Race Riders (The Hidden Quest- Book One) (21 page)

Zach got out of bed and walked down the hall. He made his way to the kitchen and once there, poured a glass of milk and grabbed a handful of cookies. As he sipped his milk he tried to relax and think thoughts which did not include him looking foolish the day after tomorrow. He didn’t hear the wizard who had entered the kitchen also looking for a late night snack.

“Hello Zach, can’t sleep because of the excitement I’m thinking?”

“Something like that I guess,” Zach said. “Join me in a midnight snack Faazen?”

“Why not, I am a little hungry and you could use the company.”

“True statement” Zach said. He went over, poured some milk for the wizard, and grabbed more raisin cookies.

Faazen saw the apprehension on Zach’s face and tried to ease his mind a little. “You are going to be fine. I know this frightens you a bit Zach but you are building courage by facing those fears.”

“I know Faazen. Granddad says I am leaving a boy but coming back a man. I’ll just be glad to come back at all.”

They both smiled. The wizard walked Zach to his room. “Sleep well my boy. Your next day will be busy as our accommodations are nearly ready in Blackshire Village. We’ll leave tomorrow afternoon so that you can settle in the day before Dragon Masters.”

Time flew by the next day, and before Zach knew it, they were packed and ready to leave for the Inn. When they arrived at Blackshire Village their rooms were ready and waiting. The three of them had supper together in the dining room that evening but Zach couldn’t remember what he ate, or even if he ate at all.

Sixteen - Watch Out For the Green One

The morning of the race woke Zach with a strange harshness. He felt he was ready for the task ahead and had been diligent in his training, but still doubt would always creep in. Closing his eyes he traced the course of the race in his minds eye. He lay there thinking of this for a short while. Stop, he thought, the nervous butterflies in his stomach would make him sick if he continued on this destructive thought process. Just then, Zach felt a slight breeze flutter past him. Perched on one side of the bedpost snickered a particularly mischievous and outspoken wee-bie. The little creature stopped chuckling and winked his eye. Shyly it spoke in a small, lilting voice.

“Good luck young man-person, watch out for the green one, watch out for the green one!”

Zach shot back “green one, almost everything and everyone here is green. Anyway thanks for the tip.”

Cocking his head to one side, the creature replied, “gotta go, sorry.”

Zach, hoping for more information tried to block his exit but received a small nip on the finger for his trouble. The wee-bie laughingly replied “Goodbye, goodbye.” Out the window it zipped away, faster than the eye could follow.

Zach watched him zoom away. He could see that the day was perfect, clear skies and a light breeze. Excellent day for riding, he said to himself. Of course, this was not going to be just a normal day of practice. This was the big day, the day he had been training for. This event was one of the largest if not the most prestigious event in the kingdom. “I just want to finish in one piece,” he mumbled to himself. He had studied past records and there were serious injuries and deaths throughout its long history. Three races back, one rider lost his way on the course and flew full speed into a rocky cliff. They never did find all the pieces of rider or dragon. Dredd told him they still see a glimpse of a shadow rider on occasion. A sudden cold shudder ran up Zach’s spine “shake it off, shake it off, everything’s cool,” he whispered.

At that moment, there was a light knock at the door “come in,” he said. It was the innkeepers’ wife.

“You poor dear, I heard you pacing back and forth and I thought you might appreciate something to calm your nerves. I whipped up something special for you, nothing strong just something to clear your head. You have a great challenge ahead, and this will help.”

She gently passed the mug to Zach and he immediately felt a sense of deju vu. This kindly woman reminded him of Mrs. B and he felt better. “Thank you ma’am, this is very good!” It tasted of caramel, chocolate, and a hint of cinnamon.

“Now I will leave you with your thoughts young man. You have to prepare for your great day,” she said with a smile. “I will be right downstairs if you need anything else,” she said padding off quietly.

The drink was tasty and satisfying as it slid down his throat. It reminded him of good memories from back home and that brought him comfort. He was starting to feel at ease. The fact that this dear woman cared for his welfare was what he needed at this time. I am going to be okay Zach thought.

Getting ready for the race was tedious, there were many pieces of special gear. The leather, or what appeared to be a leather tunic and trousers were quite a tight fit even for his slim build. These were custom tailored by a certain seamstress, and Daisy was quite skilled at her craft and it showed. The boots were equally well-made with heavy straps and buckles. They were artfully hand-tooled and reached to his knees. The belt was also ornate and matched the boots in design. The last two pieces were a pair of gloves and a vest. The gloves reminded Zach of the ones he used for skating when he was back home; fingers cut out and padded knuckles. The vest was a thing of beauty; it was waist length with three buckled straps. Elaborate stitching covered the garment and the edges were silver cord. There were silver shoulder plates that were highly polished as silver glass. “In the sun they could blind you” Zach said aloud. The material was tough but lighter than it looked. As he turned around his eyes widened. On the back was a crest stitched into the leather. Two falcons back to back with their wings outstretched. Parts of the crest appeared tinted with various muted colors, and below this were two leaves. They were less prominent in the design and color. He stood back and looked in the long mirror. “Wait until they see me, wow. I only hope I ride as good as I look.” He grinned wildly as he fastened the silver buckles. Zach descended the stairs and every head turned in his direction as he reached the main hallway.

