Burningfury

You playfully stuck a feather into the fur on Burningfury’s head. She laughed and asked how she looked. Quite elegant, really.

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While Burningfury may be a very kind lioness, always focusing her energy on the cubs that she helps to protect, raise, and care for as well as the happiness of her pridemates, no one would ever guess that she was never given that same kindness growing up. The only cub of two primal lions that did not inherit their genes and instead those of one of her grandparents, the young lioness was treated as an outcast within not just her pride, but her family as well. The grandfather that she resembled often made it a point to spend as much time with her as possible and instill a sense of kindness and generosity in the young cub, telling her that she too was special and deserved to be happy despite how she differed from those around her. He was her everything, more of a parent to her than either of her biological ones were, and when she lost him to the harsh droughts and famine of summer, she was shattered.

No matter how hard she tried to be nice and selfless and caring, it was always thrown back in her face, and eventually, she couldn't take it. She finally snapped one day when her own mother mentioned that no one would ever love her aside from her old fool of a father, and that she would never be mother material like both of her sisters were, that anyone would be stupid to start a family with a genetic failure like herself. Burningfury broke then, snarling at her mother who she had tried to very hard to love despite everything, and getting a smack in the face for it, claws unsheathed and leaving three bloody crimson lines in their wake. She stared in shock for a moment before lunged at the other lioness and snarled into her face, warning her not to try and follow her or make her come home, because this place never had been, nor ever would be, her home. Even as her mother swore and yelled at her, aiming a vicious swipe that landed on her hindquarters, she continued to walk away in silence.

And with that, the young lioness left, not caring whether she wandered these lonely lands by herself for the rest of her days, if hyenas ripped her to pieces in the night, or if the drought and scarcity of food killed her too, anywhere would be better than here. Burningfury wandered for many days and nights, hunting small mammals and eating insects when she could in order to sustain herself, never taking down large prey out of respect for the prides whose lands she passed through. It was during one of her meager meals that King Flamemane stumbled upon her, concerned by how thin the scarred lioness was and why she wasn't eating a proper breakfast.

As she explained what had brought her into his lands and why she only took small creatures as her food, the king felt sympathy swell within his heart for the lioness before him with a kind smile and an even kinder soul. He offered her a soft smile of his own and then asked if he would like to join his pride, they needed a denmother and she fit the bill perfectly, kind, nurturing, sympathetic, and considerate. The offer alone brought tears to the lioness's face, that he thought that she could be trusted with cubs, that she was kind. Burningfury accepted immediately and flung herself on him in a hug, sobbing happily into his mane as he held her and purred soothingly, overjoyed to have found someone as amazing as her to join his pride.

Burningfury fell into the role of denmother well, as if she had been doing it her entire life, treating each and every cub as her own and offering them her undivided protection, support, and comfort no matter the situation. From saving a battered, bloody, and obviously exhausted cub from the jaws of a crocodile to taking in a sickly and famished cub as her mother pleaded her as her dying wish, Burningfury has been nothing but kind. Her soft and honest personality did not go unnoticed by a certain lioness by the name of Crowngrapple, who had been head over heels for Burningfury for a season or two. Luckily for the hopelessly pining huntress, the denmother was rather observant and did in fact share her feelings, and the two became mates.

Even when Burningfury lost not one but both of her litters, she remained focused on the cubs she had been tasked to protect and on her beloved mate. Even when her heart was shattering and she was feeling like the worst being in existence, she never let on and instead worried about others, even when she most likely shouldn't have. But she loved what she did, she loved being with the cubs, and in the end she was able to heal, the process was further helped by the cub that she had saved from the jaws of certain death, a young lioness named Briar, and her endlessly adoring mate. The scarred cub that she had saved had taken an instant liking to her, and the two quickly became inseparable, so much so that within two moons of joining the pride she was officially adopted by Burningfury and Crowngrapple.

Burningfury currently contently watches as her daughter grows and trains, happy to fall asleep beside her mate each night. With the retirement of Flamemane and the crowning of King Star Ruby, Burningfury has been able to spend more time with her mate and daughter as their new king gets his footing.