Zilo and his corner of support looked to the prince's side. They had sent away 4 guards minutes ago for some purpose and now the two sides have just been waiting. At the start of the wait Leo claimed to have a guess as to what the next event was as he held the list of challenges and left. before leaving he said,
"I think his highness may be pulling a fast one. I got your back buddy." The magus took off back into the city.
After 10 minutes or so had passed the guard returns with two horses. Both horses followed the guard along, both clearly well trained, well groomed, and decorated in royal saddles and emblems. The prince smiles to the horses and says, "I'll use Highwind today, my opponent may use Swiftness."
Zilo's face sunk and Jin gives Zilo a playful punch, saying, "Lookin like it's gonna be a race."
"Not good." Said Zilo. He turns to Aria and Jin saying, "I've actually only ridden a horse a handful of times before."
Aria and Jin's jaws drop and Jin asks, "But you named our horses! What do you mean you've never ridden one?"
"I've always ridden in the cart! Normally Alaroc handles taking care of the two of them, I just like chatting with them!"
Aria nods and says, "fair point, they are good listeners, but either way you just gotta do your best."
Luther begins to shout the next challenge, "To the east, north and west sections of the city at the gate entrances we have positioned guards with red flags. duelists will ride their horses to each guard in that order then return here, first to return will be the victor."
Zilo shakes and looks to the guard escorting the horse Swiftness over to the bard. The horse is stock still, as though waiting for orders. The prince hops onto his steed and Zilo looks to the horse nervously. as he begins to mount it he hears a voice behind him.
"Hey now, best let the man use his own horse!" Leo shouts as he rides up to the courtyard atop Vivace. Zilo looks to the horses and smiles. Vivace may not be as fancily dressed as the royal horses, but she looks excited to be out of the cart's harness.
The prince looks to the new arrival and shrugs, "As if that will make a difference. Feel free to handicap yourself with a lower breed." Zilo nods and heads over to Vivace. She excitedly flips her mane and Zilo rubs her face.
She does not calm as the bard hops up. Zilo nearly falls from the happy horse and speaks, "I know girl, but we gotta, Okay! Whoa! calm the-! Yehne stop shifting so- ! Ah!"
Aria shakes her head while pinching her temples before walking over to the horse. She snaps her hand up in front of the horse and speaks in a strong domineering tone,
"Vi! Whoa!" Vivace shivers a bit, but her attention narrows to Aria. Aria lightly strokes along the horse and speaks up to Zilo.
"I got this, hold tight champ." Zilo shrugs, but while he does so he let go of the reins, and Vivace begins to shift again, nearly dropping the bard to the ground again. Aria smacks Zilo in the thigh and shouts, "What did I just say! Hold tight!"
Zilo grabs back onto the reins and steadies himself. Aria snaps her finger back in front of Vivace's direction and continues to stroke her side. Slowly but surely Vivace calms and Aria returns to the front.
"There girl. I know, I know he doesn't train as easy as you." Zilo frowns as Leo and Jin both snicker from the side. Aria gently touches her forehead to Vivace's forehead and softly whispers,
"Keep it together til the race starts then let loose, follow Zilo's direction, don't let him lose." Aria leans back and Vivace shakes her head and snorts. Aria looks up to Zilo, and speaks,
"She's ready. Zilo she will do the hard part, long as you keep on the rein she'll go the way you lead. She wants to ride hard, but she might get reckless, keep to major routes, no short cuts."
Zilo is amazed by how much calmer the mare has become. The bard speaks, "Perhaps you'd have been a better druid than bard."
Aria looks back to Vivace and lays a hand onto her face, saying. "With how much ya'll are out adventuring, I need someone to talk to. Presto is better behaved, but Vivace is more energetic." Aria looks back Leo and says, "Good pick." Leo nods.
Zilo lightly moves the reins to the starting position and Vivace trots into position next to the prince's horse. The prince smiles as one of the guards takes up a spot to the side with a flag to way and signal with. After a quick three count the guard flaps the flag and shouts to begin the race. However the moment the flag is waved, Aria shouts out,
"Foot straps!"
The moment the flag is waved Zilo is floored without his feet properly secured. Vivace streaks out of the courtyard leaving the prince in the dust. Zilo tries to steady himself, but Vivace is having none of it, she gallops at full blast down the road. In a flash the first red flag flaps in Zilo's view. He's approaching the gate out of the city, and has no purchase on his steed.
Zilo manages to barely find a bit of footing, finally finding the right foot straps and whipping the reins to the left. Vivace skids by her hooves along the ground against the stone and manages to barely avoid slamming into a woman. Vivace streaks off once again toward the north of the city along the interior city wall.
Zilo finally manages to get into a manageable position with both his foot straps now secured. Vivace continues to fly full force and Zilo takes a chance to glance behind him. He didn't see the prince, however that doesn't mean he's going to stay behind. Zilo looks back forward just in time to spot the next flag.
"Incredible girl! You're the fastest horse I've ever ridden!"
Vivace neighs back sarcastically.
"I so too have ridden other horses! Ask Presto!"
Zilo rounds the second flag, but then from behind he spots the prince exiting an alley way directly from the east flag. His horse didn't look tired in the slightest. All Zilo could do was look forward and keep riding along the wall of the city.
"Gotta stick to the wide street, no way I can keep Vivace controlled in alleys like that."
Just as he had before, the bard rode his horse along the wider streets along the inner wall, but upon the third flag both he and the prince arrived at the same time. The prince had once again cut into alleyways with his more easily controlled steed, and it came down to an all out drag race back to the castle along the main road.
The prince and his horse let loose finally and began galloping at full speed and Zilo and Vivace sped along in turn. The prince's horse had been biding its way until this sprint, but Vivace was beginning to breath heavily from nonstop speeding around the whole city.
Zilo worried about his horse, as she began to slow and the prince started to pull ahead, but then Vivace gained a second wind and blasted forward ahead of the prince. She came to a screeching halt after re-entering the courtyard, nearly tossing Zilo from her back in the process.
Zilo looked to the horse, wondering where her latent energy had emerged from, only to look down and see Aria feeding the mare an apple. Aria had left the castle and quickly purchased an apple to coax the horse faster along the line and distract her from how tired she was.
Zilo hopped off the horse and Aria smugly smiled and asked, "How'd it go?"
Zilo answered her with only a kiss.
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