Training

[Konami Frostfawn]

46th of summer 514

Konami Frostfawn and his dog Jax are walking around the outpost getting a feeling for the surroundings. Konami finds a street merchant selling some food and he buys 2 lbs of chestnuts and goes to a tree and start to eat on the 2 lbs with his dog jax and they would save the other 1 lbs for later and then they took a little nap resting from a long travel from there home land. Konami would dream about his home and what his family would be like if they was still alive. He would also wonder if his little sister was still alive and how she had grown up to be and if he would hug her for a few minutes or cry from the long wait, sence he had to go and find her.


He had woken from his nap 2 bells past mid day and would walk over to some water and would get some water and hold it in his hands and cools it down some for him and his dog to drink. He would then start to walk around the city some more. As he walks around he passes by some other travelers and some more merchants. As he passed by the merchants he would look at the items that had for sale and he would look at his coin purse and would shake his head in a sad manor wishing he could get his dog some armor because he had left his dogs armor behind in Avanthal. Then Konami had seen an armor that resembled the armor his dog wore but this one was black instead of being white. So he had given up on the armor and would continue to walk.

So he gets past the merchants street and would slowly stop and would listen to a storyteller. He as he began to listen he would remember stories on how his mother to an extent resembled morwen. he would slowly begin to break down crying because the night his parents died still had haunted him in his dreams and everywhere else. when he was little he couldn't even look at other family's without even crying. Once he had stopped crying enough he had began to walk again down the street. His dog Jax would notice his tears and wouldn't sway his tail as if he was also sad.

[Archailist]

My Words | Your Words | My Thoughts

"Yes, he's definitely showing signs of improvement." It had been several days since his previous visit to the Menagerie, to talk with Yves on the subject of his riding mount, Xarex. During that time, thankfully, he'd managed to put most of the advice to good use on the dog. Training the excitable dog had been the last of his worries before.. but after what he'd seen, it'd pretty much become his top priority. And, by following the exercises - most of which unfortunately ate away a heavy portion of his remaining Miza's on strips of jerky - he'd seen some signs of minor improvement. Xarex seemed content to no longer jump on him like he was a chew-toy instead of a knight.. and more importantly, seemed to listen a little more to his controls. Came when he asked. Seemed.. overall, a little less fidgety and a little more obedient. Though, no less energetic. Even as Yves looked the puppy over, he seemed about ready to roll over onto his back and demand stomach-rubs.

"I've been doing all you said." With his arms folded neatly over his chest, he stood to the side as Yves did her work - carefully watching his own mount. He certainly was a good dog.. when he wanted to be, or when he needed to be. But all of the other times, well. He often just ran the squirrel straight under low branches or into cramped spaces. If anything, the dog was more the worry for the squirrel than any of the bandits or Yukmen lying beyond the city gates. But at the same time.. well, one couldn't help but fall in love with him, for all the times he'd been of use. Not just in Syliras, either. It wasn't a short ride across the Wilderness of Sylira, yet he'd still miraculously pulled through. With a bit of help, of course, from Naia.

"It shows. He'll be fine, I think. Just keep training him - making sure he knows what he can't do. Push him a little as well. You don't just need to do the same thing over and over.. you need to expand on what you want him to do, so that when you need him to do it, he'll do it." She looked about finished examining the puppy, and to finish, cupped one hand underneath the dog to tip him over onto his side. Xarex yipped, as fingers dove in for his stomach-fur and began aggressively scratching it all over. Archailist could only chuckle at the sight, before calling him over. Of course, the pup didn't respond until Yves gave mercy and pulled back.. at which point, the Sykanis riding mount straightened up and trod back to the squirrels side at a leisurely pace. "Have a lovely day Arch; bring him back if he ever becomes a nuisance. I'm sure I could work some magic on him." The squirrel would - and with a friendly smile, he turned and led Xarex out of the Menagerie by the halters.

There'd be no point even trying to ride the dog now. His tail still wagged as though he'd just seen a whole slice of jerky. However, it wasn't from what he thought it was. The squirrel had barely let go of the dogs halter when he turned and sprinted straight down the street - for another dog, and a person stood beside it. Oh petch. The excitement must have really peaked - now the dog just wanted to run around and play. Who could blame him.. but Xarex still had a full tack strapped to his back, with a saddle and a bridle and all still in place. The squirrel at least wanted to get that off before he started rolling about in the grass and scuffing it up. Even though the dog was considerably faster, the squirrel quickly slipped onto all-fours and broke out into a sprint after his mount. "XAREX! HEEL!"

