The grass got thicker, taller, scratchier. Each stalk whispered like it knew secrets she didn't, like it wanted to giggle at her big, clumsy paws tripping every other step.

  Focused ahead, Idalia flattened herself low, but her tail still whipped like a banner. Too loud. Too flashy. Too wiggly. She scolded herself in whispers. "Shadow, Ida. You're a shadow. Shad-dow. Silent as dirt."

  She tried. Oh, stars, she tried. But the terrain was far too alien to her. She crawled belly-first, chest squeaking on rocks, ears flicking at every snap-crunch of grass under her belly.

  Her paws twitched, wanting to leap, wanting to chase, wanting to sink teeth into something meaty. But Lyrawinn's tail-tip in front of her was calm, straight, steady. So she matched it. Kind of. Mostly. A little.

  The wind carried it then. Scent. Heavy. Musk and sweat and iron. Razorback. Her nose scrunched, excitement exploding in her skull.

  There! There-there-there! Her claws dug into the dirt, itching for the pounce.

  The runes prickled again, ghosty-bright, fluttering across her sight.

  [Smell]: {Level 6} → {Level 7}

  [Knowledge Core [E]: 56 → 58%]

  Ha! Knew it! New prey means new numbers. Smell-power leveled up. She grinned so wide her fangs showed. Lyrawinn glanced back at her with a shush-look, but Idalia only mouthed silently: Numbers! before slamming her paws over her muzzle to stop giggles.

  Through the golden stalks, she spotted it. Thorn Stegosaurus, hide plated like stone, tail bristling with spikes longer than she was tall. It snorted, ripped grass with teeth like shears. Every muscle in Idalia's body screamed, pounce now, pounce now, go-go-go!

  Her brain ramble-sprinted ahead: What if I bit its tail? Ooo, bad idea, sharp sharp sharp. Belly? No, armor, duh! Maybe legs? Oh yes, legs are squishy sticks! Bite sticks, break sticks, down goes the big spiky! Papa would laugh so hard if he saw me dangling from its leg—

  Lyrawinn's tail blocked her nose. An order. Stop. Freeze. Hold.

  Idalia quivered like a trapped sneeze. She wanted to growl, wanted to roar, but she bit her tongue.

  She followed Lyrawinn's eyes. Saw the way the beast's ears flicked. Saw the way its tail swished slow, heavy, dangerous. Okay. Okay. Not a deerhorn. Not a hadrosaur. This is big. This is serious. Serious like Mama's stare when I steal meat before the elders eat.

  Lyrawinn crouched closer, a whisper of motion, and murmured so low it almost vanished into the wind.

  "We wait. Razorbacks charge when startled. You flush left. I strike the shoulder. Do not touch the tail."

  Idalia nodded so fast her whiskers wobbled. Do not touch the tail. Do not touch the tail. Do not touch the—ohhhh those spikes are shiny… She almost drooled staring at them.

  Her paws ached to move. Her belly wriggled with impatience. She was a storm bottled in fur. A roar trapped in a kitten's chest. Papa, watch me, I'll do it right, I'll make you proud.

  Lyrawinn's tail flicked. The signal.

  Idalia exploded from the grass with a shriek, dust flying, paws slamming. The razorback bellowed, tail thrashing, but she darted sharp left into her portal, just as Lyra said. Clods of dirt flew, claws sparked on stone. Her heart screamed yes, yes, yes! as the monster turned away from her toward the real strike.

  Lyrawinn lunged, fangs finding muscle at the beast's plated shoulder, claws gripping deep. The razorback roared, stumbling.

  Idalia charged again, wild, reckless, brilliant. Her teeth found its leg-stick—yes, squishy-stick!—and she clamped down with all her strength. Bite, Ida, bite-bite-bite, level it up, chew chew chew!

  The monster thrashed, but she held, tail whipping, eyes blazing with runes.

  [Bite]: {Level 10} → {Level 11}

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  She squealed triumph even with her mouth full. Stronger! She knew it! Every bite meant more. Every fight meant bigger. Her Papa would see, her Mama would see, the whole pride would see her as Idalia, kit of stars, destroyer of spikes!

  The beast staggered under Lyra's precision and Idalia's tenacity. Particles splattered, steam rising, the ground trembling.

  For one heartbeat, one glorious blink, Idalia imagined herself on its back, roaring so loud the whole forest bowed to her.

  Just then the Thorn Stegosaurus bellowed one last time, shuddered, and collapsed with a ground-thump that rattled through Idalia's paws. She sprang back, jaws dripping, tail fluffed, eyes blazing with triumph.

  Power Particles: [900] → [1200] Units

  She gasped, pupils going wide as moons. More numbers! More! They love me, they love me! The world's feeding me sparkles because I'm amazing! She spun in a little victory circle, teeth still bloody.

  Lyrawinn shook particles from her muzzle, her chest rising calm and steady despite the battle. "Good hold, Ida. But remember, always respect the tail. A misstep and it could've skewered you."

  "Respect-shmespect!" Idalia crowed. "Did you see the numbers? They went up again! I'm stronger! Fiercer! Hungrier!" She pranced around the fallen beast, batting at its spikes. "Come on, Lyra, one more! No—ten more! A whole herd!"

