New chapter finally. Sorry it's very late again. The past week's been manic: visiting universities, doing a massive essay, visiting relatives, friends' birthday parties, etc. Once again, a 1000 apologies, enjoy the chapter and review!
Dill Dragon: Thanks for the review :) Ha, calm down. Yeah, Angela is the chemistry teacher. And I guess that's just Saphira for you, it's sort of what I'm going for. But you've only seen one side of her… Cliffies are just a must sometimes I'm afraid. ;)
2JZ-GTE: Thanks for the review :) Well, it's generally a solid car and coming from the Germans at that? It's something to hype about since it's almost a bit of fun as well. Not as far as Italian supercars of course though. Power/speed isn't everything though; you have to keep that in mind. Import cars, well, maybe, maybe not. We'll see. And I can't answer that since I just cannot decide… probably a Lamborghini of some sort.
Nandon: UK school can be cool I guess. It's still school though. Thanks for review :)
I Love: Thanks for the review :) Glad you like the dialogue and characters, I was hoping it wouldn't be too filler-ish/dull.
'Guest': Thanks for the review :) Ah, what exactly confused you then? I thought I put all the stuff in the notes. Tell me in the next review what's hard to get and I'll try and explain it. And yeah, can't just rush straight in to the romance… ;)
'V': Thanks for the review :)
Chapter 7 - The System
Saphira POV
"Step away from the car boys if you plan on having children. On second thoughts, don't bother. Who would go for you mugs?" I smile menacingly as I say this, while walking towards the guys near my car with Arya.
As William Congreve once said, 'hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.' And scorned I will be if they even lay a scratch on my car.
"Calm yourself m'dear. Can we gentlemen not admire a vehicle of such beauty?" says one of them mockingly. So he thinks he's clever, eh?
I turn to face the one who spoke, my hardened expression faltering slightly as I take in his appearance. He has deathly pale skin and seems to be all rag and bones i.e. pretty skinny, yet I can tell he's the one in 'charge' from the way the others crowd around him. The guy's lips had formed a sneer and his eyes appear to be a dark red-maroon sort of colour. His hair, being shoulder length and black with red highlights, completes the 'daunting' aura surrounding him. I'll admit he looks a tad frightening.
"Let me see. How about… No. I suggest you piss off before things take a turn for the worse." I reply back. It only makes him smirk more deeply and shake his head, while chuckling to himself in amusement.
"I don't think so. You see, things have already turned out for the worse. Well for you anyway." As he says this, he steps forward and begins to stroke the hood of my car with his finger, tracing out random patterns.
I almost leap forward like some savage if it isn't for Arya gripping my arm and pulling me back, mouthing 'No' at me.
"What I mean is that here's your car, just sitting in the car park where there are no visible cameras coincidentally. And, look! I happen to have hammer I borrowed from the tech block today. Now, let's put the two together shall we: hammer plus car equals…" He trails off purposefully, grinning darkly while twirling said hammer around.
I almost growl in anger. That clever little bastard: if he does wreck my car, I'll have no evidence to say it was him. Fingerprints are out of the question as that douche is wearing gloves and he can easily make up some story to get out of questioning. I feel my hands clench into fists at my side in frustration and anger.
Just. Fucking. Great.
Arya POV
I really don't need this at the end of a Monday.
Honestly, what is this guy's problem? It's as if Forsworn members have nothing better to do with their lives than bother other people, especially us other racing groups.
More importantly, what to do about this situation? If he demolishes Saphira's car, it will not end well. Not only will this red-haired clown have his face smashed in, along with several bones being shattered, but the cost of the damage will be enormous or, worse still, completely irreparable. Saphira will also be devastated: the fact that her parents bought the car for her makes it all the more special to her.
I would, for once, fight my way out of this situation but the odds are seriously stacked against us: five versus two isn't very favourable at all. By the time we take two out of the fight, the other three will have restrained us for sure. That option's definitely out the window.
