Equirria

[Chevi]

Azarion had a good lead now. At the next turn, he threw a few glances over to the side, noting how close the Red would be getting. Was he angling to make a break for it at the next turn as the finished the sixth round? Azarion didn't plan on letting him. To his advantage, the Blue behind the Red was still inching closer, trying to snatch second place. People were all getting into positions to take over their immediate opponents as they made the turn at the end of the fifth lap. Azarion had some lead, Borena and Tabitha were pulling strong, but he was not about to relax. If the Red tried to make a break for it, he'd be ready to shift, blocking his path...

@Insignia @Sharpie

[Insignia]

Paullus has had enough of this endless game of tag. It's either one of them pulls ahead, the other goes faster, and the two of them try to not get scrapped by any shipwrecks blocking their path. It's ordinary. It's predictable. It's so, so boring. 

Blue's getting closer. The track's wide enough for all of them. Does he gamble by falling back or does he risk injury by speeding ahead? Laugh or cry, sell or buy, everything's reduced to two choices. Fear or respect? What's the difference in that? Something Paullus's been working on is the ability to compartmentalize the weaker and more hesitant parts of himself. It seems counterintuitive, but it's helped him think faster. He consults the part of him that wants victory; speed or slow? 

The answer was quite obvious. Paullus shifts his body to feign catching up on the right in a bid to convince Blue to follow the same trajectory. With the little advantage in distance he has left, he pulls the reins left and tap-tap-taps both horses, urging them to move faster.

@Chevi @Sharpie

[Chevi]

They turned into the last lap. Azarion was still in the lead. There was the sound of crashing and neighing behind him; he glanced back, but sadly it had not been the Red that swiped out. Instead, it seemed like the Red had managed to trick the Blue into losing his balance, and the chariot tipped over at the turn.

Now it was a race between the two of them. If neither made a mistake, the others didn't really have a chance to catch up in the last round. Azarion gave the reins to his horses. In the end, it was about speed. Surely, the Red was thinking the same.

@Insignia

[Insignia]

Paullus briefly winces at the shipwreck before continuing onward. He hadn't exactly meant for that to happen, but he'll take the win anyway. For a split second, he makes eye contact with Azarion and narrows his eyes. You won't be the last.

Procella gnashes his teeth. Paullus decides to loosen the reins and slaps both horses with the sides of his reins. If you don't go any faster, we're all going to be ground into glue. There's one final opening and Procella takes it by storm. Paullus keeps his weight low to minimize danger of tipping as he speeds ahead.

@Chevi

[Chevi]

He caught the Red's eyes for a moment as they turned. Determination. Dead serious. The man was not playing around. As they pulled into the last stretch of the race, it came down to speed. Shoulder to shoulder, Azarion could have reached out and touched his opponent if he wanted to. Borena and Tabitha pulled with all their strength, and yet, somehow the Red made headway. Azarion yelled, but in the end, there was little he could do now. It was a race between horses. At th finish line, the Red was half a length ahead.

Dammit.

Azarion frowned, crying out in frustration as he pulled to a stop, amidst the cheers of the people celebrating a red victory.

@Insignia

[Insignia]

Paullus blasts past the finish line, then keeps going for a short distance until he pulls his horses to a stop. What he was before no longer matters when he hears the cheers of the crowd. He lets out a loud whoop of victory. If only he could save this moment forever. He feels like he could fly from all of the praise. Internally, he knows the match was closer than he'd like it to be. But for now, why worry? 

He doesn't bother to look back at Azarion. 

@Chevi @Sharpie

[Sharpie]

Azarion and the Red (he thought the Red's name was Paullus but he would have to make certain of it) were perfectly suited to be the next big rivalry. That they belonged to rival teams was merely the honey on the globuli - the main rivalries were between the Greens and Blues, and the Reds and Whites. Azarion's face rivalled a thundercloud as they came off the track with the Red having won by half a length.

The stablehands were on the chariot immediately, unhitching the two horses and hitching in four for the next race. Flavius would replace Azarion for the quadrigae race, and Marcus stepped forward to meet Azarion as he descended, furious and frustrated.

"You did very well," he said bracingly. "You bested them in the equirria, and a Red beat you in the chariot race. You're equally matched, and you didn't have a shipwreck. You've given them a lot to think about now."

Azarion would have a lot to think about as well, and once he'd got over this disappointment, Marcus wouldn't be surprised to see him throwing himself ever more fervently into training and working with the horses he'd chosen.

 

@Chevi @Insignia