“Leave him alone Zayne.” A familiar voice calls out. I look around and realize that Zayne’s attempt to stop me had attracted the attention of everyone here, including the Five. Drew stares at him, eyes slightly narrowed after his stating command. This is the first time I have seen him look this intimidating. But Zayne doesn’t seem to care about his look.

Zayne says provocatively, turning to face Drew. “Or what? Do you see any other Apprentice here? No! Then what the heck is he looking for here? You should let him go back to people of his own level.” He turns back to face me and immediately I feel some sort of invisible pressure weigh down on me. Thinking that he wants to attack me I waste no time activating D-three. The pressure lessens immediately but a dumbfounded look appears on his face. Like he can’t understand why anyone would do something so stupid.

“Are you daft?” He asks, a genuinely puzzled look on his face.

Unable to take it any longer I reply. “Who do you think you’re calling daft?” Just because I am an Apprentice he thinks he can do as he wishes to me? Heck no. I didn’t spend two weeks in the Lands of Time to learn how to get bullied.

He looks me in the eye and my body becomes tense. Some part of my mind begins to feel danger and fear grips me. My body trembles as I stop myself from turning around and running away as fast as I can. He takes a step forward and the pressure intensifies. I stop breathing as my body freezes in fear. He slowly grows larger until he is the only thing in my sight.

“Hey Zayne, are your ears working right? Didn’t you hear Drew tell you to leave him alone?” The voice breaks me out of the spell Zayne seems to have cast on me. My forehead cools as a breeze blows around me, carrying with it the sweat that had unknowingly formed. I look to see that it is Daniel who had spoken. David is standing silently behind him.

“Drew? Who gives a shit about him? You all make him sound like he’s some super genius and yet he can’t even open his third eye. Now tell me, why would I give a shit about someone like that?”

I hear a metallic sound as a knife drops into David’s hand. I can see the chain attached to its handle leading into his robe. “Choose your next words very carefully.”

Zayne opens his mouth when a new voice cuts in. “Shut up Zayne!” It is the boy with the canister on his waist. The one I guessed to be PM. Zayne looks like he wants to say something but seeing the look on PM’s face, he hesitates. Suddenly a determined look enters his eyes and he opens his mouth one more time…

“Come on Zayne, stop it. Let’s go.” A girl puts her hand on his shoulder, stopping him. For a moment I think he would ignore her and do as he wishes, thankfully I am wrong. He snorts and walks away. A group of people follow after him, looking a bit embarrassed. Once they are far away enough from him they begin to speak to him in tones that sound like they are scolding.

I hear a slapping sound and turn just in time to see Emma hit the back of David’s head while glaring at him. “Are you stupid? Do you want to get suspended?”

“What? I… okay fine, I’m sorry.”

She doesn’t seem to believe him. “Next time you do something like that I am going to grab that pretty knife of yours and chop off your fingers.”

David gives her a slightly confused look, looking as if he is trying to decide something. “You’re kidding, right?” He asks.

She gives him a sweet but dangerous-looking smile in return.

“So, who’s that?” I hear the guy I think is PM asking.

“He’s Ian. The one who joined us this year.” Drew replies. He looks… cold. That’s the best word I can use to describe his expression. It seems that the Zayne guy made him really angry.

“Ian this is PM, Will, …” He points at each in turn as he introduces them. It turns out my guess about who PM and Ten Punch Man were was right. The only new thing I learned was that Ten Punch Man’s name is Will.

Seth gives me a curious look before saying. “I remember now. You’re the guy that fought three golems for the Apprentice exams.”

“Three golems?” Ten Punch Man seems a bit surprised as he gives me an appraising look. “He’s that good?”

“Oh no, no, no, no, no.” Seth interrupts. “He only won because he had a Trump card we didn’t. Uua. Lots and lots of it. He wasted like ninety percent of his Uua in that fight yet somehow he still had enough to win. It was mind-boggling.”

“Come on,” PM says interrupting Seth, “Let’s go to the Arena. It’s almost time.”

As they walk I purposefully fall behind until I am walking side by side with Lathia. “Thanks for your help.”

“What? Oh, Zayne. Don’t mind him, he's just a proud piece of shit.”

“No, I meant you invited me here and yet when that douche came up to disturb me, you didn’t even do anything. You just watched.”

She gives me a strange look. “Ian.”

“What?”

“He’s a Wranth. I’m not. Are you secretly trying to get me beat up? You know, I really admired your balls when you stood up to him.”

The side of my mouth quirks up a bit. “You admired my balls?”

She knocks the back of my head lightly. “Not like that, idiot. I meant your courage. It’s the first time I’ve seen an Apprentice not afraid of getting their ass whooped. Seriously though, you need to develop a good healthy fear of Wranths before you get yourself killed.”

“Whatever you say.”