The enormous Böser wolf stood poised at the entrance of the cave when Talwen approached. She slowed and hovered in the air, massive wings rustling the leaves and flattening the grass that surrounded the wide opening. He’s smart, she thought as she surveyed the situation. He wants to limit my aerial dominance.

She landed on all fours and built a massive pool of mana in her belly. He is naive if he thinks flight is my only advantage though. She released the mana in an enormous flash of intense fire. The rocks that lined the entrance of the cave melted as her fire burned through everything before her.

The wolf recoiled deeper into the cave, but couldn’t escape the fire. The smell of burning fur filled the air as it was pinned against the back wall of the cave. The only saving grace was the incline of the cave. The floor nearest the back wall fell away and gave the wolf a small space to hide in.

Talwen burned the cave front for over a minute, releasing her pent up frustrations with the last few weeks. Letting loose was satisfying, and when she finally released the mana, the den before her was absolutely incinerated.

The destruction was immediately evident. Molten rock dripped from the mouth of the cave and pooled all along the floor. Acrid black smoke filled the area, obscuring Talwen’s view. Surely he is dead. The rock itself couldn’t withstand my fire. Still, I must be sure. Tentatively, she snaked her head through the smoke and into the cave.

Once she crossed the threshold, the burly wolf struck. Protected from the absolute worst of the fire, the beast had survived but not without taking enormous damage. His fur traded for his survival, his paws were blistered and bleeding. Blood dripped and patches of his skin hung from his frame, yet he attacked from beneath her with the strength and fury of a cornered king.

Jaws as big as her own clamped around Talwen’s throat and the beast used his bulk and momentum to attempt to roll Talwen to the ground. She turned with the blow, and whipped the wolf around, smashing him into the side of the cave. His fangs cut deep gashes into her neck as he lost his grip, pulling free scales and exposing the soft flesh underneath. Talwen growled in pain.

She crouched low as the wolf slowly stood again. Blood pooled beneath him as his body broke down. His muscles shook, but his eyes remained focused. He bared his fangs at her, but didn’t lunge again. This is the end, she thought, staring him down. All you know is strength. You should have run. This was a fight you could never win.

She stepped back slowly until she felt her tail brush against the wall of the cave, baiting the wolf into one final attack. She built the pool of mana in her belly again, drawing in the heat and ambient mana from her previous blaze. The wolf, seeing Talwen retreat to the opposite wall of the cave, took her bait.

With a final ferocious snarl, the great wolf lunged forward with all his strength. His first leap would cross the distance between them, his second would see him latch onto her neck. He would not back down, or run away. He would prove his strength and rebuild his pack. As he began his final charge, immense fire erupted from the dragon and completely engulfed him.

Talwen burned the wolf until she was sure there was nothing left. The force of the fire in such a small area shot smoke out the entrance of the cave and pushed her up against the wall. She didn’t have the energy to reach the temperatures of her first blaze, but what she had was more than enough.

She released the burn and inhaled deeply, trying to center herself just in case, but there was no more danger. Burned blood and charred bones were all that remained of the wolf. Once she was sure of her victory, Talwen climbed from the cave and let loose another booming roar.

THIS IS MY TERRITORY

Her roar echoed throughout the landscape. Birds fluttered from the trees and headed to the coast. Ratkel froze within their caves. Humans were startled awake. Talwen couldn’t care less. For the first time in weeks, for the first time since the attack on her home, she felt powerful. She took to the sky and flew to her perch atop the mountain and rested, waiting to welcome the new day.

===========================================

Enzo didn’t bother sleeping after he heard Talwen’s first roar. The dragon had found the predator in the forest, and had decided war was the answer. He was tired, but he felt instinctively that he should stay up and await her return.

He wrapped the egg in his pack and attached it to his back, then grabbed the ledger and charcoal from the bookshelf in his room. This thing is pretty heavy. If I’m going to be awake all night, I may as well try to get stronger. He drew out a small grid, and checked that the egg was secure, then began doing some basic workouts.

Starting with squats, Enzo did as many repetitions of the movements as he could without stopping. He then recorded the number in his ledger and moved to the next exercise. All the while, he focused on circulating heat around the egg on his back. Multitasking, strengthening my muscles and my mind at the same time. Talwen’s gonna be so proud, he thought as he pushed through each exercise.

Eventually, he was too tired to continue. He’d been able to circulate the heat away from his body while he worked, so he’d managed to avoid soiling his clothes with sweat. Really nice trick, going to have to remember it if I’m ever somewhere official. He pictured himself on a tournament

field in full armor during the summer, laughing as all the other warriors slowly sweat themselves to death and smiled.

Another roar from Talwen broke him from his daydream and sent a shiver down his back. This one is different from the last. The first felt like a challenge, and this one just feels like domination. Hope I never fall on her bad side. He returned the ledger to the bookshelf, then returned the egg to its place in the fire pit and lit a fire.

Comfortable that the egg was secure, Enzo turned from the fire and walked to the rear entrance to the cave. A light drizzle had started at some point in the night, and he watched as the drops of water fell from the skies and into the sea below.