shiny new toy

He was all grown up now. While he didn't have the impressive stature of most of his siblings, he was no slouch. Well. He was slouching, right now, but he wasn't a tiny pup anymore. He'd been practicing his moves, and he felt like he was ready to challenge for a warrior's rank. Would he fight his dad, who hardly even looked him in the eye anymore? Or his big brother, who he knew scorned him? It was a cutthroat family, the Fatalis clan. He needed to prove his worth as a force to be reckoned with, or he wouldn't get anywhere.

He didn't have the armour that his siblings did, but he had his friends. Peabody the pangolin and Pebble the bat, who would make sure he didn't do something foolish. Tipping back his heavy skull, the yearling prince let loose a booming summons from deep in his chest. He'd picked a relatively clear space in the valley that split the Col in twain. The ground was sodden with melting snow, grass underfoot crumpling beneath his huge paws. No waiting for better weather, he was going for it! Head held high and shoulders squared, Stratum waited to see who would answer his challenge.