Before the last part, Rachel and Nyx explored the order and greenhouse. They're back inside the palace, where warnings start to show. Rachel began to get more uncomfortable as the tour went on. Furthermore, Nyx is experiencing difficulty uncovering a lot. Presently, this part will introduce what occurs straightaway.
Chapter #6 ~ The Race
At the outside of the gardens, Nyx and Rachel continued walking away as they heard a noise from nearby. In the distance, the rhythmic pounding of hooves against the soft soil caught their attention. As the duo turned toward the source of the sound, Rachel's widened at the sight unfolding before her.
A procession of magnificent horses, adorned in vibrant hues and intricate saddlery, trotted gracefully across the hierarchy. Each rider sat tall and proud, a skilled equestrian guiding their steed with effortless finesse. The horses' manes danced in the wind, creating a mesmerizing display of power and grace. Rachel placed on of her hands on her mouth before removing it. She couldn't help but marvel at the sheer beauty of the scene, the horses and their riders moving in perfect harmony.
"They are heading towards that wall over there," Rachel said as she pointed her finger at it.
"Yes, and the competition has only just begun. Would you like to take a look?" Nyx asked as the rainbow nodded. They followed the horse riders to the walls of the Outer Bailey in a matter of seconds. Nyx raised her hand, and an orb appeared from her hands. It enveloped the tow and teleported to another. As the flash disappeared, they two found themselves in their seats. As she looked up, Rachel couldn't help but marvel at the sheer beauty of the scene, the horses and their riders moving in perfect harmony.
The air buzzed with the electric energy of anticipation as Rachel and Nyx teleported to an upper section of the area with the lively crowd below. They sat in their seats and watched the occurrence from a higher place. Colorful flags fluttered in the breeze, and the scent of freshly cut grass mingled with the tantalizing aroma of concession stand delicacies. Laughter and excited chatter created a vibrant hum, creating a palpable excitement in the atmosphere.
The vibrant hues of the setting sun painted the sky with streaks of pink and orange as Rachel and Nyx stepped onto the manicured grounds of the horse racing event. The air was thick with the dry grass rustled in the gentle breeze, its golden blades shimmering under the red sky—the faint aroma of concession stand delights. Laughter and animated chatter blended seamlessly with the distant sound of hooves pounding against the track, creating a symphony of excitement.
Many onlookers at a pony riding occasion could enjoy good toll. Digger bread loaded with exquisite stews, broiled game meats, and root vegetables, washed down with beer or mead, and several mechs and other workers passing it over to some.
The grandstands loomed overhead, a patchwork of eager faces all fixed on the racecourse below. Their eyes were drawn to the sleek, muscular bodies of the thoroughbred horses parading in the paddock. The magnificent creatures exuded a palpable energy, their veins pulsating with the anticipation of the race ahead.
Rachel's eyes sparkled with excitement as she observed the sleek, muscular horses being led around the paddock. Their coats glistened under the setting sun, and the jockeys in vibrant silks chatted animatedly with trainers. The crowd swirled with a sea of stylish hats and elegant dresses, adding a touch of glamour to the occasion.
Many onlookers at a pony riding occasion could enjoy good toll. Digger bread loaded with exquisite stews, broiled game meats, and root vegetables, washed down with beer or mead, and several mechs and other workers passing it over to some.
They sat in their seats and watched the occurrence from a higher place.
Nearby the rainbowlass and ghost below are two men in seats and a table with blowhorns in their hands. They both wear richly adorned tunics with heraldic symbols, including the heart-shaped symbol attached to their outfits.
One on the left is a man holding a microphone phone. However, it has eyes and a mouth. Another on the right is a humanoid with a video camera for a head. They each have a name tag on their outfits, with the left tagged "Mike," and the right "Ken."
"Welcome to the Zelmore Grand Prix! Today, our racers and their amazing steeds prepare themselves for this next occasion!" Mike screamed as the crowd cheered.
"Behold the opposition ahead as they battle against the following rival for the season, racing against Europe's Wale horses!" Ken shouted as a cheer roared through the crowd.
Rachel leaned her head forward from her seat as each horse and rider placed themselves at the starting line. Each rider has hourglass frames, a protective helmet for head safety, a riding jacket or vest for weather protection and falls, a breathable shirt, and flexible riding pants (breeches or jodhpurs) for movement and grip. They wear gloves for better rein control, and boots with a heel to prevent slipping in the stirrups. They comprises a saddle with a pad or blanket for cushioning, a bridle with reins, a girth or cinch, and stirrups. Additionally, they worn body protectors, half chaps, and a whip or crop.
