Wheel to Wheel Race

(Crossing, Zoluren: 376 Nissa 355)

With enthusiam I rented a caravan one recent morning. This carvan would not lead me along familiar trade routes but be my partner as we raced across Elanthia in the first ever Elanthian Games sponsered by the Mentor Society and hosted very generously by Klaudia.

The competitors started at Leth Deriel and were provided with a clue for the next check point, which happned to be by the ferry to Crossing. The next checkpoint then seemed to be either the crossing Academy or Jadewater mansion. I entered the ferry and two other teams were there thus we were all tied. After docking at Lemicus Square, I raced to the Academy but found no checkpoint. I then dashed to Jadewater which was the next checkpoint about a minute behind the leader. I trailed the leader by this minute till we had to both wait for the ferry to do the last checkpoint which happened to be in Shard.

Faun was her name and she has a fiesty carvan indeed, they lead intill the Gondola for which we both had to wait endless minutes wondering if some other team would arrive putting us all in a dead heat when the gondola arrived on the South Side Platform. The gondola departed with just my team and Faun’s on it now the race was for first and second. While on the Gondola, I made sure my team was well fed and encougared them letting them know what a fine team they were.

The gondola arrived at its destation and we were both off! Down past Fayrin’s rest we rumbled, along the Jademist river we tumbled, wheel to wheel at this point but with Faun always having a slight lead. Pass the stile past the North Gate of Shard I came a meer second behind Faun. She then went East while I was determined to go South for the last and final checkpoint was in the Temple of Light.

Not having time to wonder why she went east, I went stright south to the North Entrance of the Great Tower then to the East Entrance and to the Temple of Light. I arrived and saw no other caravan…had I won? No time to ponder I fled inside and to the correct arch that had been given in our last clue to see Mentor Klaudia…alone. A couple of seconds later but no more, Faun raced in the room.

We had travled hundreds of miles through seven checkpoints and the race eneded with us seperated by mere seconds. This was the type of competition the first Elanthia Games included, thanks to the mentors thanks to Faun for making it such a great race, but mostly thanks to my team, they dined on fine grass all evening long before I sadly returned them to the Trader outpost of Shard.

Perhaps for the next race, I wll be lucky indeed and find this fine team again.