The morning sun had barely begun to stretch its light across Hearthwild when the sanctuary rumbled to life.

  Kalen yawned widely as he trudged across the courtyard, a half-eaten roll dangling from his mouth.

  Beside him, Talia was already ushering a surprisingly orderly line of cubs toward the feeding area, her hair tied back in a neat braid, her voice calm and clipped.

  Jace stumbled along behind them, arms overloaded with food bowls, mumbling something about "too early for manual labor" — just as a stocky shape launched itself lightly onto his back.

  "GAH!" Jace yelped, nearly losing an entire stack of bowls as Milo — currently shrunk to half his normal size by Kalen’s instinctive rune compression — clung onto his shoulders like an overgrown backpack.

  Despite the rune’s effect, Milo still had enough heft to stagger Jace a few steps before he found his footing.

  "Traitor," Jace grumbled, shooting a betrayed look at Kalen while Milo chirped innocently and patted his cheeks with stubby fingers.

  Kalen just laughed around his half-eaten roll.

  Even shrunken down, Milo was a compact ball of muscle — more like a cuddly battering ram than a dainty cub.

  Keir, of course, was already working.

  He stood alone in the training yard, running Akari through a series of deliberate drills — short dashes, sudden stops, feinting lunges.

  His quiet, methodical movements contrasted sharply with the chaos swirling around him.

  Kalen couldn't help but smile as he watched.

  For the first time in months, Hearthwild felt... alive.

  Training officially began after breakfast.

  The cubs split into their usual sparring pairs — Milo and Akari tumbling across the dirt with playful growls, Webber darting around setting tiny thread traps, and Daisy occasionally flapping indignantly whenever someone knocked into her.

  That was when Kalen noticed the troublemaker.

  Tiny Vex, still unbonded but buzzing with restless energy, had taken it upon himself to invade every single sparring match he could find.

  First, he darted under Akari’s legs mid-lunge, causing the white wolf cub to trip and tumble into Milo.

  Then, with a swift spin of his curled tail, Vex smacked Webber’s web anchor, snapping the trap and sending the spider cub skittering in surprise.

  “Hey, little guy,” Kalen chuckled from the sidelines. “Maybe leave the pros to it?”

  Vex ignored him completely.

  He scampered forward again, his small body nimble, his movements sharp and precise despite his tiny size.

  This time, he engaged Milo directly — weaving, dodging, and even using his prehensile tail like a whip to flick at Milo’s arms and shoulders.

  It wasn’t mindless flailing either.

  Each tail strike was deliberate — aimed at throwing off Milo’s balance, distracting him just long enough to open a gap.

  Milo eventually grunted in frustration, grabbing Vex by the scruff and depositing him safely to the side, only for the chameleon cub to immediately wiggle free and launch himself back in.

  Persistent.

  Relentless.

  Fearless.

  Keir, having watched the entire display with crossed arms and a neutral face, finally stepped forward.

  Without a word, he crouched down, bringing himself eye-level with the determined little chameleon.

  The training noise around them seemed to fade for a moment, the world narrowing to just the two of them.

  Keir extended a gloved hand — steady, patient, offering.

  Vex froze, his vivid eyes flickering with emotion.

  For one tense heartbeat, Kalen wondered if the cub would dart away again.

  Instead, with a chirruping sound almost too soft to hear, Vex reached out with his tiny clawed hand and slapped Keir’s palm with a decisive thwack.

  Mana surged.

  A visible ripple of blue-silver light enveloped them both, swirling upward like mist drawn into the sky.

  The air thrummed with invisible strings being tied — threads of soul, of loyalty, of unspoken promises.

  When the glow faded, a new mark adorned Vex’s curled tail:

  A stylized sword, sleek and simple, curling along the outer edge in a spiral — Keir’s soul sigil, unmistakable.

  The little chameleon blinked... then immediately struck a dramatic duelist’s pose, tail raised like a rapier, body coiled with faux-theatrical tension.

  The entire training yard froze.

  Then Jace — bless him — burst out laughing.

  “By the Rift, he’s a tiny musketeer!”

  Even Keir’s stoic facade cracked slightly.

  A tiny, fond smile ghosted across his face.

  Kalen felt his heart swell with warmth.

  There was something so right about it — this quiet, stubborn boy bonding with the fiercest little underdog Hearthwild had ever seen.

  "Welcome to the family, Vex," Kalen murmured, watching the cub flick his tail with the exaggerated elegance of a seasoned swashbuckler.

