I returned to the orchard just as night fell, it would not be long before the attack begun. I couldn’t be sure how he would manage to set the orchard alight so quickly, but I would soon find out.

I kept to the shadows, whenever knights passed, if they spotted me, they would have just escorted me off the premises and back to the castle, but since I was in the orchard earlier, they presumed my scent was from then, but just in case I used Larana to hide my scent, by circling a gentle breeze around me and sending it skyward.

I looked around seeing the glimpse of flames burning and Dumah was at the heart of it all. I shook my head chasing off the vision.

These visions of future events seemed to be becoming more frequent and clearer. It was surprising how much they made a difference when sparring or when something unexpecting happened, but the bigger once where I would see whole scenes playing out would often leave me feeling weak.

Staying out of sight, the last of the knights left the area to check others. It wouldn’t be long now, he would soon arrive and there was no way I was going to let him destroy this place, a place Tigra loved so much.

“I don’t understand how the brat knew of our attack.” I heard a hissing voice.

“Who cares, he is nothing.” It was Dumah, his scent was unmistakable.

“You said he was a Fang right,” the voiced hissed again.

“Yeah, so what?” I could hear his footsteps getting closer. “All that matters right now, for it is time.” I heard him say.

I poked my head around the tree, spotting Dumah not too far from where I was. I watched as his body glowed red and lit on fire; I found the sight quite alarming.

I got the same feeling I had when the fire had attacked me during Instructor Willis’s test. It was definitely the same. I felt an anger rise from within me, knowing he was the one stopping me, I just wanted to destroy him.

“Be careful master.” Larana’s voice brought me back from my growing anger. I had to remember why I was here, to protect the orchard. “That is a dangerous demon class talisman spirit.”

“Don’t worry. I will not let that fire beat me again.” I was ready for this.

“But master, he’s fire,” argued Larana. I knew why she was concerned I had yet to put out flames with her power.

“Have faith in me Larana,” I smiled.

“I will burn this orchard to the ground at the order of my master!” He raised his voice as the fire circled up, lighting up all the trees around him.

“Stop!” I shouted coming out of hiding.

“Fang,” he hissed.

“I won’t let you burn down the royal orchard,” I snarled, surprised he had remembered my name.

“Looks like you found me out.” He laughed as if it was no big deal.

“I’ll expose you!” I shouted.

“Will you?” He snarled. “I’d keep quiet if I valued the lives of my mother, father, Athena, King Alton, Queen Daz and Tigra.” My eyes widened as he said those names. “If a single word is said of my doing this. I will extinguish their lives and you’ll be the one who did it,” he laughed.

“Not unless I defeat you.” I dashed forward. I would protect them all from him.

“What can you do, a simple Feles.” The spirit lunged forward, sending out more flames, spreading more destruction. “You are no one special,” he spat.

I raised my hand, using Larana to redirect the fire in a different direction, upwards attempting to disperse it and prevent any more trees from being set alight.

“Larana.” It hissed.

“Demori,” responded Larana. Was that the talismans name?

“Do all talismans know each other?” I asked, sending the wind in his direction to push the spirit away, then I manifested a sword made from Larana’s wind; I felt proud of myself, it was the first time I had summoned it like this.

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“In a way yes,” replied Larana. “Please be careful master, we have never fought together for extended periods of time.”

“I know.” I made it through the worst of the fire, slashing away the flames. I had yet to disperse any, just redirecting it in another direction.

“Wind cannot defeat my fire,” laughed Dumah, drawing his sword, its entire blade was on fire, strengthening the already blazing spirit. Its form taking on some winged demon, its whole body on fire, standing high above Dumah.

I gulped as our blades met, his fire quickly engulfed my wind, becoming even more powerful and aggressive. I only just managed to disperse my sword before I was engulfed too.

“Master.” Larana used the wind to push me further away from Dumah. “He will feed off our wind, please master.”

“I am not turning back, not now, not ever.” I wasn’t going to back down. I hated seeing Tigra sad, if this place were burned to the ground, I would never see her smile again.