I wrack my brain for some solution but the man begins to raise his hammer slowly, taunting us into doing something rash. I look around quickly, hoping to find something or see someone that can help us. And I do.
I spot Eragon and Murtagh coming out of the building roughly 30 metres away and they're heading this way. It appears luck is with me too as I manage to catch Eragon's eye just as he looks up ahead. He quickly registers what's going on and nods to me while telling Murtagh what's happening too. They both then crouch down and head towards us rapidly, weaving through the parked cars to be as stealthy as possible.
Perfect. Now I just need to stall for time.
"I strongly advise against doing that." I say in an off-hand manner, hoping to put him off.
"And why is that?" He replies back, the grin on his face fading but with that hammer still raised in the air. Saphira whips her head at me with a questioning look on her face.
"Several reasons in fact. One, there may not be visible cameras around but there could be some hidden ones, if you're smart enough to catch my meaning. Two-"
"'Hidden' cameras you say? Of course there are." He drawls out the last sentence purposefully, his voice laden with sarcasm.
"It's you're call but do you really want to take that risk? And, as I was saying, reason number two is that my friend and I will personally grind you to dust if you so much as even touch the car again." He raises his eyebrow at the last phrase.
"Grind, huh? I'm sure I wouldn't mind that too much, if you're smart enough to catch my meaning." That was a poor choice of wording on my part; Saphira and I still give him disgusting looks for that comment.
Some movement among the cars behind the man catches my attention. Good: that must be Eragon and Murtagh; only a few seconds more now. It seems like Saphira's seen them too, judging by the smirk that's slid onto her face all of a sudden.
"You wouldn't mind but I'm pretty sure they would." she says, gesturing behind the man with her head.
He quickly spins around only to have his hammer ripped away while one fist slams into his gut and another into his face. He staggers backwards and crumples to the floor just in front of mine and Saphira's feet, clutching his face in clear agony.
"Hey, demon boys, I think you're lost. Maybe you missed the seven gates of 'Satan's bitches.'" snarls Eragon, positioned in a fighting stance along with Murtagh.
"You wouldn't want to keep your 'master' waiting now would you?" sneers Murtagh, adding to the insult.
After a moment of temporary shock and rage, two of the 'henchmen' go for Murtagh and Eragon and the other two advance on Saphira and I. One swings a fist at me, aiming for my face, which I reflexively grab before punching his gut causing him to double over. A sharp knee to his face drops him to the ground next to his glorious leader.
I look to Saphira to see her avoid a flurry of wild punches before stepping on the man's foot, making him falter, and hitting him in the face with a quick left jab followed by a powerful side kick to his chest. He also wobbles backwards before completely collapsing, going into a foetal position. I don't even know why I was worried.
Saphira and I were both taught some basic mixed-martial-arts last year for 6 months, during the summer holidays and the beginning of Year 12. We used to learn from a coach for a local club, an experienced one at that, for 2 hours a week on Saturdays and Sundays. It definitely paid off against creeps who liked getting a little 'too close' or simply in random fights like this.
I turn to Eragon and Murtagh to see them fist-bump while standing over the other two guys, who are whimpering and clutching their assortment of injuries. No need to worry about those two either I guess.
"The mighty Thor is victorious once more!" yells Murtagh, brandishing the hammer above his head.
"And I'm Superman." says Eragon, rolling his eyes at his action.
"You're just jealous."
"Clearly. I'm just seething inside in fact." He then turns towards Saphira and I with a look of anxiety. "You guys okay?"
"We're fine, don't worry." I reply back, giving him a quick nod. His face relaxes for a moment before tensing up again and looking at the crumpled form of the red haired leader.
"Murtagh. This guy looks familiar. He's in our year right?" he asks with some suspicion.
"Yeah, he is. His name's Durza Shanks. He's pretty high up in the chain of command of the Forsworn too. My bet is that he must've been out looking for any marked cars, like Saphira's, to trash."
