Aaron looked around the forest where he and Halmil had landed. They were deep in the forest, so deep he almost doubted anyone had ever seen it, perhaps it was only populated by whatever animals called these shadows home. He was sure that none of them were friendly, not this deep in the forest. He looked over at the obelisk and rolled his shoulders, well he was going to get nowhere if he didn't move. Part of him was excited that he was getting a chance to compete against Leon and his family, he liked them for sure, but he also wanted to see if he was as powerful as he seemed, Leon seemed to exude some sort of power, even when simply standing, doing nothing.

It was time to see exactly how powerful he actually was.

He looked at the bird perched on his shoulder and shrugged, causing the familiar to wing away to the sky. He dropped his pack and started to look through all the items he had packed in there, the pack contained everything from water to a stick of grey material that could be used as a massive explosive device if it was simply snapped in half. He rooted around until he found what he was looking for, it was a long device that he unfolded and turned to look at the obelisk, with a quick motion he stabbed it into the stone face, chipping off a part of the rock, it slid down the hollow cylindrical tube that was the device, and with a practiced ease he folded it back up with a flick of his wrist, trapping the chip of stone inside the device. Aaron slowly turned in a circle until he felt the device buzz ever so slightly, a smile on his face.

“Halmil, we have a heading,” he said, shouldering his large bag and whistling once to call his familiar back to his shoulder. Halmil nodded and adjusted the blade on his hip, falling into step behind Aaron as he walked into the forest. “Well, Leon lets see how good you are at this little game.”

***

“They have both left the pillar and are on the way here,” Akura said. Pulling her hand off the ground and standing up to look at Leon, “I could break the pillar right now, it would be simple...”

“No, I will handle him, Krya, Fluffy, do you think you can take care of that obelisk?” he smiled, it looked like the grin of a madman, the mania gripping him wholly and completely.

“Who do you think you are talking to?” Krya asked, her face splitting into a smile.

“Yeah!” Fluffy copied her, placing her hands on her hips and cocking them to the side the same way her master had done.”What are we doing again?” she asked, and everyone including Akura smiled.

“Just stick with Krya, Fluffy, and you will be fine,” Lira said with a smile. “Come on Leon, it's time to do some hunting,” she pulled out a knife and slit her robes from her mid-thigh to the hem, tying the pieces to allowing her legs to move more freely. “Think you can keep up?” she asked with a smile, and before he could answer she took off, weaving through the trees like a predator who had scented her prey. The sight of her moving like that brought back so many memories, with a smile he closed his eyes. As she got further away from the back of his hand started to glow. He looked down at it as the fire spread from the tattoo and covered his body in black flames. They didn't burn, they just slightly warmed him, he smiled, remembering the first time this had happened. It started with his arm burning away into nothingness. In under twenty seconds however, he was fully consumed and turned into a fine black ash. Purple and golden runes and ancient drawings lit up the forest surroundings as a soft wind blew away the ash pile he used to be.

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“Well, that is one way to do it,” Akura said shaking her head at the fine powder that blew away in the soft wind.

The world came back to him, and he found himself a few feet above the ground as it raced past his feet, with an almost instinctive movement he braced and placed one foot on the ground, pushing off with it to begin the run.

“Cheater,” Lira laughed from beside him, easily running with the long strides her legs afforded her. He smiled, and with more flourish than he really needed he allowed his human form to burn off of him. Flames devoured his skin as he ran, allowing the Lion-god that he really was to show through, Lira’s eyes widened as she watched him change.

***

The crowd gasped in shock and horror as they watched Leon change, even little Eva shook slightly as she watched him be consumed by the flames and emerge as something different. Caitlyn had always felt that he was hiding something, but she had never even considered something like this. The creature that came out of the flames was like a lion that stood on two legs, all muscles and pride. The mane around his head was red and black flames that streamed behind him devouring anything that they touched, two flaming wings also appeared, he held them angled straight back.

She would not have recognized him if not for the eyes, they blazed red, a burning fire that she recognized all too well. “Mama?” she forcefully looked away from the glass scrying screen and down at her little girl who was now sitting with her face buried in her chest, not looking at the screen. “Will Leon be-” the little girl broke off and looked back at the monstrosity on the screen and shook slightly, looking away quickly.

“Baby,” she cooed out softly, “Look at the eyes,” and she used her hand to turn her daughter’s face back to the screen. “That is still Leon, see, those eyes are the same,” she smiled.

“He looks scary, mommy,” she sniffed.

“Don’t worry, he is only like this when he is fighting,” she said, and she hoped she was right.

“So he will go back to normal?”

“Yes dear,” she softly ran her fingers through her daughter’s hair, and prayed she was right, if only for Evangeline's sake…

***

“What is that noise?” Halmil asked as both of them paused, it had been a roar, some sort of primal call that caused Aaron’s blood to chill in his veins. Halmil drew the blade at his belt, the runes on the blade casting him in a strange blue glow over him. The roar sounded again, and as they turned Aaron saw two monstrosities charging at them from out of the tree line.

One was instantly recognizable, it was Lira, her long silver hair streaming behind her, golden eyes blazing, horns pointed forward as though she was going to run him through with them. The long skirt of her robe tied back to allow her long digitigrade legs to run at their full speed and lope, but it was the eyes that were different, there was something about the feral look in them that caused his breath to hitch, that was not the sweet girl he knew, it was a lioness on the hunt.

The other monster had to be over six feet tall and was some half man half lion that was wreathed in flames, it closed its clawed fingers like it was holding something, and in its hand sprung to life a blade that seemed to be constructed of black and red flames. He glanced at its face and found he recognized the eyes burning there in the monster’s skull.

He knew those eyes, they belonged to his friend Leon.

“Fuck my life-” he managed to get out before the pair of lions descended on them...