Phoenix Rising: From Heartache to Heroism novel Chapter 125

"What are you guys doing?"

Zoren turned around and smiled at Violeta. "Vio, you're up! Come over and take a look, we've got a new batch of young eagles."

"Eagles?"

Violeta walked over and saw numerous young eagles in the bird cages.

"Where did these come from?"

Jasper replied, "They're imported legally, sold with proper documentation, for falconry training."

Violeta suddenly thought of Hayden's gyrfalcon. "Where's Hayden's eagle?"

Zoren said, "It's in the backyard. Zeus looks splendid, and we got him a new hood."

Eagles are hooded to cover their eyes, keeping them calm and reducing their aggression. When training, eagles will pounce on any live prey they see, so it's essential to use a hood or blinders.

Liam said, "We arrived just in time. Luckily we made it. Vio, do you want to pick one?"

"We're lucky to have caught this new batch of young eagles, or else, they'll be gone tomorrow. It's the best time to choose one now. Otherwise, you'll get to choose the leftovers."

At that moment, Niall and Hayden came in from the backyard. One of the staff brought a large cage, inside stood a majestic eagle with a mix of pure white and black feathers.

This must be Zeus.

Falconry is a hobby for the wealthy, and Violeta had never tried it before.

Niall approached her. "Vio, pick one."

Violeta pointed to a brown eagle in the cage. "Is this a golden eagle?"

"Yes."

"Then I'll take this one."

She liked the golden eagle the moment she laid her eyes on it.

Its feathers were somewhat ragged, and its head was partially bald, indicating it had fought with other birds and wasn't one to back down.

Jasper laughed. "It looks fierce."

Liam added, "Yeah, it's in a separate cage, while the others are kept together."

Zoren said, "It was rewarding to tame a fierce eagle. Do you remember how fierce Zeus used to be?"

Violeta asked, "What do you mean by taming the eagle?"

Hayden looked at the golden eagle in the cage. "This one is good."

"Eagles recognise their master, but they need to be tamed first to make them submit to you."

Violeta asked, "How long did it take for you to tame yours?"

Hayden replied, "Six days."

Liam added, "Hayden didn't eat or sleep for six days and nights while taming Zeus."

The eagles stood on hemp ropes with their feet tied to cages. They would stare at their tamers to outlast the other.

"The time of the taming process is related to the eagle's endurance. The shortest record was thirty-seven minutes and the longest record was seven days," one of the staff said.

After tying Hera to the hemp rope, Violeta brought a stool and sat in front of it, ready to tame it for a week.

Jasper, Liam, and Zoren did the same.

As more people gathered to tame their eagles, a girl in a Yurtlandia robe appeared next to Violeta. She tied her eagle to the rope and started her taming process.

Violeta noticed her out of the corner of her eye but kept her focus on Hera.

One day had passed and Violeta wasn't too tired since she had rested well the day before. Hera showed no signs of fatigue either.

The girl beside her was also persevering.

By the second night, some falconers began to give up.

Niall and Hayden watched Violeta from the side of the field. Niall sighed, "I wonder if Vio can successfully tame the eagle."

Hayden looked at the girl sitting next to Violeta. He noticed her clothing was made using expensive silk, indicating her significant status.

...

Two days and nights had passed.

Hera remained strong, while the number of people in the field had dwindled, though most continued to persevere.