[Konami Frostfawn]

Konami would be standing by Jax and would still somewhat be thinking of the past when he had herd " Xarex Heel!" His first response was to take out just one of the arrows and would point it at the new dog not knowing what it was at first. Once he saw the dog he would put it back and bends down and pets it . Jax would be just standing still like a loyal well trained dog and wouldn't move unless told to. While the other dog was trying to inspire him to play he wouldn't budge one inch , nor would he bare his teeth.

Konami would look at the little pycon and would chuckle a bit. " Having dog problems ?" He would chuckle a bit as the dog was still trying to play with Jax. Jax would sit there and as he looked over at me I would signal him to play with the other dog. Jax had for the 5th time began to play with another dog and would be wagging his tail and enjoying himself. then I would sit and would laugh a bit and would begin to eat some of the chest nuts he had bought earlier.

"Your dog is a good dog but still needs a bit of training. Jax here doesn't move unless I move doesn't play unless I allow it." He would say as he looked down at the little pycon and offers his finger to shake." Hello my name is Konami Frostfawn. I was the main dog handler back in Avanthal" He would say as he smiled a bit but with a sad face almost to well hidden. " What is your name my friend?" He would ask as he begun to offer the little pycon a nut and some water. Be careful its ice cold. He would smile as he moved his hair his snowflake would show on the top of his head and would be a dark blue color.

[Archailist]

My Words | Your Words | My Thoughts

He knew that one day, the dogs overzealous nature would be the death of him. Although he didn't know that day would be today. What kind of person fired upon a dog, anyway? It didn't matter, really. The squirrel only pushed himself to run even faster in order to catch up with the dog.. really straining his body in order to try and outrun, of all things, a speeding arrow. But, thankfully, the arrow was never released. Though there were still a lot of questions running through his head, the closer he watched this person. He'd never seen them before during his brief patrols through the outpost. And he'd certainly never seen someone who walked around blatantly aiming arrows at dogs that got in their path. With this in mind, his approach was.. wary, to put it simply. But the strange man seemed affable, even if his dog wasn't.

"Been having them for the past few seasons. Slowly getting there, though." Truthfully, that was half the reason he wanted to get Xarex and get out of the outpost. The other half would be to get away from this person. Something struck odd when a human first walked around with a full quiver and a bow through the middle of the city. And then again when they seemed completely calm when faced with a walking lump of clay, shaped like a squirrel, that could talk. Few and far were the humans that weren't simply shocked. But this one wasn't. Had he met Pycons before, perhaps..? Impossible, surely. Syliras was one of the few places he truly knew that Pycons were welcome alongside humans. Even then, it was an awkward relationship at best. The thought of humans visiting a Pyve was simply laughable, so... what was this persons story?

It'd be rude to simply ask. So he did. "You've met Pycons before, then, have you?" For the most part, Arch ignored his quotes to the obvious. Or, what could have been a bit of bragging about a different dog that he owned. One that looked so stringently trained that he could have ordered it to commit seppuku and it would have done so without hesitation.. or any emotion on that blank face. "Are there any of them in this.. Avanthal, you speak of." He could only guess such a place would be well outside the restrictions of Sylira.. because he'd never even heard of the place, never mind found it on any of the maps. Oh well. Humans were always looking to expand themselves to the farthest reaches of the world. Not that Pycons could be considered different.. although they certainly didn't built cities like Syliras. That was, in itself, both a good and a bad thing.

"Oh. Where are my manners." Most of them must have been flung out of a window when the girl aimed an arrow at his beloved dog. "Squire Archailist, of the Syliran Knights. Under Ser Iros." He took the finger with one paw and shook it firmly, before his attention returned to the two dogs playfully rolling at each-other. The Sykanis was always the more energetic.. and given Xarex's small body, he pretty much just ended up running circles.. not around the war-dog, mind you; around himself, and the entire street. There were a few discontent grumbles by the passers-by as they were nearly knocked off their feet but there was no harm done, and with the owners sat nearby, well.. hopefully they wouldn't cause too much havoc.

