It’s been a long morning at school and I’m more than ready for the cubs’ play time. There’s only so many interruptions you can take before it’s time to let everybody burn that energy off.

I lead my students outside. They barely make it to the edge of the clearing before they all scatter. It’s a good place for the young ones because there’s plenty of trees and bushes to hide in. There’s even a lake for them all to get their exercise in. I find a log to sit on. Usually there are a few other teachers who bring their students here around this time but maybe I’m a little bit early today.

I put my paws on the coarse wood. Leaning back slightly, I look up at the sky. It’s a clear lilac blue today. Plenty of misty clouds block some of the bright sunshine. I start to dream about the future.

Before I can get too deep, a being appears through the thicket. A female cheetah approaches me. She’s decked out in a tight, leather jacket coat. A golden and black belt around her waist with a blue gem in the middle. She has square pattern markings on the jacket in gold and green. There is a hammer axe attached to her back.

A Knight of Jatali… what is she doing out here? Surely there’s no danger? I glance around, shifting my ears to try and see if there’s any other sounds that I’m missing. But all I hear are the sounds of the cubs’ raucous laughter.

The cheetah bows her head slightly to me, “Are you Indessah-yah Brantum? I was told to escort you to Luthura Castle. The Prince said it’s time for you to fulfill your obligations to the Kingdom.”

I’m frozen a moment.

She wrings paws together, “I’m sorry to have to be the one to bring you this news— I know how much you love being a teacher here, but the Prince said it was urgent.”

It’s like the world is slowly going silent. Time to fulfill my obligations?