I was really excited about my first day, seeing those who I would grow stronger with, but my hopes were quickly dashed as I realised I was put in the baby class, because of Dumah I was put in a class of utter beginners, none of them knew how to fight or even wield a weapon for that matter, let alone know the basics I had all learnt from dad.

My concerns about the class I had been placed in was confirmed as everyone sat down to listen to our instructor.

“Hello young Feles. I am Instructor Willis” he smiled, speaking as if he was talking to a bunch of little babies. Instructor Willis was an Onca with his yellowish fur and rosette spots. “Welcome to the Knight’s academy, where I will teach you everything you will need to progress and one day reach knight-in-training. Today I will watch each of you to see what your skill levels are and what you are capable of.” He smiled gently, but I saw the same mist that had seeped through the room the judges sat within, he was infected by the same stuff Dumah brought here with him. “Don’t be scared if you aren’t any good, after all you are here to learn.”

I watched patiently as each one headed up to a little dummy to attack, some couldn’t even hold the sword let alone swing it. The majority of them were quivering, I wasn’t sure if it was fear, but they all stunk of it.

The dummy took the occasional hit, but it was more like a tab. I let out a sigh, feeling disheartened at how far down that Leo had sent me. I could picture Tigra doing high level training, like the things I did with dad, mind who said I still couldn’t train with him, then use my growing skill to jump the ranks.

“Fang.” Instructor Willis called me up next.

I walked up to the dummy confidently, quickly drawing my practice sword. I was the only one who had my own, the others had to borrow then from Instructor Willis.

My eyes widened a little as I locked on to my target. I pounced striking the dummy left, right, left, diagonally and finished it off with a jab, blowing it across the room with Larana. I then sheathed the practice sword.

Instructor Willis was shaking his head. “No need to show off Fang, just because your father’s Yamato Fang.” He looked at me with eyes filled with disapproval. I snarled at him but calmed myself down quickly knowing it was not his fault, he wasn’t a bad person, it was just Dumah had gotten to him, he’d set this all up. What was it he had against me?

“I was simply showing you what I was capable of,” I responded calmly.

“I would prefer you didn’t scare the other children,” said Instructor Willis.

“There here to be knights, you can’t be a wimp for that,” I commented slyly.

Instructor Willis’s expression remained a disappointed one. “That they are but showing off is not how a knight does things either.”

“I wasn’t showing off!” I yelled. “I’m not meant to be in a class with a bunch of babies!”

“Perhaps you are, with the attitude you are showing,” snarled Instructor Willis, the hairs all over his body started to stand on end. “Lord Dumah was right about you, you’ll be trouble.”

“Only if you get in my way,” I snarled back. He was a lot bigger than I was, but I wasn’t going to back down for a second, not when he lined himself with that Leo. We stared at each other for the longest time, the remaining students remained silent, until Instructor Willis struck out first, a burst of lightning energy came right at me. I dodged to the left seeing it coming clear as day. “Attacking a student, the son of Yamato.” I grinned. “I wonder what my dad and the king would say.”

“Why you?” He hissed.

“Not setting a very good example to your students are we,” I responded, this was almost fun.

Instructor Willis looked around at the others, he quickly changed his tone and calmed himself down. “Class will officially start tomorrow, from what I saw I will prepare practise routines for each individual, dismissed.” His attention returned to me. “I expect a different attitude from you tomorrow.”

“Don’t count on it.” I turned around and left.

I headed straight home after my first day, I was feeling a mix of emotions, from frustration and the boiling of my blood through my veins. This was nothing like I thought joining the academy would be like, having my instructor hate me from our first meeting.

I walked into my home, to see mum and dad settled down in the living room. They smiled at me as I stopped in the doorway.

“How was it?” asked mum.

“What do you think?” Just thinking about it was almost overwhelming. “I was put in the basic beginner, absolute losers’ class because of that stupid Leo!” I yelled swinging my arms up in the air, out of frustration.

“What?” Dad stood up, his expression changing into anger.

“I’m sorry.” I looked behind me to see King Alton, where the heck did he come from, not knocking again, and how did he sneak up on me?

“You know he is better than a beginner,” snarled dad.

“I came as soon as Tigra told me,” mentioned King Alton. “I don’t understand what happened.”

“Dumah made the final decision.” I filled him in on the one who caused this.

“Dumah?” King Alton seemed a little confused.

“Seems this Leo is acting as if he’ll be king or something,” commented dad.

“I don’t know what gave him that idea.” King Alton seemed displeased. “I’ve already made plans for that.”

“Can you do something about this?” questioned mum.

“I’m afraid not, once the classes have been registered they can’t be changed, you know that.” King Alton shook his head.

“Great.” I rose my arms in the air again. “Stuck with mister hate me so much, he tried to strike me down.”

“What?” Both dad and the king held surprise in their voices, but I didn’t stay any longer to explain. I headed off towards my room, hearing King Alton speak again.

“Sorry Yamato.”

“You need to rein that Leo in.” I heard dad following me. I slumped down on my bed, burrowing my face in my pillow. “Alex.” I felt dad sit beside me.

“I thought I could handle being in the basic class but just showing my level of skill got me called a show-off.”

“You’ve come too far with your training, just to let this stop you,” commented dad.

“What else am I supposed to do?” I turned to look at him.

“Every year there is a test held to advance students to the next level, if you can hang on until then, pass and progress higher,” informed dad.

“What if I fail?” I had calmed down quite a bit since he started talking.

“You won’t.” smiled dad. “I’ll tell you something.” He laughed, remembering something.

“What?” I gave him a weird look, what was so funny?

“When I first entered the knight’s academy, I went to the wrong class on my first day, went to where they were holding the basic classes which I got stuck in.”

“Really.” Dad had piqued my interest, so I moved to sit next to him.

“Yeah,” he nodded as he continued. “Like you I couldn’t leave that class, but it was worth it as I met a very lazy Album Tigris. Who’d already been in that class for two years.”

“Who?”

“Can you guess?” I shook my head. “King Alton.”

“What?” I was quite surprised.

“Alton is extremely talented at practically everything, but he was lazy, didn’t really care about learning, or his progress to become future king of Cathopia.” I looked up at dad in wonder, hearing his life stories always interested me, to think dad had started out just like I had. “He took to me straight away, after all it is a family tradition to become a Guardian, just like you want to for Tigra.”

“Actually, she asked me to,” I admitted.

“Oh really,” smiled dad. “Did you promise?” I nodded. “Well as a Fang you must keep your promise, no matter how tough it gets, or the challenges you may face, understand.”

“Yeah.”

“We’ll continue our training sessions in the early morning before the academy,” informed dad. “At least then you don’t feel like your training is a dead end but remember we might not be able to do it every day.”

“Understood.”

“And what about this teacher of yours, trying to strike you?” questioned dad concerned.

“Don’t worry I saw it coming,” I grinned. “He’s no threat really.”

“Not the point Alex.” Dad shook his head. “His duty should be to protect and teach his students.”

“Not with that dark stuff infecting him he won’t,” I commented.

“How clearly can you see it?” he asked.

“Just a thin mist, why?”

“No reason.” He quickly moved the subject on. “How about we go get some dinner, then after I’ll see what I can get Alton to do about that Leo.” I nodded in response and we headed back into the main room together.

I felt a new determination thanks to dad, but I can say it only lasted a fleeting moment as the next day was just as bad as the first; and none of the days after that were any better either.