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Post by Xentus on Nov 22, 2023 22:14:03 GMT -6
The one ton punching bag flew off as if it weighed nothing. For a short moment, at least. Gravity always won, and brought the bag to the ground with a resounding slam. For a moment, Xentus was scared the thing burst open. He grit his teeth and scanned the cloud of dirt and dust that had been kicked up. After a moment of settling, the punching bag was revealed intact. He let out a long breath of relief.
‘Well done! That is your furthest yet, Basa!’, Xentus praised through their mental link, ‘Good Basa!’ Heaving breaths carried loudly through the air. That last toss took a lot of effort from the serpent. He could feel that his master was pleased with this result, though it felt like he was still left wanting. No complaint came from the pliathor as it was directed to fetch the bag yet again, despite the compounding exhaustion.
(Good Basa), the beast echoed happily in its mind, sauntering off after the bag. It took a bit longer to retrieve, but before long the serpent was back beside its master’s side.
Basantai: Str Training 9
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Post by Xentus on Nov 22, 2023 22:18:59 GMT -6
One more time. Basantai hoped to repeat its previous performance, repeating the process of grounding itself and tensing its muscles in just the right way. A heave! A heavy heave! And a throw! The bag flew off as the creature released it from its mouth, tumbling through the air before returning to earth with a thud. It reached just shy of where it had landed before. Basantai felt disappointed, it seemed that it was beginning to wear down and lost performance. But Xentus was quite pleased with the serpent. ‘Very good, Basa! Xentus is proud of your efforts!’, he assured the beast, ‘Let us retire for now and recover, yes? We will continue these lessons another time’ A rumble of relief sounded in the air between heavy breaths. It was pleased that the master was pleased. If asked, it would’ve continued on until it couldn’t any longer. The serpent felt it could’ve continued on for several more tosses before giving out, but it was satisfied if Xentus was. Rest was well earned.
> Exeunt Xentus and Basantai (10)
Basantai: Str Training 10 - Checkpoint! 1756 Words, Loyalty 55 - (Success!)
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Post by Xentus on Mar 28, 2024 20:44:14 GMT -6
> Xentus, accompanied by... Well, this would be interesting. Eden was growing fairly quickly, going from barely knee-high to waist-high in what felt like only a matter of days. New shoots and leaves were sprouting daily, and its trunk stretched thick and tall. Even without extra training, the sapling was looking to be an excellent choice to defend his garden. But, Xentus wasn’t going to be satisfied until Eden was the best garden guardian. Which brought him out to the gym’s training grounds. The sun radiated brilliantly overhead as the two scoped out the mile-long track. The nyssa clearly wasn’t going to be a six minute mile runner. However, if it could make it all the way down the track’s length while bogged down with a cart and some weights, that would suffice for excellent cardio or whatever the plant-based equivalent was. The plan was set. Now, to get started. Xentus figured it would be best to begin small, and simply got the nyssa walking down the track.
Eden: Sta Training 1
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Post by Xentus on Mar 28, 2024 20:45:10 GMT -6
Eden wasn’t a fan of concrete. It was unnatural to his feet and roots. There was no give, no soil, no comfort of the earth. The nyssa stomped and thumped its tail in irritation.
“Oh come now, Eden. A little walking will not do you any harm”, the leopard encouraged, trying to get the sapling to move. He knew it didn’t quite like unnatural surfaces like concrete, especially after it fell and punctured its shoulder on a jagged sidewalk. The knothole there never sealed, only growing as the nyssa did. Xentus always felt a little guilty looking at the wound. “Well.. Xentus supposes we can begin in the grasses” It would get cumbersome trying to have the nyssa haul the cart on grass, but thinking it over, the added resistance would be even better for giving it something to work against.
Eden: Sta training 2
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Post by Xentus on Mar 28, 2024 20:45:48 GMT -6
Now, he had to keep in mind that nyssa were naturally hardy creatures. The living trees had to stand tall against the elements after all. And so while he could surely outpace Eden in a sprint, the sapling would easily outlast him in a contest of constitution. Slow and steady wins the race, as it was. Weight and heft were going to be the best tools to test and stretch the sapling’s endurance. And as for encouragement… “Alright then, Eden. Come along”, the leopard beckoned, tempting the sapling to follow him in the field with nothing but a watering can. Fresh spring water was one of the best treats for a plant. While it felt unorthodox compared to the usual pet-treat, it worked quite well. The nyssa’s leaves shuddered excitedly at the sound of sloshing water and it began trudging after its keeper. No weights, no cart, just a simple walk. Slowly, steadily, thirstily.
