Chapter 3: Fangs and Favors
---
Couple of days later... The wind carried the sharp scent of iron and earth as Zephyr entered Stable Row before dawn, a lantern in one hand and a bucket in the other. His muscles ached with every step, but there was a rhythm to the routine now, something steadying about repetition.
He'd learned the way each beast chewed, the way their eyes followed his every movement when hungry, or how some of them, like the clawed buckers, reacted violently to unfamiliar scents. He still had to dodge more than one spitball of half-chewed greens each day, but at least now they missed his face.
This morning, however, the usual quiet was broken.
A distant commotion echoed from the eastern practice yard. Loud voices, barking orders, and the unmistakable, high-pitched screeches of a distressed beast. Zephyr paused, narrowing his eyes in the dark. The academy's eastern side was reserved for trainee combat tamers and their practical drills. It had nothing to do with him or his chores.
But curiosity got the better of him.
He set down the bucket beside the Rockhide Lizard's pen and crept toward the sound, the grass was wet with dew underfoot. He stayed behind the trees lining the path, careful to keep his lantern hidden.
The yard was filled with trainees in padded armor and leather beast-handling gauntlets. A dozen students had circled around something, a beast Zephyr couldn't see from this angle and two instructors stood watching closely. One of them was gesturing toward a tall boy in the center of the ring.
The boy's name was Callen Dros. Age 17, Rank C Beast Tamer. Known for arrogance and mid-tier combat aptitude. Possesses a bond with a Bristle Fang Cub.
Beast: Bristle Fang.
Rank C Beast: A canine-type predator with steel-like fur and serrated fangs. Difficult to tame. Known for unpredictable temperament and loyalty to only one master.