[Konami Frostfawn]

Konami would smile abit as he saw the little dog and would look at the pycon. "How did you get a dog like this, back in my town we have people who train dogs and people who uses the dogs to hunt , fight , and protect what they hold close to them.' He would pat his shoulder and would offer it to the pycon and his dog would be sitting and waiting to go on. "You know I just come into this strange city. I wonder where me and jax could sleep for a while once we get some money up we have our own plans to find someone." He would say as he wiped a few of his tears away showing the snowflake mark on his forehead again.


Konami had walked to a vendor and would look at the items and he saw some chest nuts and some cashews and would order 1 lbs of chest nut and 1 lbs of cashews. Then he would pay the man and would walk over to a tree and he and jax would sit by it. As he grabbed some of the nuts he would offer then offer some to Jax. As Jax had eaten some of the nuts out of his hand he would eat some himself. Then he would offer some to the pycon and his dog with a smile on his face. " My parents have taught me that offering is nice and that would can make some true friends and you will meet people who will use you. I just hope that people don't take my kindness for a weakness."


He smiles and would lean his head against the tree at 7 bells past mid day." Man just getting to a new city is quiet odd." He smiles and would look at the pycon and would pat his dog and gives him some of the nuts as well. " I herd some of the people in my home village tell me that dogs loves cashews, and for the most part I think they are right." He would set one cashew on top of Jaxs nose and would then he would snap his fingers and jax would flick the nut into the air with his nose then he would catch it with his mouth.

Konami would yawn and stretch and looks at the pycon and would nod his head and would offer his hand for the pycon to jump off and would slowly start to go to sleep. As he would nod off five times in a row the sixth time he would finally pass out and would start to snore. As he began to snore Jax would look around and watch his owners items.

[Archailist]

My Words | Your Words | My Thoughts

Arch frowned, just slightly, as he listened to the man explain himself. Or at least, what he thought of a riding dog untrained. "Ahem. I bought him in Nyka. Then rode him down here. He's not been trained - I bought him as a puppy and immediately saddled him." He'd had a little help from his fellow travel-buddies but that was all the training the dog had really received. Perhaps that was the reason he'd started out so utterly uncontrollable. Or it was just his nature. Either way, he was improving now.. he came a little closer when commanded, he actually paid attention to when the squirrel tried to guide him in a given direction when running.. not at all like when he'd first sat on the pup's back. No no. Back then, he'd needed a leash just to keep the dog following the rest of the crowd and not jumping off into the Wilderness whenever he first got the chance.

"Here, we don't have dog trainers. And even if we do, they're not usually for riding, you know. Hunting, protecting.. possibly. Not riding, though." He couldn't tell what on earth they'd need riding dogs for over there, although he doubted it would be for Pycons. The only places he'd heard of were in Syliras, and little else. Perhaps there were some.. that he'd never really heard of. Although he still doubted such things. No no. There wouldn't be, otherwise he would have been told about them, surely.

And then... nuts. For some bizarre reason, for the second time since he'd seen the person, they ordered nuts from one of the vendors stood outside patiently. Did the person have an unhealthy nut obsession or something.. he couldn't tell. But he gracefully declined the offer, and Xarex was much more curt - sniffing them once and then turning his head away. Offering nuts to a squirrel made out of clay.. he'd be thankful if they were clay nuts, but otherwise, he was just confused. "You do realize, I'm not an actual squirrel don't you?" Suddenly he wondered whether she actually did. The fact that he had no fur, at all, over his body.. or the fact that his eyes had no iris. Perhaps that he was, for all aesthetic purposes, a walking and talking statue, didn't really grasp this persons attention.

Another strange thing that suddenly came to mind. "Hold on, a new city? Didn't you go to others?" If one went on a long journey.. and he could guess that it would be a long journey, since wherever the place this man was from was not in the Region itself.. then surely they had to stop at other cities in order to restock on what they needed. Food supplies, general things.. nobody would be able to make a complete journey without that. And.. cashews. "I've never heard of them. Perhaps they only tell of dogs from those areas." He could only shrug, really, as he watched the dog perform little tricks for their amusement. Xarex didn't really seem pleased but a comforting hand stroking down the nape of his neck, soon calmed the small canine.

Through it all, he politely refused a shoulder. He didn't need one, after all. Although.. when the man decided that falling asleep at the edge of the street was a good choice, he decided to put a stop to whatever the heck this person thought they were doing. "Hey. Wake up." Goodness, he didn't know what on earth they did in her old cities, but in Syliras, you didn't sleep at the edges of the street, no matter who you were. "Hey, I said get up! Get off the road!" He nudged the man once or twice around the foot and ankle, and Xarex gave a loud bark in response. Great. People were staring at an unconscious man being nudged by a squirrel. Now he looked like the idiot.