As she narrowed her eyes, Rachel struggled to look further and raised an eyebrow. Each rider has different colors, masks, the heart symbol, and hairstyles. One has white skin, an hourglass frame, and puffy, white hair similar to a cloud. She's dubbed "Kumo." Another has black skin, a long neck and tail, thick arms and legs, and sauropod hands and feet. She's dubbed "Ryūkyaku-rui." Another has dark green hair with prickles, while the other next to her is shorter, has horns, muscular in some areas, orange hair, a smaller tail, and lighter olive green-like skin. The first is dubbed "Cacto", and the other is dubbed "Ushi." Another next to her is taller and has apple green hair, one next to her has aquamarine skin with braided rainbow hair, and the last one has white skin, black hair with a blue streak, and drawn marks that look similar to that of paper. The first was dubbed "Ochikomu", the second is dubbed "Niji," and the last one is dubbed "Keppeki-shō."
Horses whined loudly as they tapped their hoofs on the ground, and lifted their faces forward, staring at the track. Snot and air burst out of their noses, as the riders held on tight to the rope and feet locked in the straps.
"In this corner, we have our top champion for our horse riders. Coming from a regional background, she has a killing streak of beating many opponents before her, and training those under her wing, say hello to... Kuraudoraidā!" Mike screamed as the crowd cheered loudly. The rider arrived from the shadows, and her horse went to the race track. Her clothing is a customized white show shirt made of breathable and dampness-wicking texture. It matched with smooth white riding breeches. Finishing the look are white knee-high riding boots, a flawless white cap with a jaw lash, and white gloves. Outside of that, the figure has an hourglass shape and strapped white, puffy-like hair arranged like a ponytail. And the same heart symbol on her chest.
She raised their arms. and the rider polished the gloves and threw the object away. A nearby mech caught the napkin and threw it in the trash.
"In this corner, we have a avian for a king of the Welsh people, and serving as the leader of the pack before her, say hello to... Tutursel!" Ken shouted as a cheer roared through the crowd again.
A mystery individual can be found on the other side of the racetrack. A majestic creature with luminous silver feathers that shimmer under the red sky, perched gracefully on its shoulder, its piercing amber eyes scanning the area. The figure as hips, a triangle figure, a beak, With a wingspan that seemed to embrace the night sky, the owl sported a delicate yet sturdy harness made of fine leather, intricately adorned with Celtic knots. A small, intricately woven charm dangled from the harness, and the owl's talons, sharp and gleaming, grasped the harness with an unyielding grip.
She is riding a steed underneath him. The horse might have a dark, gloomy appearance with flaming eyes, expressing mystery and strength. Its mane and tail might be shown flowing like mist or smoke, resembling to that of a house tail. The steed burst out smoke as it growled ferociously. Rachel leaned back as she sat up straight and placed her hands together.
Nearby the latter is other racers baring similar appearances. Three fairy folk, shimmer with otherworldly beauty, their delicate wings and elegant forms almost translucent in the twilight. Two spectral hounds, large and imposing, with stark white fur and glowing red ears, circle restlessly, their eyes blazing with an unearthly light. And finally, two shadowy spirits of the dead, cloaked in mist and whispering echoes of forgotten realms, move silently amongst the group, while fierce supernatural warriors, adorned in gleaming, archaic armor, stand ready, their expressions stoic and determined. As the racers are out, they watched as the steeds stood still at the starting line.
In seconds, a sudden ring is heard across the premise, and the barriers before them dropped. The racers skirmish across the road.
The air was heavy with anticipation; one could witness horses' breath as it issued out of their nostrils in the cool night air. She patted down the neck of her steed, feeling the tension that pulsed through its muscles. Tutursel, old traditional ornately decorated armor draped on his form, nodded confidently at his riders as their horses snorted and pawed at the ground.
At the signal—a horn blast that echoed through trees—they surged forward. The path in the forest was narrow and winding, with a series of low-hanging branches being the first obstruction. Kuraudoraidā ducked expertly, her horse weaving through the maze of limbs with practiced ease. Behind her, however, Keppeki-shō—one of her teammates—was not so lucky. The branch caught her shoulder and nearly unseated her.
"Kuraudoraidā is at the corner, taking the 1st place, and Tutursel is catching up!" Mike screamed as the racers proceeded.
"Meanwhile, her troopers struggled, as the hounds and fairies are giving them blockage." Ken shouted as the opposing racers caught up while the others were left behind.
The track grew treacherous, full of rocks and roots, as they broke out into a clearing, but Tutursel's horse stumbled a bit before she spurred it on, getting back up to speed. Kuraudoraidā glanced around, the image in her mind of her troopers falling farther behind struggling to maintain pace, her horse limping slightly as it misstopped on the rough track. On and on, the racers pressed, their strident hooves thundering like a heartbeat across the track.
