Harem King's Collection: Turning Beastkins Into Desperate Wives!

Aster was sweating heavily. His body had been well worked before his current training, the bull pushing him as far as ever. After nearly exhausting himself physically, Aster was tasked with working on the same technique he had been the two nights prior since entering the thicket. The human would raise his shield flat above the earth, climb atop it, and hold his balance in the air. A technique that was giving the human nothing but trouble trying to master.

After he was able to maintain barely standing on his own shield, the bovine moved to the next step, creating a second shield and jumping to it. Aster met the dirt after every attempt, never managing to stick the landing. The captain had decided to raise the stakes the third night, bringing Stahl face to face with the captain's bizarre training method.

Aster was atop his shield, standing cautiously as the disk threatened to teeter and throw him off. He was straining his arms to the side, seemingly in struggle to hold the shield steady while he remained afloat. He really didn't want to fall that night, and Stahl could see why.

Aster and his shield were poised directly over the fire, the stout bull watching with crossed arms. Stahl finally cleared her throat as she spoke to her struggling mate.

"Hey Aster, Captain... This is some... Intense training."

Aster almost lost his balance at the interruption but quickly corrected himself as he strained to answer his wolf.

"Don't worry, the shield is fireproof... It doesn't get hot. I just can't lean too far over the edge, is all."

Stahl gave the bull, watching his student a questioning look. The captain didn't budge but did give his answer.

"He can handle it, Ash Pelt. Besides, we are almost finished. Panther's Son, make the jump, and I'll let you rest tomorrow."

Aster grunted out his reply.

"Yes, Sir... Let me turn-"

The bovine interrupted the boy before he ever finished speaking.

"No. Tonight, you jump over the flames. Give you some incentive not to fall."

Aster flustered while he strained to regain his balance, not liking the idea of that. The human furrowed his brow but steadied his resolve. He freed up his left arm, shaking to keep himself on solid footing with his right, but managing all the same.

He raised a second shield roughly three feet away, just over the peak of the fire below. He could feel his control slipping. He could feel his strength draining. Even still, he would hold. He would make the jump. He braced himself, shifted his weight quickly, and leaped forward, landing directly in the center of his second shield.

The disk wobbled in place, tilted sharply, and dumped the human off, Aster barely landing outside of the burning embers. As he rolled to a stop face down on the ground, Aster clenched his fist, slammed it into the earth below, and shouted in his frustration.

"Dammit! I'm not getting any better at this! Can we PLEASE move to something else, Captain?"

The bull snorted a bit as he answered his irritated student.

"No. You learn to master one thing, and we move to the next. I don't do shortcuts, not when it comes to training. We will try again tomorrow."

The human stood, stumbling a bit as he adjusted to standing on solid ground again. He opened his mouth to say something but closed it after. He ended up just letting out a long sigh and answering the captain with a sullen "Yes Sir."

Aster walked a short ways away and plopped down, feeling much too aggravated to talk. Stahl came to take a seat beside him, throwing an arm around her sulking mate as she drew him in closer.

"I didn't realize that's what you were working on. I can see the utility. You could run across air itself... I'm sort of mad I didn't think of it before."

Aster replied, trying not to sound too distraught for his mate.

"It's probably best you didn't... I don't think it's something I'll be able to rely on. It's hard... It's like I'm raising my shield backward. How do I brace my footing when I'm holding the ground beneath my boots in my hand? I'm going to snap a wrist if I keep this up... And the jump? It's like I'm leaping onto my own shoulders. None of it makes any sense."

Stahl squeezed Aster lightly in comfort as she answered him.

"I don't have any ideas. It's hard to know how it feels for you. But... I do know that you will figure it out if there is a way. Maybe you should cool off for a while? A rinse in the river could do you some good. We can hit it from some different angles after, see if we come up with anything that might help?"

Aster leaned into the touch for a moment, pressing his lips softly against his wolf's bicep as he took in a deep breath of her calming scent. After he exhaled, he answered her.