"My thoughts exactly." I reply, eyeing the fallen 'leader' warily.
"Wait, hold up a second. Forsworn? Marked cars? Anyone want to fill me in here?" interrupts Eragon, obviously perplexed as to what we're talking about.
"Essentially-" begins Saphira before she's cut off by Murtagh.
"It's fine Saphira. I'll call Eragon tonight and tell him all about the whole system we got going down here. You've already had a run in with these lads before though Ery."
"Who- wait, the guy I raced with the Porsche GT3 was one of them?"
"Yeah, that's Jyrik for sure. He's pretty low down in the Forsworn ranks and always uses that Porsche of his to pit himself against, what he thinks is, easy meat. Clearly he was mistaken with you." He grins at Eragon before turning to me with a stern face. "Arya, you okay with me telling Eragon about everything?" I catch the emphasis he puts on the last word and nod slightly in response, before heading over to Saphira's car.
He deserves to know since this is his second run-in with the Forsworn. It'll be beneficial to him if he has an understanding of the whole situation. I'm surprised that I'd never heard of this Forsworn member before though, considering he's high up in their hierarchy.
"Is it alright for us to just… leave these guys here then?" questions Eragon, gesturing at the still moaning Forsworn members.
"It'll be fine, trust me. They'll pick themselves up, along with their broken pride, and head off soon enough." I answer back. "Hey Saph, let's go. And thanks for the help guys; hopefully this Durza prick and his goons will know to stay away now."
I turn to face them each again with a small smile and a quick nod of my head once more. When I lock on to Eragon's face however, my eyes linger longer than necessary.
His eyes are a swirl of emotion once again: there's a glint of pleasure at the forefront of them, giving them a lighter look overall; that darker emotion I saw before is still lurking below, which I can't seem to put a finger on. Is it rage perhaps? Grief? But who or what would he be angry, or sad, at…
Eragon breaks eye contact suddenly, a slight colour in his cheeks.
"It's no problem." he mutters half-heartedly while staring at the ground, before giving me a quick glance and heading off to the bike shed.
"Once again, my timing was most impeccable. Thank me not, for-"
"Murtard, can you never say anything that's not retarded? Oh wait, it's in your nature and your name to do so. My bad." says Saphira with a smirk, signalling him to go too with a wave of her hand.
"Ungrateful bitch." he mutters as well but still grinning nonetheless. "See you guys tomorrow then."
Saphira then turns to me and says one word.
"Spill."
"What?"
Saphira POV
"Don't try and toy with me Arya. I saw you practically rape his face with your eyes. Is there something you're not telling me?" There's something up between her and Eragon. I mean, Eragon blushed for God's sake before going all quiet and Arya couldn't stop staring at him.
Arya. Staring at another guy. That never happens. It's almost blasphemy to put her name and that phrase near each other, let alone together.
"Saph. Just get in the car and drive. Clearly your hyperactive mind is on overdrive as always."
"Says you lamebrain."
"Great comeback right there; I am undoubtedly defeated." she says, with a slight roll of her eyes but her face still set in 'serious mode' as always. "Now come on, hurry up. I don't want to give my Mum some excuse to yell at me or you come to think of it."
"Oh god, you're right. I really don't want to have to face the wrath of Mrs Elenwen again thanks." I shudder at the prospect. The one time I dropped Arya off late several months ago led to something absolutely terrifying.
"Thinking about the time she lectured you for half an hour on the 'importance of punctuality'?"
"Don't remind me, please. That piercing stare of hers has officially scarred me mentally; I dread to think that there's an hour long version." I turn onto Iverna Crescent and stop in front of Arya's house. "Your destination madam. That'll be £3.65."
"You wish." she remarks, amused at my joke. "See you tomorrow."
"You too." As I do a U-turn and head back home, I begin to think about that moment between Arya and Eragon again.
There's something going on and I'll be a fire-breathing, blue-scaled dragon if I don't get to the bottom of it.