  Somewhere in the distance, Milo gave a whoop and tried to reenact Vex’s pose — only to topple over dramatically, sending a wave of cubs crashing down like dominoes.

  Training resumed after the chaos died down, but everyone seemed lighter somehow.

  The bond between Tamers and beasts didn’t just strengthen them — it lifted the whole sanctuary.

  And today, Hearthwild felt stronger than ever.

  The midday sun glinted off Hearthwild’s stone paths, casting playful shadows between the training fields.Most of the cubs had scattered to lounge in the shade or chase each other lazily across the open grounds after the morning drills.

  Kalen wiped his forehead with a sleeve, heart light.He’d just finished overseeing Webber’s weaving practice — which, at one point, had somehow resulted in Daisy being suspended upside-down from a branch, honking in outrage.Talia claimed innocence, but even she looked suspiciously amused. Kalen wasn’t convinced.

  He had just set out fresh bowls of water when a familiar pair of figures approached the gate.

  “Hey,” Jace said, shading his eyes. “Is that... the girl from the Rift mission?”

  “Yeah,” Talia confirmed with a small nod. “Same lynx. Hard to forget.”

  Rinna entered with Kip padding confidently at her side.The Shadow Lynx cub looked much healthier now — violet eyes alert, coat glossy, tail curled high like a scythe. He still moved like a rumor given form, his steps barely touching the ground.

  Behind them came a blur of brown and gray: Pippin, chirping wildly as he zigzagged across the training field, ricocheting off stones and tree roots with manic energy.He couldn’t fly, but on the ground he moved like pure chaos — bounding low and fast, kicking up small clouds of dust as he went.

  Kalen grinned. “This is Rinna, and this sneaky one is Kip.”

  Jace snapped his fingers. “Knew it! Glad you both made it out of that Rift mess in one piece.”

  Rinna gave a soft chuckle and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “We survived thanks to that crab of yours... and maybe a little luck.”

  “Shiny does bring the bling,” Jace said with a wink. “Even if he tries to eat it afterward.”

  Rinna smirked but didn’t reply. Talia, standing nearby, gave her a knowing glance — and together, the two girls rolled their eyes in perfect unison.

  “Anyway!” Jace clapped his hands, eyes gleaming. “Now that our guest stars are here, I declare the start of the First Official Hearthwild Brawl-a-thon!”

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  “Did you just—” Kalen began.

  “?,” Jace added solemnly. “No refunds. Rules are simple: don’t get hurt, tap means out, bragging rights for the winner, and a glorious prize…”He held up the pebble like it was an enchanted gem.It sparkled convincingly in the light. Milo stared at it with the intense longing of someone who deeply valued shiny things.

  “Oh,” Jace added, pointing to a large chalk-drawn circle around the training yard, “and if you leave the circle, you’re out. Gotta keep the chaos contained.”

  Kalen stepped in before it could escalate further.“Primary brawl first: Milo, Akari, Kip, Webber, Dozer. Go when ready.”

  Jace cleared his throat dramatically.“And now... the Hearthwild BRAWL! ROUND ONE! Begin!”

  It started fast.

  Milo charged straight for the rock.Dozer, lounging lazily in the grass, seemed to yawn—until he suddenly surged forward with terrifying speed, a burst of mana cracking beneath him like a cannon.He intercepted Milo with a shoulder-check that sent the monkey stumbling.

  “Oh-ho-ho!” Jace called out. “Dozer comes alive like a sleepy freight train!”

  Milo bounced once, rolled to his feet, and gave a bark of laughter before circling wide.

  Webber tried to trap Kip early with a clever flick of silk, but the lynx cub shimmered into shadows and reappeared behind him.A swift paw tap later, and Talia called Webber out, who clicked his mandibles in defeat and scurried back to the sidelines.

  Akari and Kip circled each other, claws flashing in feints and counters.Kip darted forward—but Akari spun, brushed past him, and tapped his tail with a quick jab.

  "Kip’s out!" Kalen called.

  Kip huffed and sauntered to Rinna's side, content to observe now.

  That left Milo, Akari, and Dozer.

  Dozer hunkered down, recharging after his explosive dash, grumbling under his breath in a way that sounded suspiciously like lazy protest.Then — without warning — he rocketed forward again, this time barreling toward Milo like an angry bowling ball.But the slick grass betrayed him—his charge carried him too far, and he skidded through the chalk circle with a surprised grunt.

  “Dozer’s out!” Jace bellowed, wiping a tear. “Disqualified by inertia!”

