Chidori Draconid
08-10-06, 10:07 PM
((Closed to Cyrus and Daggertail))
“Ready?”
”Yessir.”
“Set… GO.”
With that the three boys and three girls began their sprint to the dock in the distance. The white sand of the Corone beach was tossed up with every step. This wasn’t just any old race to the group of children. This was a battle of the sexes. If a girl made first place, the boys would have to say “Girls rule and boys drool.” If a boy made first place, the girls would have to say just the opposite. To keep things fair, two members of each sex in their teens, whom had made it past this stage in life, sat at the finish line. Unfortunately they weren’t paying any attention to the race as they were a distraction for each other, so the debate on who won the race ensued.
“What!?!? I was five feet ahead of you.”
“You don’t even know how long five feet is. If it was five feet you would have had to turn your head so far around that your neck would crack.”
“Nu uh!”
“Uh huh!”
“HEY.” The older male interrupted the argument and pointed behind the gathering of boys and girls. “Who made those footprints?”
The entire group of children turned around to see two sets of footprints. One was larger than the other, but they were both perfectly aligned as if those who left it were walking in perfect synchronicity. The larger set of footprints on the right was also accompanied by a couple of stabs in the sand perhaps caused by a cane. It seemed as though a couple had walked out of the ocean while the group was in the middle of the argument, but that was impossible… out of the ocean?
****
The street approaching the Citadel was quite busy tonight. As well it should have been for this night was the Festival of Radasanth, the festival commemorating the great hero the city was named after and all that he stood for. Just as the colossus bronze statue on the north side of the city depicted, the hero of Corone was a warrior, so it was natural for the Citadel to be the center of such a celebration.
Masses of people flowed to and fro like the dynamic current of the Niema River, carrying choirs of conversation with them. The various food vendors created a strange but pleasant melting pot of smells in the air. The stars were difficult to see tonight for the more light the terrestrial mortals produced the less the celestial immortals could be seen. Tonight Radasanth was luminescent to say the least. A giant celebratory glyph was painted onto the ground around the ziggurat structure of the Citadel, and it emitted a spectacular yellow light. Chidori Draconid cautiously tapped his foot on it.
“What’s it for?” The young deity said as he bent down to touch it. It was warm.
“Oh the rune?” Avakra’s voice could be heard a few feet away. “It’s just for decoration, really. They really out did themselves with the size of it this year.” She turned back to the betting table. “I’ll put one hundred on Eris Ririn.”
The racketeer looked at the young woman with disbelief. “Are you sure, madam?”
“You haven’t seen that little demon fight like we have.” Chidori said as he approached with a smile. “She’ll at least make it past this round I’m sure of it. We’ll start taking your advice afterwards.”
The racketeer handed Avakra her ticket and they both entered the building. The halls of the Citadel were familiar to both Chidori and Avakra although Chidori had only been there once and Avakra had been there countless times. That little fact made Chidori uneasy. He had spent all but the past few months in heaven living an easy life while Avakra spent her entire twenty three year life in the dangerous world of Althanas. The result, in his mind at least, was a battle hardened girlfriend and a pampered boyfriend. Many onlookers saw it as the exact opposite, but he knew better, so he found himself in a constant struggle to prove his masculinity in her presence.
For each arena entrance there was a crowd with a ticket man telling parties whether or not they were at the right match. After three tries the divine couple came to their arena, where everyone was offered a complementary Radasanth buckler. It was a humble souvenir piece made of waxed wood. In the very center of the circular shield was the statue of the city’s hero and around the edge a glyphic rune not unlike the one outside the Citadel. The two strapped theirs on happily and entered the audience area of the arena where they quickly found their seats near the front row. It seemed as though they were just in time. Within a few minutes the place was packed and the battle was about to begin.
“Ready?”
”Yessir.”
“Set… GO.”
With that the three boys and three girls began their sprint to the dock in the distance. The white sand of the Corone beach was tossed up with every step. This wasn’t just any old race to the group of children. This was a battle of the sexes. If a girl made first place, the boys would have to say “Girls rule and boys drool.” If a boy made first place, the girls would have to say just the opposite. To keep things fair, two members of each sex in their teens, whom had made it past this stage in life, sat at the finish line. Unfortunately they weren’t paying any attention to the race as they were a distraction for each other, so the debate on who won the race ensued.
“What!?!? I was five feet ahead of you.”
“You don’t even know how long five feet is. If it was five feet you would have had to turn your head so far around that your neck would crack.”
“Nu uh!”
“Uh huh!”
“HEY.” The older male interrupted the argument and pointed behind the gathering of boys and girls. “Who made those footprints?”
The entire group of children turned around to see two sets of footprints. One was larger than the other, but they were both perfectly aligned as if those who left it were walking in perfect synchronicity. The larger set of footprints on the right was also accompanied by a couple of stabs in the sand perhaps caused by a cane. It seemed as though a couple had walked out of the ocean while the group was in the middle of the argument, but that was impossible… out of the ocean?
****
The street approaching the Citadel was quite busy tonight. As well it should have been for this night was the Festival of Radasanth, the festival commemorating the great hero the city was named after and all that he stood for. Just as the colossus bronze statue on the north side of the city depicted, the hero of Corone was a warrior, so it was natural for the Citadel to be the center of such a celebration.
Masses of people flowed to and fro like the dynamic current of the Niema River, carrying choirs of conversation with them. The various food vendors created a strange but pleasant melting pot of smells in the air. The stars were difficult to see tonight for the more light the terrestrial mortals produced the less the celestial immortals could be seen. Tonight Radasanth was luminescent to say the least. A giant celebratory glyph was painted onto the ground around the ziggurat structure of the Citadel, and it emitted a spectacular yellow light. Chidori Draconid cautiously tapped his foot on it.
“What’s it for?” The young deity said as he bent down to touch it. It was warm.
“Oh the rune?” Avakra’s voice could be heard a few feet away. “It’s just for decoration, really. They really out did themselves with the size of it this year.” She turned back to the betting table. “I’ll put one hundred on Eris Ririn.”
The racketeer looked at the young woman with disbelief. “Are you sure, madam?”
“You haven’t seen that little demon fight like we have.” Chidori said as he approached with a smile. “She’ll at least make it past this round I’m sure of it. We’ll start taking your advice afterwards.”
The racketeer handed Avakra her ticket and they both entered the building. The halls of the Citadel were familiar to both Chidori and Avakra although Chidori had only been there once and Avakra had been there countless times. That little fact made Chidori uneasy. He had spent all but the past few months in heaven living an easy life while Avakra spent her entire twenty three year life in the dangerous world of Althanas. The result, in his mind at least, was a battle hardened girlfriend and a pampered boyfriend. Many onlookers saw it as the exact opposite, but he knew better, so he found himself in a constant struggle to prove his masculinity in her presence.
For each arena entrance there was a crowd with a ticket man telling parties whether or not they were at the right match. After three tries the divine couple came to their arena, where everyone was offered a complementary Radasanth buckler. It was a humble souvenir piece made of waxed wood. In the very center of the circular shield was the statue of the city’s hero and around the edge a glyphic rune not unlike the one outside the Citadel. The two strapped theirs on happily and entered the audience area of the arena where they quickly found their seats near the front row. It seemed as though they were just in time. Within a few minutes the place was packed and the battle was about to begin.