Song used: Borderlands 2 - Highlands Combat

Artist's note: An update in regards to the Musical May entries - despite May being over for some time now, I'm going to continue with the series until it is done. I'll be posting one drawing a week (hopefully).

Story:
They were surrounded.
Shortly after the group had made they way into the meadow, looking for a spot to sit down and take a break, a pack of scaled dog-like beasts had emerged from their hiding place in the tall grass. With little time to react, Rhonin, Ronja and Scarlett had immediately taken a defensive position around the visitor - Ronja sharing one of her daggers with Scarlett as they tried to fend off the beasts while protecting their human creator.

The beasts themselves acted like a pack of wolves, circling around their prey and taking turns lunging at them. Albeit the creatures shared the same size and posture as a wolf, they looked more like reptiles with their scales and sizeable claws. Still they were cautious with their approach, as if they were actively trying to wear the group down before going in for the kill. Some of the smaller, and probably younger, creatures did not have the patience for this strategy, and charged in against the defenders only to meet their end at one of their blades. The rest of the pack seemed unaffected by their fallen members and continued the slow choke hold they had on the group, patiently waiting for the slightest drop in concentration.
"We can't keep on like this!", Scarlett yelled as she cut after another of the creatures trying to bite her. "We need to get out of here!"
Striking down another of the young attackers, Rhonin yelled back. "If we try to move out of here they will have the advantage of jumping at us from the grass without us being able to anticipate their movements! These beasts have us trapped exactly where they want us!"
"Then I suggest we keep giving them our claws until they're all dead or pack up and leave!", Ronja shouted as she eyed the beasts, waiting for one of them to try their luck with her.
Suddenly, the tall grass behind the beasts started to rustle violently as one of the creatures, much larger than the rest, made its appearance. The other beasts stepped aside as the large creature slowly walked towards the group, its red eyes locked on the strugglers. With a piercing howl, the large creature signalled the pack to engage.

However, the creatures were not the only ones waiting for the right moment to strike. As the smaller creatures advanced, a large tiger-like feline jumped out from a nearby bush, rending several of the attacking beasts with its giant claws.
The visitor took notice of a pair of long teeth extending from the feline's upper jaw, indicating this was a sabertooth tiger!
With the large feline blocking the path between the group and the pack leader, the giant cat roared, challenging the large beast.
The answer came almost immediately as the beast pounced the large cat - their two hulking masses locking in a primal onaslaught.
Some of the smaller creatures tried to assist their leader, but the massive cat swatted them away as if they were nothing but annoying flies.
Moments later, the sabertooth tiger got the upper hand of the battle and managed to pin the best underneath it. Quicker than the eye could register, the feline locked its jaws around the neck of the squirming creature.
With a forceful twist of the tiger's head, a large snap echoed throughout the meadow, and the beast dropped lifeless as the feline released it from its jaws.

With their leader gone, the rest of the beasts scattered from the site and escaped into the dense jungle as the tiger roaraed triumphantly.
Despite the victory, the group was still on their guard, as they didn't know if they had traded one adversary for another.
The massive feline took notice of the group's distrust towards it as they took a defensive position around the visitor, waiting to see what the large cat was going to do next. Gently, the sabertooth tiger approached the group, and when only a few feet away it lied down, smiling at the strangers.

"A smiling cat is a plotting cat!", Scarlett exclaimed, not budging from her position in front of the visitor.
Ronja glared at the giant tiger before her, studying it. "For once I agree with you"
The visitor was not sure he agreed with his companions. If the tiger wanted to attack and overpower them it certainly could do so quite easily. Even if it was lying down, the sabertooth tiger was close to being as tall as him! Not to mention the very pronounced muscles concealed under the tiger's brown fur. Still, something felt oddly familiar about the tiger. The feline's purple eyes and striped pattern was something he recognized in a character of his, but he had never before created one that was a full on feral. Could it be that this world had changed it, or had it decided to change itself to better match the environment? There was really only one way to find out.
Carefully making his way past the defensive wall of characters, the visitor stepped forward to allow to get a better look at the tiger, and at the same time offer the tiger a better look at him.

"Leyka..? Is that you?"