a hand to her chest, eyes half-lidding as the small blur disappeared.

  "Interesting," the words carried weight, dangerous and amused all at once. "Very interesting. That one… bold. Reckless. Alive."

  A soft cough came from the corner, and Vestella turned. Her personal guard and assistant, a young woman wrapped in plain robes with sharp eyes, had been leaning against the wall the whole time. She folded her arms, expression neutral.

  "She just ran off. Not exactly subtle, Vestella."

  Vestella glanced at her, one eyebrow lifted, the dark shimmer in her eyes lingering. "I know. But she has fire. Agency. A mind that doesn't bend. That is… rare."

  The woman rolled her eyes, letting out a low whistle.

  "Rare? Or foolish? You let a cub loose in our camp, risked everything you were teaching her, and now you're calling it… interesting?"

  Vestella smiled faintly, not in denial, but in quiet amusement. "Perhaps both. But I hope… we cross paths again. There is more to her than she knows. I will see."

  The young woman sighed, muttering under her breath. "You always have terrible tendencies. Absolutely terrible. And somehow, I am stuck cleaning up the mess." She shook her head, arms still crossed, a faint smirk tugging at her lips.

  Vestella's gaze flicked back to the flap, toward the blackened forest beyond. "Let her run," she whispered. "Let her taste the world. The cub will come far… she shows great promise."

  ??? [Idalia] ???

  Idalia skidded to a stop in the blackened ash of the volcanic forest, chest heaving, claws scraping deep furrows into the hard ground. Her tail lashed, twitching like a living whip. The night air smelled of fire, smoke, and something foreign.

  Metal, iron, and faintly, fear.

  Her mind whirred, replaying everything she'd learned, overheard, and sensed in Vestella's tent. Bloombark… Solrift… Papa… Wanderans… words I didn't know, but somehow understood… The pieces slammed together in her chest, jagged and hot.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  She bristled, shaking fur, ears pinned back. I can't be soft. I can't be small. Not with Hirohowl next to me, not with the dangers lurking, not with…

  Her whiskers twitched. The memory of Vestella's eyes. The faint, dark shimmer when she spoke of her enemies, stole across her mind like lava.

  Idalia's claws dug into the ash as she muttered to herself, tail lashing behind her. "I… I have to train. Harder. Faster. Smarter. I have to… I have to be ready." Her teeth clicked together as the words settled, heavy as stone. "Hirohowl… the Wanderans… the beasts… everything! I can't just… hope!"

  She paused, nostrils flaring, fur prickling with a dread she had never felt before.

  Her mind went back to the tent, to the silent presence of the other Wanderan who had been leaning in the shadows.

  She had barely sensed her before fleeing. That presence had been dreadful, overwhelming, powerful. Her spatial senses had caught only a flicker, but the weight of it was unmistakable. Quiet. Watching. Waiting.

  The memory made her tail lash with instinctive fury. The presence had felt like Rassith. Like Alpha Pawail. Powerful. Dangerous. Silent. Lethal. But it wasn't a Liorex. Not a Phantom Carnotaur. Not her father.

  The thought twisted inside her. The presence had been too deliberate, too controlled. She could have killed if she wanted to—could have crushed Idalia where she stood.

  And yet. Vestella's guardian stayed hidden. Observed. Not attacked.

  Why?

  The confusion burned in Idalia's chest, until it became something fierce and sharp. She shook herself, ash puffing around her like smoke.

  It doesn't matter. She had to be ready anyway.

  If Vestella's secret guard was that strong. If she was as dangerous as a Rassith. Then Idalia would be stronger. Faster. Smarter. She would never be caught off guard again.

  She sprinted through the scorched field, volcanic ash swirling around her paws. The night hummed with the whisper of distant lava rivers. Somewhere out there, Papa might still be alive. Somewhere out there, the Wanderans plotted. And somewhere beyond, Hirohowl was waiting.

  She would be ready for all of them.

  Her claws scraped the ground, her ears twitching as the forest ahead grew darker, more dangerous. Purpose cut through her fear like claws.

  She was Idalia. She would find him. And she would not fail.

  Her heartbeat thundered as she caught the earthy, acrid scent of a fire-hare. No thoughts now. Only instinct. She sprinted then blurred, as motion, scent, and hunger fused as one.

  She tracked it easily, her sense of smell guiding her more precisely than her eyes. The symbol-words appeared before her vision, glowing faintly.

  [Smell]: {Level 5} → {Level 6}

  The fire-hare never saw her coming. Her claws unsheathed, and she pounced, fangs locking on its throat. The taste was sweet and earthy. Power surged through her bite.

  [Bite]: {Level 5} → {Level 6}

  Then the next revelation appeared before her, startling her.

  [New Skill obtained: Claw Rend (Lv 1)]

  Yes, she would accept it wholeheartedly! Claws had worked before, and her instincts told her she now had something to enhance her claw strikes.

  But she didn't check the details in that immediate moment. She gathered her meal and moved to a less exposed spot. With abandon, she munched, bit, and chewed to fill her hunger. The Wanderans hadn't fed her properly.

  In her head; In her belly, she felt it deep down, a gnawing urge she hadn't fully realized until now.

  The Knowledge Core made her hungrier than ever. Before, a small rodent or two would have sufficed to fill her, but now her belly rumbled for more. Soon enough, there was nothing left of the fire-hare, only the need to tame her snarling belly.

  Yet it happened again. Light. Dots. Gathering. The runes flickered in front of her face again, but this time it felt connected to her eating the hare.

  Power Particles: [400] → [500] Units

  Her power particles thingamajig increased again, filling her with joy and a sense of greatness. Idalia's ears perked as she thought about her status.

  "Open my status."

  | [Open] Idalia's Status |

  There! {Claw Rend}. She was right. It did amplify her attacks. A ripple of excitement thrummed through her. She could tear through anything! She could rend!

  Idalia's tail flicked as she finished her meal, licking her lips and feeling the strength within her swell.

  No more tiny morsels. She needed to feast, to grow, to train until she could outsmart and outfight anything that dared cross her path. Those Wanderans wouldn't know what hit them.

  I must be stronger. I will not fall like a little fire-hare.

  Training needed a plan, a structure, and she needed to unleash her potential. She picked a clearing with wide, gnarled roots sticking out and the possibility of shadowy opponents lurking behind the trunks.

  Her whiskers twitched. Time to test her newfound skills! The thought sparked through her with electric mewling delight.

  Ida's Adventurous Alerts: The journey continues! But first… a moment of silence for all the chairs, couches, and drapes lost to the unstoppable might of cub claws.

  is 6 chapters ahead. Feel free to check it out! Huge thanks to all who gave their support! It means a lot!