Riordan

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Captain of the First Guard 2G Imperial “I am your shield, your glory, and the lifter of your head.” ......It is beyond his comprehension how he gets roped into agreeing to do certain things in life. To be standing in line, waiting for a ginormous plate of food to be served, which he was expected to down in less than five minutes, was the furthest thing from his mind when he woke up this morning. ......The Feast of the Windsinger was an annual festival traditionally celebrated in Aeos after the first harvest and this late in the afternoon, the celebration was in full swing. The central square was awash with colorful streamers and hanging tassels amidst softly glowing lanterns. Merchants were calling out the fantastic features of their wares, trying to outdo each other. Hatchlings eagerly ran about, curiously checking each event or some newfound toy for sale. Even Ysanne and Yula, who were most often holed up in their respective towers, were quietly conversing together, no doubt about something magical he would never be able to wrap his head around, no matter how hard he tried. Because we focused on the snake, we missed the Scorpion. - Egyptian Proverb

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The Scorpion ......He had fully intended to compete in the gladiator matches, an opportunity to showcase his fighting prowess and remind his rivals why he deserves his current station as captain of the First Guard. He isn't famous as The Scorpion for nothing, often striking fast and hard. Well, that was the plan, at least. It started innocently enough. He was at his post, guarding the Empress as she enjoyed the festivities, but then a cluster of her ladies arrived and brought before her a problem: they were missing a contestant for the annual roasted noggle-eating contest. Had he been quick of mind, he would have figured out what was behind the sudden urgent matter Tethrax, who was standing near the Empress at the time, needed to attend to with utmost haste. As luck would have it, Eris turned, and upon seeing him there alone, smirked most evilly (which only he could see) and inquired whether he would like to participate in said contest, all the while giving him the eye.

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Of course, my lady, he'd said automatically because really, what else could he have said? And to the Empress, no less?

So now he's here, with Aion, the former pirate, to his left, and Cassian, the War Master, to his right, both of whom were markedly more eager to start the event than him. He takes some consolation that Daimos, his closest friend and rival, was wearing the same uncomfortable expression he was. He'd probably been duped into joining this ridiculous contest as well. Down the line of contestants were also Byron, Daimos' lieutenant, and surprisingly, Prescea, one of Yula's apprentices and the only female in the group. She was smiling and acknowledging the cheers of the crowd, her little gloom willow guide fluttering animatedly about her in full support.
All too soon for Riordan, the signal to start the contest is given and he unenthusiastically digs into his food. The meat is delicious at least, juicy and well-seasoned, which was a small blessing. Noggles, after all, were one of the delicacies of Aeos. He steals a glance at his competitors. Cassian is wolfing down food at record speed while Aion is impressively keeping pace. He muses that the former pirate is only here to show off for the ladies. Daimos, who had probably gotten into the spirit of things, is doing a commendable effort to, at least, provide some challenge.

And then he hears it. Someone asks what is the prize for winning the eating contest. To his amazement, the answer is a handcrafted bejeweled dagger commissioned by the Empress from Arkanis, Aeos' premier master blacksmith.

With renewed vigor, he focuses with a single-minded determination normally reserved for intense battles, on the task at hand. It also helps that he didn't have breakfast this morning and skipped lunch, too.

The crowd goes wild at this sudden change in him. They egg him on, shouting encouragement, giving his competitors pause, until the audience starts chanting his name with glee. He devours huge chunks of noggle meat with gusto, unmindful of how messy his table manners were. The prize was simply too good to pass up.

Within minutes, though it certainly felt like an hour to the participants, a horn is blown, signalling the end of the contest.

Riordan manages to polish off his plate, to his own disbelief and is shocked to hear he is declared the winner. The crowd gives a resounding cheer.

Eris, herself, gracefully presents him with his prize. The dagger is an ornate weapon, exquisitely carved from pure obsidian, encrusted with a few precious stones, bearing the famous blacksmith's mark near the base of the hilt and obviously too valuable to simply be a prize for an eating contest, in his opinion.

But, then again, the royal clan was known to be particularly generous during festivals, and is the reason why Aeos attracts so many tourists all over Sornieth year after year.

He receives the sheathed weapon with a bow - proper manners being drilled to him as a child - and Eris beams at him. He resolves to privately express his thanks to her later for letting him join the contest. A heavy arm is draped around his shoulders soon after and he finds himself surrounded by Daimos and their friends, offering their congratulations in turn.

He quite forgets what happens next, though he remembers protesting that he needed to return to his post, only for the Empress to wave him away and tell him to enjoy the rest of the festival.

To his dismay, he ends up not taking part in the gladiator matches, due to a bout of stomach upset in the next hour or so. In the evening, he receives an unnaturally large number of invitations to dance from several females, which earns him a good-natured ribbing from Daimos.


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