<Fox PoV>

I knew it, I knew it, and I really wish I had been wrong. The big flame-cats found the people and now their pack (or is it a caravan?) is being surrounded by the females, and one of them had already roared so the male would be here soon, and I really don’t want to be here when he does show up! …but if I’m not here the nice people that fed and taught me so much won’t live. I know for sure they aren’t going to be able to beat the male, and they seem scared of the females too. Even though they managed to hurt one badly they still seem scared, and tired…

‘This is a really bad idea… Really bad… Why am I even idea-ing this?’

With those thoughts running in my head I jumped in front of the caravan, raised my hackles, and growled at the flame-cats, and one of them hissed back immediately moving to pounce on me for my display…
‘but it’s so slow? Were the flame-cats always this slow?’
and found itself pinned under me with my teeth gripping its scruff, my growl traveling into its hide. She struggled for a bit, trying to thrash about and get me off as her body was going limp. Finally, she submits, the other cats now wary of me as I let go of the cat under me and let out as loud a cry as I can.

Like I thought, this was a REALLY bad idea… The male is here, and he heard my challenge. The females are backing off but watching, no way out now, the male steps forwards and roars at me with all of his power, his flames giving heat to the pressure, but I do not turn away, I do not cower. I’ve accepted his challenge in return as the female under me skulks off to join the others as they all lick their wounds.

<Adventurer PoV>

The situation before them was unbelievable, just as they had warned the client about, the pyrolions were active, and they had just stumbled face first into a hunting party of them. As soon as they had been surrounded the lead lion had roared, and the adventurers fell into a panic; They had to get through the pyrolions fast or the Tyrant-Leo would be here soon.

 After a struggle they had managed to wound one of the lions enough to make that one back off, but things looked grim, the effort required to do that much was already too much and the other two were still pictures of health! Just as the party leader had resolved to screen the retreat of the rest even at the cost of her life, a miracle appeared in the form of the eavesdropping fox. 

In an instant the fox had dominated one of the healthy lions, and called out loudly making both the injured and remaining healthy lions back off. Just when they thought they had been saved another loud call responded to the fox’s own, this one was intense, a roar laced with magic power mixed with rolling waves of superheated air was so intense as to make their client collapse from fright. Even the C-rank leader was struggling to keep the strength from leaving her legs, all the rest of them could do was watch as the truly huge Tyrant-Leo walks up to the fox. The sole creature not incapacitated by that roar.

<Fox Pov>

‘Fear’
That one word does not describe what I feel from facing down what should by nature be my predator. I have memories of what this thing is capable of doing to my kin, and its tendency to continue harming its prey well after the kill. That same creature, this absurdly big cat with a mane made of fire, is now giving me his complete attention and rage for daring to challenge his pack.

I definitely feel fear, I feel every part of my body begging me to run, but I won’t. If I run, then the people will become his prey, and then I won’t be able to learn more, or thank them for the tasty “ant-aa-lope” meat.

I can’t accept that!

With another roar the male attacks, lunging at me and swiping at me with a huge paw that catches fire in the swing and explodes as it touches the ground where I was. I had immediately used wind magic, borrowing a trick from the weasel and surrounding myself with wind to keep the heat and fire away. The flames he uses are much more powerful than my kin’s, I would easily get burned or worse, yet even with my new wind magic the explosions are too much as they push me back or batter my hide even without hitting me directly!

I can remember clearly now why my kin don’t fight this thing, just using fire he can scatter our own flames! I try using my wind, borrowing from that weasel again and throw blades of wind at the big cat, seeing the blades vanish in the wavy air of his heat, but I saw it… just for a moment their flames flickered from the wind and changed color.

Seemingly annoyed with me, the big cat starts getting more aggressive, using the explosions to knock me around and push me closer to some large rocks, corning me. As I’m trying to figure out how to get around him, he snarls, snapping his jaw open and roaring, this time instead of pressure or just heat its fire, extremely hot fire that my wind can barely hold back and is giving out to the sheer firepower. But I see it again, the wind affects the fire still, so I’ll try something, if I don’t I’ll die burnt to ashes anyways!

Using both my wind and fire magic together I send the energy into his flames and steal their power, with a burst of bright color the flames give in and change to a beautiful blue color, and instead of harming me gather around me and enhance me instead. The cat seems confused and roars more fire at me, only I don’t even have to try as the fire simply adds to my blue flames!

‘He can’t hurt me anymore.’

With that thought in my head I strike at him with my blue-fire clad claws, I feel his fur burn, his hide giving easily to my strike. He howls in pain, likely the first time he’s been burned, but I don’t give him time, I pounce and strike his legs and belly, forcing him to his back and grab his throat. He would have killed the people, and me, not even for food, just for fun.

With a firm jerk of my head and my jaws in his neck I end the creature threatening me and the people. Releasing the quickly cooling body under me I look to the females, all of which are backing up in fear. I’m tired, but they don’t know that. So with as loud a noise I can make, I flare my blue flames as strong as I can make them, scaring the cats away before finally letting sleep take me.