Six months later.

The noise from the distance made the stallion nervous. Arran patted the horse’s neck, trying to calm it. He was trying to calm himself too.

This was his first race.

Ermic was beside him, holding the horse’s reins as he led him towards the starting gates.

“The other jockeys are some of the slickest riders in the game, they have been at it longer than we have,” Ermic warned as he led Arran and the horse, “There’s a lot riding on this Arran.” He said, a sense of finality and doom creeping into his voice.

“I know” Arran replied solemnly. Ermic grunted at this, letting the matter drop. The past six months had been hell. They had ben forced to train day and night, a few hours of blissful sleep being their only reprieve each day. They were starved, so that they wouldn’t be much of a burden on the horse. They had only one job, and that was to manoeuvre the horse around the other riders. Day and night, they were taught to read the situation. A split second’s decision is all it could take to win the race. Timing was everything. A rider’s wit and perception their sole weapon.

Arran was a good rider. The best in this year’s batch of slaves. He quickly climbed the ladder, outpacing even riders that had been training for more than a year. Symas grudgingly acknowledged Arran’s talent, recommending him for the big leagues. Lord Egon was initially hesitant. His better judgement warned him against letting a greenhorn decide the fate of his money, no matter how small. He agreed to let Arran ride in a smaller race before deciding to let him race on his behalf in the bigger leagues. Arran jumped at this opportunity. His situation could drastically improve if he proved his worth as a rider, Ermic’s would too, by extension. They had grown close over the last six months, the hardships they faced together serving only to strengthen their bonds.

“You are on your own from now Arran, may Thyight guide you” Ermic said quietly after docking Arran at the starting gate. They shared a moment of silent camaraderie before Ermic turned around and left.

Arran’s heart pounded as he saw the solid mass of people stretched out before him. Every vantage point in and around the outer fences was jammed with excited peasants trying to catch a glimpse of the spectacle. Many perched on rooftops fully a mile away from the starting point. A raised platform around the track served to seat the wealthier crowd. The owners of the horses and the more prominent Cyrians were seated in elevated and enclosed cabins that towered over everyone else.

Arran was riding a midnight black stallion, Equs. It was big and strong, easily one of the bigger ones on the track. This race would also serve as a testing ground for Equs. His lack of experience evident in his jitteriness. His gaze was on the other horses. His nostrils quivered and he shook his head nervously. Arran was having a hard time controlling him. He tried to placate Equs, patting him on the head and whispering words of reassurance in his ears. He needed Equs to respond to his handling smoothly. A split second of indecision on the inexperienced horse’s part and they could come crashing down in a pile of horses and humans.

A horn rang out, it’s blazing roar drowning out the crowd in a brief reprieve of monotonicity.

Twelve metal gates, each holding back a stallion, sprang open from their locks. Twelve horses, proud and beautiful, surged forth. Muscles rippling under their skin, they galloped like masters of the wind. A midnight black stallion among them, placed towards the outer part of the track was steering off course, much to everyone’s bewilderment.

The loud horn had startled Equs. He reared back, before surging forth along with the other horses. He was however, not focussed onto the track. He fought against Arran’s control, trying to free himself from the harness and slowly veering off course.

Arran tried his best to calm him while at the same time fighting back against the horse, holding onto the reins no matter how Equs buckled under him. The horse gradually calmed down, steering back onto the inner-track without breaking it’s gallop. Arran was trailing the pack by at least a hundred yards. There would be no way he could perform well in this race. It wasn’t his fault. The stallion was too inexperienced, but Lord Egon wouldn't look at it that way. Was his fate doomed? Would he be cast aside because of this race, left to scrub toilets and muck the stables?

He had to calm down. He would worry about the consequences after the race. He focussed, trying to still his senses, trying to feel Equs. He had to be in perfect sync with Equs for it to trust his decisions.

“You can tell a lot about a man by how he rides” Symas had frequently told them. Arran rode from reflex rather than concentration. Though he initially stumbled, he was the quickest to get the hang of it. His control of the horse in motion was as natural as his control of his legs in walking. As horses thundered all around him, he read the flow with a mix of skill and intuition. Several times, he would slow down his steed before there was an obvious need, and avoided the hard braking that other, less instinctive riders were forced to make. Sometimes he urged the horse into an invisible gap that opened magically, just when a collision seemed imminent. Equs relaxed visibly as it started trusting Arran’s judgment.

It was a sight to behold as it, as Equs galloped like the wind. He was all power, he was all beauty. The rider and his steed were one. Arran, hunched over Equs’s mane used his legs in perfect sync to the horses stride. They were seamless, his feet where they locked into the saddle looked like they flowed from the horse itself. They were like a single being. They were the wind. The distance lessened, Equs was running down the other horses now, weaving between the other steeds under Arran’s skilful manoeuvres.

They were finally at the last 100 yard. Equs was finally showing signs of tiring out because of it’s earlier gallop. Arran could feel the horse’s fatigue. He knew that Equs had given it it’s all. It had performed well. Arran was proud of the horse. He knew that the horse was destined for greatness.

They were in the fourth position now. It wasn’t good enough. He needed to at least place second for Lord Egon to give him another chance. He wanted to do this again, he wanted to feel the horse under him again. It was exhilarating, this power. He felt powerful, truly, for the first time in his life. There was something inexplicable, something magical. He couldn't explain it, nor could he put a finger on it. It just felt right somehow. Equs felt right. He felt that he had found some missing part in his life. He just couldn’t explain how he knew it. He would not give up now, he would pour his life into Equs if it would give him strength. He wanted to feel this power once more.

He felt tired then, like he had been running for miles without a break. His mind growing hazy even as Equs put on a new burst of speed, surprising everyone present. It galloped faster than before, for a tenth of a second. It was all it needed to gallop ahead of the pack, crossing the finish line first. The stallion that had placed second was trailing Equs by a good two lengths.

Arran held onto Equs as it slowed down, clinging onto it’s mane with what meagre strength he had. He felt so tired. He looked up to see Ermic running towards him with a smile on his face. He held on until Ermic reached him before collapsing into his arms. He had no strength to lead Equs back. He knew that Ermic would take care of it.

Hi there,

I did not want to bore you guys with two or three chapters of training. Hope you enjoy the action. And for those of you that did not get it, this chapter has slight foreshadowing about the fantasy setting of the story.

Feel free to post any thoughts you have.

Thanks

PS: It would be a great help if you take five minutes of your time to review the work so I know where I can improve. If a review turns to be too much of a hassle, I would be grateful if you could post the suggestions on this thread.

PPS: Your comments also would serve as great motivation :)