Solstice Drakern Race

The start line of the race was just outside of the city, in a field covered in a thick blanket of snow. Eteri hopped from foot to foot with the cold. Aliyah could tell that the drakern was eager to get flying, but she’d made sure they were at the start line in good time. Aliyah placed the lyss-enchanted race number on Eteri’s side, where it hung just next to her feathers. “12” was emblazoned on it in big black numbers. Eteri shook the snow out of her wings and cawed in impatience.

A good number of woolynes and their drakerns were amassing now and the commentator had started his enthusiastic welcome speech.

“It’s going to be a good race today, I can feel it! What with the aurora last night, I can feel Amirlyn smiling on us all!” His joyful voice boomed over the collecting crowd.

Aliyah shivered, now slightly regretting getting there so early. She looked around at the competition. A few serious riders she recognised from her stay in Odysse, but mostly woolyne out for the fun of it. Everyone was definitely in the festival spirit, that was for sure.

“Alright woolyne, mount up, mount up! The race is about to begin!”

She swung herself up into the saddle and grasped the reins tightly to stop Eteri taking off there and then. She could feel her coiled energy beneath the saddle. A drakern-mounted woolyne hovered above the line of racers, raising a red flag in the air.

The commentator began rallying the spectators. “Here we go! On a count of three now! Three!...”

A large brown and white drakern landed heavily next to Aliyah and Eteri, sending snow flying. Astride was a large woolyne, with a metal arm and a hat pulled low over their eyes. He barely glanced sideways, just flicking his fiery eye towards Aliyah. He had no number on the side of his mount.

“Two!”

Aliyah snapped her focus back to the race at hand. Eyes forward, she tried not to let the mysterious woolyne’s presence put her off.

“One!”

Eteri spread her wings, preparing for takeoff. Aliyah’s heart was racing with the thrill of it all.

“GO!” The airborne woolyne waved their flag downwards and it changed to green.

The beating of drakern wings created a cloud of snow as they all rose frantically into the air. Aliyah encouraged Eteri with her voice, while pushing her on gently with her knees, until they gathered speed and were flying above the clouds.

The route was marked out by flags floating with lyss magic, and as Aliyah approached the first turn she was nearing the head of the pack. “COME ON! She yelled as they angled into the big dive. Being small and aerodynamic allowed Eteri to accelerate, overtaking two woolyne on the way down.

Suddenly the pair were knocked sideways. Eteri spun, leaving Aliyah hanging by one hand from the saddle. “PULL UP, QUICK!” She yelled. Aliyah connected with Eteri’s back with a thump as she righted herself in the air, and quickly found the stirrups with her hooves. Up ahead, she could see the fire-eyed woolyne and his drakern. Surely that was foul play, she thought. I’ll show him.

With a few frantic wingbeats they caught him up. Aliyah made eye contact with him, and he swerved towards them. Eteri darted out of the way and made her own dive back. His drakern was nimble too, and as they raced towards the finish line, it was neck and neck. Aliyah couldn’t tell who was going to win. Eteri was going as fast as she could, but their opponent was fast too.

They crossed the finish line and landed in a pile of hooves, fur and feathers. The snow broke their fall, but Aliyah still lay for a moment, out of breath. When she opened her eyes, to her surprise, the other woolyne was offering her a metal hand up. She took it, and dusted off the snow from her fur.

“That was a tight race,” He said gruffly. 

“Yeah, I don’t even know who won! I guess we’ll never know,” Aliyah replied. “I’m not sure all your moves were legal though.” She joked.

“It doesn’t really matter to me. What's your name, kid?”

“Aliyah,” she replied. “And you are?”

“Jess. You put up a good fight, Aliyah. Creed and I are impressed. I’ll see you round.” And with that, he mounted up and took off into the skies, heading away from Aldlight. Soon, he was merely a speck on the horizon. Aliyah turned back to the other finishing racers and allowed herself to be pulled into the victory celebrations. The over-enthusiastic commentator was back.

“Aaaaaand we have a winner!”