Leo fought to catch his breath as he watched his brother stride across the thin layer of grass that just about carpeted the rock. There at last was Sam. The one they had feared dead.

Every brain cell in Leo’s head screamed for him to run towards his brother and take him away from the monster beside him. But the connection between Leo's brain and body must have frozen, as he remained motionless, only his eyes afforded the luxury of movement as he watched on.

‘This is, Sam,’ said Arctier, proudly showing him off as if he were a prized jewel.

‘He looks a fine boy, Arctier,’ Tepey agreed, still distracting Arctier from engaging any more of his senses, ‘how long has it been since you brought him to Libero?’

‘Sam’s been here for a while now, though it was only recently that I happened upon him and a friend as they were walking through Saxum.’

‘He’s not one of yours then?’

‘No, no. I've Devolo to thank for bringing Sam here. I did not know he had returned to Libero, let alone brought anyone with him.’

As Arctier looked at Sam, Leo’s heart sank as he saw an all too familiar look in his brother’s eyes. Sam had always been able to inspire his friends to follow his every command, a true leader for better or worse. But, when he came across someone who could do the same to him, Leo had seen how easily he could be led, following every order without question, and those orders tended to lead him away from anything good.

‘You haven’t seen Devolo then?’

‘No. Sam said that the coward dropped them here and flew straight back to wherever he calls home, leaving them to fend for themselves,’ Arctier growled, rising from where he had been resting on the rock, ‘none of that matters now, Tepey, for this one is truly special. He is going to change everything. Sam will bring about a new era for all of Libero. Mark my words.’

Sam’s smile grew wider as Arctier spoke, inflating his already oversized ego. But his face started to change, going from one of self-righteousness, to one of concern and confusion as he began to look around.

‘I can smell something,’ he said, hunting for the location of the scent as his thin eyebrows arched towards his cold black eyes, ‘something familiar.’

Immediately, the rest of the pack were on red alert. Each of their bodies stiffening as their nostrils pointed skyward. Arctier however, remained relaxed as a broad smile stretched out across his menacing, fur-coated face.

‘Good, Sam. Very good. Never let your guard down. Always remain alert until you know exactly what you are dealing with. Even if it is someone you think you know,’ said Arctier, narrowing his eyes at Tepey, ‘remember, Tepey, always know your limitations. Now tell me, are you alone?’

Leo looked at Tepey, a man standing alone in front of a pack of cold-blooded killers, their lives in his hands. The hands of someone they had only just met.

‘Don’t make me count you down, Tepey.’

Tepey remained still, and Leo realised that they were forcing him to risk his life for theirs. It was bad enough that Leo’s friends had risked their lives for Sam, but to have someone he did not know put his life on the line for them was something he could not let happen.

‘He’s with us,’ Leo whispered, desperately trying to control his shaking limbs as he rose, ‘we’re with him!’ he shouted with more control, joining Tepey at the precipice.

‘That’s my brother!’ Sam pointed, his face contorting to become one of surprise.

Arctier looked from Sam to Leo, and then back again. Even the so far unshakeable Arctier looked bewildered, although he quickly shook it off.

‘Well, well, well, what a pleasant surprise. I have heard so much about you, Leo,’ Arctier grinned, fixing his beady black eyes on Leo, ‘what I had not heard, however, is that you would be joining us here,’ he growled.

‘I didn’t know!’ Sam said, fear resonating in his voice as his body shrank and his wings drooped behind his back.

‘Control your emotions, Sam!’ Arctier bellowed, swinging his huge round head to face him.

Leo saw the same scared look he had seen on his brother’s face so many times as they grew up. Whenever he had gotten into trouble with their mother, been caught out at school, or was faced up with the bigger kids, his brother would always have that same look. Perhaps it is a look only an older sibling gets to see or understand. Having been the first to go through all the things his brother would, Leo thought he would always have been there to help guide him away from making his mistakes, to help protect him from ever having that look. A look of innocence.

Leo went to move but Kaira rested her hand on his shoulder as she joined him where he stood.

‘It's ok,’ she whispered.

‘Quite the welcome party you are having up there, Tepey. You didn’t think to invite me?’ Arctier snarled.

‘I found them lost amongst the trees during the hunt. I thought it best not to risk anything,’ Tepey responded, his voice steady.

