Race of Wits

“Radomir, keep up.” Rhaegor growled at his younger brother, who snapped a snarl his way in response. He dragged his paws from the long journey through the watchers’ domain, each sluggish step swaying the ragged mane on his neck. Rhaegor held a solid pace ahead, followed by a stranger, Mercedus. The past clans had been a whirlwind, with the mischief of the Forgotten, the fighting of the Brutes, and the stark contrast of the peaceful clans. And now they were climbing rocks and perches up to the watchers’ domain.
“Damn it it’s dark up here…” Radomir grumbled while heaving himself up a ledge onto a solid rocky floor once more. “Why can’t they have properly lit crystal-y caves like the rest of them?” Glancing at a dim lone crystal in the dim tunnel, he huffed with flared nostrils.
“Quit your whinging and walk. We’re not gonna be here forever.” Rhaegor rebutted, before giving a sharp whistle for his eagle. There was a shrill chirp, before the osprey came swooping through the narrow tunnel with feathery flutters of its wings. She landed swiftly on Rhaegor’s back, talons clutching his dense coat as she preened her messy feathers.
Mercedus was largely silent as he followed along the two brothers. He kept out of the two’s bickering whenever he could. WIth his own two brothers, he got his fill of sibling-rivalry- even though these two seemed to actually dislike each other. He was enjoying this journey perhaps more than the other two if he had to guess. He had never quite seen places like these on his travels, and he’d been near everywhere. 

Freya perked before the rest of the party, getting Rhaegor’s attention. The old puller’s eyes gleamed briefly, before his eyes turned to the tunnel ceiling, where a dark ledge followed along the top. Above, the three saw purple eyes, round and gleaming, before they moved and two white orbs shimmered in the dark. One of the watchers.
Radomir bristled at the thought of being followed and watched, but held his tongue lest Rhaegor snap at him again. Looking to his brother, he gave an off glance to Mercedus, who had an uncertain look about him, yet he kept his gaze stern with authority. Quite the high and mighty, if Radomir had to describe him.
“Surface-walkers,” the Haedian, whom Rhaegor had taken to exchanging introductions with, slinked down from the ledge with elegance, a bit too much so, with how quiet and nimble he was. “You come to our domain, now, but we are not so easily swayed to kinship.” He eyed the three vayrons with a knowing eye, evaluating, calculating. “You will prove yourselves through challenges presented before you. Succeed, and you may yet earn our welcome.”
Mercedus licked his lips with anticipation for a trial of strength so that he might yet put his best talents to use. With the proper use of his training, he was sure to make quick work of any challenge. Radomir perked for a reason not all too different. He could finally have something a bit more interesting to do than chasing livestock or meditating.
“What kind of challenge?” Radomir walked to Rhaegor’s side, at which his older brother averted his gaze momentarily.
“First, you must race on our pathways ahead. To reach across is not so easy as climbing a few step stones.” The Haedian snaked away into the tunnels ahead, where lighting was even less forgiving to the sun-needing eyes. Mercedus was the most accustomed to the dark out of all of them, so he’d have less trouble navigating in those areas. Radomir and Rhaegor both shared keen instincts, strength, and noses, but the younger lacked patience and rational thinking. 

The drop below was… a long one. Rhaegor peered at the distant ground, before raising his eyes to the perches some ways away from the ledge the trio stood on. Some watchers dotted the tunnels as they watched the vayrons struggle to find a way across. Freya could soar freely with her smaller size and wings, and Boc might climb his way across, but the three of them? Rhaegor wasn’t coming up with much.
The test of speed began and their competitors leapt across the way with ease, clinging to stalactites, bounding off walls, and gliding over the biggest of gaps.
Radomir was striking up conversation with one of the Haedians, and with some persuasion and charisma, he managed to convince her to help him across. She was a bit larger than him and that would be enough to glide him across to the other side. Smiling to himself, he marched right beside Rhaegor and Mercedus, before getting onto the Haedian’s back. It felt as strange as it looked, but when she stepped over the ledge, he had no time to feel awkward about himself. Paws clinging to the Haedian’s shoulders, he sucked in a breath as his stomach dropped as they glided to the next perch, then onto another, and finally to the other side. He felt almost giddy at his cleverness as he smirked across the distance to his brother.
But he wasn’t there. Nor was Mercedus. Looking around the winding routes, he noticed Mercedus appearing and disappearing in a flurry of light that illuminated the tunnels briefly each time. Like a flicker of fiery borealis, he blinked across the lengthy gaps, before stopping at Radomir’s side with a pleased huff at his time. What a nostalgic feeling it was.
Rhaegor had never prided himself for his agility per say, but he had stamina, and taking the long way across was his strong suit for a test like this. The dark tunnels were a cakewalk to his osprey, through who he could see his way through. Freya soared in front of him, weaving the many rocky obstacles, chirping at the approach of any jumps to which Rhaegor responded. When he emerged, the came out a bit further off from the rest, taking him a moment to orient and find his group.
“For a challenge of speed, maybe leave that to the rest of us next time.” Radomir grinned, shaking his shaggy mane.
Rhaegor grunted at his brother’s comment, but said nothing.