"As we can see, folks, Cacto and Ushi thrust throw with fury, not along those wolves to keep them company. And there goes Kumo and Niji pushing forward as the phantoms follow them. The fairies are now head to head-with Ryūkyaku-rui and Ochikomu. And Keppeki-shō seems to have caught up so far!" Ken said as the racers proceeded further. Each races forward and bypasses the opposers. Some of the opposing racers unleashed swords and attacked the team. They reached locked blades in particular, and several shove each other away.
The next challenge stood in their way: a fallen tree blocking the path. Kuraudoraidā urged her horse into a jump, clearing the obstacle in a beautiful parabola. Tutursel followed, her horse barely making it over. Behind them, the rider's horse balked. With a cry of encouragement, the racer pushed the steed forward, but the horse clipped the trunk, landing awkwardly. The racer was flung out of the saddle, hitting the earth hard. Her horse whinnied in pain, struggling to its feet as it limped. The crowd gasped, and several muttered. Rachel placed her hand on her chest, and Nyx sighed as she looked down.
"This race is getting more intense, folks, and it appears this racer is having trouble staying on her footing! What a pity!" Mike screamed as the racer got back on her feet with her steed.
"Looks like someone is going to eat dirt soon! Ha-ha-ha!" Ken laughed as some of the muddied booed at the racer. The latter sighed, and other racers looked at her, shaking their heads downward. The leader noticed, and raised her head.
"Raidā no minasan! Tsumazuite mo imi ga arimasen. Kōsu ni shūchū shite kudasai!" (Dear riders! There's no point in tripping. Stay focused on the course!) Kuraudoraidā screamed at the riders.
"Hai, okusama!" (Yes, Ma'am!) The riders responded as they nodded their hands.
"Peidiwch â gadael i unrhyw un o filwyr y teyrn gael y gorau ohonoch chi, fy ffrindiau. Mae'n rhaid i ni wneud hyn i'n brenin!" (Don't let any of the tyrant's soldiers get the best of you, my friends. We have to do this for our king!) Tutursel screamed to her riders.
"Fe wnawn ein gorau, Tutursel!" (We will do our best, Tutursel!) The fairies, hounds, and phantoms spoked to the owl respectively.
A horde of pillars rose from the floor, and each racer bypassed every shape in exclusive sections. One of the pillars thrust earlier than the feminine racer, and the latter introduced a katana. It radiated strength from within. Thunderbolts enveloped the sword. The racer launches the sword forward. The pillar's sliced into portions. The other racers earlier did the same. However, the one racer from behind blocked the imminent debris and reached for her sword prematurely. She bends her head downward several times, and even blocks her face as her horse scurries across the race. The dust cleared, and the racer caught ahead. Rachel tilted her head and scratched her chin.
"Talk about brutal," Rachel said, catching Nyx's attention.
"Intense, isn't it?" The ghost asked.
"Yeah, and it's very severe. The one with the blue streak is having problems. Even the others are stumbling." The rainbowlass said as she pointed to the racer behind the other racers, who were scrapping the filth off her outfit and looking at the rest before her.
"These races are incredibly fierce, so struggling to race head-on is expected." The phantom responded as she looked ahead of the race.
The last stretch of the whole ride was straight up, the path slick with dew and treacherous under loose gravel. Kuraudoraidā's horse scrambled up, hooves slipping but finding purchase. Tutursel, hard on her heels, shouted encouragement to her riders and urged them on. One of Tutursel's racers lost control, sidling sideways with his horse before it regained its footing. The house racers fallen after Kumo, Ushi, and Ochikomu slashed the legs of their steeds. The owl leader looked over instantly, and she gasped, watching as the two riders crumbled to the ground. Kuraudoraidā glanced back at the stumbling racers; her heart was racing as some of her teammates raced over the horses and their riders.
The rest of the fairies tried to slashed the legs of the other racers, but their blades got locked instead. Ryūkyaku-rui locked her blade to the fairies, with Niji, and Keppeki-shō assisting her. A pair of tentacles launched at the three, and they each dodged the attacked expectedly, and the tentacles into pieces. Ryūkyaku-rui lifted herself upward and slammed one of the fairies off the steed, causing the latter to fall to the ground. One of the fairies launched two fists attacks at the three, but then, Ushi pulled back, blocking the attack. She growled, and the three behind her stabbed through the attacker's hands.
"Care for a knuckle sandwich?!" The orange-haired rider screamed as the other rider's blood shed, and Ushi punched the opponent repeatedly while the opponent screamed as the racers slashed the horse underneath. The steed whined in pain. The opponent fallen, and the rider felled. teeth spewed out of the latter's mouth as the fairy tired to recover. Keppeki-shō's looked downward, and placed her hand on her mask where her mouth should be.
Instantly, the phantoms from before tried blasting the rest of the racers, with their beams and they dodged the attacks, and rushed forward. The ghosts also laughed their chain blades, causing the riders to move aside rapidly. Cacto looked over behind her, seeing her fellow riders locking their blades with the opponents weaponry. She narrowed her eyes, and heat raided from her palm.