  Lyrawinn gave her a look like Mama did when Idalia stole food before the elders. Not angry, not soft, just… steady. The kind of look that weighed more than words. Still, she flicked her whiskers in the direction of the herd's tracks.

  "One more, then. For the Pride."

  Idalia nearly squealed herself inside out.

  They tracked another razorback in the rolling grass, and this time, Idalia kept lower, quieter. Shadow, Ida, shadow. Don't bounce. Don't squeak. Just claws and air and breath.

  The runes in her head hummed with every step, like they wanted her to burst, but she held them tight, tight, tight until Lyra's tail gave the signal.

  She exploded again, shriek sharp, paws pounding, and Lyrawinn's ambush cut the beast clean across its plated shoulder. Together they danced. Ida biting leg-stick, Lyra raking muscle, both circling the tail like it was a swinging star waiting to smash them.

  Dust rose, grass shredded, and at last, the giant toppled.

  Power Particles: [1200] → [1600] Units

  Idalia's breath came ragged, but her grin split her whole face.

  "Lyra! Lyra, I saw it again! The world gave me four hundred more!" She stomped in circles, tail windmilling. "I'm going to explode into a supernova! Kaboom! Ida the Mighty, stronger than Hirohowl, bigger than Bloombark!"

  Lyrawinn purred quietly, dragging the kill into shade. "You're learning. That's what matters."

  But Idalia barely heard. Her whole body buzzed with sparkling numbers, like stars falling just for her. They continued onward after Idalia made another insistent plea to hunt more. For the Pride, of course!

  ??? ???

  When they struck the third beast, it was quicker, meaner, spikes thrashing wild. Idalia almost darted too close, her fur singed by a passing spike, but Lyra's snarl snapped her back in line. Together they brought it down, a storm of claws and teeth, and the earth quaked with the fall.

  Power Particles: [1600] → [1900] Units

  Idalia's vision flared. Runes blazed like fireflies gone mad.

  ???

  Skill [Claw Rend]: Level 8 → Level 9

  ???

  Idalia screeched, a sound half-victory, half-madness, and rolled in the dirt like a cub possessed. "Lyra! Did you see that?! My claws leveled! One whole! That means… that means…"

  She pawed frantically at the glowing runes, nose wrinkled, brain itchy.

  "That means if I eat enough, fight enough, play enough, I'll stack them up! More Pures! More power! Papa would flip over with pride, Mama would cry oceans, and the Pride, the Pride would chant my name!"

  She hopped, tail-whipping the air. "Ida! Ida! Ida!"

  Lyrawinn watched her spin, the smallest smile softening her muzzle.

  "Easy, little one. Save some roars for the Pride's ears. They'll want to hear of your first true hunt."

  Idalia froze mid-spin, jaw dropping. The Pride. The whole Pride! Watching her drag back prey bigger than herself, eager tails lashing, jaws gaping, eyes wide in awe—

  "Oh stars, oh sparks, oh runes! Let's go, Lyra, let's bring them home right now, right this instant!"

  She darted to the carcass and bit a spike, tugging with all her kitten strength. It didn't budge, but she growled through her teeth anyway, "Help me! Come on! Let's show them how amazing I am!"

  Lyrawinn padded forward, calm and strong, gripping the beast by its neck while Idalia strained at the spike. Together, the hunter and the cub began dragging their victories back toward the den.

  While Idalia's teeth sank into the squishy leg, she felt the grass move. Not from the wind. Not from the prey's tail.

  It was sharp and fast, rustling with too many paws, too quick. Her ears twitched, her eyes darted, and her belly felt cold, even though her body buzzed with heat.

  Shapes flickered in the golden stalks. Low, sleek, darting. Eyes like glass shards, glinting mean.

  Lyrawinn ripped herself from the razorback's shoulder, landing between Idalia and the shadows. Her growl rolled deep, steady, dangerous. "Haste Troodons."

  Idalia blinked hard, confusion sparking. "Haste Troo-what-nows?"

  Then they burst through. Sleek, lean raptors, scales glinting ash-grey, stripes flashing like firelight across their hides. Their eyes glowed wicked-bright, too sharp, too hungry. Not big like the razorback, no, small, but fast. The kind of fast that made Idalia's heart stutter.

  "Idalia! Behind me now!" Lyrawinn's sharp voice split the air with a roar. She positioned her big, golden frame between her and the weird-raptors.

  Idalia wanted to protest, but she kept her jaws shut. She counted the enemies: one, two, twenty. Too many. The Haste Troodons exchanged glances, hesitant yet irritated. They screeched in response.

  They seemed to know they had the numerical advantage. However, arrogant beasts were foolish beasts. Idalia had learned this from Hiro's charge, from the Carnotaurs' assault. She shuddered, but the knowledge ignited her conviction.

  Would you consider joining Ida's Pride for the autumn season? She's leaping, biting, learning with joy. Numbers and heart both climbing. And I've begun to release Book 2's chapters early for those who want to see where her claws take her next.

  is 9 chapters ahead. Feel free to check it out. Have a good one!