"I think you may be right... But I think I need to be alone for a while also. Sorry... I just-"

Stahl broke the sentence off with a swiftly placed kiss on the forehead, answering before her human finished that sentence

"You don't have to explain or apologize. Go get yourself right. Let me know what I can do when you are ready."

Aster leaned in just a bit closer at the reassurance, grateful as ever for the understanding. He planted another tender peck on his wolf's arm and stood, rising to head off towards the river in search of solace.

___

Sir Corper was beginning to worry about his pupil. Oust had been regressing significantly, at least in his technique. His movement was stagnant again, his heart not behind his strikes at all. He wasn't speaking as much, preoccupied with his own dredged up thoughts he had long ago buried.

Corper worried he had tried to force the tiger to do too much too quickly. He was worried he had underestimated what the cub had really endured. He was correct to worry.

Oust was angry again. Before, it was a misguided anger, a hatred of the world itself for always being so ugly towards him... But it was different now. It was redirected. It was vengeful poison. It was a spiteful malice. It was a thirst to inflict that same pain right back on the one who had hurt him.

Oust Candori was becoming more and more angry as memories of his father's tormenting resurfaced and lingered on his mind.

There was one major memory he didn't dare think of, though. One that he wasn't sure he could revisit yet. He had plenty of fuel for that fire as it was. The tiger struck again, his movement sloppy. The bear sighed as he lowered his own stance and spoke aloud.

"I'm heading back. You should stay here for a while."

Oust simply looked to his mentor with inner frustration lingering beneath his gaze. He nodded at the bear, partly in thanks, partly in respect. Sir Corper turned and took a few lightly splashing steps out of the river, pausing as he reached the bank to speak once more.

"It can be hard to believe when life has been so unforgiving... But you, too, deserve happiness, even if you can't see it yet. There is light all around if you search for it. There is light in you as well... Lights shine brighter together, young one, especially in the darkness."

The veteran stepped away without anymore words of wisdom for his student. Oust would have to reach his own conclusion at that point. The brown bear had done what he could. The tiger watched him depart before he turned back towards the river, took a step forward into slightly deeper water, and started his movements all over again.

His thoughts only wandered on all the while. His peace was disrupted. His passion and proficiency were both smothered by doubt and rage.

Sir Corper took his time returning to camp, his mind heavy in the early night. The bear was so distracted, he almost didn't notice the human until he was already upon him. The large beast stopped on the game trail to nod at the boy. Aster averted his gaze but nodded all the same. He wanted to like the bear, he'd had a human wife after all... But he had made it hard to trust him, to feel safe near him. Aster was admittedly afraid of this beast. Corper understood this.

"I hope your training went better today?"

Aster shifted in discomfort as he replied.

"No. I'm still just stuck." The human trailed off with a hint of defeat in his voice. Corper grunted as he commented.

"Seems that's going around then. I don't mean to hold you up, Venatus son."

Aster forced a smile.

"Not at all. I'm just going to the water, trying to clear my head. Besides, the captain starts complaining if I stink too badly, so I need to clean up." The human's fake smile turned into a genuine one as he finished with the jab at his mentor.

The bear chuckled at the enthusiasm, glad to see the boy had retained some degree of optimism. The tiger just may need it at this rate. The bear straightened up a bit, peering down at the human in an authentic way. Aster stared back up at the towering beast, feeling a bit nervous as the bear started wording his request.

"He listens to you. He may let you in..."

Aster gave the beast an inquisitive glance as he asked for clarification after the pause. Sir Corper just shook his head, dismissing the thought.

"Nothing. It... Isn't my place to ask anything of you. Enjoy your bath. The scenery is beautiful when everything is at peace."

Aster watched the bulky beast walk up the trail without another word, heading back towards the campsite.

The human pondered what the bear was going to say for a moment before turning and moving towards the river, ready to feel the soothing touch of cool water against his heated skin.

***