Eragon POV
My mind wanders back to the fight as I unlock my bike and helmet - it certainly got the old blood pumping. The events after are more of a concern though: Arya's penetrating stare unnerved me to say the least, throwing me completely for a loop. Rational thought all but left me once again, my brain shutting down temporarily.
I had to break away before I did something reckless on impulse. Those smouldering eyes of hers were drawing me in, drowning me in deep pools of swirling emerald green. I needed to get out of there and quickly. So I did.
Sighing in frustration, I wheel my bike to the school entrance while tying my helmet on. Just as I'm about to head out though, I hear a voice calling me.
"Yo, Eragon! Hold up for a sec." Murtagh cycles up to me on his bike with a pensive expression. "I was just thinking about the whole 'explaining what the hell's going on' thing and realised it'd be better if I showed you first hand. There's an event on tonight which is convenient for us. If you can, come to Cromwell Road at about 7:00 in the evening and go towards the area behind the arcade. And you'll know what to look for, before you ask." With a wink, he bolts out and heads left while I mount up and sprint to the right.
Cars, Forsworn, the 'system': I think I may know how they're all connected. I cycle back home with my mind rolling out questions and trying to piece bits of information together.
As soon as I got home, I rolled my bike into the garage and headed inside quickly, hoping to avoid all the usual questions like 'How was the first day?', 'Did you make any new friends?' and so on. I mean, seriously? Do I look like I'm 6 years old or something?
Unfortunately, much to my dismay, I ran straight into Uncle Brom in the hallway as I 'stealthily' headed for the stairs. Then Aunt Selena proceeded to join us on wandering what the hullabaloo was about. So much for being quiet.
And here I am, currently being interrogated by the flipping 'British Inquisition' about pointless things.
"Earth to Eragon?" says Uncle Brom, trying to regain my attention.
"Hmm? What? Sorry, I sort of zoned out there for a minute."
"Evidently. I was just asking what that red stain on your hoodie is."
What red stain? Oh. Well shit. One of those Forsworn guys must have bled on me when we were fighting. I did not see that at all; I can just imagine Murtagh saying 'Too busy staring at Arya were we?' or some other similarly ridiculous comment in response to that. I chuckle mentally at the thought before realising I need to cover this up. Somehow I don't think they want to hear about a fight on the first day at my new school.
"Oh, that red stain. Ketchup."
"…Ketchup? Care to elaborate somewhat?"
"What else is there to say? It's a ketchup stain. You know, the stuff that's made from-"
"I know what ketchup is Eragon. Stop dancing around the subject and just tell us what happened. Please tell me you didn't get into a food fight?"
"I wish." He raises an eyebrow at this and folds his arms across his chest, while tapping his foot on the floor. "Of course I didn't. My friend, Murtagh, decided to chuck one of those small ketchup tubs at me while I wasn't looking. I turned around luckily just in time and tried to dodge it but it ended up hitting me anyway."
"You're lucky ketchup comes out in the washing machine dear. Hand it over and I'll put it in for you." says Aunt Selena, taking the hoodie from me, smiling at my antics.
"Thanks Auntie. I'm gonna go do some homework now, get it out the way. But I was wondering if I could go out at 7:00 tonight? I promise to call you guys if I'll be back late."
"Alright Eragon. Where are you going and with who?" questions Brom, a grave look now engraved on his face.
"Murtagh, my friend from school and we're just going up to the arcade to hang out with some other school friends."
"Okay, that's fine. Be back by no later than 11:00pm alright? You have school so you don't want to be a deadbeat tomorrow morning."
"Thanks guys and I swear I won't come back with bandages either this time."
"It's no problem sweetheart and please be sure you don't. Just be responsible like your Uncle said and you can do what you like. Now, off with you or you'll never get any homework done at this rate. I'll call you down for dinner at 6:30." replies Aunt Selena
I nod quickly and fly upstairs, relieved that my excuse about the stain worked and that I could go out tonight and finally find out what the 'system' is all about.
