When Alpha Pawail called for silence, the entire Pride stilled. His shadow stretched long across the summit, and even the lava vents below seemed to quiet in reverence. The hunt was over. The day of proving complete.
"Let it be known," his voice rumbled, "that all kits of age have earned their next step. You have shown the teeth and spirit worthy of Liorex blood."
He called forward the new Toothlings, naming them one by one. Each young Liorex stepped up to receive a touch of his claw and the mark of their new rank.
Then the kits straightened, tails high. Idalia tried to suppress her excitement, her chest swelling as Pawail's gaze passed over her and the others.
"From this day," he continued, "you are no longer cubs. You are Toothlings, the sharpened promise of this Pride."
Cheers erupted from every corner of the summit. The ground itself seemed to hum with joy. Idalia felt her paws lift with pride, tail wagging like it had a will of its own. Lyrawinn stood behind her, the firelight gleaming off her horn, calm and proud.
She turned toward Pyro and Pyra, who were congratulating each other as their new mentors—a pair of loud, scarred Fangborn brothers—barked in pride. Everything felt perfect. The Pride's future shone bright under the twin suns.
Until Alpha Pawail called another name.
"And for Sunsong of the Radiant Line," he declared, his tone neutral but carrying weight, "you will be mentored by Bloombark, Second of the Pride."
The reaction was immediate. The air rippled with unease. Some of the elders shifted where they sat, tails flicking. A few Fangborns exchanged glances that didn't reach their eyes.
The awful Bloombark rose from the front ranks. Her grin was all teeth. Sunsong practically preened, snout lifting high as she trotted forward, basking in the moment.
"An honor, Alpha," Bloombark rumbled. Her voice carried the deep, rolling tone of quiet menace. "I will shape her well."
Idalia's stomach twisted. Something about that tone… it wasn't pride. It was claiming.
She tried to tell herself she was imagining it. But she remembered the sharp way Bloombark had smiled during the crocodile's unveiling, the glint in her eyes that said she was always calculating.
Lyrawinn noticed her frown and nudged her shoulder lightly. "What's wrong?"
Idalia didn't answer right away. Her claws flexed against the basalt, unease prickling under her skin. Bloombark dipped her head to Pawail, then to Sunsong, her grin never fading. Sunsong, of course, looked absolutely delighted. She turned, meeting Idalia's gaze for just a second, with a smirk curving across her muzzle that said, See? I told you I'd rise higher.
Idalia's fur bristled. She swallowed hard, forcing her tail to stay still. Something deep in her belly, something instinctive and cold, whispered that this was bad. Not because Sunsong was arrogant, or even because she'd been chosen.
But because Bloombark wasn't a teacher. She was a monster. The kind that didn't stop when the prey stopped breathing.
Bloombark had betrayed Papa. Left him to the whims to the apes. Unforgivable. But Idalia knew. Knew that she spoke the truth and made it known. No one would have believed her.
Lyrawinn leaned down, murmuring quietly, "Do not let envy cloud your heart. Bloombark's mentorship is a heavy weight, not a gift."
Idalia's ears twitched. "I'm not jealous," she muttered. "Just… she's not safe with her."
Lyrawinn's eyes softened, but she said nothing more.
As the ceremony continued, Pawail's booming voice faded into the background of Idalia's thoughts. The lava's glow painted everything in orange and crimson, but the warmth no longer felt comforting.
Her gaze lingered on Bloombark and Sunsong—mentor and student—standing proudly at the front. Bloombark's tail coiled lazily behind her like a serpent, her eyes half-lidded but alert.
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Idalia's claws dug into the rock. Her instincts were screaming.
That pairing wasn't good. Not for Sunsong. Definitely not for the Pride.
??? ??? ???
Idalia and Lyrawinn were waiting near the edge of the ridge when Hirohowl marched into view. She was smiling, but it was the restrained smile of someone who knew exactly what it cost to win.
Hirohowl dipped his head low, his tone rough but sincere.
"Fangborn Lyrawinn. You trained her."
Lyrawinn tilted her head slightly. "She trained herself," she replied, gaze flicking to Idalia. "I only reminded her not to forget what she already had in her."
He snorted in amusement. "You've got humility now? The Lyrawinn I remember would've taken half the credit for a breeze changing direction."
Lyrawinn smirked, her tail curling around her paws. "As a cub, perhaps. Maybe I'm getting older."
"Or wiser."
"Let's not go too far," she quipped, but her tone softened when her eyes found Idalia standing a few paces behind Hirohowl, watching them both with wide, curious eyes. "She did what even I couldn't have imagined. The Hollow Lord wasn't a beast to toy with."
"You… believe her?"
"Indeed, I do, Hirohowl."
