The Chimera

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Races, Jousting, and the Village Dance-Off

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm not some prize parrot for you to gawk at."

"But we'd all like to see it," Edeline says.

On the first of May, fourteen of the citadel's residents stand on the open lawn by the rose garden. Every color outside is the freshest version of itself: the wide blue of the sky, the dazzling green of the grass. In the garden, Fallon's tender care has yielded roses in every blushing shade of pink and red, with the occasional orange, yellow, and white blooms dappled throughout.

In the center of the group stands Tai, internally exalting at his hold over their attention. At Edeline's request, he finally relents. If it can amaze the best archer he knows, then he'll know it's truly impressive.

Pulling the bottle of sand from his belt, he uncorks it and lets the silver particles run joyfully onto his palm, moving restlessly in little swirls. He concentrates until they coalesce into their typical longsword. Then, he lets his mind step another way.

His audience watches with rapt attention as the sword spirals downward into a long knife, then soars again into becoming a spear. He holds it out for them to have a better view of its solidity and impeccable form.

"It becomes any weapon you think of?" Edeline asks.

"Yes. But nothing outside of weaponry. I can't, for example, form a rolling pin out of thin air."

"But how will we fight the specters without that?" Marikit says, lounging cross-legged in the grass and looking unimpressed. "Remind me why you never thought to tell us about this before?"

Tai crushes the spear in his hand, letting it dissolve into falling dust that he directs back into the bottle. "I'd hardly call it your business."

"Tactless as ever, Tai." In one fluid motion, she pushes herself into standing. "I think we've wasted enough time with his showboating. I have something new in mind for our training today, but I'll need a few volunteers to try it out."

Lionel is always fearless, but especially so on a faultless spring morning. He eagerly offers.

"If we'll be doing anything akin to a game, I'd like to leave now," Tai says, stone-faced.

"I'll take that as you volunteering." She speaks over Tai's sounds of protest. "Now, you each pick a partner."

Lionel tugs on his brother's reluctant arm. Skander's a little flattered to be chosen over Lionel's infatuation with Zahara, but he doubts he'll be able to contribute anything substantial in a game run by Marikit.

Tai, for his part, selects Edeline right away.

Marikit describes the game as consisting of three rounds: two races and a final test of accuracy. She positions Lionel and Edeline on the end of the lawn that stands opposite to the rose garden. Whoever is the first to run across the space, climb over the low wall, and reach the top of the tree in the garden's center will win the first round.

"Can we use our gifts during the race?" Lionel asks.

"You mean, can you turn into a bird and fly to the top of the tree without any running or climbing?" Marikit asks flatly. "I'd rather you didn't. Really, this is already much easier than the way I learned."

Skander's a little afraid to know what exactly that way was.

Before their competition begins, Lionel and Edeline take their places, the latter's eyes fixated on the tree she'll be sprinting toward. Lionel, on the other hand, stands loosely and nonchalantly, smiling widely as ever. He looks to their assembled audience, searching out a face in the crowd.