I head inside my room and shut the door while unpacking my bad. Sitting down at my desk, I begin to slog through some calculus problems with my iPod speakers on in the background.
After practically inhaling my food at dinner, I dump my plate in the sink before grabbing my jacket, changing my shoes and bolt outside shouting 'Bye!' as I close the door.
I pull my jacket on tighter and zip it up as the cold night air hits me. I'm on foot since the arcade is only a 5 minute walk away down Victoria Road, Launceston Place and onto Cromwell Road. As I walk down the street, I call Murtagh to see if he's there already.
"'Sup Eragon. You coming or not then?"
"I'm on my way man, calm down. I'm just heading down Launceston Place now. I'll see you in a few minutes. I'm guessing you're already there by the background noise?"
"Yeah, it's just getting started. I'll meet you in five then. Later."
"Cool. Bye." I hang up and pick up the pace, jogging lightly now.
As I approach the arcade, the sound of roaring engines begins to fill my ears. This looks promising.
Up ahead, I see row upon row of supercars: Audi R8's, Lamborghini Gallardo's, Ferrari 599's, Corvette's, Mercedes-Benz SLS's, Pagani Zonda's. The list is endless; I'd never seen so many expensive cars in the same place before. All of them also had a variety of mods such as large gauge exhausts, body kits, spoilers, LED lighting (on the underside of the body) and even some blower supercharger setups on some of the muscle cars present. There's also a huge throng of people milling around, chatting and showing off their cars.
I practically drool over every single car as I walk past them, drinking in their visuals and pretty much ignoring all the people. This is absolutely mind-blowing: paradise is lying before me.
What really come as a surprise though is that all of the cars have those logos I saw a few days ago painted on them: the warhammers, bow and arrows, armoured knight or a horned skull. Wait, Murtagh mentioned 'marked cars' earlier today. Is this what he meant? Even the jackets people are wearing have these identical logos stitched on them.
"You made it then, eh? Sweet." says a voice from behind me, causing me to jump and spin around in shock. It's Murtagh, the sly bastard sneaking up on me.
"One day I'm going to end up socking you in the face if you do that again you know."
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Come on, I'll show you around and introduce you to some people."
"Oh wow, I feel so special. Am I, like, a VIP?" I ask in a preppy, teenage voice.
"You so are! Like, oh my gawd!" replies Murtagh in the same voice. We both laugh at that as he leads me towards a small crowd of people a few feet away.
Murtagh POV
"Yo guys, this is Eragon. The dude I was telling you about." I say to my friends as we approach them.
They all turn to face us, immediately giving Eragon the standard 'one over'. Gauldur, Harald and Tynan greet him first, fist bumping and giving him the classic 'ghetto' handshake.
"So you're this mysterious driver I've been told about. Not too shaken up after the accident I hope?" Nasuada speaks up after the others, offering a hand too which Eragon shakes politely this time instead. What a ladies man.
"I'm all good now, thanks; it wasn't too bad a crash anyway thankfully."
"Lucky you then. Murtagh's been telling me all about your race. What Jyrik did was low: calling the cops because he lost is pathetic."
"Yeah, I've half a mind to find that douche and beat the crap out of him. You wouldn't happen to know where he is now, would you?"
"Sadly no. If I do find out, I'll be sure to tell you first. Murtagh can go lend a hand too; I'm pretty sure he'll be much obliged."
"Damn straight I will be." I crack my knuckles as I say this, grinning darkly.
"Much appreciated. You can have what's left of him Murty after I'm done. Might not be much though, I'll warn you now." replies Eragon, a wicked look entering his eyes.
"Save some for me boys. I think I have a score to settle with him too." adds Thorn too. He throws a few quick punches in the air for effect. In real life he's a damn good boxer having trained for 3 years and competed, and won, some local middle-weight tournaments. Jyrik's life span has definitely shortened in the past few seconds.
