It seemed like Ms. Roen had made similar plans to Chachanji's, and he watched as she too peeled off towards the Dispatch Yard ahead of him. The young Lalafell even got to see her first obstacle to jump - a much more respectable, and a bit more poetically poignant, "No Entry" sign. Having jumped over both a very small rock and a log - two of the five required obstacles - the youngest Gegenji seemed ready and willing to try for the sign as his third. As he rapidly drew closer, however, he noted it was a bit higher up than the log and definitely much higher up than the rock.
He reasoned, however, that if his teacher had managed to jump it, then so could he! With that sort of determined mindset at the forefront, Chachanji goaded his mount into picking up a little bit of extra speed to ensure a much more powerful jump. And jump Avenger did, albeit clipping the sign a bit with his talons considering he only barely cleared it. While not race-ending, the mid-air trip managed to send the Chocobo stumbling a bit as he landed, jostling his rider quite a bit in his saddle. They lost a bit of momentum as well as they tried to keep from sprawling over, but the two managed to recover awkwardly enough.
Avenger got little time to breathe, however, as he was immediately ushered after Roen and Goldwing, both of whom had only gained an even greater lead following that botched landing. They were still well enough in sight at least, and Chachanji made to follow their path up the stairs and hopefully close the gap. The barrels were immediately right out as jumping targets - the fact somehow managing to override Chachan's "I can do it if you can" mindset - but the vase was squat enough that the Lalafell was willing to risk it. His caution was well-rewarded, considering the young Chocobo's feet didn't get up high enough to have cleared the barrels. Had Chachanji been too ambitious, both he and his mount would've ended up face-first in the dirt.
Since he had deigned not to, however, Avenger landed neatly enough with his own, smaller cloud of dust kicking up to join the first. Since Goldwind's had not settled quite yet, it elicited a cough from both mount and rider as they erupted from the dusty haze and down the path after Ms. Roen. They certainly had a lot of ground to make up, but at least they only had to jump over one more obstacle!
The departure of both racers was watched by the two guards, who moved to the end of the platform to observe the retreating shapes of both birds and riders. One of them - a rather stout-looking Roegadyn by the name of Curled Fist, or "Curly" to his friends - looked down at his partner. Quite far down, indeed, since the other guard was a Lalafell. A helmet-less Lalafell sporting a bowl cut that most likely would've defied any attempts to contain it.
"Sh-should we go after them, Mo?" he asked, his gravelly voice tinged with a nervousness that belied his newness to the position.
"With what, boulder-brains?" Mostuji Thristuji responded irately, slapping the recruit's shin with the back of his armored hand. "Our feet?"
"Well, I just thought-"
"Well there's yer problem!" Mo interjected sharply. "Yer here to guard, not think! Thinkin's my job! And I'm thinkin' we didn't see nothing, you get me?"
"O-oh, uh, sure thing, Mo."
It was about that time that their third, a lanky Midlander named Larson, returned with their lunches. With the concept of a filling meal to break up an otherwise dull posting - minus the two Chocobo riders they totally didn't see - all other thoughts fell quickly to the wayside. After all, Curly was happy to note, Larson had managed to bag them some pretzels.
He reasoned, however, that if his teacher had managed to jump it, then so could he! With that sort of determined mindset at the forefront, Chachanji goaded his mount into picking up a little bit of extra speed to ensure a much more powerful jump. And jump Avenger did, albeit clipping the sign a bit with his talons considering he only barely cleared it. While not race-ending, the mid-air trip managed to send the Chocobo stumbling a bit as he landed, jostling his rider quite a bit in his saddle. They lost a bit of momentum as well as they tried to keep from sprawling over, but the two managed to recover awkwardly enough.
Avenger got little time to breathe, however, as he was immediately ushered after Roen and Goldwing, both of whom had only gained an even greater lead following that botched landing. They were still well enough in sight at least, and Chachanji made to follow their path up the stairs and hopefully close the gap. The barrels were immediately right out as jumping targets - the fact somehow managing to override Chachan's "I can do it if you can" mindset - but the vase was squat enough that the Lalafell was willing to risk it. His caution was well-rewarded, considering the young Chocobo's feet didn't get up high enough to have cleared the barrels. Had Chachanji been too ambitious, both he and his mount would've ended up face-first in the dirt.
Since he had deigned not to, however, Avenger landed neatly enough with his own, smaller cloud of dust kicking up to join the first. Since Goldwind's had not settled quite yet, it elicited a cough from both mount and rider as they erupted from the dusty haze and down the path after Ms. Roen. They certainly had a lot of ground to make up, but at least they only had to jump over one more obstacle!
The departure of both racers was watched by the two guards, who moved to the end of the platform to observe the retreating shapes of both birds and riders. One of them - a rather stout-looking Roegadyn by the name of Curled Fist, or "Curly" to his friends - looked down at his partner. Quite far down, indeed, since the other guard was a Lalafell. A helmet-less Lalafell sporting a bowl cut that most likely would've defied any attempts to contain it.
"Sh-should we go after them, Mo?" he asked, his gravelly voice tinged with a nervousness that belied his newness to the position.
"With what, boulder-brains?" Mostuji Thristuji responded irately, slapping the recruit's shin with the back of his armored hand. "Our feet?"
"Well, I just thought-"
"Well there's yer problem!" Mo interjected sharply. "Yer here to guard, not think! Thinkin's my job! And I'm thinkin' we didn't see nothing, you get me?"
"O-oh, uh, sure thing, Mo."
It was about that time that their third, a lanky Midlander named Larson, returned with their lunches. With the concept of a filling meal to break up an otherwise dull posting - minus the two Chocobo riders they totally didn't see - all other thoughts fell quickly to the wayside. After all, Curly was happy to note, Larson had managed to bag them some pretzels.
~