Novice Champion Training: Prompt I

Published May 2, 2022, 1:23:24 AM UTC | Last updated May 2, 2022, 1:23:24 AM | Total Chapters 3

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Posting my old Champion career training stories here to reference easier (since before they were just on weebly, which is an odd place to host them). I don't honestly recommend reading them the writing's 4 years old.

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Chapter 1: Prompt I

"Your handler outfits their Stryx with armor for the very first time. What is their Stryx's initial reaction? Is it uncomfortable? Does it make them angry? Or are they curious about these new tack items?"


Asteria's armour, delivered by a team of windhounds and their master, had finally arrived at Beval's small residence next to the Marcen city rookery. Finally, he and Asteria could begin their next stage of training. Maybe they would be able to have their debut battle before the end of the year, and show the city their talent and training. Maybe.


If only Asteria would give the armour a chance.


He'd taken her from her eyrie and down to the large, sand-covered paddock used for exercising stryx, expecting that she'd be curious, but not uncooperative. That was, of course, before she'd understood that he was trying to put the armour on her; now she was backing away.


"Come on, Asteria!" Beval growled, desperately holding on to the harpia's stirrup as she dragged him backwards and away from the armour. "Don't make such a fuss! It's just armour, for Nokt's sake; you had no problem with saddles."


Asteria paused, staring down at Beval, then glancing at the armour disdainfully. He wondered what she was thinking; that it wasn't pretty - or, maybe, that she didn't think it would fit. Which would be absurd, of course, since he'd gotten her measured only a month earlier.


He stood up, brushing dirt and clumps of grass off his pants, "c'mon, at least try it on. If it doesn't feel good, I won't force you to wear it. Promise."


She glared at him for a few moments, silent and unmoving, before sighing and cautiously approaching the armour. Asteria crouched to examine it - a set of clawed gauntlets, a flexible breastplate, a row of tail guards, and a helmet - all polished to a mirror-bright sheen. If she found fault with it, she showed no sign, simply turning back around and looking at him, almost as though she were saying, 'well, come on then.'


"Let's get this over with," he muttered, walking briskly towards her lest she change her mind. He picked up one of the gauntlets and gestured for her to lift her foot. She sighed again, but did as she was asked, and after a few fumbles, Beval was - well, at least mostly - certain that it was on right.


Asteria pulled her foot away, opening and closing her talons a few times, then raking the freshly-sharpened clawtips through the dirt. She stooped to examine the deep ruts left behind and grumbled approvingly.


Beval stumbled backwards, nearly knocked to the ground by the eagerness with which Asteria presented her other foot, now excited to get to wear the armour. He laughed, grabbing the next gauntlet and, quicker now, strapped it onto her foot.


Next followed the tail guards, which proved more difficult to put on than he'd expected, then the breastplate, which took an embarrassingly long time to put on. When it finally came time to put on the helmet, Beval was relieved - no, overjoyed - that Asteria had no complaints. He wasn't sure he could've afforded to make any alterations to the armour, not after the exorbitant price the tack-maker had charged him for it.


Of course, he didn't want to cheap out on something that would keep his stryx safe in the Arena. He'd seen stryx maimed so badly that they wouldn't be able to walk again, let alone fly because their handler hadn't invested in armour for them. The thought of Asteria - right now strong and healthy - forced to drag herself along the ground by her wingtalons was an... unpleasant image.


Asteria cawed softly, nudging him with her beak to get his attention. Beval shook himself and resumed his task, strapping the helm onto her face, then stepping back to examine his work.


The silvery armour gleamed brightly against Asteria's jet-black feathers. She looked fierce and intimidating, like a - well, like a gladiator stryx. He grinned, reaching forward to scratch her chin, "good job, girl. I knew you could do it."


She purred in a very un-menacing manner, eyes closing in pleasure at Beval's praise. It wasn't much, but it was a start. With Asteria in armour, they could begin to practice the fighting maneuvers with real weight as resistance, and begin to work on becoming more flexible, more used to it.


"Alright," he said, hoisting himself up and onto the saddle, "let's try a walk. Just a nice and easy walk, to see how we do."


Asteria shook herself, giving a fierce shriek before running - sprinting - across the paddock. Beval yelped in surprise, gripping the saddle tightly to avoid falling off. The sandy paddock flew by in a blur. Her armour clanked together as she moved. She skidded to a halt, panting. Beval looked back; she'd made it across the whole paddock, which was impressive, but the exercise had drained her.


He swung off of her back, thankful for the feeling of the ground beneath his feet after the unexpected sprint. "Let's get that off you, Asteria."

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