"Chicas, háganse a un lado!" (Girls, move aside!) The racer yelled as they looked at with raised eyebrows. A massive fire rose, and she swung her arm, launching a collection of fire balls at the phantoms. They scatter all over the ground, and some of the attacks left the steed to stumble.
Cacto's palms ignited in searing flames, scorching phantoms to ash in a blaze of fury. Keppeki-shō's enchanted soap suds erupted in a cleansing torrent, enveloping the wraiths and dissolving their malevolent essence. Ryūkyaku-rui and Ushi rode side and stomped their feet together. Their combined stomp summoned tremors that cracked the earth, splitting open the floor under the spectral steeds, which vanished into the depths. The battlefield echoed with the cries of the vanquished phantoms, their ethereal forms flickering and dissipating into the race.
"Alright! The racers step up and take out the opponents one by one!" Mike screamed.
"They displayed excellent teamwork, and Cacto turned up the heat! Meanwhile, Kuraudoraidā and Tutursel are head to head!" Ken shouted as he pointed to the leaders racing ahead from the teams.
Kuraudoraidā topped the rise; the finish line was within view, just one last blast of speed. Tutursel was behind her, with their horses very out of breath and steam steaming in the cool air. They were bunched up, side by side, at the crowd's roar now heard in the distance.
In one final desperation, Kuraudoraidā felt herself bent forward as she urged her horse with all her might. Tutursel locked fierce eyes with hers, neither willing to back down.
Kuraudoraidā's katana gleamed in the moonlight as she lunged forward, her movements fluid and particular. Tutursel spoke back with a screech, her wings snapping open to their complete, intimidating span. She propelled herself into the air, claws outstretched and glinting like daggers, before heading to her horse. Kuraudoraidā sidestepped just in time, her blade whistling via the space Tutursel had occupied a cut-up.
Tutursel twisted mid-air. She used her wings to pivot with deadly grace and swooped low, claws raking at Kuraudoraidā's uncovered side. Kuraudoraidā spun on her heel, katana cutting a unique arc that met Tutursel's claw with a steel clash. Sparks flew as their weapons collided, each vying for dominance. The end line loomed in advance, a tantalizing promise of victory. Kuraudoraidā's eyes narrowed, specializing in her opponent's rhythm.
With a burst of velocity, she surged forward, katana a blur of silver. Tutursel met her head-on, their forms a whirlwind of feathers, steel, and sheer strength of will. Each strike, each counter was a dance of lethal purpose, neither willing to yield an inch as they fought their manner towards triumph.
"Yoku tatakatta na, shin'ainaru gaikoku hito! Shikashi, watashi no chīmu ga shōri surudarou!" (Well fought, dear foreigner! But my team will win!) Kuraudoraidā screamed as her blade locked with the owl's claws.
"Mae angen y fuddugoliaeth hon arnaf, neu ni allaf gael fy aduno â'm brenin!" (I need this victory, or I cannot be reunited with my king!) Tutursel bellowed as her arms shook, pushing through the warrior's blades before turning her head and seeing the finished line.
The owl's steed scalloped further, but suddenly, a thunderbolt blasted over the rider and horse. They both screamed as the electricity enveloped their bodies and caused the two to sink to the floor. After sinking to the ground and dirt covering her clothing, the owl coughed and raised her head, seeing the rider rush over her and cross the finished line.
Afterward, the fellow riders crossed the finish line in a blur of motion and it was not immediately decisive. As the crowd cheers erupted, Kuraudoraidā's horse slowed, its sides heaving with exertion.
"And the winner of this course...Kuraudoraidā!" Mike screamed.
"Ah, tough break for the Welsh," Ken replied as a few paces away, Tutursel pulled up beside them, panting on her knees, and her eye glued to the floor. She looked over, and saw her troops scattered across the track. She gasped, and looked over. The avian switched head left and right, seeing the troopers nearby rubble, dust costed their bodies, slashed on their steeds' legs, teeth missing, and blood spewing all over the ground. She heavily sighed heavily, eyebrows went downward and wings dropped as she placed her hands on her head.
"Yr wyf wedi methu, fy liege." (I have failed, my liege.) Tutursel said as she rosed from the ground.
Rachel's breath caught as she saw Tutursel trudging over her riders. Her feathers glistened with sweat and dirt. The dragon's once-proud wings drooped, tattered, and torn. Her riders, slightly clinging to the steed, were draped in blood-soaked bandages. The air was thick with the heady scent of iron and despair, and Rachel's coronary heart ached as she watched the wounded infantrymen, their eyes hole with pain and exhaustion.
"Poor guys..." Rachel responded as she placed her hand on her chest, and pupils dropped to the floor. Nearby her was Nyx, sighing as she swung her head back and forth.
And that's the end of this chapter. Been forever since I last did this.