Redsand Canyon gravis

whenever u have time <3

today germanicus had brought @Cornelius to the sparring ring.

he walked beside the boy, encouraging his son to take the measure of the round walls and red earth. "this is where you will be trained," the eagle said. "your brother and yourself first, and your sisters too if they desire it."

he looked back at the pup and smiled gently.

A month flew by. Now Cornelius was taking on a more obvious shape, which resembled his father in miniature.

The man brought him to a sprawling dirt patch which smelled of many others. Cornelius was temporarily invested in studying these scents and shuffled along with his head grazing the surface.

germanicus walked at his side. "in editum, a boy was weaned early. he joined the soldiers almost as soon as he could walk."

these were words for the sake of words. cornelius resembled himself strongly. the eagle found this poignant.

He didn't appear to listen to his father as he spoke, but he could hear it.

Suddenly Cornelius stopped and doubled back. He made an excited wuff low in his throat and scratched at the dirt a few times, then lost interest in whatever it was.

As he carried on, he looked to his father and huffed.

germanicus stopped to examine the spot.

he glanced solemnly to his boy then ahead once more. the eagle set off at a slow trot, expecting that cornelius would follow suit. it would be good to start here.

If anything of note was there in the dirt, there was no sign of it now.

Something had piqued the child's interest briefly; but then his father began to move at a faster clip, lengthening his stride to something more natural rather than the stilted guard of his progeny. Cornelius did not want to be left behind.

He huffed again, and then a third time where the sound became a whine of worry, thinking that Germanicus was trying to go ahead without him entirely.

Don't leave me! His large paws trundled upon the soil. The boy wasn't very fast, but this was the first lesson of many to come.

"onward," he told the child. germanicus did not ease his speed, but eventually he looked back fro his son. "you must learn to keep up. you must learn to be fast."

his voice carried with a stern and loving air. "very few will wait for you, cornelius, it is a lesson early learned."

Very few will wait for you.

He heard this and understood, on some level, that this was only the beginning. Cornelius huffed and puffed, and his little belly swayed as he ran, but he did run; and eventually he did catch up to where his father has lagged to speak to him.

By that point though, the man had moved ahead again.

Nnnuh! He protested with a gutteral noise, sounding more pig that wolf as he bounced along.

his small round son ran behind.

germanicus did not cease his pace until he had come to the redstone wall. then he looked about for the boy again. "rest." he would not rush cornelius now. he had reached the limits of his small body.

This was not a fun game, Cornelius had decided in the back of his mind. He trolloped after his father, gut swinging, steps occasionally missing their mark; it led nowhere, and he was passing by so many scents he wanted to investigate!

He did have love for his father, and Cornelius also associated the adults with food, so he was propelled to the red wall by that connection. By the time he stopped - and Germanicus decreed that he rest - the boy was breathing heavily, snottily, and spat phlegm in to the dirt.

No, not fun. No-fun-dad.

germanicus experienced a moment of regret. this was mereo. it did not have to be so harsh as he was raised. but such was also a soldier's life. you must learn to run for long hours and be ready for all elements.

he nosed the boy.

"we will find water. but now you will run," the imperator grunted. he took one step in the arena, in the direction of the pool outside the tablinum.

His father moved in to the arena.

The boy looked after him, looked to the dusty path his gut had drawn, looked back again; then he sat, and slouched, melting in to the dirt with a serious frown.

Cornelius had decided no, he wouldn't run. The brooding glower of his eye dared Germanicus to do something about it, presuming his own will was stronger than his father's.

germanicus came back and stood dourly in front of cornelius.

his yellow eyes bored into the boy.

in moments like these he himself would have been struck, but there was no urge in germanicus.

"cornelius," he said firmly, tone grave. "do you see that i too am running?"

Father returned to stare down at him.

He looked away - in that, he closed his eyes and pouted with his chin against the dirt.

Germanicus had a hard tone to his voice and Cornelius' ears slanted when he heard it; but he murmured something that indicated understanding, and still did not want to get up. He'd rather play the role of a corpulent seal pup stranded beyond the sea, than a boy soldier.

germanicus' muzzle descended. he meant to grip cornelius by the nape and pull him upright. 

not a tooth would touch the skin, but he meant the power of his jaws to be a warning.

the boy must learn discipline. it was a tenet not only of his father's bond but of mereo.

His father moved to act upon him.

Force of will - and pure strength - lifted the rotund boy to his feet. He still pouted but now he wailed a cry, distressed that the choice was taken away from him, flustered over having his own will ignored. But he was on his feet.

When released he would shake the feeling of those teeth from his nape and begin to saunter along, and soon enough was huffing and puffing like an ornery piglet.

"do not disobey again, cornelius."

the eagle's voice was grave.

but the boy was walking now. the imperator strode beside him. 

eventually they would come to the water. he would allow cornelius to drink his fill and even bathe if he so liked. germanicus would keep watch.

He moved to the water and drank.

He wanted to sit, and so eyed his father as if to ask permission, or maybe to see if his father paid attention to him at all; but the man looked to be waiting and studying the landscape.

Cornelius frowned as he looked at the water. Frustrated to be made to move, and to be talked to in such a way, and to be made to feel so small. He saw himself and recognized his father's face within his own, and in a moment of emotional turbulence he swipes at the surface.

The splash carries up his leg and sprays Germanicus unintentionally.

the water fell upon his fur.

he looked around and there was a softening in his eyes. perhaps the imperator could be accused of more harshness toward his sons and not his daughters.

perhaps cornelius' stocky body might become one of great power. "when you learn to run faster i will take you hunting." so far he had only brought objects back. soon he wanted to take them into the forest.

His father was all business.

Cornelius listened only because of his proximity. He didn't want to go hunting; the thought intrigued him at first, then fell away to opposition. The water stilled before him and he saw himself with a darkened face made that way from the sogginess of his coat.

With a sly glance towards Germanicus the boy lunged towards the water and shoved his face beneath the surface, and soon after bubbles foamed up. He lifted free with a husky laugh, and then tried again, blowing heartily from his nose. He was only a boy, after all.

in spite of himself, the eagle's face broke into a craggy grin.

it was easier to be lax than he realized. this could be a pitfall in and of itself. but perhaps he should strike a balance.

he leant forward to copy cornelius, sputtering water up his own nostrils.