B L U E S T R E A K
'Fulsamee said, "Well. There we go. I didn't realize how much our cultures shared. But, it doesn't make the one big obstacle any less daunting. It seems as though the Dinotopians are very strict about their rules and that Code. Having learned what I wanted to, I'm going to go watch some of the events today. You can do whatever, don't think you have to stick with me."
"Oh, I don't think in any case." He laughed. "But I was interested in those Guild things Fireclaw mentioned. I'll find you again."
"Okay. Enjoy yourself."
'Ornamee went to find himself a Guild. 'Fulsamee didn't have the foggiest idea where he might be headed. He shrugged and walked over to the the Towers course, where Silverclaw had just started another race to the finish. Unfortunately, the way the Towers were oriented made it so that he saw them in almost a head-on view, meaning that the action was difficult to make out. As he got closer, though, he watched as one contestant smashed headlong into a thick pole. The raptor, who 'Fulsamee thought looked familiar, shook it off and threw himself right back into the course. When 'Fulsamee made it to the start of the first Tower, all four raptors had just started in on the second. He continued walking. As he moved along the edge of the blue lines, he noticed that the durable raptor he'd seen earlier was none other than Fireclaw, threading his way steadily through the course. 'Fulsamee ran to to the end so that he could congratulate the winner. He made it in time, and added his deep voice to the storm of approval being rained upon the racers. Fireclaw noticed him and walked over.
"Second again, are we?", said 'Fulsamee, grinning.
"Yeah...", he said, distractedly, "The Towers aren't my thing. I'm much better at sparring - you were the first person to beat me. I really only entered this because my friend Darktooth was in it."
"I see. Where are you headed next?"
"Actually, I've been scheduled for a Race. See the track?" Fireclaw indicated a track that bordered the field. 'Fulsamee had no idea how he'd missed it.
"How long is it? One mile?"
"It's about one and a half, there's a short segment that runs into the forest that you can't see from here. Four laps, totals six miles."
As he finished, a horn blew, loud and deep. The sound resonated around the entire field.
"And that... is the call to the track. Coming?"
Fireclaw walked swiftly to the start line. 'Fulsamee wasn't far behind. When he arrived, he found five other raptors preparing for the race. All were around Fireclaw's age, fast and agile. A raptor he hadn't met stepped forward and addressed the growing crowd in a thundering baritone.
"Welcome! This is the four-lap Race, six miles long. Competing today are Reeyben, Windclaw, Sohan, Antark, Fireclaw, and Sessel. Runners? If you would take your places on the line please..."
After they did, he continued, "Ready? On my mark... FOUR... THREE... TWO... ONE... MARK!"
Six raptors flew away from the line. As they covered the first quarter mile, it struck 'Fulsamee that the racers were still tightly grouped. No one had a discernible lead. The group rounded the corner, and it was then that gains were made. A small, thin raptor pulled ahead, with another and Fireclaw close behind. The remaining three dropped back slightly. Quickly, the half-mile mark was approaching. 'Fulsamee then lost sight of the fast-moving raptors as they entered the forest detour. He thought, "If the track is one and a half miles... the field is one... and... that makes it... ah. Might be a while."
No sooner had he finished thinking than a cloud of dust drifted out of another part of the forest, and chased five rapidly growing dots down the track and behind the promethean Challenge Towers. 'Fulsamee watched them for a few seconds, then it hit him. Five? Where was the last one? His question was answered as a reddish-blue someone dashed out and tried to catch up with his competitors. Half a minute elapsed as the group completed the stretch, then rounded the corner and quickly bore down on the crowd. By now the red-blue blur had come close enough that he could make out Fireclaw's form. 'Fulsamee's new friend wasn't doing as well as he might have hoped, though, the young raptor was keeping pace roughly six and a half hundred feet behind the others.
