Strength (20 page)

The throng of racers started heading down the straightaway between two rows of stands facing each other. Roxie more tiptoed than jogged as she made an effort to stick next to Aerigo. He wore a contented look while his eyes lit with excited determination.
I’m so getting left behind like the first day.

After the front of the pack reached the far end of the stands Din sprang upright in midair, raising one arm towards the sky. “Runners, are you ready?”

Roxie felt the collective energy around her surge with one more burst of excitement and she stretched her legs into a full jog. Shouts of joy and encouragement erupted from the stands.
Oh crap, this is it!

“GO!” Din’s arm snapped down, unleashing a stampede.

The stands erupt with cheering as Roxie sprinted down the straightaway, so closely surrounded by other runners she grazed arms and elbows of other runners as they passed her.

Aerigo was no longer running next to her. A stab of fear hit her. It gave her the extra boost she needed. She found herself able to keep pace with those around her as the runners spread out.

The track, dotted with colorful banners and packed with onlookers, arced left to skirt a line of trees, touched a riverbank and circled back towards the city for another straightaway.

Roxie noticed something she had missed when she’d been on the run from Daio: everything looked like it was stuck in slow motion or suspended animation. The effect made the onlookers look rather comical, as only a fraction of a single clap was seen before she had to look ahead again. The pennants looked frozen in time under a blazing blue sky, yet the multitude of hair, beads and string bouncing all around her showed clearly and looked like they were whipping along at normal speed. Wasn’t everything supposed to be a streaky blur? Maybe it was magic keeping her surroundings in focus.

Thatched roofs peered at her over the trees and between pennants, and dozens of people watched the event from the tops of their homes.

The next straightaway climbed a moderate slope of lush green grass with dark grey boulders sticking out at random. The uphill climb slowed Roxie down, and more people passed her. She reached the top and caught a glimpse of how many runners were ahead of her. The track went straight downhill until it reached another slope, bent right, then wrapped around the new rise and disappeared behind it. Rather discouragingly, it seemed like half the racers were ahead of her. Roxie tried to sense where Yayu and Aerigo had gone to, but there were too many people to sift through, not to mention that she was starting to get winded.

As Roxie sprinted downhill, she tried to calculate the result if she kept up her present pace. She was going to come in last, she was sure. Roxie knew she had been told just to enjoy herself and not to worry about winning or losing, but still, Aerigo had also told her that they needed to give people hope. What would they say if she came in dead last? No hero with the power to move super-fast ever came in
last
. Sure, the people of Sconda weren’t exactly typical runners, but she was supposed to be special. She was no brave soldier, far less a hero, but failing to even try to do well didn’t suit her. Roxie reached deep inside, concentrating hard, pushed her anxiety aside and began sprinting faster.

She overtook one fiery mane of hair after another. With each one she passed, she spotted one more person to put behind her as she circled the next hill. The track stretched into a treacherously uneven straightaway and the competition sped along it without faltering.

Her determination propelled her over and around rocks, passing more people than she could keep track of. She had to have gotten much closer to the front of the pack, but she had no idea how much farther they all had to go. The track arced right at the end of the lumpy straightaway, went straight over what looked like a tunnel entrance, made a full circle and continued underground. It was built on an embankment like the NASCAR racetracks and was loaded with people. She had to pass as many of those people as she could.

Her bare feet sprang over the soft dirt coating the track, and it felt cool to be running not quite right-side-up. Gravity was pulling her one way, but momentum kept her from falling sideways, just like the water in an upside-down bucket being swung around. Roxie kept passing more people.

After being used to so much light, she went temporarily blind after entering the cave. Glow worms dimly lit the route, but they didn’t help too much. The rocky ground was coated in dirt and something slimy. It reminded her of walking barefoot on slippery ocean rocks that became exposed during low tide.

