Auster Ninja (Puppy) Warrior

At the pups question he laughed, but did not give in return a clear answer. In truth, Zephyr didn't know how to describe the word. Anticlimactic described itself! It was without climactic-ness! He'd need to remember to be more careful with his wording around puppies, and accept that they did not yet have the language skills they soon would.

Kea agreed with Zeph's assumption that he wanted to grow to be at least one of those mighty things and Zeph nodded his large head, proud. The new generation of Carpathius's would be many things and of them all, he was sure any pup who wished to learn combat would learn it and learn it well. That was the promise you were born into when you were gifted such an exceptionally capable family. Kea would grow to be whatever he chose to, and Zephyr as his big brother would support him forever in his goals. The compassionate avian would give his whole self to any of his little siblings in the same way, eager to see them meet their dreams.

Kea seemed awed, but confused by Zeph's contraptions. He looked to the course and then back at the boy, blinking. Was it not clear? Ah, then, he'd need to lead him through it. "It's a training course!" He emphasized, as if the pup should have already known (forgetting again that puppies did not know things, as a general rule.) "We're going to compete, you and me." Hopping forward, he gestured to the first leg of the race. "This part you'll run through as fast as you can, until you get to those bushes."

Shifting his gesturing wing further on, he motioned to the bushes in question. "There are sticks and logs hidden in the thicket there, so go carefully and make sure you don't hurt yourself. At that part you gotta climb or crawl or scurry, whatever gets you through." Hopping forward further (and dragging the pup along with one cupped wing) he showed the boy the next rung. "Then you see these stones, you can't touch the red leaves underneath, we're pretending that's lava." Catching the pup's likely confused expression, he elaborated. "That's really hot fire-like water, it'll eat you if you touch it in real life. So you gotta hop from stone to stone."

Moving on (and eager to get on with it) the bird continued. "Then you get to this ball, you have to push it and I have to push the log. You push it all the way to the barrier here, where there is wood up against the fence. Then you can stop pushing it and climb. First one to the other side of the fence wins!"

"Zephyr"