The first five were still closely grouped together as they rushed past the starting line, and began the second of four laps. Not too long after, Fireclaw ran through, and managed to make eye contact with 'Fulsamee, who was standing the farthest away from the line, separated from the rest of the pack. He saw something in Fireclaw's eye, though what he wasn't entirely sure. It wasn't rage, nor despair... but it was something. The inferno 'Fulsamee had first seen inside the Sparring Circle burned as intensely as ever. Fireclaw hadn't given up yet.
The next two laps flashed by, and each time he seemed to draw a little closer to the now much more spread out pack of contenders. One raptor had tripped, rolling heads over heels for a distance, and the racer directly behind hadn't been able to stop. The resulting collision had removed both raptors from the track, one, Reeyben, with a shard of pale bone protruding from his thigh.
As the raptors turned the corner and cross the starting line for the final time, someone unexpected showed up.
"Hello! What's this?"
It was none other than 'Ornamee, returned from his venture.
"Well, good day to you too! This is a Race. Four laps, one-and-a-half miles each. Fairly basic concept, though Fireclaw is finding it to much more difficult in practice."
"Is he now? Where is he?"
"The one way behind."
"Oh. Mmm... I see what you mean. What lap is this?"
"Last one, and there they go, into the forest. Not much left now. If Fireclaw's waiting for the opportune moment to catch up, this would be it."
As the remaining three raptors pulled out of the short forest area and behind the Towers, Fireclaw proved 'Fulsamee correct. Unleashing some hidden store of energy, he surged ahead, flying right past Sohan, Windclaw, and Sessel. The reaction from the three raptors was a simultaneous expression of shock. Either not caring, or perhaps simply not looking, Fireclaw continued down the track, across the remainder of the field, and obliterated the tape that Silverclaw had put up only seconds beforeclaw. It took him almost the entire rest of the side to stop, but when he did, 'Fulsamee and 'Ornamee had run down to meet him.
'Fulsamee exclaimed, "Wow! Incredible!"
"Congratulations!"
"Fireclaw was still breathing heavily, as his body tried to fully absorb what it had just done. He was very shiny, dripping with sweat in the hot sun. When he offered no response, 'Fulsamee asked, "What happened back in the first lap? You've had me worrying the whole race!"
Fireclaw grinned and said between breaths, "Strategy happened... I knew that trying to lead... so early wouldn't work... Too many chances to be passed... and then you have to work even harder to regain the lead... I dropped back enough to make.. the others think I was out of it.. but close enough to sprint through.. in the last bit there. It worked!"
It was then that 'Fulsamee was able to identify what he'd seen in Fireclaw's eye as he'd run by in the second lap. It was powerful determination, the undying flame that kept him in the race for those laps, and propelled him along the final quarter mile in less than 20 seconds. That fire hadn't dimmed any since his victory.
At that moment, Silverclaw and behind him, the pack, swept around the trio, shouting congratulations and bugling. The three raptors who had not sustained injuries came forward and offered Fireclaw their honorable defeats. He returned the favor, bowing to them.
It was several minutes before the crowd dispersed to watch the next event. When they had, the three were left alone.
Fireclaw, now recovered, said, "That was fun. I like racing."
"You seem to have a thing for it -- that stunt at the end was nothing short of miraculous. I can't imagine you do that on a regular basis."
"You'd be surprised, very surprised. It's all about pacing yourself. If you can handle running around at a constant speed, you can work on sprinting like I did."
"Can anyone join in on Races?", asked 'Ornamee.
"Yes. Well... I don't mean anything against you, but I think you'd find it difficult. Raptors are much faster than humans are, and I know from experience."
'Fulsamee commented, "Now THAT was a bad idea. You just challenged everything 'Ornamee has worked for all his life - to be equal to us. And he's done an excellent job of it, I don't think anyone's gotten away with a statement like that since he could walk.
"I'm putting my name down for the next Race, and so are you, Fireclaw. We'll see how fast I am then."
Fireclaw opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted as a horn blast rang out across the field, high-pitched and loud.
"That's not good. The Council needs everyone for an emergency meeting - quickly! This way!"
He ran off, with the two close behind.
