Chimera Ryder

Chapter 21 - Back to the Green Castle

Jessa's win at Zhu caused quite a bit of a commotion back home. She made the headline as the first rider to beat Demyan in the Humble League. Reporters got a hold of her father, and he was just as surprised as everyone else! The columnists also reached out to Rand. But they weren't able to find him anywhere.

Even though Jessa won first at that α match, her points were still not enough to get her team to the finals. Ladis came in eighth. He made sure to rough up the Cerberus Brothers a bit for Jessa. But winning second was simply too much to ask of him, especially when Demyan was the silver medalist.

The owner of the Fire Pistons wasn't mad. In the first class telegram he sent over, he commended them for their resilient effort. But in reality, he only said that because Jessa's victory pose was on every front page of the news; her story could raise his company's stock by tenfold. He no longer needed his team to go to the finals to gain exposure.

Jessa was not thinking about the Humble League finals. Her mind was now focused on the Prime League. Now that she had a better understanding of her zone, she wanted to join the Ivory Wings immediately! She wanted to race in that state again! She wanted to compete with the best. Saving her home plane was still on her mind, but she craved the thrill of the race even more.

"Was that selfish?"

She thought deeply to herself. Even though both goals of hers were aligned in the same direction, her own hunger to win was somehow eclipsing over her desire to save the lower planes.

She sat up from the hospital bed and was distracted by Ryder leaping through the window. Ryder could only reach Jessa this way, because the hospital banned animals from the facility. Ryder had a royal class telegram in her mouth. The goat wanted to chew on the letter, so Jessa wrestled it out of the goat's mouth.

Ryder was still getting used to the goat being awake all the time. She was so much more alert now. The snake didn't bother the cat as much anymore. It found a new target to prank on. But the goat was too smart for the snake. It would often leave the snake dizzy after a head butting match.

Riding Ryder without a saddle forced Jessa to use excessive amount of her leg strength. She tore her hamstring for holding on to Ryder during the climb of the cliff. She was hospitalized immediately after the ceremony. The doctors here ordered her to rest for at least three weeks. Groy was also hospitalized for his broken arm.

Jessa opened her telegram. It was from the queen. Their resting days were just cut short because the queen had just summoned her to the Green Castle.

Groy and Ladis had never been to the capital before! They glued their eyes to the steamship's window like Jessa did the first time she was here. She remembered that night traveling with Rand and the princess. That was the night she learned about her home in danger. And that was the night she was forced to grow up.

Mrs. Folly hugged Jessa and strapped her luggage on Ryder's back. Jessa then petted the bulls and waved goodbye to the twins. The twins were too busy checking out the buildings in the capital; they did not notice Jessa leaving.

Jessa hopped her way towards the open quad with her bamboo crutches and was fenced off by a horde of reporters!

"Ms. Hiltsmith! This is the Regal Press," a reporter shouted. "What do you think your prospect would be like in the Prime League?"

"Huh...?"

"Jessalyn! What was Sir Ironwood like as a coach?" another reporter asked.

"He... was great. I mean I learned a lot--"

"Being a female rider, what is your opinion on the grid ladies wearing such skimpy clothes?" asked another reporter.

All the reporters kept cutting each other off. They scribbled down all the half sentences Jessa blurted out. Their questions quickly went from being about the race to the beauty routine Jessa didn't have. She didn't know how to answer all these questions and was starting to feel stressed out!