Unlike the people of Sconda, her feet weren’t specially equipped for gripping. She didn’t manage to pass anyone in the cavern, yet no one passed her as she wound along tight curves and brief straightaways. She veered left again and her foot struck a chunk of slippery rock. It shattered under the force of her stride, but the impact knocked Roxie off balance. She tried to catch herself, but she tumbled into a somersault, scraping herself up, and leapt back to her feet, scarcely breaking stride. There was a growing throb in her right foot, but she ignored it as she rounded the last turn and was dazzled by sunlight.

Roxie was breathing hard. She’d been holding at an all-out sprint for what felt like forever, and her muscles were beginning to burn. Half her mind was yelling at her to stop—or at least slow down—while the other determined half of her brain urged her to not let up. She couldn’t slow down, not now. Not when Aerigo and Yayu were counting on her. Not when people had been so kind to her. Not when Aerigo was counting on her to help him give people hope. Roxie ran on the balls of her feet and started passing runners again.

As the track arced left, Roxie fought against the mental demons urging her to quit, sucking wind with every thought and stride. She ran as fast as her limbs could carry her. Her pace had slowed considerably, yet she wasn’t alone in her pain. Other racers were breathing just as hard, struggling to make it to the finish line, wherever that was.
Soon, I hope.

Other racers started passing her again. She didn’t know how much longer she could go on… The finish line was too far for her to make it… Another passed her. She’d have to walk… end up in last place… And another. Maybe just give up, and—that last person that just passed was sucking wind just as hard as her.
What am I thinking?
Roxie summoned all her remaining strength, sprinted into another straightaway and looked ahead, through her own sweat and the shocks of flying hair before her.

High in the air flapped a huge banner of bright colors and runic markings. Her pounding heart leapt at the sight, and the part of her mind that wanted her to keep going knocked out the part of her that wanted her to quit with a solid punch between the eyes. The elation of finishing gave Roxie one last burst of energy. She passed a few more people and crossed under the banner.

A four-note bell chime rang in her head in an arpeggio.
‘Congratulations. You have earned your Clan four points.’

Roxie slowed to a stop, feeling amused, pleased, and exhausted. She walked around to cool down and, along with stiffening limbs, was reminded of her fall in the cave. The top of her right foot was black and blue all over, and her big toe was bleeding through a crack in the nail, and the sight of all that bruising made it too painful to put any weight on it. She plopped onto her rear on the cool grass. The stinging in her arms, knee and palms flared, and she discovered a scrape on her left thigh. Her salty sweat made the open wounds sting even more.

A familiar deep voice laced with fatigue said, “Are you alright?”

Aerigo stood before her, breathing heavily and his amazing physique glistening with sweat. “You seem to ask me that question an awful lot.”

“You seem prone to situations that wor—require my asking.”

Roxie looked at him curiously and he looked away.

“I have something back at Yayu’s place that can take care of that, but I’m afraid I don’t have enough energy to go there and back just now.”

Roxie patted the ground next to her.

Heaving a sigh, Aerigo sat cross-legged before her. “Let me see your arms.”

Roxie sat up straighter and showed him the underside of her forearms.

He took them gingerly and examined the scratches with a serious face. None of the cuts were deep, the bleeding had stopped, and her arms were beginning to bruise. “Let’s get you to someone who can clean these.” Aerigo got back to his feet, took another deep breath, and that seemed to be all he needed to rejuvenate himself. He held out a hand for her. “C’mon.”

Roxie remembered when she’d accidentally pulled Yayu face-first into the grass, and accepted his aid. A decent-sized throng crowded the finish line area as the last of the runners headed down the final stretch. She spotted someone walking up behind Aerigo, wearing a broad grin. “Hello, Yayu.”

“Hello, my dear Aigis. How’d you do?”

Roxie studied his exhausted face while balancing on one foot, using Aerigo’s arm for support. He and his people seemed to have boundless energy during waking hours, but this race made everyone look ready for a nap. “A voice inside my head told me I earned four points for your Clan.”
This has got to be one of the few times I can say such a thing without anyone thinking I’m crazy.

