Six years has passed since I first came into the academy, since I failed at the yearly test so many times now. I was still in the class with all the other beginners.

It continued as normal, listening to the same stuff year after year as the students changed, but the moment they arrive Instructor Willis seemed to install a sense of fear within them, so much so that none of the others came near me in class, or perhaps they found me intimidating as I easily completed anything our instructor threw at us.

I had to somehow remind myself on a regular basis that Instructor Willis wasn’t a bad person, but he reeked of the dark mist Dumah carried around with him. The only problem was that it got worse as the years went on, becoming crueller towards me and the other students; the same I could see was happening to some of the other teachers too.

A lot of knights and Animalia in the city had also been affected by it as I noticed the thickness spreading a little more each day.

Dumah had managed to worm his way into being one of King Alton’s advisers like dad, spending more time with the king. The dark mist seemed to dance around him at first, but over the last six years it was beginning to consume him too. I had seen a change in the kind-hearted king’s attitude, sometimes he almost seemed cruel and unkind, but dad had some control over it, he just spoke up and it snapped him right back to normal, weird right.

I did notice that dad, mum, and a few others seemed to be immune to the stuff. The dark mist didn’t even go near them, I still hadn’t figured out why and dad continue to say I would understand during my awakening, whenever that was meant to happen.

Being in different classes gave me less time to see Tigra. Between trying to train with dad, and then Instructor Willis would give only me, strange tasks, trying to prevent me from training like I should have done.

At first I faced each challenge as it came towards me, but I began missing the times I got to spend with my two best friends, especially Tigra as I saw less and less of her, I missed hanging out with her, but I couldn’t do anything about it, well one thing, climb out of this basic class, but that was never going to happen.

During my first years at the academy, stuck in the basic class I worked my hardest to prove myself, I even helped others with the training.

I was given many opportunities to climb up into the next class, by passing tests that were done once a year to move on to the next level in the academy, but Dumah’s influence over my instructor was extraordinarily strong, preventing me from getting any further.

Something went wrong on every test I did. Obstacle courses broke apart when it was my turn, combat tests I would win, but never pleased my instructor saying I needed to practise more then let the one who lost to me go up a class.

Every step of the way I was pushed back and denied my place next to Tigra. So many from my class had left and been replaced by more useless Feles, but not me I was stuck here because of that darn Leo.

The more I failed, the more I felt I was letting my family down. Dad’s training meant nothing here, but he was never disappointed in me, just continued with our usual early morning training.

In the end I stopped even trying, who cared right, if I was stuck, there was no point in fighting it anymore. I even started to skip class, it wasn’t important, and I no longer cared. I had tried to progress six times previously and failed, no way were they going to let me get any higher, why I had yet to understand.

I was leaning against a wall of the castle, away from where my class was being held, my new hiding spot from Instructor Willis, but considering his corruption I doubt he even cared I was missing from class. I mean I’d taken it for five years now and would be entering my sixth once this year’s test was over, it was the same every time, so much so I had the whole thing memorised.

I sighed, my head filled with his lies, false stories and sometimes I could hear his voice from even here, playing out again and again in my head, perhaps Dumah was trying to brainwash me, by boring me too death.

“You should keep trying master,” pleaded Larana, we’d had this conversation multiple times.

“No way.” I slid down to the floor, looking lazily up at the sky. “This mist is everywhere and as long as Dumah is here I don’t stand a chance in this place.”

“Tigra needs you.” Larana brought her up.

“She’ll find someone else,” I shrugged.

“Skiving again.” The sun was blocked out by none other than Tigra. She had grown quite a bit, her black stripes had become thicker, and I seemed to notice her body shape had begun to change to, becoming curvier. I had to shake my head, why the heck was I looking? “You’ll never get any higher if you don’t try.”

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“And you don’t think I have.” I stood up. “Every time I do one of their little tests, I am pushed back even more. I’m still learning the same stuff I did on day one.”

“You can’t give up, you promised.” Tigra stared me right in the eyes.

“I’m sorry Tigra.” I looked away. I couldn’t do anything for her, not now.

“Alex.” I looked back at her as I heard my name. Tigra’s expression was one of distress. “Please protect me from Dumah.”