[Konami Frostfawn]

He would wake up and looks at the pycon. "I'm sorry I haven't had a good sleep in a while." He said rather softly. " I have been looking for a trainer for acrobatics and climbing and the search has been tiresome." He would say as he began to stand up and would pat jax and Xarex and would smile at the pycon. " im almost out of mizas and haven't found a decent job." He smiles and offer the pycon a hand to be placed back on his dog as he smiles. He would then start to walk down the street. " Have you seen many Vanthas down here" he would ask as he took off his cloak and would put it into his back and would toss Jax a nut. Then he nodded at a couple of guards and would wave a couple of times. " I miss my little sis , and that's the reason for me looking for a trainer. I want my sister back and so when I get the training im looking for ill had to Ravok i have herd stories about that place and would figure that is the best place to start looking." He would say as his eye began to change into a dark red.

"But on a different note what is this city like. I herd its a wonderful place to live." He would ask as he would yawn abit and would stretch his arms out abit. "Is there any good places that is free for me to sleep for a night?" He would ask as he looks over at the little pycon and his dog.

[Archailist]

My Words | Your Words | My Thoughts

He shook his head in thought. "I could show you a few things. If you really needed it." Although the more he stared at the human and wondered, the more he found himself wondering exactly how he would train a human in the arts of Acrobatics. He'd learned it from jumping buildings but evidently that would be much harder for the human male, than it would be for the Pycon. They could try branches and trees, he supposed, although that was likely to offer just as many mistakes as through the rooftops.. maybe even more so. The branches would be much harder to traverse. Not like a Pycon, who could slip between them with minimal effort and grapple much weaker branches with little issue. This person didn't have a tail to aid her balance. "We can try it in the Bronze Woods. It won't be the best place to do it but it'll be better than here."

As for a job. "Haven't you been to the Employment Office.. they're the people that can offer jobs for those in need of them." He soon glanced up to the man and coughed into one paw. Given that he had no lungs, evidently it wasn't because of any dust. "I don't really.. understand all of these things you're asking, you know. There's not a city in Mizahar that will allow you to sleep on the streets." Syliras had better use of its time than protecting those too poor to even afford their own housing. It was a place of peace and civilization.. and although civilization meant they wouldn't enslave the poor like many other cities, it didn't mean that they'd tolerate them either. "If you don't have a place to sleep and you don't have the Miza's to afford staying a season in one of the pubs, you've got two choices. You can either leave Syliras and take your chances with the wolves in the Bronze Woods, or you can join the Syliran Knights as a squire. They'll pay for your accommodations and expenses within reason, but it's a lifelong commitment." He gave one look up and down the human and wondered exactly how he'd fare as a squire, or a knight.

"Before that, you might as well explain to me.. how climbing and acrobatics, for someone your size, is supposed to help you rescue your sister." It was the first time, after all, that he'd heard of someone needing those two skills to save a life. "And why you came here looking for someone to teach you." After all.. there weren't many that could teach acrobatics inside a castle. Especially one like Syliras. There were really more questions rising in the squirrels mind than he thought he'd be able to ask this person, whom he'd just met for that matter, in a single sitting. The fact that he'd arrived from.. goodness knows where, in order to track down his sister.. and to do so, he'd come to the safest city in the world. Which meant that his sister couldn't possibly be there. He'd have to be there for training. But how could acrobatics and climbing help with that? Specifically those two skills? Which the squirrel had far too much understanding in than it could be far from mere coincidence that they both came together.

He stared at the man for several long, awkward ticks of silence. Then Xarex barked, and he regained his senses. "Well.. come on then. I suppose we'd better get down to the Bronze Woods before dark hits. I'm not in the mood to try fighting off wolves." On that note, he turned towards Xarex and gripped the small leather saddle with both paws, before heaving himself over. The thing twisted and writhed just a little beneath his paws, but for the best part, he ignored it as he settled comfortably in place with the reins gripped close to his chest, feet firmly pushed into the stirrups.. "If you don't get there before me, you'll have much harder work when we get down to training."

