"Hurry up, we need to get Leo inside," May cried and before Mena or Ashlan could process the lioness being the first sage, they dragged the limp body of Ashlan's brother inside the temple.

Janus helped, (despite her extremely thin wrist bones) and together, they hauled Leo inside.

"Any further commands, New Brave Sage?" the feminine voice asked and Ashlan observed her does about to attack.

"Yes," she said, and Anguish's face grimaced. "Close door!"

The door slammed before Toyah and Mr. O'Ryan could devour their kids and their friends.

"Sorry mom and dad," Ashlan said, out of breath. "The next time you want to have dinner with us. Do it the old fashioned way."

"Good one," Janus said with a cheerful smile, but all she earned was a pair of frowns from May and the lioness herself.

Mena felt slightly bad after all Janus had done for them, but the murder of Tal was fresh in her mind, and besides, Ashlan had admitted that she wanted to be her Romulus. After a night of shocking revelations, that was the capper.

Mena went to answer Ashlan, but the lioness shushed her. Mena's eyes widened in amazement at Ashlan's gesture, but the lioness said, "Best we find out what to do now that we're trapped in here."

"Good thinkin''" Mena nodded. "My brain already feels like jelly anyway."

The beast temple was dark and illuminated only by torches racked with emerald flames. A stone staircase adorned by more torches and hieroglyphics of ancient beasts was the only manner of descent.

"Looks like we're heading downwards," Mena said, and helped the girls lift Leo's body.

Mena put her back and her bony shoulders into lifting him, and she groaned, "Miserable Magicaps, this guy is one big beast of burden."

May turned her head sideways to Janus, "How about we have the friend betrayer carry Leo from the front. That way she'll cushion his blow if we drop him down the stairs."

Janus pouted, causing her gaunt cheekbones to shrivel fuether. With her giant spikey hairdo, Mena thought Janus looked like a angry gothic cockatoo again.

"Do you really want Leo to land on a pile of bones?" Janus asked, equally angry at May.

"Yeah," May said angrily. "Because they'd be your bones."

"Guys," Mena said, "I'm not happy about what Janus did…" and she muttered, "Especially to Tal, but she saved our lives. That's Leo included."

May puffed herself up and sighed. "I'm not thanking her, she's already dead to me."

"Always was," Janus remarked blithely, but she helped lift Leo regardless of May's jeers.

The four girls made their way down the flight of steps, slowly inching their way while carrying Leo's limp body. "What's even in this temple?" Mena asked with a grunt. "The only thing I like is we get a breather from the hubub outside."

Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators!

"But what about the hubub inside?!" the womanly voice called out to them.

They reached the bottom of the stairs where an enormous woman stood clad in bronze armor and a lion shaped helmet with a frayed mane to it. Upon closer inspection, the woman had a triangular cat nose much like Ashlan herself. She had long hairs on her cheeks.

"Uh oh…" Mena muttered, nearly dropping Leo in the process. "Something tells me we're in for a big fight! I didn't even know women could grow facial hair like that…" she grinned sheepishly and looked away, "aside from my wispy stache hairs sometimes."

"These are whiskers!" the giant woman boomed. "Or a lion stache, as a human like you might call it."

"Who are you…?" Mena stammered. "Why do you look like someone who'd confront Monkler in animal prison?"

Ashlan's eyes sparkled brightly. "No way...it's not possible. Are you...Leonahart the Brave?"

The giant lion woman chuckled and made a muscle. "It seems even in death, I still have fans!"

"Am I ever," Ashlan said, and she released Leo to walk towards her heroine. "The victor of the Dark Beast Wars and then knighted a triumphant title after your death."

"You're dead?" Mena said, wobbling as she struggled to hold Leo without Ashlan.

"One of my daddy's most prized pelts," Janus bragged but when everyone glared at her including Leonahart, she asked, "Too soon?"

Ashlan rushed back to grasp Leo and lower him to the ground. "Yes," Leonahart said without a shred of shame. "And I died performing the greatest duty, being the Brave Sage of the Mind Jungles."

Ashlan raised her eyebrows. "But uh...what does that entail? I mean, didn't the temple just call me the Brave Sage."

Leonahart beckoned the heroes. "Come follow me into the center of this temple and I will tell you."

Ghostly green embers trailed behind Leonahart as she walked off.

"So uh…" Mena shivered nervously. "Who wants to follow a ghost into the depths of a spooky temple?"

"Dunno what's wrong with that," Janus smirked casually. "I do that all the time!"

Mena observed May giving Janus such a death glare it even made the pixie reaper shiver.

Traveling deeper into the temple while carrying Leo's unconscious body, the four were only allotted by the fact that Leonahart brightened their way, lighting the torches on the wall as they passed. At last, they arrived at an enormous stone medallion carved into the floor. Shaped like a fist, the large stone disc gave off a mighty and triumphant feeling.

"This is the Sanctum of Bravery," Leonahart said, gesturing to an enormous statue behind them. They stood at the foot of an enormous stone Leonahart.

"To get here," she boasted, "I took down fifteen ape squadrons with my bare hands. I was a one beast Batta-Lion!"

Leonahart turned her glowing catlike eyes to Ashlan. "What exactly did you do?"

"I er…" Ashlan said, looking exasperated. "I admitted my feelings to someone I liked."

A crimson blush and a catlike smirk formed on Leonahart's face. "Oh romantic bravery huh?"

"I-Is that a problem?" Ashlan stammered.

"I may have faced gorilla guerillas bigger than me," Leonahart said brazenly, "but I must admit, I never worked up the bravery to admit my feelings to the one I loved. They may have well called me chickenheart."

Mena was suddenly enraptured with the feeling of romance. Who could this big fearsome lioness be afraid of in the game of love. "Who was it you never asked?" Mena asked. "Were they very hubba hubba?"

"That's a story for another time," Leonahart remarked with a shrug of her shoulders. "But now, young lion girl, what is your name?"

"Ashlan O'Ryan," the lioness said with a nervous head nod.

"Ashlan O'Ryan," said Leonahart and she placed her ghostly hands on Ashlan's shoulders. "Long ago, there was a legendary woman, a good witch who wore the Dream Heels and sealed the Nightmare Void away. She had chosen me to guard those powerful heels for all eternity. I failed and now, the Nightmare Void threatens to consume this whole universe."

Leonahart the brave thrusted a finger into Ashlan's face." Ashlan O'Ryan, as the next brave sage, you must remain here and pray to awaken the Dream Heels' power yet again!"

Ashlan nearly choked on her words. "Wait a minute," she said, grasping at her lion pearls. "Remain here...what about school?"

Leonahart nodded. "If you wish to save the universe, you must remain here."