  Dozer slowly pulled his head into his shell and let out a slow, defiant huff.

  Akari and Milo squared off.

  Akari moved first — sharp and clean — but Milo was stronger and unrelenting. They clashed, rolled, grappled, until Akari overcommitted and Milo reversed the pin with a heavy thump of his weight.

  “Akari’s out — Milo’s got it!” Kalen called.

  Milo stood triumphant, pounding his chest once and grabbing the shiny pebble from Jace with a victorious hoot.

  After a break to hydrate and swap exhausted cubs, Jace hopped up again.

  "SECONDARY BRAWL TIME! Daisy, Shiny, Wisp, Vex, and—" He paused dramatically.

  Rinna smiled. “I’ll sit this one out. Kip’s done for today.”

  At that exact moment, a brown streak zipped across the grass.Pippin rocketed up Rinna’s side like a feathery bullet, landed on her head, and stomped twice while giving a proud, declarative "Meep! Meep!"

  The entire sanctuary burst out laughing.

  "I guess that's a yes," Kalen said, beaming. "Pippin’s in!"

  Jace threw his hands into the air. "LET THE BRAWL BEGIN!"

  The cubs exploded into motion.

  Vex shot forward, his scales flashing a brilliant orange-red, tail snapping behind him like a whip.He ducked under Shiny's first clumsy charge and delivered a quick tap with the flat of his tail.

  Shiny staggered, confused, then flopped backward dramatically.

  “Shiny’s out!" Jace announced gleefully. "First blood to the Chameleon Corsair!”

  Daisy flapped hard at Wisp, wings buffeting, but Wisp stayed low and dodged gracefully.Kalen caught a glimpse of his growing antlers — thin, luminous nubs now, but destined to become a full, regal crown someday.

  Meanwhile, Pippin zipped across the field at ground level, a living missile.He launched himself off a small training stone, bounced off Dozer’s abandoned shell like a springboard, and barrelled directly toward Vex.

  Vex caught the incoming blur with a spinning dodge, his scales now flickering blue-green, focused and calculating.With a sharp whip of his tail, he nudged Pippin off-course, sending the sparrow cub skidding harmlessly across the grass.

  "AND THE BIRD GOES SLIDING!" Jace roared. "Pippin's out — but what a noble dive!"

  Daisy honked furiously and barreled after Vex next, but Wisp stepped lightly in between, tapping her side with a gentle shove of mana.

  Daisy flopped to the ground in dramatic defeat, honking indignantly.

  “Down to two!” Jace crowed. “The Trickster and the Stag!”

  Vex and Wisp circled each other.

  Vex’s colors pulsed — a vivid teal, cocky and bold.

  He darted forward with a feint, spinning low, tail sweeping for a trip.

  Wisp danced back, light on his hooves, antlers catching the sun.

  Vex lunged again — but Wisp timed it perfectly, sliding low and nudging Vex's leg with one budding antler.

  Soft contact.

  Kalen raised his hand.

  “Victory — Wisp!”

  Vex flopped onto his back theatrically, his scales turning sheepish purple, his tongue flicking out in mock defeat.

  The Tamers burst into cheers, clapping and laughing.

  And for a long moment, there was nothing but laughter, sunlight, and the feeling — stronger than any roar of victory —that Hearthwild was not just raising beasts.

  They were raising legends.

  Evening settled softly over Hearthwild, warm light pooling in golden puddles across the courtyard as the sun dipped toward the trees. The scent of roasted roots and spicegrass stew drifted from the open kitchen windows, mingling with the crisp air.

  The group had gathered around the long stone table outside, plates piled high, cubs curled up nearby in loose little clumps of fur, feather, and shell. Dozer was draped halfway over his bowl, still panting from his final charge. Milo sat like a king, chewing contentedly while keeping one arm firmly around his “prize” rock. Wisp dozed serenely against a mossy stump, tiny antler nubs glowing faintly in the dusk.

  Talia passed a dish to Rinna without a word, and Rinna responded with a shy smile. Kip sat beside her, still alert, tail curled like a hook around her chair leg. Even Pippin had calmed—though only slightly—and now busied himself pecking crumbs off of Shiny’s back like a self-appointed cleaner bird.

  “So,” Jace said, licking sauce off his fingers. “Does that count as two victories and one glorious skid for the record books?”

  “I think it counts as one out-of-bounds foul and one graceful defeat,” Kalen replied, smirking.