[Konami Frostfawn]

He smiles as he looks at the pycon. " I don't know what my sister has been doing for the past 14 years now but ill fight anyone who gets in my way." He would say as he balled up his fist and his eyes turn into a dark red." I will take the oath of a squire and hopes to become a knight but I hope they understand my sister comes first before anything else. I will work my bum off and I will get Jax the armor he needs and I will take care of those who help me." He would say as he looked in his bag and fount a few copper miza and looked said a bit. " Please little pycon tell me there is somewhere that will allow me to stay for a few silver miza." He would sigh and would look around and back at the pycon with a small smirk on his face.

He looks down at Jax and would rub his head and scratch his ears. " So pycon please take no offence but how did a pycon become a squire for a knight?" He would say with a little chuckle on his face and would rub Xarex's head and scratches his ears also. He wasn't paying attention to where he was walking and bumbed into a guard by mistake. The rather tall guard that stood to be 6'6 turned around and looked at Konami funny with the snowflake mark on his forehead and made fun of konami. Konami just walked by forgetting what the guard was saying.

"Do you have a clue why I came to this town. I came here to work on my skills so I can go and save my sister. There is nothing I will not do to save Annia. I will jump from building to building I will even climb up the highest wall if it meant to save my sister." He would say as he looks down at Arch. " I will even learn new skills to hurt the people who hurt my sister . The crime that has been committed by killing my parents and stealing my sister will not go unpunished." He would say as he walks beside Arch. " I would rather them have hurt me than my little sister." He said crying a bit. " There is no telling what they have done to my little sister so long ago . I tried talking to people in my hold , like old travelers , hunters and such and they tell me that Ravok one of the four cities to go to about information about stuff like that."

[Archailist]

My Words | Your Words | My Thoughts

After a moment's thought, he sighed. "If you're ever planning on going to Ravok, I highly doubt you'll be needing any of those skills. And I would know. I've been there myself." It wasn't somewhere that he would truly want to go back to, either. There was just too much.. well, danger, for the outsider. Any outsider, truly, that wasn't a human. And judging by how the man had referred to himself as a Vantha, whatever that meant, he could guess quite accurately that this person, no matter how human they looked.. wasn't entirely human. And that meant.. well, they'd better watch out. "If anything, jumping around on buildings and climbing will get you killed if you're planning on going to Ravok. It'll draw attention that you don't want." It worked fine for him, but he was a squirrel. He was a Pycon. Few people ever paid attention to him, for little more than a walking, talking toy. Nothing for use a slave, thank goodness. Although it did mean that he was occasionally used for target practice.

"If you want to go to Ravok, you need to know stealth. Subterfuge. Intelligence gathering. Something like that. You need to know it better than they know it." Although.. what the heck there would be in terms of reason, for someone from Ravok to travel all the way through the different regions to kidnap someone. He had absolutely no clue. "Personally.. I don't think they'll be in this region." It just didn't add up, after all. He didn't know much about the regions beyond Sylira, but he knew something about the cities that he'd visited during his time. "If your sister has been taken.. they wouldn't bring her here. There's.. nobody in Ravok that would want to take your sister. If they wanted anyone, it'd be within the region. Your best bet.. I'm guessing.. slavers. And they wouldn't spend such a long amount of time bringing someone to Sunberth or Ravok.. they'd send them somewhere closer. Wherever that is."

Either way, it didn't matter. He didn't wait for the man to finish patting his riding mount - he gave a gentle nudge on the dogs sides, and with nothing more than a squeeze and a tug of his reins, he broke out into a full sprint. He wasn't a slow dog.. and the squirrel felt relaxed to push the control into the dogs control for moments while leaning forwards so that his chin practically brushed the top of the dogs head during every stride. He could see feet of various passers-by and knights as slightly-blurred shapes passing around him but he paid them little mind - through the regular hustle and bustle that covered almost all of the streets, thanks to the various workers that often travelled through the Outpost, Xarex could find a path. And he did. Feet became little more than mild diversions; carts became tunnels. He wondered how the human was doing behind, but.. this was his first task, he supposed. Keeping up with the squirrel, running through a crowd.

He could even hear one or two familiar knights mumbling on his way past, but little more. There were few squires of Syliras that also looked like squirrels.. which meant that he pretty much got a free pass. He'd hear a bit of mouth about it later, certainly. Security was paramount and all that nonsense. But it'd be worth it, just to feel the wind in his clay and the power of his own riding mount between his legs. "That's it, Xarex!" The Sykanis' tongue hung freely from his muzzle, as he bounded merrily over the cobblestone. He doubted he ever saw the dog more pleased with himself than when he ran.