Just then, Derik's voice broke through their mental conversation.
"Ah, Evegheden," Derik boomed as he strode towards her, "Ready to begin?"
She raised her eyebrows. Out of all the cadets present on the ground, she had to be the first one to conduct the activity.
Zyre snarled at the blonde guy, slamming his talon on the ground. Gwen could tell that Zyre was not happy with the arrangement either. She placed a calming hand on Zyre's side, silently asking him to back off.
Derik's smirk faltered as he looked at Zyre, probably taken aback by Zyre's reaction. He puffed out his chest and cleared his throat.
"Ahem," he said, trying to sound more confident than he felt, "As I was saying, it's time to begin the activity."
"Alright," Gwen spoke up, her voice steady despite her inner turmoil. She knew that arguing with Derik would get her nowhere. She had to remain calm and focus on completing the activity.
