Blood and Roses.

Chapter 2

My heart panted faster and faster as I noticed Hilder inches from me. My eyes locked with hers as I shot a glance behind her. It held so much competitive spirit. An unhealthy relentless one. A persistent look that could make any opponent cower unfortunately it only made me more competitive. I was not going to lose this race, to any one and most importantly not to Hilder of all people.

She had been my rival in horse racing, sword fighting and literally anything that had to do with her showing off.

“Hiya hiya hiya”, I yelled ferociously jolting my horse to increase its pace as I perceived her presence close in on me like I had inhaled the hot breath expelling from her mouth.

The nerves in my body stood as I felt the whole crowd focus on just this two rivals. I never had to look it was obvious enough considering other competitors were far left behind. We raced like our life depended on it.

Nothing ever takes Hilder by chance. Her preparations for mere games alone were top notch, and this was no mere game it was the Adnah Annual hunger games, she had spent hard six months training for this and from those eyes I could tell how much the insatiable hunger to grab that staff at the finish line ate her inside out. But like she had trained I had also she picked the wrong opponent yet again because I was not willing to give in either. My father was watching and I understood what this meant to him I wasn’t going to let him down.

I watched from peripheral vision how her competitive eyes were replace with fury “C’mon c’mon!!! Girl” she shouted. As she lowered her back her eyes narrowing straight down the path to the finish line.

Unexpectedly as if her horse had heard her the Cavalry increase his pace forcefully taking the competition into his hands. His eyes becoming more bigoted than his rider. I had never seen a more determined horse like that with the exception of my fathers, I admitted internally. I knew at that moment if only my cavalry could steal a look at the terror of his opponent it would have given up.

But I refused to be intimidated I would rather die on this ground tonight.

I yelled and yelled repeatedly pushing my horse to take the lead but they all ended in futility as Hilder’s Cavalry gained on me enormously. I watched an evil smirk print on her lips as she knew she was onto the finish line again.

This is where she’s made boast, I had beat her in swordsmanship and rowing. I knew the thought of it had killed her internally over and over, those relentless eyes I see now was what held those thoughts in her mind.

But she wasn’t the only one hunted by those dark thoughts, I myself wasn’t fit to bear the feeling of losing in horse racing to Hilder three times in row. Father was watching also this is his best play in all the events today considering most of Adnahtis battle strategies where tied to the use of Cavalries. This was his only one true moment and I was determined to prove to him that I’m warrior worthy and warrior ready. She had been the best in horse racing ever but not anymore, things were about to change tonight. Or maybe even get worse as the look on Hilder’s face still gave me the impression that I might swallow up the ugly bile of failure yet again.

The increased uproar from the crowd as they notice her gain on me sent shivers down my spine, shivers of agony and fear. I observe from my peripheral vision as my father adjusted his throne causing his head to protrude forward with keen attention on me. Which led me to believe that at this moment if he was no king he would have yelled my name to encourage me but unfortunately he had a reputation to guide, and a crown to keep. Nevertheless his heart said it all even louder than his lips would have said it.

Our eyes locked again only this time the distance where only inches away.

We rode side by side now. My eyes took her features in as her blonde hair flapped on the wind wrestling against it. Every jolting from the horse caused her breast joggle which my made it easy to see how finely shaped they were even under her thick surcoat.

She rode with so much furiousness breaking the tie within us, narrowing her eyes to the one and only goal, the staff at the finish line. She didn’t take a second to look at me.

God she was so focused.

I watched as jaws dropped while my father’s own tightened. It was the sight of seeing the one thing he knew mattered to him get snatched without him able to do anything. It bored a hole deep down in my heart, I could feel hot tears build up in my eyes as the gushing wind hit my face.

Then suddenly I heard a feint but vivid voice in words I couldn’t understand. It was feint enough to notice that only my ears could hear, vivid enough to rip my heart from curiosity. However I stayed glued to my cavalry considering I was almost close to the finish line if I was going to lose then I should lose to a champion and not just any third place person I thought.

Just as I worked on fixing the puzzled voice while still on my horse it came again this time more loudly that it could reap my ears off, or would I say my mind off.

“Kahstrama haustrathtika madaras”.

Immediately the voiced finished I felt my eyelid twitch uncontrollably like it was trying to turn into something else, it took over my body effortlessly, I felt them roll over like they were not mine anymore. Twitching transformed into fury. With the amount of fury I felt soar in my body I knew this was not a discretionary act, it carried me without struggle against my will forcing my veins to pump blood down my whole body like they were forced too.

As it occurred I noticed it summoned Hilder’s cavalry my new features met him causing him to neigh loudly thus raising the back end of his limb where she sat. Without anyone telling me I deeply felt my evil eyes had done that. But how? A look that had summoned Hilder’s horse?. A strange transformation that was forcedly imposed on me? Everything felt strange to me.

My eyes grew blur my thighs were weak. But they were not weak enough for me not to notice the large thump that had taken hilder to the ground just before the finish line, besides the huge uproar from the crowd just as her body hit the ground had brought me back to my normal state. I couldn’t grasp how hard she had hit the ground but I rested my heart on the fact that she was experienced and knew how to handle those type of falls. I was going to help her forfeiting the title I’ve waited a year for, but my eyes were killing me they felt like they had return to their normal state yet they were still extremely heavy.

I felt guilty because I knew that just that one look Hilder’s Calvary had taken into my mystery eyes had caused her downfall. Only if he had not looked back, only if she had gotten to the finish line already before me. Or maybe had the poor cavalry been compelled to look? Because cavalry’s never looked back when they embarked on journeys like these. They were specifically trained

While this guilt welled up in me my horse made it visible how unremorseful he was as he raced me down to the finish line, my body was weak to the extent that I couldn’t grab the staff but my horse got too close enough to help me scrape it with my hands which by the rules of the game that was all you needed to do. Grab or braze as much as you can.

In low spirits I could still hear the crowd chant my name in rhythmic form. A strong but confuse smile published on my father’s face.

Wait had he seen what happened to me? Did the whole crowd see? I mean they should have.

The whole eye transformation thing had happened in a flick but I knew there was going to be questions not only from my father who had this confuse smile as he clapped, but also from royals and knights who knew that a cavalry tumbling like that was questionable. And lastly the blonde had she seen the mystery considering she was the only person close enough to notice? .

All these questions troubled my weak heart but first I was going to let the roaring from the crowd fill up my curious heart with joy, without minding if I was helped by a voice or a cavalry.

For the first time I felt the ecstasy Hilder felt whenever she won as I heard them chant my name from all corners repeatedly,

“Nectar! Nectar!! Nect...ar!!!.”