During morning training with Master Lance, I noticed the bullies getting particularly aggressive with the Jubatus. I could picture Instructor Willis having a go at me for no reason. I heard little snippets of the conversation as I ran past more than ones, carried on the wind. It sounded so clear from a group a good distance away.

“Aw look at the poor little Jubatus so far from home, where’s your parents, light crystal.” I was sure the one talking was the leader. The Jubatus didn’t reply, just stood there quivering.

“Light crystal, light crystal.” The rest chanted.

“Best go light up a dark cave where you belong.” He mocked him. The second time I came round the leader of the group was pushing the Jubatus around. “You’re only here because of special treatment from the queen, you don’t belong here.”

“They are really starting to annoying me,” I growled.

“Just leave it Fang, we’re no match for them,” commented Loki.

“You might not be,” I said continuing to run.

“Why don’t you just leave, no one likes you or wants you here.” He was pushing even more, trying to get a response from the Jubatus, but got nothing.

“That does it.” I decided I’d had enough of them picking on him, he was younger than them too, I stopped looking over at them.

“Come on Fang.” Loki called as he kept running. “We don’t want to keep Master Lance waiting.”

“Not today.” I walked closer. I’d ran past this little scene too much to let it slide any more.

“What are you looking at scruffy?” Snarled the biggest Feles, getting closer I realised he was a Leo like Dumah, leader of this group of bullies. I took no notice in his words, commenting on my messy and blotchy fur, I’d gotten used to it, so I didn’t really care about what other Animalia thought.

“I suggest you leave him alone,” I demanded.

“What if we don’t?” he asked snarling.

“I’ll force you to,” I replied.

“Yeah right.” They all laughed.

I smirked. “You have no idea who you are dealing with.”

“Really, you’re that one not even in a class, some master’s little pet,” mocked the leader. “Now leave before things get ugly.”

I glanced at the Jubatus. “No.” The wind blew strongly around us, Larana was responding to my will.

“What’s happening?” cried one of them. I pushed my hand forward, sending out a harmless gust of wind pushing them back a bit.

“Now.” I grinned; this was fun. “Back away from the Jubatus and leave him alone.”

“What are you some kind of freak?” questioned the leader.

“My name is Fang,” I responded, rising both my arms into the air, summoning gusts of wind all around them. “And don’t you forget it.” I put my arms back down again and the wind subsided. Without another word, they all made a run for it.

“Freak!” They shouted back at me.

“Thank you.” The Jubatus said quietly.

“You’re welcome,” I said. “If they give you any more problems, just send them my way.” I was about to break off into a run to catch back up with Loki.

“Wait,” he quickly reached out his hand. “Fang, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Dash.” He introduced himself.

“Nice to meet you.” I smiled. “I’ve got to get going, otherwise my master will be ticked off.” He nodded as I ran off.

“Why did you help him master?” asked Larana. “He is a stranger.”

“Larana, you don’t need a reason to help someone,” I replied happy with the choice I made to help him.

“Should have helped him sooner then,” commented Larana.

“I’ll remember that for the next Animalia I help,” I acknowledged her words, perhaps she had been right, I should have helped him the first time I saw him in trouble.

When I reached Master Lance, Loki was on the ground completely wiped out, gasping for breath. I wondered if Master Lance had done something to him.

“And what took you so long?” asked Master Lance.

“I was helping someone,” I answered.

“I hope you weren’t showing off,” said Master Lance. I shook my head. “Alright then.” He grinned. “Let’s begin today’s session with more talisman training.” I nodded, ready to face anything he threw at me. “All you have to do is show me what you can now do with Larana’s power.”

“Is that it?” I sighed thinking it might have been something more exciting. “No problem.” I acted like I knew what I was doing. I gulped, I had been practising more recently, but because of my lack of training I didn’t have much control over it.

“Come on, you have been practising.” Master Lance was taunting me. “Fang.”

I turned away from him, lifting my arms up expecting the wind to do what it had done before, but nothing.

“Why isn’t it working?” I was confused. I had used it multiple times in training and even helped Dash against those bullies, so why could I not use it now.

“You were awesome a second ago,” blurted out Loki.

“Larana.” I even said her name, but still nothing. “Did I use up all my energy already from before.”

“Looks like you’ve fallen out of sync again.” Master Lance shook his head. “You need to make much more improvement before you’ll be able to use her power whenever you like.”

“Out of sync, why does this keep happening?” I wondered.

“I suspect it was caused by you not practising with her power for the past few years,” informed Master Lance.

“How do I re-sync again?” I asked determined to do something with her power.

“I’m sure your dad already told you how, it is how you normally connect.” Master Lance looked at me.

“Yeah, but…” I had learnt so much from him, that much of it was a blur.

Master Lance sighed. “You and the wind must be one, don’t just use her power, listen to it, listen to the wind.”

“Listen to the wind?” I repeated.

“My power is all around you master.” Larana came to sit on my shoulder. “You need to learn to see it. Your dad told you how we connect, you can do it and this time hold on to it.”

I closed my eyes, taking in a breath, trying to listen to the wind I could feel it gently blowing passed me. I could hear the tree leaves rustling, flags blowing and my own breath. Was this what they meant by listening to the wind? It was calm but could be wild and strong.

I pictured the connection between Larana’s power and mine, like I had when we first connected during my training with dad, but during that moment I felt something else, almost like I was connected to a second power, one that was different from Larana and I.

I wondered about this new feeling but had to shake off those thoughts and focus on the connection that mattered at this very moment. I lifted my hands, willing it to manifest into a sphere between my hands. I imagined all the wind coming together to form the sphere I wanted it too. Feeling the pressure growing between my hands I opened my eyes to see a compressed ball of air between them.

“Wow.” I was surprised.

“Well done.” Master Lance clapped his hands. “Just don’t lose sync again, it uses a lot of energy just to make that first connect.”

“I won’t.” I grinned raising my arm into the air, then quickly down, dispersing the wind into an attack. It thinned out cutting a bush in half.

“Impressive young Fang,” commented Master Lance.

Just from using that single attack I could feel Larana’s power, it was so strong, fierce, and wild but contained and ancient; I had almost forgotten.

I raised my other arm, then swiped down, the wind came to my call, condensing and sending out another blade.

“You got it this time master,” cheered Larana. Before I could just push things about and do warning shots of wind, but this was different. I did two more, then stopped panting out of breath. I could feel the strain on my body, a side effect of using her power without mastering it.

“Using a talisman’s power can take a toll on your body, when not properly trained to use it,” informed Master Lance. “But to get four shots and to continue…” He stopped.

“Continue what?” Why did he not finish?

“Nothing.” He shook his head.

“It can’t be nothing,” I protested, kind of getting sick of others not telling me stuff.

Master Lance ignored my outburst. “Seeing as you have used up most of your strength, let us call it a day.”

“I can keep going!” I shouted, somewhat annoyed with him.

“Can’t you keep your students quiet?” moaned another teacher, one from the higher classes.

Another master had passed with her students. I glanced over to see Tigra was among them, she smiled almost as surprised to see me as I was too her.

“My apologies.” Master Lance bowed, almost like my shouting was a bad thing.

I could feel an instant tension between Tigra’s master and mine, perhaps they had some history together and wondered if something would happen, some sort of conflict between them perhaps.