Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Jan 30, 2022 4:14:42 GMT -6
At the sound of the judges, the contestants all lined up along the hill ridge, each of their creatures ready and rearing to go. Ocrenos seemed almost mellow by comparison, though his thoughts continues to circle around the annoyance of the muzzle wrap, and the darned harness around his body, leaving him little ability to notice something else was happening entirely. To their left was a galabex, to their right a dasher equillion, making them sandwiched between perhaps the most poorly timed competitors.. or the best.
When the countdown began, the sphinx readier herself and the rod, to cast it out in front of the seeker as soon as the call went out. When the flag fell and the judge called "Go!" the cacophony of motion began, as every contestant started off down the slope. Some faster, some slower, it wasn't a perfect start for everyone, least of all the seeker, as Ocrenos lingered for several seconds, attention drawn to the sudden rush than the treat in front of him.
(16) Ocrenos: 3 (1/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Jan 30, 2022 4:15:03 GMT -6
For a moment it almost seemed like he had no intention of going at all, when the sphinx suddenly noticed the spines on his back rising slowly. He was no longer staring at the treat.. He was staring well past it, at the equillion and galabex that were disappearing off into the horizon. The sled suddenly lurched, threatening to spill the sphinx off backwards if she hadn't been holding onto the reigns, and the seeker took off.
Not into a trot, not even a spring, but a run that steadily grew with the momentum of the hill and his internal focus. Darky had to take a few moments to recollect herself, and more importantly to rebalance at this sudden motion as the ground below cause the sled to jump slightly at every bump, scrap against every little piece of ice, and she realized with some concern (and a rising sense of excitement) that the ground was going past a lot faster than it had ever before.
(17) Ocrenos: 3 (2/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Jan 30, 2022 4:15:25 GMT -6
Now, a seeker's average top speed tends to be a bit slower when it has to drag along a sled with a passenger, but even so, Ocrenos was eating up the ground in what could be at best called a mad dash. The muzzle covering his mouth meant that puffs of breath came through the nose instead, and the red eyes were singularly focused on the 'prey' he saw before him, drawing closer and closer.
The first of the runners they caught up with weren't the equillion nor galabex, as some stragglers made good time down the slope, but ultimately ended up levelling out in terms of speed by the time the plateau reached them. The seeker passed them easily enough, not really interested in the small fries, the sphinx could only but assume.
Next up was the mid-pack, who were already entering what looked like a turn, as the flags looked to circle around a hillside and back again.
(18) Ocrenos: 3 (3/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
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Post by Darky on Jan 30, 2022 4:15:52 GMT -6
While they weren't necessarily the seeker's subjects as well, the sphinx none the less braced and took a deep breath. Ocrenos had built up a lot more speed than she had anticipated, and although the curve was banked, there was still that fear of the sled simply going up and over, ending with both of them in a tangled mess, seeing as the seeker wasn't really calculating his own momentum or angle of approach with the sled in mind.
At the last minute, Darky pulled on the reign hard right, even tilting and leaning herself into the turn to ensure as much of the centre of the weight was kept off the curve's edge. The sled took the curve, running up the bank some distance, but managed to remain merely on the edges of its lip, before sliding back down again as the track straightened out.
"Whoa, careful!" she called to the seeker, but internally something flared in adrenaline and excitement that had been dormant for some time.
(19) Ocrenos: 3 (4/5)
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Darky
Flea Market Artist
Veritas et Aequitas
Posts: 1,268
|
Post by Darky on Jan 30, 2022 4:16:57 GMT -6
The pass through the curve allowed them to get in front of a few of the midfielders, while the next turn left was blissfully a lot more broad, allowing the seeker to take it easily enough. Just ahead and a few abreast were the other midfielders, each with their own creatures built for running, but none quite with the same sheer speed as a seeker on a mission.
Ocrenos only had eyes on the galabex and equillion, both jockeying for the lead position just head, and with a broad scape of straight road before them, the claws dug into the snow that much more hungrily. Even closer and closer the finish line drew, and just as hungrily was the seeker looking to close the gap.
A couple more seconds could have foretold a whole different story (for the sphinx wasn't entirely sure whether the seeker would be willing to pass them, or swipe at them), but the line came up first - the galabex ahead, the equillion shortly behind.. and the seeker only a jaw's width away from the equillion's side.
The sphinx hit the brakes, slowing the seeker down until she could finally halt him with a 'nargu', the race done and complete. Though denied his prize of prey, the sphinx none the less stepped out of the sled and went up to his face, giving him an appreciative scritch as she smiled, "Third place, boy. Not bad for a first time, eh?"
Maybe by next time they'll have mastered this a lot more.
(20) - (added) Ocrenos: 4 (0/5)
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Post by NPC on Feb 23, 2022 21:11:02 GMT -6
Congratulations, you have successfully completed the quest! Your QP will be added to the bank and your prize will be sent out shortly.
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