I was fast asleep, resting after a long day of training. I had managed to fly to the top of the castle without crashing into any of the rather sharp spires around the place, like the previous twenty odd times I had tried.

Even now I was dreaming of flying. I was hovering about Cathopia, this was far easier in my dreams, than when I was awake. When I kept hearing the sound of marching feet, all in unison, on a mission.

Then banging. I opened my eyes, realising it was the front door. No light lit the room, who would call at this hour. I rolled over, my ears twitching as I heard mum answering the door.

“What is all this racket.” Mum demanded an explanation.

“There have been riots in a few of the tribes around Cathopia,” a male voice explained.

“What a lie,” snarled mum.

“I have been ordered to retrieve Fang, he may only be a knight-in-training but wielding two talismans he has been ordered to join in the mission of calming these tribes,” he explained further.

“Pointless conflict on your part and a poor excuse,” responded mum.

“It has been ordered by his majesty,” his voice hissed.

“My son will have no part in it!” Mum raised her voice.

I got out of bed, creeping closer to my bedroom door, where I got a glimpse of the knight at the door. I noticed behind him more knights were on the move.

“As a warrior of Cathopia he must perform his duty.” The knight held an expression of hostility.

“No.” Mum stood her ground.

“Then I have been instructed to use force,” he stepped forward to barge in.

I dashed forward to stand in front of mum. “Come any closer to her and you’ll regret it.”

“At last.” His eyes fell on me, and I saw the dark mist circling around him, they headed out to attack some of the tribes without propagation. “You are to come with us.”

“And if I refuse, will you set your master on me,” I taunted.

“I bring this as ordered by his majesty,” he responded.

“Tell me, who actually told you to go?” I asked enquiring further on these orders, even though I already knew the answer to my question.

“Lord Dumah,” he answered.

“Lord,” I chuckled. “Sorry can’t help you.” I shrugged.

“Pardon?” He looked at me confused.

“As you have most probably heard I only ever take my orders from her majesty the queen.” I let out a yawn. “Sorry you had to waste your time.” I turned around to leave.

“I insist you come young Fang,” his hand touched my shoulder.

“Big mistake,” I snarled, twisting round I sent out a powerful gust of wind, pushing him away from me. He crashed into a multitude of other knights before hitting the far wall. “I will not be part of Dumah’s pointless conflict, so don’t call again, otherwise you’ll end up worse off.” I slammed the door.

“Alex,” she was surprised.

“That’s what he gets for waking me up,” I grinned. “I had just mastered flight and everything.” I headed off back to bed.

-

The next few days, the castle was both more active than usual but also quiet as there was fewer patrolling knights around the castle. I hadn’t left the bakery since that one knight tried to take me off with them. I figured they’d tried to make me either way and I refused to do his bidding.

“Still in here,” commented Brendan coming in to sit opposite me at the kitchen table.

“Yeah,” I shrugged. “I’ve seen them all staring at me, thinking I don’t fight because I’m scared.”

“Why would they attack the tribes?” asked Brendan.

“Power, chaos, conflict, dominance, you pick,” I replied.

“Can’t you do something?” I shook my head.

“I heard Tigra, Hunter and Queen Daz have tried to talk to the king, but for some reason he thinks the smaller tribes are planning against him, that they hold more than what they actually give,” I shrugged again. “Chaos.”

Larana appeared at the centre of the table. “From what I have seen, the king’s strong will is still resisting the darkness, but the toll may be causing his personality to warp, one such side effect would be paranoia.” She held a sad expression, she had known the king as long as dad had, perhaps seeing this was how dad would feel. “If only Yamato would return.”

I banged my fist on the table, suddenly angry. “He should be, we’ve had nothing since he left, no letters, no signals, nothing.”

“Alex.” Tigra had come in.

“Tigra.” I went bashful, her seeing me angry was something I had found I preferred her not to see. “Well…”

“Nothing I have said to dad seems to get through. I don’t understand what is happening,” her voice sounded distressed. “Why now?”

“I don’t have the answers to that Tigra,” I answered truthly as I didn’t.

“I hear there have been many deaths among those within the tribes, won’t be long before they are wiped out altogether, unite is what created this peaceful kingdom of Panthera and now it’ll be gone forever.”

“Alright.” I let out a sigh as I got to my feet. “I’m heading out for a bit.”

“What are you planning to do?” asked Brendan.

“I’m sure you’ll hear rumours about it,” I smirked. The thought of messing about with Dumah’s plans almost made me glad I was going.

“Don’t do anything stupid,” commented Tigra with an expression of concern.

“You’re the one who wanted me to do something,” I mentioned.

“I know, but…”

I put on the biggest smile. “I’ll be fine Tigra, with both Larana and Mila I won’t even have to get close to cause some havoc.” She stared at me, I couldn’t tell what she was thinking but it did not matter, I had now made my mind up to do something about these attacks, perhaps dad would have done something to.

“Where are you going Alex?” asked mum as she came in from the bakery.

“I have a personal request to carry out, I’ll be back in a few days,” I answered heading for the door.

“Not without me, you’re not.” Brendan snarled a little as he got up.

“You don’t have to come.” I was surprised he wanted to come.

“I have a debt to repay and you jumping into danger will prevent me from full filling that debt.” His eyes gleamed with determination; he had grown so much in the last few months compared to how he was when I first met him.

“Fine,” I shrugged knowing nothing I said would stop him.

“I hope you aren’t heading off to cause trouble,” said mum.

“Maybe,” I responded. “Come on Brendan.” He nodded and we headed off.