Chapter 12: The Influence of Nyx
The training yard was quiet, the air thick with the scent of dust and sweat. Riven stood at the edge of the arena, wiping his brow with the back of his hand as he observed his opponent—a young tamer from a nearby district, eager to prove himself. The audience was sparse today, just a handful of spectators, but the tension in the air was palpable. This wasn't a tournament match, but a one-on-one sparring session designed to test his skills in a more controlled environment.
Nyx stood beside him, her usual calm demeanor barely masking the intensity of the moment. The wolf's blue eyes glowed faintly in the dim light, her posture poised and alert. Riven glanced down at her, a fleeting thought crossing his mind.
How much do I rely on her?
"Ready?" the opponent called from across the yard, his own beast—an agile, quick-footed lynx—circling around him, waiting for a signal to attack.
Riven nodded, though inside, he felt a knot tightening in his stomach. The young tamer's beast was faster than Nyx, and that gave him an edge in terms of speed and agility. He knew he'd have to outsmart his opponent, rather than overpower him.
"You've got this," Eryk had said before the match, offering his usual words of encouragement. But even Eryk's words couldn't shake the feeling that he was leaning too heavily on Nyx to win these fights. It had become a pattern—Riven would come up with a plan, but it was Nyx who executed it flawlessly. And that realization gnawed at him more with each passing day.
"Begin!"
The shout broke him from his thoughts, and the fight erupted into motion. The lynx darted forward in a blur of speed, its claws flashing as it aimed for Nyx's side. But the wolf was faster. With a swift, fluid motion, Nyx sidestepped the attack and retaliated, her claws raking through the air with deadly precision. The lynx barely had time to react, its body twisting away from Nyx's strike, but not without a nick on its flank.
Riven's heart raced as he directed Nyx to follow up with another strike, but the young tamer quickly barked a command to his lynx, urging it to circle around and attack from behind. Riven's mind raced, trying to predict the lynx's movements.
"Nyx, left!" he called, his voice firm and commanding. The wolf immediately adjusted, turning on her hind legs and springing toward the lynx with an agility that always took Riven by surprise. She was an extension of him, a perfect reflection of his commands, and in moments like these, their bond felt unshakable.
But as Nyx landed a powerful blow on the lynx's side, sending it sprawling across the dirt, Riven felt a strange unease settle in his chest. It wasn't just the victory that felt hollow; it was the realization that the entire match had unfolded as it always did—Riven giving the orders and Nyx executing them flawlessly.
Was this really my victory? Or was it hers?
Riven stared down at Nyx as the wolf stood proudly over the defeated lynx, her chest rising and falling with steady breaths. His beast was undoubtedly formidable, a force to be reckoned with, but at that moment, it felt as though it was Nyx's strength, not his own, that had won the battle.
"Is that it?" the young tamer called out, his tone tinged with frustration. "You've got a strong beast, but you didn't do much yourself."
The words stung, though Riven knew they weren't untrue. He hadn't done much. He had given Nyx directions, but she was the one making the decisions in the heat of battle, anticipating movements and reacting faster than he could. He could feel the bitterness of self-doubt beginning to creep in.
"Good fight," Riven called back, though the words felt empty as he walked toward the edge of the yard, where Eryk stood watching, a thoughtful expression on his face.
"You've been relying on Nyx too much," Eryk said once Riven had joined him, his voice low, but not unkind.
Riven glanced up at him, surprised. "What do you mean?"
"You're the tamer," Eryk continued, his gaze steady. "It's your job to guide the bond, to shape it, not just direct it. Nyx is strong, yes, but it's not about her strength. It's about what you bring to the table. If you keep relying on her every time, you're not going to grow as a tamer. You're just going to keep riding her coattails."
The words hit Riven harder than he expected. He had always known that Nyx was a powerful beast, but until now, he had never really considered how much of his success was due to her, not to his own abilities. Was he truly growing, or was he simply being carried forward by his beast's natural talents?
"I get it," Riven said quietly, looking down at his hands. "But I don't know if I can do it without her. She's the one who gets me through these battles."
"You'll never learn if you don't try," Eryk replied, giving Riven a small, encouraging smile. "Nyx is a tool, Riven. A powerful one, yes, but she's not the one you need to rely on. You're the one who needs to become stronger. Find your own path. Only then will you understand what it truly means to be a tamer."
Riven nodded slowly, the weight of Eryk's words sinking in. He didn't have an answer right away, but a flicker of understanding began to spark inside him. Maybe it was time to stop depending so much on Nyx. Maybe it was time to trust himself and find his own way, rather than leaning on the power of his beast.
That evening, Riven found himself standing alone in the quiet courtyard, watching Nyx as she prowled around, her sleek form moving like a shadow in the dim light. Her presence was comforting, her bond with him unshakable, but something inside him had changed. He wasn't sure if it was a realization or a decision, but he knew one thing for sure—he needed to grow. Not just as a tamer, but as a person.
The following days were filled with frustration. Riven pushed himself harder than ever before, trying to fight without depending on Nyx. He practiced with other beasts, sparring with tamer friends who were more than willing to help him learn. He tried everything: different stances, new strategies, adjusting his approach in the heat of battle. Every time he made a mistake, he felt the sting of failure, but it was a different kind of sting than before. This time, it wasn't a reflection of his beast's abilities, but of his own.
Nyx still fought beside him, as always, but Riven made a conscious effort to take a step back. He issued commands, but he tried to stay calm, to think before acting. The victories were smaller, the battles harder, but each time he came out of a fight, he felt a little more confident in his own abilities.
Finally, after several weeks of relentless practice, Riven found himself in another sparring match—this time, with a much more experienced tamer. The beast on the other side was a large, brutish bear, slow but powerful. Riven's first instinct was to rely on Nyx, to let her lead the charge. But this time, he hesitated. He took a breath, letting his mind clear, and thought through his options.
"Nyx, move left," he called, watching the bear charge forward.
The wolf responded without hesitation, darting to the side, narrowly avoiding the bear's massive claws. But this time, Riven didn't just follow her lead—he was the one guiding the battle. As the bear stumbled slightly after its miss, Riven directed Nyx to attack from behind, using the environment to their advantage.
For the first time, Riven felt a true sense of accomplishment. The fight ended with a win, but it wasn't just about victory. It was about the confidence that came with taking control, the satisfaction of knowing that he had earned this, not because of Nyx's strength, but because of his own growth.
And in that moment, Riven realized something profound.
He didn't need to be independent from Nyx—he just needed to learn how to stand with her as an equal.
End of Chapter 12.