“Very good! I’d barely caught my breath when Aerigo told me you’d crossed the finish line.”

“Who beat who?”

“I did,” Yayu said. “Just like before. Though I thought he had me at one point. We traded places quite a few times.” He tossed one of his half-smiles to Aerigo. “In the final stretch Aerigo was barely ahead of me. I couldn’t believe how much he’d improved since last time, but his stamina fell just short of mine and I managed to pull ahead—goodness, Roxie! What happened? I just noticed all your cuts and bruises.”

“I’m fine,” she said with an airy wave of her hand, although she still couldn’t stand on her bruised foot. “I just tripped over something in the cave.”

“You poor thing. You still managed to perform very well. You beat both my sons.”

Roxie’s jaw dropped.

***

The Elf, Kabiroas, led his two men, Sodo and Dahl, to the base of the steps leading to Nexus’s throne. Their gait was urgent and their beating hearts equally rapid, and they each dropped to one knee and bowed their heads.

“You may rise.”

Kabiroas looked up at his master, who appeared calm enough. Nexus was a temperamental god, and the Elf’s fear of him was justified. “Nexus,” he began humbly, “we bring news, both good and bad.”

“You’re here much sooner than anticipated,” Nexus said.

Kabiroas’s spine crawled. The man on his left said, “Aerigo detected our presence.”

“Where are Frawst and Chionas?” The young god said with an edge to his voice, leaning against the back of his throne, his feet flat on the ground. He didn’t look at all pleased to see them.

“A most unfortunate accident, Nexus,” Kabiroas said without a hint of sadness. “Monsters from the water ambushed them days ago.”

“Carelessness! I needed every last one of you.”

Kabiroas flinched again. “I apologize. I will not let it happen again.”

“You better not.” Nexus took a deep breath through his nose. “So why have you left Sconda so soon? Din’s world is closed to me. I cannot read it.”

The lack of an “or else” threat put Kabiroas deeper on guard. Only those ready to kill gave no warning. He chose his next words with care. “Aerigo found us. We had to flee, lest he try to kill or interrogate us. Dahl and I world-hopped back minutes later, only realize the god Din had arrived. My mortal concealment powers are no use against a god. We—”

“Should have stayed. You said you didn’t know that for certain—”

“The risk was too great!” Kabiroas sent Dahl a warning look. The man cowered into silence. The Elf turned back to his master and bowed his head. “I apologize for Dahl’s insolence.” A fizzing bang erupted behind him. Dahl was lying on the ground clutching at his chest, fountains of blood gushed between the man’s fingers. A gurgling groan escaped from his throat, and then his body arched up as he let out one blood-drenched scream. He sighed his last, blood dribbling from his mouth as he fell lifeless to the floor.

“Anyone else care to demonstrate how stupid they are?” Nexus whispered menacingly.

Kabiroas and Sodo stared in horror at the gory mess, filled with an urge to flee. Before they could, Nexus’s voice made them jump.

“So... Din came?”

Kabiroas thought he would vomit if he opened his mouth, not because he was sickened by the sight of blood, but because he feared for his life. Not speaking at all, however, would likely earn him the same reward. When he tried, his voice refused not to shake. “Y-yes, Nexus.” He swallowed hard. “We saw Din arrive, s-so we fled for fear of being discovered. I deemed leaving the best thing to do.”

“I see.” Nexus got up and walked down the steps, the slap of his bare feet on the marble echoing against the high walls, arms folded behind his back, contemplating the ground between them, and stopped on the lowest step.

Kabiroas first fought the urge to flee, and then the urge to draw his weapons. Even if he could chop off his Nexus’s head, the god would live.

And then the Elf would die...

“You’re going right back to Sconda,” Nexus said. “With some protection this time. Hold still.” Nexus held out his hands before each of their faces, fingers spread. Kabiroas stared wide-eyed, expecting this “protection” to be a ruse, but then it felt like someone was pulling his hood over his head. He reached up and felt only his hair.