25

The two of you follow the directions Nyx gave you, finding yourself walking under another archway and into a more cornered-off room, large enough for dragons to enter and exit with ease, yet not jaw-dropping. There isn't much in the room, just a few chairs and a long desk on the far side. There sits a lone woman.

"I'm here to sign up for the race today," you tell her, and she taps the paper near you as she continues her work. The paper isn't complicated, in fact, it's the easiest part of your day so far. You sign your name as well as write the name of your dragon. Once you're done, you look up but find that she has disappeared. You turn to look for her, finding her circling Silvertwister with a clipboard. You wait patiently as she continues and then finds her way back to her lonesome seat.

"You're allowed to race, though you do need to manicure his spikes and talons." You nod and accept the number that she gives you, the bold black five staring at you.

"Put it on your back and put his on the left side of the saddle. When you leave this room, go directly to your right and up the platform. From there, you should be able to find your way. Good luck to you and your dragon." You nod in thanks and do as she says, putting your own number on and then Silvertwister's. You follow the woman's directions and find yourself outside, surrounded by screaming fans.

Your heart begins to do flips as you stare around. You actually made it, you're actually here. Your childhood dream and promise start here, and you're confident they won't end here.

A large grin appears on your face as you walk further into the open space. You take a deep breath in and exhale slowly. All of this feels right.

"I have a good feeling about this, Silvertwister," you tell him, and he only snorts. It would seem that he isn't as confident as you.

You continue on, catching a glimpse of the other riders and their dragons. Having been raised on a farm and hardly ever coming across other dragons, you're only knowledgeable about the five main types. But here you see colors that you didn't even know dragons could come in.

You follow the others as they begin to head towards the starting line, a voice ringing out over the stadium as you go.

"Welcome to the Ampleforth Stadium, home of the Ampleforth Racers." And on cue, five dragons fly past overhead, roaring loudly as they split into two groups and fly in opposite directions.

The crowd cheers loudly, most of them probably from Ampleforth themselves. The riders you're competing with don't seem very impressed, likely because the other racing stables aren't either. You see most of them standing on the fence that divides the track and the crowd; they actually look bored.

You spot the woman who gave you directions earlier, Nyx. She's speaking with two unfamiliar faces. Mostly they seem to be listening in on a conversation, occasionally nodding and adding something themselves.

Though you want to make a good impression on all of them, you decide not to approach and let a simple gesture do the work. You catch Nyx's gaze and wave at her with a friendly smile. She nods at you in acknowledgment, and you spot a few of those near her ask her questions. No doubt, asking who you were.

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