‘How thoughtful,’ quipped Arctier, before turning his attention back to Leo, ‘I assume Devolo’s been at it again has he? Leaving more helpless children alone in the land once his. He used to be such a wise man. A man of honour. But his judgments have become uncertain and clouded in his old age.’

‘We’re not helpless children!’ Kaira retorted before she could stop herself.

Quickly turning to face Kaira, Arctier’s huge head locked in place as though the desired gear had just rolled its teeth into the correct cog.

‘I do not doubt that for a second young lady,’ he said, his black lips curling up as he looked at her, ‘and what might I call you?’

‘That’s Kaira, and behind her is Bailey and Dorian. They’re all Leo’s friends,’ Sam answered for her, indicating each of them with a long pointy finger that had grown black nails, Leo's remaining friends having found their feet.

‘Is that so? How considerate of Devolo to bring social circles into our world. Not everyone was afforded the same niceties, were they?’ Arctier swung his big, bulky head in the direction of his pack, each of them shaking their heads before he brought it back around to face Tepey, ‘were they, Tepey?’

Leo glanced at Tepey, who’s yellow eyes were wide and reflected a certain sorrow in them.

‘No, they were not,’ Arctier answered for him.

‘What are we going to do with them?’ Sam asked Arctier before looking at his brother, portraying not the excitement Leo had expected having come to save him, but a look of loathing.

‘That is the question, Sam. That is the question.’

Arctier stood motionless as he calculated his next move

‘I would be no better than Devolo if I were to leave them here, would I? No, you four will journey with me to Saxum. From there I will show you the lands you now call home. You are each one of us now; you are going to need to learn the ways of the instinctive. With me you will learn how to finely hone your instincts, becoming more than you could possibly have envisaged in your wildest dreams.’

Sam’s face briefly flashed a look of outrage before he regained his composure. Leo was sure that this was something he had learned in Libero, as that face was usually followed up by a full-on strop.

‘Come down from there, Leo. Tepey’s provided you with all the sanctuary he can.’

Leo tried to meet Tepey’s eye, but he stood as though he was a man frozen in time.

Hesitantly, Leo looked down the steep slope they had run up only moments ago fearing for their lives. Now, he found himself taking one slow step followed by another as he led his friends back down it.

‘Don’t worry guys, we will be okay. If my brother's safe, then I’m sure we will be too,’ Leo told both them and himself.

Turning the corner at the bottom of the path, they found themselves face to face with the group they had been watching from out of harm's way. Arctier, who had already appeared huge from above now looked like a giant as they approached him.

Leo looked at the pack and could see through their brave fronts he tried to mirror whilst in Arctier’s presence. The sheer mass of the man was enough to make Leo’s legs tremble. He looked like someone had taken a lump of muscle, given it a few distinctive features, and then coated it in thick white fur and thought, job done. There was however one blemish regarding Arctier’s appearance, and that was found within his right ear where a small chunk was missing, only singed black marks left in its wake.

‘That’s better! I do not know what Devolo told you about Libero, Leo, but one thing I will tell you is that no one person should be thought of as better than the next. So, now we are on even ground, I welcome you as an equal.’

The ground shook beneath Leo as Arctier walked over to them, causing him to widen his stance to help keep his balance.

‘You look good, Leo, you look good! Powerful and brave! I can already see that in you. Just like your brother, you will fit in well here,’ boomed Arctier, pounding a plate sized paw against Leo’s shoulder. Although it looked effortless, and probably was to Arctier, the contact almost knocked the wind from Leo, and he felt as though he was being pushed further into the ground with each pat.

Leo brushed the dirt off his shoulder and stood up straight again as Arctier examined his friends.

‘Your friends, Leo, just look at your friends! Kaira, such tremendous markings, and don’t they suit you!’ He stroked one giant claw across her cheek, causing her to close her eyes as she waited for him to move away. ‘So shy …’

Leo wanted to push Arctier as far away from Kaira as he could, but before he could do anything, it was as if she had read his mind. Slightly opening one eye in Leo’s direction, Kaira subtly shook her head.

‘Dorian isn’t it?’ Arctier smiled as he turned his attention to him.