I would have to be careful, Larana’s wind enhanced his fire, but I couldn’t get close enough to do any damage with my claws and I suspected he had more advance combat training than I had.

I had to make a move now, the longer I stood there thinking, the more of the orchard caught on fire, but I didn’t know what to do, how did I fight against something this powerful.

“Master, since your will wishes to defeat him, then use my power to do so.” Larana was suddenly all fired up.

“Thank you.”

The fire raging all around me, I ran forward towards the danger in front of me, if I could just land one hit, I could end this.

“I will burn you down along with this orchard!” laughed Dumah, he saw me as a joke, nothing worth his time.

“Dumah!” I shouted. I needed to somehow make it difficult for the fire to use Larana’s wind to become stronger. I smirked coming up with something, a technique I’d heard dad use numerous times, I’d even pulled off a single one the other day, today I would do more.

Dad’s words rushed through my thoughts, remembering how my wind if used right could put out his fire, to master Larana I was a long way off, but I would win.

“Fang!” snarled Dumah.

“Air cutter!” I called out the name of the technique, concentrating on condensing the air around me into thin blades. Normally this would summon millions, but I could only summon a few hundred.

“Master.” The flaming spirit quickly circled around Dumah to protect him as the blades of wind shot in his direction faster than I could see.

The blades went straight through the fire, opening holes in his wall of fire, others didn’t make it fizzling out in the flames. I heard groaning from Dumah. I had to wait patiently to find out if I had succeeded.

“Well executed master,” commented Larana. I had surprised myself by how many I had managed to summon. To stop myself from panting I took a deep breath. The technique had used up eighty percent of my power, if this didn’t work, I was done for.

“Dumb luck,” snarled Dumah, his talisman spirit dispersed, revealing he was covered in cuts, his fur slowly absorbing his blood from the wound I had inflicted. I did it. “I won’t forget this, your friends and family will never be safe, just watch as I snuff out their light.”

“You can try,” I hissed, knowing it really was dumb luck.

Dumah looked around. “I am done here anyway.” Half the orchard was a blaze, burning intensely. “You can’t save it now.” Holding the worst of his wounds he ran off. I wanted to chase after him, but if I made the fight go on for any longer, I doubt I would have survived.

The fire was burning wildly all around me, the air becoming suffocating. I needed to hurry if I wanted to save the rest of Tigra’s beloved orchard.

“Larana we need to suffocate the flames.” I said my vision becoming blurry from the heat and lack of oxygen.

“You don’t have enough energy, and you have not yet mastered my power,” responded Larana.

“I am your master Larana!” I raised my voice. “I can’t do this without you.” I lifted my arms up and out. Larana had listened to my plead as she summoned gales of wind circling around the fire, redirecting all the air upwards, drawing away its main food source.

A few seconds later I was panting. I had hardly any energy left, using this much of Larana’s power was almost too much for me to handle.

A handful of knights came running. I had sensed their presence during my fight with Dumah. They had been too afraid to do anything to help or were influenced by Dumah, but now they had come out of hiding.

It was lucky that some of them were able to wield water talismans. Working together we started to fight back the fire, getting the blaze under control.

“Alex.” It was dad, he had come to help too. “What happened?”

“Someone came to destroy the orchard.” I informed, keeping up my part in trying to disperse what was left of the fire. “I saw it before it happened, the power from mum is getting so strong now I don’t know if I can handle it.”

“Keep pushing forward, do not waver in the decisions you make, not anymore.” Dad put his hand on my back. “They have seen your power now; the path ahead will not be easy.”

“I know,” I nodded.

Dad headed off into the crowd of growing knights, firing out orders, organising those who seemed confused; he was an amazing leader. I wanted nothing more than to be just like him, someone everyone could count on.

“Almost there.” I cheered feeling relieved, but I could not help them finish. My power was disrupted suddenly, I had only a tiny bit left and that was not enough to continue to us Larana’s power. I collapsed to the ground, passing out.