The three of them were currently riding on the back of Krya’s wolf. The large beast had strength enough to carry three people with ease as it effortlessly loped through the forest.

They had been felling beasts left and right all day, in fact they had started to learn the quirks of each other. It was honestly the most fun Lira had ever had in her life. She leaned back against Leon’s broad chest and smiled closing her eyes.

“So the two of you are intimate.” Krya said looking at the two of them without any expression on her face.

“Ehhh?” Lira’s eyes shot open and her cheeks burned red. “Whhaaaa- no we just.”

“I don’t particularly care.” she interrupted Lira’s rambling denial and looked at the two of them with emotionless icy eyes. “I am merely stating the facts, I have no opinion on them, so there is no need to waste your breath denying them.”

Lira was going to continue denying them even if Krya didn't care, but just when she was about to open her mouth the wolf under them stopped moving and started to growl. Shelving all the coversation they all got ready for a fight.

Out of the forest walked the largest wolf man she had ever seen. His tan fur glinted brightly even in the shadowy twilight of the forest. His entire body was covered in tribal markings, and a thin loincloth was wrapped around its private section.

It was one of the few intelligent beasts that lived in this forest, it was also one of the most difficult beasts to defeat.

“What is a Lapith doing this close to the edge?” Lira asked.

Krya’s wolf charged the Lapith, and lunged with a snarling bite, only to be cought by the open hands of the beast man. With a roar he picked up the wolf and slammed it into the ground stunning it. And then it placed his hands on both the top and the bottom of the muzzle. With a sickening display it pulled the two apart, and before long there was a sound heard as the jaw of the familiar was broken off.

With a savage yank the beast pulled the lower jaw and ripped it entirely free of the poor massive wolf’s face. It stumbled back in pain, making a gurgling noise, before having its throat slashed by the Lapith.

Krya fell to her knees, as the black fire consumed the corpse. She had a pained look on her face and she was holding the brand on her hand as though it had just been burned into her flesh.

“I can bring him back, I will need time however.” she said, her voice strained.

“Lira, barrier.” Leon said, looking at the beast.

“But-”

“Lira barrier now!”

With a curse she started to chant the spell, like most of the holy arts the barrier required a small sacrifice from the caster, in this case it was blood. Pulling a small dagger free she slid it across the palm of her hand.

It hurt.

Fighting back the pain she let the blood well up and started to chant the spell. Golden light spread with her as the epicenter. The Lapith dashed forward.

Just as the spell was about to finish Leon grabbed her and threw her the opposite direction. As she landed a large golden dome covered both leon and the Lapith.

“No!” she screamed as she rushed forward and threw herself against the barrier.

The Lapith launched himself forward, and Leon roared like a lion as he lunged to meet him fist for claw.

The two clashed.

The Lapith was much larger than Leon, larger by a good three of four feet, and looked to be much better built aswell, muscles rippled under the fur as it grappled with the familiar.

It came at him claws ripping and teeth snapping like a wild beast. Lira was mesmerized by the sight for a second, but quickly recovered and started casting the support spells Leon would no doubt soon need.

Neither of them payed attention noticed the small girl with silver hair just outside the barrier as they grappled and slashed at one another. With a snarl Leon hooked one arm around the Lapith’s neck and turned around, yanking the head back over his shoulder.

But before the arm could finish its move the wolf launched off of the ground and flipped over backwards, planting his feet in Leon’s gut. The blow knocked the Leon off balance and while he was unable to counter the wolf swept in from below and grabbed him by the throat, lifting him up off the ground before driving him back down onto it with a massive amount of force.

The ground rumbled with the shock, and Lira cried out in surprise as Leon coughed up blood. The wolf looked over to her and snarled. It approached the barrier, leaving the wheezing Leon there to cough up blood.

Lira looked at the approaching wolf, he had a curious look in his eyes, as well as a less than pleasant one.

The Lapith were known for capturing women, this one seemed to have such aspirations.

But before it could get any closer to the barrier Leon threw himself on the back of the Lapith, sinking his teeth into the beast's neck like some crazed animal. Blood sprayed all over, splashing all over the barrier and obscuring Lira’s view.

With a sound that was a half growl half whimper the wolf threw himself on his back, crushing Leon who was currently clinging to him. The hard crash was enough to dislodge the teeth from out of the wolves neck, and stun the Leon. With a snarl that would scare even a demon the wolf flipped over and grabbed the now stunned Leon by the neck and started repeatedly bashing his head into the ground.

There was no movement from Leon.

“Leon?” Lira called softly, the Lapith was currently panting and holding its bleeding neck as it stood over the unmoving Leon. Turning it once again started to come towards Lira, this time noticeably slower.

But once again before making it more than a few steps it was stopped.

Looking down it saw there was a blood stained hand wrapped tightly around its ankles. Leon sat up, slowly, the back of his head was a bloody mess, and it looked like there were some claw marks all over his face.

But his eyes.

His eyes burned red like the fires of hell.

“Hey asshole, I'm not done with you.” he growled, and leaping up he grabbed the Lapis by the throat and slammed him into the ground. The wounded wolf attempted to crawl away with a whimper.

Leon walked forward, as he did large black wings sprouted from his back, and horns grew from his temples. Archaic writings spread out across the skin of his arms and neck.

“I am not done with you by a long shot.” he said, his voice going a level deeper than it was normal. Flying forward with an unbelievable speed he picked up the Lapith with a single hand.

“You shall turn to dust!” he growled and his eyes glowed with a fiery light, as if listening to a command the wolf in his hands drained of all color and turned into a statue, a soft wind blew and before their very eyes the Lapith was blown away as grains of dust.

The barrier faltered and fell, and rushing in Lira was about to grab onto Leon when he turned toward her.

That look.

The look of anger, rage, hatred.

Odium.

She halted, as he looked at her, was this Leon? The Leon that held her? The Leon that cared? The Leon that listened?

He looked at her with cold indifference.

No, she would not allow herself to lose the one person she cared for, her mother was gone, no one else loved her, she would not be alone in this world.

Tears in her eyes she threw herself into him and wrapped her arms around him.

Slowly the fire faded from his eyes, as did the wings on his back and runes on his skin. He looked down at the sobbing mess that was Lira who was holding onto him for dear life, almost like she was afraid that if she let go he would disappear.

With a smile he wrapped her in his arms and held her.

Far above them a shadowy figure looked down on them. “Interesting, most interesting,” it laughed, and with a small sound it disappeared into thin air...