I remained silent for quite some time wondering what had brought this on, did she fear Dumah and why? Was Dumah hanging out with the king something to do with it?

“Tigra.”

“Please Alex.” She was pleading with me.

I stood up; words dad once told me flashing through my mind. It was the duty of my clan to protect the royal family, Tigra being the princess, it was now my duty to protect her like dad did for the king. “I will try, for you, and no one else.”

“Really.” Her smile returned, which made me happy. “Thank you.”

“Can I ask you a question?” I asked, wanting to understand what had brought on such distress.

“What?”

“Why has Dumah installed such distress in you?” I questioned.

Tigra looked away. “I can’t tell you that.”

“But…” She always told me everything, what was different this time. I wanted to pry more into it, but I did not want to cause her anymore distress than what I saw in her expression. “Tigra. I will pass the test that is happening tomorrow.”

“I know you can do it,” nodded Tigra.

“I will protect you.” I smiled determined. If that Dumah laid a single finger on Tigra he would pay with his life. I would never allow him to harm my best friend.

-

When tomorrow came I headed straight to class, prepared for whatever it was Instructor Willis threw at me.

“Thought you said you weren’t coming anymore?” laughed Ibiki. He was still stuck in the basic class with me since he arrived. I presumed it was because of Dumah, like me. I had thought about it a few times, thinking it was almost like he wanted to weaken Cathopia’s fighting forces.

“Tigra came to see me yesterday.” I looked at him, “For some reason she fears Dumah but won’t tell me why.”

“Strange.” He held his fingers to his lips thinking. “Dumah has been hanging around a lot lately, perhaps the Leo Prides are trying to move on the city’s turf.”

“Too early to tell,” I shrugged.

“This year’s test is an obstacle course.” Instructor Willis took no notice I had come back to class today. “Who wants to go first?”

“I will.” Ibiki raised his hand. “I’ll make sure it isn’t rigged.”

“Thanks.” Ibiki and I had become friends the first day we met, he was different from the others, like me he had trained with his dad who once fought alongside mine, and Master Lance was his uncle.

“Ibiki, you may begin whenever you are ready,” smiled Instructor Willis. “Just be warned this course is a little more difficult than what some of you are used too.”

The course had basic obstacles, to climb over or crawl under stuff, along with spiked pillars swinging from side to side, finished with walls of fire, close together making a thin corridor.

Ibiki ran towards the course, tackling it quickly, climbing, crawling, dodging. I was always impressed by his speed, and even though he did not possess the same clairvoyance ability I did, he could predict a move before it happened. The fire wall was the last challenge, but that didn’t even stop him, he jumped right to the end.

I found myself clapping. “Awesome Ibiki.” He bowed, pleased with himself.

“Well done.” Instructor Willis noted things down. “Who’s next?”

“Me.” I walked forward.

“Oh Fang.” His eyes went dark as he saw me. “I thought you’d given up.”

“Never,” I grinned.

“Fine, just go already.”

I completely ignored him; I wasn’t going to lose focus. I promised Tigra I would do this, and I was going to do just that.

I broke out into a run, following Ibiki’s lead, climbing over the first hurdles with no trouble, climbed under tunnels and nets, even the swinging pillars couldn’t stop me, and I wasn’t scared of the fire ahead of me either.

I didn’t stop running for a second. I could feel the heat from the fire pressing against me, but I did not hesitate. I ran between the walls of fire, seeing them flickering and dancing, nothing I needed to fear.

Ahead in the distance I spotted Dumah, he held a smirk on his face. I feared he would again put a stop to me progressing to become Tigra’s Guardian. His physical appearance here showed me he was truly the one behind all of my failures to proceed higher.

Dumah touched the sword at his waist and the flames flickered wildly, twisting, changing their form into a fierce looking beast, a flaming monster. I couldn’t quite make out the shape, but I knew it was something powerful.

Before I knew what was happening, the flames began to engulf me, all I remembered was feeling the heat increasing, then the smell of fur burning, followed by pain and my skin burning.

“Agghh!” I let out a cry.

“Fang!” shouted Ibiki, trying to reach out to help me.

I blacked out from the pain; my lungs filled with the smouldering smoke. I couldn’t breathe, subconsciously I released small amounts of Larana’s power, so much so I could feel her strong winds of protection around me as I lost consciousness.