Aspirants that
are waiting for a clutch get a short introduction course about draks
and the care they need. They are also free to join the general squire
courses if they want. While they wait to mind pair they can usually
live in rooms that the castle has prepared for them. Some castles may
give them individual rooms in the Squire area, others might have a
seperate communal living space to save room.
When an
Aspirant pairs with a Drakling, they become a Squire. A
Squire is defined as someone who has paired with a Drak but has not
fully completed their training and is not able to fight. Squires and
their Draks undergo extensive training in fighting and tactics,
working at the Castle, caring for their Draks, and numerous other
skills. They learn these in the care of an older Knight and Drak,
who are their designated trainers until they become Knights themselves.
Thankfully for
the Knights, it is optional whether they take a Squire or not. Some
don't want anything to do with teaching the "whippersnappers,"
but often many will willingly accept a Squire and work hard to make
sure that he or she becomes a skilled Knight worthy of their position
in the Castle and prepared to uphold their Castle's honor.
Before the
Drakling learns to fly, the Squire learns the basics of caring
for his or her Drak: what and how much he/she should eat, how to keep
his/her scales clean, how to pull out damaged or excessively long
hairs, et cetera. As the Drakling grows older, the older Drak will
teach him/her the basics of flying, hunting, fighting, and spitting
their devastating acid breath-weapon. The Drakling will most likely
attempt to fly several times before he or she actually succeeds in
lifting off the ground. Once the Drakling can fly a short
distance with their rider and without too much trouble, usually after
about 1 1/2 years, they gain the new title of Drak-squire.
A Drak-squire
and his or her rider have a number of new responsibilities. Now that
they can fly, they may have to carry messages or run errands for the
Knight they are apprenticed to. They will begin to learn how to use a portal,
although they are forbidden to actually use one without supervision
until they are done with their training. The Squire will learn about
Drak mating and clutching while the Drak-squire will learn about the
finer parts and techniques of flying that they haven't mastered yet.
As the pair gets older, usually when they reach about 2 1/2 to 3
years, they may begin assisting their Knight and Drak in battle,
carrying messages to other Armadas or actively assisting in the
fighting.
When the High
Princess, High Prince, and the Knight who has been training the Squire
agree that the Squire and Drak-squire are fully trained and ready to
take on the responsibility of a full Knight and Drak, the young pair
are promoted. Knights with strong leadership abilities may
become High Knights in their Armada, and very skilled and lucky
Knights may even become Princes or Princesses. It usually takes 4
years from hatching time for a Drak to reach adulthood and for a
Squire to become a Knight.
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