Upon standing in front of Dorian, Arctier lifted him from the ground with ease before turning him to face the other way. Dorian winced as Arctier drew one of his claws between his shoulder blades and down his back.

‘I see your wings are coming through already. Once you are in the air, you will have the time of your life, Dorian. You will also possess skills that can be invaluable if used correctly.’

Arctier spun a shaken looking Dorian back to face him before moving on. There was a small glint shining in his cold black eyes as if he thoroughly enjoyed seeing the effect he had on people.

‘Leaving you, Bailey. Your instinct is one of my absolute favourites to have developed across the whole of Libero. So big and so bold. Nothing in the land should scare you, and that is a rare feeling. Trust me.’

Arctier grinned once again, imposing his fierce teeth upon Bailey merely inches away from her terrified face.

‘Speechless,’ Arctier said, raising himself back up to his full height and glancing at Kaira before turning back to Sam, ‘are they always so talkative?’

‘She’s normally got something to say,’ Sam curled his lip as he pointed at Kaira, who immediately directed her eyes to the ground.

‘I can tell. Those with a tiger’s instincts often have plenty of bite ... I hope you are no different,’ his deep voice rumbled as he spoke.

‘I’m just trying to keep hold of my nine lives,’ Kaira said, smiling nervously and maintaining eye contact with the ground.

‘Smart girl,’ Arctier said, his eyes lingering on her for a few seconds before turning his attention back to his pack, ‘we should get going. The forests and jungles can be a scary place when night falls, especially to those not yet accustomed to Libero.’

Rather than heading straight for the forest, Arctier instead turned to face Tepey.

‘If you find any other newcomers, you will bring them to me immediately. We don't want there to be a shortage of prey in the next hunt across Penna,’ Arctier snarled with a final menacing grin at Tepey, who returned the faintest nod before Arctier turned his back on him, ‘have a pleasant evening, Tepey.’

Leo and his friends waited for the pack to follow Arctier as they headed towards the thicket. But just before they entered, Arctier turned to them.

‘You may want to cover your ears,’ he said, as he took a deep breath.

Leo had just managed to reach his hands up to his ears as Arctier bent down and let out a gigantic roar. His lips rolled all the way back, revealing the full extent of his teeth as a barrage of deafening noise rocked through the dense trees, shaking every fibre of Leo’s body.

‘And with that, the hunt is over.’

Arctier pushed his two front paws into the ground and forced his body to stand on his hind legs, immediately doubling in size before he smashed through the trees. Everyone else followed suit as noise gradually grew around them.

Sounds of life infiltrated Penna, as shouts filled the air along with choruses of laughter that echoed between the trees. People were filtering back out from their shelters, ready to enjoy their freedom.

In the distance, Leo could hear branches creaking as they were swung on, the sound of fallen leaves being trampled over as people ran free, no longer fearing the hunt. For a moment, as they all walked through the forest so full of wonder, they forgot that they were being led by the closest thing Leo had ever seen to a real monster. Being led back to his home in a land of ice and rock. Not exactly the kind of place Leo would pick for a welcome party.

They walked for what felt like miles through the forest. Walking past a variety of people, all of whom were clearly going through various stages of their life in Libero.

Some of the people Leo saw had distinct features that made it clear what their instinct was. One such person had ginger hair all over of his body apart from on his chest, which was the same dark colour as the circular flaps that stretched outwards from his cheeks. This man, so close to the human form, swung in an almost unnatural manner from long gangly arms through the trees. He looked perfectly at home up high as he chased after others who were much smaller, each of them laughing uncontrollably as they flung themselves towards their next branch. Other instincts were not so easy to spot, their bodies possibly not having developed in ways apparent to the untrained eye.

Dorian pointed to one person who was fast asleep whilst clinging to a tree in the distance, their shaggy grey fur covering their body with only a big black nose visible from where they stood. As they all stared, Leo saw that its paws were separated into five fingers, three reaching up and the remaining two pointing down.

‘Is it a sloth?’ Leo thought.

‘Na, it's not got the right face,’ argued Kaira.

‘What about a grey gorilla,’ Bailey wondered as they all looked at her confused, ‘what? They’re a thing!’

‘No, you're all mistaken. That instinct is a koala. At least the features relate most closely to one. All they do is sleep all day as well,’ Dorian said, claiming the win.