Eden: Sta Training 3
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Post by Xentus on Mar 28, 2024 20:46:22 GMT -6
The nyssa hobbled as quickly as it could, which… Was not very. Xentus kept a light jog to set the pace, getting in exercise of his own. Eden’s eyes were locked on the watering can. The young sapling was eager to have a taste of the cool, refreshing liquid within. “That’s it, Eden, keep at it”, the leopard encouraged with a grin, looking over his shoulder. The nyssa’s gait was far from elegant, somewhere between a gorilla’s knuckle walk and a toddler’s unsteady stomping. It looked oddly endearing. Xentus showered the creature with praise to keep its spirits high despite the constant tease of water. He figured he’d stop and up the ante after reaching a fourth of the track’s length - a good five minutes or so. The goal was a total of three miles, increasing the difficulty every quarter until the first mile. Whether or not the sapling could endure such strain was yet to be seen, but the man had high hopes.
Eden: Sta Training 4
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Post by Xentus on Mar 28, 2024 20:46:47 GMT -6
Before long, they’d reached the first checkpoint. “Well done, Eden!”, the man praised cheerily, stopping to shower the nyssa with water. The sapling’s eyes seemed to glisten as the cool liquid washed over its trunk. What he could only guess was happiness in the form of leaf rustling was heard in response. Now it was time for the bar to be raised. Xentus strapped the sapling with some leg weights that were a few pounds each, lightening his own load in the process. Eden didn’t seem to mind too much after taking a moment to adjust with the newfound heft. The plant-creatures were as strong as they were durable, and so the addition was hardly any inconvenience. With that, it was time to continue.
“Come along, Eden!” The sapling had hardly gotten a taste of the water before it was running off again, much to its dismay. Needless to say, it took off as quickly as it could after the leopard.
Eden: Sta Training 5
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Post by Xentus on Apr 4, 2024 23:09:01 GMT -6
The leg weights didn’t slow down the already lackadaisical pace of the nyssa, surprisingly. If anything, its awkward gait was made a bit more shaky. It kept up with the leopard as best it could nonetheless. “That’s it, Eden, keep up!”, Xentus cheered. His light jog hadn’t yet faltered thankfully. With how much time he’d been spending indoors and sending out the robot to do chores, he’d gotten slightly out of shape. Not enough to grow fattened, but enough that he might tire quickly. With the extra weight he had between the weights and the water, it was only a matter of time before he found himself needing a break. Eden was sure to be more resilient than himself in this aspect. He’d need to push the nyssa to work harder if he was to tire it out before he was tapped out. The half-mile mark was soon approaching, and with it, the next addition of weight.
Eden: Sta Training 6
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Post by Xentus on Apr 4, 2024 23:09:28 GMT -6
“Good job, Eden!”, the man praised as the pair reached the next threshold. And with it, a reward of water. The nyssa was easy to please and easier to encourage to trudge along. It soaked in the water as well as it could through the roots near its feet, leaves shivering happily all the while. Now then, for the next difficulty increase: the rest of the weights and some wrapping for restraint. The sapling would need to work harder and harder until one of them was too tired to continue. Xentus wasn’t keen on giving in, but neither was Eden. It may not have understood the purpose of this exercise, but if it was getting watered as a reward, that alone was enough for it to continue! The remaining half-mile was looking easy enough. After that, however, was when the man was planning on adding the cart. If the nyssa could trudge along two more miles with all that weight, it would be practically unstoppable.
Eden: Sta Training 7
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Post by Xentus on Apr 4, 2024 23:09:54 GMT -6
Xentus smirked to himself at the thought of an unstoppable nyssa. It was quite the aspiration, but one that he could see Eden achieving with enough effort. And so training resumed. “Let’s go Eden!”
The nyssa was picking up on this ‘follow-the-leopard’ game well. It began trudging along after the man with little hindrance from the bindings and weight, much to Xentus’ surprise. Did… It need more weight? Hardy thing it was. Barley up to his waist and yet unbothered by all the extra heft it carried. It seemed to check out, considering a fully grown nyssa could host a treehouse. Still, it was almost scary to see. Eden would need plenty of careful training (and earn plenty of favor toward him) or else it might be truly unstoppable even for himself and his host of beasts. But then again, if all he needed to do was hold some water over its head, manipulating the sapling into obedience would be fairly simple.
