I get she was trying to advise, but why so blunt?
Also, why advise me to go the solo path?
It was because of what she was...a fox.
That may not be what was behind her sudden push for me to give up, to walk a more solitary road, but...unlike wild beasts like wolves or lions, foxes weren’t known to be pack animals.
They didn’t thrive in groups.
They were solitary by nature—creatures that hunted, lived, and survived alone.
So to her, being surrounded by a horde of noisy goblins, having to watch me try to shape them into something greater, felt wrong. Unnatural.
I let out a slow breath, my chest tightening with the realization, before finally meeting her molten gaze.
"Thanks for the advice," I said evenly, "but I’m their leader. And I’ll continue to be their leader."
Even if I wasn’t perfect at it. Even if I sucked at it half the time.
It was who I was now. And no fox, no matter how smug, was going to shake me from that.
"You don’t understand," she said, her voice cool but edged with fire. "Our lives are linked now. That means every decision you make is tied directly to me. So I’m going to choose what is best for me."
My brow twitched. Best for her?
"What’s best for you?" I shot back, my tone dripping with sarcasm. "Shouldn’t that be—oh, I don’t know—’ what’s best for us
She didn’t respond. Not even a twitch of an ear. Just silence.
Fine. If she wasn’t going to answer that, I’d push further.
"And what exactly is this decision that’s so perfect for you?"
I pressed, narrowing my gaze.
Her molten eyes met mine, unwavering. "Getting stronger. Fast. That’s the only goal worth pursuing. Not wasting time catering to so many useless goblins."
I froze, teeth grinding.
"They’re only going to hold us back," Ariel pressed, her tails flicking as she leaned forward. "Make the smart decision, goblin."
Now she was saying ’us’.
"There is no us, fox," I snapped, my voice low but firm. "And as for whether or not they’re useless, that’s for me to decide...little fox."
"It’s Ariel," she corrected automatically, sharp and petulant.
"This is the problem, goblin," she said, her voice tightening. "I do not want what you’re pushing. The idea of it disgusts me."
"That is none of my business. I do not care what you want."
She paused for a couple of seconds, her ears twitching, then spoke again—this time in a darker tone, low and edged with venom.
"Then we might have a problem on our hands...Goblin."
The underlying threat in her voice was impossible to miss.
And it freaking vexed me.
My jaw tightened as I leaned forward, meeting her molten gaze head-on.
"And what exactly are you going to do about it?" I growled, my glare hard enough to cut. Whatever she was thinking, whatever she was planning, I was ready to deal with it.
Her expression shifted, hardening, the smugness draining away until nothing remained but a cold, flat stare.
Then the air itself seemed to shift. Heavy. Hostile.
My instincts screamed at me, telling me to be cautious.
"Goblin," she said, her voice carrying the weight of command. "Get rid of your clan members. They’ll only hold you back."
I narrowed my eyes, a slow burn rising in my chest.
So that was it. That was what she really thought.
I hadn’t realized how dangerous her thoughts were until this moment, but now she was laying them bare. And honestly, it was a good thing.
Better to see her fangs now than later. Better to deal with this while the wound was fresh, before it grew into something worse.
"If you can’t bring yourself to do it, I can help," she said flatly, as if offering to fetch water instead of suggesting something monstrous.
Then slowly turned to her, my eyes widening as rage bubbled up from deep in my chest.
"Little fox," I said, my voice low and dangerous, "do you understand what you’re saying?"
"My name is Ariel," she snapped back, her aura flaring hot, pressing against the air like a rising flame.
I leaned forward, my glare sharp enough to cut.
"You just revealed evil intent toward my clan members," I said, my voice hard as steel. "And I will not let that slide... little fox."
I stressed the words on purpose, twisting them like a knife.
At this point, I didn’t care about her pride, didn’t care about the matriarch fox.
No one—fox or otherwise—was going to threaten me or my clan and walk away unchallenged.
"Goblin! I believe I told you my name is Ariel!"
She rose to her feet, blue flames sparking to life around her, hovering in the air like ghostly embers. Her three tails unfurled and swirled behind her, radiating power.
"You did," I answered calmly, my tone sharp as a blade. "But I do not care. Little fox."
Blue fire surged outward in a violent wave, the room instantly sweltering. Heat pressed against every surface, making the air shimmer. The stone walls groaned faintly as the temperature spiked.
But I remained exactly where I stood.
[Fractured Existence] flared to life instinctively, the distortion wrapping around me like a second skin. The heat washed past as if I weren’t even there, brushing against me harmlessly, the inferno reduced to nothing more than a warm breeze.
Her power roared. Mine simply ignored it.
Zarah appeared at the entrance, her eyes narrowing the moment she saw the scene. She didn’t even need to ask to know something was wrong, but still her voice cut through the tension.
"Chief, what’s going on?"
Ariel’s head snapped toward her, molten gaze hardening.
I felt the intent rolling off her in that instant, sharp and lethal.
And immediately, I knew...