"At this rate, there'll be nothing left of him. How about we say first come, first serve?" I offer, chuckling along with the others.
"Alright, I'll take that." says Eragon before giving Nasuada a peculiar look. "Okay, random question but I'm sure I've seen you at school before. You're in year 12 right?"
"Exactly right. I think I saw you around a few times today actually. What do you take?"
"Both maths's, physics, chemistry, econ. You?"
"Maths, chem, bio and history. I might be in one of your classes. Anyway-"
"Oh great. Look out guys, here comes stuck-up twat one, two and three." interrupts Gauldur, looking over my shoulder.
I turn my head to find Vanir, Ralyn and Relyn striding over, looking smug and haughty as they do. Bloody brilliant. Vanir's the son of the CEO of Sundavar Group, a massive insurance company for houses, possessions, cars and so on. You name it, they cover it. Most people just know him as the dude 'with a stick up his arse' though; it suits the prick perfectly.
Ralyn and Relyn are known as the 'Twins'. They're blood related, cousins or something, but they're always seen to be acting identically and hanging around each other, earning them their nickname.
What I find ironic is that Vanir's in the Wardens and practically loathes everyone else, yet the 'Twins' are in the Forsworn and he's all chummy with them. Such a hypocrite.
"Well, I really didn't expect to see you here Murtagh with your current street record. What's that now… 4 consecutive third or fourth places and no wins this period? No matter. Who knows? You might be lucky and come second for once in your race today. I'll be in first of course, as you know." I simply put on an uninterested look along with everyone else, except Eragon who quirks an eyebrow, as if saying 'This guy for real?'
"What was that? Sorry, bullshit just goes in one ear and out the other, as you know."
"How quaint. Who's your new friend then? Some newb racer the Paladins have recruited, in a desperate attempt to save their reputation?" I see Eragon visibly bristle in reaction but he stays where he is, making no attempt to launch himself at Vanir for that comment. Sensible man. He opens his mouth to respond but, before he can, he's cut off by a new voice.
"Vanir! Are you seriously gloating before the race again?" It's Wylandriah, head of the Wardens along with Arya, Raven, Rumare and Nirya. They all face Vanir with varying looks essentially meaning 'What the fuck are you doing?'
"I-"
"Save it. I honestly don't want to listen to your lies. This is your last warning: if I catch you again, you're suspended for 10 races and someone else will be driving your LFA. Capiche?" His face contorts in outrage but Ralyn unexpectedly whispers something in his ear. Vanir's expression evens out once more but turns into a sly one. He spins to face Eragon quickly.
"You, me. Tonight's event. You game?"
…What?! Where did that question come from?
I turn to Eragon to see him staring right back at Vanir with a sinister glare. He's dead quiet for a few seconds, as if contemplating something deep. I bet it's about that last race he had: he must be thinking about the crash. Suddenly he speaks.
"Game on."
Arya POV (a few seconds earlier)
Vanir is about to get his scrawny little hide kicked. I was talking with Raven, Rum, Nirya and Saphira when Wylandriah comes over to me and points out a crowd of people fifteen or so metres away.
I squinted towards them and lo and behold, Vanir was among them with his lackeys the 'Twins'. Saphira decides to go talk to someone else saying "I'll leave him all for you guys", while the rest of us walk over to him. As we do, I spot Murtagh, Nasuada, Thorn, some other Paladin members and, much to my astonishment, Eragon. I keep quiet though and let Wylandriah have her way with Vanir first.
When Vanir turns to Eragon and challenges him, I almost slap him in the face for being so utterly ridiculous. One of the Twins had whispered something in his ear, which must have initiated this idiocy. They practically control Vanir and he's clueless, even after he's been warned numerous times by others, myself included.