Eden: Sta Training 8
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Post by Xentus on Apr 4, 2024 23:10:21 GMT -6
The next few minutes passed without issue, and the three-fourth mile mark was fast approaching. Xentus could begin to feel the burn in his legs and his breath was becoming labored. Eden was unfazed. The nyssa kept up with the man and seemed to taunt him with how nonchalant it was about the whole ordeal. Still, there was more to challenge the sapling with yet to come. And if he could get the nyssa moving, he could take a rest in the cart while it pulled it. That thought was all the man needed to keep his own spirits high and jog on. Eden hobbled after him with only one thing in mind. Water. It was starting to get a bit tired, showing in the form of a couple leaves drooping here and there, but by no means was it out of energy just yet! It could easily continue on like this for quite a while longer.
Eden: Sta training 9
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Post by Xentus on Apr 4, 2024 23:11:20 GMT -6
Unlike the leopard, Eden didn’t pant or need to catch its breath. All it needed was the brilliance of the sun. It shimmered in the clear blue sky, giving the plent-creature all the energy it needed, and then some. It continued trudging along despite the weight on its legs. The stumps thumped against the grass rhythmically after the leopard’s softer pattering steps. The first mile was coming up, marked by a solid line across the track they’d been following along. About 25 minutes had gone by since they’d started. Not record setting by any stretch, but for an out-of-shape mammalian and a waist-high plant, it was decent progress. “Almost there, Eden!”, Xentus encouraged the sapling as he eyed the mile marker. They’d take a short break, then strap up and continue building endurance for another couple miles worth of running. Eden seemed determined to make it, even if only for the sweet reward of water.
Eden: Sta training 10- Checkpoint! Eden Stamina Training (+1) -
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Post by Xentus on Apr 9, 2024 23:43:05 GMT -6
> Training continued... The first mile was no record breaker, but they'd finally made it. Eden was rightfully showered with praise and water, the latter of which it was most excited about. The sapling’s leaves rustled with delight and its stump-feet rooted into the ground to soak it all in. While it was firmly planted, Xentus took the opportunity to strap the cart to the now immobilized plant. Some weight was loaded on, nothing too overbearing for the young tree, and it was good to go as soon as the nyssa uprooted itself.
The process of soaking in its reward took a bit longer than anticipated, likely due to the tiring nature of the previous exercise. With the real challenge soon beginning, Xentus gave the sapling an extra dose for good measure. “Ready, Eden?”, he asked the tree, who tilted its head at him in response. That was good enough for him.
“Let’s go!”
Eden: Sta Training 1
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Post by Xentus on Apr 9, 2024 23:43:29 GMT -6
Starting back up was slow. The weight of the cart was nothing to scoff at, despite the sapling’s former lack of notice to the restraints and leg weights. This took actual effort. The nyssa grinded its jaws together as it stomped forward. Xentus could’ve sworn he heard its body creaking… Though thought may have just been the wooden cart. He eyed the equipment and the tree carefully, making sure neither one was under too much strain. After gaining some momentum, it seemed Eden found its footing and was able to keep a good pace. “That’s it Eden!”, Xentus praised with glee, thrilled to see the effort the sapling was putting in, “Keep at it, come along now!” The leopard was slowed to a brisk walk now that his companion was sufficiently bogged down. That was ultimately fine, he’d need energy himself to get the whole training routine finished. Whether or not Eden would make it was another question.
Eden: Sta Training 2
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Post by Xentus on Apr 9, 2024 23:43:46 GMT -6
They’d likely need to stop for breaks every quarter mile, if not in shorter intervals. Eden wasn’t struggling, but it wasn’t having an easy go of it. The cart was heavy, and the grassy turf gave even more resistance. The nyssa’s body creaked as if it were groaning from the effort it gave. Or perhaps it was simply the strain. Xentus was sure to keep a close eye and ear on the sapling, making sure it wasn’t overexerting itself. “Come on, Eden”, he pushed, teasing it with the watering can. He had the thought to sprinkle water on their path to keep the sapling’s strength up while it endured the exercise. He figured it would be much like a runner getting some water in and replenishing liquids… And he stopped himself from pondering too long on whether or not the sapling was able to sweat or what its equivalent was. Ultimately, he decided against watering the ground to prevent slowing things down further - Eden had previously shown it preferred taking its time to enjoy the refreshing liquid.
Eden: Sta Training 3
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