[FAIR '24] Alowyn - Need for Speed

“Have you memorized the course?” Konstantin asked his sister. 

She turned to him with a bewildered expression, “We have to memorize the course?!”

Konstantin fell to his side laughing, he continued to laugh as he rolled around in the snow. Unlike the day they tried tug-of-war, this day was clear. The snow had a crisp crunch to it letting everyone know just how cold the air was, but none of the Roenden native reoseans felt it. 

Alowyn stared at her younger brother, “Well? Do we?”

With a sigh, Konstantin settled in the snow, “No, the course is marked by red flags.”

Alowyn glared at him before she turned her attention to the space around them. They were only two of about eight tyrians gathered for this race at the fair. The immediate start of the race was decorated with lights that twinkled against the snow, but further into the course, the decorations became fewer until all there was to guide contestants were red flags tied to the odd tree or enchanted to float in place.

“Well, are you ready?” Konstantin asked Alowyn once he was off the ground. 

“As I’ll ever be,” Alowyn replied, before she added, “I get to pick what we do next.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Konstantin nodded. 

The duo got ready at the starting line and there they waited for the other participants to get ready. When everyone was set, the announcer called for attention before he rapidly started the race. At the word ‘Go’, there was a flurry of wings as the group of tyrians tried to take off into the sky. Alowyn was patient and let the other tyrians fight to get off the ground. When they were out of the way Alowyn shot into the sky. Konstantin followed shortly after her. 

Alowyn and Konstantin navigated the course with ease at the beginning. They flew just above the Roenden evergreen forests that surround the fairgrounds with the sun on their backs. However, the further they got into the course Alowyn started to have trouble finding the red flags that were meant to mark their way. She wasn’t the only one because several times they would come across a few tyrians stranded in the air unsure which direction to take. 

Konstantin looked around and spotted a red flag gently bobbing up and down near the peaks of the trees under them. 

“We’re too high,” Konstantin said as he gestured below them to the red flag. 

“Damn,” Alowyn cursed as she and the other tyrians dove to get ahead of each other. 

Now that they were forced to fly closer to the trees it became more of an obstacle course. Alowyn and Konstantin easily weaved through the tops of the trees. They managed to pass some tyrians, but for the most part, it was a fairly easy race. 

“Are you even trying?” Alowyn asked as she dodged around a tree. 

“Of course,” Konstantin said while he weaved in the other direction to miss a pair of tall evergreen trees covered in snow. 

“Konstantin,” Alowyn admonished, “You can win this.”

“Wyn, it’s fine,” Konstantin ignored his older sister’s slight reprimand. 

Alowyn huffed and did her best to speed up forcing Konstantin to try a little harder to keep up. They followed the course much easier now that they knew not to fly so high and they managed to pass more tyrians. When the finish line came into view with the last tyrians just in front of them Alowyn tried to push her wings faster. She loved her magic, but briefly wished she could manipulate the air. Konstantin kept on pace with Alowyn, he didn’t have a competitive bone in his body. He wasn’t really sure what compelled him to pick this event, but he figured at the pace they were going they would finish third or fourth. 

“Konstantin,” Alowyn began, “If you don’t win, or at least try harder, we’re going back to the exotic food stall.”

Konstantin and Alowyn knew he had the largest wingspan of the tyrians here today and they both knew he had a better chance of winning than Alowyn did. Konstantin groaned at the thought of the rubbery tentacles and in the next second he was a few feet in front of Alowyn moving faster. Alowyn smiled to herself as she flew behind him. When she reached the end she saw that Konstantin didn’t win, but Alowyn was just happy there was more effort from him. 

[742]