[minifun990]

Jelia was very nervous and her father was not helping at all. He was pacing, shooting looks at Jelia as if she could disappear at any moment. The two of them had already grilled Ladon and Pura for every single detail they remembered from their strange dream experiences. They had already worried over every possibility, no matter how many times Agan said they should be prepared not concerned.

Pulin hadn't even believed Puras dream at first. Not even as she spouted impossible knowledge of herbology or brought back more plants than even seemed to exist on the island. But as soon as he’d seen the thick golden horns on Ladon’s head he’d taken everything far more seriously. He became one of the most helicopter parents Jelia could imagine. It was almost worse than when she’d said she wanted to become a warrior.

Maybe it was worse because she could see her Paree (slang for non specific gender parent, such as mommy or daddy) worrying as well. It was obvious, but Agan definitely wasn't debating enough of Pulins fretting to be normal.

It was inevitable though, eventually Jelia had to go to sleep. She fought yawns, as her parents panicked but she remained. If she was going to go through this it would be with the kind lions she was raised by.

So she closed her eyes, expecting not to see the same den when she opened them again.

As soon as she opened her eyes she could already see she was somewhere different from what Ladon or Pura described it. It was a forest yes, but different from what Pura described. Instead it had huge towering trees, and as she sniffed in there was no mistaking them. It was a pine forest but each pine was taller than Jelia had ever seen.

She strode forward quickly, something drawing her forward until she saw a huge beast. Easily double her size, with dark brown shaggy fur. Its large nose twitched and as it saw her it stood. First on four legs but then even more terrifyingly, on two hind legs.

Jelia stood stock still, watching it glare at her, noticing its huge claws, huge teeth, huge muscles. But she didn't twitch, no use firing off its chasing instincts. This seemed to calm the giant a little and it just growled before speaking.

“What is a lioness doing in my territory?” The creature snarled. Jelia just bowed her head, this must be a god just like Ladon and Pura met. The creature just snorted.

“Greetings I am Jelia, from Mystic Isle pride-”

“Oh great, one of those lions.” The creature interrupted, rolling his beady eyes. “What, I just bless you and you leave me in peace?”

“I-”

“Don’t answer, you females are all the same.” Jelia bristled at that remark and was gearing up a good response but was stopped with the creature laying a paw on her. It was extremely heavy but she would not show any weakness in front of this jerk.

He closed his eyes and Jelia felt information slip into her mind. She saw him, Okros the warrior bear cry as he stared at a, a Yak? The image slipped away and her own memories of fighting came to the front. A burst of respect came from Okros, though she could feel him quickly try to bury it then-

She was being shaken. Her eyes were closed too, and when she opened them it seemed all she could see was fur. But it wasn't brown and coarse. It was soft and brown and white and orange and beige. It was her parents curled around her.

To say they were pleased to see her awake would be an understatement. But Jelia was just glad she didn't have any relics from the bear like Ladon did
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