  “Might be the most productive day Dozer’s ever had,” Talia teased.

  Dozer blinked slowly and burped in response.

  “Elegant rebuttal,” Jace said, raising his cup.

  The conversation lulled as plates were emptied, bowls scraped clean, and the first stars blinked into view overhead. Kalen leaned back on his elbows, watching the cubs settle in after the excitement. A few of them were already inching toward the usual grooming circle, instincts drawing them together again even after the brawl.

  He caught Vex standing apart, tail twitching thoughtfully as he stared at the others. His scales shimmered with soft green-gold tones—curious, contemplative, not quite settled.

  Vex turned his head toward him, eyes gleaming, then scurried over and curled neatly by Kalen’s feet, settling with a practiced dramatic flair that made Jace snort from across the fire.

  Around them, the cubs had begun instinctively shifting into place — fur brushing fur, claws clicking as they shuffled into loose rings of comfort. Webber tugged a leaf out of Daisy’s feathers. Kip leaned into Rinna’s lap, eyes half-lidded. Wisp lowered his head into Dozer’s shell groove, who grunted but didn’t protest.

  Even Vex glanced at the circle, hesitated... and then carefully repositioned himself beside Milo, his tail curling in sync with the monkey’s arm as if unsure how close was too close.

  Milo, settling into the pile, reached back to grab his tail — a gesture of habit — only to miss awkwardly. His short, stocky tail wasn’t where he expected it. He huffed in confusion, patted the air twice, and then gave a soft grunt of indignation before settling again with a pout.

  Kalen smiled. This was Hearthwild’s magic — simple, quiet, constant.

  He picked up the soft-bristle brush at his side and gently ran it along Vex’s back.The chameleon cub’s scales shifted to a calm, mossy green as he relaxed fully for the first time.

  “Well then,” Kalen said, “I guess it’s only fair that tonight’s story has a sword... and a lizard.”

  That caught several cubs' attention at once. Heads turned. Tails thumped.

  “Tonight’s story is about a girl named Rapunzel,” Kalen began. “She had a gift—magic in her hair. But she was taken from her family as a baby and locked in a tower by someone who pretended to love her.”

  Daisy leaned closer. Milo shifted beside her, eyes narrowing.

  “She grew up alone… except for one friend. A small chameleon who stayed with her through everything. His name was Pascal. He couldn’t fight the woman who held her captive, but he could make her smile. He could watch over her. And he never once tried to control her.”

  As Kalen spoke, his voice softened and took on that strange rhythm it always did—calm and low, but steady, wrapping around them like the first layer of a dream.

  “One day, a thief with a heart of gold stumbled into her life. And that was when things began to change.”

  “At first, she didn’t trust him. Pascal definitely didn’t. But the thief wasn’t just clever—he was chaotic. And when he tried to steal from her, she hit him in the face with a frying pan.”

  Milo perked up.

  “Not once. Multiple times. It became her signature move. That frying pan saw more combat than most swords."

  Jace silently raised his fist in solemn salute.

  “Eventually, she convinced the thief to help her escape the tower—though it was less convincing and more... frying pan enforcement.”

  A ripple of laughter moved through the group.

  “They fled into the world she’d only dreamed about. But the outside wasn’t safe. Guards chased them. Bandits tried to trick them. And there was Maximus—the captain of the guard’s war-horse, who took justice very seriously.”

  Vex tilted his head, scales flickering.

  “This horse wasn’t just big and noble. He was stubborn. Smarter than most men. And he didn’t like thieves.”

  Talia smirked as if she knew where this was going.

  “At one point, the thief and Maximus actually fought over Rapunzel’s frying pan. They had an entire duel with it—hooves, teeth, and frying pan swings. It was chaos. The horse almost won.”

  Jace burst out laughing, nearly spilling his drink.

  “But even Maximus saw, eventually, that Rapunzel wasn’t a prisoner who needed protecting—she was a girl who needed freedom.”

  The cubs leaned in closer now, drawn into the rhythm of it.

  “They escaped dangers. They saw floating lanterns light the night sky. And, in the end, Rapunzel realized she wasn’t someone locked away. She was someone meant to shine. And so was her little chameleon, who had stood beside her through it all.”

  The last line settled over them like a warm blanket.

  Pippin, who had tucked himself neatly onto Rinna’s lap mid-story, gave a sleepy chirp and curled deeper into her arms, feathers puffed.

  Vex didn’t move. His scales shimmered between rich green and a soft, shimmering lilac as he slowly lowered his head into his arms.

