Drag On By D.I. Jolly
They stared at each other intensely, not speaking. Both trying to read the others face for any hint or clue as to what was going through their mind, but nothing. In the background they could hear the one-minute warning bell, then the Thirty second. Suddenly a third face appeared grabbing both their attention.
“Final checks and get ready.”
They nodded in unison, and the face smiled.
“You’re both fucking nuts, you know that right.”
They smiled,
“You’re just jealous.”
“Envious, jealous means something else.”
Interrupted Julie with a smug smile. Rick pulled a face and stuck his tongue out at her.
“Ok guys 10 seconds. Good luck.”
They both took on much more serious expressions and quickly rechecked their saddles. Suddenly a siren sounded and the small stable doors in front of them burst open. Their riding dragons leap forward over the edge of the cliff and into a free fall.
With their wings tucked hard against their sides and their riders lying flat against them they fell faster and faster towards the crashing waves below. Through the howling sounds of the wind whipping past their ears, Rick and Julie could hear the crowd erupt into screams and cheers. After a few moments and without turning her head Julie yelled out.
“Getting closer, don’t you think you should pull up!?”
“Not on your life!”
As they continued to fall Julie’s dragon Tharg turned a slightly nervous glance towards Rick’s dragon Hallowed. Who replied very much in kind. For a moment they stared at each other, then at once set their eyes forward, tightened their wings and continued to dive. As they continued to get closer and closer to the waters below the cheers of the crowd started to die away, replaced by a silent and nervous dread. It didn’t take long before a panic had started to spread in the form of shouts and cried for them to pull up, and curses as people looked away in fright for what they might be about to witness. Julie shot her eyes sideways to get a feel for her competition, trying to be as subtle as possible and not give away her own building fears. She held tighter to Tharg’s neck and whispered.
“We got this, just a little while longer.”
In front of them, a massive swell crashed against the cliff face sending spray high into the air and the slightest hint of salt touched Rick’s tongue and his nerves broke. Suddenly his heart rate jumped up and he frantically pulled up hard on the reigns. Hallowed winced at how hard he was pulled but also felt very relieved as he quickly spread his wings, arched his back and launched forward and up. It took Julie a moment to realise what had happened before she sighed a massive sigh of relief and did the same. Once clear it hit her, she’d won. She raised her arms and screamed with excitement then clapped her hands and laughed. They quickly flew back to the crowd, who rushed towards her as she landed. The booming voice of the announcer cutting through the cheers.
“Let’s welcome your new champions, the Queens of dragon drag racing, Julie and Thaaaaaarg!”