KotLC: Eclipse (KotLC X Magnus Chase)

Chapter 23

Sophie's POV

The courtyard was unlike anything I'd seen before. The sprawling expanse of polished stone and gleaming pillars stretched towards the sky like towers, with deep green vines crawling up them, sprouting a rainbow of flowers.

Pools of water lined the edges of the courtyard, forming rivers that crossed the area, reflecting the golden light of the sun that was shining from directly overhead.
Lanterns, which I assumed would be lit during the night, floated about, occasionally bumping into each other like bumper cars.

"Woah..." I said, looking around the courtyard.

"Yeah. We found this place a few months back, a while after beating Loki." Alex told me, leaning against one of the nearby pillars.

This was one of the most beautiful places I'd ever seen, which was saying something because I'd seen the Lost Cities.
I looked around at the people (and sword) around me.
Magnus and Alex were leaning casually against a pillar and talking, T.J. was looking at me with curiosity, and Mallory and Halfborn were arguing with Jack about the best song genre (as in, Mallory and Halfborn telling Jack that 'Taylor Swift' was not a genre and him completely ignoring them).

I stepped closer to one of the pools, the clear water rippling as if there was a light breeze. The flowers on the vines shimmered like crystals in the sunlight.
For a minute, I forgot why I was here, lost in the beauty of it all.

A voice shouted a warning to me. "Careful, the water's deeper than it looks." Alex jogged up to me and smirked. "Wouldn't want you falling in."

I stepped back, glancing at the others. "How'd you learn that? Did someone fall in?"

"Let's just say that T.J. learnt that the hard way when we found this place."

"Ah..." A thought came to my mind, a slightly better plan to get to Havenfield without them trying to tear me from the sky or something if I tried to levitate. I turned to Alex and the others.
"Wanna race?"

She blinked, and her smirk dropped for a second, obviously struggling to process the sudden topic change.

Her smirk returned. "A race. Around this courtyard?" Alex crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you stand a chance?"

I tried for a grin, shrugging casually. "Why not? I think I'll manage."

T.J. perked up, stepping forward with an eager smile. "This? This I have to see. Count me in."

"Wait." We looked at Magnus, who had just spoken. "Are we talking about a regular or a no-rules, free-for-all race?" He shot a glance at Gunderson and Mallory, who were already cracking their knuckles with gleeful grins on their faces.

"What does it matter?" Mallory asked. "We'll all just reincarnate again. But for the record, I'm in either way."

Halfborn's voice echoed around the courtyard.  "I'm in as well."

Alex turned to Magnus. "You in or out?"

"Nah. I'm not gonna race. Instead, I'll make sure that none of you cheat and to declare the winner- I think that it'll be a close race." He glanced at Jack. "You're not racing."

Jack's runes glowed orange as he whined. "Why?"

"I don't want to have to heal stab wounds that'll happen after someone trips and collides with you. Especially since I'll feel the strain from the race afterwards as well, "

"Fine. But you owe me." Jack floated over to Magnus and turned into the pendant that hung on a chain around Magnus's neck.

T.J. marched over to a line in the ground between the squares on the floor. His voice turned harder and more militant. "We start here. One lap around the edge of the courtyard. No weapons, no shortcuts, and definitely no shapeshifting. Is that clear?"