/ PLAINS OF FAEILAN /

Alke heard the loud footsteps approaching the place where her mother is supposed to be, getting his sleep interrupted he peeked above his shoulder and saw the massive frame of what he thinks as his father. As they approach each other and rubbed their heads as a sign of affection, he can hear them growl as they communicate with each other. He can only understand pieces and bits of their conversation.

"... boy blessed... y mothe.. thank.. ther.."

".... alke .. gifte.. intellige.. mother.. plains.."

The cub is confused but it is a given despite understanding some word he can't expect to understand the language entirely. Throwing those useless thoughts out of his mind as he focused his sight on a green colored marble which his parents dug out from the carcass of a large and mean looking antelope.

He can't explain it but his attention is drawn to this marble of unusual color. It has the sweet smell that attracts his nose, just the thought of licking this sweet looking marble brought drool on his chin. Seeing his parents distracted on their conversation he sneak past them and snatched the tasty looking marble from the back of his mother.

Having enough distance to prevent someone to disturb his time with this delectable treat, he licked it and boy was it heavenly.

It tasted like drinking a cold sweet juice in the middle of scorching heat, quenching his thirst that he isn't even aware of. Aggressively chewing the marble, he is astonished that the marble doesn't even have a nick after all that chewing knowing his fangs is more powerful than an average lion back on earth.

' Why won't this thing budge?!' He thought. As his patience run thin every bite he take on the mana core. Squirming and rolling on the ground, Alke accidentally swallowed the marble which is big enough to block his esophagus.

Clawing his neck, he desperately inhales air but there is nothing he can do but struggle as his vision blur from the tears flowing from his feline eyes.

Not paying attention on his parents who worriedly run towards him, he only have two choice. Force the marble out of his airway or try his best to swallow the whole thing, making the fastest decision he ever made in his entire life, he decided to swallow it.

" URK!" Betting his life on this decision, he swallowed it and relief wash over him as he can finally breath. Noticing his parents roar in astonishment, he tilted his head asking why would they roar at him.

Thinking back, the marble might be precious and only the adults could eat one. Dreading the scolding he would take, he closed his feline eyes and waited for a painful lecture.

Sure enough, he felt the pain surge from his stomach, opening his eyes he saw his mother with a worried look in her eyes but no one is hitting him. Yet he can feel a prickling sensation in his abdomen.

' Whats wro-' Alke roared in pain as his thoughts is interrupted by a blinding pain enough to make a grown man cry and bawl in his mother's bossom.

Giving a cry of anguish, he felt the world turn and spin making him puke his meal and empty his bladder. Unfortunately enough,his pain won't end here. Mocking the cub for his naivety, the pain increased by tenfold.

Seeing the club suffer from mana intoxication, both lions knew it would end in the death of their cub. Maja is in brink of crying watching his son howling in pain.

Alke can sense his imminent doom and can only feel the pain in his abdomen numb his whole body rendering him frozen in place.

A feeling of being reinvigorated puzzles him as he was sure that the marble must be a poison and not supposed to be eaten.

Regaining his senses,he instinctively release excess mana he got from eating the mana core of the antelope. He doesn't recognize mana but he can feel it and he let his instinct save him from his imminent doom.

Releasing large amounts of mana, he roared as his paws sunk under the peer pressure of his mana release. Mana release pertains to the method of releasing mana from skin pores using it as a fuel for spells they cast.

Maja and Luka felt the mana in the body of their cub lighten and encouraged the cub to continue it. They can do nothing but watch as the cub struggles to the mana burdening his body.

" That's it boy! Let it all out! Let the fuzzy feeling in your abdomen burst out of your body."

Perhaps hearing his father's instructions, he exert a staggering amount of mana out of his small body by letting out a loud roar scaring the wildlife and birds into fleeing from what they presume as a powerful mana beast.

Alke choked as he spit out the remaining marble, still retaining it's luster but losing a third of its size. Gazing at his surroundings, he is surprised to see his paws buried under a pile of dusts and rocks.

Spent from releasing large amounts of mana he passed out from exhaustion and let his parents deal with the aftermath of his foolishness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Maja saw what's left on his son's body, limbs devoid of muscles and an emaciated face only those who didn't have sustenance for weeks would possess.

Luka on the other hand acted swiftly and check the breathing of his foolish cub, sensing the pulse of his son he paled knowing how dangerous would it be if the cub didn't released the excess mana he ate.

Maja who is late casted the spell 'Heal' which the lion interrupted. "As of now, he won't die from the mana but he is in a weakened state. Let his body heal naturally and we can feed him meat after he woke up, this ordeal fastened the growth of his body."

Looking at boy, Maja can sense the turbulent mana swirling in the abdomen of his son and it also developed his body rivaling a physique of a three month old cub albeit thin. This means that he advanced at the stage where he can wield mana like a warrior. It is a miracle to be a warrior in the span of three days after he's born.

" After three days of being born, he is already on the path of being a Great Warrior! He is truly gifted by the Mother of Plains."

" But a scolding is needed to teach this cub for doing something idiotic." The lioness said as he gazed at the sleeping Alke.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Opening his eyes, Alke saw his mother laid beside him and is tending to his siblings who also slept beside him. Standing up is impossible as he saw his thin and weak body, he stumbles and produced a thud alerting his mother that he is awake.

"My son Alke, are you hungry?" Her mother asked as he slowly turn her head, licking his thin body as she checked his health.

Suddenly, a feeling of hunger hit him as his stomached growled asking for food.

" Yes mama." He said as he shakily made way for the breast of his mother wanting to get that breast milk. Ignoring the shame he felt, he fed on breast milk and sucked aggressively to appease the hunger.

" Hoho, take it easy child. It appears you're hungry after foolishly eating a mana core."

He froze as he heard his mom point out his mistake, looking in his mother's eyes he apologized as he snuggled beneath his mom. He cried knowing he was close to dying again because of his naivety.

" Sorry mama, i w-wouldn't do it again." He said between sobs.

Missing his family, being transported in this dangerous world and even experiencing the pain of dying by mana intoxication is enough to brought Alke to tears.

Gazing at her son cry, Maja licked his tears away and rubbed her head against his affectionately." My son, just cry in mama's shoulder. You cubs should just enjoy and have fun running in the plains, always know that mama will watch and protect you."

Hearing his mother's passionate words, he laid beside her and continued his meal. After finishing the meal, he thanked his mother." Mama, thank you."

He mumbled as he sleeps in the comfortable warmth of Maja. The lioness licked her son as it slumbers in her abdomen.

Luka seeing this scene, approached his mate and praised her for his dedication to look after their cubs.

" I am lucky to have you as my mate Maja."

" I am also blessed to have this cute cubs and you."

Rubbing their heads on each other, they felt grateful for the goddess giving them this wonderful pride.