The Grand Summit Cliff loomed ahead, alive with the noise of cubs assembling into groups. Idalia's heart raced not from fear, but from the thrill of it all. The day of the hunt, the smell of ash and excitement, her best friends beside her. It felt like being at the center of something grand.

  Pyrokit and Pyrakit padded alongside her, tails swaying. "I heard the trials this year are tougher," Pyrokit said, trying to sound casual, though his sparks betrayed him with a few nervous crackles.

  Pyrakit shot him a teasing glance. "Tougher for you, maybe. I'll just charm the prey into surrendering."

  Idalia snorted. "Right. You can barely charm breakfast out of a beavers' buck teeth."

  Their laughter echoed off the cliffside right up until another group of cubs rounded the bend. Instantly, the air shifted.

  The newcomers were sleek, confident, and way too coordinated, their scales polished to a shine that screamed "we spent all morning posing." They looked like they'd already decided they were better than everyone else.

  At the center of them walked Sunsong. Her name wasn't just for show. Her golden scales shimmered like she'd swallowed a piece of the sun itself. She moved with a practiced grace, tail swaying like she owned the place.

  And in her mind, she probably did.

  "Well, if it isn't the Tumble Trio," Sunsong said, her voice smooth and smug. Her entourage chuckled on cue, a synchronized wave of snickers. "Didn't expect to see you at the summit so early, Idalia Loosefang. I thought you'd still be tripping over your claws somewhere."

  Idalia's ears flicked, but she kept her head high. "Nice to see you too, Sunsong. Polishing your scales again? You're glowing so bright it's almost blinding."

  In the background, Pyrakit snorted, trying to smother her laugh, and Pyrokit had to cough to hide his grin.

  Sunsong's smile tightened. "Some of us take pride in looking the part of a true Liorex. Not everyone can manage that."

  "True," Idalia said sweetly. "Some of us are too busy training instead of staring at our reflections in lava pools."

  The cubs around them gasped in exaggerated unison. Sunsong stepped closer until her nose almost brushed Idalia's. "You always were the bold one in the Mothers's Den," she said softly. "Too bad bold doesn't mean strong."

  Idalia's claws flexed against the dirt, but she didn't back down. "Funny," she said. "I remember you crying because someone ate your portion of glowberries. Was that bold too, or just hungry?"

  The memory made a few nearby cubs snicker. Even Pyrokit lost his composure for a second.

  "Charming," Sunsong said, voice dripping with fake politeness. "I suppose some of us just can't help being common."

  "Oh, absolutely," Idalia said with a grin. "You've really perfected it."

  The twins gasped dramatically, and a few nearby cubs tried not to laugh. Sunsong's golden frills puffed up, her group huddling around her like royal attendants trying to block out scandal.

  Sunsong leaned in slightly, voice low. "Careful, Idalia. The Alpha doesn't promote those who bite above their rank."

  Idalia shoved her head against Sunsong's. "Good thing I plan on ranking up fast, then."

  For a heartbeat, the two she-Rexes just stared at each other the hum of tension sharp as Kelix's lightning. They'd been like this since the Mothers' Den: Sunsong, the golden prodigy who thought destiny had already signed her name in the stars; and Idalia, the scrappy dreamer who never got the memo to stay below her.

  Finally, Sunsong flipped her mane with a huff. "Come along, everyone. Let's not waste time with the spectators."

  Sunsong's tail lashed once before she turned sharply, regaining her regal posture. Her tone icy. "We'll see who's still laughing after the hunt."

  As Sunsong strutted away, Idalia exhaled through her nose. The tension eased, and Pyrakit bumped her shoulder.

  "You know, one day she's going to explode from holding in all that smugness."

  "Or maybe she'll just blind us first," Pyrokit added. "Strategic advantage."

  Idalia chuckled, her earlier irritation fading into determination. "Let her talk," she said, watching Sunsong's group disappear toward the cliffs. "By the end of today, I will show her who's really fit to lead a hunt."

  The twins exchanged knowing nods, and together, the three of them started forward again. The Grand Summit Cliff awaited, and with it, the test that would decide which cubs would rise… and which ones would be left chasing their tails.

  The call of the hunt was coming and if Idalia had her way, Sunsong wouldn't be shining quite so bright by sunset.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  ??? ??? ???

  The air shimmered with heat as Idalia and her group stalked through the cracked plains where rivers of magma streamed below the rock. Pyrokit's took the right, Pyrakit padded lightly beside him, and Idalia crouched low, her eyes locked on the hulking shape basking near a vent.

  The magma crocodile was a humongous beast of smoke and fire, its hide glowing faintly from within, like molten stone wrapped in muscle. It grumbled in its sleep, a low rumble that vibrated through the ground.

  "Okay," Pyrokit whispered. "So the plan is…?"

  "Simple," Idalia murmured. "We catch it off guard. Pyrakit distracts it from the front, you and I hit the sides. Don't let it get back into the lava."

  Pyrokit blinked. "That's… not simple."

  "Then it's perfect," she said with a grin.

  The three crept forward. The air stung her nose, hot enough to sear, but Idalia's heart raced with excitement instead of fear.

  She watched as the crocodile began turned.

  "Now!"

  The moment Pyrakit yowled and sent a burst of {Portal Breath} dancing across the beast's snout, it reared back with a bellow.

  Steam hissed as it slammed its tail, shattering the crust beneath their paws.

  Fortunately, Idalia and her friends darted into their respective portals to evade the rest of the devastation.

  "Strike!" Idalia shouted.

  Pyrokit lunged left, his {Claw Rend's} fire bursting from his claws. Idalia darted right, her claws slicing through a softer patch of magma-hardened hide. The crocodile swung toward her, jaws gaping, unleashing molten fire.