I look at Eragon after Vanir lays the gauntlet. He's silent for a few moments but his expression is hardened and menacing. Once again I end up finding myself drawn to his eyes: this time there's nothing but malice and hatred in them, covering up the even darker emotions I know that lie beneath them.
"Game on." Vanir smirks at his answer, as if knowing he couldn't resist, before stalking off with the Twins.
"What on earth was that about Eragon?!" I quite literally explode in fury at him, irate at his rash acceptance of the challenge. "Do you have any idea what you've gotten yourself into?" Only three days ago was he involved in an accident, yet here he is diving recklessly into another race.
"I do in fact, Arya. Please, don't try and lecture me when you know nothing about me." He spits, his face still set in that unforgiving manner. My eyes narrow at his harsh reply, wondering what he meant by that last phrase. What exactly should I know about him, relating to this challenge? "Murtagh, you have a spare car right?" This time his voice is softer but with hard undertones.
"I was just about to offer one up in fact. Nasda, we brought along that yellow 430 Scuderia right?" replies Murtagh, his tone serious too.
Nasuada hesitates slightly, glancing at Eragon briefly, before becoming more assured and answering.
"We did. It'll be a good match for Vanir's LFA. You should get ready too; we're starting in five minutes."
"I'm up tonight then? Alright, time to let my Murcielago loose. Follow me Eragon; you're chariot of speed awaits." They both walk off towards the Paladin's section. My eyes trail after them for a few moments before whirling on Nasuada.
"Are you absolutely sure about this Nasuada?" I ask, my mind wary of a repeat of what happened 3 days ago.
"I've heard what he can do Arya but I'd like to see it for myself. He might just be the new driver I've been searching for."
Before the race starts, I head over to the viewing area which is an open tent (like the reception tents at weddings held outside) covering all the various electronic equipment.
Each car racing has two cameras fitted inside them: one fixed to the front windscreen and another to the rear window. The pairs of cameras wirelessly feed their transmission to individual laptops which are each connected to separate large screen displays, normally being 40" televisions, for easier viewing. The whole point is that everyone not racing can still spectate and, as an added bonus, the footage can be used afterwards as a means of identifying potential room for improvement.
Each car is also fitted with a sat-nav with pre-programmed directions in them, unknown to the drivers. The 'circuit' or 'track' is always located in a 20 mile radius from the agreed meeting point for a race and essentially made up of randomly selected streets and main roads. This keeps the races fresh and the driver's on their toes each time.
"Come to watch the rookie have we?" says Orik, coming up beside me and looking at the screens.
"I have. Who's racing for Smithies and Forsworn then?"
"We've put Idolaf on in his 4th Gen. Viper SRT-10 and someone called Baral is on for the Forsworn in a Zonda S7.3. Tonight's gonna be a real speed show but a close call."
"Agreed. All of these cars have similiar power, top speeds and 0-60 times. Still, some of them don't handle as well as the others."
"Pah, handling. It's all about power! Speed is the essence here. It always is and always will be."
"Right. Keep telling yourself that Orik." He mutters something in response before going over to one of his teammates elsewhere in the tent.
"Those Smithies never learn, do they?" says Raven, walking over.
"They never will, in my opinion." I reply, still watching the displays.
"My sentiments exactly. So what was that about earlier on then? You kind of blew a gasket there at that Eragon bloke and, although we all know what you're temper's like, it…" I raise my eyebrow at him at this point and he falters slightly. "Um, it seemed very unlike you. Very, very unlike you in fact. You only get that pissed when it's something especially serious."
"I'm not sure myself actually; I think school just took a lot out of me today so I was already a bit irritated. Vanir really didn't help to be honest." I fend off his question, not willing to reveal why I vented my anger as I know what kind of reaction it will elicit from people like him particularly. Dear Lord, if he knew I was worried about Eragon's safety… I just would not hear the end of it. "Look, the race is about to begin."
Five engines abruptly come to life, rumbling and thundering as the drivers rev their engines 20 metres or so away. I watch the cars line up adjacently at the start of Gloucester Road as the three starters raise their red, amber and green flags simultaneously.
