Aspen was raised to be a Cleric, and even to be a candidate to become a Head Cleric once her Grandfather, Jaga, passes.
It isn't until an Evil Force threatens the crown and Thundera as a whole, that Aspen has to start to fulfill the duties she was r...
These were days of peace and prosperity on Third Earth. When one empire stood above all others; ruling with a just heart, and razor claw. And though omens foretold in the book would be ignored, the tragedy to come was necessary. For it was written that he would be born of fire; a king to lead his people to victory against ancient spirits of evil.
Aspen stood in a ready stance, her older brother, Locke, waiting behind her.
"Are you sure you want to do this, Aspen?" Arden, Aspen's father, and a Cleric, asked.
"Yes, I'm sure, father," Aspen said with a small nod.
Arden let out a small sigh, "Very well. You may begin."
The speed track was set into motion. Blades began to spin and swing.
The adolescent female launched forward towards the blades. She made it through the spinning blades with ease, but stopped when she came to the large blades that were swinging like pendulums. Aspen watched down the center, watching the blades get close to showing an opening, but it wasn't completely open.
Until she saw a clear path between the blades.
Aspen moved as quickly as she could to get through the blades before the opening vanished.
Once on the other side of the blades, and the course, Aspen looked to her father with a small smile.
"Well done, Aspen," Jaga praised.
"Thank you, grandfather," Aspen said, her smile growing.
"Why don't you and Locke spar?"
Aspen gave a small nod before heading back to where her brother was standing.
"She's already almost as fast as a Cleric," Arden remarked to his father.
"The growth she has been making is remarkable," Jaga commented as he and Arden were approached by Willow, Arden's wife and mother to Locke and Aspen.
"I do worry about Aspen, though," Willow said with some anxiety.
"Why? She's getting stronger and quicker each day," Arden noted to his wife.
"But her hair is turning white, Arden."
"There is nothing to worry about with that, Willow," Jaga said in a calm voice, "She is becoming well versed in magics beyond her years. The use of such magic is just starting to show its self on her body."
There was a pause between the three adult Clerics while they looked at the two youngest of their blood line sparring. Though there was a difference of almost two years between the two adolescents, they both seemed evenly matched.
To Jaga's trained eye, though, he saw that the younger, Aspen, had the upper hand, though by a small margin.
"I dare say that Aspen is showing great promise to become a Cleric. Perhaps, even more so than Locke," Jaga said with a small smile playing on his lip.
"You think so?" Arden asked, looking to his father as he sought confirmation.
Jaga gave a small nod, "Though it is typical that a male is the Head Cleric, with the proper training, she may be eligible to become the next Head Cleric after my time has passed."
"If you believe that, then perhaps we may need to rescind the bid to have her betrothed to Prince Lion-O," Arden said with a thoughtful paw on his chin.
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Aspen was making her way towards the Clericy when she saw two younger looking cats wearing guards uniform. As she got closer to the guards, she saw that one was her brother.
"What are you doing, Locke?" Aspen asked with a small chuckle, walking towards her brother who stood at the palace gates.
"Aspen! Um, I was just, uh," Locke started to stutter for words to say.
"Practicing being a solider?"
Locke didn't say anything, instead choosing to nod.
"It's okay. I won't say anything to mother or father. But, you might want to. Otherwise, they're going to keep training you as a Cleric," Aspen said before walking past her brother towards the Clericy.
As she approached the doors to the Clericy, she then saw someone who was huddled against the door, their head tucked against their knees. Aspen wanted to approach the cat in front of the door, but she decided against it, instead choosing to bring the subject up with her grandfather when she saw him inside.
The young jaguar then tried to go as quickly as she could to get inside the doors to the Clericy.
"Grandfather, are you aware that there is someone waiting outside the front doors to the Clericy?" Aspen asked as she approached Jaga.
"Yes, I am aware of the presence," Jaga said, only giving a glance to Aspen as he watched a sparring match between two current Clerics.
"Is there anything that you are going to do?"
"She is quick, but does not have the patience that is needed."
"So, you're testing her?"
"In a way."
It wasn't until a few days later that Aspen, while sparring hand-to-hand with a Cleric, was shown just what the results of the test where.
"Cheetara, this is Aspen. She is another Cleric-in-training," Jaga said, the cat from in front of the Clericy now beside him.
When Aspen found a break in the sparring match, she turned to introduce herself properly.
"Hello. My name is Aspen," Aspen said, extending her paw to the other teenage cat.
"Cheetara," The teenage cat said, taking Aspen's hand.
"Cheetara will be training along side you to become a Cleric, Aspen. Please provide her with help when she may need it," Jaga said in an almost tender voice.
"Of course, grandfather," Aspen said with a small bow of the head.
