In the crisp embrace of an autumn morning, the northern territory was awash in hues of gold and russet. The sun's feeble warmth barely pierced the chill in the air, casting long shadows across the land. Amidst this rugged landscape, a massive cave lioness named Taiga prowled, her grey and white fur adorned with striking black rosettes that seemed to meld seamlessly with the dappled light filtering through the trees. But it was her ruby red eyes that held an intense fire, reflecting both her fierceness and her unwavering determination.

As the morning mist began to dissipate, a heart-rending scene unfolded before Taiga's keen gaze. Just over the border of pack territory, a young wolf pup, its fur a soft mix of tan and teal, stood frozen in terror as a colossal grizzly bear loomed over it. The bear, a true behemoth of the wilderness, seemed entirely indifferent to the pup's plight, its enormous paws sending tremors through the ground as it lumbered quickly forward. It was as though the beast was running from something, but it wasn't urgent enough to pull the bears attention away from the pup before it.

Taiga's instincts flared to life with a primal urgency. She crouched low, her powerful muscles tensing beneath her fur, and with a deep-throated roar that reverberated through the forest, she charged toward the perilous tableau. Her roar held equal parts challenge and warning, an assertion that this young life would not be taken without a fight. With the roar, she also hoped to call the pups pack.

The bear turned its head at the sound, its beady eyes narrowing as it registered the approaching lioness. A low growl rumbled in its throat, a challenge met with defiance as Taiga's own growl echoed in response. The clash of titans was inevitable, a struggle for survival that resonated with the very essence of the wild.

As the distance between them closed rapidly, Taiga sprang into action. Her powerful legs propelled her with astonishing speed, and in the span of a heartbeat, she was upon the bear. Claws extended, she swiped at the bear's flank, her razor-sharp claws leaving furrows in the beast's thick hide. The grizzly retaliated with a mighty swipe of its own, its claws raking across Taiga's side. The pain was searing, but Taiga's resolve remained unshaken.

With the wolf pup still cowering nearby, Taiga and the grizzly locked in a fierce dance of survival. Their roars and snarls filled the air, punctuated by the thunderous crashes of their colossal bodies colliding. Taiga's teeth found purchase on the bear's shoulder, her grip unyielding as she dug deep, determined to protect the defenseless pup at all costs.

The battle raged on, an elemental struggle that transcended mere flesh and bone. Taiga's strength and agility were pitted against the bear's sheer mass and power. Each strike they exchanged left its mark, a testimony to their unwavering resolve. The scent of earth, fur, and blood mingled in the air as they fought on, neither willing to yield.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, a defining moment arrived. With a final, ferocious roar, Taiga lunged forward, her jaws clamping onto the bear's throat with unrelenting force. The grizzly's struggles weakened, its roars of defiance subsiding into desperate gasps. And then, with one last shuddering breath, the bear collapsed, defeated.

As the echoes of the battle faded into the stillness of the autumn forest, Taiga stood victorious, her breath ragged, her body marked by wounds that bore testament to her unyielding courage. She turned her gaze toward the young wolf pup, ruby gaze moving over it to make sure that it hadn't been injured during the melee. With her bloodied jaws open and tongue lolling, the feline spoke through her panting. "Are you... alright?"

The hulking cat's limbs began to shudder and she sat down hard, wincing as the action pulled the slices in her side. Curling her head, Taiga inspected the bleeding wound. It was just flesh and fur. Nothing vital had been struck, thankfully. It didn't  feel as though any ribs had been broken. Her muscles were sore and the battle had left her tired. Rannoch was going to be upset with her for getting herself injured yet again.

Once Taiga caught her breath, she released a long, low call that she knew would undoubtedly carry for miles. The pups pack hadn't arrived yet, but she had no doubt that they soon would. Again her ruby gaze settled on the pup and, now that she wasn't distracted with saving its life, she noted that it was a young girl. Just as she was about to speak once more, a black bear, a deer and a porcupine ran hurriedly past. One bloodied paw rose and Taiga motioned the pup to come closer and into the safe space between her forelegs. Nothing would dare run Taiga over. She would protect the pup until her family arrived to escort her home.

"Taiga"

WC-827 (Met)

The autumn day pulls the young Zion further from her home than she normally goes. Long shadows cast by the tall giants of the land hide her bright form as she slips through the forest, the girl eagerly tracking an herb that her mother had told her about. The elusive lamb’s ear is close by and the pup is bound and determined to bring the prize home to Halo. The fact that the border is close by goes unnoticed by the single-minded pup and any thoughts of danger are from the girl’s mind. Rabbits rush past her as she draws closer the hard-to-find plant but the fleeing prey animals are of no concern to her.

And then danger comes charging toward her.

A lumbering grizzly hastily beats a path through the land, nostrils flaring in agitation as its path cuts straight toward, and through, Zion. Lavender eyes snap up to the behemoth as it approaches, dread making her paws grow roots as her jaw drops open. No sound passes her lips as her body silently quakes, the girl stuck dumb and still as death rapidly advances on her. A deep, ear splitting roar rents the air but it does not come from the bear.  No, it originates from nearby and pulls the grizzly, and pup’s, attention over to where a truly massive lioness charges forward.

Breathlessly, the girl watches as the lioness rushes in, engaging the bear in a sudden life and death struggling… over her. The ground shakes as the titans’ brawl and the girl is only able to watch the strange, terrifying fight that unfolds. It is a clash of speed and claws, blood suddenly flooding the air with it metallic scent as both cat and bear begin to bleed. As the battle rages on, Zion regains her sense enough to move herself out of harm’s way and ducks behind a gnarled root to continue to watch the battle’s outcome.

It is primal, ferocious and unrelenting, the seconds drags on as the girl wordlessly urges the lioness to come out victorious. Suddenly, the tide turns and the feline clamps down on the grizzly’s throat and triumph is now within the feline’s reach. Where there had been bedlam moments before, movements slow and the air is filled with gasps as the urge to live still flares within the bear. However, the lioness is merciless and, soon enough, the grizzly collapses, defeated.

With that, the feline looks to her and the girl’s lavender eyes peeking up over the root she was using as cover. The panted question is met with wide eyes and a gentle bob of her head as the cat’s legs begin to shake. Eyes widen further as the feline sits heavily, the wince making the girl’s eyes snap to the wound on her protector’s side. Worry knits her brows together as she whispers, “You’re hurt.” Zion says it mostly to herself as she tries to work up the courage to approach the feline that has saved her.

The cat releases a call for her pack and the girl blinks, slowly standing as the spell the battle had cast is broken. Suddenly, a cacophony of noise booms around them once more as even more animals appear; their paths of retreat do not take into consideration the small pup that lingers in the land. A blooded paw is raised toward her as the cat invites her into her wide arms and the pup is quick to accept the offer. Small form rockets into the cat’s chest, thudding against the white fur with enough force to rattle her own teeth. The animals avoid the feline and Zion buries her face into the bloodied white fur as she waits for the chaos to subside.

Finally, peace returns and she removes her face, turning her lavender eyes up toward her protector. Anxiously, the girl says again, “You’re hurt.” The lioness had been injured protecting her and the girl suddenly needs to take care of lioness. Remembering what her mother taught her, Zion begins to lick the blood away that she can see on the cat’s legs and chest as she tries to clean up the areas and identify any and all injuries the feline has. Besides the gashes on her side, the girl isn’t finding any other wounds on her chest and legs. Relief flows through her veins as she continues to clean the feline that has saved her life.


"Zion Fatalis"