Each of the cars jump forward slightly, anticipating the drop of the green flag.
The red one falls.
The amber one follows two seconds later.
The green drops around 3 second afterwards and the squealing of tyres, along with the sound of roaring exhausts, deafens everybody momentarily as the cars leap forward.
I instantly focus on the screen showing the feed from Eragon's Scuderia, seeing whether or not he gains the lead. He's tied second with Vanir as the first corner approaches to Courtfield Road, neither one giving each other any leeway.
As I stare at the screen, I begin to reflect back on the race 3 days ago. That time it was only a Nissan Skyline but here we're talking about a Ferrari: something with two to three times the power and a much greater top speed. If there's a wreck, then God knows what could happen.
'Stay sharp Eragon', I think to myself. 'Vanir's up to something. Something incredibly nasty."
That… is a wrap. Sorry to leave you on a cliffhanger but next chapter is the race which will be even better/more detailed/exciting/whatever you want to say than the last one. As always, please review, follow, favourite and all that nice shizzle.
Notes:-
-Cameras do have some peripheral vision, so Arya could see to the side of the cars a bit rather than simply straight ahead or behind.
-I made up the whole viewing system idea but based a few bits on past Fast & Furious films. There needed to be some way for people to see the races. The tent is pretty massive I'd say.
-About the fight, anyone can fight decently if they know how to move on their feet well and punch with correct technique. So Murtagh and Eragon would have no sweat and these Forsworn dudes are very sloppy, especially since they were angry.
-The ghetto handshake is basically the handshake many black people do, especially in America. You know, the whole grasping the thumb sort of area instead of a proper handshake.
-Eragon's anger at Arya's question will be explained next chapter or the one after, depends on how I write it. It's to do with a past memory of his.
-Arya's angry since the obvious fear she has is that he's gonna crash or that other drivers will pick on him (ramming, nudging, etc) being the rookie here. She doesn't know much about him remember, so she has no idea how well he can drive. But, she is right to be concerned about the fact Eragon is now driving a supercar, not a sports car. Bear that in mind for sure…
-We will be seeing Durza in the future.
-There will be a decent chunk of ExA next chapter or the one after, likely in the next one though I believe.
Cars:-
-Lamborghini Murcielago LP640: 631bhp, 6.5L V12, 205mph top speed, 0-60 3.4secs, 2-door, 6-speed transmission, 2006-2009. Simply the car to have if you had the money at that time. A classic Lambo with all the flair and excitement you'd ever need from a car. Definitely on my top 10 favourites.
-4th Gen. Viper SRT-10: 600bhp, 8.4L V10, 202mph, 0-60 3.4secs, 2-door, 6-speed, 2008-2010. Pure muscle car with sleek looks. One of the largest capacity engines produced and one of the fastest production cars in the USA. Handling is an issue, as for all muscle cars though.
-Ferrari F430 Scuderia: 508bhp, 4.3L V8, 198mph, 0-60 3.5secs, 2-door, 6-speed, 2007-2009. A real looker of a car, being a lighter version of the standard F430. Fast and well handled, this was a rival even for the special Ferrari Enzo. A worthy car on the track and road.
-Lexus LFA: 552bhp, 4.8L V10, 203mph, 0-60 3.6secs, 2-door, 6-speed, 2010-2012. The first real successful supercar attempt from Lexus (known as the mild, luxury company). Full of technology that actively works and is useful, as well as being pretty damn quick surprisingly. Looks are well received too. Still, it's a Lexus.
-Pagani Zonda S7.3: 555bhp, 7.3L V12, 198mph, 0-60 3.6secs, 6-speed, 2-door, 2002-2005. Another one in the top 10 for sure. Divine looks, huge engine and four exhausts in a diamond shape at the back make it very desirable. Excellent on track and road, it is a real Italian wonder with many special editions of it been made.
