Thalina took a deep breath, eyeing the golden liquid in the vial. "Alright, Vanora, open up."
Her pink fluffball of a wolf pup obediently parted her tiny jaws, revealing sharp little teeth.
With a final glance at the book—because surely this wouldn't go wrong—Thalina carefully tipped the vial. The thick, shimmering liquid slid onto Vanora's tongue.
The pup closed her mouth and smacked her lips. Then her little face scrunched up.
"Pfft—BLEH! Mama, this is DISGUSTING!"
Thalina watched in alarm as Vanora gagged dramatically, her fluffy pink ears twitching. "It tastes like burnt dirt and rotten honey!"
"That's… oddly specific," Thalina muttered. "But it's good for you, so just—"
Vanora suddenly huffed out a breath, and a thin wisp of black smoke curled from her nose.
Thalina jerked back.
"Uh… Vanora?"
The pup blinked, then hiccuped—and a tiny flame shot out of her mouth!
WHOOSH!
It barely missed the fur bedding. Barely.