Of course, Lyrawinn would, Idalia thought. Not only was it because Idalia knew of her awesome feats, but she and the golden she-Rex trusted in each other deeply.
"She didn't toy with it," Hirohowl said in resignation. "She out-thought it." His gaze dropped to Idalia again, thoughtful. "And she's still smaller than my shoulder."
Lyrawinn chuckled under her breath. "Small things tend to surprise the big ones."
"Apparently." Hirohowl's lips quirked faintly. "If the Pride doesn't start trembling when she walks by, they should."
That made Idalia's ears flick up. Her eyes brightened instantly, and she padded forward, tail lashing playfully. "Oh, you mean like you did when Rassith tried to bite your tail off?"
Hirohowl's eyes sharpened into slits. "Don't you dare…!"
"Really?" Idalia grinned. "Because it looked like running away from where I was standing."
Lyrawinn snorted into a laugh, trying and failing to stifle it. "Careful, cub. You're teasing a warrior who still smells like lava and pride."
Idalia only grinned wider, stepping closer, chin lifted in mock challenge. "Then he shouldn't make it so easy! You were all 'grr, I'm Hirohowl, the fierce, fearless fighter,' and then—poof!" She stomped a paw for emphasis. "Gone faster than a scared ashhopper!"
"An ashhopper?" Hirohowl repeated slowly, the disbelief in his voice cracking through his stoic mask.
"Uh-huh." She nodded with exaggerated seriousness. "Tiny, jumpy, and afraid of everything. Pretty sure I could've outpaced you, too."
Lyrawinn was outright laughing now, her claws digging into the cooling rock as her tail lashed in amusement.
"Oh, this is too good. I should've brought the rest of the Pride to hear this."
Hirohowl exhaled through his nose, a plume of heat rippling the air. "I defeat an ancient phantom, nearly die saving a cub, and this is what I get?"
"Correction," Idalia said with a teasing flick of her ear. "You helped defeat it. I did the thinking part."
Her tone was bright and daring, but her eyes held a glint of sincerity. She wasn't being disrespectful. She was claiming her share of the victory.
Hirohowl caught it. His frown softened into something unreadable. The humor lingered, but beneath it was that same quiet recognition from before, the understanding that this cub wasn't a cub anymore.
"You've got quite a roar for someone still learning to use her claws," he said finally.
Idalia grinned. "Guess you'll have to keep up, big guy."
Lyrawinn shot her a look of mock warning. "Careful, or you'll find yourself sparring with him before the moons rise again."
"Oh, I'd win. He's all bulk and no bounce."
Hirohowl's ears twitched. "Bulk and—" He growled, but it came out more amused than threatening. "You've got a tongue sharper than your claws, cub."
"Then maybe you should train with me," she shot back. "You could use the practice dodging."
For a long heartbeat and many blinks, the three of them stood there. It wasn't the tension of rivalry now, but of familiarity; the kind that only comes from surviving something together.
Hirohowl let out a low chuckle and turned to Lyrawinn. "You've made her fearless."
Lyrawinn's gaze softened. "No. The world tried to make her afraid. She just refused to listen."
Idalia blinked, looking between them. "You two talk about me like I'm not standing right here."
Lyrawinn grinned. "We're just admiring how quickly you've learned to give us both gray fur."
Hirohowl huffed, but there was a faint smile tugging at his muzzle. "She'll need that spirit. Especially with the politics that will follow this victory."
Idalia tilted her head. "Politics?"
He met her gaze, steady, calm, almost teacher-like now.
"You've shaken the Pride tonight, Idalia. You fought like a warrior beyond your rank. That draws eyes. Both kind and cruel. Be ready for both."
Lyrawinn's expression darkened slightly, but she nodded in agreement. "He's right. You've crossed from being someone the Pride protects… to someone it watches."
Idalia's ears folded back for a moment, uncertainty flickering through her chest. But then she took a slow breath, steadying herself. "Then they can watch. I'm not hiding. Not ever again."
Lyrawinn's smile returned, gentle, proud. Hirohowl's eyes softened as he nodded once in acknowledgment.
The three stood there a moment longer. It felt strange, Idalia didn't feel like a cub standing among veterans. She felt like she belonged.
And if her teasing grin when she added, "Come on, slowpaws, race you back to camp," earned her twin growls of protest from both warriors. Well, that only made her laugh harder as she darted off into the glowing dusk swallowing the settlement.
^_^
With Ida's new rank comes new perks. But those will be discovered throughout the story. Also, comments are always greatly appreciated!
Lore highlight: the suffix of all Liorex names are based on sounds and reptile features.
Please vote on Pyra and Pyro's new names. Pyra[???] and Pyro[???]
