A slow flick of the fire cheetah’s tail sent sparks off in tons of directions as it watched. A hunger was rising in it - not the hunger for flesh that regular cheetahs might feel, but a hunger for destruction and for things burnt to the ground. For those gathered here today to be burnt to the ground.

It watched impassively as they attempted to stop and splash out the flames, some of the more ambitious ones attempting to build a fire break. Most of them were successful, Toulouse fetching some water that would snuff out the flames he poured it on, the hooves of Maude and Iona snuff out the fires around them while Weaver, Reichenbach, Yael, Vesper, Astarot and Ingrid successfully work together make a firebreak preventing the flames from spreading to the grass. And it almost worked... But Tandavi’s portion did not connect fast enough and some of the fire snaked out, licking the grass on the other side of the hard-won break. The fire seems to sigh more than roar, as though it is eager to stretch and race along this bountiful food.

The sweeping movements of Amaris’ tail only fanned the flames around her more - and they sparked up with an intensity unnatural. But then, what about this situation was natural? Wessex’s attempts at stomping out the flames around the others were also unsuccessful - the flames snaking out of the way of the mare’s large hooves and flaring up more with the little rush of air created with each stomp.

Then the cheetah made of fire moved. A flash of movement that was in stark contrast to the slow, measured movements it had been using before. Through the gap in the fire break it launched, landing in the tall grass - its movement punctuated by the rise of fire as it danced and ran around the merry group of horses.

Most of the small fires within the circle where they had all been standing before were out now, but they were dull and unimportant things compared to the wall of fire that the cheetah left in its wake, surrounding them all.

Many faces seemed to appear within that wall, cheetahs and lions and hyenas - all manner of predators eyeing the horses within the fiery cage as a meal.

The cheetah was suddenly back where it had been just moments ago - sitting on the edge of the Heart. Waiting and watching.