  But she leapt, using its snout as a springboard to claw at its glowing eyes.

  "Got it!" she cried.

  Her {Spatial Sight} activated, enhancing her vision. A 360 degree view of the landscape. She willed her area of control, imagining two portals to be placed on the ground, which yanked the croc by one forelimb and hindleg. The creature roared, bucked, and stumbled with a sudden slam.

  Together, the twins blasted it with synchronized bursts of {Portal Breath} flames while Idalia sank her teeth into its neck.

  But it wasn't to tear through the thickness of its side. One misstep under its flailing and it would certainly crush her, then it'd absolutely proceed to devour her friends.

  That couldn't happen. Open Status! She thought to the runes. It opened up with faint flash. In that instance, she distributed [20] points to {Strength} and felt the immediate benefits.

  Her {Strength} went from [32] to [52]. Distribution points dropped to [131]. She hated the idea of distributing her points now. She wanted to save them for later for her eventual evolution. Yet the croc's movements slowed under her {Bite}. It was working!

  It took all her strength to flip it over. Then the twins had access to its vulnerable underbelly. They all clawed and bit at it together as it thrashed. When it finally stilled, the earth quaked with the impact of its fall.

  Idalia basked in the following achievements:

  [Bite: {Level 19} → {Level 20}]

  [Claw Rend: {Level 18} → {Level 19}]

  [Power Particles: 13,100 → 18,100 Units]

  [Accumalated Particles: {18,100 | 20,000}]

  For a moment, silence. Then Pyrokit whooped. "We actually did it!"

  Pyrakit grinned, her fur singed but glowing with pride. "We did it and no one got eaten. Progress!"

  Idalia stood over the fallen beast, her chest heaving, a proud smile spreading across her muzzle. "Let's drag this back before Sunsong catches a lizard and calls it victory."

  Stepping through a portal for fast travel, with grunts, sparks, and teamwork that could only be described as "questionably coordinated," the trio dragged their kill across the fields.

  The sight of them, three kits hauling a multi-ton predator, was enough to turn every head as they entered the Pride's central grounds.

  The murmurs began almost immediately.

  "Is that a magma crocodile?"

  "No way. They're barely six moon cycles old."

  “By the moons, look at the size of that thing!”

  Even the elders, lounging on their perches of stone and crystal, sat up straighter. Their eyes gleamed with something between disbelief and awe.

  Idalia tried to stand taller, though her legs trembled from exhaustion. Beside her, Pyrokit attempted a bow but nearly fell over, and Pyrakit waved weakly, tail twitching like a flag of victory.

  Then came the sound of footsteps clicking on stone as spatial traces split the air. It seemed Sunsong and her group were returning. Idalia turned. Their haul was smaller, a flame-tail drake barely the size of a boulder.

  Still impressive, but next to the magma crocodile, it looked like a snack.

  Sunsong froze mid-step. Her expression darkened. "That's impossible," she said sharply. "There's no blazing way they took that thing down without help. They cheated!"

  Her group echoed her outrage, tails lashing, feet stomping, but Alpha Pawail's deep, rumbling growl silenced the crowd. The enormous leader stepped forward, his shadow engulfing the younger Liorex. "Enough." His eyes glowed like twin embers as he studied Idalia's group and then the crocodile.

  "No deceit here," he said at last. "I've watched their hunt. Strategy. Coordination. Courage! All the marks of hunters ready for the Toothling rank. Ida…" his gaze was warm.

  Idalia's tail swished involuntarily. The approval in Alpha Pawail's tone was rare and heavier than any crown.

  He raised his head and addressed the gathered Pride. "Kits of age! You have shown growth, strength, and heart. Today, you shed the title of kit and rise as Toothlings of the Liorex Pride!"

  A proud cheer erupted through the Pride, tails thumping, roars echoing through the cliffs. Idalia's heart felt ready to burst.

  Then Pawail’s gaze shifted toward Lyrawinn, who stood tall and calm among the older Toothlings. "And to Lyrawinn, who has shown exceptional growth in battle and wisdom beyond her moons… you are hereby promoted to Fangborn."

  Gasps rippled through the crowd. Lyrawinn dipped her head respectfully, though her eyes glowed with quiet pride.

  Pawail wasn't done.

  "It is also by the council's agreement that you, Lyrawinn, will take a Toothling under your guidance. A student of promise. One who has already shown your influence."

  He turned his gaze toward Idalia.

  Her breath caught.

  "Idalia, daughter of Diamasnarl and Solrift," Alpha Pawail said, his voice carrying across the summit, "from this day forward, Lyrawinn shall serve as your mentor. Under her watch, you will learn the ways of the hunt, the roar, and the rule of strength tempered with wisdom."

  The Pride roared their approval. Lyrawinn approached, her scales shimmering in the firelight, and touched her horn gently to Idalia's forehead. "Looks like you're stuck with me," she murmured with a smile.

  Idalia grinned up at her, tail wagging despite her effort to look dignified. "Wouldn't have it any other way!"

  Nearby, Alpha Pawail continued, assigning mentors to the other new Toothlings. Pyrokit and Pyrakit were given to Fangborn siblings known for their explosive tempers. Fitting, really.

  No longer were they Pyrakit and Pyrokit. Instead, they were given their Toothling names. Just as Ida became Idarift.

  As the sun slipped behind the cliffs, painting the world in gold and ember, Idalia looked around at her Pride. At Lyrawinn, her friends, even Sunsong glowering from the edge of the crowd.

  Idalia felt something fierce stir in her chest. Of course this was only the beginning!

  Ida's Adventurous Alerts: Finally a promotion! Knowing how apprenticeships work it was a great time to bother Lyrawinn— Hirohowl too!

  is now 10 chapters ahead. Feel free to check it out. Have a good one!