“Ride swift and ride strong boy!” The burly innkeeper thumped him on the back and led him to the door. Just then, Zach smacked into Daisy who was there to drop off some draperies she had sewn for the innkeeper’s wife.

“Oh hello, you must be Zachary Wellington. I see you are wearing my creation. My name is Daisy.”

“I am pleased to meet you Daisy. This is fantastic riding gear, thank you.”

“You look quite the man, very heroic.” She was warm and friendly. “I’m on my way to Dragon Masters now. Your grandfather asked me to stop by and say hello.” She looked clean and fresh in blue linen.

Zach thought she seemed to have a generous spirit, which glowed within her.

“Well I must be on my way. Have a wonderful race Zachary!”

“Yes. Thanks, Daisy!” Zach said.

Seventeen - The Festival at Blackshire

The village was a fantastic sight. Everywhere he looked there was something going on. Thousands of colorful lanterns dotted the cobblestone square. “This must be amazing at night; I hope to be here to see it.” He pushed those thoughts away and weaved through the crowd. Many eyes looked his way as Zach strolled through, especially the young women. He felt good. A pretty girl caught his eye; she had silky black hair and wide violet eyes fringed by long, dark lashes.

“Tell me,” she said coyly. “Will you be coming here after the race?”

“I certainly hope so,” he said shyly.

“Well I might be here too. Maybe I’ll save you a dance, Race Rider.”

He was thinking she looked especially nice in her pink and white satin dress. “Sounds good to me,” Zach said. He walked off into the crowd and noticed the array of wonderful foods and sweet treats offered, and the aroma was heavenly. He knew eating now might not be a good idea, yet, it was tempting just the same. “Getting sick on my dragon will not make me popular.” Games of chance and skill filled the square, loud victorious shouts and muffled curses were heard everywhere. Artisans of every sort were selling their goods under beautifully colored tents.

An entertainer was breathing fire on a small stage. “I’ve got to see this,” he mumbled to himself. The woman was very tall with burnished skin and quite exotic. Not from this part of Brandiss-Dor, he thought. An orb of blue-green fire danced between her outstretched hands weaving through her long, slender fingers. Its brightness reflected bluish light over everything that was near it. She threw the flaming orb over the gathering audience. It was exciting and eerie at the same time. Everyone ducked and gasped in amazement. The blue orb then flitted among the crowd at such a high rate of speed. It was difficult to focus your eyes on it.

Zach watched as it would stop and hover over the people. Shortly it disappeared from his sight until from behind he heard a strange humming sound. Slowly Zach turned and was face to face with the flaming ball. “Cool” he said nervously, it was not as hot as he thought it would be.

People close to him had to shield their eyes as the light reflected off his shoulder armor was quite dazzling. In an instant, the flaming ball took off and hovered directly over the amazed crowd.

The orb started to grow slowly and spin, its hum evolved into a loud crackling as it pulsed and grew. Right then it raced towards its mistress and completely enveloped her. In a fast and swirling motion, the light started to whiz around her then lifted the entertainer off her feet.

As the throng looked on with jaws dropping, she spun with it until she was just a blur within the spinning blue-green flames. Faster and faster, Zach feared it would explode. Maybe something went wrong; everyone started to back away as they were obviously thinking the same thing. Then to the amazement of all present, the woman dropped out of the cyclone of fire onto her feet. Smiling fiercely, she gathered the fiery mass into both hands and tossed it over the crowd once again.

The large, sparkling mass did explode this time into a beautiful cascade of glowing faeries. Thousands of them flew off in every direction and they were all laughing wildly. A roar of applause and cheers went up from the stunned crowd. All were shocked and delighted, an interesting combination to be sure. “That was the most awesome thing I’ve ever seen!” yelled Zach.

The entertainer took many deserved bows, then in a blinding burst of fiery light she was gone.

“She’s truly amazing isn’t she?”

Zach wheeled around and saw Dredd standing behind him.

“We’ve got to go now. Its time for some real thrills.” Dredd led Zach through the crowd of revelers.

Zach’s stomach started to feel uneasy again. Dragon Masters Championship was fast approaching, Zach didn’t want to hyperventilate and pass out. Race Riders don’t faint he thought. Can’t let the other riders see how nervous I am. He straightened up and remembered what the innkeeper said to him. He felt the fear slowly subside. It took about fifteen minutes to reach the place by foot though it seemed an eternity to him.

They both walked in silence. The closer they got to their destination, the more they could hear the gathering Dragon Masters fans. The winding path they followed led them to another smaller village. There were a few small cottages, eateries, and a tavern. The buildings were arranged in a horseshoe pattern. Cobblestone paths connected everything and in the center was a large and ornate fountain. The figure in the middle was at least thirty feet tall and had a wonderfully aged patina.