  Kalen gently brushed his fingers over the cub’s back and leaned back.

  Silence stretched for a long moment.

  Then Jace broke it, grinning wide.

  “I’m just saying... I would absolutely steal a frying pan if I could duel someone with it. Especially if there’s a horse judging me dramatically the entire time.”

  “You already have a frying pan,” Talia deadpanned. “You used it to cook bacon.”

  “Don’t limit my legacy,” he muttered, crossing his arms.

  Kalen chuckled, stretching as he stood.

  And that was when it happened.

  A soft pulse rolled outward from the grooming circle — a ripple of mana that brushed against skin and fur like the whisper of a breeze. The cubs stirred. Milo lifted his head. Daisy blinked groggily. Even Dozer cracked one eye open.

  At the center of it, Kip's fur shimmered faintly — and so did Rinna, her hands pressed gently to her lap where Pippin slept.

  The air thickened, full of something new and warm and alive.

  Kalen’s heart skipped. “Rinna...?”

  Before he could say more, Pippin abruptly popped upright with a violent flutter, “Meep! Meep!”, tugging insistently on Rinna’s hair.

  He stomped onto her arm, puffed up to twice his size, and practically radiated indignation and demand.

  Kalen stepped forward, half-raising a hand to intervene.

  But Rinna shook her head gently, smiling down at the little sparrow cub with a rare glint of determination in her soft eyes.

  "It’s alright," she said. “He’s family too.”

  She placed one hand over her heart, the other over Pippin’s tiny head.

  A surge of gentle golden mana swirled between them, weaving together like a song only they could hear.

  Pippin chirped once — proud, defiant, victorious — and a small rune shimmered into existence over his chest: a stylized Masquerade Mask, simple but perfect, inked into his feathers just above his heart.

  The bond settled like a sigh.

  The cubs cheered quietly — little woofs, chirps, honks, and squeaks of approval.

  Kalen laughed under his breath, heart full.

  Another legend had been born at Hearthwild tonight.

  And overhead, the stars burned brighter.

  The moon hung high over Hearthwild, silver light pooling across the training yard like spilled mana. Inside the sanctuary’s main den, the cubs lay scattered in peaceful clusters, their bellies full, their dreams beginning.

  Vex stirred.

  He twitched once, then stilled — and then his breathing shifted.

  The world around him dissolved.

  He stood in a jungle not unlike the grove behind Hearthwild — but wilder. The trees were taller, their branches winding like staircases into the canopy. Vines swayed as if beckoning. Lanterns floated through the air, glowing without flame. Every leaf shimmered with magic.

  And in the middle of it all stood a girl with golden hair that glowed like starlight.

  She spun, laughing, dodging bandits and swinging from vines, her chameleon perched proudly on her shoulder. He wasn’t big — not intimidating — but his tail coiled like a spring, and his eyes missed nothing.

  When the girl was caught, it was he who acted.

  A tail flick. A leap. A splash of paint in the eyes.

  He fought — not with strength, but with nerve. Distractions. Precision. Timing.

  He vanished and reappeared in the blink of an eye — not magic, just movement and instinct. One second he was behind a tree, the next atop a villain’s head, hurling a pebble.

  The world chased them, but they laughed anyway.

  The chameleon was never the strongest. But he was the difference.

  Vex watched this all play out from the shadows — then realized with a jolt that he wasn’t watching anymore.

  He was the chameleon now.

  He gripped the girl’s shoulder, sensing her trust. He watched the guards with narrowed eyes. He bared his teeth when the horse approached. And when the frying pan flew, he leapt just ahead of it — taunting, dancing, grinning like a warrior who wore chaos as armor.

  He darted across tightropes. Blended into stained-glass windows. Flicked his tail in defiance as he stood beside giants — not their equal in size, but never in doubt.

  Not when it mattered.

  Not when it counted.

  He didn’t need to roar.He just needed to appear at the right time.

  A pulse of warm mana gathered in his chest.

  He felt it settle behind his eyes — not power, exactly, but possibility.The world shimmered. His form stretched, blurred, narrowed. His tail grew stronger. His body sleeker. His colors more vivid.

  He would never win with strength. That wasn’t his story.

  But misdirection? Momentum? Cleverness?

  That was where legends lived.

  Vex curled tighter in the real world, a soft glow surrounding his scales — like dreamlight pooling over his body, then fading slowly.

  Outside, Hearthwild slept.

  Inside, a new trickster smiled in his sleep.